Hadassah (continued)

Y’shuaJesus said: “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to G-d the things that are G-d’s.” Matthew 22:21

Y’shuaJesus offers a glimpse into the dilemma I threw out for thought: whether we are bound to follow completely the Apostle’s Paul’s command to obey rulers, as they are appointed by G-d, or follow only G-d, as if no other law existed to us, i.e., we are above the Earthly laws.

Driving yesterday, I thought that IF I were not bound by Earthly laws, but only those who do not know Y’shuaJesus, then I could go as fast as I wanted, not following the posted speed limit. I have yet so see a speed limit in the Bible. But I opted to get a driver’s license, agreed to follow the highway regulations. As such, I am bound to those regulations. Those regulations are not contrary to G-d’s Law, either. This, I believe, is the balance that we must achieve in following the Law of G-d and the law of man. We do not have the right to break a human-enacted law simply because we disagree with it. We also are not bound to follow, in fact are prohibited from following, any law that contradicts G-d’s Law. For as we have seen, through out history men who, once appointed ruler or leader, have abused, disused, rejected, G-d’s Laws.

So, Mordecai’s refusal to pay homage to Haman is obedience to G-d’s Law prohibiting idolatry. And this doesn’t contradict what the Apostle Paul commanded regarding obeying leaders and rulers. At least we must consider that Paul would not contradict G-d’s Law, else he condemn himself when he condemned others bringing false teaching.

Balance. Achieved!

For Mordecai, it was fairly cut and dry. A no brainer, as they say here.

Now how do we respond to this: Many years ago, at a military academy in Wisconsin, a ninth-grade cadet stood at attention, tears running down his cheeks. The counselor before whom he stood wanted an answer for why the cadet would not bow down to the Homecoming Football as it was paraded around the school. The young man told the counselor that it was wrong to bow before anything, for it was idol worship, and against the Law of G-d. The counselor explained that it was just a game, and not real worship. So it’s okay!

If that had been you, how would you have reacted, and acted in the future?

Lord willing, we shall move into connivance next time.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Haddasah (continued)

“Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not to the king’s profit to tolerate them.” Esther 3:8

Thinking last night about Mordecai’s disobedience of the king’s edict, I reread Matthew Henry’s comment: “The religion of a Jew forbade him to give honours to any mortal man which savoured of idolatry, especially to so wicked a man as Haman.” So Mordecai’s obedience to the Lord sets him at odds with Hamman, setting the stage for reprisals toward all Jews. Now consider what Paul commands the believers in Rome: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (Romans 13:1,2)

You can see where I’m going with this, right? Here is a man who resists authority, yet rather than incurring judgement, he is rewarded, and all Jews living in the king’s realm are receive a reprieve from a death sentence. Okay, I suppose one explanation might be that Mordecai’s disobedience resulted in all of G-d’s people being under condemnation, which G-d could not have happen. So, G-d had to rescue all his people. But would G-d still allow Mordecai to receive eventual honor, despite his violation of the law of the kingdom? Perhaps Mordecai should not have disobeyed; maybe he should have honored Haman. That would have appeased Haman. What do you think? Does appeasement of evil really work? Or does it merely postpone the inevitable confrontation between good and evil, light and dark?

You’ve had Pastor Youcef on your heart, and in your prayers. Perhaps he felt he must stand up and protest the teaching of a religion to which he was not a member. He needed to be an example and a protective shepherd of a flock to which The Lord gave him charge. But according to Apostle Paul, G-d appointed the rulers of Iran, and to their authority all must defer. Is that correct?

Digest that for a minute or two.

Now let’s look at another possible scenerio. Perhaps G-d appoints rulers over those to whom He is not known. And we, as His children-by-adoption, are exempt from the authority of humans. We are subject to a greater Authority. We are directly subject to the Master and Creator of the Universe. There are no intermediaries, except Y’shuaJesus, who makes a relationship with the Father possible. Perhaps. But that does sound a bit arrogant. And, of course, we’ve never been accused of being holier-than-thou, arrogant, pompous, fools, have we? There are many opposed to the Truth, to the Lord. They persecute those whom they perceive as close to the Truth. They really are jealous of us, however. They can’t accept the Truth, so condemn it.

There are some ideas that I have that might place us somewhere between blindly following the Earthly kings of the land, and the shunning all Earthly authority saying we are following the commands of G-d. I also want to speak about something that C.S. Lewis wrote about: connivance. But we shall begin that next week.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Hadassah (continued)

“. . . Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. . .” Esther 3:5

The dissent of Mordecai is a passive, non-violent form. It is a refusal to obey edicts or laws contrary to Scripture. He did not protest openly an edict, or law. In Iran, today, a pastor is in jail for openly protesting a law. According to Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), (see article here) “Youcef Nadarkhani, a 34-year-old pastor from Rasht, about 750 miles northwest of Tehran, was arrested in October 2009 after he protested a government policy that required children, including his 8- and 9-year-old sons, to study the Quran in school.”

Recently, VOM contacts told VOM “the chief justice in Gilan province told Youcef’s lawyers last week (Jan. 16, 2012) that if Youcef repents, he will be released. Youcef told his attorneys repenting means leaving Christianity to return to Islam. He said it was impossible for him to “return” to Islam, since he was never Muslim.

