Comments for September 25

v.13 The mention of Beriah and Shema driving away the inhabitants of Gath from Aijalon is an indication that the Philistines control and influence extended beyond the Gaza strip and up the coastal plain and into the Jezreel valley at this time.
This was also the case at the time of the death of Saul 1Sam 31

:1-34 Sons of Benjamin
:33 Saul and his sons
:34 Jonathan's sons

So now we focus on the tribe of Benjamin in order to give the background to Saul and king and Jonathon his son. The scene is now set of the kingdom of God with a man ruling over the nation.

:8 We might wonder what Shaharaim was doing in the land of Moab as his inheritance was in the land of Canaan.

8:34 'Merib-baal' is Mephibosheth (2Sam 4:4)

V.40 Great strength as well as skill (Judg 20:16) was requisite in ancient archery, as the bow, which was of steel, and was bent by treading with the feet, and pulling the string with both hands.

It's apparent from 1Chron 8:32that the Benjamites lived in or around Jerusalem.  But when David and Joab conquered Jerusalem it became a city of Judah  (2Sam 5:4-10).  I presume Benjamin never successfully conquered it in the first place.

V.40 mentions archers (bows).  When we think of weapons we think about the material from which they were made.  Unfortunately, those materials, at least the metals, are inaccurately described in the King James Version. 

The KJV mentions steel 4 times (2Sam 22:35; Job 20:24; Psa 18:34;Jer 15:12). Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon which was not in use until a long time after this era.  Iron alone was used, of course, especially for larger war implements such as chariots (Judg 4:13).  The problem with iron was that it was brittle and more difficult to smelter than other metals. 

Modern Bible versions are more accurate in writing bronze instead of steel.  Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, and is tougher than just copper alone.  Originally, weapons were made of copper until bronze was discovered. 

The term brass (which is an alloy of copper and zinc) is mentioned 126 times in the KJV and is also erroneous.  It should be rendered bronze, as brass was also a later discovery.

8:33 ‘Esh-Baal’ is Ishbosheth. Strange isn’t it that Kish and Jonathan built ‘Baal’ into the names of their children – though Baal simply means lord. Maybe they did not consider the implications in terms of false gods

8:33-36 Here we have valuable information about the family of Saul. The family relationship between these different individuals will figure in providing reasons for certain actions of Saul during his life.

8:6 This ‘Ehud’ is probably the judge of Judg 3:15

V.1 etc. This Chapter contains the genealogy of Benjamin which began in 7:6.  Comparing the two, we notice that the names of the sons are different.  Some plausible explanations are:

-That the persons mentioned had more than one name.

-The term sons are used loosely to mean other relatives like grandsons etc.

It must be remembered that the tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out (Judg 20:11 etc.).  This event might have affected the genealogy of Benjamin.

V.33 Saul, the first king of Israel is mentioned in this genealogy (See 1Sam 9:1,2 etc).

V.34 Jonathan’s son Meribbaal (quarreller of Baal) later had his name changed to Mephibosheth (idol-breaker) (2Sam 4:4).

8:33 Whilst Saul had three sons we know little about two of the sons, the Scriptural record focusing on the activities of Jonathan. Thus we see a Godly man presented to us and his brothers hardly mentioned.

8:28   The mention of Jerusalem reminds us that Jerusalem was a city of the Benjamites – actually it was on the border of Benjamin and Judah’s territories.

8:33 One might think that because Benjamin was the last born son it would be appropriate that his genealogy would come last of the sons of Jacob. But the list is not in order of birth so there must be another reason for Benjamin being last listed. The reason is that the genealogy of Benjamin sets the scene for the appearance of Saul as the first king of Israel.

Saul's family line continued through Jonathan's descendants and continued to grow considerably (v33-40). When David said "is there yet anyone of Saul's family still living?" (2Sam 9:3) he was possibly unaware of all these people. Perhaps they were in hiding?

8:33 “Esh-Baal” is Ishbosheth in 2Sam 2:8

Fleeing to Moab

Three times in v6-8 there is mention of an exile of some sort to Moab. It appears that part of the family (especially the women) were made to go and others stayed behind. There are a couple of times in the history of Israel where this happened, due to famine or other danger, for example Naomi and her family (Ruth 1). Also at David's time he sent his parents to safety in Moab while Saul sought his life and the lives of his family (1Sam 22:3-4). Is it possible that the people mentioned in this chapter were allies with David and had the same worries? At the end of our chapter, Saul's genealogy is listed, so it's possible that the context is all about Saul and that these women took refuge in Moab during his wicked reign.

8:33     In naming one of his sons “Eshbaal” we get an insight into Saul’s focus. How do we decide on the names of our children?

Clearly, God wants us to see that the covenant between David and Jonathan was honoured, as Jonathan is the only sone of Saul, who has many generations of offspring record and that they were valiant men. 

8:33 “Esh-Baal” is elsewhere – 2Sam 2:8 – call Ishbosheth.

1 Chronicles 1-9 can seem to be difficult chapters to read and understand.

Brother Tony Benson’s book – Family Trees of the Tribes of Israel, by using family trees and explanations highlights much that is in the genealogies in this section of the book.

Copies can be ordered from Peterlforbes@tiscali.co.uk. Cost £5.50 plus postage.

