Ephesians 4:30 "On Grieving The Holy Spirit"

 

Becoming a Christian is the greatest privilege in all the world.  The experience of receiving peace with the God  who made us in His image, whose holiness we have assaulted, whose wrath we have incurred  as a result of the fall – this peace  by the forgiveness of our sin by Christ’s shed blood, applied  by  the inner working of the Holy Spirit  is, as we said an unspeakable privilege.  All this stunning information concerning our salvation forms part of Paul’s first part of the letter (Ch’s 1-3)  to the Ephesians. 

However, new privileges also mean new responsibilities. This is how he starts the second half of the letter (Ch’s  4-6)  –  which forms  the application….  “I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (4:1).  Becoming a Christian is a total renewal of our entire being, in which we will also one day be renewed in our bodies[1]. In the meantime the renewal of our sinful nature takes place. We are called to put off our old self (4:22) putting on “our new self, created after the holiness of God in true righteousness and holiness “(4:24). Becoming a Christian means to follow Christ wherever He leads. And part of that means that we need to be sensitive to the inner work of the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. We are now coming to a very thought provoking verse in Ephesians 4:30: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.“

NOTE on being “sealed with the Holy Spirit”

The Bible teaches that, upon conversion the Holy Spirit comes to indwell the believer and secures and preserves his eternal salvation. The ‘sealing’ of which Paul speaks refers to an official mark placed on a letter, contract, or other document. By this means a document became official, sealed by the authority of the person whose stamp was on the seal. The Holy Spirit is given by God as His pledge of the believer’s future inheritance in glory (cf. 2 Cor. 1:21). The Holy Spirit authenticates / testifies in our hearts that we are the children of God.

4 Observations  from our text

·          The Holy Spirit can be grieved in the church

·          Things that cause  the Holy Spirit to be grieved  in the church

·         The  implications  of grieving  the Spirit in the church

·         Could we  be grieving the Holy Spirit ?

1.         The Holy Spirit can be grieved in the church 

We begin by  looking  at 4  ways  in which the Holy Spirit  is said to be  grieved :

(i) Eph. 4:30  by grieving the Spirit (lypeo lit. causing pain to body or mind, inducing grief, sorrow or heaviness) 

(ii)  Acts 7:51 by resisting  the Spirit (antipipto lit. to  fall against ) The  martyr  Stephen accuses  the Jews, ”You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. “     

(iii) 1 Thess. 5:19 by quenching the Spirit  cf.”Do not quench the  Spirit” (sbennumi  used for quenching of fire;  the same  word is also used in Eph.  6:16  to denote the quenching  of the flaming arrows of the evil one).

(iv) By blaspheming  against  the Holy Spirit – (blasphemeo in  Mark 3:29  which relates to the unforgivable (eternal) sin  of which Jesus accuses the  teachers of the law. The sin of these people was of an ongoing nature as they kept on saying…. There is an air of finality about this offense against the Holy Spirit. The first three words do not have the same air of finality about them, but they are warning signals and indicators that the Holy Spirit is being grieved. When they become habitual they may well lead to the unforgivable sin.

The fact the Holy Spirit can be grieved, resisted, quenched and blasphemed makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is not a mere ‘influence’. He is a person, because only persons can feel these things.   Let us be reminded then that since He is the Holy Spirit, He is always grieved by unholiness.  This brings us to the next point.

2.         Things that cause the Holy Spirit to be grieved 

Here we are not left to do any guesswork. The context shows us HOW the Holy Spirit may be grieved in the church. Consider that which precedes and that which follows from our text in 4:30. Remember, that chapter 4 began with a reference to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace… there is one body and one Spirit …”.

The Holy Spirit is grieved  when  the unity  of the Spirit  in the church is  assaulted by  divisive  people (see 1 Tim 1:3-4; 4:1-3; 6:3-5; 2 Tim 2:14, 16,17; Titus 3:9-11). I don’t think that the church of the last 100 years has adequately meditated upon this verse. The division of the church in the last century has been shocking! I am not saying that division can always be avoided, or that it is not sometimes even necessary - particularly when relates to  upholdingprimary truth (1 Cor. 11:19). But the sad truth is that churches have divided on matters of secondary importance. We must not become guilty of this.  In Matt. 18:7 Jesus warns us, “Woe to the world for the temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one  by whom the temptation comes!”

The Holy Spirit is grieved when Christians refuse to put off old habits of life, and  fail  to demonstrate new patterns of godly living (4:20-25)

We also  see from our context  that the Holy Spirit is grieved when  people  cause division  through the improper use of their tongues (4:29).The Holy Spirit is grieved  when Christians  gossip, slander, belittle others  and  when  they  spread lies. If these things are not stopped among us it can become a negative church culture. 

The same is true when people are allowed to express ungodly anger in the church (4:26, 31).  The Holy Spirit is also grieved when bitterness (a deep root that defiles many- Hebr. 12:15) settles in the church.  He is grieved when there is unaddressed sexual immorality in the church. He is grieved when there is covetousness and obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking in the church  (5:3,4). These are all signs of idolatry, and no idolater will inherit the kingdom of heaven (5:5). These are all serious matters that ultimately reflect the true state of our heart. If you claim to be a Christian, claiming to be sealed by Him for the day of redemption, but your life shows no changes then you are indeed grieving the indwelling Spirit, and the church is affected by your behaviour.  When such things  control the church (and the church is made up of individuals),  the Spirit is grieved in the church.  We will speak about the implications in a moment. 

It is the duty of the elders as shepherds of the church to watch and pray, to  encourage and admonish  and warn and teach their flock  concerning  these things. The Scriptures for instance instructs elders to “warn a divisive person once, and then to warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him“ (Titus 3:10). As your pastors we plead with you not to receive this instruction in vain. 

# Your sin matters. 

Your sin as a church member affects us all.  From Joshua 7 (the sin of Achan) we learn that private sins have public effects. The whole nation of Israel suffered, because Achan sinned.  The whole human race today suffers because Adam sinned. The private sins of church members can have public effects on the life of the church. This brings us to the next point. 

3.         What are the implications of grieving the Spirit? 

(i)         The Holy Spirit withdraws: There are many examples in the Old Testament in which we read that the Lord withdraws from His people when they had sinned. When that happened, they always lost against their enemies (Ps. 44:9; Ps 60:10).  David was very aware of  the consequences of his own  sin after he had  committed adultery  with Bathsheba: “Do not  cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me“ (Ps. 51:11).

In the New Testament  we find that  this  same   Ephesian  Church,  some 30 years later,  was warned  by the Lord Jesus in His message to John  in Rev. 2:5 that He  would  remove their lampstand, should  they not listen what the Spirit had to say to the church.

When sin or unholiness (as previously described) is allowed to dominate the life of the church, and the elders or the church do nothing about it, the Holy Spirit withdraws. We may well continue with church activities, but there will be no spiritual power. Beware the church that is handed over by God! 

Our duty then  is to watch over one another, to pray and intercede for each other that we may not sin  against the Lord. Beloved congregation, pray that we will not grieve the Holy Spirit.  We are called to be a holy people.

(ii)        The Holy Spirit becomes our enemy: Isa 63:10  speaks about the Israelites,  who had enjoyed  the covenantal blessings and the love of  God  like no one else. Isaiah says, 10 But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned  to be their  enemy and himself fought against them.”   I have only one  comment to make at this point : If God is against us, who can be for us ? (Reversing the question in Rom 8:31)

4.         Application: Are we grieving the Holy Spirit in our church?

A checklist is here before us in Eph. 4 – 5:18.  Please take some time on this Lord’s day and examine yourselves in the light of His Word.  

Psalm 4:4 challenges us, “Ponder in your own hearts on your beds and be silent”.

Remember also that we are corporately responsible for the spiritual health of this congregation.  No one ever sins in isolation.  Your private sin has public effects (see Joshua 7) - firstly on your families, and then on the church, and even on public life. Don’t be complacent concerning these things. The church cannot be complacent in these matters.

Right  now let us  allow to take  a few minutes as we search our hearts and are silent,  as we  come to the Lord’s table.

 

 

 

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[1] 1 Corinthians 15:35-49

Ephesians 4:29 "The use of the Tongue"

We continue our thoughts on the general subject of Practical Christianity through the lens of Ephesians 4. 

We now turn to Eph. 4:29 which addresses the matter of speech or the use of the tongue. Speech is one of the primary characteristics that set us apart from the animals: “Let no corrupting (lit. sapros – rotten) talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear ."

Our tongue is clearly an important part of our Christian testimony. Paul writes to Timothy, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity"[1 Tim. 4:12]. 

Paul reminds us that the Christian life is characterised by purity and godliness, since we are created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph.4:24). 

In Eph. 5:1 we are called to be imitators of God. 

Brothers and sisters, God is holy and pure, and we are called to imitate Him in His holiness and purity, by means of the grace and faith which we have received when we became believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to constantly submit our bodies to God. He must guide our hands, our feet, our eyes, our ears and our mouths. 

Remember also that everyone you speak to will spend eternity somewhere, and it is the Christian’s responsibility to lovingly reflect Jesus to people. We need to be constantly reminded of these things. 

As we look at this text we note yet again the typical pattern of Paul’s dealing with all these issues. He states the life problem (negatively) “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths…“ before he gives a direction (positively) “….but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. “ 

He does not take away, without putting something in place. Let us consider the subject by following his approach. 

1. DO NOT …! "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths"

Many TV sitcoms, sadly, thrive on situations where husbands and wives, parents and children, or co- workers talk each other down! Some of you will remember the BBC sitcom “Fawlty Towers”. It is very funny until you think further about it. Basil Fawlty, the owner of a hotel essentially thrives on being loud and abusive. His wife Sybil is no better. She constantly talks him down. It is sad, isn’t it that we laugh at something that reflects essentially negative behaviour. In truth, none of us likes to be talked down, and if this is so we should not be endorsing or laughing at shows where people put each other down. 

• The tongue gives expression to our mind, will and emotion. 
• It is clearly deeply affected by our fallen nature. 
• The tongue is not naturally well - behaved. 
• There are few parts of our body that give more of a foothold to Satan than the tongue. In fact, most of our sins are in our words. 

As we consider our text in particular and the Scriptures in general, we note how our speech has been affected adversely. 

In our immediate context in Ephesians 4 we note that the tongue...

 

in 4:25 … is used for lying; misrepresenting the truth. 

In 4:29 … is used for tearing others down, rather than building them up. 

In 4:31 … is used to express bitterness, rage, anger... slander. 

In 5:4 … is used for obscenity, foolish talk; coarse joking... 

In general, the letter of James teaches us concerning the use and abuse of the tongue 

 • James 1:26: " If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. “ That is strong language! But is that not the truth? Can one be a Christian and use one's tongue indiscriminately? 

 • James 3:1-12: “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. “

James makes the powerful point that the tongue, though it is a small part of the body, it has great capacity to create huge consequences. Let us learn to control it.

A little story illustrates the powerful damage that may be caused by the tongue. The story is told of a woman who had spread a slanderous story about another person in the village in which she lived. Soon the entire village had heard it. Sometime later she confessed that the story was untrue. She asked for forgiveness. The offended person answered: "Of course I must forgive you, if you will comply with a wish of mine." "Gladly," replied the woman. The other person said, “Take a bag of feathers and go through the village, and at each corner, scatter a few of these feathers…" She did so, and when she returned she was told, “Now go through the village and gather the feathers again…” The woman looked at the other person in astonishment and said, “That's impossible; the wind has scattered them over the fields everywhere!" The person answered, "That’s right - and that's the damage done through your slanderous speech. While I gladly forgive you, do not forget that you can never undo the damage your untrue words have done. " 

That is the message of James 3:1-12. The tongue can do irreparable damage. God forgives, and so must we, no matter how great the offense, but the damage remains. There are some things that can never be completely undone, even while forgiveness is freely granted. The scars may last a lifetime. For the offended person it is important to "…get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger" – WHY? Because wrong things can be so easily said and done in return. 1 Peter 3:9 says that we should not return insult for insult, but give a blessing instead. This is what Jesus demands of us. 

Here are some aspects of negative speech that we should avoid.

 

Be careful to label people…. he / she is a so and so. 

Be careful to use sarcasm, ridicule, and mockery. 

Be careful to use exaggeration and words such as, “you always” or “you never.” Be careful to grumble and complain. We are called to do all things without grumbling or complaining (Phil. 2:14). 

