Who Gets To Say, "That's Not The Voice Of The Shepherd?"

The songwriter in Psalm 84 wrote, "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of wickedness."^[1]  The impression might be that a doorkeeper is a lowly and humble vocation.  In 1 Chronicles 9:18–20 (ESV), we read:

"¹⁸ until then they were in the king’s gate on the east side as the gatekeepers of the camps of the Levites. ¹⁹ Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of his fathers’ house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, as their fathers had been in charge of the camp of the Lord, keepers of the entrance. ²⁰ And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the chief officer over them in time past; the Lord was with him."

The keeper of the door, in the Bible, is also known as the "porter".  He was a guard stationed at the entrance in case an unwanted person might enter and harm the sanctuary.  The duties of the gatekeepers are listed in 1 Chronicles 9:17, 21; 15:17–18, 23–24.  It implied in Psalm 84 that it is a humble job.  When Jesus taught on His role as Shepherd in John 10, He said,

““Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (John 10:1–3, ESV)

"The watchman or ‘porter’, probably a hired undershepherd recognizes the shepherd and opens the gate for him."^[2]   The speculation as to who this gatekeeper is abounds through Church literature[3].  Is it a lead angel like Michael?  Is it Mary?  Peter?  Local church pastors and elders?  Is it God, the Father, the Holy Spirit, or even Christ Himself?  A.W. Pink has a compelling take on this.  He comments:

"The 'porter' was the one who vouched for the shepherd and presented him to the sheep. As to the identity of the 'porter' in this proverb there can be no doubt. The direct reference was to John the Baptist who 'prepared the way of the Lord.' He it was who formally introduced the Shepherd to Israel: 'that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing' (John 1:31), was his own confession. But, in the wider application, the 'porter' here represented the Holy Spirit, who officially vouched for the credentials of the Messiah, and who now presents the Savior to each of God’s elect."[4]

I agree with Pink on this matter, except that I would interpret it this way:

·         The immediate historical context supports the notion that John the Baptist is in direct view.

·         Ultimately, the Holy Spirit, in this New Covenant era is the Gatekeeper.

·         Practically, the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God is delegated that responsibility to the Elders of Christ's church. (“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28, ESV))

Interestingly the task of the doorkeeper is to keep unwanted saviors out.  The sheep themselves who belong to Christ through election, recognize the voice of the Shepherd and follow Him.  The assumption of many that the psalmist was communicating a humble and lowly position may not be the best interpretation.  Perhaps what is being taught (as Spurgeon alludes to) is that door-keeping is a difficult task.  Many find fault with doorkeepers. Remuneration is often poor. It "is no easy and pleasing task".[5]

It is easy to follow the way of the wicked.  Rarely do difficult, unpopular decisions have to be made.  The "doorkeeper" – the Elders – of Christ's churches have a very thorny and disliked task. They often have to say, "That is not the voice of the Shepherd."  That is not an easy job!

Pray for your Pastor and Elders!

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ps 84:10). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[2] Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (pp. 382–383). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

[3] http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/john-10-3.html

[4] Pink, Arthur W., Exposition of the Gospel of John, Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1975, Page 104

[5] https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/spe/psalms-84.html

Important Lessons From the Caterpillar

This morning I drove to Bonnyville to visit a member of our church.  Looking at the hills filled with poplar trees gave me some hope.  About three weeks ago they were nearly bare.  You see this species called the malacosoma disstria has been decimating our trees, crawling through our yards and adjoining themselves to our houses.  The caterpillars feed as a colony until they leave the trees to pupate.   But today I saw a greenish tinge returning to the woods.  The poplar leaves were coming back.  It caused me to think of Joel 2:25 (NIV),

²⁵ “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm— my great army that I sent among you.

"Joel calls all the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem to lament and return to the Lord during a time of national calamity. This crisis is precipitated in the first instance by a locust plague that has destroyed both wine (1:5, 7, 12) and grain (1:10) and therefore threatens the ability of the people of God to present offerings in the temple (1:9, 13, 16)."^[1]   The major thought through this prophecy is the call of God to this nation to repent and return to Him.  "When locusts were understood as an instrument of divine punishment, repentance was the appropriate response (Deut. 28:38; Amos 7:1; Is. 33:4)."^[2]

Those who respond to the Lord in repentance after the chastening judgment of the locusts are promised blessings. "Specifically, four blessings are named: he answers their prayer; he satisfies their desires; he removes their reproach; he destroys their enemies."^[3]  "The promised restoration reverses the economic devastation from the locust invasion."^[4]

As Matthew Henry comments, "Though, in justice, he distrained upon them, and did them no wrong, yet, in compassion, he makes restitution; as the father of the prodigal, upon his return, made up all he had lost by his sin and folly, and took him into his family, as in his former estate."^[5]

What an amazingly merciful and loving response by our heavenly Father is portrayed for us who will repent and return to Him:

““But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:22–24, NIV).

