Comments for September 30

13 v. 14 - Obededom and his house were blessed because of the ark of God. This happened in just 3 months, so these blessings referred to here must have been quite sudden - an obvious miracle to those who observed. Prov.3:9,10

13:7 The phrase 'a new cart' is picked up to show that in the days of David Israel were copying the Philistines, not the law of Moses. 1 Samuel 6:7 2 Samuel 6:3 1 Chronicles 13:7
14:2 David perceived that the kingdom had been established because the blessing of Deuteronomy 28:1 were fulfilled in his day.

14:17 - We see this through the eyes of the writer, who was a godly man. David's fame and the fear which the nations had for him were of God. Everything which we have is of God. Let us never presume to claim our achievements as our own.

Chapter 13
:1-8 David starts to bring the ark to Zion from Kirjath Jearim
:9-10 Uzzah struck dead for touching the ark
:13-14 The ark is left in the house of Obed Edom the Gittite

We see David's driving ambition was to bring the ark to Zion. It is the first thing spoken of when he is in Jerusalem.

Chapter 14
:1-2 Hiram sends materials to David to build David's house
:3-7 David's wives taken in Jerusalem and their children
:8-17 The Philistines attack David because he has been anointed king in Jerusalem

David's position as king is consolidated. He is recognised by Hiram of Tyre and defeats the Philistines - Israel's long time enemies all the days of Saul.

brING IT BACK

David's plan for Israel was to bring the ark back to them. He said to the whole assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the LORD our God ... let us bring the ark of God back to us, for we did not enquire of it during the reign of Saul." (1 Chronicles 13 v 2 - 3)

The ark of God was the most holy item from the tabernacle. The ark and the mercy seat were the place where God met with man. All Israel agreed with David's plan, the ark was eventually brought back, and because David fully relied on God he became the best king that Israel ever had.

Since that time the temple has been destroyed and the ark has been lost. But just like the ark needed to be brought back, there are two things in our lives that could also have been disregarded and need to be brought back into action. The first is Bible reading, and the second is prayer. It could be, that just as Israel did not enquire of the LORD in the days of Saul, so we have not turned to God in reading his word or in prayer. So now let us bring the word of God back to us. Let us dust it off, read it and find out what God is telling us, and also turn to him in prayer. If we have not enquired of the LORD until now, let's change and bring God back into our lives.

ch 13 - Whilst the record of the bringing of the ark to Zion focuses on David's action we should remember that David sought the involvement of the whole of the nation. Look at the extent (13:5). Not only was it David's desire but he wanted the whole nation to be involved and understand the significance of it all.

14:10, 14 We may well have thought it was obvious that David should have defended himself against the Philistines - but even though David may well have drawn that conclusion on both occasions he seeks God's mind on the matter. This shows how David had God's will at the centre of his thinking.

13:3 So even though the ark was in the territory of Israel and under Israelite control the ark was never used in the days of Saul! Again this gives some indication of the Godless nature of Saul's kingdom under his Godless rulership.

14:12 In commanding the people to burn the idols with fire David was following the instruction of Deut 7:5.

14:15 The rustling of the leaves by a strong breeze suddenly rising, was the sign by which David was divinely given notice of the precise moment for the attack. The suddenness of his onset was like the gush of a pent-up torrent, which sweeps away all in its course.

13:9,10,14 The Kohathites were the branch of the Levites charged with transporting holy things.  However, they were not to touch any holy thing, otherwise they would die (Num 4:15).  Uzzah was a Levite who should have known this.  He made the mistake (albeit out of a sense of preservation) to steady the ark and paid the price.  The Philistines had been handling the ark without any similar penalty.  This underscores the maxim that knowledge brings responsibility. 

After the unfortunate incident of Uzzah, the responsibility for the ark's care was given to Obed-Edom the Gittite (1Chron 26:1,4).  A Gittite was an inhabitant of Gath, the Philistine city (Goliath was a Gittite 1Sam 17:4; 1Chron 20:5).  However, there were several places in Israel which were known by the suffix Gath. Obed-Edom is believed to have come from Gath-Rimmon.  He was a Levite who was later mentioned as one of the temple gatekeepers and harpists (1Chron 15:18,21).

No matter how righteous the cause, it’s the way it is executed which matters. I think that’s the lesson of the death of Uzza.

13:7 Uzzah and Ahio the sons of Abinadab, should have known better than to follow this method of transporting the ark, for that matter, so should have David. The Law of Moses prescribed plainly that the ark must travel on the shoulders of the priests (Num 7:9).

1Chron 13:9-10 - A lesson of Uzzah is we must be careful to worship correctly. Num 4:15 - God had warned they must not touch the holy things or they will die.  Hos 4:6 - says, my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Rom 10:2 - warns about a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. John 4:24 - completes the picture stating that we must worship him in spirit and in truth. It's not enough to just have truth, the spirit of having a loving caring Christ like attitude must also be present.

13:11-12  David’s displeasure and fear of God would indicate that David did not expect there to be any adverse consequences from carrying the ark on a cart – does this mean that he did not know what the law required or that the priests did not know either?

14:9  Ironically ‘Rephaim’ means ‘giants’ so the Philistines – from whence came Goliath the giant, fought with David in the valley of the giants.

13:9 We are not told how Uzzah was struck down, but the name given to the threshing floor; Chidon means "a spear or dart" which would indicate that Uzzah was either struck by lighting, or by a flash of fire from the ark (Lev 10:2)

HUMILIATION

13:2 Notice that whilst David consults with the ‘congregation’ seeking their approval for his plan to bring the ark to Zion he emphasized to them that the decision had to be according to God’s will. In this Rehoboam contrasts with David markedly when he consulted the judgement of the old and young men and did not seem to take account of God’s view. 1Kin 12:5-8

14:15 Mulberry trees are found in Israel today but were not there in Old Testament times.  It is uncertain which kind of tree is described here.  Marginal notes included: Baca; weeping; balsam. The Baca, similar to the balsam, is grown near Mecca, but is not known in Israel.  Weeping probably refers to gum resin oozing from the tree. 

13:5 The extremes of the locations where David called people from to help him bring the ark to Zion shows that David did not see that bringing the ark to Zion was simply his project – even though it had been his desire from a child. He saw it as something that all Israel would want to be involved in.

13:5 Shihor of Egypt (KJV) must refer to the south-western boundary of Israel which was the Brook of Egypt (Wadi el-'Arish).  Some have suggested that Shihor of Egypt means the Nile of Egypt (ESV).  But, this does not make sense.  David assembled Israel from the south to the north.  The territory that Israel occupied did not include the Sinai Peninsula, as this was not part of the Promised Land.

14:4-7 There are thirteen children mentioned here.  In the Septuagint, there are twenty-four listed.

14:15 The KJV has mulberry trees (Heb. baka), while the ESV has balsam. The tree in question is more likely to be a balsam popular (genus: populous, section: tacamahaca).  In the spring, this tree produces a sticky gum on its buds.  Baka means weeping, which probably refers to the sticky gum that flows in the spring.

