Tuesday, April 30, 2013

“SIH’s Think On These Things: Mark 9:41-50 (9)”


Mark 9:41-50 (KJV)  For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.  Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

 

For this series we will use this very simple outline:

1.  vs 41-42 – Evidences of genuine salvation

2.  vs 43-48 – Importance of genuine salvation

3.  vs 49-50 – Absolute necessity of genuine salvation

 

In our final installment of this series we need to turn our attention to verse 50 of our text… 50) Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

 

In the previous verse (vs 49), we saw that salt was a picture of preservation… For those who are yet in their sins they are salted “with fire”, meaning they are preserved to face the eternal judgment of Almighty God.  For those who are salted “with salt” we find that those who have come to a saving faith in Christ are now preserved to spend an eternity in the very presence of God.

 

In verse 50, we find another use of salt, as a flavoring agent that enhances the taste of many foods.  We are told that salt is only good as a flavoring agent when it retains the characteristic flavor of salt.  If it were possible for salt to loose its flavor, it would taste no better than sand and would be used by no one.  This illustrates a believer’s need to be “salt” in the midst of a sin darkened world, if we are to make a useful contribution to those around us…

Matt 5:13 (KJV)  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

 

If, by God’s grace, we are no longer salted “with fire” but are now salted “with salt”, we have a very great responsibility before us.  We are to live as a “salted” one showing forth the love, grace and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ to all around us.  Why is this so important?  Not only is it a testimony of the Lord and His work in our lives, but it also opens the opportunity for the enhancement of the quality of life of all those around us.

 

In this series, we have looked at “evidences of genuine salvation”, “the importance of genuine salvation” and

“absolute necessity of genuine salvation”.  These verses have emphasized our need to make certain that we have been saved from the wrath to come.  1Thess 1:9-10 (KJV)  For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;   And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, [even] Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

 

Once we have made certain of our salvation, let us all be active in showing Christ to others and, in doing so, attempting to enhance the lives of all who come into contact with us. John 10:9-10 (KJV) I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.

 

May the Lord bless us as we “Think On These Things”.

 




“SIH’s Think On These Things: Mark 9:41-50 (8)”


Mark 9:41-50 (KJV)

49) For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

50) Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

 

For this series we will use this very simple outline:

1.  vs 41-42 – Evidences of genuine salvation

2.  vs 43-48 – Importance of genuine salvation

3.  vs 49-50 – Absolute necessity of genuine salvation

 

In our text for this morning, we see that, if there was ever a need for each one of our lives, it is the need for spiritual quickening and forgiveness from our Almighty God.  As we can see from a quick review of our text, the symbolism of salt is used very liberally.  Remember, throughout the Bible salt is used as a preserving agent.  In those days, there was no such thing as refrigeration. Many times, to preserve meats and other food stuffs, salt was used.  

 

In the first instance (verse 49), we have a comparison of those who are salted “with fire” and those who are salted “with salt”.  Who are the ones salted “with fire”?  EVERY ONE of us, as fallen mankind, are sinful human beings who are headed for eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire…  

Rom 3:9-19  9) What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:19) Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 

To be salted “with fire” is teaching us that all who are yet in their sins is being preserved TO eternal, deserved judgment for their sins at the hand of Almighty God.

 

Who are the ones salted “with salt”?  We have a hint in the context that helps us understand… it is ones described as “every sacrifice”.  This refers to those who have trusted in Christ who have become “living sacrifices” in His service…  

Rom 12:1 (KJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. 

To be salted “with salt” is teaching us that we are preserved, safe and secure FROM His judgment based upon His work on the cross.

 

How sobering it is to understand that, due to our sin, we are all preserved by God while awaiting His judgment.  How wonderful it is to come to realize that we can escape His judgment and find security, peace and safety in Christ and His work…  

Col 1:21-22 (KJV)  21) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled  22) In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

 

Won’t you acknowledge your sinful condition, and turn from your sins and trust in Christ and His work on the cross so that you might receive His righteousness and salvation from the wrath of God?

 

May the Lord bless us as we “Think On These Things”.

