Pastor Billington's Blog

Proverbs 7

Here is our warning: sin comes out to meet us! It doesn’t ever leave us alone. Our culture and even our own minds attempt to lure us into sin. How do we prepare for such an onslaught? By filling our minds with wisdom! Which means we need to fill it ahead of time so that we are ready when temptation strikes. But just learning Scripture isn’t enough. We also have to be willing to yield to the influence of the Word and the Spirit in our lives when we are in the midst of temptation.

Sin is insidious and destructive, and the consequences can continue to impact us long after the event. A man in his late 80’s once asked me to come and visit him because he needed some counseling. I had some ideas about what it might be based on my experience, but I was completely wrong. When this man was a teenager being shipped off to war, he looked at what were considered pornographic images for that day and time. His problem was that, 70 years later, he still remembered those images and couldn’t get them out of his mind. It was taking away his peace and his joy. Unfortunately, that’s a perfect illustration of what sin, and particularly sexual sin, does to us. Guilt, shame, and pain can still affect us years later. In one way or another, it can cost us our lives.

Here are three additional ideas that this passage should cause us to consider. First, it’s very easy to find bad examples in the world. Why should we need to personally experience trouble and distress when all we have to do is look out our windows (so to speak) and we can see the trouble that sin brings? I took a quick peak at the two most prominent news sites on the web and saw stories about human trafficking, abuse, shootings, war, and theft. And, on top of that, we can see what’s happening within our communities and to our family and friends when bad choices are made. You would think that seeing the consequences of certain actions would deter us. Unfortunately, that’s not usually what happens. Second, it’s implied that if you are older then you are more mature and you know better than to do dumb things. However, sometimes physical maturity doesn’t equate to spiritual maturity. Hopefully it does in our own lives. And finally, if you are trying to hide your actions (“in the middle of the night and in the darkness”), should you be doing what you are doing?

Thought for the day: In addition to everything we just discussed, other people also help us to keep from sin and its consequences.

Hebrews 3:13 (WEB) “but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called ‘today,’ lest anyone of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Proverbs 6

Proverbs 6:1-5: Is being a cosigner for someone else on a loan always bad? Probably not, but you have to consider the situation, the personalities of the people involved, and what will happen if the person defaults on the loan. Remember that Proverbs often deals with probabilities (things that are usually true). In general, it’s not a good idea to guarantee someone else’s debt. Being generous is something different. Being generous involves giving something directly to the person without expecting to be paid back. Becoming a pledge for someone else means that you could be paying back their debts for a considerable amount of time, which could have serious consequences for your family. This theme of not guaranteeing another’s loan is something that is repeated in Proverbs.

Proverbs 6:6-11: Some may look at this passage of Scripture and say, “Gotcha!” Ants have a queen. The Bible is wrong! First of all, you’re missing the point. Second, there may be more truth to what we read here than you realize. Yes, when ants colonize, they have a queen. However, she has one job to do: lay eggs. She doesn’t actually direct anything. The ants just know their roles in the community, and they work together.

Regardless, the purpose of this passage is to provide observational truth. You look down. You see ants scurrying around. You never know how many there are because they disappear into the ground, but they never seem to stop moving. They work hard! And that’s the point here. Don’t be lazy, be industrious. Being lazy leads to poverty. And this is just the beginning. Laziness vs. industry is another theme throughout Proverbs!

Proverbs 6:12-19: Verses 12-15 are almost like an introduction to the seven things the Lord hates. We’re told not to be wicked people, because bad things will happen to us. Some of those bad things could be because the Lord wants to discipline us, but much of the bad will come because we’re being stupid! A wicked person lies. A wicked person wants to cause conflict. A wicked person makes accusations and spreads innuendo, sometimes without even speaking! Have you ever seen the consequences of those actions come back against the ones doing them? Don’t be a wicked person!

And that brings us to the seven things that the Lord literally abhors:

• Causing conflict in the midst of God’s people (for us, the church).
• Being proud instead of humble.
• Lying, instead of telling the truth.
• Violence against the innocent (like the unborn?).
• Meditating on evil, instead of on good (specifically on God’s Word, as we read elsewhere).
• Acting out those evil thoughts.
• Lying again, but this time specifically about others (with reference to the courtroom).