Chapters 13 and 15 ought to be adjacent because they cover the restoration of the Ark to Israel. But chapter 14 is in the middle. Strange. The chapter shows how David's reign was established (14:1-7), building himself a physical house and also a household. This symbol of David's stability was interpreted as a threat by the Philistines who immediately set out to crush their former ally (14:8). We are then told of how David overcame the Philistines, not with the Ark as Israel had tried to do before (1Sam 4:3), but through simple prayer (v10 and v14).

The point that is being made loud and clear to us is that God is near to His people, no matter where they are. This knowledge had been lost by Eli and his sons and regained by David under the tutelage of Samuel. So Israel would have God in their midst whether they had an Ark, a temple, a tabernacle or not, as long as they Loved Him. And so with us. We should not confuse the trappings of organised worship from the real place where worship happens... namely in our heart with prayers and meditation. This is why chapter 14 is inserted; so that we understand it was not the Ark that saved David and established him as king, but God. The ark was not God's chosen dwelling place -- it was the house of David (2Sam 7:29).

13:6 When the tabernacle was in Shiloh up to the death of Eli it was in the territory of what would become Israel. Now the ark is to be brought to the territory which would later become Judah.

1Chron 13:8 - note the use of cymbals, trumpets and tambourines - a much different and perhaps more vibrant style of music than what is often used today in religious observances.

1Chron 13:6-7 The evidence of Scripture suggests that Uzzah was not a Levite but a member of the tribe of Judah. 

Uzzah and Ahio were sons of Abinadab, (2Sam 6:3) who lived in Kirjathjearim in Judah.  The Levites took the Ark off a Philistine cart (1Sam 6:14-15).  The inhabitants of Bethshemesh looked in the Ark and 50,070 men were slain by the Lord.  However, “the men of Kirjathjearim fetched up the Ark” and brought it to the house of Abinadab (1Sam 7:1).

When the oxen stumbled Uzzah was struck dead.  The reason, his offence was touching the Ark (1Chron 13:9-10 and 2Sam 6:6).

David spent 3 months reflecting on the breach of Uzzah (1Chron 13:14) and concluded, “None ought to carry the Ark but the Levites, for them hath God chosen to carry the Ark of God and to minister unto him for ever.” (1Chron 15:2)  David learnt that the Ark should have been carried by the Priests, not laid on a cart drawn by oxen.  Only Levites were permitted to do this. David's words suggest that people other than from the tribe of Levi had been handling the Ark.

14:3  In taking more wives David seems to be disregarding the injunction Deut 17:17

1Chron 13:9-10

‘And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD (Yahweh) was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God (Elohim).”

With God, the end does not justify the means; the process is as important, in fact, often more important than the goal (1Sam 15:22). Sin was involved before Uzza even touched the Ark! The Kohathite Levites should have used poles to carry the Ark (Exo 25:12-15). If they had done what they were supposed to in the first instance, this incident would never have happened. Uzza was not a Kohathite of the tribe of Levi. He was the grandson of Ehud, of the tribe of Benjamin (1Chron 8:1-7). Even the Levites were not permitted to touch the Ark. “… the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die” (Num 4:4-5,15).

Uzza’s transgression was one of presumption and irreverence. God knew his heart, and punishment was justified. God’s righteousness and holiness were upheld by the immediate executing of His judgment as outlined in His Law. God would have lost all credibility in not keeping His own word! We must never put ourselves in the position of second-guessing God. Rather, let us extract this vital lesson that even in our day the end does not justify the means when it goes contrary to God's express command.

1Chron 14:3-7

These passages along with 2Sam 3:2-5 and 1Chron 3:1-4 are often cited to prove Bible contradictions. In 2Sam 3:2-5, sons born to David in Hebron are listed as: Annon, Chileab, Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, Ithream. Then in 1Chron 3:1-4, these names are again given with one difference: Annon, Daniel, Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, Ithream. Chileab was obviously also named Daniel, and vice versa. It is very common for one person to have two names, and still occurs today.

In 1Chron 3:5-8 we have the names of the sons born to David in Jerusalem. However, Elishama and Eliphelet are listed twice. Since David had several wives, we have here two Elishamas, and two Eliphelets, sons with identical names from different mothers (see 2Sam 5:13-14).

When comparing 2Sam 5:14-16 with 1Chron 14:3-7, we find that the names of Nogah, and Eliphalet are missing. Since the record of 2Sam 5, two more sons were born to David!

Please note that Eliada in 2Sam 5:18 is the same name mentioned in 1Chron 14:7 as Beeliada; Eliphelet in 1Chron 3:6 is the same name as Elpelet in 1Chron 14:5; Elishua in 2Sam 5:15 is the same name Elishama of verse 16 and 1Chron 14:7. For instance, Valerie can also be Val, Robert is Bob, William is Bill, but they don’t necessarily always have to be one and the same person! Such was the case with David. This is often done to distinguish siblings with the same names from different families. There are no contradictions.

1Chron 13:14

"And the ark of God (Elohim) remained with the family of Obed-edom..."

Obed-edom, the Gittite (v. 13) was a Levite of the tribe of Kohath from the family of Korah (1Chron 26:1,4). Kohath was the second son of Levi (Exo 6:16), and the grandfather of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses (Num 26:58-59). In addition, Obed-edom was a Korahite doorkeeper and musician (1Chron 15:18,21,24). He certainly had the right qualifications to be the caretaker of the Ark, and was visibly blessed by the LORD (Yahweh).

13:7-8 The joy of the event did not make the actions right. God’s will had been set out. The ark had to be carried. Enthusiasm did not make that which was wrong right. We need to take care that in our enthusiasm we do not disregard the specific requirements laid down by God.

14:1-3 There is an odd progression here. Hiram recognised David’s position then David sees God had confirmed David as king so David takes more wives. This seems more like the actions of a worldly king seeking to make alliances that a Godly man placing trust in God. However we know that David was chosen because he was a man after God’s own heart – 1Sam 13:14.  Thus we see how that we must allow our understanding based on a broad knowledge of Scripture to block unwarranted assumptions when the record in one place might lead one to form different conclusions.

14:13   In saying the Philistines came “again” we see what was a major attempt by the Philistines to quell the new kingdom and its king, doubtless remembering the way in which David had routed the Philistines when he killed Goliath.

14:2  The incident with the ark and the death of Uzzah doubtless shook David’s confidence about his position as king. After all he had experienced many setbacks in his life as a fugitive in the wilderness fleeing from Saul. Maybe he was beginning to doubt that it was time for him to be king. But we see here that he now realises that indeed now is the time to be king.