 




Monday, April 29, 2013

“SIH’s Think On These Things: Mark 9:41-50 (7)”


Mark 9:41-50 (KJV)

43) And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

44) Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

45) And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

46) Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

47) And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

48) Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

 

For this series we will use this very simple outline:

1.  vs 41-42 – Evidences of genuine salvation

2.  vs 43-48 – Importance of genuine salvation

3.  vs 49-50 – Absolute necessity of genuine salvation

 

Our text uses the eternal wrath of God as a motivating force to drive each of us to make sure we have been saved.  But there are many who question the existence of the Lake of Fire.  When the literal existence of the Lake of Fire is disputed, it becomes an issue of believing God’s Word.  The place of eternal torment of the lost is described many different times in the Bible in many varying ways.  Here is a small sampling….

1.  A place of fire and worms – Mark 9:43-48

The garbage dumps outside Jerusalem had fires burning and worms feeding on the garbage.  This is used as a picture for the Lake of Fire where the fire (punishment) and the worms (corruption and decay) exist forever.  

 

2. A place of torment and fire – Luke 16:23-24

This is mentioned in the account of the rich man and Lazarus.  The eternal dwelling of the rich man was in fire and torments, motivating him to beg for the gospel to be taken to members of his family still living on earth. 

See also Lake Of Fire – Rev 19:-20: …. The Burning Flame – Dan 7:11 …. Furnace Of Fire – Matt 13:42 …. Everlasting Fire – Matt 25:41

 

3. A place prepared for devil and fallen angels (demons) – Matt 25:41

Sinful beings will be judged eternally in the Lake of Fire, this includes lost mankind and the other sinful spiritual beings of this world.

 

4. Hell from beneath – Isa 14:9

The Lake of Fire is located beneath the earth’s crust.

See also Lowest Hell – Deut 32:22…. Place “under the earth” – Rev 5:13

 

5. A prison – 1 Peter 3:19, Rev 20:1-3

It is designed to hold lost makind, Satan and demons.  It is a prison because it restrains them, not allowing them to effect God’s creation any longer.   

See also The Pit – Rev 9:2

 

According to scholars, there are 162 references to the Lake of Fire found in the NT alone.  For someone to claim that the Lake of Fire does not exist they must deny the clear multiple declaration of Scriptures.

 

May the Lord bless us as we “Think On These Things”.

 




Sunday, April 28, 2013

“The Blessing of Judah: The Promise Of Christ” (2)


Gen 49:8-12 (KJV)

8) Judah, thou [art he] whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand [shall be] in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

9) Judah [is] a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

10) The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be].

11) Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

12) His eyes [shall be] red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

 

In our previous study we saw the the beginning portion of this blessing was a combination prophecy of events that would take place in the tribe of Judah that was culminate in the first coming of Christ.  In that study we saw that there would be several reasons why the Tribe of Judah would receive the praise of Jews, as well as Gentiles throughout history.  Here is a quick review of those reasons:

 

1. The great victories had by Judah and his descendants are one reason why Judah would be praised far above all other of his brethren….

 

2. The gradual increase of Judah’s strength, boldness, wisdom and victories is the second reason why they would be praised above all others….

 

3. The third reason Judah would be praised among all their brethren would be the line of kings that would descend from this tribe… 

 

Please note that all three of these reasons are a combination of accomplishments of Judah both before, and including, Christ and His work on our behalf.  In the last part of this 2 part series we will be looking at the concluding portion of Judah’s blessing which will involve an exclusive look at Christ and His many accomplishments on our behalf….

 

 

THE SCRIPTURES: 

 

Genesis 49:8-12

 

 

THE STUDY:

 

 

4. The fourth reason Judah would be praised among all their brethren would be due to the coming of Shiloh, the final King in the line of Judah.  In the following verses we read of His person, work and His relationship with His people…

 

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come;

 

In other words, the last King that would come from the line of Judah would be Christ Himself.  How do we know Christ is what “Shiloh” is referring to?

