The Accusers

We live in a world gone wrong. Most every day the evening news delivers stories of –

• corruption
  • dishonesty
    • dishonor

The stories are always the same, some –

• political leader
  • religious leader
    • business leader

• has an affair
  • betrays a sacred trust
    • cheats thousands out of their life savings

Big news at six and eleven, but by morning they are back in the –

• political race
  • pulpit
    • penthouse office

We begin this study with an account of a woman caught in an act of adultery as recorded in the gospel of John. As the story opens a group of “righteous” men have brought a woman to Jesus and demanded that He pronounce judgment – that’s exactly what Jesus does. However, as you will quickly see, Jesus’ pronouncement is not what the men were looking for, nor was it what the accused woman expected.

Points to Ponder

Sin – Who defines what sin is? How can we discern if something is a sin?

Judgment – How are we to judge? Is there a difference between “world perspective judgment” and God’s judgment? Are we really to judge at all?

Forgiveness – What is the difference between condoning and forgiving? Why is forgiveness so important?

Holiness – Is it possible to live holy lives in an unholy world? What does holiness look like?

Something to Think About

Every day we face choices. Sometimes the choices are easy, sometimes not so easy. Whether we end up in front of a news camera or in front of our own bathroom mirror, there will come a time of reckoning, a time when we will have to live with choices we have made.

Introduction

For some time I have wrestled with the seemingly lack of discernment among fellow believers. There is an endless supply of resources, available with the click of the mouse, and yet, how can we know who to trust? This is has been a source of much prayer and through those prayers I have come to feel called to offer a bible study series on the topic of discernment.

As times grow more and more uncertain, as our world becomes more and more fluid, it is becoming more difficult, even for seasoned believers, to navigate the “gray areas” of life.

It is my hope, that through a careful study of God’s word on the subject of absolutes, we might come to a fuller understanding of what God has to say about the Christian’s moral discernment and, through our understanding, be empowered to exercise Godly discernment in any “confusing” situation.

If we are to live as truly righteous people, we must see the laws concerning things such as forgiveness, judgment, and justice as God sees them. Unfortunately, in our mass media society, the lines have become blurred to the point that even Christian’s often look at God’s laws as having shades of gray. However, as Christians we must accept the fact that God has given us moral absolutes. The commands in His kingdom are black and white.

Honestly, I am not completely certain of the direction or even the format this study will take. To some extent, I will be “making it up as we go along”. I feel confident though that in the weeks ahead, with prayerful commitment to God’s word and an open heart to the Spirit’s leading, we will come away armed with the knowledge and confidence needed to make right choices in a world gone wrong.

©2012 Sandra Bivens Smith

Thus says the LORD, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word”. Isaiah 66:1-2)

Isaiah began the final summary of his prophecy with a reminder that God is not looking for a temple of stone, since as Creator of all things, the whole universe is his dwelling place. Stephen cited this passage before the Sanhedrin to point out their error in limiting God to a temple made with hands (Acts 7:49–50). On the contrary, God is looking for a heart to dwell in, a heart that is tender and broken, not one concerned with the externalities of religion. God is looking to dwell in the heart of a person who takes his word seriously. (John MacArthur)

The temple is slighted in comparison with a gracious soul. The Jews in the prophet’s time, and afterwards in Christ’s time, gloried much in the temple and promised themselves great things from it; to humble them therefore, and to shake their vain confidence, both the prophets and Christ foretold the ruin of the temple, that God would leave it and then it would soon be desolate. After it was destroyed by the Chaldeans it soon recovered itself and the ceremonial services were revived with it; but by the Romans it was made a perpetual desolation, and the ceremonial law was abolished with it. That the world might be prepared for this, they were often told, as here, of what little account the temple was with God. (Matthew Henry)

It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24)

Before they call . . . while they are yet speaking. Relationship with the Lord will be so close that he will anticipate and provide for every need. (John MacArthur)

God will anticipate their prayers with the blessings of his goodness. David did but say, I will confess, and God forgave,Psa 32:5. The father of the prodigal met him in his return. While they are yet speaking, before they have finished their prayer, I will give them the thing they pray for, or the assurances and earnests of it. These are high expressions of God’s readiness to hear prayer; and this appears much more in the grace of the gospel than it did under the law; we owe the comfort of it to the mediation of Christ as our advocate with the Father and are obliged in gratitude to give a ready ear to God’s calls. (Matthew Henry)

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind”. (Isaiah 65:17)

The blessings of faithful Israel in the coming kingdom are described.

