Comments for September 22

v.1 - We see a similar report in ch.26:10. It seems that when this state of affairs was so rare that when it did exist it was worthy of mention. Consider then how many times throughout the patriarchs, God chooses one who is not the firstborn. Contrast Christ who was the 'firstborn of every creature' - Col.1:15

v.1-3 The emphasis here on the fact that Reuben was the firstborn but the birthright did not pass through him is crucial to an understanding of the way in which matters developed with Judah. If it were not for the way in which this issue is presented we could well have expected the king to come from Reuben. Though it had already been stated 'The sceptre shall not depart from Judah' Genesis 49:10

:1-8 Sons of Reuben
:8-10 Geographical notes
:11-17 Sons of Gad
:18-22 A battle which the two and a half tribes engaged in is described
:23-26 The increase of the sons of Manasseh and their departure to Assyria with Gad and Manasseh.
The mention of the Hagarites (:10) dwelling in the and east of Gilead helps to identify the Hagarenes (Psalm 83:6). The mention of Jotham and Jeroboam gives us another indication when a numbering took place.

:1 The defiling of 'his father's bed' refers to the incident recorded (Genesis 35:22) which action forms the basis for the comment (Genesis 49:3-4) in the blessings of Jacob.

5:2 In speaking of Judah as providing the 'chief ruler' continues the Scriptural picture of Messiah coming from Judah - see also Gen 49:10.

V.16 There were three places in Scripture identified as "Sharon". This one lay east of the Jordon. While Isa 35:2 parallels Sharon with Lebanon, which was known for its trees. Isa 61:10 speaks of the area as an excellent pasture for flocks, symbolic of the peace that God will one day grant His people. The name means "flat land " or "wetlands"

1Chron 5:25,26 reports how the 2 ½ tribes, living on the east of the Jordan, were carried captive into Assyria, before Samaria and the majority of the ten tribes were deported. 2Kin 15:27-29also tells of this, and adds that Naphtali, on the NW of Galilee were also taken captive at the same time.

5:26 In mentioning ‘Pul’ king of Assyria’ we realise that this part at least of the record was written after that time – :17 provides another indication of when the record was written – or at least what had happened before it was written.

V.18 Buckler is a shield which was either made of leather or bronze.  Leather shields had to be oiled regularly to prevent their being damaged by moisture. 

Note: in 1Chron 12:8, the word buckler has been stated in error, in the KJV.  Here, the original word means a spear and not a shield.  More modern translations have corrected the problem.

5:23 ‘Senir’ is the name that the Amorites gave to Mount Hermon – Deut 3:9

Vs.10,20 The Hagarites were named after Hagar and were, therefore, Ishmaelites.  However, they became a particular tribe at some point (See Psa 83:6).

V.26 Pul and Tiglath-pileser were, probably, the same person.  The Assyrian king was the monarch of both Assyria and Babylon.  Therefore, he wanted to distinguish his identity between the two states.   Pul was the name used when the king sat on the throne of Babylon, while Tiglath-pileser was the name the king used when sitting on the Assyrian throne.

5:1 In reminding us that Reuben had ‘defiled his father’s bed’ – Gen 35:22– we are provided with the reason why he was not treated as the firstborn.

5:26-27        The events recorded here are to be found also in 2Kin 15:19-29

5:25    So we are told why the kingdom of Israel, under Hoshea, was taken captive by the Assyrians

5:17   This verse is one of the very few indications as to when the records in the Chronicles were written down.

Joel, mystery man

Who is Joel, and why is he mentioned when he doesn't appear to be a son of Reuben? Why is he in two genealogies? Some context (but no answers yet I'm afraid):

- Joel is mentioned in both Reuben (v4) and Gad's (v12) genealogy.

- Reuben and Gad become confederate and dwell together on the other side of the Jordan to the rest of Israel (Num 32:2-5)

- The record (in the context of Joel) specifically states "the children of Gad dwelt next to them" (v11)

- He is mentioned in the context of Reuben's sin (v1-4)

5:23-25          Being “mighty men of valour” and “famous” is of little value in God’s eyes if Godliness is not manifest also. So the comment “they transgressed …” gives God’s assessment and contrasts with men’s assessment.

5:22   The captivity spoken of is the captivity in the days of Hoshea king of Israel in the north.

5:6      In saying that Beerah was taken captive by the Assyrians we are given an indication as to what time in Israel’s history Beerah lived.  He fits in around the time of Hoshea, the last king of Israel.

5:1     the consequences of Reuben’s behaviour was very significant. His whole family suffered the loss of a significant honour, the birthright. Our sins can bring terrible consequences on our families. Maybe reflecting on that might help us to resist temptation.

