Why Are You Here?

September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁴But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” ⁵And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” ⁶And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. ⁷And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” ⁸And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

⁹There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁰He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” ¹¹And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹²And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. ¹³And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁴He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” – 1 Kings 19:4-14 ESV

While everything had gone exceptionally well for Elijah on Mount Carmel, he soon found himself disappointed in how things turned out. His challenge of the false prophets of Baal had proven to be successful, and, from the immediate reaction of the people, it appeared that revival had come to the land. This spiritual renewal of the people seemed to be symbolized by the torrential rain that had brought an end to the three-and-a-half years of drought. It appeared as if the nation was headed in the right direction. As a prophet of God, Elijah longed to see the repentance and restoration of the people of God.

But upon his triumphant return to Jezreel, he was met with intense opposition from the very woman who had begun all this trouble in Israel. Queen Jezebel was incensed when she heard what Elijah had done to the 450 prophets of her god. So, she sent Elijah a life-threatening message.

“So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” – 1 Kings 19:2 ESV

She swore an oath to her gods that she would avenge the deaths of the prophets of Baal by killing Elijah. She gave the prophet less than 24 hours to live and vowed to sacrifice her own life if she failed to take his life. Despite the abject failure of her god to defeat Yahweh on Mount Carmel, she was still very much a believer. She exhibited no remorse or repentance but instead warned Elijah that while he had won the battle on Mount Carmel, the war was far from over. She was willing to fight to the death – either his or her own. And Elijah did not take this news well.

…he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. – 1 Kings 19:3 ESV

The man who had run from Mount Carmel to Jezreel after his victory over the prophets of Baal was now running for his life. But this time, he was powered by fear, not faith. And Elijah didn’t stop running until he had reached Beersheba, the last town of any size in the southernmost region of Judah. Then, leaving his servant behind in the city, Elijah traveled another day’s journey into the wilderness, where he finally stopped to rest.

In a state of deep depression and disillusionment, Elijah asked God to take his life. Since Ahab and Jezebel remained fully committed to their false gods, Elijah had concluded that his prophetic mission had been an abysmal failure. There would be no revival in Israel as long as those two wielded all the power and influence over the people. They were calling the shots and determining the nation’s religious affiliation.

Elijah had run out of faith and energy. He was physically, emotionally, and spiritually spent. In his despondent state, he cried out to God, saying, “I have had enough, LORD.…Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died” (1 Kings 19:4 NLT). Exhausted, he fell asleep. But he was soon awakened by an angel who commanded him to eat. There beside him was a loaf of bread and a jar of water. Rather than taking Elijah’s life, Yahweh provided his faith-famished prophet with sustenance, miraculously delivered by the hand of an angel. Elijah may have decided that he was done, but God was not done with Elijah. The prophet ate and fell back asleep.

However, his rest was disturbed yet again by a second visit from the angel, who had brought more food and a message.

“Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” – 1 Kings 19:7 NLT

Elijah’s plan had been to die alone in the wilderness, but Yahweh informed His disillusioned prophet that he had not yet reached his final destination. He had run, but not far enough. When Elijah abruptly fled Jezreel, he did so because he thought his life was over. Since Jezebel had vowed to kill him, Elijah determined to have Yahweh take his life. But the LORD had other plans. He sent Elijah on a 40-day journey further south, all the way to Mount Sinai. The food the angel provided miraculously sustained Elijah for this long and arduous journey.

…the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. – 1 Kings 19:8 ESV

This trip should have taken no more than 15-20 days on foot, but Elijah found himself wandering in the wilderness for 40 days and nights. This number is significant because it corresponds to the 40 years that the disobedient Israelites had spent wandering in the wilderness. When they failed to obey God and enter the land of Canaan (Numbers 13-14), He doomed them to spend the next 40 years in the wilderness of Sinai, until that disobedient generation died off.

So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the Lord came to an end. – Numbers 32:13 NLT

When they had heard the report of the spies that the land of Canaan was full of giants and well-fortified cities, the people of Israel refused to trust God and made plans to return to Egypt.

“If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. “Why is the LORD taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” – Numbers 14:2-3 NLT

Now, centuries later, Elijah, the prophet of God, had chosen death in the wilderness rather than face the “giants” in his day. He had determined that Jezebel was too big for God. But Yahweh ordered Elijah to go to the very place where He had revealed Himself to the people of Israel. It had been at Mount Sinai that God gave His law to Moses. It had been on Mount Sinai that God displayed His glory and demonstrated His unparalleled power.

So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. – Exodus 19:16-17 NLT

When Yahweh had safely sequestered Elijah in the recesses of a cave, He asked His doubting prophet a question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9 ESV). He wanted Elijah to explain the motivation behind his most recent actions, and the prophet responded with a pitiful portrait of his Don-Quixote-like quest to defeat the enemies of God. He deemed himself the last man standing, the sole survivor of an ill-fated battle against the forces of evil.

“I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” – 1 Kings 19:10 NLT

Elijah threw himself a pity party and invited Yahweh to attend, but the LORD was not interested in celebrating Elijah’s accomplishments or validating his woe-is-me mentality. Instead, God instructed His despondent prophet to step out of the cave and into the shadow of Mount Sinai. As Elijah stood at the base of the mountain, God revealed Himself. At first, He displayed His glory in the form of a fierce windstorm so mighty that it blew boulders off the face of the mountain. This dramatic display was followed by a massive earthquake that shook the ground under Elijah’s feet. Finally, Elijah watched as the peak of the mountain was consumed by fire. The pitiful prophet was witnessing the same jaw-dropping spectacle the Israelites had seen.

Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the entire mountain quaked violently. – Exodus 19:18 NLT

But Elijah was to discover that, while these dramatic revelations of God were impressive, they were not meant to represent His presence. The text clearly states that the LORD was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. Yes, they were manifestations of His greatness, but they were not how God was going to speak to His prophet. After the ear-piercing blast of the wind, the earth-shaking rumble of the earthquake, and the roar of the fire, Elijah heard “the sound of a low whisper” ( 1 Kings 19:12 ESV). Evidently, the three previous displays of God’s power had driven Elijah back into the recesses of the cave. But upon hearing the gentle sound of the whisper, he timidly made his way back outside. There, in the quiet of the moment, he heard Yahweh repeat His previous question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:13 NLT).

Once again, Elijah gave the same well-rehearsed reply. He reiterated his claim to have zealously served Yahweh and re-emphasized his status as the last faithful Israelite. It was all about him. He alone had zealously served Yahweh. While everyone else in Israel had turned their backs on God, Elijah had remained faithful and fully committed. He was the last line of defense against the forces of evil, and now he was as good as dead.

But where was God? Even after the dramatic displays of divine power on Mount Sinai, Elijah had been unable to get his mind off himself. For some reason, he believed that the future of Israel had been dependent upon him, and he had failed and let God down. Despite his victory over the prophets of Baal, Ahab and Jezebel were firmly entrenched and in charge of the affairs of the nation, or so Elijah thought. From his perspective, all was lost. But God had news for Elijah, and He had plans for Ahab and Jezebel that the defeated prophet knew nothing about.

In a still, small voice, Yahweh was about to whisper His sovereign secret for Israel’s future in the ear of his self-consumed prophet. When God had asked Elijah, “What are you doing here?”, the prophet had given his answer. Now it was God’s turn. He would explain the real purpose behind Elijah’s seeming failure and his fear and flight. Elijah thought it was all over, but Yahweh was just getting started.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Sin Always Comes with a High Cost

September 14, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁸Now the angel of the Lord had commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ¹⁹So David went up at Gad’s word, which he had spoken in the name of the Lord. ²⁰Now Ornan was threshing wheat. He turned and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. ²¹As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out from the threshing floor and paid homage to David with his face to the ground. ²²And David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the Lord—give it to me at its full price—that the plague may be averted from the people.” ²³Then Ornan said to David, “Take it, and let my lord the king do what seems good to him. See, I give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for the wood and the wheat for a grain offering; I give it all.” ²⁴But King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” ²⁵So David paid Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site. ²⁶And David built there an altar to the Lord and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings and called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering. ²⁷Then the Lord commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.

²⁸At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. ²⁹For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon, ³⁰but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord. – 1 Chronicles 21:18-30 ESV

David had sinned by conducting a census to determine the size of his nation and, ultimately, the number of potential recruits for his army. His actions revealed that his trust was not in the Lord but in the size and strength of his armed forces. But having completed his ill-fated census and faced with a devastating plague from God, David regretted his decision and recognized it as an affront to God.

“I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.” – 1 Chronicles 21:8 NLT

David was wise to confess his sin, but his iniquity and guilt remained.

He knew that restitution would need to be made. Some form of payment would be required to cover the sin he had committed. David was well-acquainted with the requirements of the sacrificial law and knew that his sin must be atoned for. The author of Hebrews reminds us: “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV).

David couldn’t just say, “I’m sorry” and then expect everything to go back to the way it was before. Payment for sin was required, and God offered David three different payment plans. He sent word to David through a prophet named Gad.

“You may choose three years of famine, three months of destruction by the sword of your enemies, or three days of severe plague as the angel of the Lord brings devastation throughout the land of Israel. Decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.” – 1 Chronicles 21:12 NLT

His three choices included a lengthy famine, a devastating plague, or a three-month time period when his mighty army would be powerless against its enemies. In all three cases, death was a non-negotiable outcome. His people were either going to die by the sword, starvation, or sickness. David’s response seems to indicate that the one option he ruled out was the three months of defeat at the hands of his enemies. He cried out to God, “let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands” (2 Samuel 24:14 NLT). This man who had just taken a census to determine the size of his army had no desire to go to war. It wasn’t that he was afraid of a good fight, it was that he knew this one would be a losing proposition. For someone who was used to always being on the winning side, the thought of being humiliated by his enemies was not an option. So, David begged God to remove that option.

“…let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great. Do not let me fall into human hands.” – 1 Chronicles 21:13 NLT

David opted to have God mete out the punishment, trusting in His mercy and grace. So, God sent a plague across the entire nation of Israel. It seems from verse 7, that God had already “struck” Israel before the three options had been communicated, and that the plague had already begun. The nature of God’s chosen form of punishment should not be overlooked. David had just finished numbering his people and determining the size of his fighting force. The census revealed that he had a potential army of over a million and a half men, a fact that must have pleased David greatly. During his reign, the population of Israel had increased greatly, making him the ruler of a mighty nation and the commander of a formidable army.

But God’s judgment would prove costly and go directly to the heart of David’s sin: His misplaced trust in the size of his army. According to verse 14, “70,000 men of Israel fell.” As a result of the plague, David lost 70,000 men, a staggering figure that represents nearly 5 percent of his fighting force. Sadly, all of these men died as a result of David’s sin, not their own. They didn’t have the honor of sacrificing their lives in the heat of battle while facing the enemies of Israel. They were struck down by a debilitating plague because of a sin committed by their commander-in-chief, and they were not alone. An undetermined number of women and children also died as a result of the plague.

The text makes it clear that the death toll was going to increase greatly because “God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem” (1 Chronicles 21:15 NLT). The plague had already lasted three days and now the city of David was to be the target of God’s wrath. But for some unexplained reason, God called off his destroying angel and spared the city and its inhabitants.

But just as the angel was preparing to destroy it, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. – 1 Chronicles 21:15 NLT

David had been an eyewitness to this near-fatal episode because he had seen the angel of the Lord “standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching out over Jerusalem” (1 Chronicles 21:16 NLT). He had stood watching as this divine being prepared to destroy his beloved capital city. It was as if God was letting David know that a capital and an army do not a king make. David had put far too much stock in the earthly trappings of success. But faced with witnessing the destruction of his people and the city that bore his name, David responded.

“I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people.” – 1 Chronicles 21:17 NLT

As a result of David’s plea, God sent the prophet Gad with instructions.

“…raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” – 1 Chronicles 21:18 ESV

This is where it all gets interesting. This was the very same spot where the angel of the Lord had been stopped by God from destroying Jerusalem. It was at the threshing floor of Ornan that David witnessed the angel of the Lord.

This place held special significance for the Israelites. Centuries earlier, the patriarch Abraham had been sent by God to this very same location to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice. He and his wife Sarah had waited over 60 years for Isaac to be born. Yet God, who had promised to give Abraham a son and had miraculously caused his barren wife to give birth, commanded that the long-awaited child be put to death.

“Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” – Genesis 22:2 ESV

Amazingly, Abraham obeyed the command of God and prepared to sacrifice the life of his son. But at the last second, God intervened and an angel of the Lord stayed Abraham’s hand. Then God provided a substitute sacrifice, a ram whose horns had been caught in a thicket. That ram took Isaac’s place and its blood was spilled on his behalf.

So he [Abraham] took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). – Genesis 22:13-14 NLT

Now, centuries later, God commanded David to build an altar to offer a sacrifice on behalf of his people.

David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar. – 1 Chronicles 21:26 NLT

This was no coincidence. God chose this spot for a reason. It was at this location that He had spared the life of Isaac, and it was where He would refrain from destroying the city of Jerusalem and all its inhabitants. The threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite was also the location where Solomon built his magnificent temple, where countless sacrifices were made on behalf of the people. Sacrifice was required for forgiveness to be received because, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. David could confess his sins, but payment was still required.

David understood that his sin had come with a stiff price. He had watched his people suffer and die. He had witnessed the near destruction of Jerusalem. Now, he was being asked to offer a sacrifice to God that would somehow measure up to the magnitude of the grace and mercy God had shown. When David offered to buy the threshing floor from Ornan, the frightened man offered to give it to David free of charge. But David responded, “I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!” (1 Chronicles 21:24 NLT).

David ended up buying the land for 600 pieces of gold. Then he “built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings” (1 Chronicles 21:26 NLT). It was only after the land was purchased, the sacrifices were made, and the offerings consumed by fire, that the threat of further destruction was eliminated. While God had called off His avenging angel, the text makes it clear that the angel still had his sword drawn and was ready to strike if God gave the word. But when God accepted David’s sacrifice, He “spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath” (1 Chronicles 21:27 NLT). David’s sacrifice was accepted, his sin was forgiven, and the threat of further judgment was avoided.

As followers of Christ, we live under a different dispensation. We are no longer required to make payment for our sins. We don’t have to shed the blood of an innocent animal to satisfy the just demands of a holy God. Why? Because our sins have been paid for in full. The apostle John reminds us, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9 NLT). All we have to do is confess. There is no more condemnation for our sins. There is no further payment required because Jesus paid it all. The author of Hebrews tells us just how different things are now because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

The sacrifices under that system [the Mosaic law] were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. – Hebrews 10:1-4 NLT

But he goes on to give us the good news:

For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. – Hebrews 10:10 NLT

Our sins, past, present, and future, have all been paid for by Christ’s death on the cross. He paid the debt we owed. He covered our sins with His blood. As a result, we have complete forgiveness for ALL of our sins. We don’t have to ask for forgiveness; we simply have to confess our sins. The forgiveness is guaranteed. When we sin, God’s Spirit convicts us, and that conviction leads us to confess our sins to God. To confess means to agree with Him that we have sinned against Him. When we confess, He responds with forgiveness – each and every time – faithfully and fully.

The most remarkable part of this story is that Jesus paid the price of our sins on the very same spot where Abraham had been willing to offer up Isaac and David made sacrifices to God. This area is known as Mount Moriah, and it was here, near the threshing floor of Ornan that Jesus was crucified as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29 ESV).

