Comments for April 9

v. 5 - Let us learn from this reaction. When we have a request/dispute etc. of which we are not sure of the answer, then we should bring it before the Lord - and examine scripture very carefully and especially very open-mindedly, so as to discover the judgement of God on the issue. We should at all times, like Moses, take our causes before the Lord. Every practice that we involve ourselves in, be it individually or together, should be tested against this yardstick. Ex.18:16-19, 25:22, Lev.24:12,13. Prov.3:5,6.

v. 8 - 11 This reads so much like a precise legal document which of course is what it was. Whereas we might write an individual will incorporating our own preferences what we find here is a Divine will for the transferring of the most important asset - inheritance in the land - which all had to abide by.

v.16 - Moses' reaction as always was unselfish. He thought not of himself - he makes no plea for his life or for a change in God's mind - but is concerned for the people being left leaderless. This man is such a wonderful example.

27:18-23 By now Moses knew that he would not be allowed to enter the land of Canaan. A lesser man would have baulked at appointing a successor. However Moses was no such 'lesser man' he was God's servant - (Numbers 12:7 etc: so he appointed Joshua as his successor - 'as the LORD commanded' (27:23)

:18 Maybe that Joshua was to be the successor was not too surprising - after all he had been Moses' minister for the whole of the wilderness journey (Exodus 24:13) - humanly speaking his successor would have been his eldest son but God selects according to His choice. We should be so grateful that He works like this We have been called, not according to birth but according to His election.

There is a similarity between the daughters of Zelophehad 27:1 and Joshua Josh 17:4 they were both concerned with their inheritance in the land of Canaan. Just as Zelophehad had not rebelled in the uprising of Korah - which followed hard on the refusal to enter the land the first time - nor had Joshua. This provides an explanation as to why these two seemingly unrelated events are placed close to each other in the record.

V.20  In the whole history of Israel there arose no prophet or ruler in all respects like unto Moses until Christ appeared. Joshua was honoured and qualified through the special service of Eleazar, who asked counsel for him before the LORD.

Moses asked God to set another leader over Israel, after his own death, so that "the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd." Num 27:17)  Joshua prefigured Jesus. He announced "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth   his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)

Yahweh had given Israel the Law within which to operate.
It was very intricate and detailed.  And yet there were applications which were not spelled out completely.

Such is the case of the succession of inheritance to daughters.

Yahweh with His perfect wisdom could have included this in the Law but chose not to. 

It seems that, even in a rigid Law, Yahweh leaves room for adaptation and amendment.  He shows that He is approachable and will consider requests.

We are not governed by the Law, but are privileged to be able to approach Our Heavenly Father through prayer in Jesus' Name.  Let us take full advantage of this and lay out our praises, sins, fears, and requests before Him.

V.16 The request was most suitably made to God, as the creator and sustainer, the author of all intellectual gifts and graces with which men are endowed, who can raise up qualified persons for the most arduous duties and the most difficult situations.

27:17    the ‘sheep which have no shepherd’ is how Jesus describes Israel – Mark 6:34. Joshua was appointed Israel’s leader in Numbers 27. Jesus, the second ‘Joshua’ takes the role as shepherd in Mark.

A NEW SHEPHERD
 
Ultimately the time comes, sooner or later, for a change in leadership. After forty years leading Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness and to the borders of the Promised Land, God declared that the time had come for Moses to die. Moses did not complain about God's decision, but his one thought was for God's people. His request to God was this: "May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd." (Num 27:16-17)
 
As a Christian leader in whatever circumstances we find ourselves leading in - our church, our place of work, community groups, Sunday schools, youth groups and even families, the time will come, as it did for Moses, when we are no longer able to lead as we had done before. At that time our thoughts must not be on ourselves or on what we have achieved, but on praying to God for the continued godly leadership of the people God has put in our care.
 
So before the time comes, let's pray for someone to shepherd God's people so that those in our care will have someone to continue to lead them in the ways of righteousness.

27:2 We are reminded that Aaron has been replaced by his son Eleazar. Aaron was dead – Num 20:28 – and so is having to work with a new priest. The companionship of Aaron which lasted the whole of the forty years is over. One might imagine that Moses felt a little alone at this time.

V.12 Moses was not allowed to cross the Jordon, but died beforehand. The loss of this great honour of leading God's chosen people on this occasion was taken from him because of his conduct in the striking of the rock at Meribah (Num 20:17). We see the true character of Moses although, in his acceptance of the loss of this privilege, in his prayer that a worthy and competent leader be appointed (V.15-17)

27:16   Here we see why Moses is called ‘the man of God’ – On being told he was going to die his first concern is the well being of the children of Israel. How selfless are we?

The daughters of Zelophehad made sure to secure their inheritance in Israel. Perhaps this incident points to the Gentiles’ being able to attain the promises given to Israel. Zelophehad’s five daughters could be equated with the five wise virgins who secured their eternal inheritance (Matt 25:1-10).

27:2 The precision of the location where the daughters of Zelophehad met to raise their concern provides incidental support for the idea that there was a recognised place for the resolution of disputes in the wilderness – at the door of the tabernacle

V.1 Although it is spelled the same in English, Noah the daughter of Zelophehad is not the same name as Noah who entered the ark in Genesis. Transliterated from Hebrew, the daughter of Zelophehad is No-ah meaning motion or movement: he who entered the ark is No-ach (the ch sounded as in the English loch) meaning rest.

V.16 The phrase: …the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh reminds us that we live by the grace of Yahweh (Acts 17:28). His Spirit animates all living creatures, and if He were to with draw His Spirit all would die. He has the power over life and death (Psa 104:29,30).

V.18 Joshua (Heb. Yeshua) means Yah saved. The Greek equivalent is Jesus. During His earthly sojourn, Our Lord Jesus would have been called Yeshua by his contemporaries.

The name Jesus universally refers to the Master. Because of that fact, the usage of it is acceptable, as familiarity becomes a base point of discussion, especially to those outside the Covenant of Faith.

Joshua is a Christ-type. He was to lead God’s people into the Promised Land. When Jesus returns, He will do exactly the same thing when He establishes His Kingdom in Jerusalem.

27:3 The way that the girls describe the death of their father reminds us that there were deaths in the wilderness of what we might call ‘natural causes’ in contrast to those who had rebelled.

27:16 Moses wished God to appoint his successor. He did not want to take that role upon himself.  In that way he contrasted with Korah. Notice that he described God in the same way that we see him describing God in Num 16:22 when he was dealing with the attempt of Korah to appoint himself as a replacement for Moses.

27:14 Whilst Moses was provoked to speak in advisedly with his lips he was still responsible for his words. There are no excuses that we can make to explain away unacceptable behaviour in our lives.

27:7-11           Notice the repeated use of the word “inheritance” On the border of the land which was to be given according to lot to the different tribes it was a matter of inheritance. If the daughters had not raised the point they would not have had part nor lot in the land. How important is inheriting the promises to us?

27:5   The daughters of Zelophehad had raised a problem which the Law of Moses did not cater for. This is not because God had not foreseen the potential problem of a man dying with no sons. Rather this is another example which shows that the Law of Moses did not have the answers to all of man’s problems. By contrast the principles of the gospel in Christ covers everything that might occur in our lives. 

The daughters of Zelophehad

The places where this story is played out are:

Num 26:33

Num 27:1-11

Num 36:1-13

Josh 17:3-9

27:2   The named daughters of Zelophehad who spoke to Moses here are the same women who in Josh 17:4 spoke to Joshua. The second event being about 43 years after this event would mean that the daughters, by the time of the second incident would have been at least 45.

Num 27:1-11 - all have opportunity for an inheritance (Gal 3:26-29).

27:1-11         This section of the book of Numbers expands the relevance of the mention of the daughters of Zelophehad in Num 26:33

27:12   It was only at the end of the wilderness journey that Moses was told that he would not enter the and. He could have thought, all through the journey for the last 40 years, that he would lead the people into the land of Canaan. So being told he would not see the land but would die in the wilderness would have been a terrible blow.

BUCKET LIST

Like Moses, one day the day will come when we need to prepare to die. Moses pretty much knew when that was going to be, but there was one last thing God wanted him to do before he died. "The Lord said to Moses, 'Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given to the Israelites. After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people.'" (Num 27:12-13).

You could almost say it was the last and one of the most important things Moses had on his bucket list: to view the Promised Land. It wasn't that he got to walk through it, or feel the exhilaration of marching toward Jerusalem, but he got to see it, and to picture it in his minds eye, to imagine his people having crossed over the Jordan and inheriting the land God had promised.

A lot of people have bucket lists these days, and travel seems to be one of the favorite things to put on it. But let's make sure that our bucket list has, as one of the most important things on it, that we see the promises God has for us. What I mean by that is that we build up a picture of God's kingdom of eternity, with us in it. Of walking with Jesus, and fellowship with the saints.

Let's make sure we have a vision of forever before we die.
 

27:12  The way that the narrative about the death of Moses is introduced is not arbitrary. It follows right on from the matter of the inheritance for the daughters of Zelophehad. They would receive theirs. Moses would inherit nothing. He had to, with the eye of faith, look to the resurrection.

27:4     At the border of the land the lament of the daughters showed that they really believed the promise that the nation had been given that God would give them the land. It would have bene very easy to wait until they had entered the land before making their request. The timing of their request demonstrates their faith in God’s promises.

27:15-16 Moses has already used the phrase “the God of the spirits of all flesh” Num 16:22. Very clearly Moses is not wishing to be like Korah but rather that God would appoint his successor.

Numbers 27 - The daughters' of Zelophehad without an inheritance?

Num.27:1 - Zelophehad was a member of the tribe of Manasseh. He had five daughters but no sons. So the issue would arise at some when their father dies as to what would become of them? Under the Law as it stood, Zelophehad's death brought an end to his family inheritance in the land, which would disappear forever.

Numbers 27:2 - The matter was taken to Moses and the High Priest and the leaders od the congregation. This was an important matter of interest to the whole congregation. Moses older brother Aaron had died (see, Numbers 20:25-29) so Eleazer was now the High Priest.

Numbers 27:3 - Zelophehad died in for his own sins in the wilderness. As did Aaron (Numbers 20:24) and Moses (Numbers 27:13-14) and the whole community who lacked faith (Numbers 26:64-65).

Numbers 27:6-11 - Notice Moses was the mediator the LORD spoke to at the entrance to the Tabernacle in the presence of representatives of the whole congregation. 

Numbers 27:18 - Joshua (Saviour or Jesus) was appointed by the LORD to lead Israel into the promised land.

Lessons for Us

1. We are reminded that the reason for our death is twofold, first because we have inherited the nature of Adam (1Corinthians 15:22). Second reason is emphasised in the Book of Numbers, we died because of our sins (Ezekiel 18:4).

2. We have a mediator like Israel had Moses. Our mediator is the Lord Jesus Christ (1Timothy 2:5-6).

3. God has appointed His son Jesus Christ to lead us into His Kingdom.

Jesus will lead the saints into God's land (Zechariah 14:5).

4. Provision was made in the Law given to Moses for the daughters of Zelophehad to have an inheritance in the land. This incident is recorded for us to remind us that the household of faith brethren and sisters are the bride of Jesus Christ (Matthew 25:1-13). Let us watch, we do not know the day or hour when our bridegroom will appear! 

27:3 So we may conclude that Zelophehad, though not among the rebels with Korah, would have expected to die in the wilderness being over twenty at the beginning of the wilderness journey. There must have been many thousands who journeyed towards the land of promise knowing that they would not enter it at that time. Without the hope of the resurrection the wilderness journey would have been a bleak experience. In like manner without the hope of the resurrection our lives would be pointless and empty.

27 The daughters of Zelophehad would enter the land. That much was sure. But unlike their fellow countrymen they had nowhere to go in the land! So they approach Moses and Eleazar to highlight the problem. Notice - :7-11 – their focus is on inheritance which highlights the focus of Abraham – Gen 15:7. They were looking beyond the literal entering in to the land to the fulfilment of the promises to Abraham.

vv 18,23 Joshua was a man who already was "a man in whom is the Spirit", yet Moses was commanded to lay his hands upon him. Why? The answer is given in Deut 34:9 "And Joshua, the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him." Like Solomon, Joshua needed to be equipped with wisdom in order to lead the people of Israel. Moses laying on of his hands allowed that spirit of wisdom to be added to what Joshua already possessed.

27:1 The chapter division is unhelpful here. Num 26:64 makes the point that the inheritance promised would not be experienced by those who had died in the wilderness. And now we meet five virgins who were still focussed on the inheritance. Their focus was the basis for the detailed instructions that follow - :6-11 – on the matter of their inheritance.

27:7-11  Inheriting the land of Canaan has been a major theme right throughout the book of Numbers. Even when the nation rebelled God reminded them that they were going to the land that He would give them. That focus now comes to the fore where five faithful sisters make appeal that the issue of inheritance will be fulfilled in them.

They had no brothers. They had no automatic right to the inheritance. But God made provision for them. In like manner we have no “right” to inherit the land of promise. However our Father has made provision that we – the bride of Christ – can be amongst those who receive the inheritance of eternal life.

v. 14 - In the context of the way that scripture uses marriage, we have another exhortation here to be married to the right things - that we might be a prudent 'wife' to Jesus when the bridegroom returns. Prov.18:22, 31:10-31, Jas.1:17

v. 21 David recognised that the outcome of Absalom's uprising was in God's hand as can be seen here.  2 Samuel 15:25,26 Solomon speaks of the importance of seeing God's will as paramount Proverbs 19:21 Jeremiah draws the attention of those who would speak falsely to the fact that God provides us with opportunities  to submit to His will.Lamentations 3:37 This clear Old Testament concept then passes into New Testament use being seen first in the Lord Luke 22:42 And then in the apostles Acts 18:21 Romans 1:10 15:32 1Corinthians 4:19 16:7 Hebrews 6:3

v.11 - The control we should have over our anger is clear through Proverbs and is picked up elsewhere. It is clearly not always wrong to be angry - Jesus was angry when he threw out the money changers and this was not wrong, as Jesus did no wrong. Our anger, however, should not be a quick reaction to a situation we have not considered carefully. Prov.12:16, 14:29, 15:18, 16:32, 17:14, Col.3:12-13, Jas.1:19

19:16These words form the basis for Jesus' words [Luke 10:28] to the young ruler. Of course it is not possible to keep all the commandments. So one cannot be justified by works. Any thoughtful Jew would realise that and look beyond simple obedience to see the spirit of God's requirements.

:24 This image of the slothful man is bizarre. We cannot imagine anyone being so idle that they would not eat! However this is God's assessment of the man who is idle when it comes to seeking His wisdom. Remember God's assessment is often not ours.

19:8 I wonder how many of us view doing the readings as self preservation? We eat to stay alive and would not even think of going all day without food - but we may neglect the Word for days!

V.23  The only way to be successful in life is to fear and reverence the LORD. One of the biggest hindrances to immortality is immorality. Those who engage in it do not fear the LORD and will be visited by evil. 1 Cor 6:10 makes this quite clear.

We have a curious thing in this chapter of Proverbs. The same proverb is repeated twice! In verses 5 and 9 we read "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape". Why is this repeated?

Can you imagine writing or collating this collection of wise sayings? How would you draw the reader's attention to something of particular importance? How would you make that thing stand out from the rest? When Pharaoh had a dream, it was repeated twice. Joseph, in interpreting the dream, tells him that "the interpretation is sure" because it was repeated twice. It was the doubling up of the dream (with slight variations) that alerted Pharaoh to its importance, and also showed the surety of its fulfilment.

The same must go for the Proverbs. This saying is obviously both important and sure. Just like the dreams it has minor variations which make us curious enough to look deeper into it. In these verses the only difference is the ending. We have "will not escape" in v5, and "shall perish" in v9. These look like they're the same thing, and they are! What's important is that because they are slightly different, they make us question "why?". This is what God desires us to do with His word (25:2). By simply looking in a concordance we find that this word "perish" occurs again in chapter 21 in a very similar proverb. Solomon has not written two of them, but three!