 

The Hebrew word translated Shiloh carries with it the ideas of:

1. safety

2. tranquility

3. blessed or prosperous

 

The meaning of the word, as it applies to Christ, teaches us that He is our peace and the place of our eternal safety and refuge, and the source of all blessings from God. (Jere 23:6, 1 Thess 5:23, Psa 94:22,  Eph 1:3).

 

If we take our study of “Shiloh” one step farther we find that, throughout the OT, we find that a city in Canaan also is given the name “Shiloh”. Here are some of the contexts where this place is mentioned:

 

1. Josh 18:1-10, 1 Sam 3:21, 1 Sam 4:3-12, etc – associated with the presence of God and holding place of ark of the covenant.  This pictures for us Christ is the very essence of God meeting with man at the first coming. (John 10:30, 1 Tim 3:16, 1 John 5:20 etc)

 

2. Josh 22:9-12 – place of gathering before going to war – this helps us to understand that at His second coming, we are clearly told that we will be gathered together with Christ only to return to earth and observe His battle with the powers of this world. (Rev 19:11-16)

 

3. Judges 18:31, 21:19 etc – long-term place of worship of Jehovah – this is a picture of our worship of God that is to be centered upon the person and work of Jesus Christ.  It is through the worship of Christ that we exercise the true worship with God. (John 5:23, Eph 3:21)

 

4. Psa 78:60-61,  Jer 7:12, Jer 26:6 – once ark was removed, Shiloh became desolate and a picture of something cursed by God - Christ, the sinless Son of God, became a curse for us, suffering for our sins and being separated from the Father due to those sins… (Gal 3:13, Mark 15:34)

 

(It is because of all the above, and the verses that will follow, that I am confident that “Shiloh” is referring to our Lord Jesus Christ.  Although most of the older Bible scholars are in agreement with this teaching, I realize there are many modern students of the Word that do not agree with this. They believe that Shiloh only refers to a city in Canaan and all that is to follow is only referring to the Tribe of Judah. None of these are symbols of Christ.  I strongly disagree. I will let is up to each one of you to study these things and allow the Lord to lead you to the proper conclusion.  For the rest of this study I wlll be approaching the remaining verses from the viewpoint of Christ being described as “Shiloh”…

 

and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be].

1.  We are clearly told throughout the Scriptures that, at the second coming of our Lord we will be gathered together to meet Him in the air and begin our eternity dwelling in His presence.  (1 Thess 4:13-16,  1 Cor 15:51-57,

2.  At our salvation, we are gathered by the Spirit of God to Himself, making us members of His family and His Spiritual nation. (John 6:44, John 12:32, Haggai 2:7, Gal 6:14-18)

3.  But also another type of gathering of God’s people will also take place before His second coming.  That is the gathering of His people into various local church bodies (Acts 14:27, 1 Cor 5:4) Once again, this type of gathering together is unto Christ as well.  As we gather together to worship God, that worship is to be centered upon Christ, His Word and His Work… (Eph 3:20-21, Roms 16:27)

 

Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine;

1.  In Zech 9:9, we have a prophecy of Christ riding upon the foal of an ass.  This prophecy was fulfilled in Matt 21:2, where we find Christ riding into Jerusalem on the first “Palm Sunday” using an ass and her colt. This trip to Jerusalem would involve His arrest, trial and crucifixion.

2.  Based on the above we can see, in a symbolic sense, the ass and colt are pictures of Christ’s entrance into this world to die on the cross for our sins.  The vine and choice vine and the fruit that they bear are symbolic references to His death and shed blood.  These vines, which are a picture of His death and shed blood, are described in greater detail in the next verse. 

3.  The ass and colt being tied to the vine and choice vine are displaying for us the inseparable nature of His death with His coming to the earth.   He came to die for us… He must die for us or else His coming to the earth would be in vain. (1 John 4:14, John 3:16-17, John 1:29)  This is why the donkey and colt (His entrance into this world to die) are “tied” inseparably to the vines (His death and shed blood). 

