Comments for April 4

ch.19 - Heb.9:11-14 says it all. May we be sure to remember what was done for us as we read today.

v.3 Notice that the red heifer was to be offered by Eleazar. As the priest is named this was a 'one off' offering. Also as Eleazar was not yet the high priest but the one who was to become the high priest its preparation foreshadows the work of Jesus.

There has to be some significance with the fact that this major sacrifice uses a female animal. There has to be a connection with the concept of the bride of Christ and similar related ideas. This is, in that case, the self-sacrifice we need to make in order to be humbled before God

When the people had accused Moses of killing the people of the LORD (Numbers 16:41) 14,700 died. (Numbers 16:49). These bodies would need to be buried - the bodies of Korah and his rebels had been buried by God when the ground opened and swallowed them. The Red Heifer was introduced at this time, for anyone who had touched a dead body, to teach Israel the heinous nature of rebellion and the death that followed on that rebellion.

For all the ritual and significance of the red heifer it only purified the flesh (Hebrews 9:13).

19:2 The heifer had to be one which had never worked in the field. This was to teach man that he by his own efforts could not obtain salvation - it required the death of another.

V.7  "The priest shall be unclean until even" These ceremonies show the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood. This is a shadow of what we see in Christ as a partaker of condemned human nature as Paul explains in 2 Cor 5:21

The sacrifice of the red heifer was a sin offering (v.9,17).
Sin brings death, and so this sacrifice is essentially concerned with death, the ultimate defilement of sin.
The rituals of this sacrifice mesh with Hebrew 9 for our understanding of Christ as the perfect sacrifice.
The red heifer foreshadows Christ by being:
-without blemish (v.2, 1Pet 1:19)
-sacrificed outside the camp (v.3, Heb 13:13)
-ashes kept for cleansing and remembrance (v.9, 1Cor 11:24,25).
It was unusual for female animals to be sacrificed.  In this particular sacrifice, the heifer being representative of Christ, it was appropriate.  Christ was made of a woman, under the Law (Gal 4:4).  The red heifer recognized this fact. 
The colour red could mean the relationship to sinful Adam (Adam means red in Hebrew); or it could be representative of vibrant health, which characterised both the heifer and Christ.
The water of separation (9,13,20,21) relates to baptism in Christ, the ceremonial cleansing from sin.

19:13   The rebellion of the people at this time would possibly the first time that the people had to deal with death in the wilderness. It certainly was the first time that they had to deal with large numbers of dead bodies. So the red heifer was introduced and must have been in great use at the border of the land before the people were turned back into the wilderness.

We have a female animal sacrificed (others have already mentioned this was rare) which perhaps refers to how Christ was uniquely born of a woman or perhaps it refers to how we, as the bride of Christ, are to take up our cross and follow him Matt 16:24. Num 19:2-12 - we have the colour red which reminds us of  blood, scarlet sins becoming white as wool (Isa 1:18), Esau was "red" and David was "ruddy" [both these Heb. words (122,132) are variations of the same Heb. root "adam" (119)] so perhaps there is the suggestion that something more spiritual would follow; the animal was without defect or blemish like Christ, but we also have the animal not under a yoke suggesting the work of salvation is grace by another so it could point to the future Christ or also point to the bride of Christ; Christ was sacrificed just outside Jerusalem much as this heifer was sacrificed just outside the camp; God watched His son Christ sacrificed just as the priest Eleazar (help of God) watched the heifer burned; wood was put on (just as with Christ) and scarlet wool (perhaps suggesting white purity taking on sin/sacrifice) was put on not unlike the robe put on Christ and purifying hyssop was offered (John 19:29); v9 ashes were put in a ceremonial clean place for the purification of sin (might this clean man echo Joseph of Arimathea?); v10 this sacrifice was a lasting ordinance for all followers both Jew and Gentile; v12 we have the suggestion of purification by water (perhaps an echo of baptism, washing of our sins, a burial in Christ), and we have mention of the third day which could represent the resurrection/purification of Christ along with the 7th day possibly indicating the resurrection/purification millennial day of rest/purification to come for followers of Christ. So perhaps here we have an example of how Christ fulfilled and made complete the law which pointed to him ( Matt 5:17 ) and/or how we are to take up our cross and follow Christ.

CLEANSING FROM SIN
 
One of the ways people could become unclean in the camp of Israel was by having contact with a dead body or even going into the same tent that a dead body was lying in. Anyone who touched a human bone or grave was also deemed to be unclean.
 
The remedy for this was for a special purification water to be made up using the ashes of a red heifer that was offered as a purification offering."Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and all the people who were there... The man who is clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify him. The person being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe with water and that evening he will be clean." (Num 19:18-19)
 
While these laws do not apply to us today, we still become contaminated by death when we sin. "The wages of sin is death." (Rom 6:23) While we are forgiven through baptism, there is still a need to seek forgiveness when we sin again. We also need to be cleansed by washing ourselves regularly with the water of the word of God. The more we read and let God's word soak into us, the less defiled by sin we will become. Let's read his word today and begin to be cleansed from any defilement we have caused.

19:3 In that it is Eleazar who is to make the offering we recognise that the sacrifice foreshadows the offering of the priest who came after the giving of the law to Moses. In this it typifies an ordinance that was to be fulfilled by Aaron’s successor. Whilst, in the natural sense, that was Eleazar he prefigured Christ.

As we read this account of the red heifer we see that it was Eleazar who was appointed to do this work. Why? He was the assistant or deputy high priest, the execution of the heifer would involve temporary defilement, from which the high priest was to be preserved with the greatest of care. It was led "forth without the camp" in accordance with the law regarding victims laden with the sins of the people, thus pointing forward to Christ. (Heb 13:12)

19:12  Notice that the man who did not purify himself the third day (answering to the day of the resurrection of Jesus) was not clean on the seventh day (answering to the day of his death before the kingdom typified by the eighth day). So an unwillingness to avail oneself of the salvation available through Jesus means that there will be no resurrection to glory.

V.11 Jesus, who fulfilled the Law, was not defiled when He touched a dead body (e.g. Mark 5:41).