14:6  The point Paul makes is obvious when thinking about the gift of tongues. No matter how valuable the words they are lost on the audience if there is no one there to explain (interpret) them. Likewise those of us who speak or preach can learn from what Paul says. Human pride is such that there is always the risk that we might use complicated language or obscure words which our audience does not understand. If we do this they we are wasting our time and denying our audience of the benefits that come from hearing the word of God faithfully explained.

1 Chronicles 13

Consider the motivation of David in v1-3. In the previous chapter we just read that all Israel came to him to be united under him as their King. Did David perhaps feel the need for a powerful sign that God was with him? What better than to bring the Ark to him at Jerusalem, his royal city, so that all people associated him with God's choice? I think perhaps he feared his Kingship over all Israel may be short lived, and this was why he immediately mentioned his plans for bringing the Ark to Jerusalem. David's plan was right, but the motivation at that precise time was a little skewed. Previously the Ark had been brought and used as a sign that God was with Israel, and that time it had failed too (1Sam 4:3-11.

1Chron 14:15: I wonder how loud that sound was. With a whole army camped nearby and all the subsequent noise that would have made, David and his men would have had to be quiet and listen intently for the signal.  It reminds me of Elijah and the still small voice he heard in Mount Horeb.  We have to quieten our clamouring spirits and listen to God, not be busy doing our own things but waiting to hear what God's will is for us.  Prayer in a quiet place is one way of achieving this.

13:14  So Uzzah had been struck dead but the house of Obed-Edom is blessed. The problem was not the possession of the ark, rather it was the way in which it was handled by those involved.

14:2,4   The focus is wrong here. Throughout this area of the record David is asking the views of other man. He should have been asking God.

14:15   Maybe the sound of “going” in the tops of the trees was the effect of an earth quake. If so then maybe David is referring to this in 2Sam 22:8

1Chron 13:7-14

There are some very important lessons we can learn from this incident:

1)  God’s holiness must be maintained. The people respected the Ark by providing a new cart to carry it, but God’s instruction was that it should be carried by staves on the shoulders of the Kohathites (Num 4:1-4; Exo 25:14,15; 2Sam 6:13; 1Chron 15:15), which they failed to do. There is only one acceptable worship of God – the way He has appointed (cf. Lev 10:1-3).

2)  Once David learned of his mistake, he quickly moved to act in accordance to God’s instructions. He did it with such enthusiasm that his wife despised him for it (1Chron 15:29)! David became very thorough in doing God’s work (cf. Ecc 9:10) and only such service is acceptable and pleasing to God (cf. 1Cor 15:58).

3)  When what we do wrong and sin ignorantly and impulsively comes to light, we acknowledging our wrong and do what is right, God will forgive us. Consequently, we ought to be giving Him the praise, honour, and thanksgiving rightly due Him (1Chron 16).

14:12 In burning the idols of the Philistines David was preventing the nation from taking them innocently as mementoes of the war. Those tings taken innocently could easily have become a snare to Israel.

13:3 Whilst it is recorded that the ark was not enquired of in the days of Saul we should consider 1Sam 14:18 which says Saul did enquire at the ark. Probably in the Samuel account the “ark” was the “ephod”. Or that Saul did not have time to “enquire of God” at that time

13:9 There was nothing wrong with the desire to bring the ark to Zion. The enthusiasm shown at the time was well justified. However God’s anger was seen. The most powerful lesson for us is to realise that enthusiasm even for the right end do not justify the way things are done. The right things have got to be done in ways which are consistent with Divine teaching. Our enthusiasm of itself does not make our actions right in the sight of God.

13:1-4  It is clear from the early life of David as outlined in Psalm 132:1-5 that finding a resting place for the ark was the driving force in his life. Now he is in a position to fulfill his dreams. But notice he still seeks the approval of the people. Here is a lesson for us. Even if what we are planning is good there is value in getting everyone else’s opinions. We should not be so focused on our own plans that we disregard the views of others. Rather we should be seeking their wholehearted co-operation.

13:13 Obed-edom, it seems, may well have been a son of Kohath for Gath-rimmon was given to the sons of Kohath – Josh 21:20,24 –  “Gittite” can mean “from Gath” and there was more than one town with “Gath” in their name. The sons of Kohath where charged with carrying the ark on their shoulders – Num 7:9. So it seems that David’s choice to put the ark in Obed-edom’s house was not a chance decision but rather one that took account of what the law of Moses required regarding the transportation of the ark. The details of this can be found in Blunt’s Undersigned Scriptural Coincidences pages 126-131

13:2-4 If it seems good to you and from the LORD our God, ... let us bring again the ark of our God to us ... the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

David did not follow through with seeking God's agreement to this plan. David acknowledges this later "we did not seek him according to the rule [that the Kohathites bear the ark correctly]" (1 Chronicles 15:13). Why did David not seek God through prayer? If he had, David probably would have been told by God that the method David had chosen for carrying the ark on a new cart was unacceptable and that God was angry.  David was normally quite fastidious about prayer to God prior to a major activity. For example, (and maybe as a consequence of not seeking God properly with regard to the ark) David asks twice in quick succession whether to oppose the Philistines (1 Chronicles 14:10,14). The second time (v14) may have seemed, to us, unnecessary because God had already agreed to David's prior request  (v10). But just as well that David did ask a second time because the answer from God was different (v14). Had David not asked a second time, there may have been a calamity. 

So why did David not ask God about the new method for transporting the ark? Maybe, having known that the Philistines brought the ark to Israel on a nice new cart, David surmised that this was now an acceptable form of transport of the ark. It gave dignity to the ark (a new cart) and, if it is okay for the Philistines, how much more would it be okay for David.

But it was all supposition and God was ignored. 

Also, David may have made the bringing up of the ark to Jerusalem ark a too self-focussed activity ("let us bring the ark of our God to us ...'How can I bring the ark of God home to me'" 13:3,12).

LESSONS:

1. Sometimes our personal activities in the ecclesia  are so intense that we forget that God must be the centre of our motivations and that prayer to Him is vital even if we feel that we are right in what we are doing.

2. God may tolerate from the unenlightened world (new cart for the ark) what He will not tolerate in the ecclesia (bearing the ark the correct way). We should never let the standard of the world be the guide for our behaviours.

ADVICE AND ACTION

David’s idea to bring the ark of the LORD back to Jerusalem was one that he was determined to get right. So this is what he did: “David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader.” (1Chron 13:1). David made sure this was not just his idea, but an idea that made sense and one that others would buy into.

David also wanted affirmation that what he was about to do was the right thing and that it was the will of the LORD. “And David said to all the assembly of Israel, ‘If it seems good to you and from the Lord our God, let us … bring again the ark of our God to us.’” (v.2-3). David made totally sure that this idea was a good one. Like any good leader, he took advice and listened to it. In this case “All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.” (v.4).

It turned out that bringing the ark back to Jerusalem turned into a disaster after Uzzah was killed for touching it. We are not told whether David consulted God about this or not. However, his decision to bring the ark back was the right one, it was just done in the wrong way.