Proverbs 6:20-26: “But I’ve heard all of this before!” I know, I know. But in truth, it’s repetition that helps us to learn and to realize the importance of what we’re learning. I believe it’s one reason we have four gospels. While each conveys the life of Jesus in a slightly different way, many of the events are repeated. That helps us to remember them, and it helps us to realize that what we’re learning is important. Repetition in Proverbs should serve as a warning and a guide to us. This is important stuff. We need to pay attention.

So, what do we find in our passage today?

• We’re reminded of the importance of family in conveying truth.
• We’re reminded of our need to pay attention to the truth.
• We’re reminded of the need to mediate on the truth, particularly the truth of Scripture.
• We’re reminded that the truth is our guide and our lamp, and that it keeps out of trouble.
• And one way it keeps us from trouble is by warning us about the dangers of sexual immorality. What a poetic warning: “the adulteress preys on your precious life.“
• And we’re again reminded that sin begins on the inside. Although we see with the eyes, lust starts in the heart and the mind.

Proverbs 6:26-35: When we think of the heartache that sexual immorality, pornography, and adultery cause in our culture today, it shouldn’t surprise us when we read about it so frequently in Proverbs. The emphasis here is on the danger and the consequences that come from engaging in immoral behavior, with a special warning to watch out for a spouse’s revenge!

Don’t be confused about verses concerning a thief. The issue isn’t to compare adultery and theft, but to compare the end results of both when you are caught. In fact, we seem to have a very interesting contrast here. You may end up with sympathy for a thief, because he needs food to live. However, that’s not going to help him if he’s caught! If a thief is punished sevenfold, how much more will someone be punished who is caught in adultery?

Thought for the day: “Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.” – Zig Ziglar

Joshua 1:8 (WEB) “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Psalm 7, 8, 9

Psalm 7: Cush was probably one of Saul’s kinsmen who, like Doeg and the Ziphites, supported Saul and tried to do away with David. Here David basically says to God, “Hey, if I’ve done anything to be worthy of this hatred and pursuit, I’ll accept my death!” But David believes that he is righteous, and that God will ultimately vindicate him because God is a righteous judge. And God will not only vindicate him, but God will judge the wicked as well.

In one sense we are righteous, because the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us. This is positional righteousness:

Romans 8:10 (WEB) “ If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.”

However, while we live this life, we aren’t perfect. So, we strive to be better. We strive to have practical righteousness:

1 Peter 1:15-16 (WEB) “but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior, because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ “

David warns the evildoers who are after him: if you don’t repent of your sins, God is preparing for war, and He is coming for you. If you continue to lie and deceive, you’ll fall into the pit you’ve dug for me. Your own violence is going to rebound against you. Turn back before it’s too late!

God protects us as well. When we know Jesus, we are His for eternity!

John 6:40 (WEB) “This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

But there is another way that David’s warning should ring in our heads. When we rebel against God, we set ourselves up for failure. When we discover our own sin, we need to repent. Repentance is more than just feeling sorrow. Repentance is a turning away from sin and turning to God. There are both eternal and temporal aspects to repentance. There is a once and for all turning to Jesus as Savior, and there is the daily confession to make sure our ongoing relationship is where it needs to be.

Psalm 8: God is to be praised! When we consider not only creation, but the dominion that mankind has over it, we rejoice in God’s majesty. Even babies praise His name and put His enemies to shame! He is both sovereign (Lord = Adonai), and personal (LORD = YHWH, Israel’s covenant name for God). He is to be feared and loved.

This passage also points to Jesus in a special way. The author of Hebrews sees the son of man not just as mankind, but as pointing to the special Son of Man who is the coming Messiah!

Hebrews 2:5-9 (WEB) “For he didn’t subject the world to come, of which we speak, to angels. But one has somewhere testified, saying, ‘What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we don’t yet see all things subjected to him. But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.”

Psalm 9: David sees how God has worked on his behalf, and he is moved to praise. He also reminds us of God’s faithfulness and righteousness. It’s why we can put our trust in Him. He is our place of refuge, and He promises that he’ll never leave us or forsake us.

Thought for the day: Do you have a problem in your life? Even if it’s not someone persecuting or hating you, you can cry out to God for help because He is merciful. And when He helps, however He does, we should rejoice and tell others about His faithfulness.

Hebrews 13:5 (WEB) “he has said, ‘I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.’ “

Matthew 28

“Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week” explains why we choose to worship on Sunday when possible. It’s not a command, it’s a choice! It’s a way to commemorate the resurrection and provide even more meaning to our worship.