19:7-8  Notice that those involved in preparing the ‘ashes of the heifer’ end up unclean - but the ashes are used for the purpose of making clean! Sanctification of man is not a painless affair. Jesus was made sin for us – 2Cor 5:21 – the uncleanness is not in the offering but in the ones in need to cleansing so Jesus was made sin for us.

19:10 Just as the ashes of the heifer were for the purification of both Jew and gentile – stranger – the blood of Christ can cover the sins of any. There was no intrinsic virtue in the ashes. It required faith to believe in their efficacy – just like the blood of Jesus.

19:20 There was no outward different between a clan and an unclean person. Only the person would know his state.  The rebellious would not bother to acknowledge his position to others and no one would know. However the faithful would, on the other hand, acknowledge his condition. We do this in the waters of baptism.

HIGH PRICE

The law of the water cleansing and the red heifer involved several people.

1. Eleazar the high priest was the first. He was to supervise the killing and burning of the red heifer. "After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean until evening." (Num 19:7)
2. The man who burnt the red heifer also became "unclean until evening." (v.8)
3. Another man had to "gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp." (v 9) He also became "unclean until evening." (v.10)

All this preparation of burning the red heifer, and all the people that became unclean through it, was to make up an ingredient in the water of cleansing. The water of cleansing was sprinkled on people, who for various reasons, had been near or touched a dead body, bone or grave. Those people needed to be sprinkled with the water of cleansing in order to make them clean once again.

Our brushes with sin and death come at a cost. The cost is not just to ourselves. In the case of the water of cleansing, at least three other people became unclean so that an unclean person could become clean. In our case, Jesus died so that we could be saved from sin and death. Others too have sacrificed much so that we could freely share the gospel.

Let us treasure this precious gift of cleansing and live more pure lives in honour of the price that was paid.

19:3   That the heifer was brought “without the camp” typifies the fact that the Mosaic order could not bring eternal salvation. In like manner Jesus “suffered without the camp / gate” – Heb 13:11-12

Note that while the law in v18 stated that the bones of a dead man, and his grave, made one unclean, the bones of Elisha made a man alive again (2Kin 13:21). Also Jesus touched the dead on occasion, and rather than becoming unclean himself, he raised them from the dead.

19:9,17          The realisation that the ashes of the heifer were for “the purification for sin” was a great comfort. However, as explained by the writer to the Hebrews – Heb 10:1-3 – should have tempered that fact. Israel was being taught that the red heifer was but a shadow of the greater one who would remove sin. 

19:6 The taking of cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop is like the cleansing of the leper – Lev 14:6 and the cleansing of the leprous house - Lev 14:49 – showing a close association with sin and leprosy

To touch a corpse it tells us in Num 19:11 made a person unclean for 7 days. Even the place the person died was subject to uncleanliness even touching a grave suffered a person to be unclean for 7 days. Just shows how defiling flesh is.

And if someone did not follow the ritual of the cleansing they could be unclean indefinitely and be cut off from the people.

The cleansing in v12 would be by the way of being sprinkled by a clean person with special water the water of separation on the 3^rd day. On the 7^th day he was to bath himself and his wash his clothes.

This water of separation was made up of the ashes of a red heifer with no blemishes and never had a yoke put on it. The high priest would lead the animal out of the camp and an assistant would kill it before his face. The priest would take the blood with his finger and sprinkle it towards the tabernacle of the congregation 7 times. The body would be burnt with cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet.

Next another person who must be clean, not the assistant or the priest, because they were now unclean also would gather up the ashes and lay them outside the camp in a clean place to be kept as a purification for sin. When needed these ashes would be mixed with running water so it was clean just like water from the laver where the priest washed.

The first thing we notice is that the priest and his assistant after making the sacrifice were now unclean, they had performed a ritual to make something clean yet were now unclean.  They also were unclean until evening in v7 and were to wash and bathe in v8. And when the clean man gathered up the ashes it made him unclean also v10.

It seems the ritual from the law of Moses the cleansing of death actually goes around in circles, by making someone clean it makes 2 or 3 people unclean.

And that typifies the flesh perfectly in its ability to grow and grow to taint and to spoil and why we need to put it to one side in fact we must as Christ did destroy it.

And that was the problem of the law and why it only leads to death because it could not on its own bring redemption. What the law was supposed to do was develop conscience the reason the animal was killed before his face was to make him realize it should have been him that died yet an innocent animal died instead.

But why was associating with death so abhorrent even to the touching of a grave? Simply because the wages of sin are death.

 The world today simply sees death as a natural occurrence and man seeks his own way to overcome the prospect of death, and man forgets death and his wrong doing by associating himself with animals both in the way he behaves and because he believes in evolution.

So when death is present as in touching dead bodies sin is present also and man requires cleansing from sin and death. What we also see in this ritual of cleansing is that a death is required to remedy death.

So in this offering for a dead body in Num 19:9-10  we see the clean man who bore the ashes outside the camp being defiled yet was innocent of touching a dead body in fact all those who ministered were unclean, so the ones who did the cleansing were also ceremonially defiled. So once again we see that defilement can come through completing the law. Morally of course the clean man had done nothing wrong but the law in itself could not distinguish between morals and ceremonial guilt.

 So also we see the principle in this offering that a man was cured of a death by a death.

So we the types and shadows in the law and in the death offering that our great high priest DID have to die, because his flesh was unclean a death offering had to be made. We also see how he died for us, in the sense that he can officiate on our behalf showing us the example and we see how his death purged his sin nature and that it wasn’t just in reward for a life of obedience. We could say of course that Christ touched dead bodies, well yes he did but what happened to those dead bodies? They came to life.

19:4   Whilst Aaron was still alive and the high priest Eleazar – the one who would become high priest on the death of Moses – was the one who officiated at the sacrifice of the red heifer. In this we see that the priest to come (Jesus) would be associated with the complete forgiveness of sins.

Notes on the ashes.

Ashes were taken out of the camp indicating that the a different means of atoneing would come outside of the law,

The ashes of the heifer (separated as well as they could from the ashes of the wood wherewith it was burnt) were to be carefully gathered up by the hand of a clean person, for the use of the congregation, as there was occasion not only for that generation, but for posterity; for the ashes of this one heifer were sufficient to season as many vessels of water as the people of Israel would need for many ages.

 The Jews say that this one served till the captivity, nearly 1000 years, and that there was never another heifer burnt till Ezra's time.

The man gathering up the ashes was unclean until evening just as the all the servants being unclean like Christ was shall be unclean until we are immortal.

The water of purification was made by the ashes of a heifer, whose blood was sprinkled before the sanctuary; so that which cleanses our consciences is the abiding virtue of the death of Christ; it is his blood that cleanses from all sin, 1John 1:7

Similar instructions were given in regard to the bullock for a sin offering Lev 4:12 though its efficacy was limited to the time of the offering these ashes like Christ are done once. Heb 10:12

That the ashes were sufficient for all the people. There needed not to be a fresh heifer slain for every person or family that had occasion to be purified, but this one was enough for all, even for the strangers that sojourned among them (v. 10); so there is virtue enough in the blood of Christ for all that repent and believe the gospel, for every Israelite, and not for their sins only, but for the sins of the whole world, 1 Jn. 2:2.

That these ashes were capable of being preserved without waste to many ages. No bodily substance is so incorruptible as ashes are, which made these a very fit emblem of the everlasting efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ. He is able to save, and, in order to that, able to cleanse, to the uttermost, both of person and times.

These ashes were laid up as a stock or treasure, for the constant purification of Israel from their pollutions; so the blood of Christ is laid up for us in the word and sacraments, as an inexhaustible fountain of merit, to which by faith we may have recourse daily for the purging of our consciences; Zech 13:1

When we turn to 1 Cor 3:9-10 we see that the ashes were remants of what was left of their faithful sacrice, so ashes were not simply rubbish they were testiment to the faithfulness of those who had made sacrifice.

19:5   We come across cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop again at Sinai when speaking of the cleansing of the leper – Lev 14:49

19:5  The Red Heifer is the only sacrifice under the law of Moses where the blood was burnt. The fact that the blood was burnt taught that the life of the animal was unable to purge the unclean perfectly. It would require the blood (the life) of Jesus to achieve the purging of the conscience.

19:21 The way in which uncleanness is transmitted is a powerful lesson for ourselves. Association with those who have unhealthy life styles is likely to lead us down the same path as them. The same is true of those who do not hold to healthy Bible teaching. Of course this is not to suggest that we have nothing to do with such people. Rather we should avoid their company but not avoid trying to help them with their problem.

19:9 the ashes of the burn Red Heifer were kept “outside the camp” for purification. N the way that they were stored “without the camp” we see an indication that the Law of Moses of itself could not bring the forgiveness of sins.

19 throughout the sacrifice of the Red Heifer we notice that everyone that was involved in preparing and offering the sacrifice was rendered unclean by their involvement. This is the only sacrifice where association with the sacrifice rendered one unclean.

19:11  As this sacrifice was instituted on the border of the land after the attempt to enter the land despite God’s warning and after the rebellion of Korah and company we must conclude that there were many dead bodies that had to be buried.

So this “water” was for “purification for sin” - :9 – and so anyone who touched a dead body was, by contact with the dead body, associated with the sin of the dead person. Rather like Israel had already been told. Association and contact contaminates as is seen in the laws regarding the leper – Leviticus 11.

19:14-16 By now death in the camp of Israel would be a common occurrence as the rebels had been consigned to death. So every time someone died the tent and its contents would be rendered unclean. So daily life would be impacted on regularly by the consequence of death. This is important for us today. Death is so common that it is easy to take it as being the normal pattern of lie. It is not what God had intended when He created Adam and eve. Death is a consequence of sin – not the sin of the person who had died but because they inherited Adam’s nature, In every death we should see a Divine sentence on a son or daughter of Adam.

v.5 - The false and faithful witnesses are compared a lot in Proverbs. It is very important that we witness faithfully for the truth in any situation. A righteous man hateth lying. Prov.6:19, 12:17, 13:5, here, 14:25, 19:5,9

v. 5-9 These seemingly disconnected proverbs have one theme. The message is that we should seek counsel of those who we know will give us wise counsel. Of course we might not like what we hear.

v.12 is one of the greatest lessons we ever have. The way which seems to us to be right is almost certainly at least to some extent clouded by our own human nature. The only way we will ever find the way that God has placed before us is if we can strip away completely that which feels right because of the traditions with which we feel comfortable. Right, in its absolute form, is almost certainly outside our comfort zone.

:1 the contrast between the wise and foolish is striking. We can so often be foolish as we find being destructive far easier than being constructive. We can show where something is wrong very easily but often do not even bother to try to build good things in place of the error. When this happens in the ecclesia or with our brethren and sisters at a personal level then we are actually destroying the 'house' of God.

:29 'slow to wrath' (quoted James 1:19) describes the behaviour of the wise. It is contrasted with the hasty see also Proverbs 1:16 19:2 25:8 29:20

14:15 We should 'try the spirits' 1John 4:1. The 'simple' is so gullible he believes anything he hears. Eve, in her simplicity, believed the serpent.

V.34  "Righteousness exalteth a nation" The greatness of a nation rests upon the exercise of the just principles and actions. The application of God's laws and ways will lift up a nation. the word "exalteth" RUWM (7311) is not a material term, but a moral one. 

Vs.7-9 Paul chides the Corinthians for accommodating fools (2Cor 11:19).  We should not let anyone dissuade us from doctrinal truth or steady walk.

AMENDS FOR SIN
 
As we go through life there are only a select few we would burden with the label of a fool, but in reading through Proverbs we may find that the list of fools will dramatically increase as the fool is defined for us.  One such instance is found here:  'Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.'  (Prov 14:9)
 
Some of the hardest words to say in any language are, 'I was wrong. I'm sorry. Please forgive me.' Many people struggle with these three short phrases as they battle their pride and self esteem with their consciences.  As Solomon points out, the ones who can say this are the upright, because their pride does not get in the way and they show honesty in their lives. 
 
We may think we can get away with it when it comes to making amends with other people, but we will not be able to get away with it in the sight of God.  This is especially so since all sin - even things we do against other people - is against God.  It is only those who are upright and pure in the sight of God that will inherit the kingdom, and that is not because they are perfect, but because they have been forgiven.  It is only a foolish person that rejects God's offer of forgiveness and salvation.  Let's use those words more often with each other and with God, 'I was wrong. I'm sorry. Please forgive me.'

Prov 14:1 contrasts building up and breaking down.  The wise woman builds positively.  Her house, her family and her life are all improved by her care and attention.  But the foolish woman tears things down.  She destroys, whereas the wise woman constructs.

14:4  It is pleasant to have everywhere clean and tidy. However, the Proverbs teach that a certain degree of mess is inevitable if work is being done. Whilst this might seem to be such an obvious point to make there Isaiah a tendency in human nature to like to have everything clean and tidy – not possible when work is being done.

V.12 - "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (NIV). We note Judg 21:25;Eph 4:4-6 and in Prov 12:15  we read "The way of a fool seems right to him" (NIV) and in Prov 21:16  we read "The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead" (KJV), all people are mortal so this would refer to not later (upon Christ's return) receiving eternal life and those who truly never did understand are like the beasts that perish Psa 49:20 (they won't be resurrected as they aren't accountable). Hos 4:6 notes "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge" and Rom 10:2 notes "a zeal but not according to knowledge". So it is important to have an understanding of God's Word. But having a mere academic understanding isn't enough as we must "worship the Lord in spirit and in truth" John 4:24 and we are reminded that love is the greatest gift in 1Cor 13:13.

14:6  The ‘scorner’ seeks ‘wisdom’ within the framework of his own understanding and therefore is unable to find it. The ‘scorner’ is one who will not listen to the instruction of God but would rather think he can work things out for himself and then fit God’s revelation into his own world view.

14:11 The house of the ‘wicked’ which is overthrown is actually destroyed by the inhabitant of the house! The inhabitant is a ‘fool’ – Prov 14:1 Godlessness is actually self destructive.

V.29 The impatience of this fast-paced world can produce disastrous outcomes. We must slow down and consider where we are going (Prov 4:26).

v15 the simple or silly/foolish as it can be rendered takes us to 2Tim 3:6-7 silly (foolish) women who are easily led with many lusts, and Matt 25:3,8,11,12 shows to where this foolishness leads.

The Jews at Berea show to us the mind of the prudent man and the antidote to foolishness Acts 17:11 where they searched the scriptures daily to check that what was exhorted to them was correct to the scriptures.

FORGIVEN

The difference between a sinner and a Christian is that the Christian is forgiven. It's not that all Christians are naturally righteous, up right or good people. We try to be good, but it is just as hard for a Christian to live perfectly as it is for anyone else, apart from the fact that with practice we improve. The thing that makes a Christian different is that God has given us a way to be forgiven.

Christians humble themselves before God, they are sorry for their sin and they do all they can do to avoid repeating those actions. In being forgiven, Christians also know the blessings of Gods love.  They know how important it is to be forgiven and to be forgiving. Christians will try to be as forgiving to others as God is to them. The wise man spoke of this principle when he said,"Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright." (Prov 14:9)

To some people  repentance, forgiveness and forgiving seem a waste of time and of no consequence at all. We can be laughed at if we say we confess our sins or are going to forgive someone who has done something against us. Forgiving and needing forgiveness can even be seen as a sign of weakness. But there is a different strength, and there are great blessings in being forgiven and in forgiving. Those who are upright in God's sight because they are forgiven are the ones with the strength to show goodwill to others in return.

14:12 Man always thinks his ways are right. Of course we do. However death is the consequence of sins thinking – Rom 6:23

14:17,29 It is all too easy to allow immediate feelings to cloud one’s judgement. Better it is to sit back and take stock before making any comment. The more angry one is the more important it is to sit back and reflect upon one’s actions.

14:7  Paul said ‘evil communications corrupt good manners’ 1Cor 15:33. Here the wise man advises separation from such a one.

IF GOD BE FOR US - WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?

I love this verse. When we are walking in the fear of the Lord, we can have confidence that God is on our side.

Romans 8:31 - "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

The person who is walking in the fear of the Lord and is living by hIS WORD, will have fewer feelings of insecurity, abandonment and fear. There will be far fewer times when salvation is doubted. The fear of the Lord produces a strong sense of security and close fellowship with the Father. This is a blessed benefit!

14:16  The way in which a wise man avoids problems by foreseeing them is presented again –Prov 22:3, 27:12 – this is such an important point for us to understand it is presented to us more than once.

1. Prov 14:3 - "rod" (<2415> is the same word as used in Isa 11:1 though in Proverbs it is associated with "of the foolish" <191> indicating perversely foolish).

2. Prov 14:4 - perhaps this suggests we receive from the truth what we put into it (1Tim 4:13,15,16).

3. Prov 14:5 (faithful witness Rev 1:5 - false witness Matt 26:59-61).

4. Prov 14:6 - James 4:8;Jer 29:13.

5. Prov 14:7 - "of a foolish" (<3684> indicating stupid or silly) - relevant to Prov 14:7 (1Tim 6:3-5;2Cor 6:14,15,17).

6. Prov 14:8-9 - v8 "of fools" (<3684> indicating stupid or silly) - v9 "Fools" (<191> indicating perversely foolish). 

7. Prov 14:10 - others don't know our innermost thoughts - 1Cor 2:11;1Kin 8:38-39 (NIV) "and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel—each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple— ³⁹ then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men)".

8. Prov 14:11 - the seemingly strong house of the wicked is not as secure as the seemingly fragile tent of the upright.

9. Prov 14:18 - "inherit" (<5157> according to Brown-Driver-Briggs means "to get as a possession, acquire, inherit, possess," etc.

10. Prov 14:19 - the evil bow as acknowledgment of their defeat (though it is expressed as "have bowed" thus expressing the certainty that it will happen).

11. Prov 14:20 - "'The poor'(<7326> poor as in destitute) is hated even of his own neighbor..." (how generous are we and our ecclesias to our neighbors or brethren who are in need?) - we have the love of Jesus for the poor and needy (Psa 72:12-14).

12. Prov 14:21,31 - v21 "the poor"<6035>, v31 "the poor"<1800>, v31 "on the poor"<34> - relevant to Prov 14:21,31 (Lev 19:18;Psa 41:1-2;Prov 19:17;James 2:5;1John 3:17;Matt 25:34-40;1Cor 12:23-24).

13. Prov 14:22 - thinking right lends itself to doing right; thinking wrong lends itself to doing wrong.

14. Prov 14:23 - all talk and no action is unprofitable; actions speak louder than words.

15. Prov 14:25 - God's Word and Christ (in contrast to apostasy) are the true witnesses (Prov 14:5;Gen 3:3-4;Matt 26:59;Mark 14:55-56;2Tim 4:3).

16. Prov 14:26-27 - there will be refuge and eternal life  in the kingdom of God on earth when Christ returns (Acts 2:22-24;Heb 11:17-19;Acts 1:9-11;Dan 12:1-3;Isa 2:2-4).

17. Prov 14:30 - NIV "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."

18. Prov 14:32 - hope of eternal life after resurrection (Job 19:25-26).

19. Prov 14:35 - Christ will return as king and he will judge (Acts 1:9-11;Dan 2:44-45;John 5:22,25,27-30).

14:1   The idea of a house and wise and foolish is found in Jesus’ parable –Matt 7:24-27

14:13 The things of God give real satisfaction. Whereas everything else, though it may be pleasurable at the time, is empty and cannot give lasting joy. This does not mean that we should not enjoy ourselves. Rather it teaches where true happiness is found. 

"Where no oxen are, the trough is clean;
But much increase comes by the strength of an ox."

You can save money when you don't have an Ox, because you don't need to buy feed for it. But perhaps not having an Ox means we won't make any money anyway? The proverb is about balance, don't you think?

14:7   Here we see a repeat of the wise counsel of Prov 13:20

14:1   The house answers to the church of God. The woman is a member of that church family. The unwise seek for contention and strife which actually destroys the fellowship of the house.

14:3    In talking of the mouth of the foolish being a “rod of pride” we understand that a fool seeks to justify himself as he is proud – that is he is unwilling to learn from others. His words seek to justify himself rather than receive instruction.

14:12  The wise man’s inspired comment here reads like a reflection on the way Israel behaved in the days of the Judges. For example Judg 17:6.

Prov 14:9

“Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.”

“The idea of sin depends upon the idea of God. A thing is sinful because God forbids it. Take God’s command away, and a man is then at liberty to do just as he inclines to. Expediency will be his only check. The idea of anything being sin is in that case a chimera—a fiction of a sour imagination: which is how sin is estimated by the fools who are in the enormous majority throughout the world. They may be deterred from doing a thing because it is unmanly, or because it is dishonourable in human eyes, or because it would not pay, but the idea of a thing being sinful has no weight with them. This, with them, is oldwomanish and weak.  They make a mock at sin because they make a mock at God. The reality and dreadfulness of sin is felt in proportion as the reality and dreadfulness of God is realized. He has given us the means of realizing this by the exhibition of His hand in the past. The record is authentic and convincing, but the midst of the world’s Babel, the record is cast behind the back. ‘Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart.’”

Robert Roberts

14:30  the word “sound”<4832> is elsewhere in Proverbs –  4:22, 12:18, 13:17, 16:24 - - related to healthy. The “healthy” heart is one that feeds on God’s word.

14:2 the two typical men spoken of here are rather like Jacob and Esau. An example can be seen in Gen 25:34

14:31 Our attitude to others shows how we think about the Creator. Whilst this is a simple point it should always instruct us as to how we should think of others.

14:7 The company we keep affects the way we think and behave (1Cor 15:33)  We meet many people in our day to day lives. Initially we may not really know the qualities of that person. As time passes we learn more about that person – especially if they talk a lot! They may “utter lies” (Prov 14:5) or denigrate others (:6). We soon learn whether it is wise to stay in that person’s company or not. But what do we do when we recognise the “fool”? The counsel of the Proverbs is clear. Don’t spend time with them.

14:1-5  Whilst each of the separate proverbs can stand on their own they combine to paint a picture. The one who plucks down is perverse in their ways. So deceit will not be seen in those seeking to build the house of God.

5 v. 1 reminds us of the freedom that we have in Christ. It is freedom from the law, the next few verses go on to tell us - that we might by the grace and mercy of the Father, be counted righteous. But having recognised that the verse goes on to warn us not to go back to our old worldly ways. Prov.23:23, 1Cor.15:58, 16:13, Eph.6:14, Philip.1:27, 1Thes.3:8, 2Thes.2:15.

5 v.14 In saying that the whole law is fulfilled in 'thou shalt love thy neighbour ...' Paul is appealing to the teaching of Jesus Matthew 7:12 Matthew 22:38-40

6:2 and  6:5 seem to contradict each other. However they do not. We are to share the burdens of those who are overtaken in a fault. However the one who has been overtaken still has to bear his burden, even though he is able to share it with those who help. 6 v.9-10 continue the theme of bearing burdens by stressing that it is to be an ongoing activity.

5:1 So being free don't follow the Law is the argument that Paul is developing.

6:3 The man who 'thinks himself to be something' actually does not have humility. We should think of others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3)

ch 5 - LOVE

Three times in Galatians 5, Paul emphasises that the only thing that is really important in this life is love. He says, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing its self through love." And later, "But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love." And again, when he compares the acts of the sinful nature (which are really yucky things), with the fruit of the Spirit, he describes the fruit of the Spirit as love.

Love needs to be our motivation, love needs to be our leader and love needs to be our action and expression. Love must fill our lives just as air fills our lungs. Love will make us into the person God wants us to be. Living in love will keep us from evil. The two greatest commandments are to love the Lord your God with all your mind, soul and strength and to love your neighbour as yourself. At the end of everything, love will come shining through.

God loves you so much that he gave Jesus for your sins. Jesus let himself be offered because of his love for you.

Love is the greatest!

5:18 'led of the spirit' quotes Matt 4:1 - the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. In seeing this link we realise there is nothing mystical about our being 'led'. Just as Jesus, full of an understanding of Scripture, went into the wilderness we likewise should be 'led' in our lives by our understanding of Scripture.

