A Snare To The Soul

Judges 8.22-35

Gideon was not perfect, none of us are.

Like all of us he had times of victory and times where his faith lapsed.

He obeyed the LORD.
He won a great mighty victory by following the LORD's instructions.
He refused to become king. This was a great temptation.
He made a sort of monument/memorial to himself. True it could have been out of a desire to honor God but there were enough lessons from the history of his people to warn him about this.

Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city: This was obviously wrong and it is not immediately apparent why Gideon did this. It is possible he did this to work against the prestige and influence of the tribe of Ephraim. At this time the tabernacle - the center of worship for Israel - was at Shiloh, in the territory of Ephraim. Gideon perhaps set up this rival place of worship to compete against the tribe that troubled him in the battle against Midian. But he seemed to be at peace with them.

*It could be he just wanted the people to remember the victory God gave them. Memorials are tricky things. They can have jagged edges.
*It could be he wanted the people to remember him and how he was used by the LORD. This is a bit more dangerous. He may have been feeling good about turning down becoming king and felt he had this coming. Beware of the thought that we are owed something by people or God. We are servants of the LORD doing our duty. Luke 17:10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

And all Israel played the harlot with it there: The people of Israel enjoyed this idolatrous worship. The beautiful and expensive ephod became a snare to Gideon, his family, and all Israel.

*Artistic beauty has a way of impressing us and giving a sense of awe but it is not necessarily a godly impression or awe. Many times it can distract our focus from the Lord. In contrast to this ephod, God commanded that His altars be made of unfinished stone (Exodus 20:25), so that no one's attention was focused on the beauty of the stone carver's work. Interesting how churches are adorned. Building should point people to Christ not pull them away from Him. Simplicity is the best. Elaborate buildings or even worship can cause the worshiper to worship incorrectly.

Aaron called for the ear-rings to make the golden calf of, Ex. 32:2. These Gideon asked for v. 24. And he had reason enough to think that those who offered him a crown, when he declined it, would not deny him their ear-rings, when he made the request for them, and they did not v. 25.
He himself added the spoil he took from the kings of Midian, which, it should seem, had fallen to his share, v. 26.
The generals had that part of the prey which was most splendid, the prey of different colors, ch. 5:30. 3. Of this he made an ephod, v. 27. It was plausible enough, and might be well intended to preserve a memorial of so divine a victory in the judge’s own city.
But it was a very unadvised thing to make that memorial to be an ephod, a sacred garment. Gideon was a good man. But he erred. (Hos. 3:4)

Can we learn from his sin.
Think of the admonition in Galatians 6.
Galatians 6:1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
Watch yourselves!

Let's give Gideon the benefit of a doubt. We know he was a good man.
Let's say his intention was pure. At best it was unwise. He did not consider the consequences. This is a an who shortly before tore down the altar of Baal and the ashteroths.

Note, Many are led into false ways by one false step of a good man. The beginning of sin, particularly of idolatry and will-worship, is as the letting forth of water, so it has been found in the fatal corruptions of the church of Rome; therefore leave it off before it be meddled with. It became a snare to Gideon himself, abating his zeal for the house of God in his old age, and much more to his house, who were drawn by it into sin, and it proved the ruin of the family.

24-26. Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you--This was the contribution of an earring (singular). As the ancient Arabians (Ishmaelites and Midianites being synonymous terms, Gen 37:25, 28) were gorgeously adorned with barbaric pearl and gold, an immense amount of such valuable booty had fallen into the hands of the Israelite soldiers. The contribution was liberally made, and the quantity of gold given to him is estimated at
26. ornaments--crescent-like plates of gold suspended from the necks, or placed on the breasts of the camels.
collars--rather, "earrings," or drops of gold or pearl.
purple--a royal color. The ancient, as well as modern Arabs, adorned the necks, breasts, and legs, of their riding animals with sumptuous housing.
27. Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, . . . Ophrah--That no idolatrous use was in view, nor any divisive course from Shiloh contemplated, is seen from Jdg 8:33. Gideon proposed, with the gold he received, to make an ephod for his use only as a civil magistrate or ruler, as David did ( 1Ch 15:27), and a magnificent breastplate also. It would seem, from the history, that he was not blamable in making this ephod, as a civil robe or ornament merely, but that it afterward became an object to which religious ideas were attached; whereby it proved a snare, and consequently an evil, by perversion, to Gideon and his house. Knowing the ephod was part of the priestly garments should have stopped him from making it in this form but it did not.

What does this scripture tell us about avoiding a snare to the soul in our lives and of those we love?

There are the obvious snares:
*Nursing a grudge.
Mark 6:19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,
Genesis 27:41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
*Jealousy and Envy ruin relationships. Competing.
*Greed
Proverbs 15:27 The greedy bring ruin to their households,but the one who hates bribes will live.
Proverbs 28:25 The greedy stir up conflict,but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.
There are other things too, but look at the specifics in this account about Gideon.



1. Doing Things "For God" Without Any Clear Direction From Him.
David and the temple
They can seem good.

He possibly made this gold ephod due to the spiritual failure of the people. This was something the priest wore.

They can be a snare to the soul. What Milo Arnold said to us in Bible College.
"If you are here for any other reason than the LORD called you it would you should go home. Parents want you to be a minister, think it would make a good career choice..."

Clear calls produce ongoing fruit.

Plans made without prayer and the LORD in the middle. Are doomed to come crashing down.
Be careful not to go against the Word of God. Gideon was acting a little like Aaron here. He should have recognized that.


2. Idolatry Is A Sin Today.
Possessions can become idols.
Luke 12:15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Proverbs 23:4-5 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Positions can be too.
Luke 20:46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets."

People become idols... American Idol... Those who proclaim the Word of God should never be idolized. They are servants, instruments.

Idols are such a snare to the soul.
They are subtle.
They may start out with pure motives.
They may be among us.
They are not always easily detected.

3. Keep Your Eyes On God's Glory.
Particularly after a great victory!
Noah got drunk after the flood, after coming off the ark.
Genesis 9:20-21 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. This caused problems in his famiy.

Elijah fell into depression after defeating the prophets of Baal.
1 Kings 19:3-4 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

Peter tried to talk Jesus out of going to the cross after he had made the great confession.
Matthew 16:13-18 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Matthew 16:21-23 From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men.

We can be serving the LORD, following Jesus, and fall into our humanity and suggest things and do things that will not turn out for His glory.

1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

This ephod was constructed after the defeat of the Midians by Gideon.
It was a time for celebration.
It was a time when emotions were running high. Take warning.
It was a time of appreciation and aggravation. Keep those emotions in check.

1 Chronicles 12:32 from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;

We have to be careful even when doing the work of the LORD of these snares to the soul. They can effect generations to come. This was true with Gideon. His sin ended up wiping out 70 of his sons. Just one escaped.

A safeguard against these snares is to keep the Glory of God for Him alone. Particularly after the pressure is off and a victory has been given, are we especially vulnerable. Don't let that happen to you!

Guard your heart. Keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus.

Next To Nothing

Judges 7.1-8

God delights in using the small things, the insignificant to accomplish His will.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

So often when we are called to do something for the LORD, we inventory our assets. We count up our resources. We see what we have to work with.

Now Jesus did talk to us about counting. However it was about the cost of following Him. He used two examples.

One was a tower. The other a king going to war. Both have to do with following Jesus. Both have to do with being part of the church. Christ is building His church. We are in a battle, a continual battle.

Luke 14.28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples."

We need to be truthful with people as we seek to lead them to Christ. There is a cost.

This account of Gideon fighting the Midianites gives us lessons in faith in regard to resources.

1. God Reduces Resources So No One Will Boast. v.2-3
The LORD calls us to do something. We respond. Then suddenly our resources are reduced. We wonder what is going on.

Many times the LORD has something spoke over us or into our lives and then things look like it could never happen. We look for it to happen naturally or through our efforts. God wants it to happen supernaturally so He will get the glory.

Our endeavors meet with almost certain failure until we call on the LORD.

Habakkuk 1.5

God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
Joseph, Gideon, David


2. Many Times The LORD Sifts Our Numbers Down. v. 4
We don't know what He is doing.
He is making us strong.
He is building us up.
He is getting us ready.
An athlete goes into training. He is in pain before he truly begins to reach his potential. Developing a champion is painful work.

Pruning or sifting is a painful process. It feels a little like death. Is second sifting was very difficult. The first dealt with those whose hearts were in fear. The second with those whose hearts were right but were not natural warriors. They would have been a deterrent to victory.

I think this second sifting was harder than the first. It brought the numbers down to next to nothing. From 32,000 to 300!

This was part of Gideon learning that
3. The Battle and The Victory Belongs to the LORD. v.7-8
The LORD got the troops so thinned out that Gideon had no other choice but to look to heaven for help.

We go through financial challenges.
We face physical illness.
We find ourselves in pressure spots. Where do we look? If we are loaded down with resources our natural tendency is to look to them. Whether we are or whether we're not, our real need is to look to the LORD and realize the Battle belongs to Him and He will give us the victory.

If you have next to nothing this morning in facing a battle or challenge in your life, it very well could be that the LORD has you right where He wants you!
It just may be that the answer has already arrived, that need is already provided for. God is speaking today to your heart.

He will take care of you!

vs. 9-25

My good friend, Pastor Kevin Henesy shared this devotional thought earlier this morning:
"The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord" v.31
This same principle is found in Psalm 127. People will make their plans, people will seek to protect themselves, preparing for battle, guarding what they own. We would look at that and probably agree that it is wise to do so and yet I believe the danger is that we trust in what we have done. We trust in human strength, we trust in natural ability, we trust in training and we trust in natural devices. In doing so we depart from putting out trust in the Lord and we become proud, trusting in ourselves and what we have done. This is a dangerous place, the place of pride.
In contrast to pride which is self dependance, is humility which is God dependance. Moses depended upon the Lord, while Pharaoh trusted in himself, his army and his military might! God dependance won the day, even though the odds appeared impossible! Faith in the One who says, is there anything too hard for Me? God is a delivering God, He fights the battle we can never fight and He wins against impossible odds. When God is for us who can be against us? Look at Joseph, Esther, Ruth, David, Daniel, the list goes on and on! God is the God of the impossible and He delights in true faith and responds and works on behalf of the person who loves Him, trusts in Him and lives for His Glory not their own. Deliverance is of the Lord!!!

As with those in Hebrews 11 so with us!
Hebrews 11:32-34 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

Go in the power and might of the LORD today!

Another Generation

Judges 2.6-15

I grew up in the late 1950's to 1960's. almost all my friends went to Sunday School, the ones who didn't we invited to come with us!

Today

With the proliferation of activities available to children today - soccer, baseball, swimming, education programs, school functions -- it is easy to see how they can be so spread thin as to forgo Sunday school.  This practice is “extremely detrimental” to children in their development as Christians.

We have a generation now who neither knows the LORD nor what He has done for His people.

The nearer we are to personal experience the more we are impressed with the reality of events.

When they had people who had seen the Exodus among them, they were kept in touch with the LORD. When they died they lost that connection. 

We need face to face encounters, demonstrations of the Spirit's power today!

When a good person dies the stories often die with them.

The story of this church.

How we need a movement of God's Spirit in our day!

I partly understand but please do not say, "i'm glad I'm on my way out!" That is so unbiblical! The Word of God is against escapism.

1.Carry the Burden for Young People.

Frodo: "I wish none of this had happened." Gandalf: "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

We wish things haven't changed.

We wish things were the same.

We wish we could change them.

We have to decide what we are going to do with the time we have been given.

This is our time.

Heart tests after Dad died. Could alter them. The truth is: Our hearts are affected by life's events. Let your heart break! Let the things that mess up your mind get into your heart.

These are heart breaking times!

We have this time.

Pray for the LORD to move mightily.

Pray for our eyes to be opened to the fields ripe for harvest.

Pray for a revival of evangelism.

2. Share the Gospel With the Lost.

Guy in Peter Pan on Monday. Filthy mouth. Left him one of our tracts.

At the least we could spread the seed... Hand out tracts to hungry souls.

Tim at Produce Warehouse trying to quit smoking. Tract yesterday.

Go to the hungry ones and fill them with His bread

They'll leave their darkness as you shine the light He shed

Point to His promises, believe in all He said

And His joy will be manifest in you

And the lost will be found as He works through you

Out on the highways, there's so many passing by

Step out in boldness and watch the family multiply

Pray up some miracles, let's open up the sky

And His joy will be manifest to you

And the lost will be found by the things you do

Oh don't you know that Jesus loves you

So let's go and spread His word

Redeem the time while there's still time

Let's share the call we've heard

Let's share the call we've heard

Is your house open to let strangers enter there

Give to the least of them, show them someone cares

And you may be entertaining angels unaware

And His joy will be manifest to you

And the lost may be found as He works through you

And His joy will be manifest in you

And the lost, they'll be found by the things you do

As He works through you by the things you do

3. Tell the Story. Give Testimony.

4. Pray Pray Pray

Judges 2:7 The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. 

Judges 2:10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 

They had an easy life, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Luxury became common place. They didn't say, "There is no God." They followed other gods.

Amos 3:2 “You only have I chosenof all the families of the earth;therefore I will punish youfor all your sins.” 

Lord Of The Rings

“Frodo: I can't do this, Sam.

Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

What brings rejoicing in heaven? One sinner who repents!

The things that heaven rejoices over/ the things we rejoice over

Rudy, Ray, me at Victorio's this Thursday.

Bible given, God's  Word shared.

Divine Appointments, be alert and ready for them!

Prayer for open yes and open hearts.

One Week Later John 20.19-31

I can't leave the resurrection accounts just yet. The LORD keeps calling me and us to them.

The Empty Tomb in Jerusalem

Been to Mao's tomb in Tiennmen Square in Beijing, to Paul  Revere's grave in Boston, to Grant's Tomb in the city. Been to the Tomb of the Unknown Solider in Washington, DC.  Men of God like Hudson Taylor, the missionary to China, are buried where they served.

One grave is unique. It has no remains! It is empty. Joseph of Arimithea's which Jesus was laid to rest in.

1. His Greeting was so Encouraging!

Not "I told you so." (Don't you hate that kind of greeting?)

Not "What is the matter with you guys for not believing?!"

Not "Look at you hiding out because you are afraid."

Not "Is this any way for the followers of the King to behave?"

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...

We condemn ourselves, others condemn us

What a Greeting! 

A greeting of grace and mercy, forgiveness and love.

How do you greet those who have failed you? God give us grace.

How do react towards those who let you down, broke promises?

How do you respond to those who struggle with their faith?

Jesus came from the Father full of grace and truth! As the Father sent Him, so may we go! So may we greet!

It takes time to arrive at that place of grace but oh how freeing it is!!!

Peace:

a state of national tranquillity

Israel then, like America today, was in a state of political upheaval. There was great dissatisfaction, a sort of longing for the old days.

 exemption from the rage and havoc of war

 peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord

security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)

the Messiah's peace

the way that leads to peace (salvation)

of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is

the blessed state of devout and upright men after death

These were the things Jesus was bestowing on His followers, His disciples when He first saw them after He rose from the dead.

2. His Grace is So Empowering.

He blessed them with the Holy Spirit by breathing on them.

A blessing for the moment.

It was instantaneous. If Jesus breathes on you and says these words it is going to happen!

A blessing for the days ahead.

They would be led by the Spirit, empowered by Him. The early church was not concerned about money, programs, size, etc. the overwhelming preoccupation of the church in Acts was whether you had received the Holy Spirit. It did not care what the government thought.

A blessing for all of the days of their/our lives.

It is for today.

Acts 2:38-39 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 

A blessing for eternity.

Sealed with the Spirit.

The guarantee

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 

2 Corinthians 5:5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 

Ephesians 1:13-14 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. 

3. His Love is So Amazing.

Jesus comes to those who are struggling with their faith. vs.24-29

Thomas struggled for a whole week because of doubts.

It can be for a lifetime but many times it does not need to be!

Some are weak in their faith. Not shipwrecked. 

1 Timothy 1:18-19 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 

Bear with the weak.

Romans 15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 

Help those who doubt.

Jude 1:22 Be merciful to those who doubt.

to help one afflicted or seeking aid

to bring help to the wretched

Help those who have withdrawn emotionally or physically from the fellowship of believers. They need it!

Jesus let them thrust a spear in His side. He also let Thomas put his hand there. There may be a little bit of Thomas in all of us.

*Be satisfied with the Word of God.

*Look at Christ.

Rich wounds, yet visible above!

-Seals of His death

-Wonders of His Grace

-Proof of His Suffering

-Memorials of His Love for us

-Signs of His Finished Work

Read about His Passion.

Contemplate His Sufferings.

Jesus was revealing more of Himself to His disciples after the Resurrection. More of His Grace, Mercy and Love.

More About Jesus! 

