November 3, 2010

2 Kings 16

When I was 5 or 6, my brother and I received a joint Christmas gift. It was a record player. My brother thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I on the other hand could not have cared less. He also received one of those cheap plastic doctor’s kit. I really thought that the doctor’s kit was great. He really wanted to be the sole owner of the record player. So he traded me the doctors kit for my half of the record player. Monetarily speaking, the record player was of much greater value. When I grew a little older, I realized that I had really made a dumb deal. It just did not make sense.

Often times people just do not make sense. Ahaz did not do right in the sight of the Lord. Not only did he not do right, but he made his son pass through the fire. He was a spiritual adulterer. He ran after many other Gods. So when God sent Syria to punish him, he viewed it as Syria’s attempt to join with Israel to force them into an alliance against Assyria rather than the discipline of the Lord. Instead of repenting and turning to the Lord, He took the Lord’s gold and used it to buy an alliance with Assyria. Assyria came and defeated Syria. Ahaz’ plan worked. He decided to go to Damascus, the capital of Syria, defeated by Assyria. There he visited the temple of the god of the Syrians. In the pagan temple he sees an altar that he likes. He sends a description of it to Jerusalem and has the Lord’s altar moved and a new one like the pagan altar put in its place. What is more; the high priest of the Lord fully cooperates with him. They replace the altar of the Most High God with the altar of an ineffectual god. Why?

I can only assume that it was because Ahaz did not know the glory of the Lord. That is why it is so important that I see the glory of the Lord. If I don’t see it, I am bound to trade it for something worthless. I must continually ask myself, “Do I really see the value of the glory of the Lord?” Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john

Philemon

Jesus puts good things in us (v. 6). A good thing that Jesus placed in Philemon was a changed heart toward his property. He no longer grasped on to it as his own. But he recognized that everything he owned belonged to the Lord. Philemon was from Colosse and was a wealthy slave owner. Paul had lead Philemon to the Lord perhaps while in Ephesus. But perhaps he made a diversion to Colosse on his way through Phrygia to Ephesus on his third missionary journey (Acts 18:23; 19:1). Paul writes this letter to Philemon from jail in Rome. Apparently Philemon's slave, Onesimus, had run away to Rome. Somehow in the providence of God, Paul and Onesimus met up in Rome. Onesimus became a Christian. Paul was able to disciple Onesimus enabling him to grow in the Lord. Finally, the time came when the matter had to be dealt with. Legally, Onesimus was the property of Philemon. Spiritually, Onesimus was Philemon's brother. Paul did not command Philemon to free his brother. Rather he appealed to him on the basis of the good thing that Christ had put in Philemon's life. It was not a matter of law but a matter of love. How can one love his brother and treat him as a slave? You cannot.

Jesus also placed a good thing in the heart of Onesimus. Onesimus willingly went back to Philemon carrying this letter and the letter to the Colossians. He was willing to submit to an unjust authority. It is unjust that one man should own another man. But because of the 'good thing' Jesus placed in the life of Onesimus, he was willing to submit to the legal code of the Romans and return to Philemon. Philemon had the legal right to treat Onesimus in any manner that he desired, including death. Yet, Onesimus submitted to the legal authority of the government in which he lived. That Onesimus submitted, speaks volumes concerning the glory of our Lord.

Our Lord has placed every 'good thing' in you that you need. The question is do you realize it? I'm sure it took a while for Onesimus to realize it in himself. It took a while before he was willing to risk returning to Philemon. And Paul could have commanded Philemon to receive Onesimus as a brother. But he trusted in the glory of Christ that the 'good thing' was indeed planted in Philemon and Onesimus and their 'good deeds' (v. 14) would be out of willingness and not compulsion. Am I willing to endure or do anything for the sake of Christ? If I am, then it can only be because I have realized the 'good thing' he has placed in me. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor John