Free To Sin.

November 3, 2018 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁹And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
¹⁰Make the heart of this people dull,
    and their ears heavy,
    and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
    and turn and be healed.”
¹¹Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”
And he said:
“Until cities lie waste
    without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
    and the land is a desolate waste,
¹²and the Lord removes people far away,
    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
¹³And though a tenth remain in it,
    it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak,
    whose stump remains
    when it is felled.”
The holy seed is its stump. – Isaiah 6:9-13 ESV

When God had asked, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?,” Isaiah had quickly responded, “Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8 ESV). And now, Isaiah receives his marching orders from God. His task would not prove easy, because his audience would not prove receptive to the message God had given him. He would challenge them to listen carefully and look closely, but it would be to no avail, for they would fail to understand what he had to say or learn anything from the things they saw.

In other words, they would continue on in their stubbornness. And that trait would last for generations, all the way into the first century A.D., when Jesus attempted to persuade the Jewish people that He was their long-awaited Messiah. But John records that the people of Jesus’ day also proved to be stubbornly resistant to the call to repent, even quoting Isaiah in his indictment of the people:

But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted:

“Lord, who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?”

But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,

“The Lord has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts—
so that their eyes cannot see,
    and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
    and have me heal them.” – John 12:37-40 NLT

The idea of God blinding the eyes and hardening the hearts of His people so that they will not respond to Isaiah’s message sounds unfair to many of us. It sounds as if God is forcing them to reject His call to repentant and leaving them no chance of restoration. This passage raises the uncomfortable and controversial debate over the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. As human beings, we take our free will quite seriously. We demand the right to do what we want to do, without any outer control or unwanted manipulation. But from a theological perspective, there really is no such thing as “free” will.

The apostle Paul reminds all believers of their pre-salvation condition:

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. – Ephesians 2:1-3 NLT

Then, in his letter to the Colossians, he adds:

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. – Colossians 2:13 NLT

Notice what Paul says. Satan is at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. He controls their thoughts and actions. He influences their decision-making and manipulates every aspect of their lives. That does not mean that all that they do is evil all the time, but it does mean that nothing they do is considered righteous in the eyes of God. Isaiah will put it this way:

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. – Isaiah 64:6 NLT

And Paul will expand on that thought:

No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one. – Romans 3:10-12 NLT

And Paul was simply quoting the great king, David, the man after God’s own heart.

They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
not one of them does good!

God looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.
No one does good,
    not a single one! – Psalm 53:1-3 NLT

Man is not free to do whatever he wants to do. He is controlled by his own sin nature and heavily influenced by Satan, the “father of lies.” Jesus made this point perfectly and painfully clear when speaking to a crowd of His fellows Jews:

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! – John 8:44-45 NLT

And Paul adds that Satan plays a vital role in man’s stubborn refusal to hear the gracious message of God to repent.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT

So, this idea of free will is really a misconception. Between man’s inherent sin nature and Satan’s control, no one is truly free to do what he or she wants to do. Apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ, all men are slaves to sin. They are not free to do as they wish. Yes, they make decisions every day and appear to be making choices that are the direct result of their own will, but they are NOT free to do righteousness – at least a righteousness that meets God’s exacting standard. Their best choices made on their best day are still viewed as filthy rags by a holy God.

So, God tells Isaiah:

“Harden the hearts of these people.
    Plug their ears and shut their eyes.
That way, they will not see with their eyes,
    nor hear with their ears,
nor understand with their hearts
    and turn to me for healing.” – Isaiah 6:10 NLT

He will tell them the truth, but they will refuse to hear of accept it. The very act of delivering the message of God will result in their rejection of God. And they will be doing what they want to do. It will be their choice. But they will not be able to hear, believe and repent. That is a work of God. The prophet, Isaiah, records what is necessary for sinful man to respond to the gracious message offered by God. It requires the divine assistance of God.

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” – Ezekiel 36:26 NLT

And God goes on to let them know that this is not something they deserve or have earned.

“But remember, says the Sovereign Lord, I am not doing this because you deserve it. O my people of Israel, you should be utterly ashamed of all you have done!” – Ezekiel 36:32 NLT

The people of Judah had a long track record of disobeying God. This was not a knee-jerk reaction on God’s part. He had exhibited extreme patience for many generations. But the the had come for their sins to be punished. He could not and would not overlook their rebellion against Him.