Isn’t it interesting that nobody expected Jesus to be raised, even with all the miracles He did in his lifetime, and even though He continually told them it was going to happen!?!?!? It was apparently well known, since the authorities expected his disciples to steal the body to make it look like He had (Matthew 27:62-66). The authorities took precautions against a natural event, but not a supernatural event, and they are the ones who end up lying about it!

The disciples are good examples for us. They followed Jesus’ instructions precisely: “Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee”. In fact, they apparently got more information than is initially written down for us: “to the mountain where Jesus had sent them.” That’s an important reminder to us since it’s by comparing Scripture with Scripture that we get a better understanding, which is one of the reasons we have four gospels.

“Go and make disciples” is literally “while going, make disciples.” There are some Greek scholars who defend the imperative aspect of the participle (making it a command), but I think the literal translation is more meaningful. “While going.” “While living your life.” “While doing your everyday activities.” This makes it a natural extension of Christian life and experience. While we are following Christ we make disciples. It’s not something that is outside the ordinary. It’s something that should be a natural extension of who we are, and how we live.

Thought for the day: Are you living your life in such a way to make disciples?

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (WEB) “Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one. You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.”

Matthew 27

With Judas we see what happens when someone gives themselves over to sin. The sin, for one reason or another, ultimately destroys them.

James 1:15 (WEB) “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Pilate asks Jesus if He is the king of the Jews because insurrection is one of the crimes that demands crucifixion, and the Jewish leadership want Jesus to be crucified. Jesus submits to the trial, the accusations, the humiliation, and the abuse because He is fulfilling Scripture:

Isaiah 53:7 (WEB) “He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn’t open his mouth.”

And Peter uses Jesus’ example to teach us how we are to behave when unjustly accused:

1 Peter 2:21-23 (WEB) “For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, who didn’t sin, ‘neither was deceit found in his mouth.’ When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.”

Pilate, while not a righteous man, doesn’t want to put Jesus to death, but he ultimately gives into the Jewish leadership and the crowds. Incidentally, it’s the leadership that incites the crowd to call for Barabbas, a murderer, to be released! How often do we go with the crowd, when we should be standing up for our principles?

Consider this statement: “May His blood be on us and on our children.” Is there anything more chilling than that? The irony is that Jesus shed His blood so that they and their children could have a relationship with God! In truth, just as the blood was put on the doorposts during the first Passover (Exodus 12:12-13), if His blood is really “on us” (because of our belief in Him) then we will be forgiven!

1 Peter 1:18-19 (WEB) “knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ”

The Holy Place in the temple was separated into two parts by the temple curtain. No one was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place behind the curtain except the high priest, once a year, on the Day of Atonement. On the Day of Atonement he brought blood from the sacrifice to provide atonement for the sins of the people:

Leviticus 16:34 (WEB) “This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.”

The fact that the temple curtain was torn in two signifies that Jesus Christ is the final sacrifice and it is only through Him that we can have a relationship with God.

Hebrews 9:11-12 (WEB) “But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption.”

Thought for the day: We can’t be too thankful for what Jesus has done for us!

Hebrews 13:15 (WEB) “Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.”

Matthew 26

There are a lot a failures in this passage:

• The failure of the priests to recognize their Messiah
• The failure of Judas to follow and support his teacher and Lord
• The failure of the disciples to stand up for Jesus (predicted)
• The failure of Peter to live up to his commitment (predicted)
• The failure of mankind to live for God

The last one is the reason for the foreshadowing during the Passover meal. Jesus uses the bread and the wine as metaphors for His upcoming death on the cross for our sins. Of course it’s not automatic; we must confess our sins and believe in Jesus to be forgiven!

There are warnings here for disciples too. We will all face difficulties in life. After all, Jesus did! And He faced them with grace when He prayed, “not what I desire, but what you desire.” Can we face our own difficulties with that kind of grace? With the understanding that God does allow bad things to happen for a purpose? Are we willing to stand up for God even when bad things happen? Or will we find ourselves denying our Lord and Savior? We would do well to remember that Jesus was willing to endure the worst thing ever so that we could be saved.

Judas betrayed his Lord willingly, with a kiss. He deliberately betrayed Jesus, while pretending to be His disciple. Do we do that? In a way, I think that we can and do. When we call ourselves disciples and yet willingly and willfully do something that we know is sinful, aren’t we betraying Jesus with a kiss? Or perhaps we’re like Peter. Do we hide whose we are because of fear? Fear that we might lose a relationship, a profit, a promotion, or stature?

