encouragement international

TUESDAY

There are several marks of a fool or, as we learned yesterday, one who is morally deficient. The foundational principle of foolishness is atheism but our study this week will not be exhaustive of foolishness. This leaves room for your personal study and an opportunity for me to return in the future to the subject.

A second characteristic of a fool is one who is contentious.

NAU Proverbs 18:6 A fool’s lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows.

NIV Proverbs 18:6 A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.

NKJ Proverbs 18:6 A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows.

What does it mean to be contentious? It is one who is quarrelsome, who likes to fight. A contentious person is one who causes strife. It is the opposite of one who strives to promote or maintain peace. The picture being painted in this proverb is one who sees a problem and exacerbates the problem by joining verbally into the fray either as one lacking the foresight to see the outcome or as one who intends to make it even worse than it is. The implied warning is to stay away from a person like this because, as it says in the proverb, this person is looking for a fight and the language indicates it may end up being fatal!

And, if we are such a person, we should think twice and walk away from a tense situation without speaking. If we are self-controlled (a fruit of the Spirit), the alternative to walking away is to think twice and then ONLY speak as a peacemaker rather than an exacerbater.

MONDAY

Life is full of contradictions. For example, we live in an age that has distilled an abundance of facts into beneficial, organized knowledge but we are surrounded by fools! As creatures who are created in the image of God, man through the ages has taken information regarding the world around him, combined it with his God given ability to reason and come up with innovations beneficial to mankind. Yet, we are still plagued with fools! Rodney Stark in his book The Victory of Reason demonstrates the superiority of the Judeo-Christian thinking over every other worldview yet others are increasingly striving to destroy it.

A fool is one who misuses true wisdom. This definition of a fool begs us to define wisdom. Wisdom is defined as combining knowledge with understanding and resulting in application. Within the Judeo-Christian worldview, we can refine this definition even more to be taking the knowledge or information revealed by God, then striving to understand this knowledge, and finally, practicing our understanding of revealed Divine truth.

But fools are an obstacle to wisdom. We are surrounded by them and are challenged by them to abandon the wisdom for which we search and apply. So this week, we will look at fools so that we will be alerted to their presence and avoid the danger that comes by listening too intently to them.

The first characteristic of a fool is their atheism.

NAU Psalm 14:1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

NIV Psalm 14:1 For the director of music. Of David. The fool {1 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.} says in his heart, “There is no God.”

NKJ Psalm 14:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

This truism is repeated in Psalm 53:1 – an almost exact duplicate of Psalm 14. The fool says there is no evidence of God, there is no demonstration by God of His existence and ultimately there is no need for God. This is the foundation of their thinking, and ultimately, their worldview and way of living.

Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, is attributed to have said while in space, “I looked and looked but I didn’t see God.” Contrast his statement by examining Psalm 19:1.

Others can look at the intricacies of life (i.e. trees, human beings) and imagine that complexity in life came about without the need for intelligent design (i.e. the Omniscient, Omnipresent, And Omnipotent Creator God). Their equation for origins is nothing + nothing = something – an equation that defies logic as well as truth! Rather, it is this complexity of life that attests to His existence (Romans 1:20).

But the ultimate tragedy is thinking that there is no need for God. Paul tells us two important truths about the basics of our need for God.

NAU Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

NIV Acts 17:28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

NKJ Acts 17:28 “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

And, speaking regarding Jesus he said,

NAU Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

NIV Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

NKJ Colossians 1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

God has ordained that one of the tests of a wise man is to be able to observe the world around him and to conclude that there is a God even though He may not have manifested Himself visibly to all mankind.

FRIDAY

Colossians 1:20 And through Him to reconcile all things into Himself, the one making peace through the blood of His cross, whether the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens.

The work of Messiah was to reconcile the creation with the Creator. He did this by making peace between these two parties. The Greek word for reconciliation means to change from one condition to another by removing every enmity in order to leave no hindrance for unity and peace. Another way of stating this would be to say to restore that which was lost. There was peace between Creator and creation in the Garden. It was destroyed when Man, the pinnacle of God’s creation violated His (God’s) will. Man has been seeking reconciliation ever since. But it was not until Messiah did His promised work that reconciliation was accomplished and it resulted in peace (literally the absence of strife) with the Creator for those who believe.