new heavens and a new earth. Israel’s future kingdom will include a temporal kingdom of a thousand years and an eternal kingdom in God’s new creation. The prophet uses the eternal kingdom here as a reference point for both. Isaiah’s prophecy does not make clear the relationship between the kingdom’s two aspects as does later prophecy (Rev. 20:1–21:8). This is similar to the compression of Christ’s first and second advents, so that in places they are indistinguishable. (John MacArthur)

If these promises were in part fulfilled when the Jews, after their return out of captivity, were settled in peace in their own land and brought as it were into a new world, yet they were to have their full accomplishment in the gospel church, militant first and at length triumphant. The Jerusalem that is from above is free and is the mother of us all. In the graces and comforts which believers have in and from Christ we are to look for this new heaven and new earth. It is in the gospel that old things have passed away and all things have become new, and by it that those who are in Christ are new creatures. (Matthew Henry)

Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7)

Here is one of the clearest OT invitations to salvation now and kingdom blessing later. It gives an excellent example of how people were saved during the OT period. Salvation grace and mercy were available to the soul that was willing to 1) seek the Lord and 2) call on him while he is still available. Such true seeking in faith is accompanied by repentance, which is described as forsaking ways and thoughts and turning from sinful living to the Lord. A sinner must come, believing in God, recognizing his sin and desiring forgiveness and deliverance from that sin. At the same time he must recognize his own inability to be righteous or to satisfy God and cast himself on God’s mercy. It is then that he receives a complete pardon. His sin has been covered by the substitution of the Messiah in his place. (John MacArthur)

We have here a further account of that covenant of grace which is made with us in Jesus Christ, both what is required and what is promised in the covenant, and of those considerations that are sufficient abundantly to confirm our believing compliance with and reliance on that covenant. (Matthew Henry)

“Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David. (Isaiah 55:3)

• everlasting covenant. The New Covenant that God will give to Israel.
• my steadfast, sure love for David. The Davidic Covenant promised David that his seed would be ruler over Israel in an everlasting kingdom. Paul connected the resurrection of Christ with this promise (Acts 13:34), since it was an essential event in fulfilling this promise. If he had not fully satisfied God by his atoning death, he would not have risen; if he had not risen from the dead, he could not eventually sit on David’s earthly throne.
• But he did rise and will fulfill the kingly role. The whole world will come to him as the Great King. (John MacArthur)h

If we come to God to serve him, he will covenant with us to do us good and make us happy; such are his condescension to us and concern for us. God’s covenant with us is an everlasting covenant – its contrivance from everlasting, its continuance to everlasting. The benefits of this covenant are mercies suited to our case, who, being miserable, are the proper objects of mercy. They come from God’s mercy, and are ordered every way in kindness to us. (Matthew Henry)

“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. (Isaiah 55:1 )

• everyone. The Servant’s redemptive work and glorious kingdom are for the benefit of all who are willing to come. The prophet invites his readers to participate in the benefits obtained by the suffering of the Servant in chapter 53 and described in chapter 54.
• no money . . . without money . . . without price. Benefits in the Servant’s kingdom will be free because of his redemptive work.
• wine and milk. Symbols for abundance, satisfaction, and prosperity (John MacArthur)

We are all invited to come and take the benefit of that provision which the grace of God has made for poor souls in the new covenant, of that which is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and not only their heritage hereafter, but their cup now. ( Matthew Henry)

“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors”. (Isaiah 53)

The question implied that, in spite of these and other prophecies, only a few would recognize the Servant when he appeared. This anticipation found literal fulfillment at Christ’s first advent. Israel did not welcome him at his first advent. At his first coming, the nation did not recognize the mighty, incarnate power of God in the person of Jesus, their Deliverer. Though unrecognized by the world Messiah Jesus was observed carefully by God, who ordered every minute circumstance of his life. (John MacArthur)

Merry Christmas!

Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. (Isaiah 52:13)

high . . . lifted up . . . Ultimately, when the Servant rules over his kingdom, he will receive international recognition for the effectiveness of his reign. (John MacArthur)

He shall be exalted. . . as he has been exalted by his Father, by raising him from the dead, and giving him glory; by placing him at his own right hand, and giving him all power in heaven and in earth; by committing all judgment into his hands, that all men may honour him as they do the Father: and he is “extolled” by his people, in his person and offices, by giving him the glory of their salvation, in their hearts, thoughts, and affections, with their mouths and lips; and so he is in his house and ordinances, by his ministers and churches: and is made “very high”; higher than the kings of the earth; higher than the angels of heaven; higher than the heavens themselves. (John Gill)