8:33 It is evident that Saul saw Jonathan as the one who would inherit his throne – 1Sam 20:21 – here is the reason. It would seem that Jonathan was the firstborn son of Saul. However Jonathan was very different from his father. He realised kingship was ordained by God, not by birth. He clearly saw something in David which prompted him to hand over his princely garb and weaponry to David  -1Sam 18:4– Thankfully our future kingship –Rev 5:10 – is not based on natural birth. Being called of God is more reliable than family ties.

8:1 Benjamin, being the last born son of Jacob, is counted last in the list and conveniently that sets the scene for the first king of Israel. – Saul.

8:6  Whilst Ehud is not given as a son of “Gera” here we might consider that he was the Judge in the book of Judges as Ehud was a Benjamite – Judg 3:16– and it is the tribe of Benjamin being spoken of here in 1Chron 8even though here we do not read as to who was Ehud’s father.

v.3 - The final judgement. God has finally given up on his people. This is a shift from ch.9:5-6, when utter destruction still required that some be singled out to be saved, but no longer. The fact that it says the righteous and the wicked suggests that there were still some righteous, but that God was no longer prepared to save them.

v.25 'prince of Israel' is correct. Zedekiah was not a king of divine appointment. He was selected for his likely compliance with the wishes of Babylon.
v.26 'crown' is the same word used in Zechariah 6:11 when speaking of the crowning of Joshua which, as I said when commenting on Zechariah, causes one to wonder what those who returned from Babylon thought about Ezekiel 21.
04701 diadem / [priestly] mitre is found in the following places Exodus 28:4,37,39 29:6 39:28,31 Leviticus 8:9 16:4 Ezekiel 21:26 and is clearly linked with priesthood. Both the kingdom and the priesthood were over.

v.7 - It might help us to remember that the ones who sigh and whose hearts melt and who faint at the thought of the coming events are those who do not have God. So when we ourselves find our own lives hit this level of depression, we need to pull ourselves up in the knowledge that God loves us and has a desire that we might share in eternity. It is those who have forgotten this that sigh and faint. Isa.13:7, Nah.2:10

21:27 'I will give it him', being quoted (Luke 1:32) shows that the promise to David that he would not want for a man to sit on his throne (1 Kings 8:25). So Jesus is clearly presented as the 'one whose right it is'.

21:25-27 Whilst we use this passage, rightly, to show that God will eventually set up a king in Jerusalem we should not forget the impact that this would have on Ezekiel. He would know the promises to David. He had seen the glory cloud depart (Ezekiel 10) He knew that Jerusalem was to be destroyed. This promise would doubtless encourage this faithful priest in his work as a prophet.

21:7  When Ezekiel sighed we have to conclude it was a response to the things he saw rather than a response just to cause the people to ask the question. He was one of those who sighed and cried (Eze 9:4) for the abominations in Jerusalem.

V.32 Where are the Ammonites today? They have disappeared, and their territory is occupied by Arabs. Herein lies a lesson for each one of us, that is; the enemies of God's people will ultimately be destroyed.

Vs.28-32 Yahweh had a controversy with the Ammonites as well as with Jerusalem.  Nebuchadnezzar would be the instrument to deal with both (vs.19,20). 

Jerusalem was destroyed by fire in 586 BC, and Rabbah was destroyed when the Babylonians attacked the Ammonites sometime after 586 BC (Jer 49:2,3). 

The Ammonites were related to the Israelites.  One of Lot's sons, Ben-Ammi, was the father of the Ammonites (Gen 19:36-38). 

The Ammonites gave Israel a hard time: first in the time of the Judges when Jephthah was pressed into service (Judg 11:4-6); then Saul defended the men of Jabesh against the Ammonites (1Sam 11:1-11); David had ongoing conflicts with the Ammonites (1Chron 19, 20).  However, Solomon had no conflicts with them because he married Ammonite wives and worshipped Milcom the god of Ammon (1Kin 11:5). 

All this offensive history caused Yahweh to use Nebuchadnezzar His servant, to mete out punishment to the Ammonites (Jer 27:6).

How true these prophecies came! The well known verses of Eze 21:25-27were fulfilled just 70 years later, when the Jews returned to Jerusalem under Cyrus’ proclamation.  Zerubbabel, their leader, was a direct descendant of the Royal line (see 1Chron 3:1,17-19), could have claimed to be king, but didn't.  He was mayor, or civic leader. There WERE no more kings. For as we know, Jesus Christ is the One “Whose right it is”.

21:25  This use of ‘prince’ should provide us with an insight into what the people in Ezekiel’s day would have thought when Ezekiel spoke of the ‘prince’ in Eze 45. Those in Ezekiel’s day would doubtless have been encouraged that Ezekiel was speaking to the time when the one who had the right would come.

V.4 Yahweh intends His destruction of Judah to be complete, from the south to the north.  However, He states that both the righteous and the wicked will be destroyed. 

There are many scriptures in which Yahweh declares that He will destroy the wicked but uphold the righteous (e.g. Psa 37:17). 

Why would He not spare the righteous in this case? (For possible explanation, e-mail me for my comment: Righteousness and Salvation).