5:1 Reuben is a classic example of a man whose behaviour impacted on his future. When he “defiled his father’s bed” he was old enough to appreciate what he was doing. We do well to appreciate that our actions have consequences. If we thought through the probable consequences of what we are thinking to do we may well avoid the error.

1 Chronicles 1-9 can seem to be difficult chapters to read and understand.

Brother Tony Benson’s book – Family Trees of the Tribes of Israel, by using family trees and explanations highlights much that is in the genealogies in this section of the book.

Copies can be ordered from Peterlforbes@tiscali.co.uk. Cost £5.50 plus postage.

5:9“Prevailed” is a word that we possibly associate with wining in a battle. However Judah’s “prevailed” was not by war with others but rather with respect to the matter of election by God. His honour and status was “of God”. In like manner we have no claim on God because of any merit of our own. The wonderful thing is that He has chosen us – Eph 1:4 and as such we, through His grace, can “prevail” against the sentence of death.

5:1 Our behaviour has consequences. For a momentary self-satisfactions Reuben lost the birthright. Maybe because he was the firstborn he thought he had privilige – if he did he lost them by one sinful action. We should think about the implications of what we do. That might help us to avoid sin a little more often.

5:2 So we might ask who was the “chief ruler”? Looking through Judah’s descendants no one stands out except Jesus – so here we seem to have a prophecy about the coming of Messiah from the tribe of Judah.

5:9 The mention of Gilead because cattle were multiplied is consistent with what we learnt -  Num 32:1 - about the quality of the territory on the east of Jordan during the days of Moses.

v.4-9 - Israel have slipped so far that God is reduced to looking to individuals who are trying to please him that he might save them. The responsibility to one's offspring was so abused that under the old regime, no-one would have been saved. Notice however that the list of qualities required of the man who is to be saved is pretty rigorous. Let us look to our own house.

18:2 fathers ... set on edge Jeremiah 31:29
v.1 - 23 Israel were to be taken into captivity. The first captivity has already taken place. The Jews are quoting the words of Jeremiah to suggest that the evil is coming upon them because of the sins of the fathers.
The argument of Ezekiel, using the language of the law - see the marginal references - is arguing that it is those who have sinned who are judged. If a sinful man has a faithful son the son will not suffer for the sins of the father.
 

This whole chapter presents this approach of individual responsibility as a new one that God has adopted so that some might be saved, and as one that will now be the case for ever. We therefore, whether we like it or not, are responsible for our own salvation and cannot be responsible for someone else's however much we might wish. There may be an exception in the case of our own young children (1Cor.7:14 possibly?), but this is not a debate I wish to enter!

18:4 Despite what Israel thought - that they were their own and could do as they pleased God informs them that they belong to him. Sinners will die (As promised Genesis 2:17). However, an one who observes the law of Moses (:5-8) will be delivered. The deliverance is not a promise of eternal life to the one who is obedient to the law. The context in Ezekiel is the same as that of Jeremiah. The ones who go to Babylon will live, those who rebel will die.

18:31-32 So even at this late time there was an opportunity for repentance. The captivity would still come but the individuals would survive and be blessed. This is the implication of what God is saying.

18:9 The just are to live by faith (Hab 2:4), words spoken by a prophet who was told of the Babylonian invasion (Hab 1:6)

V.22 After saying in V.20 "the soul that sinneth, it shall die" Ezekiel brings out the mercy of God when he speaks of the wicked man who turns from his wickedness, the result being that his sins are forgiven. But, this by no means clears the guilty, for the person that sins shall die. 

V.30-32  We see here through the words recorded by the prophet that individual responsibility before the LORD GOD affects all humanity. "I will judge you" "make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit" and the final declaration; "God takes no pleasure of anyone who suffers the punishment of sin"  which of course is death.

I agree with Peter Forbes' 2001 comment.

During their captivity in Babylon the Jews felt God was unjust and the proverb in Eze 18:1-2 indicates they felt they were being punished for the sins of their parents. This would seem in harmony with God's word in Exo 34:7 that the children are punished to the 3rd and 4th generation. Paradoxically in Eze 18:20 we read, "The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share in the guilt of the father." How do we reconcile these these two apparent contradictions? In Exo 20:5-6 we have the answer as we read of God "punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."  So God who knows the end from the beginning wouldn't punish the 3rd and 4th generations if they didn't deserve it; God's mercy is much greater than His wrath; we will be dealt with evenly in the ultimate sense upon Christ's return. Another lesson this emphasizes is an isolated Scripture may sometimes provide only a partial explanation so we must study and compare to arrive at a more complete understanding.

V.20 It is difficult to understand the mind of Yahweh (Isa 55:8,9).  At times, it seems, He would punish His people for their sins to the third or fourth generation (Deut 5:9); and yet we see that He emphasizes personal responsibility. 

There were times when the nation was punished for the sin of one man.  David, for example, erroneously numbered the people.  He was sorry for his misdeed and yet Yahweh meted out punishment options to David which affected the people (2Sam 24:10,12,13).  David chose one punishment option which resulted in the death of 70,000 people (2Sam 24:15). 

There are times when the patience of Yahweh reaches an end and He cannot be appeased.  Josiah did a commendable job in bringing Judah and Jerusalem back to Yahweh (2Kin 23:25); and yet Yahweh would not turn from His avowed intent to destroy Jerusalem and annihilate Judah (2Kin 23:26,27). 

We should realize that our God is a jealous God who demands obedience (Exo 34:14; 1Pet 4:17).  He is full of goodness towards those who love and obey Him but punishing to those who do not (Rom 11:22).  Let us not take Him lightly!  Salvation is a serious business and we should be sober in our approach towards it (Phil 2:12).

The Lord God does not want people to die. He says so twice in today’s chapter,  Eze 18:23,32.  Whilst appreciating that Ezekiel’s prophecy was directed to the Jews, both in captivity in Babylon, and to the remainder of the Jews back home in Jerusalem, this principle surely also applies to all people at all times. We can therefore use these divine sentiments in our preaching, especially when people accuse God of allowing death and suffering. People are given freewill. Much of the suffering in the world today is resulting from man’s evil or mismanagement.

18:26  This is similar to the words of Jesus – Matt 10:22

V.2 The people of Israel were making excuses for the reasons they were being punished.  This is embodied in the proverb quoted by Ezekiel.  Ezekiel elaborates on the proverb first published by Jeremiah (Jer 31:29). 

Although, as we have seen, Yahweh can extend punishment to subsequent generations of those who hate Him (Deut 5:9), He has always held people personally responsible for their own sins (Deut 24:16). 

18:17 Ezekiel again stresses that each man is responsible for his own actions. The captivity was because of their own sins. There was no one else to blame.

18:14-18 We have two examples of kings who walked not in the steps of an unrighteous father. Amon did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD (2Kin 21:19-26), while his son Josiah did that which was right in the sight of the LORD (2Kin 22). We have the same example with Ahaz and his son Hezekiah (2Kin 18)

18:31 In speaking of the ‘new heart and new spirit’ Ezekiel is reminding Israel of the words of a prophet they doubtless heard – Jer 31:31-33

Vss.4,20 - Twice in this chapter we have mention that the soul ["soul" here is the Hebrew word "nephesh" (5315) and its primary meaning stands for creature, a breathing creature man or animal. It is rendered variously: self, creature, person, life, soul, etc.] that sins will die. In Rom 6:23 we read the wages of sin is death. And in Rom 3:23 we read all have sinned. In Acts 3:23 we read about ["souls" KJV or "anyone" NIV. The word used here is the Greek "psuche" (5590) which corresponds directly with the Hebrew "nephesh" and is similarly rendered: life, lives, souls] being destroyed. In Isa 53:12 is a Messianic prophesy of Christ and his sacrifice which reads in part "he hath poured out his soul unto death" so here we have Christ's soul died.  In contrast, some believe the soul is immortal and that death is not literally death but rather separation from a triune God. Death is described by the Bible as like sleep - a state of unconsciousness Ecc 9:5 ; Psa 146:4. When Christ returns Matt 25:31-34 there will be a resurrection of many who sleep in the dust of the earth, some to everlasting life and some to shame Dan 12:2

V.32 Yahweh is not happy with the death of His people.  He would rather they stopped sinning so that the He could give them life.  We have the privilege of asking Yahweh for forgiveness of our sins, in the Name of Jesus.  Without forgiveness, we cannot obtain eternal life.

18:4 Whilst we might use this verses – ‘the soul that sinneth it shall die’ – to show that man does not have an immortal soul this is not the focus of what Ezekiel is saying. Israel were to learn that they were not ‘their own man’. They belonged to God for Him to do with them as He saw best. Of course the same is true of us also.

V.2 We are all a product of parenting.  Some have had a negative and unhappy childhood.  Some people carry their poor childhood into adulthood but still blame their parents for everything that happens in their lives.  This is not valid because an adult has to take responsibility for himself/herself and can no longer blame his/her parents for his/her disposition.

V.21 It is reassuring that Yahweh is always willing to forgive anyone who turns from his/her evil ways.  In Jesus we have forgiveness of our sins at any time, if we take ownership of them (1John 1:9).

V.24 It is sobering to think that if we turn away from righteousness and commit sin, then all our past good deeds are counted as nought. To succeed, we must remain faithful to the end: … but he that endureth to the end shall be saved (Matt 10:22).

18:23 Amidst the pronouncements of death and judgement upon Israel the prophet reminded Israel how God thought about death. Rather than taking pleasure in death God uses it as a basis for seeking repentance as the way to avoid it.

18:10-13         The various things that the son might do are all violations of specific commands in the law of Moses.

18:32 We do well to remember that God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked. In His mercy, even though all men deserve to die, He seeks repentance and restoration to fellowship with Him. Is this how we view those who are astray from a relationship with God? Or do we find it more convenient to shun such individuals, being more comfortable with those we feel are not in need of a physician?

Eze 18:25-29

DON'T EVEN LOOK

Righteous people and wicked people are both described in detail in Ezekiel 18. When we compare what a righteous person and what a wicked person do, we can get a good picture of what it takes to do right in the sight of God.

One example of this is the first one given in each occurrence. The wicked man is described in this way: "He eats at the mountain shrines." (Eze 18:11) Logically thinking, we would say that the righteous man would be the opposite and does not eat at the mountain shrines. But the righteous person actually goes beyond just not eating. "He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel." (Eze 16:6,15) He does not even look.

It is all too easy for our eyes to draw us away after things that will separate us from God. We need to make it a habit not to even look at the idols of the world around us for fear that we might fall into the same snare as those who have chosen not to obey the LORD.

So let us monitor what our eyes watch and form habits of looking (or not looking) that give honour and glory to our God.

18:2  The “proverb” that the people say is actually recorded in Jer 31:29.  It seems, before the captivity, it was a common saying wherein the people tried to off load the responsibilities for their problems. Jeremiah told the people that there would come a time when it would be no longer said. However in Ezekiel’s days it was still used. One concludes that the proverb was no longer used when the people recognised that they carried their own responsibility for their sins – no one else was to blame.

1. Eze 18:2 - they were complaining that God was unjustly punishing them for the sins of their fathers to the 3rd and 4th generation (Deut 24:16;Josh 7:24;Exo 20:5;34:7;John 9:1-41;Jer 24:1-10;Jer 31:28-31;2Cor 5:10)

 but Ezekiel in chapter 18 was emphasizing individual judgment for individual behavior.  I find this somewhat complicated. Sometimes, as Michael Parry hinted in his 2005 comments, there seems to be group judgment for individual behavior and he gives the example of David's sin causing 70,000 people to die (2Sam 24:10,12,13,15), and we have Adam's sin which caused his children to be subject to mortality and the inclination to sin; so it seems in some cases people may suffer for the sins of others, but in Eze 18:19-21 we have the concept of those who sin shall die (note, not be eternally tortured) and those who are righteous or who turn from their sins will live (eternally) and not die (eternally) thus demonstrating God's mercy particularly in the ultimate sense when Christ returns and rewards the elect with eternal life. In Eze 18:21 God's mercy extends beyond forgiving people for their father's sins to even forgiving them for their own past wickedness (Eze 18:27,22).

2. Eze 18:5-9 - attributes of a just man who will live (subject to mortality but to be given eternal life); though delivered from the bondage of the Mosaic law we are not exempt from the greatest of its commandments (Mark 12:30-31); note the responsibility to care for the most vulnerable (Eze 18:7) in contrast to the greed and selfishness of many in modern society.

3. Eze 18:10-13 - if the above just man's son is an unjust man he will die (i.e. eternal death Psa 145:20).

4. Eze 18:14-18 - if the above unjust man's son is a just man he will live (subject to mortality but to be given eternal life - unlike his unjust father).

5. Eze 18:24 - the righteous who turn to wickedness not enduring to the end will die (1Cor 9:24-27) which puts to rest the popular myth of "eternal security" despite behavior or "once saved always saved".

6. Eze 18:4.20,26,27 - the soul that sins shall die, and in verse 26 the righteous who turn to iniquity shall die, but this contrasts with verse 27 where we read how a wicked man who turns away from wickedness shall save his "soul"<5315> alive.

7. Eze 18:25-29 - Israel's ways were unjust not God's.

8. God pleads for Israel to repent and change their hearts (Eze 18:30-32) - ultimately God will give them a new heart (Eze 36:22-28) - God has a wonderful future plan for Israel despite their wayward ways which have resulted in much suffering  (Eze 18:3;Jer 31:29,10,23,28;Isa 2:1-4).

18:5-9  Amidst all the words of Judgment God was not forgetful of the faithful. This should encourage us in these “last days” before the return of Jesus. 

Is God fair? Yes, but why wait to find out?

This chapter is a discourse on the fairness of God. Keep in mind that it is written in the middle of God's judgments being poured out on Israel. He had already waited hundreds of years for them to repent and they had not. God has sent prophets warning them of these judgments but they hadn't listened (see 2Chron 36:14-21 and Jesus's version in Matt 21:33-41). So in reality this chapter is dealing with the national judgment of Israel and Judah, and how some would be saved from it by God because of their individual righteousness.

When God again judges the world, at the second coming of Jesus, He may again make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, saving some because of their righteousness. But notice the stringent criteria set out in this chapter. Which of us could say we kept all those commandments and could be proclaimed a righteous person? Jesus taught that we should count the cost -- and if we're not able to pay the price we should give up and seek his mercy instead (see Luke 14:28-33). When we do this we become like the lost sheep in the parable which was saved, not by its righteousness, but because of the love of it's master (Luke 15:1-7). For those who are baptised into Christ, having given up and confessed our old way of life, our righteousness will be accounted to us because of our faith, not because of our works. The best example of this that I know of is Rahab, echoed by Jesus's words to the woman in Luke 7:50

"Then he said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.' "
 

18:5-9          Many of the things spoken of in these verses are actually shown by Ezekiel to be aspects of the law of Moses that the people had disregarded in Eze 22:7-12.

18:2-4  In using the statement “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” we must be careful that we do not see the phrase in isolation but rather should understand it in the context of the chapter.  Whereas the people were trying to off load the responsibility for their plight on their fathers who had sinned God is emphasising that we all own personal responsibility for our sins.

18:4     Of course we and Israel should remember that “all have sinned” –Rom 3:23. The only way of escape from death is and always has been a belief in the seed promised that would destroy the serpent power. Gen 3:15

18:14    It is not inevitable that a son will follow in the evil ways of his father. Scripture has many examples of such sons – Josiah, for example, did not follow in the sins of his father. We might ask how that could be so. The answer has to be that the son is instructed by the word of God rather than his father.

18:6 From the way in which Ezekiel was inspired to link together eating on mountains (Idol worship) and sexual immorality we see a strong link between the two. We should be aware that wrong doctrine always leads to wrong behaviour. It is as true today as it was in Ezekiel’s days.

18:27 Whilst it is the case that Ezekiel is speaking to the rebellious children of Israel in captivity there is a principle here. That principle is behind Romans 5:8. Jesus died to save sinners.

18:5-13 Human nature is such that it tends to blame others for our own problems. Adam blamed Eve – Gen 3:12 – when challenged by God. However God has always held individuals responsible for their own action. Hence we are expected to “confess …” even though it is hard!

If we cannot be honest and open with ourselves how can we expect to be open and honest with our Heavenly Father?

18 By now two waves of captives have been taken to Babylon by the Chaldeans. However those who were in captivity were trying to shift the blame for their captivity on their parents!

Hence the parable of verse:2. God makes it clear that a man dies because of his own sins but that He is not pleased with their death. Rather he would have them repent.

Do we accept responsibility for our actions and thoughts or do we seek to blame those who went before us?

18:5-9  In reading of the things which the faithful man has not done reflect on how each of these things are found in the Law of Moses as things that should not be done.

Very specifically God, through Ezekiel, is reminding those in captivity of the requirements that they had agreed to accept for they said “all that the Lord hath said we will do” Exo 24:3

v.7 - We use this quote about joy in heaven so much at baptisms, and doubtless it is true that there is that joy, but note that the context in which it is used here, where we freely quote it from, is of the person who was with the fold, but has wandered off and been found and brought back. Matt.18:13.

v.4 - 7 The parable of the lost sheep
v.8 - 10 The parable of the lost coin
v.11 - 32 The parable of the lost son
These parables are unique to Luke's gospel - in fact it seems that chapters 13 - 17 record details only found in Luke.
The three parables are making the same point to the religious leaders and follows on from the instruction of chapter 14 to the chief ruler about who to spend time with.

15:13 The son 'wasted his substance' which is echoed (16:1) in a later parable - so there must be a relationship between the parable of the prodigal in this chapter and the parable of the 'unjust steward' in chapter 16. We comment in detail on this tomorrow.

The father saw the son when he was 'a great way off' (:20) had compassion on him. This contrasts with Joseph's brothers who when they saw Joseph 'afar off' sought to kill him. The other son in the parable behaved like Joseph's brothers. This contrasts with Jesus who reached out to the lepers who were 'afar off'(Luke 17:12)

15:20 'a great way off' is echoed  (Luke 16:23)  in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus - we have already noted similar language and ideas between these two chapters.

V2 There are at least four different attitudes one can assume to the lost:

The Pharisees were accusing Jesus of being "guilty" of welcoming them. Actually Jesus not only welcomed sinners, but even sought them. Luke 19:10; , John 10:16

Parable of the Lost Sons V.11-16 - The father might symbolically be God. Perhaps the two sons refer to one who attends religious services and one who has left and made bad choices, or separatist Jews and Gentile outsiders. The famine might be a recognized spiritual famine as the younger son comes to his senses in v.17. The younger son repents and seeks out his father who (unlike the older brother) welcomes and uplifts him v.20. In v.22-24 the best robe (of righteousness?) and a ring (symbol of authority/honour?) etc. is given to him and they kill a fatted calf and celebrate that he has been found. V.28-29 - The older brother, who has followed his fathers orders to the letter, becomes angry and refuses to partake of the fatted calf though his father pleads with him to do so.

Although the younger son was lost and found, the older son, who feels he is better than the younger son, doesn't realize that he, though within the fold, has also actually been lost as he is unable to find the true spirit of forgiveness, love, and joy for his restored brother.

Jesus came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt 15:24).  He urged His disciples to reach out to them also (Matt 10:6).

What about the lost sheep of the spiritual house of Israel?
Do we reach out to them -  our brothers and sisters who have left the fold?   Let's make every effort.  There is not much time to recover them before the Lord returns. 

15:24,27,30  Notice the way in which the son who had remained at home could not bring himself to speak of the returning son as his own brother.

V.20 In this parable, we clearly see that the father had never lost interest in his wayward son, again and again he must have been on the lookout for him. We must never lose sight of the fact that the same situation applies to each one of us with our Heavenly Father. He is always looking out for all His children, nothing pleases Him more, than one of His wayward children return to Him and His ways.

15:4 We saw in the March comment this year that the common people counted the cost and followed Jesus. The parable about the lost sheep is in reality about counting the cost. Would the Pharisee leave the comfort of the flock he was supposed to be caring for to go and seek the lost? Would he sacrifice his comfort for the uncertain life of searching in inhospitable places for the lost?

I have a humorous rendition of the Prodigal Son.  If you care to see it, e-mail me.

15:20  When the father ‘ran and fell on his neck and kissed him’ he is seen imitating the response when Jacob and Esau met – Gen 33:4

Contrast the examples, and emphasis, that Jesus gave.  He illustrates that the shepherd would leave his sheep (safely penned) and diligently search for 1% of his flock until found. 

Then, we have the woman who would diligently seek for 10% of her material wealth until found.  There was rejoicing, in both cases, when the lost things, great and small, were found. 

And so it is when one sinner repents - great rejoicing occurs.  What percentage of the community would that reclaimed sinner represent?  He or she would represent less than 1% of the household of Christ.  And yet, the Lord, together with brothers and sisters, would diligently work to reclaim that which was lost.

15:15 The prodigal makes his situation even worse. He is in a bad environment and so he ‘joins himself’ – that is joins in fellowship’ with the one who actually is unhelpful to him. We should take care ourselves that we do not compromise ourselves even more if we are in difficulties.

The three parables that Jesus related have to do with loss and recovery.

1)    The lost sheep was recovered. It represented 1% of the flock.

2)    The lost coin was recovered.  It represented 10% of the collection.

3)    The lost son was recovered.  He represented 50% of the siblings.

Whatever the percentage loss, the recoveries were equally important.

15:18 The prodigal had already repented before he began his journey. We should be aware that any believer who has strayed and then seeks reunion has started the journey a long time before they actually arrive on our doorstep.

Context: How to make parables come to life

Before applying the parable of the prodigal son, the coin or the lost sheep to ourselves, it's helpful to first put it in context and see if it changes the meaning. For example, notice that at the start of the chapter we're told this:

"then drew near to him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him".

Why was this group so interested? What had Jesus just said in the previous chapter to make them so interested in this parable? Are we told who else was listening? Notice also at the end the brother's accusation (v30) "[he has] wasted your goods with harlots" which is taken up in the very first verse of the next chapter. Who was Jesus talking to now?

So these parables have a context in three main ways:

1 - What happened before these words? (the needs/situation of the listeners)

2 - What happened after these words? (their effect, and who they effected)

3 - Their relationship to each other (there are three parables here, told together)

It's worth remembering this as a pattern of how to approach each parable you read.

15:18 ‘I have sinned against thee’ quotes David’s response to the visit of Nathan as recorded in Psa 51:4. But notice that the son had decided what to say before he returned. He had repented and began his journey back to his father.

Luke 15:11-32

The parable of the prodigal son is one of the best-known parables. Reading right from the beginning of this chapter, it is clear that the older son is a picture of the self-righteous Pharisees, the younger son the repentant sinner, and the father who forgave him. It is a timeless message on how God’s kindness leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4). But, it goes even deeper than this.

This parable is all about hearts: selfish hearts and generous hearts; closed hearts and open hearts; cold hearts and warm hearts; broken hearts and joyful hearts; unrepentant hearts and repentant hearts; unforgiving hearts and forgiving hearts; resentful hearts and grateful hearts. It truly reveals the vagaries of the human heart. But, the parable goes even beyond this and reveals how steadfast God’s heart is!

No matter how far we may stray, no matter what we do, if we repent, we can be sure of a warm and welcoming heart on our return to the Father (see Luke 15:10). While the character of the elder son drawn by Jesus was a devastating revelation of the true state of his religious opponents, Jesus, himself, displayed the Father’s attitude. He was even then inviting the Pharisees to come and share in the joy of sonship with the Father.

Even when our belief in human kindness has been shaken, even when our vision has been clouded by sin, even if long-held convictions and attitudes have hardened our hearts, there is one source of power that is stronger than every disappointment, bitterness, or mistrust, and that is the power of Jesus Christ who brought forgiveness and reconciliation to light through his death on the stake (Col 1:20).

15:2    In murmuring the Pharisees were just like Israel in the wilderness Exo 15:24, 16:2 etc:

15:13 Jesus styles the behaviour of the son who left home in the way that Prov 23:19-20  speaks to the “son” thus giving an Old Testament background to the parable.

15:28 The return of an errant believer to the household of God is a time for great joy.  Maybe we are never “angry” when such an occasion presents itself. However we may wonder about the sincerity of the one returning. This is as bad as the attitude of the elder brother in the parable. 

THE TEST

Take a test. If someone you respected at your Church brought along a prostitute, a homosexual, a drunk, a gang member, or a transvestite, how would you react? What if they introduced them to you as "my good friend", and revealed they had been friends for the last eighteen months? Or what if one of those people tried to befriend you - would you become their friend? What if they asked you to take them to your place of worship? Would you? Could you? Would other people welcome them?

"Now tax collectors and 'sinners' were all gathering round to hear him. But the Pharisees and teachers of the Law muttered 'This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.'"(Luke 15:1-2).

Jesus took the test. He was the one who welcomed 'sinners', because he knew they needed him. He welcomed me, and still does, and I am a sinner. Knowing my sin, and the grace of God toward me, I should not hold that grace back from anyone who needs it.

None of us are too bad to be forgiven, and we all need the salvation Jesus offers. If you were in the place of Jesus, would you pass the test?

If the sinless has sinned, how can she be made sinless again?

There we two sets of people listening to this parable. One, the Pharisees and scribes, who felt good about themselves and felt salvation ought to come to them by their own merits. Second, a group of sinners who knew they were sinners and didn't have a hope of salvation. Which of these do you think went away uplifted by these parables?

In v1, the Pharisees scoffed at him. In the next chapter, Luke 16:14 they derided him. The first group obviously had no need for these parables. They were salty salt. They thought that the sinners ought to be cast out, for they derided Jesus for eating with sinners (v2).

But the second group of sinners "drew near to hear him". Why? Because they wanted the answer to the question posed in 14:34

"if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?"

In other words, if I've sinned and have lost my righteousness, how can I ever get it back? These were people unaware of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. Their teachers, the Pharisees and scribes, told them they were without salvation:

"neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out." Luke 14:35

Do you feel like that? If we were there which of the two groups of listeners would we be in? The worthless sinners or the righteous Bible students? Which do we most associate ourselves with? It is clear which group Jesus came to deliver:

"They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:31-32

The parables go on to tell of a master who is ready to forgive, and though we might have lost everything, is ready to give us back what we had. If you have read this far I want to reveal a twist in the story. Have you noticed what happens to the rest of the sheep in in the parable and how they are described? "The ninety nine that need no repentance"? These are the first group, much larger than the second, the ones who didn't need Jesus. Notice where Jesus, the supposedly good shepherd, left those sheep (it's in v4). Could this be why? --> Luke 16:15.

15:17 The way in which Jesus shows the son as he “came to himself” draws on the prayer that Solomon voiced – 1Kin 8:47 – for Israel who would turn away from serving God.

15:24  These parables of the “lost” were told by Jesus after the raising of Lazarus so the son who had been dead and is now alive actually has an historical background which the disciples, to whom this parable was spoken, would have known.

From the attitude of the older brother in verse 28, it seems very clear to me that the root of his problem was that he was full of envy of his younger brother. In addition to the damage someone else's envy does to those on the receiving end of it,  Proverbs 14:30 states that envy is as rottenness in the bones of a person, meaning that it will "rot" the envious person from the inside out. The reality of this proverb is, that if left unchecked, envy will completely rot the character and personality of an envious brother or sister. We have a classic example of the destructive effect of the outworking of envy in the life of King Saul. It wasn't only David who suffered terribly from Saul's envy, Saul himself did as well.

Let us beware the green-eyed god of envy: it is an incredibly destructive force, not only to the envied but also to the envious.

Philippians 4:11-13 provides the perfect antidote to envy: "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

15:5,9,23         The way in which Jesus speaks of “joy” here is seen later –John 15:11 – about the continuing joy of his disciples. There is more to the parables that recovering lost items. They speak of the recovering of sinful sons of Adam.

15:10   How do we view angels? Do they have feelings? Jesus’ comment here about joy in the presence of angels tells us that they do.

Are we lost? Perhaps we are going through the motions of service but feel despondent, weighed down by sin, regretting past actions.

God is always there. He hears us and, like the father in the parable, He will have compassion on us while we are yet a great way off, as long as there is repentance in our hearts.

There will be great rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents (v. 7, 10). Will that only be others? Or us.

15:4       The lost sheep draws specifically on Eze 34:4which is a reproof of the leaders in Ezekiel’s day who were not caring for the people. A stark warning to the leaders in Jesus’ day.

15:16 here is another link with another parable Jesus told to the same audience as part of a series of parables –  16:3 on both occasions the one spoken of is in need of food.

15:6 we might think it unusual that someone who found their one lost sheep would have a party and rejoice with others. Maybe in Israel they would, maybe not. However the focus is not on what men do but rather on God  see 15:7,10.

HOW TO LOVE GOD AS WE SHOULD

The parable of the Lost Son has an interesting and very practical sub theme running through it. From the example of the Father and his two sons, we learn four steps to loving God as we should.

1. Repent. For the youngest son, this repentance must have been a big deal. Not only did he have to turn around and head down the long road home the cheap way, he also had to eat large helpings of humble pie, admitting that he had been wrong and had sinned. God wants our repentance. No matter what depths we have been to, God will respect our repentance and forgive. Repentance is the first step in loving God as we should.

2. Obey. Both boys showed obedience. The younger son showed obedience when he was about to offer to work for his dad; and the older son when he complained that he had slaved all his life and never disobeyed. The difference was that one obeyed with joy and gratitude, the other out of a sense of duty. God wants our obedience. To obey is to love God as we should. Jesus said, "You are my friends if you do what I command." (John 15:14).

3. Have Joy. The Father ordered a party to celebrate. He was thankful and full of joy and wanted to share it. He even pleaded with the older son to rejoice with him.

4. Love Each Other. In loving God as we should, we need to love each other. If the older son had really loved his father, he would have rejoiced and been pleased to have his brother back. A loving attitude toward his brother would have pleased his father. It is no different for us. To love each other is to love God as we should.
 

GRACE

As the younger son came to his senses and realized that he was starving to death while even the servants in his fathers house had plenty to spare, he prepared his speech for the time he arrived home. It was a speech of genuine repentance, but one that was full of humility. He was prepared to live in his fathers house as a hired man. He was prepared to forgo all the rights and privileges of a son. He expected to work, to be low paid, to share the servant's quarters, and to be treated like a servant.

But listen to the love and compassion of the father toward the son who had returned: "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" (Luke 15:22-24).

The father in the parable lavished so much grace on his son, that I doubt the son could believe it! The father is God. We are his children. When we repent he also lavished his grace on us - robes of righteousness, shoes of peace, a ring showing that we belong to the family, and joyful feast (the feast is still to come!). We deserve none of this. What an awesome God and Father we have.
 

15:15  Often a passage we are reading can help us with another passage. That is true here. In Phil 3:20 we read of “conversation” the word is closely related to the word translated “citizen” here. So the way the word is used here helps us to understand that Paul in Phil 3:20 is not speaking about the words we say but rather where our “citizenship” is.

15:1-2 One presumes that the Pharisees would teach the people they called “publicans and sinners”. However we might conclude that they remained aloof from them, not engaging with them in any way other than teaching them. Jesus was different. He taught and spent time with the very people that the Pharisees and scribes looked down on.

We always run the risk of viewing those we speak to about the gospel as “beneath” us and so avoid contact with them except when teaching them. In so doing we are not following the example of Jesus.

15:20 It might seem strange hat the way the father responds here is likened to the way in which Esau greeted Jacob when they met after 20 years – Gen 33:4. The relevance is that just as Jacob did not expect a warm welcome, neither did the returning son in the parable,