"A false witness shall perish, but the man who hears him will speak endlessly" (21:28)

Now we see why Solomon wanted us to look deeper. Not only is it a sure thing that God will judge the false witness, liar, or talebearer, but we are now shown why God abhors it so much. It is in our human nature to listen to derogatory comments about others. We will take them on board "like juicy morsels" (18:8 NIV). We will spread them around amongst all our friends and acquaintances..... without having checked the veracity of our informant first! (18:17) By the time the truth is revealed we have already done untold damage. Maybe worst of all is the fact that the truth doesn't travel half as far or as fast as a lie. Solomon is telling us that a false report will never be undone. We ought therefore to look at our own lives and challenge ourselves. Do we rule our tongues, or do we allow them to set fires ablaze which cannot be quenched? (Jas 3:5-6, Prov 16:27-28, 26:20-22)

Today’s chapter starts off with a very wise comment. Prov 19:1 tells us that a poor person, who tries to be honest, and keeps his mind pure, is better off than a foolish person who repeats gossip, and who speaks lies.  In other words, we must guard our lips, as James 3:5-12

19:4 It is so easy to be respecters of persons. We may dress up the attitude in different ways. However partiality on the grounds of social standing is abhorrent to God. If he were to take account of social standing we would all be lost – we have no standing before Him in our own right. It only through the merits of Jesus that we have access to Him.

V.2 The lack of wisdom makes people hasty, both in temporal and spiritual things. Quality workmanship is almost a thing of the past. Along with this, the satisfaction of a job well done is a thing of the past. This applies both in the mind of the maker and also of the buyer.

19:1 It is relatively easy to maintain integrity when life is easy. However when life is a struggle the temptation to compromising integrity is increased. Solomon here is making the same counsel as his father – Psa 15:4– where David, by inspiration, encourages integrity even when such action causes personal suffering.

19:18,20 Notice the juxtaposition of these two verses. The father who chastens his own son must be willing also to accept God’s chastening hand in his own life.

The Proverbs are based on wisdom. Some proverbs are instructive, such as v.20. They are intended to alter attitudes and to promote correct behaviour. Other proverbs are observations on life, such as v.4. They help us understand how human nature and life work.

19:6 True friendship cannot be bought. Such ‘friends’ will only be fair weather friends. When adversity comes they will forsake. This was the experience of the son in the parable of the Prodigal – Luke 15:11-14

V.11 We should be slow to anger and be willing to overlook an offence, whatever form that takes. Let’s be spiritual ducks and allow any transgression to slide right off.

V.17 If we want Yahweh to be kind and generous to us, then we had better be kind and generous to others.

V.24 The word bosom (KJV) is better rendered dish as modern translations have it.

19:11 Solomon, by inspiration, returns once again to the importance of taking care about how we speak when there is a problem. Rashness is not the order of the day. Circumspection it far better, though coming out with a snap judgement is far easier.

19:5,9  Whilst it may appear that the wicked prosper in this life we must realise that the one who sees all will judge righteous judgement. The current scheme of things is for our learning. Learning how to deal with others prepares us for our role as kings and priests – Rev 5:10 in the kingdom when Christ returns.

19:3   Once a man’s way are set against the things of God – are ‘foolish’ – then that man cannot see any good in the things of God.

19:17 That one’s charity is lending to the Lord should motivate all our giving.

1. Prov 19:1 - KJV "fool"<3684> - the value of a man is in his walk and speach not his status - "I know thy works, and tribulation and poverty, (but thou art rich)" Rev 2:9.

2. Prov 19:2 - NET "It is dangerous to have zeal without knowledge, and the one who acts hastily makes poor choices" - (Rom 10:2-3; Judg 21:25).

3. Prov 19:3 - NET "A person’s folly subverts his way, and his heart rages against the Lord" - blaming God for our failures

4. Prov 19:4  - NET "Wealth adds many friends,but a poor person is separated from his friend" - (Psa 40:17). 

5. Prov 19:5,9 - (Prov 14:25;Deut 19:16-19;Mark 14:55-59).

6. Prov 19:6-7 - do we extend mercy to the poor, or are we looking for friends who will benefit us? Do we serve God out of love or hope of personal gain? 

7. Prov 19:8 - "wisdom"<3820>.

8. Prov 19:10 - NET "Luxury is not appropriate for a fool;how much less for a servant to rule over princes!" - a fool who abuses power.

9. Prov 19:12 - May we have Christ's favour when he returns to rule as king - (David 2Sam 23:3-4;Psa 133:3;Rev 2:26-28).

10. Prov 19:15 - some are too lazy to respond to the call of the Gospel and suffer spiritual hunger; some will have wasted their talents (Matt 25:13-32); some won't bother to prepare for the wedding feast when the bridegroom (Christ) returns (Matt 25:1-12).

11. Prov 19:16 - obeying God's instructions leads to eternal life, but if contemptuous of God's ways it will lead to death (Psa 146:4;145:20 - not eternal torture in a fiery hell).

12. Prov 19:17 - NIV "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done" (some are poor for reasons other than Prov 19:15;2Thess 3:10-11 - Matt 26:11;Deut 15:11;Prov 28:27;14:31;Acts 6:1-3;2Cor 8:1-24;9:1-15;1Cor 16:1-2;Luke 6:20).

13. Prov 19:18 - "discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death" (NIV). When we are disciplined, and accept it in the proper spirit, it can be part of a process releasing us from the bonds of eternal death to the hope of eternal life. Rev 3:19 - "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent" (NIV). God chastens us and his son (Heb 12:2,5-11).

14. Prov 19:19 - wrath too ingrained to eradicate.

15. Prov 19:20-27 - these verses are connected by the tense of the Hebrew (second person singular).

16. Prov 19:20 - "Hear"<8085>, "instruction"<4148>, "latter"<319>.

17. Prov 19:21 - man has many plans but it is God's desires that will be done.

18. Prov 19:22 - what are our friendships or kindnesses based on?

19. Prov 19:23 - reverence of the Lord leads to eternal life and rest from trouble.

20. Prov 19:25 - make an example of one person so others can be improved.

21. Prov 19:27 - NIV "Stop listening to 'instruction'<4148>, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge" - Christ never stopped listening to instruction.