21:3 ‘Draw forth my sword’, in quoting Lev 26:25, is showing Israel that the events that are happening are not accidents. They are in direct fulfilment of His words to them at Sinai if they were unfaithful to Him.

21:28 Lest Ammon should think to escape because Nebuchadnezzar had taken the route to Jerusalem, Ezekiel denounces judgement against Ammon. without the prospect of a restoration such as awaited Israel (Jer 49:6)

21:9 In saying ‘a sword, a sword’ speaking of judgement against the land we might think that this is just a simple warning. However, like so much of the language of the prophets at this time, Ezekiel is quoting the curses of Lev 26:25,33

Vs.26,27 Jerusalem would be destroyed and the kingdom cease.  No king has reigned there since: and will not until Jesus returns to the earth to claim the throne (Luke 1:32).

21:3 That God will draw a sword after Israel, as well as echoing what God had said – Lev 26:25 – continues the theme spoken of earlier by the prophet – Eze 5:12 etc:

v 25-27 First Principles>Kingdom of God>Was overturned>History of fulfilment
5. Judah (the Southern Kingdom) continued for another 200 years after Israel, the Northern Kingdom and the last king was Zedekiah. It was overturned three times (prophesied Eze 21:25-27), then to remain desolate for many years Hos 3:4.
 - The first overturning was in BC 606 in Jehoiakim's reign. (Prophesied Jer 27:6) 2Kin 24:2, Dan 1:1, 2Chron 36:6.
 - The second overturning was in BC 597 in Jehoiachin's reign 2Kin 4:10, 2Chron 36:10.
 - The third overturning was in BC 587 in Zedekiah's reign. (Prophesied Jer 21:7, Jer 34:2) Jer 38:28, Jer 39:1,2, Jer 52:4-5, Eze 24:1-2, 2Kin 25:2, 2Chron 36:7.
Go to Deut 28:49 to see more details of the history of Israel and its overturning.

v 25-27 First Principles>Kingdom of God>Restoration clearly foretold
NB v 25-27 UNTIL indicates a limitation to the overturning. Luke 21:24, Acts 3:21
References by the prophets:
Isa 11:10-12, Isa 45:17, Isa 49:18-23, Isa 54:6-10
Jer 30:3,10,11,18, Jer 31:7-11
Eze 11:17, Eze 20:34,35,41, Eze 36:19-24, Eze 37:21,22
Zeph 3:19,20, Zech 8:7,8
Note Rom 11:25-31 "and so all Israel shall be saved"
First Principles>Kingdom of God For more about the Kingdom of God, go to Gen 12:1

Ch.21 continues Yahweh’s proclamation of destruction for Judah and Jerusalem that began in the last four verses of Ch.20.  Also, a prophecy concerning the Ammonites is included in Ch.21.

V.2 The holy places (KJV); sanctuaries (ESV) certainly included the holy places of the temple. But, they probably extended to all meeting places and assemblies throughout the land (Psa 74:8). The word synagogues (KJV) in this verse does not suggest the Jewish houses of worship as we know today. Rather, it relates to any meeting place, e.g. the School of Prophets.

V.6 The expression to sigh: with the breaking of thy loins (KJV) reflects the pain and anguish, of a woman about to give birth. The phrase catches the sense of anxiety better than: with breaking heart (ESV).

V.14 The sword had come against Jerusalem twice already: First, against Jehoiakim; and Second, against Jeconiah. It will come a third time before the assaults are finished: Against Zedekiah.

Vs.19,20 Nebuchadnezzar planned to come against both Jerusalem and Rabbath (Rabbah). The reason for attacking the Ammonites was because they had allied themselves with Zedekiah (Jer 27:3).

Vs.21,22 Nebuchadnezzar stood at the crossroads. He could either take the road to Rabbath, or the road to Jerusalem. Which enemy should he deal with first? Nebuchadnezzar employed methods of divination which were commonly used in the Ancient Near East.

First, he took arrows and marked them with either Rabbath or Jerusalem. Then, the arrows were put in a quiver and shaken. One was drawn out of the quiver at random. Whichever city was marked on that arrow became the first target of destruction. An arrow with Jerusalem marked on it was drawn from the quiver.

Invaders in the Ancient Near East also wanted to know if their attack would be successful. For that, a sacrificed animal was cut up and its entrails and liver were looked at. Those who were expert in divination could tell from these innards, supposedly, whether the campaign would be a success or not.

V.23 The Jews were not worried about any Babylonian divination because they had sworn oaths (made agreements) with their allies (Egypt and the Ammonites). They had confidence that their allies would successfully defend them against Babylon.

Vs.26,27 Zedekiah was the last king of Judah. The kingdom of Judah is now finished until Jesus returns to assume kingship. Jesus will rule the world from Jerusalem (Luke 1:32,33).

How does God move mortal armies?

When God says that the Babylonian army would be His sword, how do we imagine this worked in practice? As they approached a city to take it, did the eyes of each soldier glaze over as he went into a trance; his every move controlled by God from that point on? Or was it their individual swords that took on a mind of their own, cutting a perfect path of destruction (v16)? Or did God work in swaying the decisions of the king of Babylon by manipulating the signs he was looking for (v21-23)? Or was it by dreams that God controlled these decisions (v29)?