Be careful to use destructive criticism. 

Be careful to speak under the influence of anger. We saw in 4:26, 27 that anger needs to be carefully controlled. 

Be careful to argue for arguments sake or to win an argument. 

Be careful of every kind of deception, lying and manipulative speech. 

Be careful not to indulge in gossip and slander. Do not use profanity, and especially do not use the Lord’s Name in vain (e.g. O my God). Do not engage in filthy talk, foolish talk or crude joking (cf. 5:3, 4) 

 (ii) DO!  "...but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

At the same time we must not presume that we are not to use our God- given tongue. Clearly, the tongue also has healing powers. The tongue has much potential to do well. What we say has so much potential for bringing healing. Our mouths can be true means of God’s grace! 

Think of the times when you had spoken to someone, and when they said: “Thank you for saying that – it meant a lot to me… it helped me … it turned me from a wrong path … it encouraged me … comforted me … rebuked me … warned me etc.

The book of Proverbs affirms that the tongue may have a wonderfully positive effect: 

 • Prov. 10:20 “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver… 

 • Prov. 12:25 “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. “ 

 • Prov. 15:2 “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.” 

 • Prov. 15:4 “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” 

Paul gives the Ephesians positive and helpful counsel on how to use the tongue: 

• Eph. 4:25 …to speak truthfully. 

• Eph. 4:29 …to speak according to that which is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 

• Eph. 4:31 …to be kind and compassionate to one another. 

• Eph. 5:4 … to use your tongue for thanksgiving. 

Build others up through frequent encouragement, praise, appreciation and gratefulness: “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thess. 5:11). 

Let your speech be seasoned by the fruit of the Spirit - love, patience, peace, kindness, gentleness. 

When you need to correct someone do it in the same spirit. 

Never lash out, even if the person is in the wrong. 

Pray about your response and think how to help the other person to grow in Christ. 

Every pastor and every Christian should know and practice 2 Timothy 2:24-25, “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth." 

Our text suggests in particular that we speak,  “…but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. “ 

Ask yourself therefore: 

Am I building others up? 

Is my mouth a means of grace? 

Am I meeting a need with the words that are coming out of my mouth? 

Am I building up the faith of the people who listen to me? 

You see, it is not just a matter of avoiding dirty (rotten) words. 

It is not just about training ourselves to engage in positive speech which can simply end in flattering others. 

We are called to train ourselves in constructive, up-building speech. 

Learn to leave others behind in a better shape than you find them. That is the Christian extra! 

May the Lord Himself sanctify our tongues through and through, so that in all our speaking we may give glory to His Name, for that is the purpose for which we have been created.

Genesis 49 : Jacob blesses his 12 sons

 

In chapter 48 we saw Jacob blessing Joseph’s sons. The story of Joseph, the 11^th son of Jacob is interwoven into the greater story of Jacob. Jacob is the key character of Genesis. He is the father of the 12 sons who will eventually form the nation of Israel. It is the story of God’s providence, rooted in His covenantal faithfulness. It is this faithfulness that keeps this family, and ultimately all God’s people against all human odds. That which God had promised to Abraham in 12:1ff  - namely  that He would make his family into  great nations, begins to find fulfilment in the 12 tribes of Israel.   It will be 400 years before  they will come into the land  promised on oath  to Abraham. 

This passage divides into two sections:

·         49:1-27 The prophetic word / blessing of Jacob for each of his sons.

·         49:28-33 Final  words  and death of Jacob

 1.      49: 1-27 PROPHETIC WORDS AND BLESSING

·         Other examples of  fathers who spoke  final words to their sons : Noah (Gen. 9:24-28); Isaac (Gen. 27); Moses (Deut. 33), Joshua (Josh.24),  Samuel  (1 Sam.12)

In this chapter we find Jacob having a personal word with each one of his sons. It reads more like a prophecy: “That I may tell you what shall happen in days to come”.  Jacob is thus looking into the future – even the distant future as we shall see.  It also rests on present observations concerning the 12 sons.  Most of it shall happen, not in the lifetime of these 12 men, but as these tribes develop, and especially over four hundred years later when their tribes enter into the land of Canaan. Some of his words anticipate the  coming of the great Son of David - our Lord Jesus Christ! 