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Driven by Greed

February 2, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²²But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. ²⁴Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. ²⁵And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again. ²⁶Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. ²⁷When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. ²⁸Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” ²⁹And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” ³⁰And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”

³¹Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. ³²And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. ³³The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.” ³⁴Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.” ³⁵And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.

³⁶When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, on the border formed by the Arnon, at the extremity of the border. ³⁷And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?” ³⁸Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak.” ³⁹Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. ⁴⁰And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent for Balaam and for the princes who were with him.

⁴¹And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people. – Numbers 22:22-41 ESV

Balak, the king of Moab, had summoned a well-known seer named Balaam and requested that he pronounce a curse on the people of Israel. But this pagan “wizard” had received a surprise visit from Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, forbidding him to say or do anything that might harm His chosen people.

“You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” – Numbers 22:12 ESV

Balaam obeyed God’s warning and informed Balak’s servants. “the Lord has refused to let me go with you” (Numbers 22:14 ESV). But Balak persisted, sending another contingent of dignitaries with offers of financial reward to sweeten the deal. But, once again, Balaam refused, saying, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more” (Numbers 22:18 ESV). Yet Balaam offered to consult with Yahweh a second time to see if he could negotiate a different outcome. His actions would seem to indicate that he was tempted by Balak’s generous offer of remuneration.

It seems that Balaam’s efforts paid off because God responded differently the second time, telling him, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you” (Numbers 22:20 ESV). The next morning, Balaam eagerly mounted his donkey to make the return trip to Moab. At this point, it would appear that Balaam was following the will of God. But something interesting happens along the way.

Somehow, Balaam had construed God’s command to go to Moab with permission to curse the Israelites. As he made his way from Pethor to Moab, Balaam must have been considering the financial windfall that awaited him when he reached Moab. He would conjure up the appropriate curse and cash in on King Balak’s fear of the Israelites. But God had other plans. Balaam appears to believe that he still might come out of this a very rich man because the text tells us that God was not happy with Balaam – even after giving him permission to go with the servants of Balak.

But God was furious that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the LORD to stand in the road to block his way. – Numbers 22:22 NLT

What was the cause of God’s anger? After all, it was God who told Balaam, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them” (Numbers 22:20 NLT). It would appear that Balaam was simply following the Lord’s instructions. But there was more going on in Balaam’s heart and mind than meets the eye. God knew that Balaam had concocted a plan that would allow him to profit from this unique once-in-a-lifetime situation.

Balaam was greedy and hoped to make money by cursing the people of God. He was a false prophet who thought he could turn a profit by disobeying God. The apostle Peter provides some much-needed insight into Balaam’s motivation that helps to explain God’s anger. Speaking of the false prophets of his own day, Peter states, “They have wandered off the right road and followed the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice” (2 Peter 2:15-16 NLT).

Balaam’s problem was that of greed. He was attempting to line his own pockets by masquerading as a prophet of God. This pagan diviner was little more than a con man who had made a healthy income posing as a spiritual sage who could level curses – for a price. But Balaam was in for a surprise. Jehovah, the God of the Israelites, whom he hoped to curse, had his number. God knew exactly what was going on in Balaam’s heart. The apostle Paul warned Timothy about the ever-present danger of letting the love of money influence one’s behavior.

…the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. – 1 Timothy 6:10 NLT

God permitted Balaam to go with the servants of Balak, but only as a test, and since God already knew the content of Balaam’s heart, this test was meant for Balaam’s enlightenment. This prideful man was about to get a much-needed lesson about God’s holiness and his own sinfulness.

As Balaam and his escorts made their way to visit Balak, God sent an angel with a sword to block their path, but they were unaware of the divine messenger’s presence. Perhaps Balaam was so blinded by greed that he was unable to see the servant of God standing right in front of him, sword in hand. Yet the donkey on which Balaam rode saw the angel and made a detour from the roadway to a nearby field. Angered by the donkey’s actions, Balaam tried to force the animal back to the road by beating it with a stick but the petrified beast made its way to a narrow path between two walls. When the angel reappeared blocking the way once again, the animal attempted to flee, pressing Balaam’s leg against one of the stone walls. Once again, Balaam beat the donkey in anger. Then something remarkable happened. The donkey spoke.

“What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” – Numbers 22:28 ESV

Rather than reacting in shock at hearing his donkey speak, Balaam defended his actions, saying, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you” (Numbers 22:29 ESV). It seems that Balaam was so angry and spiritually insensitive that it didn’t even register to him that he was having a conversation with an animal.

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him. – Numbers 22:31 NLT

With Balaam cowering at his feet, the angel told Balaam, “I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me” (Numbers 22:32 NLT). Speaking as an official agent of Jehovah, the angel revealed the nature of his mission. He was there to prevent Balaam from carrying out his plan. A more accurate translation of the angel’s words might be: “The path you are taking is a reckless one.” Balaam had made the decision to go against the revealed will of God – all for a little financial gain. The angel had been sent by God to prevent Balaam from carrying out his ill-conceived plan.

Sadly, the donkey had more insight than the diviner. The man who was supposed to have special access to the gods had failed to see an armed angel of Yahweh standing right in front of him. But once his eyes were opened to the danger he faced, Balaam appears to have repented.

