One of the many things I find intriguing about the Bible is the subtle way the writers tell the readers about someone or something without actually stating the point. Lets take a look at Peter the apostle who is also a fisherman. Peter is probably the most outspoken apostle of all the apostles chosen by Jesus. We know him to have many opinions and see him as a leader because his name is constantly mentioned in the gospels. However, we do not know what Peter looked like; or do we? John 21:1-11 tells the story of Jesus appearing to several of the disciples after His resurrection. The disciples are fishing and Jesus asks them if they have any fish. They reply no. He then suggests they cast their net on the one side of the boat. They did and caught many large fish.
At first read one would not see my point about the description of Peter. Since Peter’s physical description is not provided in any of the verses unless, of course, you look deeper into the verses and find the clues. The one clue I believe emphasizes Peters size is found in John 21:11. Peter goes into the water and drags the net full of fish all by himself right up to shore. I’m going to paraphrase the story in my own words. You can read it for yourself in John 21:3-11.
Peter says to his chums, “Hey guys, I’m going fishing. Anybody game?” His chums say, “You betcha, we’re game.” They all go out to the Sea of Tiberias, or Sea of Galilee as the locals call it, and fish all night yet catch nothing. They are tired and more than a bit irritated. These guys are professional fisherman and when they go out to fish they expect to bring home the bacon. But, like I said, they have been at this all night and, nada.
By now dawn is beginning to break and there is a man standing at the shore. The man says to them, “Children, did you catch any fish?” The disciples look at each other and think, “What is this guy, a comedian? Why would we have stayed out all night if we had caught fish? What a screwball.” But being honorable men they answer, “No.” Then the guy says to them, “Cast your net on the right hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.”
There are seven men in the boat and they are all facing in different directions depending on how they are casting their nets. So four look over one side of the boat and three look over the other side. One of them says to the group that he will cast a net on his side while those on the other side say if you do you will make the guy mad because he wants us to throw the net on this side. “What are you talking about,” he complains, “ he said the right side of the boat and that is this side here.” Now a near scuffle results as they began arguing incessantly about which side of the boat is the right side.
One of them, tired of the whole situation, throws a net over on his side of the boat. He then feels the net fill with fish and calls his friends to help pull it over to the boat. All the men join in and pull the net close to the boat and tie up the net so the fish can’t escape. John, who only knows of one man who can do something like this, looks over to the shore and sees that it is Jesus. He says to Peter that it is the Lord. Peter looks over and sees it is his old friend and wants to get over to Him as fast as possible. So he jumps in the water and swims to shore.
The other disciples begin rowing the boat to shore, as they are about one hundred yards away. As the boat nears the shore the net, laden with fish, begins to start dragging on the bottom of the sea and acts as an anchor. Then the obvious takes places. Some in the boat start complaining that the others aren’t rowing hard enough and that’s why the boat is not moving. The others say they are rowing hard and the fish net is dragging one the bottom of the sea and that’s why the boat is not moving
They are still about 50 feet from shore and the water is knee deep. The time is early spring and the water is cold, so none of the guys in the boat want to get wet. After all they heard Peter scream when he jumped in so they know its cold. One of the disciples says to the others, “Let’s unhook the net from the boat and row to shore.” The others agree and they untie the net and let it loose from the boat and then row to shore.
When they arrive at the waters edge they all step from the boat to the beach without so much as getting their tootsies wet. They see Jesus standing there with Peter who is nearly shivering because he is soaking wet and the air is cool because it is early in the morning. There is a fire and fish are cooking on it.
Jesus say’s to the group, “Why don’t you bring in the fish?” The disciples look at each other and then look down. They have no intention of getting as wet as Peter. Then Peter, who has nothing to lose, walks out into the water and grabs the net by himself and drags it to shore, a feat six other men could not do.
This should tell you a little about just how powerful the man was. The fact is he dove into the cold sea when the other disciples would not even get their feet wet even though they all knew it was Jesus who was on shore. That alone speaks volumes about his commitment to the Lord. Then he goes back into the water to retrieves the net the other disciples refused to bring to shore also speaks volumes. Peter is a large and powerful man with a large and powerful heart.
Funny that none of the writers of the New Testament mention that, or did they?
Friday, November 23, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Politics: Where Does the Christian Stand?
Over the past 30 or so years there has been a dramatic increase in Christian leaders taking a political stand. Certainly, the Moral Majority with its outspoken leader the late Reverend Jerry Falwell played a key role in energizing Christian voters of the 1980’s. Even as I write this blog Pat Roberson, founder of The 700 Club and The Christian Broadcasting Network, has endorsed Rudi Giuliani for President. Considering that Mayor Giuliani’s record on social issues is far to the left of the average Christian, Rev. Robertson’s endorsement is almost jaw dropping. Rev. Falwell is not resting in peace.
I want to spend some time reviewing the reasons pro and con about Christians and politics. Christians began taking a stand in U. S. politics in the 1960’s and 70’s after the U. S. Supreme Court began settling cases that directly affected the status of Christianity in America. The political landscape of this nation has always had a high level of Christian influence. Indeed, many of our founding fathers and quite of few of our presidents were outspoken Christians. From the beginning of our nation’s constitution until the middle of the twentieth century most American Christians did not feel the need to protest against pending legislation or, comment on the direction of the nation as a whole. That’s because the nation was generally going in the direction Christians felt comfortable with.
However, that all changed when the Supreme Court held that prayer could not be said in public school. Not long after that the infamous Roe v. Wade landmark case allowing legal termination of a woman’s pregnancy galvanized most Christians and inspired many to make changes at the polls. From the early 1960’s until now Christians have seen an erosion of Christian influence on our society steadily decline and an increase in moral decay.
So the question for many Christians is what is my political responsibility in the shaping of this society? Christian writers and leaders are divided on this issue. One the one side there are those who feel Christians should not be involved with politics. That is to say Christians should not be so outspoken about political issues that concern us. We should vote, of course, but we need to maintain a low profile when it comes to controversial issues. Christianity is a faith-based commitment of an individual the Lord Jesus. Our allegiance is to Him. Because it is faith based, that is to say not a scientific fact, we cannot impose our ideals of a secular society. They go on to say that when Christians become involved in the shaping of our political landscape we present Christianity in an unfavorable light. Christianity is no longer seen as a religion of humility, but rather a religion of political power.
Those on the other side say “Horse feathers” to that type of thinking. They believe that the lack of Christian influence is what brought us to the point of moral decay our nation now experiences. Had Christians been involved with the shaping of our country in the 1950’s we would never have had a Supreme Court led by Earl Warren. Chief Justice Warren led the most liberal court in the history of our nation. Most Christians of the time were voting for Democratic presidents who were appointing left wing justices without realizing the damage they were doing. Christians were completely ignorant as to the power a president had in the future shaping of this nation. The Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition helped educate Christian voters in understanding what the candidate’s positions were on issues that matter to Christians.
Whenever I need to understand what direction I should take when holding a position I generally turn to the bible. Unfortunately, I won’t receive any help on this issue as the New Testament was written while Palestine was under Roman occupation. None of the non-Roman residence had any rights whatsoever and certainly had no right to vote. The issue that concerned most Jews living in Jerusalem was how to get rid of the Roman occupiers and be free to live without the excessive tax burden the Romans had imposed. This thinking led to the revolt that Josephus wrote about in his book The Jewish Wars. The Jewish revolution took place in 70 AD, on or about, and led to the sacking of Jerusalem.
Thirty years earlier when Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem His message was one of forgiveness. A difficult sermon to get an audience to shout Amen to when they are oppressed daily by Roman soldiers who saw them as second-class citizens. Jesus had no political ambitions either for Himself or His country. His message was clear: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… That sounds like a simple enough message to listen to, however, not so simple to live by especially if your nation is occupied by foreign soldiers.
Christians in this country live in a very different political environment. We have the right, as citizens of this country to voice what direction the nation should move. So we are faced with a dilemma. Should we voice our opinion at the polls, as is our constitutional right and help shape the direction of this land for our children; or should we remain silent and seek God and His righteousness and let the proverbial chips fall where they will?
Good question, I wish I had a good answer.
I want to spend some time reviewing the reasons pro and con about Christians and politics. Christians began taking a stand in U. S. politics in the 1960’s and 70’s after the U. S. Supreme Court began settling cases that directly affected the status of Christianity in America. The political landscape of this nation has always had a high level of Christian influence. Indeed, many of our founding fathers and quite of few of our presidents were outspoken Christians. From the beginning of our nation’s constitution until the middle of the twentieth century most American Christians did not feel the need to protest against pending legislation or, comment on the direction of the nation as a whole. That’s because the nation was generally going in the direction Christians felt comfortable with.
However, that all changed when the Supreme Court held that prayer could not be said in public school. Not long after that the infamous Roe v. Wade landmark case allowing legal termination of a woman’s pregnancy galvanized most Christians and inspired many to make changes at the polls. From the early 1960’s until now Christians have seen an erosion of Christian influence on our society steadily decline and an increase in moral decay.
So the question for many Christians is what is my political responsibility in the shaping of this society? Christian writers and leaders are divided on this issue. One the one side there are those who feel Christians should not be involved with politics. That is to say Christians should not be so outspoken about political issues that concern us. We should vote, of course, but we need to maintain a low profile when it comes to controversial issues. Christianity is a faith-based commitment of an individual the Lord Jesus. Our allegiance is to Him. Because it is faith based, that is to say not a scientific fact, we cannot impose our ideals of a secular society. They go on to say that when Christians become involved in the shaping of our political landscape we present Christianity in an unfavorable light. Christianity is no longer seen as a religion of humility, but rather a religion of political power.
Those on the other side say “Horse feathers” to that type of thinking. They believe that the lack of Christian influence is what brought us to the point of moral decay our nation now experiences. Had Christians been involved with the shaping of our country in the 1950’s we would never have had a Supreme Court led by Earl Warren. Chief Justice Warren led the most liberal court in the history of our nation. Most Christians of the time were voting for Democratic presidents who were appointing left wing justices without realizing the damage they were doing. Christians were completely ignorant as to the power a president had in the future shaping of this nation. The Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition helped educate Christian voters in understanding what the candidate’s positions were on issues that matter to Christians.
Whenever I need to understand what direction I should take when holding a position I generally turn to the bible. Unfortunately, I won’t receive any help on this issue as the New Testament was written while Palestine was under Roman occupation. None of the non-Roman residence had any rights whatsoever and certainly had no right to vote. The issue that concerned most Jews living in Jerusalem was how to get rid of the Roman occupiers and be free to live without the excessive tax burden the Romans had imposed. This thinking led to the revolt that Josephus wrote about in his book The Jewish Wars. The Jewish revolution took place in 70 AD, on or about, and led to the sacking of Jerusalem.
Thirty years earlier when Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem His message was one of forgiveness. A difficult sermon to get an audience to shout Amen to when they are oppressed daily by Roman soldiers who saw them as second-class citizens. Jesus had no political ambitions either for Himself or His country. His message was clear: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… That sounds like a simple enough message to listen to, however, not so simple to live by especially if your nation is occupied by foreign soldiers.
Christians in this country live in a very different political environment. We have the right, as citizens of this country to voice what direction the nation should move. So we are faced with a dilemma. Should we voice our opinion at the polls, as is our constitutional right and help shape the direction of this land for our children; or should we remain silent and seek God and His righteousness and let the proverbial chips fall where they will?
Good question, I wish I had a good answer.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Thomas the Doubter
Thomas is one of the more fascinating figures in the New Testament. He is given the dubious title “Doubting Thomas” and has been maligned through church history because of his disbelief that the Lord rose from the dead (John 20:24,25). However, I think we need to take a closer look at the apostle and determine if the title “Doubting Thomas” is appropriate.
Thomas is a chosen apostle of Jesus and was commissioned on several occasions to go to cities and preach the Lord’s coming (Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1). Thomas, like all the other disciples, was given power over demons (Luke 10:17). His name is only mentioned a couple of times in the gospels. Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18 and Luke 6:15 all mention the Lord selecting Thomas along with all the other apostles.
From the time of his selection Thomas is only mentioned in John 11:16 when Jesus is going to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead, and again at the last supper (John 14:15). So the majority of what we know about Thomas comes from John’s interpretation of events after the Lord’s resurrection (John 20:24-29). John spells out the details of Thomas’ doubt in verse 25 when Thomas is quoted as saying to the other apostles, ”Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side I will not believe.” Wow, that pretty much defines disbelief.
To be fair to Thomas I should point out that the Lord rebuked the other ten apostles for their refusal to believe the women who told them of the empty tomb and seeing the Lord (Mark 16:11,14 Luke 24:11). If the other ten apostles also doubted the Lord’s resurrection (Luke 24:41) then why is Thomas looked at with such distain? Namely because he refused to believe the Lord rose from the dead even after the other apostles told him they had seen Him.
In Jesus’ day women were looked down upon so it was one thing to not believe them. However, Thomas took it a step further and doubted ten men who were like brothers to him. These were the men he had lived with on the road for three years. They slept out in open fields or in barns and watched the Lord heal people and even raise the dead. Yes, Thomas saw the Lord raise people from the dead.
So to me the story of Thomas’ refusal to believe would look something like this:
Thomas walks in on a gathering of apostles along with some of the women who knew Jesus and saw the empty tomb. Every member of this group has seen the resurrected Jesus. Several of the men say excitedly to Thomas, “We (the men) have seen the Lord, He is alive.” Thomas is now thinking to himself, “Not this again, first the women now my friends also. What is wrong with these nuts anyway? Can’t you just let Him rest in peace?”
But they continue to press him and he shows little interest in their testimony. Finally he tells them that they are all under a lot of stress and need to take the night off and go see a ball game. The apostles are undeterred and press him further. “Why don’t you believe us?” they demand. “Because I didn’t believe the women when they came back from the grave so why should I believe you?” Thomas responds. “Because women are emotional, so it’s easy to doubt them,” Peter blurts out. “Yea and we are not,” came John’s accommodating response. The women in the room are clearly uplifted by the support the men have just offered.
Thomas remains adamant, and is now becoming increasingly agitated. Finally he blurts out in disgust, “Unless I see with my own eyes that it is Jesus and feel His flesh and can personally vouch for the type of death He suffered by placing my hand in his side I simply will not believe.
The apostles take a step back. Some of the more astute are beginning to wonder if anyone will believe them. Thomas is a friend and he does not believe what they are saying about the Lord’s appearing, what will everyone else think?
Thomas’ disbelief is no different than Paul’s disbelief and the Lord’s brother’s disbelief (John 7:5). What is interesting is that the Lord had to personally appear to all three before they believed (1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Acts 1:14). And that raises a more troubling question. Why should Thomas, Paul and the Lord’s brothers receive eternal life if Jesus had to appear to them before they believed? Wouldn’t that be true of any non-believer today? Aren’t all non-believers today the same as Thomas? They would believe also if Jesus appears to them.
To be fair, Jesus had to appear to someone. He couldn’t just call out from heaven saying, “I’m here.” In order for Jesus to prove He had power over death He had to rise from the dead. Additionally, in order for anyone to believe Jesus had power over death Jesus had to appear to him or her. So, from that we must conclude that Jesus had to appear to someone after He rose from the dead.
Still in all, at one point Jesus would return to heaven and leave the job of evangelism to those He had trained for three years. Then it was incumbent upon the trainees to persuade the non-believers to accept the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. A feat more easily accomplished after they had seen the Lord in the flesh shortly after they saw Him executed (Luke 24:36-43).
Therefore, the apostle’s experience witnessing Thomas disbelief would have greatly impacted them. They would have seen in Thomas the true nature of unbelief. Additionally, the apostles were aware of something else about Thomas. He walked with Jesus for three years and knew that Jesus was no ordinary man. If Thomas did not believe them when they spoke about the resurrection of Jesus, why would anyone else?
Thomas is a chosen apostle of Jesus and was commissioned on several occasions to go to cities and preach the Lord’s coming (Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1). Thomas, like all the other disciples, was given power over demons (Luke 10:17). His name is only mentioned a couple of times in the gospels. Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18 and Luke 6:15 all mention the Lord selecting Thomas along with all the other apostles.
From the time of his selection Thomas is only mentioned in John 11:16 when Jesus is going to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead, and again at the last supper (John 14:15). So the majority of what we know about Thomas comes from John’s interpretation of events after the Lord’s resurrection (John 20:24-29). John spells out the details of Thomas’ doubt in verse 25 when Thomas is quoted as saying to the other apostles, ”Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side I will not believe.” Wow, that pretty much defines disbelief.
To be fair to Thomas I should point out that the Lord rebuked the other ten apostles for their refusal to believe the women who told them of the empty tomb and seeing the Lord (Mark 16:11,14 Luke 24:11). If the other ten apostles also doubted the Lord’s resurrection (Luke 24:41) then why is Thomas looked at with such distain? Namely because he refused to believe the Lord rose from the dead even after the other apostles told him they had seen Him.
In Jesus’ day women were looked down upon so it was one thing to not believe them. However, Thomas took it a step further and doubted ten men who were like brothers to him. These were the men he had lived with on the road for three years. They slept out in open fields or in barns and watched the Lord heal people and even raise the dead. Yes, Thomas saw the Lord raise people from the dead.
So to me the story of Thomas’ refusal to believe would look something like this:
Thomas walks in on a gathering of apostles along with some of the women who knew Jesus and saw the empty tomb. Every member of this group has seen the resurrected Jesus. Several of the men say excitedly to Thomas, “We (the men) have seen the Lord, He is alive.” Thomas is now thinking to himself, “Not this again, first the women now my friends also. What is wrong with these nuts anyway? Can’t you just let Him rest in peace?”
But they continue to press him and he shows little interest in their testimony. Finally he tells them that they are all under a lot of stress and need to take the night off and go see a ball game. The apostles are undeterred and press him further. “Why don’t you believe us?” they demand. “Because I didn’t believe the women when they came back from the grave so why should I believe you?” Thomas responds. “Because women are emotional, so it’s easy to doubt them,” Peter blurts out. “Yea and we are not,” came John’s accommodating response. The women in the room are clearly uplifted by the support the men have just offered.
Thomas remains adamant, and is now becoming increasingly agitated. Finally he blurts out in disgust, “Unless I see with my own eyes that it is Jesus and feel His flesh and can personally vouch for the type of death He suffered by placing my hand in his side I simply will not believe.
The apostles take a step back. Some of the more astute are beginning to wonder if anyone will believe them. Thomas is a friend and he does not believe what they are saying about the Lord’s appearing, what will everyone else think?
Thomas’ disbelief is no different than Paul’s disbelief and the Lord’s brother’s disbelief (John 7:5). What is interesting is that the Lord had to personally appear to all three before they believed (1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Acts 1:14). And that raises a more troubling question. Why should Thomas, Paul and the Lord’s brothers receive eternal life if Jesus had to appear to them before they believed? Wouldn’t that be true of any non-believer today? Aren’t all non-believers today the same as Thomas? They would believe also if Jesus appears to them.
To be fair, Jesus had to appear to someone. He couldn’t just call out from heaven saying, “I’m here.” In order for Jesus to prove He had power over death He had to rise from the dead. Additionally, in order for anyone to believe Jesus had power over death Jesus had to appear to him or her. So, from that we must conclude that Jesus had to appear to someone after He rose from the dead.
Still in all, at one point Jesus would return to heaven and leave the job of evangelism to those He had trained for three years. Then it was incumbent upon the trainees to persuade the non-believers to accept the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. A feat more easily accomplished after they had seen the Lord in the flesh shortly after they saw Him executed (Luke 24:36-43).
Therefore, the apostle’s experience witnessing Thomas disbelief would have greatly impacted them. They would have seen in Thomas the true nature of unbelief. Additionally, the apostles were aware of something else about Thomas. He walked with Jesus for three years and knew that Jesus was no ordinary man. If Thomas did not believe them when they spoke about the resurrection of Jesus, why would anyone else?
Friday, November 2, 2007
The Man Born Blind
John chapter 9 is the story about a man who was blind from birth, healed by Jesus, and redeemed. As the story begins Jesus and His disciples pass by this man and take notice of him. The disciples ask Jesus about the man's blindness and question Him as to whether it was the result of his own sin, or the sin of his parents. Obviously, this was one of the more intriguing theological questions of the day. Apparently when someone was sick or lame, it was assumed by the masses that sin in their lives caused that infirmity to occur. In other words God got back at them for sinning. The disciples were merely stating a belief preached to them by their religious leaders (John 9:34). It is apparent just how much contempt people had for those who were lame because the disciples asked the question right in front of the man who was blind.
The blind man was probably begging for alms near a temple of worship when the disciples walked up to him. Most beggars of the time went over to the synagogues to attract the attention of worshipers. Worshipers obviously want to get on God’s good side and what better way to get God’s attention than to offer help to a needy person? Therefore, beggars sat outside the temple and petitioned alms from anyone who passed. It’s like saying to the worshipers, “God is watching so you better be kind if you want to get your prayers answered.”
I believe the blind man was in his 30’s and many times before religious leaders of the day debated the issue of his sin right in front of him. They made it clear that the man’s blindness was the result of sin so everyone who passed by him believed he must have sinned in order for this to happen. The blind man obviously believed this to be true also even if he did not know what sin it was that did him in.
This type of thinking breed’s a form of arrogance. As long as we see other people sick when we are well, and believe that their sickness is the result of sin, then we will see ourselves as “Holier then thou.” Job experienced this first hand as his three friends were intent on bringing Job to the point of admitting that he had done something wrong in the eyes of God. Job’s friends were not so concerned about Job’s welfare as much as they were concerned about their own. You see if they could not find sin in Job’s life that warranted this experience then what happened to Job could happen to them also. In the end God appears to Job and chastises his friends about their misunderstanding God’s true reasoning in allowing Job’s suffering to occur.
Jesus’ answer to the disciples question about the blind man follows the same answer God gave to Job. He says it was not his sin, or the sin of his parents, but that the works of God would be revealed. The works of God, what does that mean? All the commentators point to the fact that the man was healed and say that is the part where God’s work is manifested. Nevertheless, the word is “works” not work. The word “Works” in Greek indicates (employment, task) and refers to a process of work not necessarily a single act.
If healing the blind man gives God glory than why didn’t Jesus heal all the lame people He came in contact with? If healing the blind man displayed God’s compassion then the raising of Lazarus would have demonstrated God’s compassion as well, right? If that is true then why didn’t Jesus raise everyone in the graveyard where Lazarus’ body lay? Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43). Then Lazarus came forth. If Jesus had said, “Come forth,” all the dead would have come forth and God’s compassion would have been demonstrated all the more. The works that Jesus is referring to will be the culmination of the man’s life not an event on one day.
You see God’ s glory was not just in the man’s healing, but in the man’s life, blind or sight filled. Every time the blind man called on God for help he glorified God, and in effect, humiliated Satan. Satan probably approached the Lord to ask for permission to blind the man from birth. Satan probably said to God that the man would curse God and turn away from Him. There is no evidence the blind man ever cursed God, in fact the opposite appears to be true. Far more importantly however, is the fact of the blind man’s trust.
Jesus instructed the blind man to wash off the clay that Jesus put in his eyes (John 9:6,7). This blind man did not ask to be healed and had pretty much accepted his fate. He was sent to wash his eyes as a testimony of faith in the Lord’s work. The mere fact that the blind man was willing to go over to a pool and wash is an act of faith on his part. The man could have been bitter about his blindness and remained a beggar. Instead he follows the instructions of someone he did not know and believed in His words. Only a man of trust could do that.
Now we are beginning to see the works of God that Jesus was speaking about. This blind man trusted Jesus enough to go and wash his eyes so that he would be healed, yet the religious leaders rejected Jesus’ works and teachings (John 9:29). The blind man accepted his excommunication from the synagogue with little regret and became a follower of Jesus. The works of God that Jesus spoke about are clear from the change of the man. First, the blind man went from being blind and having little trust to following Jesus’ instructions and finally by worshiping Jesus (John 9:38).
The miracle that was performed in this man’s life extends far beyond receiving his sight. The works of God were manifested in the man receiving eternal life and becoming a disciple of Jesus.
The blind man was probably begging for alms near a temple of worship when the disciples walked up to him. Most beggars of the time went over to the synagogues to attract the attention of worshipers. Worshipers obviously want to get on God’s good side and what better way to get God’s attention than to offer help to a needy person? Therefore, beggars sat outside the temple and petitioned alms from anyone who passed. It’s like saying to the worshipers, “God is watching so you better be kind if you want to get your prayers answered.”
I believe the blind man was in his 30’s and many times before religious leaders of the day debated the issue of his sin right in front of him. They made it clear that the man’s blindness was the result of sin so everyone who passed by him believed he must have sinned in order for this to happen. The blind man obviously believed this to be true also even if he did not know what sin it was that did him in.
This type of thinking breed’s a form of arrogance. As long as we see other people sick when we are well, and believe that their sickness is the result of sin, then we will see ourselves as “Holier then thou.” Job experienced this first hand as his three friends were intent on bringing Job to the point of admitting that he had done something wrong in the eyes of God. Job’s friends were not so concerned about Job’s welfare as much as they were concerned about their own. You see if they could not find sin in Job’s life that warranted this experience then what happened to Job could happen to them also. In the end God appears to Job and chastises his friends about their misunderstanding God’s true reasoning in allowing Job’s suffering to occur.
Jesus’ answer to the disciples question about the blind man follows the same answer God gave to Job. He says it was not his sin, or the sin of his parents, but that the works of God would be revealed. The works of God, what does that mean? All the commentators point to the fact that the man was healed and say that is the part where God’s work is manifested. Nevertheless, the word is “works” not work. The word “Works” in Greek indicates (employment, task) and refers to a process of work not necessarily a single act.
If healing the blind man gives God glory than why didn’t Jesus heal all the lame people He came in contact with? If healing the blind man displayed God’s compassion then the raising of Lazarus would have demonstrated God’s compassion as well, right? If that is true then why didn’t Jesus raise everyone in the graveyard where Lazarus’ body lay? Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43). Then Lazarus came forth. If Jesus had said, “Come forth,” all the dead would have come forth and God’s compassion would have been demonstrated all the more. The works that Jesus is referring to will be the culmination of the man’s life not an event on one day.
You see God’ s glory was not just in the man’s healing, but in the man’s life, blind or sight filled. Every time the blind man called on God for help he glorified God, and in effect, humiliated Satan. Satan probably approached the Lord to ask for permission to blind the man from birth. Satan probably said to God that the man would curse God and turn away from Him. There is no evidence the blind man ever cursed God, in fact the opposite appears to be true. Far more importantly however, is the fact of the blind man’s trust.
Jesus instructed the blind man to wash off the clay that Jesus put in his eyes (John 9:6,7). This blind man did not ask to be healed and had pretty much accepted his fate. He was sent to wash his eyes as a testimony of faith in the Lord’s work. The mere fact that the blind man was willing to go over to a pool and wash is an act of faith on his part. The man could have been bitter about his blindness and remained a beggar. Instead he follows the instructions of someone he did not know and believed in His words. Only a man of trust could do that.
Now we are beginning to see the works of God that Jesus was speaking about. This blind man trusted Jesus enough to go and wash his eyes so that he would be healed, yet the religious leaders rejected Jesus’ works and teachings (John 9:29). The blind man accepted his excommunication from the synagogue with little regret and became a follower of Jesus. The works of God that Jesus spoke about are clear from the change of the man. First, the blind man went from being blind and having little trust to following Jesus’ instructions and finally by worshiping Jesus (John 9:38).
The miracle that was performed in this man’s life extends far beyond receiving his sight. The works of God were manifested in the man receiving eternal life and becoming a disciple of Jesus.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Jesus in the Desert
The temptation of Jesus is found in Luke 4:1-13 as well as Matthew 4:1-11 and a shorter version in Mark 1:12,13. All three authors specifically state that the Holy Spirit led Jesus to the desert for the purpose of the temptation and the period lasted forty days. Luke specifically states that Jesus was tempted by the devil for the entire forty-day ordeal. However the only reference to what was actually said between Jesus and Satan takes place at the end of the forty days.
Forty days is a significant number for at least three reasons. The rainfall that caused the flood that only Noah’s family survived lasted forty days (Genesis 7:17). Moses was on Mount Sinai for forty days receiving instructions on how the Israelites were to conduct themselves (Exodus 24:18). Jonah told the people of Nineveh that they would be destroyed in forty days (Jonah 3:4). Jesus obviously selected a forty-day fast because of the importance of that number.
What Satan said to Jesus at the end of forty days is fascinating in the human sense. Luke states the Satan tries to persuade Jesus to turn stones into bread as the first temptation. Upon failing, he then shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and offers them to Jesus if He will pay homage to Satan. Strike two. Finally, Satan takes Jesus to the highest point of the temple and tries to get Him to jump off claiming that Jesus would not be hurt because he is the Son of God. Strike three. Then Satan leaves. Finally, now Jesus has some peace and quiet.
Lets take a look at what Satan offered Jesus and the cost of each reward. First Satan tries to persuade Jesus to turn stones to bread, a simple enough task for someone who will soon turn water into wine. The stones could have been turned into bread as any time during the forty-day fast, yet Satan waits until the last day to temp Jesus. Apparently, a fast was not considered over until sunset and Satan was trying to get Jesus to break His fast before the proper time and at the time when Jesus would have been weakest. Satan is a trickster, no doubt about that. He probably said to Jesus, “What’s the big deal, you have been at this for forty days why not end the fast now a few hours before sunset? God won’t mind.” Nevertheless, Jesus holds his ground. He can wait until after sunset.
Second, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. That means the Roman Empire, the Mongol Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and all the other empires that existed from that time until now including America. Jesus would have had the power to control certain events just as Satan does now. No doubt Satan had considerable influence in Germany during the Hitler years. Hitler’s commitment to remove all Jews from Europe must have come from Satan. Who else would have any reason to wipe out the entire Jewish population in Europe?
Third, Satan takes Jesus to jump from a high point on the temple. This seems to be a test of Jesus’ own faith. Would Jesus be willing to take a dive to prove to Satan that He trusted God enough to spare Him injury? Once again Jesus uses scripture to keep Satan at bay.
Satan offers Jesus three things that are common to the fulfillment of man. First, changing stones to bread satisfies the need of daily sustenance. The need for daily bread is emphasized in the Lord’s Prayer. “Give us this day our daily bread.” Man’s first desire is to fulfill his need for food.
Second, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. This represents man’s need for power, or control over his life. We all want our ventures in life to come to fruition. No one wants to open up a business and watch it fail. No one wants to paint a picture that others will not like. We want to be successful. People who own large businesses are considered successful. The same can be said about people who have power and influence. What Satan offered Jesus is what we consider success.
Third Satan tries to get Jesus to take a dive to prove He won’t get hurt. This represents man’s desire not to get hurt in what we attempt to do in life. Whether it is the fear of rejection when we ask someone out for a date, or attempt to ski down a slope we have never tried before. We don’t mind the challenge as long as there is no pain. Yes it is true; Satan knows just what man wants.
All three tests lead us to ask a more intriguing set of questions. What was the point of asking Jesus all these questions? Did Satan tempt Jesus with doubts about His own belief that He was the Son of God? Or was Satan wondering if Jesus was the Son of God and wanted proof to confirm his theory. When Jesus was a man He experienced the same things we experience every day. Satan knew this and attacked Jesus with the experience he had in dealing with humans. Satan wanted to destroy Jesus either emotionally, or physically it didn’t matter. All that mattered is that he succeed in ruining the man Jesus.
Jesus was tempted in all way just as we are yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Satan tempts believer’s everyday with doubts about their salvation, doubts about whether God hears their prayers and even doubts if God exists. He has been at this a long time and doesn’t take a vacation.
Sooner or later all believers end up in a desert. While we are there we will experience temptation and pain. Consider the example that Jesus gave us when He was in the desert. Quote scripture and stay focused.
Forty days is a significant number for at least three reasons. The rainfall that caused the flood that only Noah’s family survived lasted forty days (Genesis 7:17). Moses was on Mount Sinai for forty days receiving instructions on how the Israelites were to conduct themselves (Exodus 24:18). Jonah told the people of Nineveh that they would be destroyed in forty days (Jonah 3:4). Jesus obviously selected a forty-day fast because of the importance of that number.