6:12 In observing that the Judaisers wanted the gentile brethren circumcised we learn their true motives. It was not a desire that the gentile might be saved. Rather it was that they wanted to avoid persecution. So maybe we gain a little insight into a reason for persecution of the first century ecclesia. The Jews objected to gentiles becoming associated with the Jews without being circumcised.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE
 
It is worth noting that Galatians 5 v.22 says, "The fruit of the Spirit .." singular, not "the fruits of the Spirit..."  There is only one fruit of the Spirit, and I believe that the fruit of the Spirit is Love.  Comparing the verses that describe the fruit of the Spirit with 1Corinthians 13 v.4 - 8, that describe love, we can see that the two lists are a match.  They both describe love in its various parts, which, when they are combined together make up God's perfect love, agape love.
 
From Galatians 5 we find that love is made up of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.  From 1 Corinthians 13 we find the same list put in slightly different words and in a different order.
 
Galatians 5 :     1 Corinthians 13
Love:                Love never fails
Joy:                 Rejoices with the truth
Peace:             Love does not delight in evil
Patience:          Love does not delight in evil
Patience:          Love is patient; always perseveres
Kindness:         Love is kind; It always protects
Goodness:        It does not envy; it keeps no record of wrongs
Faithfulness:     It always trusts; it always hopes
Gentleness:      It is not self seeking; it does not boast; it is not proud
Self Control:      It is not rude; it is not easily angered
 
Our aim must be to develop the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, to develop characters to show the love that God first showed to us.  Let's begin to show true love in our lives today.

5:2 Paul speaks so starkly here to force the Jew to realise that his circumcision is of no value when eternal salvation is at stake. In fact it had become a hindrance to his faith! He was able to rest his boast in the long tradition of his Jewishness.  Of course the issue of circumcision was a purely male issue. The Jewish woman had no such claim. Maybe this is why Paul emphasies (3:28) that there is no difference between male or female in Christ.

V.13 True liberty is not the privilege to do whatever one's evil heart desires to do. It is that which our Heavenly Father would have us do. Part of that is serving, it is a service rendered in the imitation of Him who "took the form of a servant"  Phil 2:7  

The Galatians had to contend with a troublemaker who was intent on disrupting the ecclesia (Gal 5:9,10).
As we saw in Prov 14:7-9, we do well to be on guard against such people.
 
Paul did not actually pen all of his epistles.  He did, however, write the letter to the Galatians (Gal 6:11).  Paul’s statement here is taken literally, by some, to mean that the actual letters of his writing were large. They conclude that Paul might have had eye problems which could account for the thorn in his flesh (2Cor 12:7). Others take Paul’s statement, figuratively, to mean that he wrote a great (weighty) epistle.

 Ch.6 Having exhorted the believers in Galatia to individually manifest the fruits of the Spirit, Paul now exhorts them as to their ecclesial responsibilities, calling upon them to work in co-operation with each other, and to cease the senseless bickering and dissension that had characterised their attitude to that time.

5:3 It is not being circumcised that was the problem. A Jew who accepted the gospel could not help the fact that he had been circumcised. It was the placing of confidence in circumcision that was the problem as can be see in verse :4.

6:1-2 It is evident that the ‘burden’ of our brother that we are to ‘bear’ is their shortcomings. So rather than finding fault with our brother we should recognise, because of our own failings, that he does not want to have the ‘fault’ we have seen.

6:2; 5 Paul in these two verses is writing about two different types of burdens. In the second verse the Greek word is BAROS (922), which suggests a heavy weight, a weight that can only be lifted with the help of others, when we can help our Brother with such a weight, we should of course be there to assist him. On the other hand, the burden of V,5 comes from the Greek word PHORTION (5413) which is a task or a service, it is an individual burden, a type of burden which must be born by the person involved.

6:2,5 seem contradictory at first glance. Burdens in v.2 comes from the Greek baros meaning weight or load. Burden (load) in v.5 comes from the Greek phortion meaning task or service. We have an individual responsibility for our own walk (service): work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12); and we will be individually judged: So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God (Rom 14:12). However, we do have a responsibility to help our brethren, both physically (James 2:15-17) and spiritually (James 5:14,15). What we must not do, though, is to take away the personal responsibility of brethren for their own actions. That would be like the unwise person who became a surety (Prov 6:1-5).

a) In Gal 6:2,5 there appears to be a contradiction in the AV. We must carry each other's burdens, then, we must carry our own burdens. When we look in the concordance, these two words for 'burden' are different. The first one means a physical weight. In these things we must help each other whenever possible. But the second one means a responsibility. This means that we cannot save anyone else, (of-course we cannot even save ourselves!) Everyone has his/her own responsibility.
b) There's a marvellous lesson in Gal 6:10. We should help anyone, if possible, whenever we can UNLESS it interferes with our helping our Brothers and Sisters in the Truth.  'The Household of Faith' must come first.

6:10 perhaps ties up with Matt 25:44 Those whom Jesus rejected had obviously been aware of their service (they had an attitude of works), and perhaps had discriminated when choosing those to help. We are aware of those who obviously appear to be our brethren & sisters in Christ, but there may be others that have been chosen by God, but not yet joined the household (cp Paul before his conversion Gal 1:15 ). We don't know who they are, and so we need to do good to all men.

5:16 ‘walk in the spirit’ The ‘spirit’ in which we are to ‘walk’ is the ‘spirit of Christ’ – that is we have to walk in a way which is informed by our understanding of how Jesus thought and behaved.

5:9    Paul makes the same point to the brethren and sisters in Corinth – 1Cor 5:6– whilst the problem in Ephesus was the influence of those who would take the liberated brethren and sisters back to observing the law of Moses it has an application for us today. We cannot ‘dabble’ in sin. Once we give n to a temptation we are on the slippery downward slope.

5:11 Paul’s comment here would indicate that in order to support their own position some were saying that Paul actually preached that a man needed to be circumcised in order to be saved.

6:1 'restore such an one in the spirit of meekness', the first time the Greek for 'restore' is used is in Matt 4:21 where we find James and John busy 'mending' (same word) their nets (due to Luke 5:6-10) when they are called by the Lord Jesus Christ.  We can picture them bent over mending their nets with great care and focus to ensure that any fish they should catch did not escape, this shows us the great care and attention to be applied when working to restore those who are overtaken in a fault.  The fishermen took great care over their nets so that after they had toiled they did not lose any fish caught, we have been drawn out of the sea of the nations like each one of our brethren and sisters.  Great care is to be taken in restoring any overtaken so that they are not overwhelmed and sucked back into the world and lost.