“I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will go back home if you are against my going.” – Numbers 22:34 NLT

But the only sin that Balaam seems to have confessed was his failure to see the angel standing in his way. He confessed the sin of ignorance. He never acknowledged his greed or admitted his plan to disobey the will of God. Balaam offered to turn back, but only because the angel had disclosed the reckless nature of his plan. Everything about Balaam’s intentions was wrong. He was greedy. His whole reason for going with the servants of Balak was to figure out a way to fulfill the request of the king of the Moabites and make himself rich.

Despite Balaam’s insincere confession, the angel gave him permission to continue his journey, using the very same words that God had spoken the night before.

“Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” – Numbers 22:35 NLT

Balaam had his marching orders and they required Balaam to speak only when spoken to by God. He was not to add his two cents or dare to utter a word that had not been given to him by Yahweh. This would prove to be another test for the materialistic-minded and headstrong Balaam.

King Balak was relieved to see that Balaam had arrived and questioned his guest about his lengthy delay. He couldn’t understand why Balaam had not jumped at the chance to pad his bank account with the sizeable reward he had offered to pay.

“Didn’t I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn’t you come right away?” Balak asked Balaam. “Didn’t you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?” – Numbers 22:37 NLT

Even Balak seemed to know about Balaam’s love affair with money. But with the words of the angel still fresh in his mind, Balaam informed Balak that his lips were sealed. Any hope of him issuing a curse was off the table unless he received permission from Jehovah.

“Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.” – Numbers 22:38 NLT

The situation will become increasingly difficult for Balaam. He knew exactly what Balak wanted him to do, but he also knew that he could do nothing without Yawheh’s permission. As he joined King Balak in his camp, he could look out over the plains of Moab and see the host of Israelites that appeared like locusts in a field. Balaam likely had no love for these unwanted interlopers, and as he gazed at their vast numbers, he probably saw dollar signs. He couldn’t resist thinking about the rich reward that lay within reach if he could simply figure out a way to do what Balak wanted. The temptation to disobey the will of God was fueled by greed for great gain. He could become a rich man if he would only fulfill the wishes of Balak, but it would risk disobeying and angering Yahweh, the God of the Israelites. The choice was Balaam’s but God would have the final say.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Land of Their Own

April 14, 2023April 14, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²⁰“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. ²¹Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.

²²“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

²³“When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, ²⁴you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. ²⁵You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. ²⁶None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. ²⁷I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. ²⁸And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. ²⁹I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. ³⁰Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land. ³¹And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. ³²You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. ³³They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” – Exodus 23:20-33 ESV

After giving Moses the content of the Book of the Covenant, God assured His chosen leader that he would not be alone. The task of leading the Israelites would not be an easy one and the added responsibility of administering the law of God was going to make Moses’ job even more difficult. So, God informed Moses that he would have divine assistance.

“I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.” – Exodus 23:20 NLT

The Hebrew word for angel is מַלְאָךְ (malʾakh) which means “messenger” or “angel.” This was not the first time that God had employed an angel to serve as protection for His people. When the Israelites first departed Egypt, they were confronted by Pharaoh and his army at the western shore of the Red Sea. With their backs against the unpassable sea and their eyes looking at the 600 chariots of Pharaoh bearing down on them, the people panicked and began to complain to Moses about their dire predicament. But God responded by placing His angel between the Israelites and the Egyptians.

Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. – Exodus 14:19-20 ESV

We are not told whether the angel was visible to the human eye, but his presence held off the Egyptian forces all during the night, giving the Israelites time to cross the parted Red Sea. And in the morning, when the Egyptians attempted to pursue their prey, ‘the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived” (Exodus 14:28 NLT). And the remaining Egyptians who had not pursued the Israelites watched in horror as their comrades drowned in the waters of the Red Sea, and they responded in fear.

“Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.” – Exodus 14:25 ESV

There are those who believe that this angel was actually the Lord Himself. Moses describes the defeat of the Egyptians as having been the work of Yahweh.

…just before dawn the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. – Exodus 14:24-25 NLT

In the book of Joshua, there is another incident involving a divine being. On this occasion, Joshua encounters what appears to be an armed soldier.

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord‘s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. – Joshua 5:13-15 ESV

Whether these appearances are divine manifestations of God Himself or references to angelic beings is impossible to tell. But God is clearly telling Moses that he will have divine assistance and guidance along the way. He will not be alone in his administration of the law and his leadership of the people of Israel. But this “angel of the Lord” must be obeyed.

“Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.” – Exodus 23:21 ESV

This angel would serve and act on behalf of God, bearing the full weight of Yahweh’s name. So, Moses and the people were expected to obey the angel as they would the Lord. And if they did, they would enjoy God’s blessings.

“…if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you.” – Exodus 23:22 NLT

The angel would lead the people to Canaan, then provide them with victory over the nations that occupied the land. But God expected His people to completely annihilate the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They were to clean house, purging the land of all its former occupants. There was to be no compromise or concessions made. And God gave His reasons for demanding the total extermination of the Canaanite population.

“You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.” – Exodus 23:24 NLT

God knew that if the Canaanites were allowed to live, they would lead the Israelites astray. Their pagan practices would become a temptation to God’s people, causing them to stray from their covenant commitment to Him. God would later reiterate this command as the people prepared to enter the land of Canaan.

“When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you. This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols. For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.” – Deuteronomy 7:22-26 NLT

God demanded undivided allegiance from His people. In return for their faithfulness, He would bless them beyond belief. He would make them fruitful and prosperous in the land.

