Hebrews 4:14-16

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I invite you once again to turn with us to Hebrews chapter 2 this time. We will get to chapter 4 in a moment but I want to start us in chapter 2.

Several years ago a dear friend of mine, Bill had a series of strokes and those strokes robbed him of much of the movement on one side of his body. He at first had a hard time eating just because of the movements of his muscles needed all in his face one of his arms and one leg and lost love that movement and said it took months and months of physical therapy and he was able to regain some of his former movement that once he got to that point he found a lot of joy in spending time with fellow stroke sufferers the like to just hang out with them when they were having their physical therapy are getting ready and waiting for the start and he loved to encourage them to stick with it hang in there because physical therapy isn’t easy and can be rather grueling and frustrating or a long time until you see progress so you would encourage and stick with it hang in there and use himself as an example of what might be possible for them as well if they stick it out in special connection with his fellow sufferers because they knew he understood what they were going for it in the grief and the anger that one feels early on the frustration of not being able to do would use to be able to do in the frustration of up the therapy not going as fast as you would like to progress to go fast as you’d like it he was a fellow sufferer the point them to the bed of his illogical: a massive stroke venture to Bill’s life and put an end to his much-needed volunteer work in a small way though will sympathetic help illustrates the ministry of one who can sympathize not just with stroke sufferers but with all sufferers this sympathetic ministry of our Lord Jesus was not hindered by his staff and the his death secured the grace and mercy to help that we all need a writer’s been demonstrating to us that this Jesus is the kind hearing Savior who would blaze the trail before us the trailer to salvation the trail to God’s rest now you’re going to see where this pioneering saviors trail took him and how it opened up that trail for us see where it took him is to the very throne of God to the heavenly Temple and it is there that we find the help we need someone to begin backing up a little bit was rushing star timekeepers for but we’re back up to Hebrews chapter 2 verse 17 we begin reading their viruses therefore talking about Jesus he had to be made like his brethren in all things that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make appreciation for the sins of the people for since he himself was tempted in that which he has suffered he is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted therefore only brother partakers of the heavenly calling consider Jesus the apostle and high priest of our confession have to go forward to chapter 4 verse 14 since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the son of God let us hold fast our confession for you do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but one who has been tempted in all things as we are yet without sin let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need which is red and chapter 3 verse one that the author is telling us in his book ways we going to do in these first two sections of the book is to consider Jesus first the apostle and second high priest of our confession last time we finished that first section where he demonstrated that Jesus is superior as apostle is the one who would bring aware of God to his people was the one who would lead them in the way of God as Moses had done in a way illustrating or pointing to is tied what Jesus would do as Joshua would also serve as a type as angels who deliver the word of God and profits deliver the word of God Jesus is superior to all of them and so we find here is that he Jesus is superior not only as apostle but also as high priest in receipt how those two or connected certainly essentially these verses serve as a trip to transition from that first section is Jesus superior apostle to Jesus superior high priest but also serves as introduction to this new section that we are entering this morning this new section that begins that once he gets done with the transition begins in chapter 5 verse one and will take us all the way to chapter 10 verse 18 wheeler talking that the really large section but full, full wonderful true but how Jesus is superior as high priest in every aspect of that ministry and he will go through each of those in some detail is his high priestly work that enables Jesus to lead us into God’s rest as the one the pioneering Savior who would lead us in salvation into God’s rest the rest we’ve been talking about the last few weeks it’s the work that he has done that easily described now his work is high priest as a perfect sacrifice that’s what enables him to now lead us to salvation and into the rest that God provides the something that Moses and Joshua couldn’t do the Jesus because of his work because of his work in Calgary. We saw last time that the first section ended on a rather terrifying note we saw how the word of God is able like a sharp two-edged sword to two slices (a trait down to the 10th of who we are to the very core of our personality if it’s able to expose that because you people see our actions they hear words but they don’t necessarily know what’s going on deep down inside the presuppositions to the thought patterns in all those moves in her workings that will being give rise to what we say what we think we do God’s word is able to expose and they told us that we are at all times right in front of the gaze of God right in front of his face number where you try to go matter how much you might try high we were right there in front of the Lord and he sees as his gaze sees everything every bit of us in his word that it exposes us we see where completely vulnerable I like how Luther explained this transition he sits after terrifying us the apostle now comforts us after pouring wine into our wound he now pours oil and if you think back in to some A/V in older days of medicine estranged a bit since then but one of the things that they would do probably because of the alcohol and did my poor wine into old well you can imagine it has alcohol in it that smart quite steam burn but it was necessary the new portal and you’ll would suit and that’s what he’s telling us that he’s house describing the way that this author handles this transition he has terrified us and he needs to his readers had slipped into sloth they were working on growing themselves in grace and they got themselves in trouble and so gods penetrating word should strip us of any self-confidence we might have it should shake us out of our slumber shake us out of our sloth but then that leaves is ready to trust wholly in the one and whose work we we can try to have confident trust we can rest on his work we would find in him the surest confidence in rest as I read earlier the author planted this is the seed of this idea Jesus is high priest back in chapter to their verse 17 through Reverse one in ages, wet our appetite a little bed and made us look forward to what was to come an hour there and so it is always doing with that CD planted daisies now watering it he’s cultivating it and he’s glowing in our understanding so that we will will grasp why his high priestly when Jesus had priestly ministry is vital for us and why it really forms the foundation to what he’s going to what he has our he told us about Jesus as the apostle the greatest apostle he’s hoping to grow it so that this doctrine of Christ as our high Priest will bear fruit in us will yield the fruit of true rest in God and so we now set out to consider Jesus the high priest of our confession first point is this Jesus is our superior high priest verse 14 Jesus is our superior high priest who look with there with me again since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the son of God let us hold fast our confession some of the good this end readers were thinking about returning to Judaism these are Jews their Christian Jews they have professed faith in Christ they have both a trusted in him and some of them have already left proven that their fate wasn’t in the gone back to Judaism and the ease guys were wondering should we decide they hadn’t really build a good foundation and so they were on shaky ground and those they were thinking about going back to high precipitating it looked to Judaism they the high priest if someone who would make the sacrifices for us in Hebrew the term high priest is literally great priest and so these Jewish readers as they would read this and hear this when Jesus says great high priest what they would pick up on is that Jesus is our great great priest sickness is the very thinking as Jews and hearing him call Jesus this Jesus is great he is far superior and how so will pick up the Jewish political high priest they validate the tour they did that happen how often once a year is only one guy once a year to approach the mercy seat to go into the holy of holies and so it will pass through the temple only into the holy of holies and that’s where he would complete his work on the day of atonement that Jesus is superior in that he passed or not the temple that it happens really learn later on what the destination of that is is the heavenly Temple Beth were Jesus Daisy passed through the heavens into the heavenly Temple where his work was done Jesus has entered the very rest of God and in that by him making that sacrifice he has is open the way for us to enter the rest of God now it’s significant at this point that he uses tunings for Jesus you notice that her tunings for Savior. When Jesus then he calls them son of God now it be easy because we’re so used to seeing both of those terms in the New Testament that we may discover blaze past and not think about a dozen intentionally term son of God if you think back in chapter 1 where he, filled in with that man for us the son of God was the ultimate revealer of God’s truth and right the very beginning of chapter 1 talked about him as their creator you created everything he’s actually one who holds everything together he was superior to profits to Angels to Moses Joshua but he’s also Jesus and chapter 2 he develops that idea of what it meant for him to be Jesus Jesus being his him and name is Robert Jesus is both fully God and fully man and chapter 2 he said that Jesus is the one who would be who was made like us who was for a little while lower than the angels the one who would partake of our flesh and blood the one who is made like his brother in all things the one who would suffer temptation like we suffered as we do separate quotation and so it’s because he’s both human and divine that this Jesus is able to help us hold fast our confession is he he’s the only one who can bridge that gulf between God and man Jesus as both God and man and he’s able to make the way for us to approach God is able to help us hold fast our confession and confession here refers to the faith that we have in him that is confession is good the faith that we believe in our heart the faith that we confess what amounts is that they that he’s talking about when he uses the word confession here is to that that we cleaned weekly clinging to that which saves us not of faith and faith of faith in the work of Jesus Christ the faith in him and him alone in his work alone we had nothing to that we cleaned to that instead of returning back to the old vain efforts like these readers were thinking of going back to the vain efforts of the law as it could save them it was never intended to save anyone they wanted to go back to just as we might be tempted some time to go back to whatever it was with her wit was legalism or Ogg or some other kind of man-made way of finding