We will consider  what  Jacob  has to say to each one of his sons  in turn, before we close with some vital observations and applications for our own  use.  The list of sons are chronological (i.e. as they are born).

1.      49:3-4 Reuben

Reuben, born to Leah is acknowledged as the first born. As such he possesses dignity and pre-eminence. And yet Reuben has done an unthinkable thing in Genesis 35:22. He had slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah- the mother of his brothers Dan and Naphtali (Gen.  30:3-8). Though nothing is said in Genesis 35, this matter was not forgotten. In his parting words Jacob makes his displeasure strongly known. He says that Reuben is as unstable as water (49:4). Reuben has  a strong character flaw. He fails to control himself. He is unstable. And because of this Reuben would have no pre-eminence. In  1 Chronicles  5:1-2,  we see that he forfeited  his first born status  to the sons  of Joseph. As we survey the Bible we see  that his tribe produced  no prophet, judge or king.  No great leaders of Israel came out of Reuben.  Although he remains a son of Jacob, and a member of the tribe of Israel, sin has robbed him of  his status as  firstborn. We have seen this same tendency with Esau in Gen. 25:29ff.

2.       49: 5-7 Simeon and Levi.

Simeon and Levi, are the 2^nd and 3^rd born sons of Leah. They too did a horrible thing in Genesis 34.  Jacob makes it clear that they acted contrary to God’s Word when they mercilessly killed the Shechemites, following the rape of their sister Dinah. There is a difference between a God-ordained warfare (e.g. Abraham in Gen. 14- repossessing Lot; and  the conquest of Canaan under Joshua) and a massacre which is based upon a desire for vengeance. God alone makes that distinction.  Simeon and Levi stepped over the line by their violence.   We shall see that both of these tribes were divided and scattered in Israel. The tribe of Simeon actually became absorbed into Judah. It disappeared. The tribe of Levi was scattered throughout Israel (they possessed no territory of their own) and eventually became the priestly clan  of the land. In fact in time they were rewarded for their loyalty at a time of national apostasy (Ex. 32:26-29 – the golden calf episode; Num. 18:1-6; 35:1-8) 

3.       49:8-12  Judah

Judah, whose name means praise ….”Your brothers shall praise you…” (49:8)  becomes the subject  of the most remarkable prophecy.  It stretches far into the future.  To him Jacob  not  only speaks of the dominion that Judah would have over  their enemies  (particularly under David and Solomon) and over the other tribes of Israel, but this portion points forward to the  reign of  Christ- the Messiah- the Lion of Judah from the root of David.

Those who rule in Judah  will do so “until tribute comes to Him…” (49:10b)  lit. “until Shiloh comes”. To this future ruler all nations will gather in obedience.   His reign will be marked by great prosperity. This is conveyed poetically through the image of a young donkey tied  to a choice vine and clothing washed in wine. This is the richness and the prosperity associated  with the days of the Messiah. He washes His garments in wine.  This passage is also related to Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a foal of a donkey (Mk 11:1-10). One of Israel’s symbolic names was  “the Vine”. Jesus  was indeed  tied to Israel. He sought the lost sheep in Israel.

One more thing. The fact that Judah is chosen for this is not because there was anything meritorious in him- there wasn’t. The story of Judah in Genesis  38 doesn’t make pretty reading.  Judah’s unique blessing was not because he was more worthy.  His appointment was by the grace of God alone. This was the sovereign will of God.  (see Ps. 78:67-68)

4.      49:13 Zebulun

Zebulun  (6^th son of Leah name means ‘ dwelling’) shall dwell at the shore of the sea. This tribe would be prosperous through its association with Sidon, a prosperous neighbouring coastal people and a seafaring nation.

 5.      49: 14-15 Issachar 

Although Issachar (5^th son of Leah) was before Zebulun he follows Issachar here.  Issachar, we are told became  a servant / slave to others.  The  reason  given may be  that being settled in a  good and pleasant land  he relaxed too soon / became complacent. A people  addicted to good things and easy living may become addicted to  their  ease and become soft.  They invite others to rule over them.