Messiah’s work initially produced a localized peace within the hearts of believers (Luke 17:20) and, as we saw yesterday, a more universal peace will come for those surviving the tribulation during the millennial kingdom. But the eternal peace for the redeemed of all ages will not be established until God allows all who are opposed to His rule one final attempt to dethrone Messiah. They will fail miserably because of the power of God (Revelation 20:9). This will usher in the Eternal State, the time when the absence of strife in creation will be re-established.

NAU Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband…. 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost…. 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God…. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; …22:5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

THURSDAY

Yesterday we saw that the KOG is the sphere of influence where God rules. It existed in the Garden of Eden until the Fall of Man and his expulsion from the Garden. God promised, though, that it would be re-established on earth and the Jews eagerly awaited its inception. When Messiah appeared the first time and entered Jerusalem on the very day prophesied in Daniel 9:26, they thought the KOG was here at last. But His refusal to take the throne at that time left everyone disillusioned (especially Judas) and continuing to look for the KOG. Jesus, the Messiah, had taught with His coming, however, that the KOG would for a time be within man (Luke 17:20) and from Pentecost to the present, the KOG has been in the hearts of believers (Romans 14:17). However, before His ascension into heaven, Jesus assured His followers that the promised, earthly KOG was yet to come (Acts 1:6, 7).

There are two manifestations of the KOG yet to be seen – the one thousand year earthly rule of Messiah (the millennial kingdom described in Revelation 20:1-6) after the tribulation (Revelation 6:1-19:6), and the final Eternal State (Revelation 21:-22:5). Today we will look at one of the descriptions of the millennial kingdom from Micah 4.

NIV Micah 4:1 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. 2 Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 4 Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken. 5 All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. 6 “In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. 7 I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.

WEDNESDAY

NAU Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

NIV Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

NKJ Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

In its broadest sense, the Kingdom of God is that sphere of influence where God rules. At the present time Luke 17:20 and Romans 14:17 affirm a more localized sphere of influence within the hearts of those who have experienced His salvation as the Kingdom of God (KOG). However, while the KOG is being established in the hearts of some men through salvation (i.e. confidence in the Messiah’s work on the cross), Acts 1:6, 7 tell us that the localized KOG will one day expand to its prophetically promised earthly proportions (NAU Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority). This is later confirmed most prominently in the Book of Revelation when the beast and the false prophet (Rev 19:20) are seized along with Satan (Rev 20:2) and thrown into the abyss for one thousand years (Rev 20:3). At that time the Messiah and King will be the ruler over all the earth:

NAU Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.

NIV Zechariah 14:9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.

NKJ Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be — “The LORD is one,” And His name one.

TUESDAY

NAU Matthew 6:10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

NAU Luke 11:20 “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

NAU Luke 17:20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Yesterday we were presented with a problem. Jesus taught us to pray for the coming of the Messianic Kingdom of God in Matthew 6:10 (ca AD 28). One year later He said that it had a present, demonstrable existence through His ability to exorcize demons (Luke 11:20), and then, one year later at His Ascension, He spoke about the future coming kingdom! How can we pray for something to come into existence if it is already in existence? And then, why should we look forward to something that is already present?

Here is a humble explanation of the kingdom from these verses. Matthew 6 is indeed a prayer requesting the establishing of the earthly kingdom foretold by the prophets. However, Luke 11 emphasizes that the King of that kingdom is in their midst (although His earthly Kingdom is yet to be established). Finally, Luke 17 shows us that while the earthly kingdom is yet to be established, it is for the moment being established in the hearts of men (until the earthly kingdom is established). Luke 17 could not have been a spiritual replacement of the earthly kingdom foretold by the prophets – the Apostles in Acts 1:6 (just before Jesus’ Ascension) asked the ‘King’ if the EARTHLY kingdom was at that time being restored. Jesus’ response to such a question is:

NAU Acts 1:7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;

NIV Acts 1:7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

NKJ Acts 1:7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

If the earthly kingdom had been replaced by a spiritual kingdom in the hearts of men, why did Jesus answer in such a nebulous way – affirming that the earthly kingdom was yet to come?

MONDAY

As a follow up to waiting for Messiah, I thought it appropriate to examine the Coming Kingdom of God. The promise of the Kingdom was attached to the Coming of Messiah. However, when Messiah arrived, the Kingdom (in the manner the Jews were expecting) did not! It is interesting to see how the Kingdom is dealt with in the New Testament.

Jesus asked for us to pray for it:

NAU Matthew 6:10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

NIV Matthew 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

NKJ Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus said it had arrived:

NAU Luke 11:20 “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

NIV Luke 11:20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

NKJ Luke 11:20 “But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

and will dwell within the hearts of believers:

NAU Luke 17:20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

NIV Luke 17:20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”

NKJ Luke 17:20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 “nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Finally, Jesus taught after His resurrection that the Kingdom was yet to come!

NAU Acts 1:3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

NIV Acts 1:3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

NKJ Acts 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

So what is the kingdom of God and where is it? That will be our topic this week!

FRIDAY

NIV Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

What a way to end the week and our look at Isaiah 53. The One who is ultimately responsible for the Messiah’s death is identified, the purpose of his death is revealed, the satisfaction of God’s anger toward sin is displayed, the blessing of Messiah extolled.

Who is responsible for the killing of Jesus?

We could point to the Jews:

NAU Matthew 26:3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; 4 and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him

NAU John 19:6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.”

But we would be wrong! We could point to the Romans (Gentiles, non-Jews):

NIV John 19:16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

But we would be wrong! Isaiah 53:10 tells us it was God, the Father, who was responsible for the death of Messiah.

We also learn from this section that Messiah’s death was substitutionary (verse 12 - . For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors), satisfied God’s wrath (verse 11 - he will see the light of and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities), and in the end Messiah will receive recognition from those who have benefited from His substitutionary and sacrificial gift (verse 12 - Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong).

In summary, Isaiah 52:13-53:12 teaches us that Messiah:

Would be born under natural circumstances;

Would suffer at His first coming;

Would be rejected at His first coming;

Would undergo a trial of condemnation at His first coming;

Would be executed at His first coming;

Would be a substitutionary sacrifice on behalf of sinful man;

Would be buried in a rich man’s tomb;

Would be resurrected;

Would bring justification to all who believe in Him and His work.

THURSDAY

NIV Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Pictures of the Redeemer Messiah emerged piece by piece over the course of centuries. As the time of His first coming approached, the picture became more specific and clearer. Isaiah 53 gives a specific and clear picture of the Messiah. History shows and the New Testament writers had no difficulty identifying Jesus with the fulfillment of this chapter.

Verse 7 shows that the Servant humbly submitted to suffering and unjust treatment from others without making a defense.

NAU Matthew 27:12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

NAU Mark 14:61 But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

NAU Luke 23:8 Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. 9 And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing.

NAU 1 Peter 2:23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

NAU Acts 8:32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.

Verse 8 tells us that the nation of Israel, at the execution of the Servant, did not realize that He was dying for the sins of His people.

NAU Acts 8:33 “IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.”

Verse 9 describes the assignment of the Servant to a criminal’s grave but that (in Divine providence) He would be buried in the tomb of a rich man.

NAU Luke 22:37 “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”

NAU Matthew 27:57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.

NAU Luke 22:37 “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”

Humbly suffering, defensively silent, sacrificial substitute, assigned a poor man’s grave but buried (temporarily) among the rich. All this (and other prophecies) fulfilled in one man. It should have been no surprise when Messiah arrived on the scene, yet it was. God could not be pleased….or was He? We’ll see tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY

NIV Isaiah 53:4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Messiah, the Suffering Servant of God, was prophesied to be despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3). But this rejection by Israel will not be permanent. They will one day recognize that he did not suffer for His own sins and will realize that He suffered for their sins (verse 4)! They will also realize that Messiah’s substitutionary suffering resulted in reconciliation with God (verse 5 and 6).

The writers of the New Testament (under the influence of the Holy Spirit) recognized the substitutionary suffering of the Messiah and incorporated this prophecy into their teaching.

NAU Romans 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

NAU Hebrews 9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

The New Testament writers also recognized man’s propensity to ignore God’s standards (like sheep!) necessitating a substitutionary sacrifice to reconcile us with God.

NAU 1 Peter 2:25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Although the picture being painted of man is not pretty, the picture being painted of Messiah as Suffering Servant is glorious.