salvation and here he said we need to clean to this faith that we have believed and he sets out now to explain how is that we can cling to that faith in Jesus he uses the word for in the next verse with the verse 15 for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but one is tempted in all things as we are yet without sin is our second point is this Jesus is our supreme sympathizer verse 15 Jesus is our supreme sympathizer now at this point he’s torn was a Jesus is the son of God and that he is exalted enough to the right right in the father and a mind comeback as a Jesus is so exalted as God can you really understand us to understand what we’re going for having times have you thought that if some he says what you think about your Jesus is able to withstand temptations, in a happy understand anticipating this writer says it is precisely this man Jesus who can sympathize with our plight who can sympathize with our predicament having passed through the heavens yes he is there with God that he is still fully man he will always forever be fully man we will recognize him as both divine and human forever and forever will he bear the scars that he bore for us he will always be human to sympathize these two together into someone’s experience and to make that your own to enter into their experience and make it your own that idea is that of fellow feeling that the word has fell in sense of this code experiencing something of fellow suffering pagan gods and course are dismayed opposition the way men make up God’s bear the dislike more powerful sinful humans in it happened the day stand aloof and mom not help me this time sorry now I just don’t feel like it remaining batter whatever they stand aloof like that with the one true God Jesus sympathy arises from his own experience he actually came here became one of us lived among us suffered for us in the ways that we suffer anymore nation his own experience he has this sympathy this fellow feeling if you will now that doesn’t mean that this word is just talking about feeling or you might know someone says Lott really been reading lately all enough and that said it’s not that because it is always includes the idea of active help it’s not that you Jesus is up and I’m really sorry that you’re going through that you know that the warranty failed to pay it that’s it’s not, it’s like he he he knows is he looks down upon as he knows we are going through because he’s gone to him and he has that that Athos that feeling but it’s more than that because he is at the same time waiting for us to ask for help and he’s ready to give back that’s what this sympathy means where is it that we need help. Our weaknesses as isn’t really talking about physical weaknesses although it would include those because physical weaknesses can give rise to weaknesses that really can lead us in the sand where because we hurt when you might become angry or might become anxious as the kinds of things talk about weaknesses fear or sorrow dread of death without anxiety think about the ancient Israelites when they came to the land they came there 2K – and the report came back to them that their giants in the land with in these really big walls and the people most of them succumb to those fears that those were their weaknesses doubt was one other big existence that which can lead to send back Cedric and sympathize with this because the writer tells us that he is been tempted in all things as we are doesn’t mean that every thing that happens to you happen to Jesus per se but he suffered in every category that we have on whatever suffering the death of a loved one are just that the various ills of life he suffered those evening was exposed to those pressures and pains and felt the temptation of them just as we do all the various categories is that we can’t ever say that he can’t understand and he was tempted in every way as we are yet without sin the wonderful works of art because our Savior suffered in our place and unlike us he did it every time without sin; say okay now there he is singing ever since and understand what it’s like to be in ICN I fail you and me can understand well the logic of all that is just completely insane because you don’t have to suffer or be tempted and fail to understand see the one who understands the full brunt of temptation is the one who goes all the way to the bitter end and does not fail because he goes all the way to the very easy when we sin we always came then prior to the full brunt of the temptation that’s why we cave-in were not willing to go the whole way there comes a point where we say I does one send it out this person is tempting me to anger by the way they’re behaving there comes a point where okay they gone too far now I’m blowing up and on the love To me always when we sin we always cave-in prior to the fullest brunt of that temptation. Illustration mistakes a person who wanted Rev. back ages past two was being tortured and martyred for their faith and so they because they refused to recant Jesus or recant justification by faith or recant their stand upon the word of God alone or something like that and if so someone officials, arrest them I say if you does retain then what you nominated slate bejeweled bed and then take you to prison and on the way they beat you up if you just can’t let you know. Being you hang in there is a prison and server David Ichi in mock you they torture you and in it all on the same recant what you go and then comes your truck on that day stand before wearers judging you and I save your can’t let you go to so it’s a big go beat him and then we’ll have execution a few days the beach again torture you try to recant and I got to hang in there you trusting in the Lord Jesus is helping in the end of the date of execution and let’s say it’s in the day when they burn people at state that take you away there & recant what you go you don’t tie you up start loading the one around your feet porn now on recant and you don’t rely you