The sons of the servants, Bilhah and Zilpah  49:16-21

6.      49: 16-17 Dan

Dan (firstborn of Bilhah;  his name means judge)  shall judge his people. His tribe was the smallest in Israel. He produced one of the judges of Israel, Samson. Dan was “a serpent in the way” – treacherous, not a nice  guy.  The people of Dan are mentioned in  Judges 18,  and  are associated  with  the stealing of Micah's idols and share thus in that particular plague and sin. Significantly Dan is not mentioned among  the tribes of Israel in Revelation7: 5-8.  Is this  an indication of  judgment on the tribe of Dan? In the light of that it  seems  that  Jacob’s prayer in 49:18  is an  indication  of  his exasperation: "I wait for your salvation O LORD." Perhaps Jacob knows Dan’s  devious  heart, and he is praying to God for  future mercy.

7.      49:19 Gad

Gad (first born of  Zilpah)  settled in the Transjordan  with the half tribe of Manasseh and  Reuben. In this region  he would be the victim of border raids by Midianites, Ammonites and Arabs. But we are told that he would overcome even in that adversity and he would raid those who raid him, and would succeed. The tribe of Gad became skilled warriors and helped David  (1 Chron.12:8)

8.      49: 20 Asher

Asher (second son of Zilpah – “the lucky or fortunate one”)  was going to be situated  along the seacoast north of Mt.Carmel- one of the most fruitful areas in the promised land. His land  would provide food fit for a king.  

9.      49:21 Naphtali

Of Naphtali (2^nd son  of Bilhah – “wrestling”) it is said that he is  like a deer let loose, bearing beautiful fawns. He is associated with Deborah and Barak as they served as judges in Israel.  Maybe Judges 5, and the song of Deborah,  fulfills that particular prophecy.

The sons of Rachel

10.   49: 22-26 Joseph

Jacob speaks of Joseph (first son of Rachel)  being a fruitful bow. But Jacob also thinks of what Joseph's brothers had done to him, and what the Egyptians had done to him.  He remembered the trial and tribulation that Joseph went through, and yet he prevailed. But no sooner could he speak of Joseph prevailing, than he has to trace the source of Joseph's success right back to  the  God who is the shepherd, God who is the stone, God who is the almighty, the  God who is the God of His fathers. That is the source of Joseph's ability to prevail. And so Jacob rehearses the names of God. He pronounces specific blessings on Joseph and his sons. Jacob acknowledges that his blessings upon Joseph have exceeded the blessing that he had been given by his  father  Isaac. Ephraim will become the biggest tribe.

11.   49:27  Benjamin.

As the last born son of Rachel, the loved wife of Jacob, Jacob has a formidable word for him,  perhaps hinting at the violent actions of the tribe of Benjamin in Judges 19-21. And yet, many great men came out of Benjamin. Ehud, the judge was from Benjamin. Saul, the first king of Israel, was from Benjamin.  Paul, the apostle  was of the tribe of Benjamin.

2.      49: 28-33  JACOB’S FINAL WORDS 

“This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.”  (49:28) This   verse provides us with an interpretative  key to the approach  Joseph took: He blessed them! And blessing means speaking God’s truth over His sons. Blessing does not ignore sin. Jacob mentions their sin and weaknesses  and  warns  his offspring that they need to  remember their sinful histories  and inclinations.   These things were not spoken to a perfect  people. These were fallen Adam’s sons  after all.  And please note  that the covenant promises of God, the love and the favour and the mercy of God  are not withheld  from any of them. That is the chiefest of blessing! These 12 sons are  God’s  chosen people, and He chose them not because they were  good, but because He loved them (see Deut. 7:7,8).He chose them for His own sake. From them, and  from the tribe of Judah would come the lion  of Judah, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer  who would ultimately purchase  a people for Himself. 

Remember then  that the Word of God comes to us unworthy men and women against the very same background: “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us !” (Rom. 5: 8)

With all this  in mind then, Jacob pointed them to  the promised land. He requires his sons to  bury him in that promised land here symbolised by   Machpelah  where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah, and Leah are buried. 

We are reminded that far beyond that promised land lies  THE promised land  with the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God (Hebr. 11:10). Abraham was looking for that city! So 49:10 is the key  verse  which reminds us  that all this is far beyond the land of Canaan. It looks to the time when Judah's reign will be extended infinitely in the reign of Shiloh. Christians from the earliest times have recognized as the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Shiloh.