But Isaiah asks God how long the people will display their stubborn resistance to his message. And God tells him.

“Until their towns are empty,
    their houses are deserted,
    and the whole country is a wasteland;
until the Lord has sent everyone away,
    and the entire land of Israel lies deserted.
If even a tenth—a remnant—survive,
    it will be invaded again and burned.
But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down.” – Isaiah 6:11-13 NLT

Judgment was coming. Destruction was going to take place. Their cities would be destroyed and their people taken captive. But, there some good news amidst all the doom and gloom. God will spare a remnant – a tenth – who will survive. After all the destruction and devastation, a stump will remain. And God reveals that “Israel’s stump will be a holy seed” (Isaiah 6:13 NLT).

Even after the fall of Judah and Jerusalem, and the deportation of the people to Babylon, a remnant would be allowed to return 70 years later. They would rebuild the city and the temple. The people would once again occupy the land given to them by God. And generations later, in the land of Judah, a baby boy would be born. He would be that holy seed. And Isaiah describes him just a few chapters later.

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
    yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. – Isaiah 11:1-2 NLT

God had plans for His people. Yes, He was going to judge them, but the day is coming when He will restore them. From them would come the “holy seed” – the descendant of David, who would offer His life as an atonement for the sins of mankind. And the day is coming when He will restore the fortunes of the people of Israel, once and for all. Jesus Himself lets us know what He has planned.

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.…I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.…Surely I am coming soon.” – Revelation 22:12-13, 16, 20 NLT).

English Standard Version (ESV)

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.

He is Worthy.

April 4, 2018April 20, 2018 / kdmiller55 / 2 Comments

¹Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. ²And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, ⁴and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” – Revelation 5:1-5 ESV

John has somehow been transported by the Spirit of God into heaven, where he is being given an unprecedented glimpse into the very throne room of God. It is an incredible scene, one which John has difficulty putting into words. His descriptions can only allude to the grandeur and glory of all that he sees. It is a scene filled with brilliant light, vivid colors, incredible sights and sounds and the very presence of the trinity. Seated on the throne is God the Father, and standing before Him are the Spirit and the Son. Seated before him are the 24 elders and around the throne are the four creatures who constantly sing, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8 ESV). We can only imagine what this must have been like for John. His emotions must have run the gamut, from awestruck wonder to abject fear. He was actually seeing the God of the universe with his own eyes and living to tell about it. This is significant, because God had warned Moses, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live” (Exodus 33:20 ESV). And Paul had told Timothy, “He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen” (1 Timothy 6:16 NLT). And yet, we know that there was at least one other occasion when 74 men had the unique opportunity of seeing God and living to tell about it. It is recorded in the book of Exodus.

⁹Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. ¹⁰There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. ¹¹And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence! – Exodus 24:9-10 NLT

This privilege bestowed upon Moses and his companions was never again repeated. At least until John stepped into the throne room in heaven. And unlike Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel, John wasn’t going to enjoy a meal with God. He was going to witness the unveiling of God’s future plans for the judgment of the world – the “the things that must soon take place” (Revelation 1:1 ESV). And as John took in that incredible scene before him, he noticed that God was holding in His right hand “a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals” (Revelation 5:1 ESV). This scene is reminiscent of one recorded in the book of Ezekiel. There we see the prophet Ezekiel miraculously transported into heaven where he finds himself standing before the very presence of God. And he describes seeing the very same thing John saw.

⁹And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. ¹⁰And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. – Ezekiel 2:9-10 ESV

This scroll will play a significant part in the rest of John’s book. As we will see, it contains the judgments that God is going to release upon the earth. And it may be the same scroll mentioned in the book of Daniel, that he was commanded to seal until the end of time (Daniel 12:4, 9). John has no idea what this scroll signifies, but he can’t help but notice that it is sealed with seven seals and that it has writing on both sides of its parchment. Both of these features would have been out of the ordinary. The number of the seals obviously stood out to John, and probably appeared to be a bit over-the-top and unnecessary. But as we will see with everything John witnesses, the seals have significance and meaning. They must have been affixed in such a way that as each one was broken, the scroll was allowed to be partially unrolled, exposing only a portion of its content. The next seal would have to be broken before the next section of judgments could be revealed. There is a sequential nature to the content of the scroll. And the fact that the scroll contained writing on both sides would have been another odd feature, probably signifying the sheer volume of judgments to come.