Some of these answers have scriptural backing; some don't. Daniel and Esther are good places to start looking for answers, because there we have written for us the thoughts, dreams and decisions of the mighty Emperors of Babylon, Media and Persia. We can then understand how God might use rulers today (Rom 13:3-5).

21:27 There is an ironic contrast between the Rechabites – Jeremiah 35 – and Zedekiah. Whilst Zedekiah was to be overthrown, even though he was the king the Rechabites who really were of little consequence, would continue – Jer 35:18-19

21:4    Cutting off all flesh echoes God’s punishment at the time of the flood – Gen 9:11

21:28 It would appear that the Ammonites, on seeing the captivity of Judah by the Chaldeans, gloated over it. They should rather have lamented the captivity of Judah. Consequently, because of their attitude, they were to be punished also as the remainder of the chapter explains.

Several of them today. Eze 21:25-27.

21:4-5 God’s judgements are always for a purpose, He never mindlessly inflicts punishment on His people, or other nations.  So here we see that the punishment – in this case the captivity in Babylon – has a purpose. Namely that the nations might recognise Him as God.

1. Eze 20:45-49 - prophecy against the forest of the south:

2. Eze 20:49 - the parables at the end of chapter 20 would be clarified.

3. Eze 20:46 - refers to the land of Judah and Jerusalem which was south-west of Ezekiel (parable clarified Eze 21:2).

4. Eze 20:47 - "devour every green tree...and every dry tree" (green tree probably means the righteous and the wicked Eze 21:3-4).

5. Eze 21:1-7 - a prophecy against Jerusalem in explanation of the parable of the forest fire:

6. Eze 21:3-4 - it reads the righteous and wicked would be "cut off"(<3772> Heb. 'karath', which can mean "cut off, destroy, consume, to covenant in the sense of making an alliance or bargain") and we have examples of 'karath' used in other places such as the already mentioned Gen 9:11, it refers to the Messiah "cut off" in Dan 9:26, and it refers to a "covenant" that God made with Abram in Gen 15:18 and also is used as "covenant" of peace in Eze 34:25; the righteous and wicked may both suffer and die, but God is merciful, He hears the prayers of the righteous, He doesn't give them a stone or allow the righteous to be tempted beyond what they can bear (Matt 7:7-14;1Cor 10:13) and their names are written in the book of life (Luke 10:20;Rev 20:15) while the wicked will be permanently destroyed (Psa 145:20).

7. Eze 21:8-17 - prophecy where the sword of God is prepared for its destructive work:

8. Eze 21:9-11 - a sword sharpened and furbished in preparation for battle.

9. Eze 21:10 - "should we then make mirth?" the people thought the dynasty of David was safe.

10. Eze 21:10,13 - "contemneth"<3988>; "rod"<7626> is the same Hebrew word used as "sceptre"<7626> in Gen 49:10;Eze 19:14.

11. Eze 21:12-13 - Ezekiel was to show outward signs of mourning by crying, howling and smiting the thigh (Jer 31:19) because the sword was being prepared against Israel.

12. Eze 21:14 - NIV - "Let the sword strike twice, even three times" - perhaps suggesting complete destruction or that Nebuchadnezzar's 3rd invasion would be the final one.

13. Eze 21:18-24 - Nebuchadnezzar chosen to be used as the sword of Yahweh and the route of attack is planned:

14. Eze 21:19-20 - "appoint"<7760> - did Ezekiel appoint/mark/draw the two routes in the ground or on a tile?

15. Eze 21:21 - arrows were apparently used in a somewhat similar manner as lots; though not divination, the use of arrows helped David to make a decision also (1Sam 20:20-22).

16. Eze 21:21-23 - the ancient trade routes diverged at Damascus, one south-west to Jerusalem and the other south-east to Rabbath; Nebuchadnezzar after some indecision choose to first attack Jerusalem which had a false sense of security as they had "sworn oaths" (vs 23) of allegiance to Egypt (Jer 37:1-2,5-9).

16. Eze 21:25-27 - the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and the promise of restoration:

17. Eze 21:25 - the "'profane'(<2491> can mean 'pierced' perhaps suggesting the seed of the serpent) wicked 'prince'<5587> of Israel" was Zedekiah king of Judah.

18. Eze 21:26 - remove the "diadem"<4701>, "crown"<5850>; "'exalt'<1361> him that is 'low'<8217>, and abase him that is 'high'<1364>" - "basest"<8215> of men (Dan 4:17) is very similar to the 'low'<8217> of Ezek 21:26 (Nebuchadnezzar was a base servant of God); we are to share with Jesus in his lowliness that we might be exalted when he returns, we are to be humble not proud (Prov 6:16-19;James 2:2-6;Luke 1:52;Luke 22:26-27;14:8-11;18:10-14;9:46-48;Matt 19:30); and of course we don't want to deceive ourselves so that we are proud of our 'humility' (Jer 17:9).