“I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives.” – Exodus 23:25-26 NLT

And He promised to drive all the inhabitants from the land. Despite their military superiority, the nations of Canaan would prove no match for the Israelites. But God would not eliminate them all at once. The process of conquering and occupying the land would take years. That would prevent the land from becoming desolate and overrun by wild animals. It would take time for the Israelites to acclimate to their new surroundings, so God provided a strategy that would allow their occupation of the land to take place over time.

“I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land.” – Exodus 23:30 NLT

But in time, the Israelites would find themselves the proud possessors of the land of promise. God would give them the entire land of Canaan, “from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River” (Exodus 23:31 NLT). But within this vast and fertile territory, God expected His people to serve Him alone. There would be no place for unfaithfulness and no room for the false gods of the Canaanites.

“Make no treaties with them or their gods. They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry.” – Exodus 23:32-33 NLT

God promised victory but demanded obedience. He offered to bless His chosen people but they were obligated to remain faithful to Him alone. And since the eradication of the Canaanites would take time, God knew that His people would face a constant temptation to compromise their convictions by assimilating the false gods of their pagan neighbors. Intermarriage with the occupants of the land would sound appealing and profitable. Adopting the ways of the Canaanites would make good sense. And peace treaties would always be more attractive than the prospects of war. So God laid down the law. He completely prohibited any thought of compromise on the part of His people. They were His chosen people and they were expected to live distinctively different lives from the rest of the nations of the world.

“…you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.” – Deuteronomy 7:26 NLT

A Reckless Path

October 7, 2022October 8, 2022 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁴¹And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people. – Numbers 22:22-41 ESV

Balaam appears to believe that he still might come out of this a very rich man because the text tells us that God was not happy with Balaam – even after giving him permission to go with the servants of Balak.

But God was furious that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the LORD to stand in the road to block his way. – Numbers 22:22 NLT

They have wandered off the right road and followed the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice. – 2 Peter 2:15-16 NLT

…the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. – 1 Timothy 6:10 NLT

God permitted Balaam to go with the servants of Balak, but only as a test. And since God already knew the content of Balaam’s heart, this test was meant for Balaam’s enlightenment. This prideful man was about to get a much-needed lesson in God’s holiness and his own sinfulness.

As Balaam and his escorts made their way to visit Balaak, God sent an angel with a sword to block their path. But was oblivious to this divine encounter. Maybe he was so blinded by greed that he was unable to see the servant of God standing right in front of him, sword in hand. Yet the donkey on which Balaam rode saw the angel and refused to go forward, much to his master’s chagrin. Balaam was so spiritually insensitive that it didn’t even register to him that he was having a conversation with an animal.

God had to open Balaam’s eyes so he could see the perilous nature of the situation. With Balaam cowering at his feet, the angel told Balaam, “I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me” (Numbers 22:32 NLT).

Speaking as an official agent of Jehovah, the angel revealed the nature of his mission. He was there to prevent Balaam from carrying out his plan. A more accurate translation of the angel’s words might be: “the path you are taking is a reckless one.” Balaam had made the decision to go against the revealed will of God – all for a little financial gain. The angel had been sent by God to prevent Balaam from carrying out his ill-conceived plan.

Sadly, the donkey had more insight than the diviner. The man who was supposed to have special access to the gods had failed to see an armed angel of Jehovah standing right in front of him. But once his eyes were opened to the danger he faced, Balaam appears to have repented.

“I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will go back home if you are against my going.” – Numbers 22:34 NLT

But the only sin that Balaam seems to have confessed was his failure to see the angel standing in his way. He confessed the sin of ignorance. But he never acknowledged his greed or admitted his plan to disobey the will of God. Balaam offered to turn back, but only because the angel had disclosed the reckless nature of his plan. Everything about Balaam’s intentions was wrong. He was greedy. His whole reason for going with the servants of Balak was to figure out a way to fulfill the request of the king of the Moabites and make himself rich.

Despite Balaam’s insincere confession, the angel gives him permission to continue his journey.

“Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” – Numbers 22:35 NLT

Balaam had his marching orders and they required Balaam to speak only when spoken to by God. He was not to add his two cents or dare to utter a word that had not been given to him by Jehovah. And this would prove to be another test for the materialistic-minded and headstrong Balaam.

“Didn’t I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn’t you come right away?” Balak asked Balaam. “Didn’t you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?” – Numbers 22:37 NLT

“Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.” – Numbers 22:38 NLT

The situation will become increasingly tenser for Balaam. He knew exactly what Balak wanted him to do, but he also knew that he could do nothing without Jehovah’s permission. And as he joined King Balak in his camp, he could look out over the plains of Moab and see the host of Israelites like locusts in a field. And it’s likely that Balaam had no love for these unwanted interlopers. And as he gazed at their vast numbers, Balaam probably saw dollar signs. He couldn’t resist thinking about the rich reward that lay within reach if he could simply figure out a way to do what Balak wanted and curse Israel.