22. Prov 19:28 - those who don't heed Prov 19:20-27 can expect judgment prepared for scorners.

23. Prov 19:29 - it may be too late for scorners but not too late for the naive (see Prov 19:25).

19:20  We have all seen it, I am sure. A person who we credit with great understanding asking the most simple of questions. We may even wonder why such an one deigns to ask such questions. The answer is seen in this verse. The person who thinks he knows a lot will not learn. The one who, even though he knows much, is willing to be instructed will gain even more. 

19:23   Do you feel “satisfied” that you know God and fear Him? The wise man says that this is how the true servant of God should feel.

19:17 The way in which the one who pities the poor is recompensed is seen as part of Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6:38.

19:1   The Proverbs speak of things being “better than” on a number of occasions. He reis a list of them Prov 15:16,17, 16:8, 16 , 17:1, 19:1, 27:10, 28:6 It is worth looking at all of them to see the pattern that the writer, through the Holy Spirit presents.

19:25   How do we respond when we are reproved for something we have done wrong?

Prov 19:11,12

“The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.”

“IT is not every sin, far from it, which calls for the application of Matt 18. Sins vary greatly, and call for different treatment. There are unpremeditated sins, for which no one is more sorry than the offender himself, which it is to our honour to pass unnoticed. There are others, also unpremeditated or unwitting, which simply call for kindly warning, affectionate reproof, or humble, helpful suggestion as to how to overcome them. No man, however exemplary he may be, as escaped falling, again and again, a captive to these.

No serious charge should be formulated on the lines of Matt 18 unless there is a strong evidence that the offender is indifferent and unrepentant. A man who is always at work trying to rake up offences, or anxiously awaiting opportunities to pounce down with Matt 18, is not a man after God’s own heart. The Scriptures everywhere encourage us to be long-suffering, forbearing, and forgiving in regard to our brethren’s weaknesses and shortcomings. Let us rather overlook than accuse, but if the ground is sure, if the sin is palpable and persistent, then we have no choice but to proceed with and enforce Christ’s law.”

A.T. Jannaway, 1931

19:1 the wise counsel here is quoted again when the men of Hezekiah copied out some of Solomon’s Proverbs. – 28:6 – maybe indicating the seriousness of the instruction here.

19:26  There are times when our children go completely “off the rails” as we may say. And in so doing will totally disregard their parents. They may even try to blame their errant behaviour on the way that they were “forced” to go to the meeting. Of course their protestations are false and are only an attempt to justify their position.

19:8 this verse presents a contrast withProv 15:32.

v17 We are so indebted to God for our lives yet here God chooses to see Himself as indebted to us! What a privilege that God should view His relationship to us as mutual indebtedness (although we are exceedingly more indebted to Him).  He uses us as his instruments in preserving the lives of poor people. May we not forfeit such a privilege by being mean-spirited to those in need.

19:11 James’ counsel is to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:9). It is all too easy to “jump in” angrily to denounce an error. As hard as it is it can be “prudent” (a variation of discretion”) to overlook the indiscretion of someone else. One the other is “painted into a corner” it is far more difficult for that person to redeem themselves.

19:15 How true it is! When we are lethargic activity is harder than when we have a positive mind.

So, we might conclude, the way to escape from lethargy is to start doing something useful.

If we feel lethargic about doing the readings, for example, we will be starved of God’s instruction.

3 v. 2 - The word concision means 'mutilation'. Paul is making the point that the practice of circumcision in the hands of those that through their ignorance were attempting to constrain gentile believers to follow that practice, was rated as the mutilations of the heathen worship round about them. Jesus had completely removed the partition that was previously established by the act of circumcision under the old covenant and replaced it with a new and better covenant. Rom.2:28, Gal.2:3,4, 5:1-6, Rev.2:9, 3:9.

3 v.4-6 The appeal to his credentials by Paul, just as in 2Corinthians 11:22-28, is because there was someone in Philippi who, being lifted up in pride, was presenting herself as being someone important.

4 v.2 The mention of Euodias and Syntyche by name in the context of being of the same mind demonstrates are area of conflict which was destroying harmony in the ecclesia. Notice that whilst Paul censures them he requests the rest of the ecclesia to v3 'help those women'.

3:2 'Beware of the ... concision' - that is the Jews who would have the gentiles be circumcised.

3:3 Those who would have the gentiles be circumcised trust in the flesh says Paul. That is they reject the grace of God that is available through Christ.

4:6 'be careful for nothing' would be better 'in nothing be anxious'. The use of careful in this way can be seen:- Luke 10:41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: showing the sense of carefulness is anxiety.

ATTITUDES AND RULES

Joshua Harris, in his book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, said this, "Rules by themselves won't change our hearts, but once we've taken on a new attitude, protective boundaries can help keep us on course" (pg. 117)

When Paul said to "Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh," he was speaking about people who tried to make Christians live by the Law of Moses, and more than that, all the traditions that went along with it. They were attempting to take Christians, who had been freed from their bondage, back to the law and make them rely on their own works and what they themselves could achieve, rather than relying on the grace of Christ.

Living by rules can never change us. That is why we could not be saved by the law. But the protective boundaries of the law, once our attitude and lifestyle is centred on Christ, will certainly help. Paul said that all he had once put his confidence in - the way he had kept the law, the way he had been brought up and his heritage - were all counted as nothing in Christ.

So let's not be proud of the things we do or the rules we keep, but live in the attitude of humility, in the grace that comes from God.

3:10-11 In speaking thus Paul echoes his own words in Romans 6:5

4:14-18 So Paul had been supported by the brethren and sisters in Philippi. Now (:19) Paul wishes them to draw from their care for him that God would also take care of them.

3:8 Paul counts the worldly status that he has forgone as valueless compared to the riches of Christ  - but it was just that decision which caused him all the pain and suffering that he endured. How do we value the things that this life offers us?

4:5 The word 'moderation' <1933>  is seen to convey the meaning of 'patience' or 'gentleness' as seen in the only other places where the word is found in the New Testament  1Tim 3:3 , Titus 3:2 , James 3:17 , 1Pet 2:18  which is the attribute required when dealing with strife and divisiveness.

 4:8  "Think on these things" The Greek word for think is logizomai (3049) which means reason or consider. Make these things the subject of your consideration, or carefully reflect on them. The N.K.J.V. renders "think" as "meditate."

4:6 Paul exhorts the brethren not to be anxious about anything.  He urges them, and us, to offer praise and submit our requests to Yahweh.  That is what the daughters of Zelophehad did (see my note on Num. 27).

3:5 In commenting that he had been a ‘Pharisee’ Paul is making a point that he makes elsewhere. – Acts 23:6, 26:5 On this occasion when we realise that ‘Pharisee’ means separated we see the power of the use of the name here. There were those in Philippi who wanted to make gentiles observe the law of Moses and as such were seeking an exclusiveness or separation which was not appropriate. So Paul emphasises that at one time he was very exclusive also, but now counts all that as worthless – Phil 3:7

4:7 The "peace" that Paul is speaking of mind is not the peace of a trouble free life. Rather it is peace with God (Eph 2:14

CONTENTMENT
 
There are precious few people who are content. Our human nature dictates that we must strive for more and more, better and better all the time. But from what I have observed, the more we have, the more we want and the bigger and better things we thought would make us happy actually serve to make us less contented than ever.
 
Paul knew the secret to contentment. He said, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Phil 4:11-13)
 
Paul realised that contentment is something we have to learn. It does not come naturally. But by counting our blessings in Christ and relying on his strength and grace - not only to help us in our circumstances, but also to help us battle our discontentment - we can learn to be content, whatever the circumstances. By counting our blessings instead of our dreams, contentment will come much easier.
 
In Christ we are promised all we need. Anything else is an extra. So let's be content whatever the circumstances, knowing that our life is in the hands of the Lord and he knows what is best for us.

3:1 Whilst Paul says ‘finally’ he had not yet addressed a major reason for sending the letter, the matter of the two sisters = Phil 4:2 – Paul, by the spirit, is wishing to deal with the principles and get agreement on those principles. In this way the major problem with those two sisters will be seen, not as the major issue, but rather as just one small area of ecclesial life that need to be addressed. So often we get e x cited and vocal about a symptom of a problem rather than the problem itself. If we can deal with the problem in a dispassionate way the symptom will be easily dealt with.

In the final chapter of this short letter Paul shows his real trust in God (Phil 4:11,13). He has learned to be content with whatever life throws at him. He obviously knows that in this sense the Lord God is controlling the “events”. Then he categorically states that he can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth him. That’s faith!

3:10  How do we understand ‘the power of his resurrection’? Is the resurrection a theorey that we are aware of as being true or does the fact that Jesus has been raised from the dead teach us how we should  behave?

4:2 We do not know the exact disagreements between the two spiritual sisters Euodias and Syntyche. No doubt, these sincere women were concerned with doctrine and walk. However, Paul was anxious that, despite their differences, they try their best to accommodate each other. In any event, Paul wished their differences to be contained, not being allowed to spill out into a wider public forum, thus bringing potential damage to the ecclesia at large. This sage advice should be considered in today’s disagreements between members.

I WANT

No matter how much we have, we never have quite enough. There is something inbuilt into our human nature that says we always need something more. No matter how much we earn, we never have quite enough. Or if we think about our possessions, they are never quite good enough or we need just that one new thing. In a material way, the pressure of "I want" can be a powerful force in our lives.

Just imagine if the "I want" material pressure we put on ourselves became a spiritual pressure instead. Imagine if we were never content with the standard of our relationship with God and Jesus and we always wanted to improve it just that little bit more. Imagine if we were never content with the amount of knowledge we had from the Bible, or the standard of prayer in our lives, or the way we worship, or the way we relate to other Christians.

The Apostle Paul had an "I want" in his life. His "I want" is the sort of "I want" we should all want in our lives. He said, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Phil 3:10-11)

What do we want?

3:2 The ‘dogs’ are the religious Jews who would have the gentiles circumcised. Paul is quoting from Isa 56:10 where the whole context is of the blindness of Israel’ leaders and the opening up of the gospel to the gentiles.

3:2 Under the Law, dogs are unclean animals. Paul uses this figure to describe those who are spiritually unclean (3:18,19).

3:14 Is this our goal also? The high calling of God would be better rendered as: the calling of God from on high (above).

3:17 Paul is not urging brethren to follow him, but rather to follow Christ as he does (1Cor 11:1).

3:20 conversation (citizenship) in heaven does not infer heaven-going at death. It means that a reservation has been made in heaven for a place in the Kingdom which Christ will establish on earth (1Pet 1:4).

4:13 And so can we!