19. Eze 21:27 - "I will overturn, overturn, overturn" this may emphasize the complete destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, or the three attacks by Babylon against Jehoiakim Jehoiachin and Zedekiah resulting the destruction of Jerusalem; perhaps the three overturns also echo the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, Rome (70AD), and the Gogian host (Zech 14:2-5) - Jerusalem shall have no David line ruling as king from Zedekiah till Christ's return - "it shall no more, until he comes whose right it is" (Eze 21:13;Luke 1:32;Gen 49:10;2Sam 7:12-16;Zech 6:12-13;Isa 2:1-4).

20. Eze 21:28-32 - the destruction of the Ammonites:

21. Eze 21:20,28,30-32;Amos 1:13-15 - they will be no more remembered; the enemies of God's people will be ultimately destroyed.

21:12-17        The anguish of the prophet is mingled with the destruction that God brought upon His people. In Ezekiel’s anguish we see God’s sorrow at having to punish His people. Even though God judges His people He is sorrowful for their sinfulness.

TESTING WILL COME

I think God already knew what the result was going to be, when it came to the princes of Israel in the days of Ezekiel, but He still warned them. His warning was this: "Testing will surely come." (Eze 21:13).

When testing came and the leaders of Jerusalem were tested with whether or not they would obey the LORD in the face of what they wanted to do, they failed the test. They chose fear instead of faith, violence instead of submission, greed instead of generosity, pride instead of humility, and idols instead of the one true God.

All these are choices each of us need to make every day. They do not pose as big  life-changing choices for the most part, but little choices of action and attitude. As we consistently choose between these smaller choices, we develop habits which in turn work in us to create character. These choices of character become what we will be judged on.

So let's consider every little choice we have as a test. Let's choose God's way, and when the big tests come, our habits and characters will be developed to the stage that we will make the right choices.

OUR TEST WILL COME

In addition to Robert's wonderful thoughts above ... Eze 21:13

We mold our characters and our future by the good thoughts and acts we do today ...

Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise, think on these things.

21:3   In saying that the righteous and the wicked will be destroyed God is acting differently from how He dealt with Sodom.  Go destroyed Sodom after the righteous d been removed from the city Gen 18:17-32 and , Gen 19:15-17

21:2 There is an awful contrast here with what Solomon had prayed. He had prayed that if judgment from God came and the sinner prayed towards Jerusalem that God would hear and forgive that servant – 1Kin 8:35. But here Ezekiel is told to set his face towards Jerusalem and pronounce judgments.

21:28  Ezekiel speaks more about the Ammonites – Eze 25:3 – when he deals with God’s judgments on the nations around Israel.

21:5   The exact Hebrew is found in the phrase “all flesh may know that I am the Lord” Isa 49:26. The contrast is significant. In Isaiah the prophet was inspired to speak of knowing God is the saviour. Here the same God destroys sinners.

21:21   consulting the liver and making arrows “bright” are two elements of Assyrian divination. The king of Assyria was using – he thought – divination to decide who to attack. But Yahweh was in control and He ensured that Jerusalem would be attacked at this time.

21:6 that Ezekiel was to “sigh” with “bitterness” was to show those to whom he was speaking that their behaviour had an impact on God’s feelings. Do we consider the impact of our behaviour on our Father in heaven?

21:25 The word “diadem” <4701> is always, elsewhere, used is a priestly context – Exo 28:4, Lev 8:9, 16:4 – are typical examples. So along with the “crown” being removed we see the end of both the kingly and priestly aspects of God’s kingdom. As such the earlier words of the prophet – Hosea 3:4 - are fulfilled in the removal of Zedekiah.

21:18-22 The king of Babylon had a choice. As far as he was concerned he was either going to continue south to attack Jerusalem or travel east to attack the Ammonites (:20). Whilst the king of Babylon thought he was making the decision using his divinations he was totally unaware that Yahweh was dictating which way he should go.

Yahweh had determined that Jerusalem was to be the target and so it was. Another clear evidence that God is in control of world events.

If we ever doubt that He is in control we can look at examples like this in scripture to see that He was in control in the past which should give us confidence to believe that He is still in control of world events today.

22:6-7 Whereas there was no interaction between the elders ad Ezekiel the first time they came to him  -  8:1 - 11:24 – on this occasion we see them engaging with Ezekiel.  God told Ezekiel to sigh in order that the elders would ask questions.

21:26 echoes what Ezekiel was inspired to say in 17:24  where it talks of bringing down and exalting

v.9 presents a real danger for us. Human nature is such that we so easily fall into this trap. It is so easy to think that we are right, and that therefore we are righteous and despise those who have not yet found the truth as revealed in the gospel. We know this is not the way it should be and this parable that follows (v.10-14) is very revealing. Who do we relate to in this parable? Well, the publican, of course. But is that who we are? Prov.30:12. Isa 65:2-5 (esp. v.5)

v.15 The way that the disciples responded to the children would indicate that they had forgotten the word of Jesus in Matthew 18:1-4 which happened prior to this incident. It occurred just after the transfiguration which took place before the resurrection of Lazarus.

18:28 Peter's 'lo we have left all' is the sort of response we would expect from the disciples against the background of the rich ruler's unwillingness to follow Jesus.

18:21-22  These words of Jesus are challenging. How do we think the Lord will deal with us at the judgement? 'Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee' is a sobering comment.