 

he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

Christ’s shed blood is symbolized for us by “fruit of the vine” in the observance of “Communion” or “the Lord’s supper”.  (Luke 22:17-20)

1.  His garments being drenched in wine and the blood of grapes shows that His great sacrifice that was made on our behalf. He is drenched in His own blood. (Rev 19:11-13, Heb 9:22-28)

2.  His blood is shown to have cleansing power “washed in”.  This can refer to His shed blood being accepted by God resulting in the cleansing of His people from their sins which He had borne upon Himself.  (Isa 63:1, Rev 1:5)

 

His eyes [shall be] red with wine,

1. The result of the shedding of His blood, pictured by the wine, is that His eyes became the color red (The word translated red is the Heb word for “brightness” “flickering” or “flashing” and is used only once in the OT)….

2. This same picture of Christ from this Gen 49: text is presented to us again in Rev 19:11-16.  In this context, the brightness and flickering of His eyes are described as being “like a flame of fire”.  It is a picture of His wrath and anger against those who abuse His people. This event is speaking of Christ’s second coming when He comes to the earth to destroy the world powers of darkness.  It was His shed blood on the cross that secured His victory over these powers of darkness and has secured the punishment of the abusers of His people.  (Rev 6:9-17)  

 

and his teeth white with milk

This phrase refers us to the Word of Christ, the perfect, complete, Word that has proceeded out of His mouth.  It is His Word that is described as milk teaching us that His Word is an absolute necessity for our spiritual growth and well-being (1 Peter 2:1-3, 1 Cor 3:2, Heb 5:12-13) .  As the “milk” proceeds from His mouth it makes His teeth look white due to its purity and perfection.

 

Folks, after looking at verses 10-12 in detail, it is such a blessing to realize that our Lord, the Shiloh of Gen 49:, as a wonderful, powerful Lord as we have seen.  Let’s review quickly what we have learned about Christ:

 

In part #1 of our study we learned that Christ:

1. is the One who has gotten us the victory over sin and death;

2. is the One who gained a spiritual eternal victory that far transcends any earthly human victory

3. is the One who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

4. is the One to whom we owe our total allegiance.

 

In part #2 of our study we learned that Christ:

5. is our peace and the place of our eternal safety and refuge, and the source of all blessings from God

6.  is the very person of God meeting with man at the first coming

7.  at His second coming, we are clearly told that we will be gathered together with Christ only to return to earth and observe His battle with the powers of this world

8.  should be the center of our worship of God

9.  the sinless Son of God, became a curse for us, suffering for our sins and being separated from the Father due to those sins

10.  at His second coming we will be gathered together to meet Him in the air and begin our eternity dwelling in His presence

11.  gathers us to Himself at our salvation resulting in us becoming His family members and members of His spiritual nation.

12.  gathers us into His local church to worship God by worshipping Him.

13.  came to die for us… He must die for us or else His coming to the earth would be in vain.

14.  made a great sacrifice that was made on our behalf. He is drenched in His own blood.  It is through this blood that we can find cleansing form our sins.

15.  send His wrath and anger against those who abuse His people. This event is speaking of Christ’s second coming when He comes to the earth to destroy the world powers of darkness.  It was His shed blood on the cross that secured His victory over these powers of darkness and has secured the punishment of the abusers of His people

16.  speaks His perfect, complete, Word that proceeds out of His mouth.  It is His Word that is described as milk, teaching us that His Word is an absolute necessity for our spiritual growth and well-being

 

 

PRACTICAL  APPLICATION:

 

In this passage, we have seen at least 16 different truths about Christ and His work on our behalf…. Let us all praise and honor Him who has done so much for us and who has graciously revealed His work to us through His Word. 

 

May the Lord bless His Word and develop a greater appreciation in our hearts for all He has done for us.

 

If you have any questions about Christ’s saving work on our behalf, I have a tab available on my blog that gives in depth information on what salvation is and what you must do to be saved.  Please click on this link for more information about salvation.

 

If you continue to have questions or concerns about your salvation, find a Bible-believing church in your area.  The Pastor would be glad to share Christ and the way of salvation with you.   If you feel more comfortable communicating through email, you are always welcome to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. 

 

May the Lord bless you as you seek His truth.

 

 

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May the Lord bless your study of His Word.  Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”