With such a welcome, who would not wish to run back home and be restored to our Father, through Christ, by grace.  “Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed” (Joel 2:27, NIV).  "The restored fellowship would be attested by God's renewed designation of them as "my people." They need never again "be humiliated," whether by locusts (1:11) among the heathen (2:17), or before the whole world (cf. Isa 29:22; 49:22-23; 54:4). No, never again! Best of all, his people would know experientially the abiding presence of God himself, dwelling in their midst (cf. 2:17; 3:17, 21; Hos 11:9; cf. also Ezek 48:35)."[6]

As you see the poplars regaining their greenery remember the promise of our God: "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten." ^[7]  Repent and be restored.

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^[1] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1644). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[2] Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Joe 1:4). Nashville: T. Nelson.

^[3] Robertson, O. P. (1995). Prophet of the Coming Day of the Lord: The Message of Joel (p. 61). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

^[4] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Joe 2:18–3:21). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

^[5] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1499). Peabody: Hendrickson.

[6] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Joel/Exposition of Joel/I. Joel's Present Instructions: Based on the Locust Plague (1:1-2:27)/B. The Instructions: Based on the Locust Plague (1:5-2:27)/2. Warnings in the light of the coming conflict (2:1-27)/b. Joel's plea and prescription (2:12-27)/(2) The call to implore the God of grace (2:15-27)/(b) The response of God (2:18-27), Book Version: 4.0.2

^[7] The New International Version. (2011). (Joe 2:25). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

The Preventable Death of Robert Hall

I've been thinking a lot about the word "rescue" lately. Sparked by the outrageous murder of the Canadian Robert Hall.  Sadly his death has been overshadowed by the Orlando killings and the death of the imitable Gordie Howe.  The former dominating the headlines because LBGT news and ISIS news makes big news; and the latter because he was beloved by every sports fan, Canadian and American, alike.  You be hard pressed to find much on Robert Hall in today's news.

Is Hall's death any worse than the others?  Somewhat!  The Orlando killings were unexpected.  They were awful in their own right, to say the least. Howe's death was natural and expected.  All who die are valuable, no matter who they are. We grieve all deaths.  What makes my heart burn with outrage is that Hall's death was threatened for months and no government took meaningful action to try to resolve it.  Hall lived for months every day wondering if it was his last.  He was on death row with a random date of execution. His friend Canadian, John Ridsdel died similarly.  Hall knew that.

It seems that the best our government can do is voice their dismay.  That's not the biblical role of government.   Our Canadian government has only said what they would not do:  We will not pay ransom; we will not renegotiate.  In the end they implied: we will not take any decisive, determinative action to rescue one of our citizens. Like a disabled, disarmed, impotent force they sit and say, "Let's hope for the best!"  "Let's hope that somewhere in the heart of Abu Sayaf there will be a spark of righteousness emerge!"

Thousands of years ago a man by the name of Lot, the nephew of the infamous Abraham – father of the people of Israel, was taken captive by a consortium of military forces.  “When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Kedorlaomer’s army until he caught up with them at Dan. There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer’s army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.” (Genesis 14:14–16, NLT).

The notion of "rescue" is integral to Judeo-Christian thought.  The well-known king of Israel, David, considered the same course of action appropriate.  The Amalakites had raided and had taken captives included David's wives.  “David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. None of the Amalekites escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels. David got back everything the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives. Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back. He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock. “This plunder belongs to David!” they said.” (1 Samuel 30:17–20, NLT).

At the heart of the Gospel is the notion of rescue.   The Christian word is "redemption".   The God of the Bible is a God who redeems. God is called Israel's Redeemer  especially in Isaiah where "redemption" is a key metaphor ( 41:14 ; 43:1 ; 44:6 ; 47:4 ).  The heart of God is to redeem nations, to redeem people and even redeem individuals from distress, sickness and pain.  One would be blind to miss the reality that the central them of the Bible, from the Garden of Eden through to the coming of Christ is to take the initiative to act mercifully on behalf of those who cannot help themselves.  Romans 5:6–8 (NLT), reminds us that:

"⁶ When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. ⁷ Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. ⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

Our God is a God of Rescue.  He has ordained governments, heads of families, churches – His people to be a people of rescue.  “… He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.” (Isaiah 61:1, NLT).  The Gospel is the Good News that God rescues lost and captive people.  

Why History and Genealogies Are Important.

1 and 2 Chronicles form a unique part of our canon of Scripture.  The Septuagint gave direction to both the positioning of the books in our Old Testament (before Ezra—Nehemiah) and also the separating of the two books from one.  "Chronicles is the last book in the Old Testament in the Hebrew ordering of the Bible."^[1]  These two books include the genealogical tables from Adam to the time of Ezra, the history of Saul, David and Solomon, including the history of various kings in the kingdom of Judah from the division of the kingdom to the Babylonian captivity.  "Chronicles presents the people of God as organized around two central institutions, the Davidic throne and the Jerusalem temple."^[2]   For those of us who know our Biblical Theology we can readily see that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of both of those themes:

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”” (Luke 1:31–33, ESV)

“Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.” (John 2:19–22, ESV)

Why the history lesson?  These books are post-exilic, meaning they were written to the Israelites who lived through the Exile.  Perhaps like orphaned children there was a need to remind them of their roots. Or more specifically, to remind them that they do have roots.   The emphasis on the fact that they are part of God's plan for the ages was a good encouragement to them. "The Chronicler sought to address some urgent questions in his day concerning the identity of Israel and to instill fresh confidence in the people."^[3] It also answered questions as to why they went through the years of captivity.  "These books are intended to answer the questions that were surely at the front of everyone’s mind: Has God rejected us completely? Do we have a future with him? What confidence can we have that God still cares about us?"^[4]

The record of constant failures of kings and leaders would beg the question and permit the answer, "Does God's promise of a king still exist?"  The key verses are 2 Chronicles 7:17–18 (ESV),

¹⁷ And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, ¹⁸ then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’

"God chose to rule his people through the Davidic kings. The books of Chronicles show that when those kings fulfilled the demands of God’s law—the instructions for personal and communal life—God blessed his people with life, with meaning and purpose, with security and significance, and with clear direction. We can be encouraged in the fact that our Davidic king, Jesus Christ, has perfectly kept the covenant’s demands and so has achieved for us, his subjects, true life. As we follow our King, as faithful citizens of his kingdom, we will experience that life more and more."^[5]

History and genealogy give us a link to the past.  They connect us with God's promises.  They show us man's inability to live spiritually productive without Christ.  They humble us as we look to the only Hope that any person has: Jesus Christ.

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^[1] Evans, P. S. (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015). Chronicles, First and Second Books of. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

^[2] Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (1 Ch 1:1). Nashville: T. Nelson.

^[3] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 701). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

^[4] Williams, M. (2012). How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture (p. 53). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

^[5] Williams, M. (2012). How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture (p. 56). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Your Kingdom Shall Be Forever

Here’s an interesting detail in the history of Judah’s captivity.  In 2 Kings 25:27–30 (NIV), we read:

²⁷ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. ²⁸ He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. ²⁹ So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. ³⁰ Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.

This king came to the throne at the age of 18. He reigned 100 days!  He was the last direct heir to the Jewish crown.  He was taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. After 37 years in a Babylonian prison he was liberated as noted above. He was “permitted to occupy a place in the king’s household and sit at his table, receiving “every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life” (Jeremiah 52:32–34).^[1]

Fast forward to Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus and there we read:

“and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,” (Matthew 1:11–12, NIV)

Jehoiachin is called “Jechoniah” in Jesus’ genealogy.  “His release of the Judean king from prison in 561 b.c. gives the reader some hope that there is still a future for the Davidic line—that the words of 2 Sam. 7:15–16 are still true: “my steadfast love will not depart from him.… your kingdom shall be made sure forever.”^[2] So even after the captivity of Judah, God kept for Himself the royal line, the godly seed that would bring forth a Savior.

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^[1] Easton, M. G. (1893). In Easton’s Bible dictionary. New York: Harper & Brothers.