V.34 The lack of understanding is stated three times in this verse. This ignorance or dullness was due, in part, to the fact that Jesus had not yet risen from the dead. Those who reject who reject the truth of Christ's resurrection deprive themselves of "knowledge" Luke 18:34 and of "joy" 1Cor 15:19; in fact, of everything. 

V.7 What God demands is that his people continually open their hearts to him. He answers the supplications of those who "continue to cry to him day and night". The power of prayer can not be discounted at any time. 

V.8 - When the son of man comes will he find faith on the earth is presented as a challenge for us. But Matt 24:12-13 additionally notes that, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."  This suggests a serious two fold challenge of a lack of faith and a lack of love in the last days.

18:31  And yet again Jesus told the disciples that he was going to be killed and rise from the dead. But they did not understand. Their minds were so full of a conquering Messiah that they could not understand what they were being told. How often are our minds closed to ideas simply because we already have decided what Scripture means?

PRAY AND NEVER GIVE UP
 
Rick Warren, in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, said this, "Prayer is the most important tool for your mission in the world. People may refuse our love or reject our message, but they are defenceless against our prayers. Like an intercontinental missile, you can aim a prayer at a person's heart whether you are 10 feet or 10,000 miles away."
 
One prayer will make a difference, but persistence in prayer is the key. The anagram P.U.S.H. - Pray Until Something Happens - is a good one that illustrates the persistence that is needed in our prayers.
 
Jesus told the story of the persistent widow and the aim of his parable was "to show them that they should always pray and not give up." (Luke 18:1) His lesson is that if the persistent widow could make a difference to her life by her persistence with the unjust judge - someone who had no intention of helping her - then we should persist in prayer to God because he wants to help us. But the key is persistence. Pray and don't give up. Never give up.
 
So as we aim our prayers at a person's heart, whether they are 10 feet or 10,000 miles away, let's keep the prayers coming until we see a change. Never give up. Pray until something happens. Let's pray for God to show his mercy and compassion for the people we know.

V.9 There is no reason to doubt that Christ addressed this parable to a group of Pharisees,who trusted in themselves and were of the opinion that everybody else amounted to nothing, it is a true picture of what the problem was with the Pharisees of the first century. The Pharisee had what an elderly Sister some forty years ago described to us as an "I" problem. This is a lesson which most today could do well to note.

18:10-13 Notice that both the Pharisee and the publican spoke in their prayer of themselves. The Pharisee with ‘I’ and the publican with ‘me’. However the way in which they spoke of themselves is radically different. The Pharisee was exalting himself. The publican was exalting God.

Vs.1-8 Jesus teaches his disciples about persistence.  He concludes his lesson by saying: However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

He is obviously worried about the state of His household when He returns.  Other scriptures bear out this worry.  We know that many will have left the Truth by the time He arrives (2Thess 2:1,2).  False prophets will have turned many away, and only those who stay faithful will be saved (Matt 24:11-13). 

Some will be discouraged by those who mock and jeer at the outdated belief in God, religion, or the fanciful idea that Jesus will return to earth (2Pet 3:3,4).  The pressures to conform to this world will erode the faith of many completely, or turn that faith into worldly acceptable dogma (2Tim 4:4). 

In this modern world, it is hard to stand apart and to stand true, but that is what the Lord requires for admittance into his kingdom.  The only thing that will protect the believer is the armour of God (Eph 6:13-18).

18:13  The call for God to be ‘merciful’ in the parable is echoed – Luke 18:38 - in the ‘blind man’. The one who cannot see actually saw his need.

Vs.2-8 The unjust judge finally helped to avenge the widow after her persistent appeals for help.  After Jesus ascended into heaven, He left His bride, Israel and His ecclesia, to work through history without His complete protection.  The Jews (the elect nation) and the ecclesia (Spiritual Israel) are represented by the widow in the parable. 

The ravages of the world have torn into the Jews and Christ's ecclesia over the centuries.  Where is their avenger?  He is in heaven, and will soon come to avenge His people.  If an unjust judge would do that to the widow, then the just judge, Jesus, will certainly do that for His people. 

But will he find faith when He comes?  That is the troubling question Jesus poses.  The faithful, like the widow, will be persistent in prayer to gain the ear of the Lord.  And, the Lord will not disappoint.  He will deliver vengeance and relief for His people.  Let us pray that He will soon come!

18:18 Whilst it might be thought that Jesus’ response to the ruler was rather abrupt and might have put him off further questioning the ruler’s response highlighted a fundamental flaw in his way of thinking so it had to be addressed before there was any hope of further instruction.

V.1 etc. The parable of the unjust judge serves to show that persistence in prayer is desirable. It is not that Yahweh does not hear the first time. In fact, He knows what we are going to pray for even before we say it (Matt 6:8).

No, the value of persisting in prayer shows that our hearts and minds are always concerned with Yahweh’s ways, otherwise why would we be constantly praying?

Paul urges us to persist in prayer (Rom 12:12; 1Thess 5:17).

There should be consistent themes in our prayers such as the praise of Yahweh; the peace of Jerusalem; the coming Kingdom; deliverance from evil; forgiveness of sins; guidance; prayers for our brethren etc.

Yahweh knows our personal needs and so there is no need to chew His ear off about these.