The call is to be faithful. To stand firm. To be bold. To remain committed. It’s insightful that here Jesus fully reveals Himself to the religious authorities, through both their words and His own. He is the Christ! He is the Son of God! He is the Son of Man who will come on the clouds! Which means He is the Savior, the one who has the power to judge and the power to forgive, and He will be the one that we have to answer to at the end of the age. How can we be so sure? Because the temple of His body was destroyed, but it was raised again after three days!

Though for the day: With all that He has done, with all that He has fulfilled, with all that He is, how can we betray Him?

1 Corinthians 4:2 (WEB) “Here, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”

Matthew 25

The main points of these first two parables are fairly clear, even if some of the details are open for interpretation. The parable of the ten virgins teaches us that we need to be ready when the bridegroom (Jesus) comes. The virgins are unmarried bridesmaids. The groom would leave home, go to the bride’s house for the vows, and then there would be a procession back to the groom’s house for a marriage feast. The bridesmaids who weren’t ready ended up missing the feast. The parable of the talents teaches the same thing with a further explanation. We get ready for Jesus’ return by using our gifts and talents for Him while He is away. “Talents” here is literally money, but it serves as a metaphor for us.

One reason that I say interpretation can be challenging is the issue of God being a “hard man.” Do we really believe that of God, or do we simply understand that He has high expectations? I suppose the lazy servant might indeed say that He is a hard man! But we would do well to remember the OAR principle: O(pportunity) + A(bility) = R(esponsibility). God expects us to live and work for Him. The fact that the lazy servant has his talent taken away and the one with the most receives it doesn’t teach that God is unfair. It is instead a reflection of real life. Do we become more proficient in something by not doing it? Of course not! And the ones who use their abilities to the fullest are certainly blessed more and more. Use it or lose it!

How do we understand being locked out of the feast, or thrown out into outer darkness? The simplest way is to see the wicked servant or the foolish virgins as unsaved. That’s easier to swallow with the foolish virgins, but the servant might give us pause. After all, he’s a servant, right? But, in a sense, everyone is a servant of God. He has given us life, talents, abilities, and gifts. If we refuse to acknowledge Him and don’t use what He’s given us in service to Him, how can we expect to be welcomed and blessed?!?!?!

The parable of the sheep and the goats appears to indicate that we are saved by what we do. However, that would contradict the clear teaching of the rest of the New Testament. This passage reminds us that belief changes behavior, and the truly saved will act like it. The Holy Spirit should bring about a change in our lives for the better. The usual practice of unbelievers is uncaring and unloving behavior, but even when they do good deeds their motivation for them will be wrong. With that basic understanding, this passage teaches us that:

• Jesus is coming back.
• It will be climatic!
• It will be a time of judgement.
• Judgment is final.
• The righteous receive eternal life.
• The unrighteousness will receive eternal punishment.
• If our behavior doesn’t match our beliefs, we need to examine ourselves very carefully!

Thought for the day: Paul explains grace and works very clearly for us.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (WEB) “for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.”

Matthew 24

So, is this all still future, or has it been fulfilled? I think that it’s important to note that Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in AD 70. It was a time of immense tragedy, captured by Josephus in his writings:

“(404) But when they went in numbers into the lanes of the city, with their swords drawn, they slew those whom they overtook, without mercy, and set fire to the houses wither the Jews were fled, and burnt every soul in them, and laid waste a great many of the rest; (405) and when they were come to the houses to plunder them, they found in them entire families of dead men, and the upper rooms full of dead corpses, that is of such as died by the famine; they then stood in a horror at this sight, and went out without touching anything. (406) But although they had this commiseration for such as were destroyed in that manner, yet had they not the same for those that were still alive, but they ran every one through whom they met with, and obstructed the very lanes with their dead bodies, and made the whole city run down with blood, to such a degree indeed that the fire of many of the houses was quenched with these men’s blood.” (Wars of the Jews 6.404–406)

The destruction that happened in AD 70 is why some people believe that these prophecies have already been fulfilled. But I think that there are some things here that don’t easily fit into that understanding, and that the disciples’ questions may help us out. It’s possible that all this may be future and we’re still waiting for it. But it’s also possible that Jesus may be answering two questions here: 1) when will these things happen (the temple being destroyed), and 2) what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age. That would explain why some things fit so well with what happened then, and why some things don’t.