“Our contacts write, “Because of your prayers and concerns, the regime is afraid to issue a negative verdict, and yet they do not want to release him…”

“Please continue to surround Youcef with your prayers. Pray that the chief justice will have a change of heart.”

Pastor Youcef objected to a law. He protested that law. That’s different from not obeying a law, right? Perhaps he could have just let things go along quietly. Perhaps. But what of Mordecai? All he did was to disobey, and that got him in trouble with Hamman. Had G-d not intervened, Mordecai and most of G-d’s people would have been executed. And G-d’s intervention included active work by Mordecai. More thoughts on that later.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Hadassah

“And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury.

“But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.” Esther 3:5-6

Matthew Henry Comments on Esther 3:4
“Mordecai refused to reverence Haman. The religion of a Jew forbade him to give honours to any mortal man which savoured of idolatry, especially to so wicked a man as Haman. By nature all are idolaters; self is our favourite idol, we are pleased to be treated as if every thing were at our disposal. Though religion by no means destroys good manners, but teaches us to render honour to whom honour is due, yet by a citizen of Zion, not only in his heart, but in his eyes, such a vile person as Haman was, is contemned, Psalms 15:4. The true believer cannot obey edicts, or conform to fashions, which break the law of God. He must obey God rather than man, and leave the consequences to him. Haman was full of wrath. His device was inspired by that wicked spirit, who has been a murderer from the beginning; whose enmity to Christ and his church, governs all his children.”

As we approach the Feast of Purim, I have Hadassah on my mind. As with all scripture, if we take the time, if we seek the leading of the Spirit of G-d, we shall gain much. As the Apostle Paul wrote:

“. . .the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

Now Hadassah and Mordecai lived during the Exile between 483BC and 471BC. They, as all Jews in exile, were unable to worship in the Temple. They began to gather together for teaching, prayer, and mutual encouragement. As we see in the Book of Esther, G-d makes a way for His people to assemble if we really want to learn about Him, praise Him, worship Him, and grow in His Ways.

Let’s think about that, and return together Wednesday.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Live the Gospel

“But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions . ..”2 Timothy 3:10, 11

Yesterday I heard a young person say it is a shame about a particular politician that had been preaching in the political arena the fidelity in marriage, and lambasting others for their infidelity, especially that politicians rivals. All the while this politician, himself, was involved in an extramarital affair. We was not walking his talk.

Here in Paul’s letter to Timothy, we hear Paul say that he was indeed living the Gospel life. The example he set is in concert with his message. Matthew Henry comments:

The more fully we know the doctrine of Christ and the apostles, the more closely we shall cleave to it; the reason why many sit loose to it is because they do not fully know it. His manner of life was of a piece with his doctrine and did not contradict it He did not pull down by his living what he build up by his preaching. Timothy fully knew Paul’s good character, which he might gather from his doctrine, manner of life and purpose; for he gave proofs of his faith (that is, of his integrity and fidelity or his faith in Christ, his faith concerning another world by which Paul lived), his long-suffering toward the churches to which he reached and presided over, his charity towards all men, and his patience. These were the graces that Paul was eminent for, and Timothy knew it. He knew that he had suffered ill for doing well.

G-d’s grace is always sufficient. Paul hand many persecutions (Acts 13:49, 14:1-6, 19), but the Lord delivered him out of them all. . . He tells Timothy, “Let it be no surprise to you if suffer hard things, it is no more than I have endured before.”

Point One: “The more fully we know the doctrine of Christ and the apostles, the more closely we shall cleave to it.” There are actually churches today advocating the Buddhist and New Age practice of meditation. No, not meditating of the Word of G-d, but clearing our minds so that we can become enlightened. Nowhere does the Bible say that’s an approved method of prayer. In fact, there are many, myself included, that believe meditation is demonic, and brings demonic influences into the meditator’s life. So we are not going to go out into a field and absorb the good vibrations of nature, thus being transformed into a holy vessel. No! What we are going to do is to study the written Word of G-d often enough that it is infused into our being. It is through study of the Word that the Spirit will find easiest access to speak with us, and that the Lord will find to change us.

Point Two: Pauls manner of life were “ proofs of his faith.” We become more like Y’shua the more we spend time with Him. We spend time with Him in prayer, in study, in our fascination of Him—adoring Him. The proof of the faith we express, is the manner of our lives. It is the manner of our lives that bring us to. . .

Point Three: “Let it be no surprise to you if suffer hard things, it is no more than I have endured before.” Y’shuaJesus, our Lord, our Saviour, suffered during his Earthly tour of humanity. Paul suffered as he lived Gospel life. And so shall we suffer. Paul mentions it to Timothy that it come as no surprise. And it would already be know by Timothy anyway. So perhaps it is written to Timothy so that we shall hear this message, that suffering for living the Good Life come as no surprise, either.

Lord, enable us in this knowing of Your Gospel that we might “cleave to it.” Grant us grace in our living and in our suffering. Be glorified in our lives. Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine.