Comments for November 15

1 v. 7 - Here again, as we saw a day or two ago with Ezra, Nehemiah associates himself with the sin of the people, even though the outward signs were not there. It is important to realise that these worthy and Godly men without exception recognised their own sinfulness. It is an essential requirement of the contrite and humble spirit that God demands. Psa.34:18, 51:17, Isa.57:15, 66:2

ch.1 Fourteen years after the return of Ezra to Jerusalem, Nehemiah led up a company and restored the walls and the civil authority. Of those events this book is the record.

It is in eight divisions:

1 The journey to Jerusalem, 1.1-2.20
2 The building of the wall, 3.1-32
3 The census, 7.1-73.
4 The revival, 8.1-11.36.
5 The census of the priests and Levites, 12.1-26.
6 Dedication of the wall, 12.27-43.
7 Restoration of the temple worship, 12.44-47.
8 The legal order restored, 13.1-31.

The prophecy of Malachi was spoken at this time.
The events recorded in Nehemiah cover a period of 11 years.

2:2 Nehemiah's fear was a consequence of the fact that Artaxerxes could have had Nehemiah killed. No one was supposed to look sad in the presence of the king.
That Nehemiah did demonstrates that the issue of Jerusalem was troubling him and occupying his mind even though he was doing an important task.
Do we 'mourn for Zion' Isaiah 61:3 in a similar way or do those around us have no knowledge of our concern for the city of the great king?

2 v.4 - How often, when faced with a need to question an authority in the world do we have the presence of mind, as Nehemiah did here, to pray first? It seems that this prayer was a short and instant thing between two parts of the same conversation. We are not told whether he made a public outward indication of what he was doing or not. We know he did it because he is the author of the book. I suggest that in the circumstances this fact was not know to any around him, but was an important part of his principle of belief and worship, that God was consulted at every point. Much for us to learn here.

The links with Daniel's prayer

Show two men with the same concern. Daniel before the restoration and Nehemiah when he sees that the return has begun.

THEN I PRAYED TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN
Nehemiah was standing before the king of Persia, the most powerful man in the world. He was discussing with him the state of Jerusalem. Then the King asked, "What is it you want?" We read, "Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the King…"
That prayer took place in a matter of seconds between a question and a reply during a conversation between Nehemiah and the king. He had no time to phrase and speak a formal prayer and he did in chapter 1. The king could have gotten worried if he had suddenly dropped to his knees to pray, or raised his hands in the air, or stood with his eyes closed for five minutes. No, this was a spontaneous quick prayer between Nehemiah and God that took no time at all. We are not told what his prayer was about, but I would guess that it was a prayer of thanks, guidance, wisdom and for God to move in the heart of the king.
Nehemiah's prayer was an instant reaction to a tricky situation and God answered his prayer. Spontaneous prayer was an important part of Nehemiah's life. It is an important part of my life. Make it an important part of your life too.

Neh 1 - Nehemiah highlights the fact that the nation have been in captivity because they forsook the law of God and the covenant they made just before they entered the land under Joshua with quotations from the blessings and cursing.

2:17 That because Jerusalem was laid waste and become a 'reproach' catches the lament of Daniel 9:16.

JUST DO IT

The city of Jerusalem lay in ruins. The wall and the gates had been broken down. At the time there were a large number of Jews living in Jerusalem. They must have noticed the state of the city but the motivation to get to work and repair it was not there - that is, until Nehemiah came along and opened their eyes once again to the trouble they were in. Nehemiah said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burnt with fire. Come let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." (v 17) With this motivation behind them, the people's reply was positive: "Let us start rebuilding." (v 18)

From before Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem until this moment, whether he was there or not, the problem remained the same: the city was in ruins. It took Nehemiah to point out the problem before they began to work. Do we do the same? Are we waiting for the motivation to preach the word, to tidy the church, to study the Bible, to reach out to fill a particular need? Let's not wait for Nehemiah. He might be a long time in coming. Instead let's do it. Let's become the Nehemiah we are waiting for, and get stuck in to fix the trouble and repair the ruins. With the right motivation - probably just leadership - others will join us. So let's not wait around putting up with trouble. Get stuck in. Just do it!

NEH. 1:  The amount of quotations we find in this prayer are amazing.
      v5. “Great and terrible God….”  (Deut. 7:21)
             “that keepeth covenant….”   (Deut. 7:9)
             “observe his commandments” (Ex. 20:6)
      v6.  “Let thine ear now be attentive” (2 Chon. 6:40)
      v7.  “Have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements” (Deut. 6:1; 7:11; 8:11)
      v8.  “if ye transgress…. I will scatter you” (Lev. 26:39-45; Deut. 28:64; Deut. 30:1-2)
              “but if you turn unto me” (Deut. 30:1-2)
      v10. “thy people” (Deut. 9:26)

Neh 1:11. The cupbearer was a position of honor. It would have been a trusted position, since the cupbearer would be the last person to handle the king’s wine. (The possibility of it being poisoned was always there) It is indicative of Nehemiah’s character that a Jew should have such a position. Why were the Persians given this position of honor?

1:6-7 Notice that whilst the prayer is Nehemiah's he identifies himself with the nation who had sinned.

2:4 Whilst we may think that Nehemiah prayed at the time he stood before the king we should appreciate that, as can be seen from chapter 1, he had been praying for some time about the situation in Jerusalem.

The desire to return to Jerusalem was not a spur of the moment idea with Nehemiah. It was the driving force in his life and motivated his prayer life all the time. So the question of the king was not a spur to instant prayer. Rather it was a God given situation in response to his prayer.

Nehemiah’s prayer in Neh 2:4 isn’t the sudden, spur-of-the-moment prayer that we sometimes think. Chapter 1 is 4 months before chapter 2; and the prayer in Neh 1:5-11 is 7 verses long. So Nehemiah had quite a long time to prepare himself, and to place his supplications before the Lord.  Then, one that one day when he just couldn’t force a smile on to his lips, he prayed another, very quick prayer, while he stood in front of the king. God heard both – the long and the short. And Nehemiah was allowed to journey to Jerusalem.

This could be a stretch but here we have a list of events/verses, not totally in order, that reminded me of Christ and his sacrifice etc.: 2:1 - he provided the cup of wine. 2:6 - it pleased the king to send him though he awaited his return. 2:7 - he encountered a river on the way to his journey. 2:8 - the mention of wooden beams for the gates and temple. 2:11-12 - he came to Jerusalem, three days, set out during the night, with a few men, was on a mount. 2:14 - he went through a fountain of water (strengthened by and quoting the word) before a pool of water (washed away sins/buried). 2:15 - returned from a valley gate (returned from the pit). 2:16 - he was quiet before the nobles and priests and the rulers didn't know what he did or where he went. 2:17-18 - he took away the reproach (sin) of the people and helped them to rebuild the wall (Christ was the chief corner stone) which was a good work. 2:19 - mocked and accused of rebelling against the king. 2:20 - only his servants will have an inheritance in Jerusalem. 3:1 - mention of a sheep gate with doors rebuilt by Eliashib (475) meaning God will restore. 3:3 - mention of a fish gate with its wooden beams and metal attachments rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah (5574) which means pointed and perhaps echoes a suggestion of the nails that shed Christ's blood on the wooden cross.  

2:8 Already Nehemiah is planning and arranging his work. Repeatedly, Nehemiah teaches the lesson of the need for prayerful and wise preparation.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book.  It is uncertain whether the author of the book(s) is Ezra or Nehemiah. 

In any event, Nehemiah here makes his first visit to Jerusalem in 445 BC.  His second visit was in 432 BC.  Nehemiah was contemporary with Malachi the prophet and with Socrates the Greek philosopher.  

1:9 Nehemiah’s prayer draws on a number of old Testament passages, but in particular his quotation of Deut 30:4 shows he appreciated that he could indeed pray to God knowing that he would be heard.

2:6 When Nehemiah was asked how long he would be in Jerusalem the time he seems to have set was 12 years because he was there for 12 years – Neh 5:14

1:11 In saying ‘desire to fear thy name’ Nehemiah, in his prayer, is echoing the earlier sentiments of the prophet Isa 26:8

1:11 Nehemiah was a cupbearer for Artaxerxes Longimanus.  A cupbearer not only served the king his wine, but he was responsible for its safety. Assassins would welcome the opportunity to administer poison to a king through his wine, if they could.  Thus, the position of a cupbearer in the Near-East was one of great trust. 

And so, it was not unusual for cupbearers to become confidants of, and advisers to, their monarchs.  Other notable Bible cupbearers were: the chief butler in Joseph's experience (Gen 40:2); Rabshakeh, the spokesman for Sennacherib during Hezekiah's time (2Kin 18:17-37).  Rabshakeh is an Assyrian title for chief cupbearer.

MOTIVATION

1. Nehemiah pointed out the situation. "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins and it's gates have been burned with fire." (Ezra 2:17) If we have been living in a certain situation for a while, we often cease to see it for what it really is. Nehemiah opened the eyes of his people to the situation we were in.
2. Next he gave them a solution, and as the great leader he was, he included himself in it. "Come, let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem." (v.17) It would have been just as easy to say, "Go, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem." But as a shepherd he led the way. "Come, let us..."
3. Nehemiah appealed to their emotions. "And we will no longer be in disgrace." More than intellect, emotions are a great motivator. Nehemiah used both.
4. Lastly he told them of the greater powers behind the work. "I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me." (v.18) Working for a nobler cause than just ourselves gives us great inspiration.
5. The people responded, "'Let us start rebuilding,' so they began this good work." (v.18)

1:5 Nehemiah, in his prayer, quotes Deut 7:9indicating that he feels able to speak to God in this way because he already knows what his God is like. Do we feel we know our God through our reading of Scripture?

Nehemiah means comforted by Yah.

1:1 The month Kislev equates to November/December; while the month Nisan equates to March/April (2:1). The twentieth year (of Artaxerxes) was 445 BC.

One might wonder why the king, Artaxerxes Longimanus, elevated Nehemiah to a valued post of trust, and why he was so kindly disposed to him.

It comes as no surprise when it is realized that the king’s father was Xerxes - or as the Hebrews knew him, Ahasuerus III. He was the king involved with Esther. And, it was Esther who laid the groundwork for subsequent favour toward the Jews.

2:5 Nehemiah’s request to ‘build’ Jerusalem might seem a wild expectation. However Nehemiah would have known the prophets and been aware of the fact that Jeremiah had prophesied that Israel would return to the land after 70 years –Jer 25:11-12 - so doubtless he saw this as a God given opportunity and so made his request.

Neh 2:12-15 First Principles>Kingdom of God>Was overturned>History of fulfilment
6. The Jews were taken into captivity in Babylon 2Kin 24, 2Kin 25 to last for 70 years. (Prophesied Jer 25:8,12) 2Chron 36:20-21. Jerusalem was desolate. Neh 2:12-15.
Go to Deut 28:49 to see more details of the history of Israel and its overturning.

1:1 Although not certain, Nehemiah was probably of the tribe of Judah. The Nehemiah of Ezra 2:2 is probably not the same as this Nehemiah.

Shushan, sometimes called Susa, was the capital of Elam.

1:2,3 The consternation of the Jewish returnees was that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down. Those who went before Nehemiah, namely Zerubbabel and Ezra, were concerned only with the restoration of the temple.

The broken walls constituted vulnerability in the defence of the city. Added to that, there must have been a concern about the houses in Jerusalem that were completely destroyed. Houses needed to be built if Jerusalem was to accommodate the returning captives.

1:4 etc. Nehemiah had been made aware of the poor state of infrastructure in Jerusalem. His concern led him to make a petition to Yahweh.

2:1 This is now about four months after Nehemiah had heard the complaints about Jerusalem, and made his petition to Yahweh. The wonder is, why didn't Nehemiah speak to the king about his concerns before now? We do not know, but perhaps it was protocol that the cupbearer could only react to the king and not petition him directly.

Recall Xerxes’ protocol that affected Esther (Est 4:11; 5:2). There the king decided which petitioner to accept or reject.

2:6 Here, the word queen comes from the Hebrew shegal which describes a woman (concubine or harlot) who is favoured by the king.

But, a queen, who is a reigning monarch, is termed malkah in Hebrew (e.g. the Queen of Sheba 1Kin 10:1). Also, a woman who marries a king to become a legitimate queen, like Esther, who became Xerxes' queen, is also termed malkah (Est 2:22).

2:10,19 Sanballat was a Moabite; Tobiah was an Ammonite; Geshem was an Arab. These were traditional enemies of the Jews. These men would prove to be challenging to Nehemiah and his re-building program.