Abram shows example of restoring a brother and the careful actions taken, see 2009 comments on Genesis 14:14.

A child's toy kitchen

Like the Galatians, we might at times seek the safety net of rules and regulations. And when we do, this is ok. Life is full of ups and downs, and our faith swells and recedes too. When we lack faith, regulations can make us feel more safe because we can measure our progress by them. But at some stage we must leave this safety behind and go on to a more mature way of life. This maturity is shown by forming opinion, judgements, and taking decisions based on an internal struggle between right and wrong. This internal process is called being "led by the spirit" by Paul in both Galatians (5:16-25) and Romans (7:14 - 8:9).

Ultimately, this more mature way of thinking is the only way to life through Christ; and although we may fall back on laws and regulation from time to time, we should do so in recognition that this is mere child-like behaviour. Jesus never condemned child-like behaviour, and neither should we, but problems may arise when the childlike try to make others childlike with them (5:7-10). This is as ridiculous as a grown up being reprimanded by his or her child for cooking on a gas stove, and being compelled to cook with the child's plastic toy. But this was the situation Galatia was faced with (3:3).

6:17 Circumcision left marks in the body of the man who had been circumcised. Clearly there were those who boasted that they carried the mark of circumcision. Paul counters this with the clear comment that his body had been mutilated through the punishments that he had received for his faith – the beatings and stoning had left their mark and it was those which Paul presented as evidence – not the circumcision, even though he had been circumcised.

5:14 That the law is ‘fulfilled’ in the statement about loving one’s neighbour highlights that even when the law of Moses was given it was not to be seen as a list of regulation but a call to a selfless way of living.

6:18  Here and Philem 1:25 Paul prays that God will be with the ‘spirit’ of the recipients of the letter. From the way in which Scripture uses the idea of the ‘spirit of man’ in Prov 20:27, 1Cor 2:11 we see that Paul is talking of the way that a person thinks. His desire is that the believer will continue in their growth in the Christian gospel.

Gal 5:13

"For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty, only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."

E.W. Bullinger in Figures of Speech Used in the Bible explains: "...Here the A.V. supplies 'use.' But it might well be 'misuse or abuse.'"

Some understood the Law to be the only restraining power of sin in their lives. They abused the liberties they thought they now had no longer being under the Law of Moses. In reality, they were brought out of one control into another – from the legalistic Law of Moses to submission to the Law of Christ!

The liberties in Christ are 1) Freedom from God’s wrath (Rom 5:9). 2) Freedom from sin’s mastery over us (Rom 6:14). 3) Freedom from Gentile darkness (Col 1:13; 1Pet 2:9-10 cf. 1John 4:4). 4) Freedom from the curse of the Law (Gal 3:13) 5) Freedom from the condemnation of the Law (Rom 8:1). 6) Freedom from the Law as a means of justification (Gal 2:16). 7) Freedom from fear in approaching the Son of God (Eph 3:12; Heb 4:14-16).

This is the kind of liberty Paul is talking about! This kind of liberty does not ignore our restraints to indulge in fleshly desires. It has nothing to do with serving self, or condoning the keeping pagan holidays by Christ’s followers. The liberties we have in Christ have everything to do with love for God, love for one another, and love for neighbour.

Gal 6:11

“Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.”

This verse is often cross-referenced to Gal 4:15, that Paul had some kind of infirmity in his eyes. But, “at the first” as we read in Gal 4:13 excludes that idea because it implies that his infirmity of the flesh was temporary, at the beginning when he began his preaching. 

Conclusions are reached that Paul must have been nearly blind and that is why he wrote in huge letters! Adam Clarke in Clarke’s Commentary has the following comment: “…As to writing it, there was in his time nothing difficult, because the uncial character was that which was alone in use in those days, and this character is as easily made as the capitals in the Roman alphabet, which have been taken from it. I conclude, therefore, that what the apostle says must be understood of the length of the epistle, in all probability the largest he had ever written with his own hand; though several, much larger, have been dictated by him, but they were written by his scribe or amanuensis.” (Highlight mine)

Gal 6:17

“From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”

It is interesting to note that Paul’s final statement of authority is between verse 15, the peace benediction, and verse 18, the grace benediction. Paul shows that peace and grace are only to those who remain faithful. The Galatians had left the truth as taught to them by Paul.

He pointed out to them the cost he paid to preach the Gospel. “Marks,” # <4742>, is the word, stigma, “a mark incised or punched (for recognition of ownership).” In other words, he was branded as slaves who chose to stay with their masters were permanently branded (Exo 21:6; Deut 15:17). His allusion to this custom refers to the stripes he obtained on his back by flogging. (2Cor 11:23-27). His marks of the Lord Jesus also included ridicule, scorn, persecutions, and reproaches, which the Galatians were very well aware of. All these were evidence of his obedience and suffering on account of his faith in the Messiah. This is in sharp contrast to the Galatians’ mark of circumcision, which they loved to impose on others as proof of their zeal, when in fact it was because they feared persecutions (verse 12)!

Paul challenged the Galatians to look at the price he paid for standing firm and calls an end to the conflict between the Law and Grace. What price are we willing to pay to bear Christ’s indelible mark on our body?

5:1  In speaking of being “entangled” Paul uses the same idea that we find in the parable of the sower – Mark 4:19

We see from the whole of the epistle to the Galatian church that Paul had a difficult problem to tackle, and he explains the principles of the freedom those brethren and sisters had in Christ very clearly, compared to the slavery under the Law.

We might be tempted therefore to think that the Letter to the Galatians has no real benefit for us, except to emphasis what a privilege we have in 'being in Christ' through baptise.  However, we may not be physically circumcised as the Jews were, but we can become circumcised and slaves to the traditions we hold dear, losing sight of the agape love we should share with each other.

Gal 6:12-13

“As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.”

The tone of Paul’s treatment of the Law in Galatians was influenced by his sense of urgency for his converts. False teachers had come to “trouble,” and “bewitch” them (Gal 1:7; Gal 3:1; Gal 5:12). They taught that salvation through Christ may only be received by becoming sons of Abraham through circumcision; that faith in Christ was of no value without it. Paul, realizing that his entire apostolic identity and mission in Galatia was jeopardized by the Judaizers, he responded by hurling some of his sharpest daggers of his verbal arsenal.