What Satan said to Jesus at the end of forty days is fascinating in the human sense. Luke states the Satan tries to persuade Jesus to turn stones into bread as the first temptation. Upon failing, he then shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and offers them to Jesus if He will pay homage to Satan. Strike two. Finally, Satan takes Jesus to the highest point of the temple and tries to get Him to jump off claiming that Jesus would not be hurt because he is the Son of God. Strike three. Then Satan leaves. Finally, now Jesus has some peace and quiet.
Lets take a look at what Satan offered Jesus and the cost of each reward. First Satan tries to persuade Jesus to turn stones to bread, a simple enough task for someone who will soon turn water into wine. The stones could have been turned into bread as any time during the forty-day fast, yet Satan waits until the last day to temp Jesus. Apparently, a fast was not considered over until sunset and Satan was trying to get Jesus to break His fast before the proper time and at the time when Jesus would have been weakest. Satan is a trickster, no doubt about that. He probably said to Jesus, “What’s the big deal, you have been at this for forty days why not end the fast now a few hours before sunset? God won’t mind.” Nevertheless, Jesus holds his ground. He can wait until after sunset.
Second, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. That means the Roman Empire, the Mongol Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and all the other empires that existed from that time until now including America. Jesus would have had the power to control certain events just as Satan does now. No doubt Satan had considerable influence in Germany during the Hitler years. Hitler’s commitment to remove all Jews from Europe must have come from Satan. Who else would have any reason to wipe out the entire Jewish population in Europe?
Third, Satan takes Jesus to jump from a high point on the temple. This seems to be a test of Jesus’ own faith. Would Jesus be willing to take a dive to prove to Satan that He trusted God enough to spare Him injury? Once again Jesus uses scripture to keep Satan at bay.
Satan offers Jesus three things that are common to the fulfillment of man. First, changing stones to bread satisfies the need of daily sustenance. The need for daily bread is emphasized in the Lord’s Prayer. “Give us this day our daily bread.” Man’s first desire is to fulfill his need for food.
Second, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. This represents man’s need for power, or control over his life. We all want our ventures in life to come to fruition. No one wants to open up a business and watch it fail. No one wants to paint a picture that others will not like. We want to be successful. People who own large businesses are considered successful. The same can be said about people who have power and influence. What Satan offered Jesus is what we consider success.
Third Satan tries to get Jesus to take a dive to prove He won’t get hurt. This represents man’s desire not to get hurt in what we attempt to do in life. Whether it is the fear of rejection when we ask someone out for a date, or attempt to ski down a slope we have never tried before. We don’t mind the challenge as long as there is no pain. Yes it is true; Satan knows just what man wants.
All three tests lead us to ask a more intriguing set of questions. What was the point of asking Jesus all these questions? Did Satan tempt Jesus with doubts about His own belief that He was the Son of God? Or was Satan wondering if Jesus was the Son of God and wanted proof to confirm his theory. When Jesus was a man He experienced the same things we experience every day. Satan knew this and attacked Jesus with the experience he had in dealing with humans. Satan wanted to destroy Jesus either emotionally, or physically it didn’t matter. All that mattered is that he succeed in ruining the man Jesus.
Jesus was tempted in all way just as we are yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Satan tempts believer’s everyday with doubts about their salvation, doubts about whether God hears their prayers and even doubts if God exists. He has been at this a long time and doesn’t take a vacation.
Sooner or later all believers end up in a desert. While we are there we will experience temptation and pain. Consider the example that Jesus gave us when He was in the desert. Quote scripture and stay focused.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Satan and Believers
To me, two of the most fascinating chapters in the Bible are the first two chapters of Job. I say this for several reasons. First of which is the description of the angelic world that we do not see, but hear about often enough in the New Testament. For the sake of brevity I will only focus on the angelic activity in the first two chapters of Job and avoid all comments about Job’s life and affairs. Job 1:6 points to a day when the “Sons of God” come to present themselves before the Lord. None of the commentaries I use state what exactly the angels are presenting to the Lord except to say their work, or their assignments. In other words the Lord has apparently given tasks to the angels and this day is when they update Him on their progress.
The day that is referred to in Job Chapter 1 appears to be along the lines of a big company meeting; the kind of day when all the high falutin muckity mucks get together and tell the Board of Directors why they should keep their six digit jobs. There seems to be striking similarities between the activities of God and the activities of man. This would make sense as man was made in the image of God and we, no doubt, function our lives accordingly as well. So just as the angels are required to appear before the Lord at certain times to give an account of their activities, so high paid executives are required to appear before their bosses to give updates as well.
Satan’s reason to be there may indicate that he is giving a report on his doings also. Just as the angles are showing charts and graphs about the progress of their assignments, so Satan is accusing the brethren before the Lord (Revelation 12:10). In other words, he is giving a report on his progress as well. Satan is not one to take a hint though. Even when Job did not curse God after his possessions were destroyed, Satan still desired to take his health in an attempt to get Job to curse God.
When Adam and Eve were initially put in the garden they were told to enjoy themselves. After their disobedience however, Adam is confined to work the ground for his sustenance. In order for him to remain healthy he must accomplish this task properly. Likewise, the angels are given tasks and they must complete them competently. The angelic tasks are not clearly defined in the Bible. Hebrews 1:14 refers to angels as ministering spirits sent to render service to those of us who will inherit eternal life.
This rather vague description of angels leaves us in the dark as to what exactly they are doing. It appears that they may be defending those of us who believe from the workings of Satan and his henchmen (fallen angels). Angels were probably the “hedge” that Satan referred to when he tried to get at Job originally (Job 1:10). Obviously, he had already attempted to get at Job and failed. This may explain why Satan was so determined to attack Job and even dared God to remove the hedge to see if Job would curse God. Even after destroying all that Job possessed, Satan wanted to harm Job physically in order to get Job to curse God. There must have been a strong angelic force around Job during this time to ensure that Satan could only do what God had permitted him to do.
Angels also ministered to Jesus after Satan had tempted him in the desert (Mark 1:13). Additionally, Jesus stated He had the power to call twelve legions of angels to assist him at the time of his arrest (Matthew 26:53). Scripture does not make it clear what the angels are doing when they are “ministering” to Jesus as stated in Mark 1:13 and it is not clear how they minister to us during our daily walk. Nevertheless, their existence is clearly stated in the Bible and they are on earth for our benefit.