Victory Over Death

January 31, 2020October 24, 2021 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ²And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. ⁵But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” ⁸So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” – Matthew 28:1-10 ESV

Early on Sunday morning, Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Salome made their way to the tomb where the body of Jesus had been placed. In his gospel, Mark dispels any thought that they expected to find an empty tomb and a risen Lord. He indicates that they had “bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him” (Mark 16:1 ESV). In the frenetic moments after Jesus’ death, no one had been able to properly prepare His body for burial. So, these women made their way to the tomb with that end in mind. And they even discussed who they could get to roll away the stone so they could access the body of Jesus. They were fully expecting to find a dead man, not a risen Savior.

But they were in for a surprise. When they arrived at the tomb, they would witness a life-altering, world-changing event of truly epic proportions. And their sober and somber expectations would be radically realigned by what they saw.

As they walked up to the tomb, burial spices in hand, the ground shook violently, and an angel descended from heaven. This divine emissary promptly rolled away the massive stone that had sealed the tomb’s entrance, breaking the seal placed on it by Pilate (Matthew 27:64-66).

The angel’s supernatural strength and dazzling appearance left the guards in a state of shock. Matthew describes them as becoming ‘“like dead men.” They had been tasked with preventing the followers of Jesus from stealing His body, something the Jewish religious leaders feared they would do so that they might claim He had raised from the dead. But rather than a rag-tag group of Galilean disciples, these battle-hardened soldiers were confronted by an agent of God Almighty.

The three women, having witnessed this remarkable event, still made their way into the tomb and were perplexed to find it empty (Luke 24:3-4). The body was gone. Luke records that the angel who rolled away the stone was accompanied by a second angel. And these two heavenly beings confronted the women, asking them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5 ESV). But they didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, they informed the women, “He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24:6 ESV).

They had come seeking and expecting to find a dead man. But, to their shock and surprise, they were informed that the one they sought was alive. This entire encounter must have left the women dealing with a strange mixture of elation and confusion. Could it be true? Was Jesus really alive? For Mary, this news must have been too good to be true. But the angels didn’t give the women time to dwell on the shocking nature of the news. They commanded them, “go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you” (Matthew 28:7 ESV).

And they did as they were told, and Matthew reports that they did so “with fear and great joy” (Matthew 28:8 ESV).

As if this news was not enough to elevate their endorphin levels and raise their heart rates, their journey to tell the disciples was interrupted by a personal encounter with Jesus Himself. Matthew records that “Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’” (Matthew 28:9 ESV). This totally unexpected reunion with their formerly deceased friend and master was too much for them. All they could do was bow down and worship Him. And Jesus calmed their fears, telling them to take the news of His resurrection to His disciples and to request that they meet Him in Galilee.

When reading the various gospel accounts of this event, there seem to be contradictions. Was there one angel or two? Did Mary arrive at the tomb on her own or with the other two women? But by piecing the various gospel accounts together, you arrive at a credible chronology that provides an accurate accounting of the order of events.

First, Luke records that Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome started for the tomb (Luke 23:55-24:1). When they arrived, they found the stone rolled away (Luke 24:2-9). According to John’s account, Mary Magdaline was the first to arrive at the tomb and find it empty. She ran to tell the disciples the news (John 20:1-2). It was Mary, the mother of James, who arrived next and encountered the angel (Matthew 28:1-2). She ran back to tell the other women who were bringing the spices they had prepared to anoint the body of Jesus.

In the meantime, Peter and John arrived on the scene, discovered the tomb empty, just as Mary Magdalene had said, and then they departed (John 20:3-10). The disciples had evidently outrun Mary Magdalene, because she returned weeping, still unaware that Jesus was alive. All she had known was that the tomb had been empty. But she sees the two angels and then Jesus (John 20:11-18), who told her to tell the disciples (John 20:17-18). According to Luke’s account, Mary, the mother of James, returned with the women (Luke 24:1-4), sees the two angels, and hears their message (Luke 24:5; Mark 16:5; Matthew 28:6-8). It was while they were on their way to find the disciples that these women had their encounter with the risen Christ (Matthew 28:9-10).

What an incredible morning! What a shocking sequence of events. None of these people had expected this to happen, even though Jesus had repeatedly told them He would rise again on the third day. He had tried to assure them that His death would be followed by His resurrection, but that part of the story had never registered with them. Until now.

He was alive. As the angel had said, “He is not here, for he has risen.” The tomb was empty. The Savior was alive and well, and they had seen Him. The one whom they had watched die a brutal death on the cross, just three days earlier, was fully alive. The women had touched His feet. They had heard Him speak. And He had promised to meet them in Galilee. All of this beyond their wildest imaginations. Their sorrow had been suddenly turned to joy. Their weeping had turned to laughter. Their disappointment and disillusionment had turned to hope and happiness.

Jesus had won a stunning victory over death. He had conquered the grave. And His actions would leave His enemy, Satan, reeling from the shock of it all. The high priest and the Sanhedrin would refuse to believe it. But it was true. He was alive. And, as the apostle Paul reminds us, that irrefutable news is good news to all those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 NLT

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Not Again!