^[2] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 695). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

The Glorious Future for the Remnant

King Hezekiah sits in recorded history as a King of Judah that was like David in character and godliness.  He reformed Judean worship.  At the same time the Assyrian king Sennacherib’s army is knocking on the door of Jerusalem and preparing to take it captive, as he did to Samaria.  When King Hezekiah was aware of the precarious situation he sent word to the prophet Isaiah.  His messengers reported on behalf of the King:

This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. ⁴ It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.” ^[1]

The term that Hezekiah uses to describe those Jews still in Jerusalem is a deeply rooted, profound term.  He writes, "Pray for the remnant." Now he may have meant simply "those that have survived still remaining in Jerusalem."   But I would think that this godly king is using a more specific term here.  In layman's term, the technical use of the word "remnant" are those of the godly seed promised from Genesis 3:15 through the Patriarchs that remain faithful to God.  For example as this Bible Dictionary explains:

"The idea of a remnant surfaces in Genesis and appears throughout the Old Testament, developing more fully in the Prophets. In Genesis, Yahweh chooses Noah and his family as a remnant who will secure a future existence for humanity after the flood (Gen 7:23). The idea of a remnant appears again in the narratives of Joseph, when he tells his brothers that Yahweh sent him “to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors” (Gen 45:7 ESV) . . .  In Romans 9:27–29, the Apostle Paul quotes from Isa 10:22–23 and 1:9 when speaking about the remnant: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved” (ESV). The remnant will include Israelites who are children of the promise (Rom 9:8; see Rom 11:1, 3–5) as well as people from outside Israel who believe (Rom 9:24; 10:12; Gal 6:16)."^[2]

Sadly multitudes of Israelites would be cast off, separated from Christ, but a remnant would be saved.  God's sovereign choice of whom He will save is clearly seen through the Biblical story. We who believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior can, with great peace, rest in the fact that we belong to the “remnant.”  It is the remnant that is given the promises of God unto eternal life.   The Church neither became Israel, nor replaced Israel.  The Church is the fulfillment of the remnant that existed from the time of Adam and has flowered into a glorious people of all ethnicities, all in Christ, as Lord and Savior. Hezekiah's prayer was answered in Christ.  The remnant has and will survive, to the praise of His glorious grace.

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^[1] The New International Version. (2011). (2 Ki 19:1–4). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

^[2] Nierengarten, P. A. (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015). Remnant. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Help Them Blur All Lines of Distinction

MY DEAR WARMWUD [1],

My displeasure is aroused that you have failed me so miserably.  It has come to my attention that your patient has become a follower of Jesus, our Enemy.  It will be necessary for me to shower you with the usual consequence for such incompetence.  However there is no need to fall into despondency. As many of our Patient's friends are fond of saying, "There is more than one way to skin a cat."   We do have peculiar insight into the minds and habits of these patients.

There is an approach that I have found to work very well (Except in the case of our Enemy). It is useless to mount a frontal assault on such patients.  They have been given a unique sense of certain types of falsehood.  Have them, my dear Warmwud, focus on something that appeals to their nature; and more importantly, use every effort to ensure that this pleasing notion is true, but only partly true.  I have found that these followers of our Enemy are enamored by Oneness and Unity.  (As I inferred, the Enemy also desires this – in part.)

Your goal to help the Patient blur all lines of distinction.  You will rejoice when you hear them say that distinction divides.  It will prove to be essential to your operation that sincerity and personal-truth become more important than precision of thought.  Distract them from hair-splitting over such mundane issues as repentance, conversion, baptism, and holiness.  When they claim to believe in their Jesus, make sure they celebrate that announcement.  If they engage in discussions of who He is and what He is, change the topic to more unifying, pleasing themes.

Blur the lines between our Enemy's absolute power and will and the will of these patients.  Help them to see that the Enemy thinks so highly of them that He has displaced some of His authority into their safe keeping.  When you bump into people who are loyal to a variety of churches ensure that they see that loyalty naive.  Universal oneness is our goal, dear Warmwud.

Help your Patient to see that God's ultimate goal is to erase all lines of dissimilarity. A good place to focus is on the gender of these creatures.  Blending the sexes will prove to be very advantageous to our efforts. Applaud their efforts for peaceful co-existence and with any attempt for accuracy or precision, frustrate them to no degree.  You will be most pleased with the results.

Your affectionate uncle

SCRUTAIP

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1. With my apologies to C. S. Lewis, author of Screwtape Letters, MacMillan Company Inc., New York, NY, 1976