EPHESIANS 4:28 "CONCERNING THE CHRISTIAN WORK ETHIC"

 

We continue our thoughts on Practical Christianity through the lens of Ephesians 4. 

We now consider the matter of the Christian work ethic. The  goal of the Christian’s work ethic  is  in line with the  two great commandments -  for the praise of God  and for  the good and  benefit  of mankind. [Mk. 12:29-31]

In 4:28  Paul writes,   “Let the thief no longer steal , but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with  anyone  in need.”   He says three things:

1.      Concerning the past:   “Let the thief no longer steal“

2.      Concerning the present: “but rather let him labours, doing honest work with his own hands”. This statement is at the heart of our deliberation.

3.      Concerning the future:   “share with those who are in need”.

I remind you then that we, the church, are a people with an imperfect past[1] but with a present ability, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, to live productive lives into the future. The Christian man and woman is no longer a slave of their past. You have been transformed through the work of Christ, by the indwelling Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father.  “Having learned the truth as it is in Jesus you have been enabled to put off your old self which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (4:21-24). Let us say this again: Christians by virtue of their new birth have received an ability to change.  We have previously seen that Christians have ability to put away falsehood and to speak the truth; Christians have the ability to be righteously angry and not sin.   And today Paul asserts that Christians are  equipped with  a diligent work ethic  to produce all they need AND  even  to share  with others  who are in need.

1.      Concerning the past:  “Let the thief no longer steal …”

“Do not steal any longer”...This may be a surprising start to this subject, but think about this.  A managing director of a  large business  sent out this message to his employees: “Sometime between starting work and finishing work, without infringing on lunch breaks, coffee breaks, rest periods, story-telling  and the rehashing  of yesterday’s television  programs, and  holiday planning, daydreaming, we ask  that each  employee try to find  some time for a work break!“  You laugh! But this brings the whole matter of stealing a little closer to our own door, doesn’t it?  The Pareto principle[2]  is based on a general observation,  that  20% of our work  time  will achieve  80% of our results. There is no particular spiritual wisdom in that, but it is a shrewd observation of how things are in life. An average person working a 9 hour day may actually only work 1 hr 48 minutes (20% of 9 hrs) towards accomplishing what they are asked to do. It is of course a generalisation, and there are exceptions. There are people who take this to the other extreme. We call them workaholics. They steal time in a different way –they steal it from their spouses and children.  

So then,  as we think about  a Christian work ethic let us think a little more about  this obstacle  and how we steal, remembering also that the law of God teaches us that stealing is sin (Ex.20:15).

Here are some more examples of stealing:

Stealing happens when employers rob their employees of a fair wage (James 5:4[3]). It happens when employees give poor work service or who waste time or resources at work (cf. Eph.6:7, Titus 2:9, 10[4]). Stealing happens when we are not punctual for our appointments, for in doing so we waste other people’s time.  Stealing happens when we don’t pay people in exchange for their services. Stealing happens when using pirated software, and when we withhold taxes, and when we do not return borrowed items.  

At an even profounder level, we may also steal from God when we withhold our spiritual gifts, and talents and services which we promised to God. And we must remember that God instituted the tithe in the Old Testament as a reminder to the people that it was God who was blessing the work of their hands (Lev. 27:30; Num.18:28–29). Withholding that was tantamount to robbing God (Mal. 3:6-15).  So then, when we speak about a Christian work ethic, we must begin here, for the concept of an ethic presupposes integrity, honesty, diligence.

But where does this inclination of stealing in its many faceted forms come from?  

Jesus says in Matt.15:19, "Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”  The desire to steal ultimately comes from a bad or corrupt heart.  

How does one deal with a bad heart?  The answer is, “There must be a heart transplant”.  And again we must return to the gospel of Jesus and the difference it makes. Our old hearts must be exchanged. The old heart of stone must be exchanged by a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26). This is what the new birth is all about. And we find this all explained in Ephesians 1- 3, which is a profound exposition of God and His change producing work in this fallen world. When we receive that new heart, we receive new abilities. Those abilities mean that we are able to put off our old nature in all its negative forms! In this process we are not on a DIY, or self- improvement course. We are in the hands of the holy God whose grace saved us and whose grace is always sufficient. This holy God is a jealous God. He will not suffer our lies, and our unrestrained anger and poor work ethics. He promises to hear us when we call out to Him for help and when we desire to obey His commandments.

