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Give Attention to Reading

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The law God gave to the Israelites through Moses often gives emphasis to the need for it to be read aloud. Moses commanded the law to be read at the end of every seven years, so that all may hear and fear God (Deut. 31:10-13). Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses at Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal (Josh. 8:33-35). When a copy of a book of the law was found, Josiah repented and had the words of the Law read in the hearing of all the people (2 Kings 23:1-3). After the exile, Ezra along with some assistants read and explained the law to the people so that they understood (Neh. 8:5, 7, 8).

If the law of Moses was to be read aloud, how much more important it is for the last will and testament of Jesus Christ to be read aloud? We should pay even closer attention to the New Testament as it is a great salvation spoken by the Lord Himself (Heb. 2:1-4). Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31, 32). The words Jesus has spoken are spirit and life (John 6:63). As Peter recognized, we can go to no other than Jesus for the words of eternal life (John 6:68). God has indeed spoken to us by His Son, and we must hear Him (Matthew 17:5; Hebrews 1:1, 2).

Jesus said those who read publicly are blessed as well as those who “hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3). Paul wanted the letters to Colossae and Laodicea to be exchanged and read aloud” (Col. 4:16). First Thessalonians came with a solemn charge that it was be read before all the holy brothers (1 Thess. 5:27). Why? Because what Paul wrote were the commandments of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 14:37). The one who has the commandments of Jesus and keeps them truly loves the Lord (John 14:15, 21). When the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ—which was revealed to Paul who wrote to congregations and individuals—was read then people could understand (Eph. 3:3, 4). Paul exhorted Timothy to public reading of Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13). The first-century custom seems to have been reading aloud even in private as Philip heard the Ethiopian eunuch reading Isaiah (Acts 8:30). The Ethiopian was traveling in his own private chariot and yet still read aloud.

Spoken messages as well as writings were being given by the apostles in the first century as the New Testament was being produced (2 Thess. 2:2, 15). Now, God has preserved for us the faith, the whole system of truth, in the writings, or Scriptures, written in the first century (Jude 3).  It is serious to fail to obey the written apostolic instruction of the letters of the New Testament (2 Thess. 3:14). Why? The apostles were guided by the Spirit in being reminded of all Jesus taught while on earth as well as being guided in all truth, including many things the disciples of Jesus could not bear while He was on earth (John 14:26; 16:12, 13). Thus, the words of every book of the New Testament are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The public reading of the Scriptures is tremendously important. We are thankful for the young men of the congregation who take this responsibility so seriously and do such a fine job of reading God’s word before His people.

 

-Mark Day

Spiritual Blessings from the Father’s Promise

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The nation of Israel had the privilege of adoption (Romans 9:4). As God’s firstborn, the nation was protected and greatly blessed under the former covenant (Exodus 4:22). However, after Israel broke the covenant (Jeremiah 31:32), God in His love sent His only Son to die so that all would have the opportunity to enter a relationship with God the Father (John 3:16-18; 1 John 4:7-10).

One becomes a child of God by being born of God. In Galatians 3, Paul discussed the blessings of sonship and explained, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (vv. 26-27). To be in Christ means I am an heir of God’s promise (Galatians 3:29). Even if one is an Israelite, a physical descendant of Abraham, a new birth is still absolutely required to be in Christ’s kingdom. To Nicodemus, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). He further explained, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:5-7). This is the way that all families of the earth are blessed through Abraham’s seed (Genesis 12:3); the Seed is Christ (Galatians 3:16) in whom all spiritual blessings are found (Ephesians 1:3).

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

When Isaac, Abraham’s child of promise, finally came, a great feast was held in celebration (Genesis 21:8). However, Abraham’s son Ishmael, who was fourteen years older than Isaac (Genesis 17:24, 25; 21:5), mocked Isaac (Genesis 21:9). Ishmael was soon cast out along with his mother Hagar, an Egyptian slave, because Sarah saw them as rivals (Genesis 21:10-14). While the reader’s heart goes out to Hagar and Ishmael, God made a point here about His purpose for blessings and sonship. In response to Judaizing teachers who were trying to bring Christians under the bondage of the law of Moses, Paul appealed to the account of Hagar and Sarah (Galatians 4:21-31). While space forbids exploring much of what is said in this section, the thought of verses 28-31 is interesting:

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

God fulfilled His promise to make us free from our sins by His Son Jesus Christ so that we can truly know Him (Jeremiah 31:34). There is a sharp difference between the world and its children (children of the flesh) and God’s children (John 1:11, 12; 8:19, 31-47; 1 John 3:1, 10; 4:4-6; 5:1-2, 19, 20). Those of the flesh may still continue to persecute us today as fleshly Israel persecuted spiritual Israel in the first century. It may have taken longer for God’s promise to be realized than the quick results of the flesh, but the faith to continue to wait on God always results in far greater blessings than the flesh could ever provide (Romans 4:14-24). The flesh equals bondage, corruption, and being cast away from the Father because of condemnation under His law. The Spirit, however, means freedom, inheritance, and abiding forever in the Father’s kingdom because of His promise. Which will you choose to follow, the pull of the flesh or the teachings of the Spirit?

 

-Mark Day