2:3 Nehemiah’s attitude was not simply that he was sad that Jerusalem was wasted and spoiled. He was amongst those who ‘mourned for Zion’ Isa 61:1-3

Neh 1:1 - "Nehemiah" [(5166) means "consolation of Jah, Jah comforts"]. Neh 1:2 - "Hananai" [(2607) means "gracious" - believers are saved through grace (Eph 2:8-9)]. Neh 1:11 - Nehemiah was a cupbearer and Christ bore the cup also (Matt 20:22-23;Matt 26:39,42).  Neh 2:1-2 - took the wine and was sad not unlike Christ who took the wine and yielded to his Father's will with sadness including sadness of what would become of Jerusalem (Matt 26:38-39;Luke 23:28). Like Christ, Nehemiah was also a governor who lightened burdens (Neh 5:14-15;Matt 11:30).

Neh 1:8 - scattered if unfaithful (Lev 26:33). Neh 1:9 - regathered (Deut 30:4).

Neh 2:17 - this may remind us Christ will rebuild Jerusalem when he returns to establish his Father's kingdom; believers need to turn to Christ and be joined with him (the bride/body of believers joined as one to the bridegroom/Christ - John 17:21-23) for protection, then they will not be in disgrace on the day of judgment; "wall" [Heb. "chomah" (2346) means "to join, a wall of protection, wall, walled"], "Jerusalem" [(3389) means "teaching of peace, founded peaceful"].

Neh 2:19-20 - false accusers seeking to ensnare (Mark 12:14-17), those who aren't pure will have no share in God's kingdom on earth (James 1:7-8;Matt 6:24); V.19 - a plate bearing the name of "Geshem the Arab" was found in 1947 about 12 miles from Ismailia, Egypt dating to circa the 5th century BC.

2:19-20         In saying that the Ammonite had ‘no portion nor right’  Nehemiah is drawing attention to Deut 23:3-5.  Whilst it might seem churlish not to accept offers of help from others the principles of Scripture must not be violated.

PRAYER PATTERN

Nehemiah's prayer provides a really great pattern for our own prayers. I see three sections in this prayer, that, if we follow them in our own prayers, could help us to maintain a balance of awe, humility and worship of God, at the same time as being able to make requests of him. The three sections are these: Praise, Repentance, and Requests.

Praise.

Nehemiah, even though he was in great distress, began his prayer with praise. He recognised how great, awesome and loving God is. Praise helps us to realise that God is far greater than our problems, it gives glory to him and also helps us to feel more positive in our confidence that he will always hear.

Repentance.

The second part of his prayer was to confess and repent. How can we ask God for blessings if we haven't repented and changed from the things we do that block God's blessings from us? Nehemiah was completely honest and frank in his confession, just as we should be.

Request.

Finally Nehemiah presented his request before God. He was specific. "Give your servant success today by granting him favour in the presence of this man." (Neh 1:11) Once we have praised God and repented, our requests take on a much smaller perspective.

Let's pray like Nehemiah by praising God, repenting, and finally making our requests.

1:8-9   In drawing together, as can be seen in the table here – various earlier passages of Scripture we see how Nehemiah clearly sees Israel’s plight as a consequence of their disobedience to God’s commandments as He promised such problems for a sinful nation.

GOD HELPS, BUT WORK HARD

For us to be successful servants of God, there are two parts to our success. As Nehemiah answered his critics, he mentioned the two aspects we need. He said, "The God of heaven will give you success. We his servants will start rebuilding." (Neh 2:20) Knowing the end of the story of Nehemiah, we can see that God certainly did give them success and that the people involved worked extremely hard to achieve the amazing results they did.

In order to be successful for God we need two things. We need God's help and we need to work hard.

God's Help.If God is for us, nothing can be against us. If we are doing the Lord's work, then he will be with us and we will succeed. So let's make sure that what we are trying to do is God's will, and that we have asked for the blessing of God in what we do. If God is not with us, then no matter how hard we work, we will not achieve the success we need.

Work Hard.But God doesn't usually do stuff while we sit around and relax. We need to work in faith, and to work hard.

God was with Nehemiah and the Jews as they worked hard to rebuild Jerusalem, and miracles happened. If we faithfully work for him in the same way, miracles can still happen. Let us rise up and build.

Neh 1:4 - We see in our daily Bible readings the spirit of Christ in the work of the Lord’s servants (1Pet 1:10-11).  Nehemiah wept and mourned for the derelict state of Jerusalem (Neh 1:4), he mediated for God’s people (Neh 1:6) and sought the welfare of the children of Israel (Neh 2:10) when he was in the city 3 days (Neh 2:11).

2:1   The events recorded here are four months later than Neh 1:1

Neh 2:6 I wonder how much the queen had to do with the king's helpful disposition? Could she possibly have been Jewish, as Esther was?

1:10     In saying that Israel had been redeemed (from Babylon) by God’s ‘strong hand’ he is reflecting on Israel’s deliverance from Egypt as recorded in Exo 13:3

2:4    We might wonder what Nehemiah said in his prayer whilst standing before the king. As he had already been praying about the problem in Jerusalem – Neh 1– we may think that Nehemiah said “thank you” to God for hearing and answering his prayer.  How often do we thank God when things go well for us?

1:9     In quoting Deut 12:11 when speaking of the place that God would choose to place His name we see again Nehemiah’s understanding of his Old Testament.

2:8         If ye transgress .. nations is a quotation from Deut 28:64. Nehemiah recognised that the captivity was a punishment form God and wished to make that point to God. He knew why they had been taken to Babylon

2:7     Having requested the freedom to return to Jerusalem Nehemiah realised that without the support of the king he would be able to achieve very little, hence his request for ‘letters’. This is a case of ‘counting the cost’. Nehemiah had worked out what would be required for his plans to come to fruition. We can learn from this. Off the cuff ideas with no planning are doomed to failure.

2:6  The seemingly irrelevant observation that  the queen was sitting beside him might actually be a reference to Esther.

1:11 The seemingly irrelevant mention that “I was the king’s cupbearer” actually is a fundamental detail when we consider the consequences of that role that Nehemiah had. As we will see he took the opportunity to speak to the king. An opportunity granted him simply because of his job.

UNSTOPPABLE

Nehemiah had heard the news about the state of Jerusalem and the fact that it's walls were broken down. The news distressed him, and he prayed to God about it. The answer to his prayer came very suddenly and unexpectedly as the king sent Nehemiah back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he went out at night and surveyed what he could of the rubble that was once the walls. No one else was involved.

It was then that Nehemiah spoke to the people. As he showed them the disgrace of living in an unwalled city, and the power of the hand of God that was on him, and as he shared with the people of Jerusalem his plans of rebuilding the wall, they all responded saying, "Let us rise up and build." (Neh 2:18).

One man and his God managed to motivate a whole city of people to work a miracle. They rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in just fifty two days.

Don't think that you are too few or too alone to make a difference. If God is with us, we, like Nehemiah, can unite, motivate and transform. All we need to do is to step out in faith and play our part.
 

2:2-3 in the UK at least there is a tendency not to show our feelings. It is often thought that showing feelings is a sign of weakness. But not so. The plight of the city of God and His land should affect our emotions. Likewise the difficulties that our fellow believers find themselves in should likewise affect our feelings. We should not try to hide our feelings or refrain from talking about them to others.

1:3  Whilst there would have been communication around the kingdom of the Medes it is unlikely that news that did not affect the running of the kingdom would be passed on. This was not the days of instant communications either so there would be no one “blogging” about Jerusalem. If Nehemiah had not asked concerning Jerusalem of those who actually had been there he would not have found out the situation. Likewise we should be diligent to enquire about the welfare of our fellow believers.

1:6-8 In his prayer to God Nehemiah draws God’s attention to what He had said to His people. It is as if Nehemiah is appealing to Yahweh to keep His word.

How often do we draw God’s attention to what He has promised in our prayers?

1:6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant

Why does Nehemiah ask that God's eyes be open? Surely hearing prayers, using ears, is all that is needed. There are at least two possibilities for asking that God's eyes be open as well:

     1. Nehemiah asks that God not only hears his words but sees the weeping, mourning and fasting (v4) accompanying the prayers as evidence of their genuineness.

     2. Nehemiah asks that God sees the forlorn state of Jerusalem (v3) which is the subject of his prayers.

2:5 to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.

We never hear again of Nehemiah honouring his fathers' graves, so why mention it now? It could be that Nehemiah is appealing to Medo-Persian culture where ancestors graves were honoured. Nehemiah presents his desire to go to Jerusalem as a family matter, when it had more to do with honouring God. He was very diplomatic.

2:6 the queen sitting beside him

Why is this detail important? It could be that the record is showing that the occasion was not a business conference or gathering where large numbers of people were in attendance. Nehemiah is the cupbearer  at a more private occasion whereby the king and his wife were enjoying time together. This allowed for the king to take notice of Nehemiah's disposition and to have a quiet, relaxed and undistracted conversation. 

2:9 the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen

The province titled  Beyond the River was the wild west of the empire and the king knew that Nehemiah might need some support.  Nehemiah had not asked for this provision but God through the king provided it. God often gives more than we desire or think we need. "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20)

2:20 but you [Tobiah et al.] have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.

Yet Tobiah was later found living, not only in Jerusalem, but in the Temple itself, at the urging of Eliashib, the compromising high priest! (Nehemiah 13:4,5). Such was the later decline in Judah after Nehemiah was recalled to Susa the palace for a time.

Imagine if we allowed  the local arrogant atheist to take up residence in our ecclesial hall, because he is a close relative of one of the leaders in the ecclesia!

1:11 Now I was cupbearer to the king

This was an important job and may have been more than a simple bartender. The cupbearer needed to protect the king from being poisoned, as well as provide drink for the king. For a Hebrew to be entrusted to be the king's cupbearer demonstrates that Nehemiah's trustworthiness, despite him being of a  foreign race,  was well known and valued. 

The cupbearer may also have been  involved in planning and carrying out catering event management, since assassination attempts would involve more than just drink spiking. The king presumably was impressed  with Nehemiah's organisation skills at these events, so much so that he acceded to Nehemiah's requests (Nehemiah 2) and elevated him to the role of Governor of the Province of Judea. Those organisation skills were evident in Nehemiah's execution of the project to build the walls and gates of Jerusalem. 

Also, Nehemiah was wealthy (Nehemiah 5:14-19; 7:70). This suggests that Nehemiah had been well paid as a cupbearer, hinting again that his duties were more than just bartending. The term Rabshakeh means chief cupbearer and "Rabshakeh" was a key servant who did more than cupbearing to Sennacherib in Hezekiah's day. This suggests again that cupbearing was not the only part of Nehemiah's role, and that he was accordingly well paid.

2:10 Sanballat the Horonite

There are three possibilities for the location of Horon:

1. Sanballat came from one of the towns of Beth-horon, northwest of Jerusalem

2. Horon could refer to Horonaim in Moab (Isaiah 15:5)

3. Horon could refer to Hauran, an area to the east of the sea of Galilee (Ezekiel 47:16,18)

Maybe too Sanballat was a Horonite - a worshipper of the god Horon in Canaan.

2:20 but you [Tobiah et al.] have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.

* portion: God-given  inheritance

* right: God-given rulership

* claim: history of prior activity commendable to God

Thus Tobiah et al. had no God-given connection to Jerusalem

2:3 Let the king live forever

This statement by Nehemiah may sound a bit fawning and the legalistic side of us might recoil that it expresses a thought that is incorrect - only faithful followers of God will live forever after Christ grants them immortality. But, it probably was a cultural norm of respect to use such words to  a dignitary (cp Daniel using similar words in Daniel 6:21). We often find these cultural terms of respect in today's society. For example, in parliament, we say "The Right Honorable member for [insert electorate]"; or to a judge in court: "Your honour".  Luke writes to "most excellent Theophilus" (Luke 1:3).

I once heard a brother pray to God "We cannot wait for Your Kingdom". This wasn't an expression of rebellion, but an expression of excitement. We have to be careful that we don't make others offenders for a word, and become rigid and formulaic in our conversation and prayers. 

2:2 Nehemiah was well aware of the potential punishment for showing sorrow in the presence of the king. However his sorrow was so great that he was not able to hide it. His desire was not to look sad but the depth of his sorrow impacted on his demeanour. To what degree do we sorrow for the abominations done in the world?

v.1 - The sense of this verse is that of glory before men. The 'feeding on wind' speaks surely of the vanity of Ephraim for himself, where the covenant with Assyria is clearly a union condemned by God. The carrying of oil to Egypt is by way of gift - presumably, if left unchecked, in readiness for the next covenant with man.

12:1 covenant with the Assyrians 2 Kings 17:3
12:3 power with God Genesis 32:28
12:8 yet ... substance Revelation 3:17
12:10 spoken by the prophets 2 Kings 17:13
12:12 Jacob fled to Syria Genesis 29:1
12:14 Ephraim provoked him to anger 2 Kings 17:11

12:8 'Yet I am become rich, I have found me out great substance' is here a claim made by idolatrous Israel. Jesus' use of the same language in Revelation 3:17 is a very powerful condemnation of the brethren and sisters in Laodicea. It marks a state of mind which demonstrates complacent arrogance. Whilst it might seem difficult to see such an attitude in our brethren [at Laodicea] and today clearly it is possible. Such an attitude is marked by a total lack of awareness of one's spiritual depravity.

v.6 tells us that we should use the example of Jacob, who in the strength of God prevailed over the angel, but found his forgiveness there at Bethel, the house of God, and there built his memorial. It is a wonderful picture of the way in which, in prevailing on our behalf, Jesus has built for us an everlasting memorial on which we can trust.

12:9-10 Yahweh is at pains to remind Israel what He has done for them. Nor is it the case that they could not know. He had sent many prophets. As we have already noted, at this time there were a number of prophets speaking whose record we have.

12:3,4 In citing two incidents from the life of Jacob - his birth and his battle with the angel God is highlighting the strength of Jacob with God which is now contrasted with their waywardness (see 12:6). That 'He spake with us' marks the point that these incidents in Jacob's life were not just for his own benefit. Their being recorded indicated that all Israel should benefit from thinking about them.

12:1  The 'covenant with the Assyrians is a reference to 2Kin 17:3 and continues the things we saw in Hos 10

V.6 He who wished to be a true descendant of Jacob was to turn (return) to his God and manifest true repentance by keeping "mercy and justice" Mic 6:8 embracing the commandments regarding ones duty towards one's neighbour, the most visible witness of the sincerity of one's repentance  

It’s not often that Jacob’s life is used as an illustration, rather than Abraham’s, but it is here in Hos 12:3-6. Jacob triumphed over his brother Esau at birth, (Gen 25:26), and was later given the name Israel, or “A Prince With God”, as in Gen 32:28. It’s interesting that in these 4 verses there is no mention of Jacob acquiring the birthright or the blessing. Perhaps we can say that they are earthly things which Jacob sought for himself, and things which actually did not affect how God dealt with him.

V.4 We have a wonderful lesson in the incident of the angel wrestling Jacob. God's ways are different than the ways of man. In human ways the angel throws Jacob down, he does what one would think would ensure the fall of Jacob. With the dislocating of his thigh, it would be very difficult to stand. Yet, this was when Jacob prevailed. God teaches us the irresistible might of conscious weakness. For when we are weak in ourselves, we are strong by God's strength which we have received by grace (2Cor 12:9-10)

v10 has its example in Ezekiel and Daniel. It mentions prophets who had visions and were given symbols. The reason for these was to turn Israel back to God. It is very hard to see how the obscure visions of rams and horns (Daniel) or Temple dimensions (Ezekiel) would achieve this end, but nevertheless that's what they were designed for. Further evidence for this can be found in Eze 43:10. Here Ezekiel is commanded to explain the design of the temple "that they may be ashamed of their iniquities".

12:2 Hosea spoke against both Israel and Judah. However the repeated use of ‘Ephraim’ might lead the men of Judah to think that they were exempt from His judgement. Here, as in other places, the prophet reminds them that they have the same responsibilities and should, therefore, expect the same treatment if they are disobedient.

12:4The historical event spoken of here – the life of Jacob and the struggle with the angel – is more than a story, the prophet is saying. This is clear when the prophet said ‘He spoke with us’ – he does not say ‘spoke with you,’

V.5 The KJV has memorial while the ESV has memorial name. Yahweh is the memorial Name of Israel's God.

V.13 Moses was that prophet. To Moses, Yahweh revealed His memorial Name: I am who I am and I will be who I will be (Exo 3:13,14).

Yahweh restates His Name here as a reminder to Israel that He is its God and that He will be worshipped according to the implications of His Name.

V.1 the east wind is a reference to the simoon, the hot dry wind that blows from the desert, east of the Land of Israel. This is a destructive wind. Israel’s words and actions are likewise destructive.

In its foolishness, Israel turned to Assyria and Egypt for help (Hos 5:13; 7:11). Oil represents fat things given as presents to Egypt, by Israel, as an attempt to gain Egypt’s help.

V.3 Jacob means supplanter. He supplanted Esau his brother (Gen 25:26; 27:36).

V.4 Jacob could not have overcome the angel if Yahweh had not allowed it (Gen 32:24-28).

V.10 See Amos 3:7.

V.11 Gilead comes from two Hebrew words: gal meaning a heap of stones (as a field marker); and edh meaning witness (See Gen 31:46-48).

The worship of Jeroboam's calves in Israel was a replacement for God. We might think that was silly. We'd never turn away from God in preference to an animal. But when we look at the clues of what this worship actually was, maybe we can see it is similar to the temptations we too are faced with.

In v11 we learn that worship took place "in the furrows of the field" and in 10:4-5 that this was associated particularly with the calf idol. It suggests that this idolatry was exploiting the most basic and urgent need of mankind: to eat. Somehow the people had been persuaded that this god had power to grant a good harvest, and it had the form of an ox which could bring about prosperity by working the land (see Prov 14:4). So their temptation was exactly the same as ours: Do we spend all our time pursuing prosperity and encumbered with daily life, or do we acknowledge God as the giver of all our needs? It is this distinction that made the Sabbath such a big deal. Do I forgo a day's prosperous work, or do I trust God that He will make up the lost day?

12:5 The ‘memorial’ is the ‘scent’ of 14:7 – see the RVmargin of 14:7 Yahweh is not just a name. It encapsulates a purpose – that purpose is His glory being seen in the earth.

12:7      Having the balances of deceit is the exact opposite of what Israel should have done. Lev 19:36 explains how they should trade.

12:12-13           Developing the assurance that God was at work in their past lives by speaking of the deliverance from Egypt Hos 13:4 - God now recounts some earlier history in the life of Jacob. This further example serves to show the consistency of God. We do well to reflect on the ways in which He has worked in our lives in the past that we might have confidence about His activity in our lives in the future.

Hos 12:3,4 -

In Hosea's allusion to Jacob's wrestling with an angel of the LORD (Gen 32:24-32), how could it have been that Jacob "overcame him" (N.I.V.)? That is, what does it mean for a mortal to overcome an immortal?

Physically speaking, it must be impossible for any mortal to overcome or "prevail" (K.J.V.) when wrestling with an immortal. The answer to the question lies in the 2nd phrase in this verse. "He (Jacob) wept and begged for his favor." So what was true was that Jacob had come to realize at this time in his life that all of his schemes, including deception, were pitting his own wisdom and guile against God and His plan. And therefore the wrestling with God's angel became a microcosm of his whole life's struggles with God. For him to really and truly "prevail" meant submitting to God and His will (the saying today is "Let go and let God"), and so when he wept and begged for favor, that equated to his overcoming. What did he overcome? His own sinful tendencies to put his trust in his own so-called strengths while, though believing in God, not being totally dependent on Him.

There were times in Jacob's life when God was hard at work in His attempts to get him to see this need to put his trust and dependence on Him rather than on his own perceived wisdom and strength. After his deception in regard to the birthright and his blessing by Isaac, he had gone into Syria and was, in turn, deceived again and again by Laban in regard to his daughters and livestock. Yet time and again, Jacob used his own guile to fend for himself. It was not really until this incident that the truth really came to him in this God-appointed way. And for the rest of his life, there was his physical problem of being partially lame (Gen 32:31) that would have reminded him of the lesson he learned during that struggle.

By the way, the point of Hosea's warning here would appear to be that - as it was with your ancestor, Israel, so will it be for you. "You must return to your God, maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always" (Hos 12:6). And if you do so, you will have captured the lesson of your namesake - the original Israel.

For those who may have access to the book Wrestling Jacob by bro. Harry Whittaker, it is a wonderful read where our brother brings out example after example of this pattern emerging in the life of Jacob and a number of very good practical lessons we, as brethren in Christ, should take from it.

12:10  This detailed description of how God revealed His word is summarised in Heb 1:1.

12:10    The way in which God repeatedly, and using different methods, appealed to a wayward nation should be a great comfort to those who try to serve Him but fail. We see a God who tries different methods to recover His wayward children. 

12:4     In GGen 32 we read of Jacob wrestling with the ‘man’ – it is the comment here that it was an ‘angel’ which teaches us certainly that Jacob wrestled with an angel.

12:5-6   It was not an academic point that the events in the life of Jacob spoke to Hosea’s audience as well as to Jacob. The fact that the events in Jacob’s life were recorded for the benefit of those in Hosea’s day meant that they should respond – “therefore”. It is all too easy for us to see what we read in the Bible as written a long time ago and not really relevant for us. We should realise that this is not so - Rom 15:4. Such a realisation will make us more committed to reading scripture – or at least it should. 

12:10     God, through the prophet, explains how He taught Israel. When he speaks of “similitudes” and then describes events in Jacob’s life and then the deliverance form Egypt we have to see that those historical events are preserved for us as they were for Israel that lessons can be learnt from the events as recorded.

12:1    The “east wind” is not simply a description of the weather. The “east wind” here is the Assyrians.

12:14 Ephraim’s behaviour here echoes the historical narrative in the time of their last king Hoshea – 2Kin 17:11

  12:2 The “controversy” that God had with the people was a consequence of them not knowing him. The prophet has made this point before -Hos 4:1

12:2 Now Israel has gone into captivity the prophet turns to Judah and reproves them. One might have thought that Judah would have seen what happened to Israel and repented. However it seems that contrariwise Judah sought to appease Assyria rather than please God.

12:10   The way in which God repeatedly, and using different methods, appealed to a wayward nation should be a great comfort to those who try to serve Him but fail. We see a God who tries different methods to recover His wayward children.

11:10 “Similitudes” is likenesses. This is the basis of so many of Jesus’ parables where he says … is like unto …

12:8 The way Ephraim is presented as “rich” is fundamentally related to the way in which the earlier verses have spoken about Jacob and his wrestling with the angel prior to him meeting Esau. Esau was satisfied with all that he had gained whereas Jacob had everything – he had the birthright. Material things were of no interest to him.

4 v.12 - Epaphras, who is mentioned here and in ch.1:7, appeared to be a leading light in the founding of the church at Colosse.

3:1 and 2:20 mark a progression. We 'die' in the waters of baptism and 'rise' to a new life Romans 6:4. If we have risen to a new life then the ways of the old life are left behind. Now we know that this relates to our sinful behaviour. However Paul extends this, to the brethren and sisters in Colosse, to those elements of Jewish tradition which burdened them.

4:5 Walking in wisdom is an exhortation to ensure that our lifestyle does not cause the name of God to be blasphemed. It is not good enough to just know that what we do is acceptable to God. We must also ensure that we also abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thessalonians 5:22 as well.

3:3 ' Hid with God' draws on the warning of the Assyrian invasion, Yahweh, through the prophet [Isaiah 26:20-21] who encourages the people to take refuge in Him. Speaking of the Babylonian invasion the prophet [Jeremiah 39:18] encourages the people to trust in Him. Likewise the prophet [Zephaniah 2:3] echoes the words of Jeremiah, his contemporary, having the evidence of Yahweh's deliverance of Hezekiah from Assyria to look to for comfort.

These evidences form a basis for Paul's exhortation to the brethren, against the background of their troubles

4:10-15 The way in which individuals are able to send greetings, and Paul is willing to include these greetings in such 'important' letters is a mark of how highly the Father views the fellowship between His sons and daughters. A lesson for us.

GREED

Paul is at pains to point out to us the difference between the things from above and the things of our earthly nature. For this reason he gives us some examples of each so that we know what he is talking about. Much of what he lists as things of our earthly nature (things we should try and avoid) are well known to almost everybody.. Even the laws of our country condemn them, at least to some extent: "Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." (Colossians 3 v 5) The sin that seems out of place here (to me), and doesn't fit in with the harsher crimes such as sexual immorality, is greed. We don't often think of greed as a sin - and if we do, we consider it a "minor" sin. Yet greed is listed with the rest and we cannot escape its placing with the other sins, followed closely with the judgement, "Because of these the wrath of God is coming." (Verse 6)

Greed is equated with idolatry because the motivation for greediness is the service to another god apart from the Lord - usually self. Greed puts God in second place. Greed is selfish. Rather than discouraging us, society encourages this sin through its system of retail advertising.

Let's cleanse ourselves from this sin of greed, put God back in first place and allow him to supply our needs, instead of catering to our own wants.

3:23 The focus of all our activities is that we should seek to please our Father. The danger always is that we might simply be doing things to seek the praise of men.

4:7-8 The details of Tychicus confirm that he took the letter from Paul to the ecclesia in Colosse.

Always just the afterthought, in 3v15 Paul says "and be thankful". How important this advice is to us, who are naturally "unthankful, unholy" (2 Tim 3v2). How un-thoughtful it would be if we were to leave our thanks as an afterthought, or even forget it completely. In this chapter Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the works of the spirit, which, if we cling to them, will let the peace of God rule in our hearts (v15). What a contrast to the turmoil, stress, and self destruction that the other things bring. When we see the contrast in our own lives now, compared to our lives before, aught we not to give thanks for the transformation?

3:15 In speaking of the 'peace' of God and being 'thankful'  Paul is drawing on both aspects of the peace / thank offering of the law (Lev 3:1)

4:15 Our current way of meeting in purpose built or converted rooms for our meetings should not cause us to frown upon or be suspicious of believers just because they meet in homes. This was a common first century activity (Acts 2:46 , Rom 16:5, 1Cor 16:19 , Philem 1:2)

3:3 Comforting words, we all fall short of establishing our mind of Christ. (V.2) but, we still have Christ. The new life, which is in Christ.

3:11 The term Barbarian today means an uncivilised person. However, Paul's usage in his time meant something different. The term had become synonymous with foreigner. Originally, Barbarian referred to one who stuttered, a person of unintelligible speech. In a time when Greek was the language of culture, anyone who could not speak it was considered one who stammered and, therefore, an outsider (foreigner) to things Greek.

The Scythians were a nomadic people who migrated from Asia to the area of southern Russia. They were considered savages (uncivilised people) and their name became synonymous with such. Paul, of course, is pointing out that those in Christ are no longer Jew, Greek, foreign, or uncivilised, although they might have once been. All are now one in Christ, changed to conform to His righteousness (Gal 3:28).

3:9 Paul could have appealed to any number of different requirements but chooses, by the spirit, to say ‘lie not one to another’. This is paramount because any form of dishonesty between brethren and sisters destroys fellowship and unity. Dishonesty is more destructive and embarrassing than any passing embarrassment caused by speaking the truth.

4:7-9 Paul sent two brethren to Colosse to learn of their welfare. It is not that he did not trust one or other of those two brethren. Rather Paul is employing the pattern of Jesus who sent his disciples out two by two. Matt 21:1

3:4 In saying Christ is our ‘life’ we need to realise that Paul is talking about our way of living – not simply the resurrection. Our life should centre around living like Jesus did. A similar point to that which we have seen in chapters 1 and 2

4:1 One of the most remarkable features of the new society in Christ was the fact that bond and free took places side by side in the first century ecclesia. This was contrary to what they were used of, as we see in the letter that Paul wrote to Philemon who was from Colosse. We can also think of Christ's words "Neither be called masters, for you have one master". We can all do well by taking the role of a servant, which at times can be very difficult to do.

4:5     ‘them that are without’ draws on Jesus’ words in Mark 4:11 so we understand that Paul s speaking of those who have no interest in the gospel. We might think that such people do not deserve our attention but Paul teaches the contrary. We show them Christ by the way in which we live.

3:1-4 True believers in Jesus are not concerned with the things of this life, as are other people. They set their sights on spiritual things, obey the Lord’s commandments, and wait for His return to earth.

If they are accepted by Him, they will be changed to become like Him (immortal - having possessed eternal life) (1Cor 15:53,54). That is the reward Jesus will bring to those who are faithful. The unfaithful will receive eternal death (Rev 22:12).

In these two chapters, Paul elucidates some of the commands of Jesus to which the faithful must conform.

3:9  Whilst Paul is opposing the yoke of the Law of Moses in the form of circumcision he still emphasises the moral teaching of the law. Here ‘lie not one to another’ quotes Lev 19:11

3:3 The word hid means to be hidden by covering.  And so, those in Christ have had their sins covered by Him (Rom 4:7).

Jesus was symbolized by the mercy seat where Yahweh would commune with His people (Exo 25:21,22).  The NIV translates mercy seat as atonement cover.  In this translation we can better see the effect of Jesus’ atonement as he covers our sins.

3:18-22 These behaviours do not have a widespread following in the modern world.  But, they must be the norm to those who follow Jesus.

3:5 Covetousness = greed = idolatry. We see that idolatry is not just bowing down to gods of wood, stone, or natural phenomena. Being greedy means that minds are intent in accumulating more than is necessary. To this pursuit there is no end.

The parable of the rich man should serve as a warning (Luke 12:16-21). His energy had gone into the acquisition of material things instead of Yahweh's work. It is not possible to serve the god of greed and to serve Yahweh at the same time (Luke 16:13). Let us be content with what Yahweh gives us and put all our effort in serving Him (Matt 6:34; Phil 4:11;1Tim 6:8; Heb 13:5).

4:5 Redeeming the time (KJV); making the best use of the time (ESV) comes from an expression meaning: to make the best profit you can from selling an article that was bought in the market (Conybeare and Howson).

4:6 Salt is hydroscopic, meaning that it takes water from the air. Water is synonymous with the Word of God (John 7:38,39). The gift of the Holy Spirit, to us, is the Word of God, since the Bible was written under the direction of the Holy Spirit (2Pet 1:21).

And so, Let your speech always…be seasoned with salt (KJV) means that our speech should be from the Word: If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God (KJV) (1Pet 4:11).

4:9 ‘With Onesimus’ indicates that whilst Paul would have liked to keep Onesimus with him as he explained to Philemon he did send him back to Philemon who was his master.

REDUCING DIVORCE

They are only two little instructions in two little verses, but if we applied them to our marriages there would be a much smaller rate of separation and divorce than we see around us now.

"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." (Col 3:18-19)

Husbands, if our wives are going to want to submit to us then we need to show godly leadership - not just that we are the boss, but to lead our wives the way Christ leads the church. Let's pray for wisdom and pray that we can be godly leaders in our families.

Wives, whether your husband is a good leader or not, it is your duty to submit to him. He is the one with the God given duty to make decisions and to lead. Ultimately he will be responsible for those decisions. Your responsibility is to submit to him just as the church should follow Christ.

Husbands, love your wives. The word 'Love' is 'Agape' which means unconditional love. It is the love God has for us even though we are sinners. Even if she doesn't deserve it, as a husband it is our responsibility to love her unconditionally.

Wives, aim to become a person your husband will want to love. Give him respect and honour as the representative of Christ in your home.

And husbands, we must not be harsh with our wives. Many marriages break because of abuse. Let's make sure abuse is not the cause of our marriage break up, but be gentle, knowing that she is physically weaker and more emotionally vulnerable than we are.

A TRUE WORK OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Col 3:24 - It is not WHAT a man does that determines whether his work is righteous -

Rather it is WHY he does it.

4:18    ‘remember me in my bonds' is just a little detail but it informs us that Paul was a prisoner when he wrote to the ecclesia in Colosse.

THE WORD IN US

The Bible might still be a best seller, and almost everyone has a copy, but how much does the Bible become part of us? It is no use having a Bible if it sits on the shelf and only comes out on special occasions or as a display model.

I have heard people say that their daily devotions are taken from books about the Bible, but they fail to read the Bible themselves. And something that really upsets me is when people present Bible studies that are actually internet studies or commentary studies, without seeming to have studied the Word themselves.

If we were serious about getting the Word of God inside us, our Bibles would wear out before their time, and our Bible reading and study would overflow in our conversation and way of life. How often have we had a good Biblical discussion lately? Paul urged us to "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." (Col 3:16)

Let's follow Paul's advice and get the Word inside us - and not just inside us, but inside us richly. Let us let the Word go into us and overflow. Let it overflow into our words, actions, songs and attitudes. There are so many ways we could be rich, but let us choose to be rich in the Word.

4:5    ‘Wisdom’ has been a major theme throughout this letter. Walking in ‘wisdom’ continues the theme of lifestyle and draws on the instruction in Prov 22:7 where we see that walking in wisdom is a strength and defence to the believer.

4:3       Paul has already – Col 1:3-4 – said that he thanks God for the believers in Colosse. Now he asks for their help with his work. How easy it is for us to think that we achieve things by our own effort. We learn here that the great apostle Paul recognised that what he achieved was with the blessing of God and required prayer.

4:11    In saying that some brethren, by their faithful commitment, had been “a comfort unto me” we can see that the way in which we behave affects our fellow believers. 

3:6-7  We should not gloat or take pleasure in God’s judgement on others. Paul reminds us that we used to be just like them. Rather than gloating over such we should be striving to save them from the “wrath” and have them join us in sharing the blessings of God.

4:4 The call to “walk in wisdom” is like the Proverbs which speak of walking uprightly -Prov 2:7.

HOW TO SET YOUR MIND

Paul said, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Col 3:2). This is all very well to say, but how do we do it? Paul gives us some great advice to achieve the goal.

1. Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, ... anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. (Col 3:5-8).
2. Do not lie. (v.9).
3. Don't be racist. (v.11).
4. Practice compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (v.12).
5. Forgive. (v.13).
6. Love. (v.14).
7. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. (v.15).
8. Be thankful. (v.15).
9. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. (v.16).
10. Teach and help others to do the same. (v.16).
11. Sing with thankfulness. (v.16).
12. Do everything with Jesus in mind. (v.17).
13. Love your family. (v.18-21).
14. Work hard for your employer as if you were working for Jesus. (v.22-25).
15. Treat others fairly. (4:1).
16. Devote yourselves to prayer. (v.2).
17. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. (v.5).
18. Always show grace in the way you speak. (v.6).

If these actions become habits in our lives then we will be doing what Paul said to do. We will have set our minds on the things above, not on earthly things.
 

3:25       Modern human rights would propose that all men are equal. That we should not be respecters of persons.  However we must appreciate that modern human rights are not new. They actually reflect the teaching of God – Deut 10:17.

Col 3:9

“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.”

A reader writes: "... We are specifically commanded not to lie TO EACH OTHER or be 'economical with the truth' i.e. brothers & sisters must be strictly honest and open with each other at all times, especially as we have (or should have) no need to lie or deceive each other as none of us would put each other in mortal danger by telling the truth to each other..."

My reply: Yes, this is correct. We are to be truthful and honest with one another. When we maliciously gossip or lie about another, we have broken this and numerous other Scriptural commands. This does not mean, though, that we have to air our past deeds, or "dirty laundry," if you will, to anyone and everyone that passes our way or barely know. This is a misinterpretation. All the apostle Paul wanted to know among his brethren and sisters was Jesus Christ and him crucified; that is, their life now in the Truth (1Cor 2:2). If God through Christ can forgive and put our past behind, we should be able to, too. It has been, however, my observation that what is more of a problem is that of forgiveness (cf. Eph 4:32). The truth is always measured by love (1Cor 13:1-13) and by discretion (Prov 10:12). The level of our agape love determines the measure of our spiritual maturity.

Col 3:19

“Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.”

It has been said, “Men run on respect, women run on love” – Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, PhD, Author of Love and Respect.   We were told this thousands of years before Dr. Eggerichs by the greatest Doctor EVER (cf. Eph 5:25,33).

Husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loves his ecclesia (Eph 5:29). However, it is only if husbands understand the depth that Christ, “loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20), are they able to obey this injunction (cf. Eph 5:25). With some it may come with great personal sacrifice, but it does not excuse disobedience. Imagine if Christ had not loved his bride enough to teach her, show her the ways that please and honour God, and at great personal sacrifice at that!

After Christ, a man’s wife should come first in his affections. The commandments are very definite on this. A wife is a precious gift from God (Prov 18:22), and not to be used, abused, and treated like chattel. A wife is to be loved, cherished, nourished, and held in honour. A Christ-like love should characterize each husband’s love for his wife. The husband, as head of the wife, is to be a spiritual example to her, mindful of his conduct toward her, and her spiritual well-being. He is to dwell with her “according to knowledge” (Eph 5:28,29; Col 3:19; 1Pet 3:7). The injunction to “live joyfully with the wife…” (Ecc 9:9), precludes boorish, dominant, austere behaviour. Husbands who in disobedience are unkind, churlish, and neglectful towards their wives, will, undoubtedly, one day rue it.

If God commands husbands to love their wives, He also gives the power towards that end. This kind of portrayal of self-sacrificing love and caring commitment is to honour the sanctity of marriage (cf. 1Cor 1:2; Eph 5:27; 1Thess 4:3). It is to seek for the highest good as heirs together of eternal life and both are powerful to produce the necessary changes.

Love and respect are the foundation for a good marriage.

*It has recently come to my attention that a newly wed Christadelphian wife commented to her Christadelphian husband, that she rejects the command of wives being in submission to their husbands in total disregard to Scripture teaching!  How tragic that after almost a one-year engagement, no one in their ecclesia took it upon themselves to counsel them as to what a Biblical marriage is. Now, when this problem arose, they are quick to disfellowship if they break up, and offered no guidance!

The ecclesia assumes some responsibility in this matter for failing to teach them and work with them. Had they, there probably would not have been a marriage to begin with. I encourage all ecclesias to please give marital counselling to engaged couples based on Biblical principles before the marriage takes place. Please read notes on Eph 5:22-24, 2017, Oct 7. Thank you!

3   The whole chapter make the same points as are made in Rom 6– namely that belief in the resurrection of Jesus which has prompted one to get baptised should be seen in a totally God centred way of living.

Col 3:5

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”