Like David, let’s seek advice for the decisions we make, both from those we respect, and especially from God. Then, like David, let’s follow those decisions through to their completion no matter how hard it gets.

14:8On two occasions the Philistines had been wary of David – 1Sam 21:11, 1Sam 28:1- now they see that their fears were well founded. So they seek a confrontation whilst David is not fully established in his kingdom.

v.6 - the daughters in the field. Could this refer not to actual people but to what we would now call the suburbs of Tyre? Consider ch.16:46,48.

26:1 Jehoiachim's captivity The eleventh year of Jehoiachim's captivity is the same as the first year of Zedekiah's captivity. Zedekiah reigned 11 years from the taking captive of Jehoiachim. Therefore the temple has now been overthrown and the city destroyed.
26:13 songs ... no more heard Revelation 18:22
26:17 renowned city Revelation 17:18
26:2 Against Tyre
26:11 - 12 Notice the change from 'shall HE tread ...' to 'And THEY shall ...'. Nebuchadnezzar is the 'he' who fulfilled the first part of this prophecy. The shift to 'they' marks another fulfilment that was to occur later. The Greeks are the 'they' who destroyed Tyre that had been built out to sea on the rocks after the Babylonians had destroyed they land-based city.

We have here a chapter showing us the destruction that God will bring on those who turn away. Much of scripture tells of this and we need to be aware that our natures are such that we need a constant reminder of God's ways - not that we might tremble with fear, though there is some fear required - but that we might thank God abundantly for what we are able to perceive by his grace.

26:1 We notice that Ezekiel always dates his prophecies in relation to Jehoiachin's captivity (1:1-2 etc). Why? A suggestion - by continually relating to that time - the first captivity - Israel were being reminded of the reason for the punishment. Namely that the captivity was a punishment for their sins and if they did not repent they would suffer. Jeremiah had called upon them not to resist the Babylonians but to go there and dwell (Jeremiah 29:4-7). For those to whom Ezekiel spoke the date would be a marker of how long they had been in captivity - and a chance to review to what extent they had hearkened to the words of Jeremiah.

:2 Notice that Tyre's downfall is a direct result of her pride against Jerusalem. The Psalmist (Psalm 137:7) understood that God responds to those who rejoice over the downfall of Israel (Zechariah 2:8)

26:3 In contrast to the nations mentioned in the previous chapter where one nation was to bring the judgement on the named nation here Tyre was told that her destruction would be by 'many nations'. As has already been shown Babylon and Greece devastated Tyre. The precision of these prophecies is proof that Ezekiel was a prophet of God - in contrast to the false prophets of his and Jeremiah's days.

V.21 The city of Tyre has never been found, it is known approximately where it was, but because of the value of the Roman buildings in the area is so high, it does not warrant looking for the old city.

Vs.3,4,12,14 The prophecy against Tyre came true by the hand of Alexander the Great in 312 BC, over two hundred years after Ezekiel's words. 

What is remarkable is the detail given of Tyre's destruction.  We are told that material would be thrust into the water and even the dust scraped off. This is exactly what happened when Alexander used material from the mainland city to construct a causeway. This was to reach the other part of the city which was located on a rocky island about one half mile offshore. 

The project took Alexander seven months to accomplish.  He literally scraped the mainland city clean of material that it was left, indeed, like the top of a rock.  Today, in the location of ancient Tyre, fishermen spread their nets out just as the prophecy predicted.

Tyre had apparently laughed at Jerusalem’s downfall, and had looked to profit now that Israel and Judah were being oppressed (Eze 26:2). We know how Tyre was completely destroyed, with even the dust being dragged into the sea, (see Eze 26:12-14). This chapter is a wonderful proof that God’s Prophecies did come true.

26 Tyre was a tremendous trading city. Her influence and trading partners were all over the known world. Her wares are detailed extensively in Eze 26, - 28 She probably thought of herself as unassailable by Babylon – nevertheless she was brought low. :3

For the most part, the nation of Tyre had a good relationship with Israel. During the conquest of the land under Joshua, it appears that Tyre, whose borders touched the land of the tribe of Asher (Josh 19:29), presented no problems or battles. During David's reign there was no problem with Tyre, as a matter of fact, Hiram the king at that time supplied David with building supplies as we read from 1Chron 14 today. Hiram also worked with Solomon in the building of the temple (1Kin 5). Later we read that Solomon gave Hiram 20 cities in Galilee (1Kin 9:11). 

26:13 The ending of the songs and harps echoes the way that God had dealt with Jerusalem – Jer 7:34

26:18 The Isles ‘trembled’ at the demise of Tyre because she was such a powerful trading nation. She facilitated world trade in the days of Ezekiel. Her destruction would disrupt the flow of goods round the middle east at that time. In like manner the events around the time of the return of Jesus will throw the materialistic money making element of the world into total disarray

V.2 Tyre derided the fall of Jerusalem and boasted about herself at the same time.  This angered Yahweh.  Yahweh has a principle that precludes celebration over the demise of an enemy (Prov 24:17).

There is an interesting phrase in Eze 26:2 about Jerusalem: "she who was the gateway of the peoples". From this we have further evidence of the vital trade link that Israel was between Africa, Europe, Arabia, Asia and the North.

When looking on a map of the area it is hard to see why this would be the case, but if you look on a globe it becomes clear. A globe takes into account the curvature of the earth, and in doing this we see that the most direct land routes converge at the strip of coast occupied by Israel and Tyre. From this coast the ships of Tyre carried goods to Europe and the coasts of Africa. Whilst there is evidence that Tyre had a monopoly on shipping in the Mediterranean Sea, Israel controlled part of the land routes to their port.

So Tyre's glee at the destruction of Jerusalem was based mostly on greed. This same greed is what drives nations today to be constantly involved with Jerusalem, and may ultimately lead to "all nations gathered together against her" Zech 12:3

26:13,17 The language here speaking of the overthrow of Tyre is quoted in Rev 17, 18 to speak of the overthrow of ‘Babylon’ so we see that the ‘Babylon’ has the characteristics of Tyre as well as Babylon.

V.7 In 586 BC Nebuchadnezzar started his campaign against Tyre.  It lasted 13 years after which he accomplished little.  He did capture the main city and left it in ruins, but he could not touch the island city.  Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers became old and weary in the Tyrian campaign (Eze 29:18).

26:5,14 Notice the twofold mention of ‘spreading of nets’. The first time was when the Babylonians overthrew Tyre. The second was when Tyre had been rebuilt on an island out in the sea was destroyed by the Greeks some three hundred years later.

26:1   So Tyre was destroyed at the same time as Jerusalem was finally overthrown by the Babylonians.

26:15  The “shaking” of the isles is a metaphorical way of speaking of the impact that the fall of the trading power of Tyre would have on the economies of the countries that she traded with.

 Eze 26:1-14.

26:2   Hiram, king of Tyre, was a lover of David -1Kin 5:1. He wanted to be involved in the building up of the nation of blessed Israel in the days of David. This continued into the reign of Solomon.  However notice now, when Israel is suffering and is no longer the powerful nation it once had been Tyre despises her. Of course the king is not the same king that was on the throne in the days of David. However the legacy of friendship has been replaced with opportunism. So Tyre was punished. He that blesses Israel will be bless and he that curses Israel will be cursed –Gen 12:3

1. Ezekiel 26:1 to Ezekiel 28:19 - is God's prophetic judgment on Tyre:

2. Eze 26:1-21 - the prophecy of Tyre's destruction:

3. in the past there had been cooperation with Israel, but some question if Tyre ever drawn to God's Word. In the time of Ezekiel it was a weathy, arrogant and morally decadent city.

4. Eze 26:1-2 - v1 states the 11th year of Zedechiah though no month is given, but as v2 notes "against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken" it would appear Jerusalem had already fallen and if so it would have been the 4th month or later; v2 suggests "Tyrus/Tyre"<6865> intended to prosper as a result of the fall of Jerusalem perhaps due to the anticipation of less restricted conditions for trade.

5. Eze 26:3-5,14,21 - Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Tyre 585-573 BC and subjugated it; later the Persians subjugated Tyre; Alexander the Great took the coastal city part of Tyre and with the rubble built a 200 foot by 2000 foot causeway also taking the island city part of Tyre in 332 BC all within 7 months; Antigonus of Syria, one of Alexander's successors, laid siege to and subjugated the island city of Tyre in 315 BC; Rome dominated Tyre from 64 BC; Jesus visited Tyre (Matt 15:21;Luke 6:17); Khalif Omer beat against Tyre in 638 AD; the Crusaders took Tyre after a 5 month siege in 1124 AD; the Egyptians drove out the Christians in 1291 AD; the Saracens in the in the early 1300's destroyed Tyre and its ruins can still be seen to day along with fishing nets on bare rock in fulfilment of God's Word (much of this section derived from Ezekiel by John Allfree, 1999, 257-59).

6. Eze 26:6,8 - "in the field"<7704> may refer to the coastal city part of Tyre; did Nebuchadnezzar (Eze 26:7) take both coastal and island city parts of Tyre? Not all scholars are in agreement in that regard. 

7. Eze 26:8-11  note the use of "he" which suggests Nebuchadnezzar while "they" (Eze 26:12) suggests the many other attacking nations (Eze 26:3).

8. Eze 26:11 - (KJV) "strong 'garrisons'<4676>" or (NET) "strong pillars" may refer to the two pillars associated with the worship of Melqart, the god of Tyre.

9. Eze 26:20 - the "pit"<953> is the grave, the place where "the people of old time" dwell.

26:2    Similarly to Moab and Seir, - Eze 25:8-9 - judgment comes upon Tyre for her thoughts about Israel.  It is so important to emphasise that our attitude to others is crucial. 

26:21 Tyre was to vanish from the face of the earth as the trading power that she was at the time of the prophet. Saying that would be like saying that, at the height of the British Empire, that the empire would disintegrate and Britain would lose her influence across the world.

26:7    The whole of the middle east was devastated by the Chaldeans. So Ezekiel now speaks of the end of Tyre like he has spoken of the captivity of other nations surrounding Israel.

26:14   The magnitude of the judgment is difficult for us to comprehend. It is as if the trading power of a major country was destroyed almost overnight. The great trading power of Tyre was destroyed and the city was to become the equivalent of a small fishing port. It would have been difficult to believe such a thing would happen. However it did. A powerful evidence for the existence of the God of Israel.

26:4   The way that the removal of Tyre is described goes way beyond simply taking a city captive. It is as if Tyre would totally obliterated.

26:16     the way the kings of the earth lament over the downfall of Tyre is echoed – Rev 18:9 – in the lament for the downfall of the latter day Babylon.

Eze 26

TYRE—ANCIENT AND MODERN

“AN attentive perusal of the prophecies concerning Tyre elicits a strong conviction that they have reference to something more than to Paleoe Tyre, insular Tyre and peninsular; that is, that the history of these three Tyres, or of Tyre in these three relations, does not fulfill all that the Spirit intended by the words of the prophets. In other words, that in their testimony there was an enigma, a certain hidden wisdom, which was only represented in the manufacturing, commercial and maritime relations, of the historical Tyre—that this was typical of a remoter TYRIO-TARSHISH SYSTEM originating from the Mediterranean traffic with the same countries… The Merchant Power of Great Britain, then, for the twenty-one reasons adduced is the daughter of Tyre in her development beyond Chittim, far away to the westward of its ancient predecessor and parent of the world-wide commerce of the earth. The Spirit of Jehovah, in the prophets cited, spoke primarily of Old Tyre and her traffic; but enigmatically, mystically, spiritually, figuratively, or typically, of the Merchant-Power of Britain. ‘

The prophecy concerning Tyre’ may be compared to a nut; this entire consists of the hard outside shell and the kernel within. To the eye of sense the shell alone is apparent; and when handled by the flesh is too hard to crack; but to the mental eye an unctuous kernel appears within. The old, historic Tyre is the broken nutshell; while the British power is the kernel of the prophecy; which is destined ‘for food sufficient for those who’ shall hereafter ‘dwell before Jehovah.’”

Brother Dr. John Thomas, HERALD OF THE KINGDOM AND AGE TO COME, 1860, pp. 49-57

The ancient Phoenician city of Tyre, in a nutshell, was located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It was one of the most ancient and most prosperous in history! Paleo Tyre has a list full of despicable activities; their riches caused widespread moral and spiritual decay (Eze 28:16-18). Ezekiel recorded Tyre’s attitude toward “broken” Jerusalem (Eze 26:2,3). We read in Joel 3:6; cf. v. 4 that Tyre took the people of Judah and Jerusalem and sold them as slaves to the Greeks so that they could “remove them far from their borders.” Tyre’s abominable deeds would not go unpunished, God declaring, “I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth its waves to come up.”

26:13-14 I suppose we have never experienced a bustling city devastated, destroyed and all activity cease. This is exactly what happened to the city of Tyre. Doubtless those who lived there never imagined its total destruction. In the same way society today will be totally destroyed by the kingdom of God – it may not happen overnight but the things which entertain people today will be replaced by faithful worship of God.

26:6 the destruction of Tyre was not mindless or pointless. A consequence of its downfall was that some would recognise that Yahweh was in control of world events

26:7-12 It is important to give careful attention to the way scripture records details. A casual reading of this chapter might lead us to think that the prophecy was fulfilled by the king of Babylon. After all we are told that the king of Babylon will come against Tyre -:7. However the shift from “he” to “they” in :12 should alert us to a change in the identity of the ones who would come against Tyre. In fact both Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great and the Greeks destroyed Tyre.

It is only through a careful reading of the scripture here that we will notice the two aspects of the prophecy.