Could it be that the story of Job was written for us to better understand the metaphysical realm of our existence? Could it be that Satan enters God’s kingdom and asks for the opportunity to destroy each of us at different times? Could it be that God allows certain pains to enter our lives as a result of these attacks? If the answer is yes, then one needs to explain how the deaths of Job’s children would have made him a better person? No doubt Job would have been a more sympathetic person when it came to the hurts and needs of others, yet it is not clear to me why he would have had to suffer so much just to be more sympathetic.
Jesus told Peter that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat (Luke 22:31). Apparently Satan had entered God’s kingdom yet again this time to attack Peter. This was the precursor to Peter’s three-time denial of Jesus. When Satan asked to sift him like wheat he was actually saying he wanted to separate Peter from the true followers of Jesus. This was Satan’s attempt to prove that Peter was not a true follower. The tactic used is similar to the tactic used against Job. Satan dares God to strike Job in an attempt to get Job to curse God; in Peter’s case he dares God to see if Peter will deny he knows Jesus. I wonder what Satan is asking God to take away from you to see how you will react?
Satan’s desire to destroy man began with Adam and Eve and continues to this day. It continues with each one of God’s children and it will continue until the Lord returns. A good lesson to learn about Satan’s tactics is learned from his method of operation with his tempting of Jesus in the desert. Keep in mind that Luke 4:13 states that after Satan failed to provoke Jesus he left Him and waited for a more opportune time to tempt Him again. He will do the same to us as well.
The day that is referred to in Job Chapter 1 appears to be along the lines of a big company meeting; the kind of day when all the high falutin muckity mucks get together and tell the Board of Directors why they should keep their six digit jobs. There seems to be striking similarities between the activities of God and the activities of man. This would make sense as man was made in the image of God and we, no doubt, function our lives accordingly as well. So just as the angels are required to appear before the Lord at certain times to give an account of their activities, so high paid executives are required to appear before their bosses to give updates as well.
Satan’s reason to be there may indicate that he is giving a report on his doings also. Just as the angles are showing charts and graphs about the progress of their assignments, so Satan is accusing the brethren before the Lord (Revelation 12:10). In other words, he is giving a report on his progress as well. Satan is not one to take a hint though. Even when Job did not curse God after his possessions were destroyed, Satan still desired to take his health in an attempt to get Job to curse God.
When Adam and Eve were initially put in the garden they were told to enjoy themselves. After their disobedience however, Adam is confined to work the ground for his sustenance. In order for him to remain healthy he must accomplish this task properly. Likewise, the angels are given tasks and they must complete them competently. The angelic tasks are not clearly defined in the Bible. Hebrews 1:14 refers to angels as ministering spirits sent to render service to those of us who will inherit eternal life.
This rather vague description of angels leaves us in the dark as to what exactly they are doing. It appears that they may be defending those of us who believe from the workings of Satan and his henchmen (fallen angels). Angels were probably the “hedge” that Satan referred to when he tried to get at Job originally (Job 1:10). Obviously, he had already attempted to get at Job and failed. This may explain why Satan was so determined to attack Job and even dared God to remove the hedge to see if Job would curse God. Even after destroying all that Job possessed, Satan wanted to harm Job physically in order to get Job to curse God. There must have been a strong angelic force around Job during this time to ensure that Satan could only do what God had permitted him to do.
Angels also ministered to Jesus after Satan had tempted him in the desert (Mark 1:13). Additionally, Jesus stated He had the power to call twelve legions of angels to assist him at the time of his arrest (Matthew 26:53). Scripture does not make it clear what the angels are doing when they are “ministering” to Jesus as stated in Mark 1:13 and it is not clear how they minister to us during our daily walk. Nevertheless, their existence is clearly stated in the Bible and they are on earth for our benefit.
Could it be that the story of Job was written for us to better understand the metaphysical realm of our existence? Could it be that Satan enters God’s kingdom and asks for the opportunity to destroy each of us at different times? Could it be that God allows certain pains to enter our lives as a result of these attacks? If the answer is yes, then one needs to explain how the deaths of Job’s children would have made him a better person? No doubt Job would have been a more sympathetic person when it came to the hurts and needs of others, yet it is not clear to me why he would have had to suffer so much just to be more sympathetic.
Jesus told Peter that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat (Luke 22:31). Apparently Satan had entered God’s kingdom yet again this time to attack Peter. This was the precursor to Peter’s three-time denial of Jesus. When Satan asked to sift him like wheat he was actually saying he wanted to separate Peter from the true followers of Jesus. This was Satan’s attempt to prove that Peter was not a true follower. The tactic used is similar to the tactic used against Job. Satan dares God to strike Job in an attempt to get Job to curse God; in Peter’s case he dares God to see if Peter will deny he knows Jesus. I wonder what Satan is asking God to take away from you to see how you will react?
Satan’s desire to destroy man began with Adam and Eve and continues to this day. It continues with each one of God’s children and it will continue until the Lord returns. A good lesson to learn about Satan’s tactics is learned from his method of operation with his tempting of Jesus in the desert. Keep in mind that Luke 4:13 states that after Satan failed to provoke Jesus he left Him and waited for a more opportune time to tempt Him again. He will do the same to us as well.
Friday, October 12, 2007
The Fall
Zephaniah is a book of the Old Testament that is only three chapters long. It is so short and difficult to find that you may need a bloodhound to dig it up. For the sake of this writing, I am only interested in verse 3:1, which states, “The Lord your God is in your midst. A victorious warrior. He will exalt over you with joy, He will quiet you in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of Joy.”
The verse clearly is in reference to Israel’s repentance and God’s joy as a result of that repentance. Still in all, we must keep two clear points in mind. First, 2 Corinthians 1:20 clearly states that Old Testament promises are for Christians as well. Second, Luke 15:10 quotes Jesus as stating that God’s angels rejoice over one sinner who repents. How much more joy will the Lord have at the same time? With that in mind I wish to bring you to a closer understanding of the metaphysical world that surrounds us, yet is not seen and rarely discussed.
With all this rejoicing going on we can begin to see a glimpse of the battle lines drawn between God and Satan. Genesis chapter 3 and Job chapters 1-2 both offer tantalizing clues about the nature of the eternal realm that transcends our mortal existence. Satan, apparently unable to appear to Eve in his natural form, takes on the form of a serpent in order to communicate with her. His objective is clear, albeit not to Eve. Jesus said that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. In the case of Adam and Eve, Satan’s mission was to steal their relationship of trust with each other, to kill their daily fellowship with God, and to destroy mankind’s opportunity to continue to live in paradise. Mission accomplished.
There is nothing new with Satan. His objective today is the same as it was with Adam and Eve. He will steal, kill and destroy your relationship with your spouse, your children, and fellow believers. It is what he does and he is good at it.
Yet a more intriguing question here is why did Satan choose to be evil in the first place? Here we have the highest-ranking angel in God’s kingdom choosing to rebel against God. Why? What could have possibly caused this catastrophic revolt? I am of the persuasion that mankind has more to do with this then we realize. Adam and Eve were made in the image of God and that raises the question of what were angels made like? The Bible teaches that God made the earth and the animals and then states that man was made in His image. There is no mention of what appearance the angels had when they were created.
This is The Reason Why Satan rebelled against God. Adam and Eve had a relationship with God and spoke with him daily prior to the fall. Their relationship with God was very different than the relationship angels have with God. Angels are servants of God and were created to follow orders. Adam and Eve were provided a large piece of land that we have come to call paradise where they were given the responsibility to care for the land and live in peace with the animals. Their relationship with God was like that of a father with his children. Adam and Eve did not know about angels, as they could not see them. So when Satan wished to appear to them he had no choice, but to appear in the form of an animal. Satan apparently envied the fact the man was acknowledging God as the authority. Man did not acknowledge Satan at all.
No doubt this greatly bothered Satan as he was regarded very highly by his fellow angels. Satan had received considerable respect from his fellow angels the same way a military general would receive respect and honor from subordinate military personal. So it seems apparent Satan was infuriated when neither Adam nor Eve could see him. They could not show honor to someone they could not see. It was as if Satan was told he couldn’t play in this sandbox. Tell a child they can’t play in someone’s sandbox and what do they do? They pout; and have a temper tantrum. Sounds like someone we know doesn’t it?
There is little scriptural evidence to support this theory, as there are few Bible verses on the subject of Satan. Still in all, the theory is plausible and no one to my knowledge has ever explained why a being with the status of Satan would rebel against a being with the status of God. Satan’s rebellion occurred because of two reasons, the first commandment and the tenth commandment. Naturally, the commandments were not yet given to Moses nevertheless, the Lord God almighty clearly knew that violating them would lead to problems even before they were written.
The first commandment states: I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me. The tenth commandment states: You shall not covet. Satan violated the first commandment by worshiping a god that he felt was more important then the Lord God; namely, himself. The tenth commandment was violated because Satan desired fellowship with Adam and Eve the way they had fellowship with God. He desired it to the point that he would go so far as to deceive Eve and destroy her fellowship with God and Adam. In other words Satan was saying, “If I can’t have your respect then no one can have it.” This thinking is very typical of men who abuse and control women.
I will conclude by saying that the creation of man invariably resulted in Satan’s rebellion and that ultimately resulted in the desertion of what is believed to be a third of God’s angelic army. I will discuss more about this complex and confusing issue in future blogs.
The verse clearly is in reference to Israel’s repentance and God’s joy as a result of that repentance. Still in all, we must keep two clear points in mind. First, 2 Corinthians 1:20 clearly states that Old Testament promises are for Christians as well. Second, Luke 15:10 quotes Jesus as stating that God’s angels rejoice over one sinner who repents. How much more joy will the Lord have at the same time? With that in mind I wish to bring you to a closer understanding of the metaphysical world that surrounds us, yet is not seen and rarely discussed.
With all this rejoicing going on we can begin to see a glimpse of the battle lines drawn between God and Satan. Genesis chapter 3 and Job chapters 1-2 both offer tantalizing clues about the nature of the eternal realm that transcends our mortal existence. Satan, apparently unable to appear to Eve in his natural form, takes on the form of a serpent in order to communicate with her. His objective is clear, albeit not to Eve. Jesus said that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. In the case of Adam and Eve, Satan’s mission was to steal their relationship of trust with each other, to kill their daily fellowship with God, and to destroy mankind’s opportunity to continue to live in paradise. Mission accomplished.
There is nothing new with Satan. His objective today is the same as it was with Adam and Eve. He will steal, kill and destroy your relationship with your spouse, your children, and fellow believers. It is what he does and he is good at it.
Yet a more intriguing question here is why did Satan choose to be evil in the first place? Here we have the highest-ranking angel in God’s kingdom choosing to rebel against God. Why? What could have possibly caused this catastrophic revolt? I am of the persuasion that mankind has more to do with this then we realize. Adam and Eve were made in the image of God and that raises the question of what were angels made like? The Bible teaches that God made the earth and the animals and then states that man was made in His image. There is no mention of what appearance the angels had when they were created.
This is The Reason Why Satan rebelled against God. Adam and Eve had a relationship with God and spoke with him daily prior to the fall. Their relationship with God was very different than the relationship angels have with God. Angels are servants of God and were created to follow orders. Adam and Eve were provided a large piece of land that we have come to call paradise where they were given the responsibility to care for the land and live in peace with the animals. Their relationship with God was like that of a father with his children. Adam and Eve did not know about angels, as they could not see them. So when Satan wished to appear to them he had no choice, but to appear in the form of an animal. Satan apparently envied the fact the man was acknowledging God as the authority. Man did not acknowledge Satan at all.
No doubt this greatly bothered Satan as he was regarded very highly by his fellow angels. Satan had received considerable respect from his fellow angels the same way a military general would receive respect and honor from subordinate military personal. So it seems apparent Satan was infuriated when neither Adam nor Eve could see him. They could not show honor to someone they could not see. It was as if Satan was told he couldn’t play in this sandbox. Tell a child they can’t play in someone’s sandbox and what do they do? They pout; and have a temper tantrum. Sounds like someone we know doesn’t it?
There is little scriptural evidence to support this theory, as there are few Bible verses on the subject of Satan. Still in all, the theory is plausible and no one to my knowledge has ever explained why a being with the status of Satan would rebel against a being with the status of God. Satan’s rebellion occurred because of two reasons, the first commandment and the tenth commandment. Naturally, the commandments were not yet given to Moses nevertheless, the Lord God almighty clearly knew that violating them would lead to problems even before they were written.
The first commandment states: I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me. The tenth commandment states: You shall not covet. Satan violated the first commandment by worshiping a god that he felt was more important then the Lord God; namely, himself. The tenth commandment was violated because Satan desired fellowship with Adam and Eve the way they had fellowship with God. He desired it to the point that he would go so far as to deceive Eve and destroy her fellowship with God and Adam. In other words Satan was saying, “If I can’t have your respect then no one can have it.” This thinking is very typical of men who abuse and control women.
I will conclude by saying that the creation of man invariably resulted in Satan’s rebellion and that ultimately resulted in the desertion of what is believed to be a third of God’s angelic army. I will discuss more about this complex and confusing issue in future blogs.
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