Jesus worries that He might find some of His brethren not being engaged in effective prayer when he comes (v.8). That is because some will have fallen away from faithfully obeying the commandments of Jesus. Those who are not friends of the Lord will not be in the kingdom (John 15:14).

Vs.16,17 Children have absolute faith in their parents. They believe that their parents, who appear as giants, can do anything. Jesus requires that sort of faith from His followers. Those that are humble and exhibit that kind of faith will be in the Kingdom.

Jesus blessed the little children (Mark 10:13-16). Because of this, the Apostate Church believes that when a young child dies, he or she goes off to heaven and becomes an angel. This is nonsense. Jesus is using children as models of faithful behaviour. Those who have a childlike faith will be in the Kingdom that will be established on earth when Jesus returns.

But, the Apostate Church does not believe in a Kingdom of God on earth. It would rather believe in the mythology of souls floating off to heaven at death, where dead infants have become angels. Upon Jesus’ return, there will be a great clash when reality meets mythology.

v38 First Principles>Sure mercies of David>King
Jesus is being referred to as the Son of David because he is to be the king who will reign on David's throne. For more about the King, go to 2Sam 7:12-16.

18:33 Notice that whilst Jesus speaks of his death to his disciples he does not mention crucifixion. Whilst he speaks of his death on a number of occasions there is only one time – Matt 20:19- when Jesus actually says the he will be crucified and that is in the last week of his life

Can you see the link between what Jesus says about the rich young man (v24) and the children (v17)?

18:7 The word that is translated ‘bear long’ <3114> is translated ‘patience’ Matt 18:26 thus helping us to understand what is being said .

Luke 18:18-19

“And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master… And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? None is good, save one, that is, God.”

Jesus here is not denying his own goodness. He identifies himself as the “good shepherd” (John 10:14). The title of “Good Master (Teacher)” was never applied to any of the Rabbis in Jesus’ day. In all of Jewish religious literature, Rabbis were never addressed as such. It implied perfection, and sinlessness. Jesus, by his very nature, was not perfect because he had the propensity to sin being tempted, though he did not yield to sin. This is why he refused the title. God cannot be tempted, only He is infinitely, innately, and immutably good, and all goodness that exists outside of Him finds its source in Him. The apostle Paul recognized this when he exclaimed: “For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing.” (Rom 7:17).

Two separate ideas surface from these passages: one has to do with perfection, the other with acts of kindness. Both these ideas occur in Psa 119:68, showing only God is the sum total of all perfection.

Luke 18:1

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”

We are living in an age that is not conducive to faith and prayer, yet both are absolutely essential if we are to survive spiritually.

Luke 17 ends with the brethren and sisters being taken to the judgment seat of Christ and of which few will be accepted and many rejected (Matt 22:14). Christ likened the days just prior to his return as to the days of Noah and Lot – days that were not conducive to building faith in these days devoid of faith, and in which few were accepted and many rejected.

Luke 18 begins with the pertinence of prayer, applicable to the present hour, the purpose being that we not faint by losing heart in waiting for the return of Christ, and quit walking in truth (cf. 3John: 4). The Lord illustrated through the parable of a persistent woman how we need to persevere in prayer, how we need to be earnest, steadfast, and determined to live a life of prayer right to the end. Note that this parable followed immediately after his warning concerning his second coming (Luke 17:22-36).

The apostle Paul tells us in 1Thess 5:17 to, “pray without ceasing.” Praying must be constant, it is not about praying just enough to get by in making us feel righteous, we want certain things, nor is it just until we feel better after tragedy strikes. However, Paul here is not saying that we are to be praying all day and all night non-stop, but that prayer must be an attitude of life, not just an action of the lips.

Our way of living must be backed by the spoken Word and it is this that makes prayer effectual (James 5:16). We have only two alternatives: make prayer an attitude of life and be accepted, or lead a life lacking in prayer, which will weaken our faith, and be rejected. The word “ought” is not meant to convey loosely the idea that we should pray, but that we “must,” pray. It is the Greek word, dei, # <1163>, “necessary, must.”

Jesus said in Luke 18:8, “…Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” This is not just about having faith, but having the faith, which goes beyond just having the truth, but having with it a living faith, living a life of prayer (see Psa 55:16). These are they that for Christ’s sake bore the heat of the day, however long, had patience, laboured, and did not faint, or quit (Rev 2:3; cf. Matt 9:36; 2Cor 4:16-18; Gal 6:9). I know it is hard to look up when everything appears to be going down, but when life appears to be falling apart for us, it may actually be falling together.

18:5-8  We should not think that constant asking will ‘weary’ God like it did the judge in the parable. His response was due to lack of patience. However he is contrasted with God who ‘bears long’ with us.  He does not ‘give in’ in the same way that might to persistent children. He hears our requests and responds appropriately at the right time.

18:14 The promise that those who humble themselves will be blessed has already been spoken of by Jesus – Luke 14:11 – and Peter 1Pet 5:6 – reminds his readers of what Jesus said.

18:22  Involved in the ruler’s requirement to follow Jesus was that he was to sell all his possessions – Matt 19:21. Notice that when the commandments were spoken which he claimed to follow “thou shalt not covet” was not one of them. 