Even though the Philippian church was doing well, and was an example to others, Paul thought it necessary to exhort them about the dangers of regression (Phil 3:1-16). He urges them to "press toward the goal of the prize of the upward call". Pressing on is the opposite of regression and is the best guard against it. In 3:19 he warns against those whose mind is on earthly things, or in other words those who pull back down towards them. This verse reminds us of the children of Israel who put desire for food above desire for the promised land. Notice how easy it was for the whole congregation to be infected with that mindset. That same danger was present with the Philippians, and is also present for us.

3:12,14  Whereas ‘follow after’ might seem to be a rather passive way of describing his actions Paul is using the same Greek <1377> word as he uses when he says ‘I press ...’

3:15   We may struggle with the idea of being ’perfect’ but it what we are aiming to be. It is what Jesus requires of us Matt 5:48.

4:21  The way in which fellow believers greet one another is no mere formality. If our greetings are simply a formality then we are missing a wonderful element of Biblical fellowship. Not for the faithful believer is the ‘how are you?’ without really listening to the response.

3:18    In saying “told you often” we are reminded that Paul (and others for that matter) had more contact with ecclesias than we might presume from the Biblical records. We are taught that fellowship with others who are not in the area where we live is an important thing to develop and nurture.

Phil 3:18,19.

4:12-13      Learning to accept the circumstances we find ourselves in requires a  total confidence that God knows what He is doing in our lives. Such confidence can only come through the experience gained in our lives. If we do not look for God working in our lives, providentially, we will never learn from experience to trust Him no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. 

3:13    In these days of instant gratification when many think that accepting Christ as their saviour guarantees salvation irrespective of ones actions Paul’s circumspect observation about himself is sobering. Accepting Jesus as our saviour is the beginning, not the end, of our journey and, as Jude shows, those who have begun the journey can still suffer rejection –Jude 1:5

Phil 4:7-9

Sandwiched between these verses is verse 8. We read about the peace of God. “…. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” ….Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” This kind of peace comes only when we think and meditate on the correct things as itemized here in verse 8 by the apostle Paul.

But, there is more! Our thought processes can only think on one thing at a time. This may sound like a fantastic claim, after all, we can talk on our cell phone while driving, we can form complex sentences while typing, we can watch television, send emails, tweet, do homework, Facebook, Skype, and have a conversation at the same time, right? Wrong. This is simply task-switching! However, when we are faced with extreme situations, we are forced to actively think about what we are doing at the expense of the other task(s).

A part of the frontal lobe of our brain called Brodmann's Area 10 (BA10)  is responsible for the brain switching from task to task. We think we are multitasking, but have merely become good at switching from one task to the other really quickly. Neuroscientist, Earl Miller wrote: “People can’t multitask very well, and when people say they can, they’re deluding themselves. The brain is very good at deluding itself.” https://intro2psych.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/multi-tasking-just-an-illusion/

Why is this important to know? Because, we were created to be able to think on only one thing at a time (cf. James 3:11). If we think pure, honest, true, praise-worthy thoughts and think how we ought to think, there is no room to think on what we ought not to think. When we think right, we will do right, we will live moral in an immoral world, and we will experience the peace of God.

3:10-11        We will never attain to the glorious resurrection to immortality unless we are confirmed to Jesus’ death. Rom 6 explains what that death is that we should conform to. It is not simply being baptised. It is all about a changed way of living – as if sin no longer holds sway in our lives.

3:10     When Paul writes of the love of the Philippians “flourishing again” and we remember that – Phil 4:6 – they had been generous when other ecclesias were not we might conclude that for some reason their generosity had waned only to revive again. We might wonder why they had stopped being generous. Maybe it was the Judaising influence of some which clearly was a problem in Philippians that had caused the ecclesia to stop sending funds for Paul. But it seems now that problem was resolved.

3:3  When Paul writes of those things “which are behind” he is clearly speaking of the position he had in the Jewish system of things – his career. He stands as an example for us. His career was of no importance compared to the riches in Christ.

Phil 4:5

“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.”

Moderation is # <1933> epieikes, “appropriate, i.e. (by impl.) mild--gentle, moderation, patient.” Moderation then is a virtue which ought to be evidenced in our conduct.  The NIV has, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” In 1Tim 3:3, “patient” is epieikes. In Titus 3:2, James 3:17, 1Pet 2:18, “gentle” is epieikes. The Amplified Bible reads, “Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit)…” Paul is talking about the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22,23).

We live in a Laodicean Age of the peoples’ rights: civil rights, consumer rights, labour rights, gay rights, children’s rights, women’s rights, and just about any right they can come up with and stand firm for their rights. Living in a dog-eat-dog world kind of atmosphere is not easy, especially when it comes to teaching the Truth of God’s Word uncompromisingly in an Age that is the culmination of all the Ages.

Moderation has this nuance of leniency, of not being overly strict, which is true, but not true if used in relation to Biblical doctrinal teaching (cf. Prov 28:1). We are to “stand fast in the Lord” (Phil 4:1; cf. 1Cor 16:13; Eph 6:11). To stand fast is in relation both to our character and to the Word (Heb 10:23). We are a part of something much greater than anything the world can offer and stand firm for. May we exercise that kind of conviction, that kind of determination in keeping our hearts and minds on Christ.

4:5     Whilst we may think of “the lord is at hand” as an indication that his return is near this is probably not the point that Paul was inspired to make. Rather “the lord is at hand” is telling us that he can see what we are doing and that should cause us to modify our behaviour. After all we would not want our best friends to see us doing things that would offend them.