26:14 Whilst there is a city called Tyre today it is not in the same location as the city that is spoken of here. The old city of Tyre and its replacement built out on an island are no more at all, exactly as Ezekiel prophesied.

26:14 Here and verse :4speaks of Tyre being  made like the top of a rock. The first time in verse 4 was accomplished by the Chaldeans. This second time was by Alexander the great. The imagery presented is that of a barren piece of land.  This happened first to Tyre on the mainland, the second to the city of Tyre that was built on the offshore island after the land based city was destroyed,

v.9 - There is much Old Testament support for this, which (speaking personally) for me would have been a greater discipline than anything else I have ever experienced. I therefore take exhortation from this. It can be correct, in the right circumstances, i.e. when faced with accusations from evil men, to keep your counsel and not offer any defence. Psa.38:13-14, 39:1,2,9, Isa.53:7, Ecc.5:1

23:30 and shall say ... fall on us Hosea 10:8
23:2 The accusations was false, of course. It is a travesty of what Jesus said on a number of occasions. What happens here is that a number of things that Jesus had said at different times are mixed together and mis-presented.
23:4 The first gentile finds no fault.
23:14 The second time a gentile says that there is no fault in Jesus.
23:15 Herod also, this is the third time
23:22 The third time Pilate says this - in the mouth of two or three witnesses
23:31 Jesus was the 'green tree' The nation of Israel was the 'dry' which was to be burnt up with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
23:34 'father forgive them ...' is a sentiment shown by Stephen when he was stoned, having seen Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Acts 7:60

We noticed (22:11) a word which is used in the narrative of the early days of Jesus. In this chapter there are more.
23:51 waited for the kingdom of God 2:25, 38 (similar language)
23:53 wrapped 2:7
These echoes reinforce the message given around the birth of Jesus that he would achieve his success through his death.

1000 VOICES CAN'T BE WRONG

In the western world we live in a democracy. To most of us it seems to be the fairest way to rule ourselves, giving the people the power to empower people and making decisions by majority rule. In many ways it works well but it is certainly not fool proof. The Roman empire was not a democracy yet at times they still bent to the will of the people to avoid problems and disturbances - and even to save face. After all, the voice of the majority must be right - right?

I once read a slogan that said "1000 drunks can't be wrong." We all know that this is far from the truth, but it is often the same even with people who are not drunk. The majority can be, and often is, wrong.

Pilate, a governor for the Roman Empire, bowed to public pressure. After his interview with Jesus he wanted to release him, but the Jews cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us." And later, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" No group of people could have been more wrong as they voiced their condemnation of the sinless Son of God. The reason was that their decision was based on how they felt instead of being guided by God. So when we make decisions let's not just go with the flow but make a right decision with the guidance of God.

:44 The fact that it was dark from the 6th hour - which was mid day (noon) shows a fulfilment of Amos 8:9 where the context is that of mourning for an only son (Jesus) Amos 8:10.

In v40-41 we have in a nutshell how salvation in Christ works: "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation... we indeed justly... but this man has done nothing wrong?"

The sinners, and the righteous one, were receiving the same rewards. Jesus was going to the grave in the same way as you and I would go to it. We justly, and he unjustly. In Galatians 3v10-13 Paul explains that anyone who falls in one part of the law, is cursed by it. Then he goes on to say that Jesus was also cursed by it, because it said "cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree". The thief made the point that they were all three under the same condemnation, but Jesus unjustly. Paul says Jesus had been unjustly cursed by the law.

God could not allow this to happen. If his only son, who perfectly kept the law in all points, was still cursed by it, then the law had to be removed! Jesus showed the law up as being imperfect, because he who WAS perfect was still condemned by it! Thus, Paul continues in his argument, the promise of everlasting life to the seed of Abraham was in effect nullified by that law (Gal 3v16-18). The law could not be allowed to nullify that promise, therefore the law had to go because a promise of God cannot go unfulfilled.

So the second thief got it exactly right. The only hope for him (who was justly condemned) was if he denied himself, and associated himself instead with the promised seed for whom the law would stand no more. This he did by his confession, and his simple request for mercy from Jesus. By showing the faith that he did, he showed that he no longer trusted in the law, but rather trusted in the promises which were stronger than the law, being given 430 years earlier (Gal 3:17).

23:16-17  Here we see how Pilate was compromised. If Jesus was not guilty there was no need to chastise him. Neither was there any need to invoke the special release at Passover.

V.1 "The entire assembly" means the Sanhedrin.(Acts 23:7) The reason the Sanhedrin did this was that for Jews to carry out the sentence of execution would have been a violation of Roman law. note John 18:31

V.43 is used by those who believe in heaven-going that the thief entered paradise on the day of his death (i.e. Today).  According to scripture, this could not be the case.  First, no-one has gone to heaven, God's dwelling place, except the Lord Jesus (John 1:18; 1Pet 3:22). 

In any event, the thief could not have entered heaven on that day and been with Jesus because Jesus was to lie in the grave for three days before ascending into heaven (Mark 8:31).  Besides, the reward to any accepted follower of Christ will be given on earth when He returns (1Cor 15:20-23). 

The confusion emanating from this verse lies in the English text.  The translators (from the original Greek) decided to place a comma after thee (KJV).  Since there are no commas in Greek, this placement was arbitrary.  If they had placed the comma after Today, then the whole sense would be altered.  The lesson here is to let scripture qualify scripture and not to rely upon one sole verse for understanding.

23:35-39  The threefold ‘If thou be Christ’ matches, in number, the threefold temptations in the wilderness. We arenot necessarily to see a direct parallel between the two sets of three temptations. However we should realise that ‘The devil departed for a season’ Luke 4:13. Here is an occasion, one of many, when Jesus was sorely tempted.

OUR DECISION
 
Three times Pilate came before the crowds and insisted that Jesus was an innocent man. Pilate was the man who had the power of life and death. The Jews had delivered Jesus to Pilate so that he could be sentenced to death. It was not lawful for the Jews to crucify anyone - it had to be done by the Romans. So they brought Jesus to Pilate for the final sentencing. The Jews had already had their trials and had decreed Jesus guilty of blasphemy, but Pilate, having examined Jesus, found no fault in him. Each time he declared the innocence of Jesus he was shouted down by the crowd calling for the crucifixion of Jesus and the release of Barabbas. It was the shouting of the crowd that won out. "But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed." (Luke 23:23)
 
Sometimes we can find ourselves in the same sort of situation as Pilate. We know what is right and we know what we should do, but the pressure around us to do the wrong thing is great and we cave in. Whose fault is that? "So Pilate decided to grant their demand." (v.24) In the end it was Pilate's decision that Jesus should be crucified. He could have chosen life and put up with the consequences, but instead he chose to do what was wrong.
 
When we are pressured like this we also have a choice. Both right and wrong have consequences. We cannot blame our decision on anyone else. So let's always do what we can to choose what is right and to follow that through in our actions.

23:23-24 So there must have been some of those who hailed Jesus when he entered Jerusalem – Luke 19:37-38 – amongst those crying for Jesus’ death. Human nature is easily deceived by peer pressure.

23:46 ‘into thy hands I commit my spirit’ quotes Psa 31:5. The remainder of the verse in the Psalm speaks of redemption. Maybe the rest of the words of the verse were on the lips of the lord on the resurrection morning.

V.1 The name Pontius Pilate indicates two things.  Pontius tells us that this Roman procurator was from the Roman family Ponti.  The appellation Pilate comes from the Latin pileatus which means wearing of the pileus.  The pileus was a cap or badge that indicated that the wearer was a freed slave.  This status might have applied to Pilate himself, or to an ancestor.  It is ironic that this man would crucify the one who would be able to set us free (Gal 5:1).

23:8-9 Jesus’ silence before Herod is not in the least surprising. Herod was not interested in the gospel message. He just wanted signs like the Jewish leaders. This is the sort of situation where ‘casting pearls before swine’ – Matt 7:6 - comes to mind.

Vs.8-11 The Herods were Edomites from the region of Idumea (the New Testament name for Edom).  Since the time of Esau (the father of Edom), Israelites and Edomites had been at odds.  And so it is not surprising that the Lord Jesus encountered trouble from the Herods. 

First, Herod the Great tried to have the infant Jesus murdered (Matt 2:13).  Then his son, Herod Antipas, apparently wanted to murder the adult Jesus (Luke 12:31).  (Perhaps this was an attempt by the Pharisees to have Jesus flee their midst?). 

In any event, Jesus had no respect for Herod Antipas, the fox (Luke 13:32).  Remember that it was Herod Antipas who murdered John Baptist (Matt 14:10).  Herod and Jesus did finally meet.  Herod's gladness at meeting Jesus soon turned to scorn.

But there is irony in the relationship between Jesus and Herod Antipas.  One of the material supporters of Jesus was Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who was Herod's steward (Luke 8:3).  Thus, it would have been Herod, the murderous fox, who indirectly (and unknowingly) supported Jesus materially.

23:20-22  Pilate has by now had the message from his wife – Matt 27:19– and his own investigations had established that Jesus’ antagonists had not made a case against him. But he has not the strength of leadership to bring his decision to fruition

Herod's predecessor had tried to kill Jesus when he was just a baby. The reason? In case he became King of the Jews. Now Herod had Jesus in his clutches, but let him go, mocking him because he saw so little kingly potential in him (v11).

23:9-10     Jesus was silent before Herod. Clearly the Chief priests were present as they were trying to goad Jesus into a response.

Luke 23:44-49

“And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst…Now when the centurion saw what was done… And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned…and all his acquaintance, and the women…stood afar off, beholding these things.”

In addition, we read in Matt 27:51-52 that, “…the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept (died) arose…and appeared unto many.” The centurion and those with him saw these things and feared greatly, and these women who stood afar off are named in verses 54-56. Mark 15:38 describes this same event, but adds Salome to the list of women present. The point Luke makes is that they all saw the veil of the temple rip in two!

Mark and Luke make it absolutely clear that those who were gathered around the Messiah as he hung on the tree saw the curtain tear at the time of his death! And, it was all these events after Jesus’ death, which caused the centurion to confess that Jesus was a righteous man and the son of a god, and the Israelites who clamoured for his death to head for their homes beating their breasts, a sign of extreme humiliation, distress and grief! They too now realized their mistake.

There are the two locations in the city of Jerusalem that tour guides will take you to where it is believed Christ was crucified. Some believe it to be at the spot where today sits the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is actually over the site of the Temple of Venus (Ishtar), covering the tomb of John Hyrcanus, the Jewish High Priest who reigned from 135-104 B.C. (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book II)! Others believe it is at Jeremiah’s Grotto, which somewhat resembles a human skull. It is also known as Gordon's Calvary, named after the British General Charles "Khartoum" Gordon, its "discoverer," and is but a short distance from the Garden Tomb of the Messiah. If you have ever been on a tour to Israel, you probably stood in awe with abated breath, as the tour guide went through his spiel! But, if we are to believe Luke’s account, neither one of these two sites represent the right location! Why? Because, the Temple curtain could not be seen from either of these sites!

Golgotha in John 19:17 actually refers to a place of registry where heads were counted, and not a place that looks like a skull as implied. It was here that David brought the Philistine, Goliath's head (1Sam 17:54)! The original Hebrew version of Matthew’s site for Golgotha reads as, “Har Golgotha,” which means a “mountain” or “hill.”  It is located on the southern summit of the Mount of Olives. (please see my daily reading notes on John 19:17).

Jesus died outside the city gate, or “outside the camp” (Num 15:35-36; cf. Heb 13:10-13). In Num 2:2 we read, “… shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.” This “far off” is defined for us in Josh 3:3-4, “…there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure…”The Ark of the Covenant was in the Holy of Holies. From this we can determine that where God resided symbolically from the rest of the Israelites, including their towns, or city limits was two thousand cubits, or 3000 feet (Num 35:5-6).

We know, therefore, that Messiah’s crucifixion had to have been 2,000 cubits, or 3,000 feet away from the Temple in Jerusalem to be “outside the camp,” and is a Sabbath day's journey (Acts 1:12)! The only place where the huge Temple curtain, 80 feet high and 24 feet wide hanging in the eastern portal of the inner Temple could have been seen, was from the slopes of the Mount of Olives, 300 feet higher than Jerusalem, almost 3,000 feet above the Mediterranean! It was here that Jesus frequently went to pray, taught his disciples to pray, showed them the signs of his return, where he rode down from just one-week prior, and from whence he will return (Zech 14:4)!

23:13 The way in which Pilate called the leaders together implies that maybe they did not expect to be involved in the trial and subsequent crucifixion. They must have been startled, to say the least, to hear Pilate say ‘I have found no fault in him’.

23:7-8         It is only Luke who mention this meeting with Herod and the effect it had no him. This is one of a number of occasions where Luke records things which might have been significant to a Roman official which is doubtless what Theophilus was.

INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.

Jesus lived a life of total dedication to his Father. He began his ministry by preaching a life of total dedication and commitment to God above all else.

In the sermon on the mount, one of his most challenging statements was that we should not worry about anything. He said "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will wear". Then after explaining how God takes care of all the needs of His children, he concludes by saying that instead of worrying about all the mundane things of life, we should "seek first his (God's) kingdom and his righteousness" (Matthew 6 v 25, 33)

Then Jesus went out and practiced what he preached. He dedicated himself totally to preaching God's word. He didn't worry about the ordinary things of life - God provided them. Without that distraction he was able to stay focused because he knew he could trust his Father with everything else.

Finally, on the cross, Jesus made his last statement of complete trust and dedication. "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46). He had trusted God with all the ordinary things in life, and now he entrusted his whole life to his Father - the God he knew could raise him from the dead.

Let us have the same dedication as Jesus, committing our all to God, so that we can focus on doing His will to the end.

23:43 In saying “today” to the criminal beside him Jesus is drawing attention to Zech 9:12 where, in a message about deliverance, the prophet is emphasising that the deliverance is to be immediate, as it was for the criminal.

23:7  Pilate had already established that Jesus was not guilty as charged verse :4. That should have been the end of the matter. However weak willed Pilate tried to avoid his responsibility. How often, when we know something difficult has to be done, do we try to avoid our responsibilities?

STAND APART

As Jesus was arrested, tried and taken to be crucified, those who had openly been his disciples - even the twelve, had fled and were nowhere to be seen. In fact, the whole story of those last agonising hours of the life of Jesus is notable for lack of his trusted followers.

But it was at the time when they had gone into shock and hiding, that God raised up others to do the job the disciples could not do at the time. Simon from Cyrene carried the cross behind Jesus. Whether willingly or unwillingly, he gave the Lord physical strength on the way to the crucifixion. One of the criminals crucified with Jesus gave him hope, telling Jesus to remember him, when he came into his kingdom. The centurion who supervised the crucifixion declared that "Surely this was a righteous man." (Luke 23:47). And Joseph of Arimathea stood against the most powerful and influential men of his time in support of Jesus, and associated himself with him, by giving Jesus a proper burial place.

None of these men would have been picked as disciples or men faithful to Jesus two days previously, but the death of Jesus brought out the best in them, and brought them together.

We don't know who God is calling and who will stand for him at the right time. Let's make sure we pray that we will be some of those who stand apart for our Lord, even when everyone else has fallen away.
 

23:36  The seemingly casual mention of the name of the one who helped Jesus carry the cross – Simon – may indicate that he is the father of “Rufus” of Rom 16:13 especially as Mark 15:21 identifies this person as the father of Alexander and Rufus.

Luke 23:20-25

Every day we are faced with making decisions. Some are minor, some are major. It is very important we make the right decisions because like dominos tilting toward other dominos, our course of action influences other decisions. Right decisions bring about beneficial results, but wrong decisions result in bad results and devastate us.

Pilate was a prefect, or governor (Praefectus civitatium) of the Roman province of Judaea. Pilate made a bad decision when he went against his conscience. He knew Yahshua was not worthy of the death sentence, did not feel threatened by him since he had never taken action prior, and three times Pilate tried to exonerate him to no avail, and in the end yielded to pressure.

Pilate was faced with a decision: should he act according to his conscience and the law and release Yahshua, or should he seek to appease the chief priests, the members of the Sanhedrin, who were clamouring for his death and threatened to go to Caesar? In deciding to authorize Yahshua’s crucifixion, he also passed judgment on him knowing he was innocent! It was a travesty of Roman judgment, something which Pilate may well have regretted.

Pilate avoided the counsel of his wife (Matt 27:19) and went down in history for his role in the execution of the Hebrew Messiah and immortalized in the prayer called the Nicene Creed where it says, “… crucified under Pontius Pilate.”

Soon after, his protector, and friend of Governor Tiberius, Sejanus, was murdered. An uprising occurred in Samaria and Pilate was accused by the Judeans of the murder of those executed without a proper trial. Pilate was ordered to go to Rome to answer before the Roman Emperor Vitellius the accusations levied against him by the Judeans! While in Rome, Emperor Tiberius, who presided at the trial of Yahshua and gave the order for his crucifixion, died.

Eusebius, in Historia Ecclesiastica, II wrote: “It is worthy of note that Pilate himself, who was governor in the time of our Savior, is reported to have fallen into such misfortunes under Caius, whose times we are recording, that he was forced to become his own murderer and executioner; and thus divine vengeance, as it seems, was not long in overtaking him...”Caius succeeded Tiberius. We know him as Gaius, or Caligula, and Eusebius records that Pilate killed himself on orders of Emperor Caligula in 39 CE.

Yahweh gave us a conscience for the very purpose of avoiding bad decisions (cf. Heb 5:14). Conscience is that inner voice of conviction and direction that warns us of bad choices, to avoid them, and convicts us if we don’t. We cannot blame anyone, or any situation for the wrong decisions we make. Often our personal feelings/inclinations affect our decision-making. This is why the Bible speaks so much about wise counsel (Prov 11:14).

23:2      The charge that Jesus taught the people not to pay tribute to Caesar was a serious charge which Pilate does not even comment about. Doubtless Pilate was well aware of what Jesus had said when the tribute money was brought to him. Likewise Plate would be well aware of the hatred the leaders had for Jesus.

23:3-4 The way that Pilate asked Jesus the questions and then responds to the chief priests “I find no fault in him” read like a quick pronouncement of his mind on the matter. It would seem that the chief priests were not satisfied with that and so pressed Pilate to continue the trial despite his pronouncement of Jesus’ innocence.

23:31   Jesus was the “green tree” the “dry” represented the Jewish leaders. Jesus is saying that Jerusalem will be destroyed because of their actions towards him.

23:51    Whilst it appeared that all the council condemned Jesus to death there was at least one dissenting voice. Image the courage of this man that he would vote against the decision of the whole Sanhedrin. Clearly he was not swayed by others. In this there is a lesson or us. We must stick to that which is right even though all around us may disagree with our position.

23:50 Joseph of Arimathea must have been a very Godly person. Very few people are called “just” by God. You might care to list the others.

FAITHFUL VOTE

How hard is it to be the only voice standing up for what is right when everyone else is wrong? And this was not a trivial matter. This was an important ruling of council. Anyone who voted against the motion would likely lose their job and be cast out for their stand. The stakes were high.

Yet this was exactly what Joseph of Arimathea had to face when the Sanhedrin Council voted to put Jesus to death. "Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God." (Luke 23:50-51).

Even though he knew what was right, Joseph's actions would have been made even harder knowing he was fighting a losing battle with seemingly nothing to win except the favour of God. Then, despite Joseph's 'No' vote, Jesus was crucified and died. God noticed Joseph's integrity and faithfulness, and Luke recorded his name in the gospel for it.

Let us be like Joseph and stand up for what is right even when it seems that everyone else is against us. God is watching. Let us be as faithful as Joseph.
 

23:49 “Acquaintances” answers to the “friends” of Psa 26:11 and the phrase “afar off” answers to Psa 38:11. The Psalms foretells the events of the death of Jesus.

23:1 We have noticed a number of times that the religious leaders “feared the people”. Now we meet another man whose actions were driven by fear, rather than integrity. Pilate feared the religious leaders and also the Roman authorities who had given him his status. So his behaviour is compromised.,

23:8-9 We might presume that Herod had no expectation of getting a private audience with Jesus. But now one is handed to him “on a plate”. However it was not as he had hoped – Jesus did not speak a word!

We do well to realise that there are occasions in our own lives when silence is the best response – as hard as it may be to do.