Confident of this, that He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion, on the Day of Christ Jesus.

He Is Risen!

Mark 16.1-7

He has risen!

The early morning trip to the Garden Tomb was not to see the Risen Christ. It was to take loving care of a dead body of the One they had hoped was the Messiah.

It was not a trek filled with expectation. It was the first trip to the grave loved ones make after a person dies. It was very hard. Jesus was led out to death, executed for trumped up charges. His was the greatest injustice in the history of the legal system was the crucifixion. Pilate's question would be self incriminating after he consented to His death:
Mark 15.14“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

So now these close friends of Jesus, with ho hope of Him rising again, are on their way to the to the tomb.
Their love was strong. They got up very early after an incredible emotional week. The had no faith or hope but they did have love! Love covers a multitude of sins!

They were expecting things to be just like they left them on Friday before sunset. Look what those ladies had in their hands: spices to anoint His Body. Mary of Bethany had anointed Him the week before, Jesus said beforehand for His burial, now these women are doing after He died.

The stone was an obstacle they had not considered until on the way to the tomb.
Love doesn't consider obstacles until they are in front of it.

All the time Christ has already worked out a solution for our concerns and worries.
He already had in mind what He was going to do.
Worry and fretting are huge wastes of energy.

The News at the Tomb.

1. Don't be alarmed!
*They went there to grieve.

We go to graves to say goodbye, to face death, out of love for the mortal remains, to cry, to think about the person we miss.

The LORD has called me to be a student of grief, to embrace it, the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings.

Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face. He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

If you are grieving today, Jesus has embraced that pain. He knows it full well.

Those who followed Him knew it for a few days, we will know it for a few years and then God will wipe every tear from our eyes.

The Resurrection of Jesus gives us comfort and hope.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.



*The word "alarmed" means:
to throw into terror or amazement, to terrify, to be struck with amazement, to be astounded, to be struck with terror.

We live in a time of terror. Don't be struck with terror! Our Hope is Christ.
There are some things that are frightening today, many things.
Mark 13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end.
The Destruction of Jerusalem
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

These poor grieving ladies were astounded the stone was rolled away.
They were struck with terror when they saw the angel.
* They came away bewildered.
* They ended up overjoyed.



2. Jesus, the Nazarene has Risen!
I do not believe we can fully grasp what it was like for these women to hear the words:
Mark 16:6 And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. "

Whew!

Heaven will bring some of those emotions to your heart.
I am glad we have eternity! Its going to take some time to grasp it!

Jesus has good news in the midst of the most difficult times. For Christians we have hope even in death! Our LORD overcame death by rising again!

One day we are promised death will be done away with.


3. Go tell...
Their commission like ours.
Tell what Jesus has done for you.
Some of need to pray for power to so.
Sometimes we need to be reminded why we are here.
Only what is done for Christ will last.

He is Risen!

A Day of Prophecy Fulfilled and Prophecy Given

Luke 19.28-46

Prayer in the temple, or in this case the lack thereof, showed their hearts. Jesus pronounced judgment.
What goes on in the physical buildings set apart for the LORD is telling.
Prayer, giving, the ministry of the Word.

So many places dedicated to these things get off track. Almost all of the Ivy League Universities began as Bible Schools to train ministers to evangelize the east coast.

Churches where souls once found Christ are now way out of line.

This building we are in was built for prayer,the instruction of God's Word, giving to others and fellowship. As Pastor I have sought to be faithful to this.

The temple was making more money than ever. The main problem was it was never intended to do so. Jesus was coming in judgement upon its leaders for making it into a den of thieves.

What did he mean?
1. Temple currency and the rate of exchange
2. Selling sacrifices

Thomas Aquinas

1. The Crowd in Jerusalem Were Pilgrims For The Passover Feast v.37

Pilgrims from all over the world.

Pilgrims from Galilee.
The praising was for the miracles they had seen.
And they had seen some incredible displays of the power of God!

Luke 7:20-22 When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’” At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Feeding of the 5,000
Storm stilled
Matthew 8:27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

The raising of Lazarus from the dead took place in Bethany. The Palm Sunday Procession came right through there. No doubt people joined in on it who had seen Lazarus raised by Jesus. I am sure Mary, Martha and Lazarus were a part of it. We know Bartimaeus from Jericho was. The blind see, the dead are raised.