Paul did not deny the importance of being a son of Abraham, he did not downplay or deny the importance of the covenanted promise God made with Abraham, but argued that this covenant was based on Abraham’s faith before circumcision was given (Gen 15:6; Gal 3:6; Gen 17:9-14). Paul’s argument was based on the premise that Abraham was justified by his faith and not circumcision, and those of the same faith of Abraham are his sons (Rom 1:17; Rom 4:3,6-7; Gal 3:7-10).

If salvation was by way of faith and not of the Law, what purpose did the Law serve? Again, the Law revealed the sinfulness of transgressions. By revealing what God forbids, the Law showed the sinfulness of certain actions, which otherwise might have passed without recognition. In this context, Paul speaks of the Law in its narrow, negative function of exposing sin, in order to counteract the exaltation of the Law by the Judaizers.

The Law was a temporary custodian until the coming of Christ. The Law protected them from harm, the circumcision being a constant reminder of their covenant commitment to God (cf. Josh 5:2-8). God gave them the Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, that they might see the sinfulness of sin, and also gave the ceremonial, religious Laws, a divine plan for forgiveness of their sins. These Laws, indeed, had the function of protecting and guiding the people until the day of their spiritual deliverance through Messiah. With the coming of Messiah, the ceremonial, sacrificial Laws ended, but the Decalogue covenanted moral Law remained (but without the curse of being guilty of all over one offense (James 2:10), written in human hearts (2Cor 3:3; Heb 8:10; cf. Mark 10:19). Please read my notes on Gal 3:21.

 Gal 6:11.

6:12-14       Doubtless those Jews who sought to get gentiles to be circumcised would have presented a convincing argument that circumcision was necessary. After all it was a  rigid commanded of all Jewish males who wanted to be part of the nation of Israel. Surely, they might argue, that has not been replaced by baptism.  But in reality, as Paul says, their motive was self gratification and glory. Motives for seemingly plausible plans should be examined carefully. If the motive is self seeking and has not the glory of God at its centre it is probable that the idea is flawed.

5:12-13          The Judaisers were placing a burden that could not be born, as Peter said – Acts 15:10 – but faith in Christ brought “liberty”. That liberty allowed the believers to fulfil the fundamental truth of the law – Leviticus 19:18. The Judaisers were not demonstrating that love. They were seeking to turn men and women away from the loved of God.

5:13  Paul’s use of “liberty” here develops what he has already written – Gal 5:1.

LIVING BY FAITH

Living by faith is described to the Galatians by Paul very well. Listen to what he says in this last chapter:

"Brothers, if someone is caught in  sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself or you also may be tempted." (Gal 6:1).
Carry each other's burdens. (v.2).
Do not be proud. (v.3).
Don't compare yourself to someone else. (v.4).
We should carry our own loads. (v.5).
Share all good things with the people that instruct you. (v.6).
The one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life. (v.8).
We must not become weary in doing good. (v.9).
We will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (v.9).
Let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the household of believers. (v.10).
Our boasting should only be in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. (v.14).
I have been crucified to the world. (v.14).
We must be a new creation. (v.15).
Peace and mercy to those who live by faith. (v.16).
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers." (v.18).

So let us take note of what it means to truly live by faith. It is a rich and powerful life filled with joy and hope. Why would we want to live any other way?
 

6:1      We might not think that the way in which we treat others is a consequence of the exposition that we saw in the previous two chapters. However it is. The Law of Moses was used to highlight men and women’s shortcomings. However the gospel in Christ causes us to, rather than reprove others for their faults, to seek to help them to grow in Christ.

5:15-16            Biting and devouring is a very graphic way of describing the arguments and debates that surround a legalistic understanding of the gospel message. But it is something we can descend into when we try to argue our point on the basis of rules.

6:3     The warning which Paul present here is something he thought about in himself also as he indicated in Gal 2:2

6:6  the word “communicate” carries the sense “share”. The implication is that the teacher should benefit from the ones he has taught. This implies that the inspired New Testament prophets were maintained, to some extent, by the rest of the believers

6:11 The Greek for “letter” is plural and seems to refer to alphabetical characters. An expositional point I have come across relates this to Habakkuk. In Galatians 3:11 Paul quotes from Habakkuk 2:4. Earlier in this chapter, God says: “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it” (Hab. 2:2). Twice in Galatians Paul speaks of running: “lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain” (Gal. 2:2); “Ye did run well; who did hinder you …” (Gal. 5:7). Paul may well have written large letters because of his poor eyesight, but a consequence of this was that his writing was easier to read. By mentioning the size of his writing Paul is showing that he has made things “plain … that he may run that readeth it”. Therefore they had no excuse not to “run well”.

HOW TO WIN: FLESH VERSUS SPIRIT

We have a battle going on inside us. Good versus evil; the Spirit versus the flesh. If you are like me, your ultimate desire is to live in the Spirit, to please God. But my sinful nature also wants gratification and all too often I give in. So here are a couple of thoughts from Paul's letter to the Galatians that tell us how to help the Spirit win more often than the flesh.

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." (Gal 5:16). The more we try to live God's ways, keeping the things of the Spirit as our focus and ignoring the things of the flesh, the easier it will be to win.

Then Paul puts it the other way around: "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." (v.17). Living in the flesh is going to prevent us living in the Spirit. But the opposite is also true. Living in the Spirit will prevent us from fulfilling our fleshly desires.

So if you want to win the battle, turn and face God. Fill your life with him and don't even think about the bad stuff that once enticed you. Living God's way will leave no room for sin.
 

5:10  In saying “he that troubleth you” we might conclude that there was one individual in particular who was subverting the believers.

5:13 Are we “free” or are we slaves? Well actually both. We are “free from sin” and “slaves to God”  (Rom 6:22)

6:5 there are two different words for burden here. The burden in verse:2 speaks of any burden whilst the burden in verse :5 is very specific – It speaks of the burden of kit that a Roman soldier would carry. The burden that a disciples was to carry if commanded by a Roman soldier – Matt 5:41

5:14 In saying that “love thy neighbour …” Leviticus 19:18 – Paul is restating what Jesus quoted to his opponents  – Matt 22:37-39