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Tag: truth

  • Deceived

    Deceived

    L. It is her. I know it is her. She is to be God’s blessing to me. But what of this mystery (a sadder eyes)? How could it not be her; what can it mean? 

    Psalm 116

    10 I believed, even when I spoke:
    “I am greatly afflicted”;
    11 I said in my alarm,
    “All mankind are liars.”

    12 What shall I render to the Lord
    for all his benefits to me?
    13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name of the Lord,
    14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

    Genesis 28:20-22 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

    First, a riddle, then a Psalm; then, a vow of Jacob at Bethel. What does this have to do with marriage?

    See the relationship of truth to vows and covenant and worship and yes, the importance of truth in marriage: a lesson Jacob had to learn as consequence of sin and consequence of deceit. Let’s begin with his blessing by his father, prior to his marriage:

    Genesis 27:22  So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” …

    29b Be lord over your brothers,
    and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
    Cursed be everyone who curses you,
    and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

    Rebekah deceived her husband; Jacob deceived his father Isaac.

    42 But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran…

     Jacob flees to live under the protection of Laban, his mother’s brother, rather than risk his life in the lands of his father. Isaac confirms it. 

    Genesis 29

    10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.

    13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, 14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.

    This relationship ‘Surely you are my bone and my flesh’ should sound familiar (even familial): a closeness of husband and wife, a closeness of sister and brother, a closeness of relatives – different, each; but all important relationships.

    Now deceit enters once more into the picture:

    15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

    17 Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.

    18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

    A bargain for love (not arranged by the fathers). A romantic picture… then they should ‘live happily ever after;’ that is, except for sin and lies and deceit.

    Imagine this romantic picture. Jacob has worked for his soon-to-be father-in-law for seven years and not had sexual relations with Rachel, whom he loved. A wedding feast; and then…

    21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her.

    Deceit! Betrayal! As Jacob had lied and betrayed his own father’s trust to receive his blessing.

    Now what? Laban scrambles to make amends and keep the peace. He provides for both daughters and his new son-in-law, married to Leah; and, oh, by the way… if you will work for me another seven years, I will give you Rachel.

    Agreed. Now Jacob has two wives! But just like his Grandfather Abraham, he will reap the double blessings and increased difficulties of marriage even more-so. (We won’t go into that here.)

    First, God will bring Jacob back to truth, before confirming with him covenant.

    Genesis 31:  Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has gained all this wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

    Jacob flees Laban with his wives, children, herds and possessions. Laban pursues and catches up. They make a truce.

    48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, 49 and Mizpah, for he said, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight. 50 If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

    They become two families at peace, though separated by distance and a border. The wife given by the father to her husband… both wives to their one husband, Jacob; and the servant wives as well (another story) and all the grandchildren.

    Jacob has become a sojourner once more (as was his grandfather, Abraham).

    Genesis 32 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim…

     Finally, after all these years… after all these lies and consequences of lies: humility, obedience and a confession of repentance of sin before God:

    9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan…

    22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had.

    24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day…

    27 And he said to him, “What is your name?”

    Jacob had clung to Esau’s heal at birth. Jacob had bought Esau’s blessing and fought to keep it by his lie to his father; for when Isaac asked his name, Jacob had replied with a lie: “Esau.” He now wrestles with the Lord.

    But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

    And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 

    Do you believe that you can prevail against God, unless it is God’s will?

    We must be humble to become god-like. We must confess truth to reap truth. We must honor our word.

    Israel: God prevails.

    God IS part of a godly marriage and a covenant of promise.

    Relationship requires truth. God knows truth.

    • Is your relationship with God honest?
    • Is your relationship with the husband (wife) of your vows honest?
    • Is your relationship with Christ Jesus honest?

    Is our witness of Christian marriage truthful when Christ asks:

    What is your name? 

     

    Next: A confession

  • Covenant and Truth – 5

    Covenant and Truth – 5

    I prefer the company of a confessed sinner to that of an unconfessed christian hypocrite.

    No witness is more damaging to the church than the loud christian proclamation of a hypocrite. The world hates true followers of Christ and the church, but unbelievers use these self-appointed self-righteous spokesmen for the faith as excuse to continue their attacks against Christ.

    Consider that since God has humbled Himself to come to us as a Son of Man in Christ Jesus, man must worship God in all humility. A hypocrite lifts him self or her self up for the witness of others, rather than bowing down to God and bowing down to the will of Christ Jesus as their Lord.

    The word ‘Lord‘ is used 7,836 times in the KJV of the Bible. It must be key to our humility to bow down and submit to someone else: God our Father, Jesus Christ, Pastor of our church, a wife to her husband, a worker to his boss. A hypocrite fails in these, pridefully claiming to follow while following none but their own passions and ways.