John 11:45, 55-57 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. So they were seeking for Jesus, and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him.

The crowd was at a fever pitch emotionally. Jesus fit all the requirements of the Messiah.

And it was Passover. It was a celebration of freedom, of God' deliverance. Now they are not free. As the pilgrims make their way to Jerusalem they are reminded of this by the large amount of Roman Soldiers they see along the way. Herod and Pilate sit in seats of government. Israel has no king. This is very apparent. The level of resentment of paying taxes to Caesar is probably only second to the times of census decrees.

It was time for the Messiah to come, time or him to push the Romans out and return the throne to Israel.


2. The Crowd and Disciples were Delirious With Joy While Jesus' Heart was Breaking Over Jerusalem. vs.41-44

The disciples thought the kingdom was being set up that day.
Luke 19:11 he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.

There was an expectation upon the popular mind of the Jewish people, that Messiah was about to come. They expected him to be a temporal prince, one who would make war with the Romans and restore to the Jews their lost nationality. There were many who, though they did not believe in Christ with a spiritual faith, nevertheless hoped that perhaps He might be to them a great temporal deliverer, and we read that on one occasion they would have taken Him and made Him a king, but that He hid himself.

Jesus was pronouncing judgement on Jerusalem that day, on Israel.
The fig tree
The cleansing of the temple
His words on His way to the cross later that week:
Luke 23:27-31 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Judgement is pronounced, then a waiting period:
Noah
Many years to build the ark as he preached.
Jonah
Jonah 3:3-4 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
Jesus and Jerusalem
Matthew 24:34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Only three days recorded in all 4 gospels, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Palm Sunday
On His way to the city, as He approached it, He gave out this lament:
Luke 19:42-44 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD.
It has been conquered 40 times, the last being in 1967.

3. What does this scripture say to us? To the USA?

The words of Jesus of Israel's sin "you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
investigation, inspection, visitation
that act by which God looks into and searches out the ways, deeds character, of men, in order to judge them accordingly, whether joyous or sad

There will be the final judgement.

There are judgements of nations along the way.
Matthew 27:24-26 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Luke 12:48 .... From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

September 13, 2001

Jane Clayson: I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?

Anne Graham Lotz: I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it.


The scripture Senator Majority Leader Tom Daschle read in response to 9-11 the day after in the Capitol building before a joint session of congress was
Isaiah 9:10 “The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with smooth stones; The sycamores have been cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.”

The scripture Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards read at a memorial ceremony on 9-11-04, was Isaiah 9.10

This scripture in part was quoted by our US Senator, Governor and President following 9-11. "We will rebuild.,," What they meant to be a rallying cry came out of a context of judgement, of Israel's response to an attack on them. It was a defiant statement.

We all remember where we were on 9-11. I remember that morning. I remember trying to check my e-mail and not being able to, praying with people who family in the city that morning. I remember one of our senators standing there that afternoon, being interviewed, stating, as the rescuers worked, stating, "We will rebuild." It seemed so inappropriate, so out of line of where our hearts should be. It was not right. God was speaking. It was meant to be a time we looked within our soul, the nation's soul.

That is what Jesus was weeping over. In His own words, Matthew 15:24, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” They rejected Him.

Peter proclaimed in Jerusalem, 2 months later, "Acts 2:22-24 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

God has richly blessed America. America has been a great blessing.

Israel turned from God and God judged them. We are turning from God also, and He has and will continue to judge us.

Habakkuk 1:1-4 The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. How long, O Lord, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence! ”Yet You do not save. Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld.For the wicked surround the righteous;Therefore justice comes out perverted.
The law is paralyzed.

Jesus prophesied over Jerusalem. They rejected Him. There was nothing left for God to do but to judge.
Not one stone was left standing on another.
The temple and the city were destroyed.
His blood was on them ad their children.

It did not have to be that way... If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace!

As we think of those events of 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem we cannot help but think of America today.

Habakkuk 3:2 Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear.O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years,In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

The crowd did not understand on Palm Sunday either, but Jesus was setting up His Kingdom.
His Kingdom Come.
Its leaders are servants.
Riches are spiritual, not material.
Jesus did not come with an army, although legions of angels were at His disposal.
No pomp in this kingdom.
No taxes either.

When we look for the LORD, we will always find Him with grace.
Have mercy on us O LORD!