18:19  Jesus’ rebuke of the ruler might seem rather harsh. However unless one has a correct understanding of the relationship between God and Jesus it is difficult to progress further in an understanding of what one has to “do” to please God.

JUSTICE AGAINST MY ADVERSARY

It is interesting to note what the plea of the persistent widow was. She kept bothering the unjust judge with one request: "Grant me justice against my adversary." (Luke 18:3). As Jesus concluded his parable about the persistent widow, he said, "And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly." (v.7-8).

What is it that we cry out to God for in our prayers? For me it is often for freedom from sin. Sin and temptation are my biggest adversaries. In fact, the thing I am looking forward to the most about the kingdom of God when Jesus returns is freedom from sin.

Jesus tells us in the Lord's prayer that one of the things we need to regularly pray is, "Lead us not into temptation." (Luke 11:4). A sincere prayer that we will not be led into temptation can really help us through the day, and is very similar to,"Grant me justice against my adversary."

Sin is our biggest battle. Let us, like the persistent woman, keep crying out to God, that he would grant us justice against our adversary.

18:18  The request “what shall I do” echoes the questioning – Luke 10:25-29 – Whilst we must “do” things those actions must be motivated by faith, not by a desire to receive something.

18:1    The need to always pray is a common feature in Jesus’ teaching and passes into the New Testament otters. An example is 1Thess 1:2.

Luke 18:8

“I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh shall he find [the] faith on the earth?”

This passage does not deal with the many so-called different faiths extant, but whether the faith, as taught by Christ and his apostles will still have a semblance of Truth among his believers at his Second Coming. Will he find the faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, etc. (cf. Heb 11) in us? Christ’s phrase is a foreboding one. As the Son of man, he will sit as a refiner to discover whether we have true faith, or not.

Prior to leaving for Australia, Brother Robert Roberts stated the following: “When I am gone there will be proposals for reunion, I have no doubt, with those who went out from us on inspiration. It is a question on which there can be no compromise.”

A few months before his falling asleep, he wrote from Australia in 1898, “I had not been many weeks landed in Australia, when a pamphlet was sent out to me which someone had put into circulation, entitled, 'A Plea for Unity.’ The subject calls for the following remarks: Unity is a beautiful and desirable thing, but it has conditions that cannot be forced, and it requires no pleas. Where it exists, it asserts itself like a law of nature. Union may require its pleas; it is union the well-meaning brother means. He has used the wrong word. Disunion exists because of the want of unity (oneness of mind). The author of the pamphlet would have the disunity ignored, and the union brought about in spite of it.” Christadelphian, 1898, p. 126

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1Cor 1:10).

18:1   So we see that prayer is the antidote to fainting – that is being overwhelmed by the situation we find ourselves in. Not that the prayer will resolve the problem. But a realisation that God knows and can be spoken to about a problem should reduce the apparent magnitude of that which causes us to “faint”

18:11 the Pharisee is like the generation pure in their own eyes – Prov 30:12

18:37 the blind man’s request – “have mercy,,,” echoes the way that Jesus has the publican praying - :13. This is one of the many occasions when we are expected to see a degree of continuity in the narrative seeing the way that Jesus builds a scene with contrasts for us to reflect on.

ATTITUDE FAIL

I have often read the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector who were praying in the temple, and looked at the Pharisee and thought, "I'm glad I am not like him." It just occurred to me that in taking that attitude, of having the same judgemental thoughts as the Pharisee, I have just become like him myself. Just as the Pharisee was more confident in his own righteousness compared to the tax collector, so I am acting in the same way compared to the Pharisee. I have jumped into the Pharisee's shoes. When I think, "I am glad I am not like him," I am echoing the words the Pharisee prayed when he said,. "God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector." (Luke 18:11).

So Jesus spoke this parable for me. This is how Luke introduces it: "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable." (v.9).

I think there are times when we are more confident in our own righteousness - the way we pray, the way we accept people, the good things we do, the accepting way we have with people - than we are of God's grace in our lives. After all, it is God's grace that has made us what we are. We are nothing. No matter how good we think we are - like a Pharisee or like the Tax collector - we need the grace of God.

Let's not be confident in our own righteousness, but put all our trust in God's grace.

v8 Why does Jesus conclude the Parable of the Persistent Widow Luke 18:1-8 with a reference to faith in the last days? The parable is about prayer (v1)  not faith, isn't it?  Jesus is saying that the type of faith that incorporates persistent prayer will be rare in the last days. Superficial, academic or culturally accommodating faith that evaporates when ongoing trials hit may be the warning for our age.

18:18,41 Notice the contrast. The ruler thought he could “do” something whilst the blind man – unable to do anything for himself. Jesus offered to “do” something for him which was actually effective.

18:5-6 Men feel weary of constant questions. We might remember the incessant questions and requests of our children and our feeling of weariness “not again” we might have thought.

Thankfully our heavenly Father is not like that at all. He never wearies of His children making requests to Him.

18:20  We tend not to notice what is not said. This might be true here. Jesus did not quote “thou shalt not covet”. Covetousness was this ruler’s problem. Hence  sell that thou hast …

What might be a challenge to one believer may not be a challenge to another.  So if we see a fellow believer who has much goods and we are troubled by that maybe it is we who have the problem with possessions.