December 23, 2017 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁹But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ²⁰“Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” ²¹And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. ²²But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, ²³“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” ²⁴Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. ²⁵And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” ²⁶Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. – Acts 5:19-26 ESV

This may sound a bit strange, but there’s a part of me that feels sorry for the Jewish religious leaders. I know they’re supposed to be the villain in this story, but they come across as so hapless and helpless in Luke’s account. It is almost as if Luke was intentionally trying to add a bit of levity to the situation. The high priest and the Jewish council or Sanhedrin, over which he presided, had arrested Peter and his fellow apostles for their activities in Solomon’s Portico on the Temple grounds. Their crime? According to Luke, they “were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people” (Acts 5:12 NLT) and “people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed” (Acts 5:16 ESV). Not exactly sinister and seditious activity. But Luke makes it pretty clear what the real motivation was that led the Sanhedrin to arrest the apostles. “The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy” (Acts 5:17 NLT). They were jealous. They didn’t like the idea that huge crowds of people were flocking to seen and listen to these uneducated disciples of the dead rabbi, Jesus. They had spent a lot of effort getting rid of their former master. He had been a thorn in their side for three years, teaching about His Kingdom and calling the people to repentance. This Jesus had said some fairly caustic and cutting things to and about them. He had been a nuisance, but now they were facing a resurgence of interest in His teachings on the part of the people because of His trouble-making disciples. And it didn’t help that a big part of the apostles’ popularity was their teaching regarding the resurrection of Jesus and His offer of eternal life. The Sanhedrin was made up primarily of Sadducees, a Jewish religious sect that rejected the possibility and plausibility of resurrection, so this was a particularly touchy subject for them.

So, out of jealousy and frustration, the Sanhedrin had placed the apostles under arrest. Think of it as a form of crowd control. With Peter and this companions in jail, the crowds at Solomon’s Portico would disperse and this would give the Sanhedrin time to think about what their next steps should be. This was not the first time the apostles had faced confinement for their activities. Back in chapter three, we have Luke’s report of the arrest of Peter and John for preaching in Solomon’s Portico.

¹And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, ²greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. – Acts 3:1-3 ESV

On that occasion, they had threatened and warned the apostles to cease and desist, and had “charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 3:18 ESV). Peter and John had politely refused, stating, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 3:19-20 ESV).

Now, here they were again. Peter had been true to his word, and they had not stopped speaking about, and in the name of, Jesus. So, the Sanhedrin had arrested them one more time. The truth is, they were at a loss as to what to do with these men, because the growing popularity of the apostles was going to be a problem. Thousands had chosen to follow their teachings, and many more were attracted to their miracles and signs. If they shut them down, they could have a riot on their hands. So, they arrested them, most likely in the hopes that they could threaten them once again and bring this entire thing to an abrupt halt. But this is where it gets humorous and the Sanhedrin begin to garner my sympathy. They had no idea what or who they were up against. Luke simply records:

The Sanhedrin had the apostles locked up and God set them free. The Sanhedrin were most likely planning to tell the apostles to shut up, and God commanded them to speak up. And He specifically told them to “speak to the people all the words of this Life.” The Greek word, zōē, is translated from the same Hebrew word from which the Greek word for salvation comes. So, God was commanding Peter and the apostles to preach about the salvation or new life found in Christ. It is the same message Peter had spoken to the Sanhedrin in his first encounter with them – “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 ESV). It is the same message Peter and the other disciples had heard Jesus teach. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ESV).

While the apostles were preaching new life through Christ, the high priest and his associates were sending the Temple guard to retrieve their prisoners and bring them into their presence so they could interrogate them. But surprise! They weren’t there. Their cells were empty. And the report of the guards had a somewhat familiar ring to it.

“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” – Acts 5:23 ESV

In his gospel, Matthew records a similar, miraculous release of a servant of God.

²And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. – Matthew 28:2-4 ESV

Not only were the guards paralyzed with fear and the massive stone rolled away from the opening. The occupant of this prison was released from the bonds of death and resurrected to new life. Jesus was made alive and set free from the penalty of death. He had paid the price and satisfied the just, holy demands of His Father. And Matthew goes on to record what happened when these guards reported back to the chief priest and the religious leadership.

¹¹…some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. ¹²And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers ¹³and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. – Matthew 28:11-15 ESV

God had set Jesus free. And the Sanhedrin had resorted to lying about it. They fabricated a lame story in an attempt to cover up what had really happened. And they paid off the guards, commanding them to state that the body of Jesus had been stolen by His followers. But now, almost two months later, there was renewed talk of Jesus having been resurrected and ample proof that these claims were true. Miracles and signs were being performed by the followers of Jesus. People were being healed. Lame men walked. Demons were being cast out. The gospel was being preached and lives were being transformed. And Luke simply states, “Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to” (Acts 5:24 ESV). Just when these men thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did. And the bad news was followed by even worse news.

²⁵And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” ²⁶Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. – Acts 5:25-26 ESV

How do you stand opposed to God? What are you supposed to do when your greatest enemy is God Almighty. The Sanhedrin could concoct all the fake stories they could come up with, but they could not contradict the truth of God. They could deny Jesus’ existence, but they couldn’t do a thing to prevent the message of His resurrection and the reality of redemption taking place all around them. They had killed Him and God had brought Him back to life. They had threatened the apostles and they had continued to speak in Jesus’ name. They had attempted to imprison God’s messengers and confine their message, but God had released them to do what they had been commissioned to do.

The Sadducees were sad, you see. They had no chance of stopping what God had ordained. They could try, but they would fail. And even one of their own, a man named Gamaliel, would end up giving them some very wise counsel regarding the apostles.

³⁸“…keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; ³⁹but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” – Acts 5:38-39 ESV