    In fact, Jesus hated the damage hypocrites do to the honor and reputation of God. Jesus spoke the truth of judgment against the hypocrites. To the crowds and multitudes who followed Him to hear His preaching, but did not show the fruit of repentance Jesus exhorted:

    “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? – Luke 6:46

    It is Master to slave or servant relationship.

    Followers of Jesus are slaves committed to do what Christ commands.

    Do you realize that Jesus said: ” whoever would be first among you must be slave of all,” beloved Christian servant (doulos)?

    A hypocrite does not live to serve, but seeks to be served, even by God!

    This was the position of those Jesus called hypocrites. He challenged their authority and motives; not by His own authority, but by the uncovering of the nakedness of the many sins of their constant hypocrisy.

    Matthew 23

    New King James Version (NKJV)

    Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

    The distinguishing mark of a hypocrite: “…for they say, and do not do.”

    In fact, the hypocrite will say it for you, but will not do what they tell you.

    13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

    For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

    14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

    For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

    15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

    For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

    16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

    18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’

    19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

     

    Jesus is asking about the truth of purpose of the sacrifice to God. The altar is nothing, says the Lord; but the sacrifice to God is everything. And note Jesus’ instruction that we MUST PERFORM it. We must bear the fruit of our sacrifice in humility before God.

    Just because we swear by the place of God (or call ourself ‘christian’) does not mean that God will accept our sacrifice.  (Remember the sacrifice of Cain?)

    20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

    23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

    For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

    25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

    For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

    27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

    For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

    29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

    Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

    31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers!

    How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 

    So you claim to be a christian, but will not do?

    Then you will not obey Jesus Christ, as your Lord.

    Are YOU a christian Pharisee?  It is not a new problem for the church.

     Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people… 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”

     Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

    Paul writes to Timothy warnings to be aware of those who will come into the church with false messages – a gospel of hypocrisy.

    Look around you at 21st century ‘christians’ and see truth in these cautions:

    Godlessness in the Last Days

    But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

    5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

    raised handsDoes your ‘witness’ to the world ‘have the appearance of godliness?’

    Do you  ‘praise the lord’ in the holy place and kneel down only in church, while you bow only your head and fail to bow down your heart to the Lord?

    Hypocrite!

    And what are the instructions to the church for those who come among us CLAIMING worship, but false christians refusing to do what Jesus commands as our Lord? Paul’s letter to Timothy and the church continues:

    Avoid such people.

    6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

    8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

    Later in his letter to Timothy Paul warns of another hypocrite who has turned from the true following of Christ:

    Preach the Word

    I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 

    The faith of a humble servant of Christ Jesus is an active faith.

    3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry…

    14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!

    Are you aware of the hypocrites who claim to be christians who are part of Christ’s church? Are you, perhaps in some way, one of them?

    Examine your own heart (for Jesus cautions that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees).  Reprove, rebuke, and exhort your brother in Christ (or your sister in Christ, beloved sister in the Lord), with complete patience and teaching.

    Let us make certain: in our marriages, in our families, in our workplaces and in the marketplaces of the city that we are not among those who witness against our Lord.

    Matthew 7

    15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits…

    21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

     

    Truth! Required by the Lord of His servants, His church.  Beware, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, of hypocrites among us.

    A hypocrite fails to yield the fruit of truth.

     

    Next: A light of truth on the covenant of Christian marriage.

     

  • Covenant and Truth – 4

    Covenant and Truth – 4

    And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. – 2 Peter 2:2

    1 John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 

    8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

    [Links open separate windows to different Hebrew & Greek roots or scripture.]

    Amos 5:8  They hate him who reproves in the gate,
    and they abhor him who speaks the truth.

    Malachi 2:6 True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.

    The Prophets speak of truth, the Apostles speak of truth, God speaks of truth time and time again. Truth must be important.

    No Gospel mentions truth more than the Gospel of John. (You would do well to consider the Truth of every verse of this Good News.)

    John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)

    The Gospel is a testimony of Truth in the Court of God with witness before all mankind.

    17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

    John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

    John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

    God values Truth so much that He sent His only Son to the Cross as witness of His love for us.

    Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

    Let those of us with ears to hear, hear the words of Jesus about our spoken words and our promises (not even addressing the more serious violations of breaking the covenants of our written words).

    Matthew 5

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Oaths

    33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’

    34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

    36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

    37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

     Do we realize the context of this teaching from Jesus?

    It is from the Sermon on the Mount: after the Beatitudes (or blessings), after His call to us to become salt and light to the world, after His warning that He has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, after His warning against anger and call to reconciliation, after his warning again lust; and after His prohibition of divorce.

    bride signs certificate

    Christians and Christian marriages are being watched. We are witness to Christ Jesus and the permanence of His relationship with His faithful Bride the church – a topic which we will pursue after our next focus on hypocrisy.

    To be continued…