4:17 the generosity of the believers in Philippi is an example of those who do things for Jesus – Matt 27:40

4:10-12 Paul had suffered “want” (Phil. 4:11) and had been “hungry” (Phil. 4:12). These were two of the things which Moses said would come on the people if they disobeyed God’s Law: “in hunger … in want of all things” (Deut. 28:48) …”  Paul had also been put in “bonds” (Phil. 1:13) by the Romans and Moses goes on in the verse to speak of the Roman rule over Israel: “and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck” (Deut. 28:48).  The specific reason for these punishments in this verse in Deuteronomy was their lack of joy: “Because thou servedst not Yahweh thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things” (Deut. 28:47). Yet, even though Paul was suffering these things, and his godly conduct did not deserve such treatment, he continued to be joyful: “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly …” (Phil. 4:10). That is, he served his God “with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart”.

PATHETIC ALONE

All alone we are pretty lame really. The strength, abilities and motivation of one person quickly dwindle away if there is no one else to compete with, to encourage or to help.

It's no different in our walk with Christ. We need each other. We think we can get by without meeting with other believers, but I know for a fact that if it wasn't for the meetings, Bible classes, or weekends away with people who are keen to serve Jesus, my faith and way of life in Christ would not be nearly as strong (and that's quite a scary thought!).

It is the same with reading the Bible. We need to keep at it or we forget, things get distorted in our minds, or we remember wrongly. We can't keep up an active faith based on the people we were with and the parts of the Bible that we read as teenagers. We've got to keep being encouraged, motivated and refreshed.

So Paul gives this advice: "Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." (Phil 3:17). Join with others. In doing so we can keep each other on track and motivated. And take note of people who are genuinely following Christ so that you can be inspired, and even compete, to aid motivation as you live a purposeful and fruitful life in Christ.

Phil 3:13,14

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind… I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul knew his goal from which he was not about to waver. He would not allow his past to dictate his present goal. The baggage of his past would not influence his commitment to follow Jesus. But, this verse teaches us a lot more!

The Bible refers to several passages about “one thing,” that is the most important we need to pause and consider for ourselves:

Mark 10:21, Jesus said to a man running to him who thought he did everything, “one thing thou lackest.” His heart would not surrender to God.

Luke 10:42, Jesus said to the anxious Martha, “one thing is needful.” The heart of our service is knowing God.

John 9:25, when the Pharisees chided the blind man about his healing by a “sinner,” the blind man responded: “Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not; one thing I know...” He knew God was at the heart of his healing.

Psa 27:4, David, in faith, stated, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after.” When David prayed these words, he was surrounded by his enemies who were out to destroy him! He kept his eyes on the “one thing” needful. His sole purpose was to know God and stay near to Him. He knew this would keep him safe.

Despite these examples of different people from different walks of life, the common thread is that we learn only “one thing” is needful for all of us, and that is having a right heart toward God.

We live in very dangerous times physically and spiritually (2Tim 3). We know all too well the dangerous rhetoric injected into the political atmosphere excites the real possibility of more violence. The very fabric of society is being globally destroyed by those of compromised character. A little compromise led to greater compromises. A “little” sin led to “greater” sins.

Let us avoid thinking about the “what-ifs,” and keep our eyes on Jesus. This doesn’t me we don’t mourn over the events (Prov 29:2). Our faith will be tried, without question (1Pet 1:7), but if we must stay focused on the one thing needful, our restlessness will be changed to restfulness; our feeling trapped to feeling free, our feeling defeated to feeling victorious, because Jesus paved the path for us. We love God and Jesus not because we need them; rather, we need them because we love (agape) them. This kind of faith and this kind of love will sustain us.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

4:17 The Apostle Paul, whilst managing to pay his own way partly by his tentmaking – Acts 18:3 – would have benefitted greatly from the generosity of his fellow believers. However here Paul’s thoughts are towards the generosity of the believers in Philippi. The more self-centred would have focussed on the gift, not the minds of those who gave the gift. Here is a lesson for us. To think of others more than we think of ourselves.

TROUBLE FREE!

Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me." (John 14:1).

Paul said it a different way: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6-7).

This is how I would summarise these two scriptures:  In order to have our hearts  guarded by the peace of God, we should trust in God and Jesus, telling God all our troubles and thanking him in everything.

What an amazing blessing to have our hearts guarded by the peace of God! If the peace of God is guarding our hearts, our hearts will never be troubled. Think about it! Trouble free, peaceful hearts, confident in our trust in God and Jesus, no matter what storms of life may rage around us. In the midst of everything, the peace of God reigns in our heart.

Let's give our hearts to God to be guarded by his peace today. Trust in God. Trust in Jesus. Tell them all your needs and relax with a quiet, thankful and peaceful heart.
 

3:1-3  We learn earlier in the letter on a number of occasions that Paul had a deep love for the believers in Philippi. This was not just a “warm feeling” it extended to a great care for them also. He valued their fellowship so much that he was concerned that they could hold fast to the faith in Christ. It was that shared faith which created the bond. The same is true in our case. We can only have true warmth and fellowship with those who hold the same core beliefs. Therefore we should always be concerned to encourage our fellow believers to hold fast to the faith. One way in which this can be done is by sharing insights into the scriptures.

3:4  Paul might have written about the gospel that was preached. However he was inspired to call it “the dispensation of the grace of God”. It is not simply a matter of knowing facts about how God has reconciled us to Himself in Christ. The very fact that there is a gospel message at all is a consequence of God being gracious to His creation.

3:3 In speaking of all the believers as “the circumcision” we similar language to Col 2:11. But if the believers in Philippi were already “the circumcision” the Judaisers who sought for them to be circumcised were too late!  There was no need to a physical circumcision.

4:2 are the two named individuals here the “one” and “other” spoken of in1:16-17?

Phil. 3 vs.6-7 "“Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is of the law, blameless.”