The next thing John saw was someone who he describes as a powerful angel, declaring, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” (Revelation 5:2 ESV). Here was God, holding in His hand a sealed scroll containing all that was to come in terms of His future plans for the world. And the angel’s question creates a tension, revealing that there is only one who is worthy to break the seals and expose the scroll’s contents. The individual who would take the scroll from the hand of God had already been predetermined. But John was not yet aware of who that individual might be. He simply records that “no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it” (Revelation 5:3 ESV). No one was worthy of the honor or met the prescribed criteria. And this sad state of affairs left John in tears, “because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it” (Revelation 5:4 ESV). The scroll remained in the right hand of the Father, and the contents of the scroll remained hidden. As far as John could tell, the divine plan of God was left unfulfilled because no one had the authority to bring about its fulfillment.

There is a tension in this scene. It is as if all motion has ceased. The Father sits on His throne, scroll in hand. The 24 elders remain seated in their 24 thrones. The four beasts have stopped their singing and praising. The powerful angel has called out, seeking for someone to take the scroll from God’s hand and begin the breaking of the seals. But no one steps forward. John watches, waits and weeps. But then, the silence is broken. One of the 24 elders steps up and comforts John, telling him:

“Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” – Revelation 5:5 ESV

Remember, John is having a vision of heaven. He has been transported into God’s presence where he is being provided a glimpse into things that no man has been privileged to see. It is as if this scene has been going on since the beginning of time. God has been holding that scroll from before the foundation of the world. It has long contained His plans for the world and He has been waiting for the one who would be worthy to take it from His hand and begin the process of breaking its seals and revealing its content. And while John noticed that no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, that was about to change. There was someone, and He is described to John as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, and the one who has conquered. It is Jesus. These titles describe Jesus’ qualifications or credentials that make Him the only worthy candidate to open the scroll. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This is a direct reference to the blessing Jacob gave to his son, Judah.

⁹Judah is a lion’s cub;
    from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He stooped down; he crouched as a lion
    and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
¹⁰The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
    nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him;
    and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. – Genesis 49:9-10 ESV

Jesus was descended from the tribe of Judah. He is the one who holds the scepter and the ruler’s staff in His hand. And Jesus is the Root of David, another indication that He was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy concerning the coming Messiah.

¹There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
²And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. – Isaiah 11:1-2 ESV

Jesse was the father of King David, and Jesus was a descendant of David. He was the one worthy to be the King of Israel, the successor to the throne of David. These titles are meant to declare Jesus’ right to rule and reign. And to further assert Jesus’ impeccable qualifications, the elder declares that Jesus has conquered. He has been victorious. The Greek word used here is nikaō and it can actually be translated as “overcome.” That very same word was used repeatedly in chapters 2 and 3, where Jesus addressed the seven churches

“To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” – Revelation 2:7 ESV

“The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.” – Revelation 2:11 ESV

“To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” – Revelation 2:17 ESV

“The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations…” – Revelation 2:26 ESV

“The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life.” – Revelation 3:5 ESV

“The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.” – Revelation 3:12 ESV

“The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.” – Revelation 3:21 ESV

Jesus has conquered. He told His disciples, even before His death, that they could have peace because He had already overcome the world.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 ESV

He used that very same Greek word, nikaō. And Paul reminds us that, “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 ESV). He uses the Greek word, hypernikaō, which conveys the idea of being super-conquerors. Christ has defeated death and grave. Paul reminds us of this incredible fact in his letter to the Corinthian believers.

⁵⁶For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. ⁵⁷But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 ESV

Jesus is worthy. He is fully qualified to take the scroll from the hand of His Father and open its seals. And He is the only one worthy. Had Jesus not come to earth as a child, lived a sinless life, sacrificed Himself for the sins of man, and been raised back to life by the power of the Spirit of God, He would not have met the demanding requirements of God Almighty. But He was faithful. He was fully obedient. He conquered sin and death.

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.

Devotionary

The Bible Made Accessible and Applicable

Root of David

Free To Sin.

He is Worthy.