How does this affect my subtle stealing habits?  I live by faith and dependence upon the God who helps me. How else could David pray in Psalm 141:4 “Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity…?”  David was deeply aware that his old nature could only be conquered by living in moment by moment dependence upon the God who made him.  And so too, we as a Christian man or woman can say with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20.)  And if I live by the Spirit (i.e. in dependence of God, and not by the flesh) I will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Gal. 5:16)

2.      Concerning the present: “Labour – do honest work with your own hands!”

This is the positive side of things, and we begin with another reminder that our life must be driven by the truth as it is in Jesus.  Truth is rooted in good theology, starting in the book of Genesis. Mankind is created in God’s image (Gen.1:27). Part of that means that we do what God  does. God creates and works. God created human beings to work. The first instruction God gave Adam was to work in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15).  Work was given before sin entered the world and therefore work is  good. Adam was created to enjoy his work. It is part of his essential being.  Work was not a result of the fall, but the fall made work more difficult (Gen. 3:17–19).

Work provides meaning. It gives us a reason to get up in the morning.  Through our work we glorify God:  “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”(Col. 3:23).  Through work we provide for our basic needs and help others who may be unable to work (Eph. 4:28).   From  1 Timothy 5:8 we learn that  people who neglect to provide for their families were considered ‘worse than unbelievers’. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”

A strong work ethic is confirmed, with warnings concerning slackness. Paul  said that those who refused to work should not be allowed to eat (2 Thess. 3:10). Paul, as an apostle and  therefore a pioneer worker for the gospel reminded the churches that, even though he had the right to earn his living solely from his ministry to them, he also worked as a tentmaker to provide for himself (Acts 18:3; 20:34; 1 Thess.2:9). Jesus had an occupation.  He was a carpenter (Mk.6:3). For the first years of His adult life, Jesus would have worked with his earthly father, Joseph, as a carpenter. But before that, in eternity, Jesus was instrumental in the work of creation of the universe and our world. And who can forget His work on the cross for us?   Jesus was a worker. “My Father is working until now, and I am working.“ (John 5:17)

In our work then we bear the image of God. And therefore we ought to do it in a godly way.

3.      Concerning the future:   “share with those who are in need.”

This is not the end of the story.  Paul is not only concerned to be done with stealing in its various forms. He is not only concerned with a God-glorifying perspective of work.  Our Christian faith teaches us that we do not live for ourselves but we live also for others. We also work to give! This is what makes God centred Christianity so extra- ordinary!  It is the faith of the extra[5]. God’s purpose for His people is not reached when they simply work hard and make an honest living. God’s goal for His people is that they may meet their legitimate needs and that they can share with those in need.  Christians are not only people that are delivered from greed and stealing. And Christians do not simply just work to get rich and comfortable.  Christians are also mindful of others – particularly those that are in need in the household of faith.  In the Old Testament, God gave the Israelites specific instructions about how to do their work. He also gave instructions about providing for those who had less: “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 23:22).

One more thing! God is more interested in relationship with us than in what we do. For this reason God instituted the Sabbath at the beginning of creation. He did the work of creation for six days and then ceased from work. God, of course, needs no rest.  But it is a divine principle, by which He teaches us not to make a god of our work. We need a day of rest in Him.  Though the specific laws regarding the Sabbath no longer apply to NT believers, and since we know that  the Sabbath was made for man (Mk. 2:27), we embrace it as a gift  to rest in our  Lord.

May our life speak  to the praise of His glorious Name- particularly in the  matter of our work ethics.

 

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[1] 1 Cor.1:26,  6:9-11

[2] The Pareto principle is named after economist Vilfredo Pareto, who discovered this pattern in his studies of wealth distribution in societies.

[3]  James 5:4 “Behold, the wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.”

[4] Titus 2:9,10  “Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour.”

[5] see  Jesus ‘ teaching in Matt  5:38-47  on the “ Christian extra”