And that may help us understand the phrase “this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished,” as well. Those who believe that everything Jesus describes here has already happened don’t have a problem with it. The generation didn’t pass away! They saw it all happen with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. This understanding assumes that the description of the Son of Man coming on clouds is a description of judgment and that it’s not meant to be taken literally (24:29-31). However, those who believe all of this is still future think that Jesus meant the generation who will be alive when all these things begin to happen. So, it will all happen relatively quickly, especially on the cosmic timetable, and Jesus will literally and visibly return. But most of the time when “generation” is used the way Jesus uses it here it refers to those who are being addressed, i.e. the generation currently living. If that is the case, then the best way to understand it may be that Jesus is answering both when the temple will be destroyed and when the end of the age will happen (24:3). The temple and Jerusalem being destroyed and much of the turmoil being described will all happen before that current generation passes away. However, the signs of His coming and the end of the age happen later.

When it comes to passages like these the temptation is to believe that we have the right interpretation, and that anyone who believes differently is wrong and maybe even heretical! But the end times have generally been regarded as something that we can agree to disagree on. I don’t think that these are the types of things that we should be dogmatic about. The most important issue regarding the end times is whether or not we believe that Jesus is coming again!

Thought for the day: We need to live in such a way that we are ready for His return, which means we must work while we wait!

Luke 19:13 (WEB) “He called ten servants of his and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’ “

Matthew 23

Among the Sadducees we find rich landowners and powerful priests. They only followed the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) and therefore denied the idea of a bodily resurrection. The Pharisees, in contrast, claimed many scribes and scholars. They accepted the entire Old Testament, but they also believed in an oral law that was passed down from generation to generation to go along with the written law, which is one of the issues we have before us here.

In this section of Scripture Jesus pronounces judgment on the Pharisees. His use of “woe” indicates that He is greatly distressed and suggests that there will be significant consequences for their actions. He condemns their pride, warns them about false teaching and actions, condemns them for making false converts, and gives them an example of how they are twisting Scripture. His words teach us that:

• Whenever a teacher is following the Bible we should do what they say. But we have to be careful and make sure that they aren’t just teaching tradition as truth. We also need to recognize that teachers don’t always do what they say, so we shouldn’t just blindly follow someone’s actions. We need to be discerning about both belief and behavior when it comes to teachers.
• Humility is vital in the Christian life. Terms of respect can even become problematic because they can feed a person’s pride. The best way that we can show respect for a teacher is by following what they say, not calling them a title.
• The greatest “title” of all is servant.
• We all have a responsibility to share about the kingdom with others, but here Jesus focuses primarily on teachers. We can “lock” people out or “let” people in. It all depends on our teaching. Here the Pharisees are condemned because they are so far off the mark they themselves aren’t even in the kingdom.
• We can make things overly complicated when we add to the Scripture. Saying you’ll do something is what is most important. It doesn’t matter what we swear by; in fact, we shouldn’t swear at all! We should just let our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no” (Matthew 5:33-37).
• Don’t get so hung up on the little things that you neglect the big ones: justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
• Looking good on the outside when you are dirty on the inside is useless. Be clean on the inside and the outside will follow. Don’t allow greed, selfishness, hypocrisy and sin to run your life.
• Pay attention to the teachers that God has given to you now. Make sure that you are listening to the ones who hold fast to the truth that has been preached for thousands of years. Pretending to honor God’s word and his teachers from the past is just hypocritical if you refuse to listen to those who are currently teaching the same things.

Here’s an important note: the Hebrew Bible goes from Genesis to 2 Chronicles, not Genesis to Malachi. When Jesus mentions how they are guilty of the blood from Abel to Zechariah he’s authenticating/recognizing all the books of the Old Testament that we recognize today (with Zechariah being identified as the descendant of his grandfather, Berechiah).

Finally, Jesus gives us some insight into the heart of God, which aches for His people to know and follow Him (37-39). Jesus probably said this lament more than once, and He seems to have felt this frequently. “How often” shows us that there may have been numerous visits to Jerusalem that we know nothing about!

Thought for the day: Paul felt the same way about his countrymen, and we should feel the same about others that we know need Jesus.

Romans 9:1-5 (WEB) “I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises; of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.”