start feeling the flames licking feet and it’s hurting I is recant and no the fire out what you need and you smell the burning of your flesh sending of your hair the pain excruciating pain and you don’t recant and that goes on for a while defined that person and not the one who recant it is the one who understands the full product — you see Jesus went all the way through every temptation felt the full brunt of them those of us who cave-in don’t understand the full brunt patient we gave in short of that so the sisters he does understand Jesus understands like no one else can the third point therefore we have confident access to divine help sunlight of those two things that we we have established in light of that therefore we have confident access to divine help verse 16 sunlight is foregoing points he gives an education here look at it for 16 let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need under the political system as we said earlier only the high priest once a year could enter the into the holy of holies you could draw near and in the the Greek translation of the Old Testament the Septuagint to use this were draw near to describe the priests drawing near into the temple drawing near to the altar drawing near the mercy seat those kinds of ideas in order to do their priestly service and so if you put on your your Jewish thinking For minute you hear this as a Jew that he’s telling them who are they are not high priests and is not the day of atonement but every day to try and why because Jesus is our greater high priest he has secured access for us to God and because he can sympathize with as we have confident access to the throne of God how often do we need help with our weaknesses with the things that tempt us how often do we need once a month once a week once a day with our by 10,000 now know that that’s different different times a day different days but continually go is we help all and so he uses the present tense here he’s telling us to continually draw near to the current price not once a year but continue because we needed continually ones that look like pieces were to do it with confidence that we seen this one before this is a word for this idea of freedom of speech which we should able to go before God with courage and with frankness they think in terms of a like in the book of Esther in aware she was it wanting to go before her husband the king which is hard-pressed belief is this is her husband but he is again and you’ll go before him resulting from Arnie invited we need confidence because where we’re going as before the throne of God by going to the mercy seat that was scary enough. What happened that it every year the high priest is even going there what they do and Casey died to murmur to run his ankle guy sees his Dragon that you because of the new mess, he died is that serious the holiness of God is that serious is a PDA and I know it will be a solid bill: list. I is he’s telling us to go before the throne of God where God reigns in sovereignty but also from which he pours out love all of his children he’s telling us to go to that and that’s why he calls it not just the throne of God do what he called the throne of grace you’ll think of phones in that way whether it’s a great team somebody who you know is depends on them their capriciousness what was I got up way thinking today no God’s throne is the throne of grace there is when we find mercy to forgive us when we succumb to send because we do we need mercy we have to go before him were told to confess our sins to him and he will then forgive us and cleanse us but we have to go before him and do that this is where we find grace to help us not succumb wasted to withstand these weaknesses these temptations that we face is there and we find the grace and mercy and it is those together that provide the help we need to hold fast our confession of those of you who suffer anxiety you need to hear this God will provide the help we need just in time and unexpected ahead of time and were like a cordial to prepare me for these hard trials to comment the building stuff comes to prepare me for themselves greater trust in me but I’m not giving you grace that I did raise when you need it precisely what you need precisely when you need an inseparable Jesus he is a great illustration forests he promised his disciples in Matthew 1019 when they deliver you up do not become anxious about how or what you will speak Portuguese giving you in our what you are to speak sizes don’t be anxious just trust me it will be giving you their he will give you the grace you need in that moment in that you see he wants us to learn to trust him not to the store up of a lot of of grace that when the big trial, ready network that when we think that way that somehow works he’s been teaching is always time to trust him so that when we get there is where approaching this trial and we feel anxiety we are to tell ourselves the grace isn’t here yet but it will be here in time all I have to do is go before the throne of grace and ask why we do this and we draw near first and we just got through with the sexual or God is had to come back in with did spend every day the word of God but to stay in the word of God needed to treasured up in our hearts so that it’s in our minds that we can pull it up readily we need but we need to stay in the word of God because it is there as we just learned that the word God is able to to expose our real need we would call in all sorts of things we give names to our our problems are sands God’s word calls them exactly what they are and we we need to go to the word God apply to us to our heart so that we see what our real need is second related to that we must stay in God’s word because it is there that we find grace and mercy help because it got or does it just tells where problem it also tells us what God will do to help due to help us to hold fast to clean to our confession and not turned loose not say not that I can’t handle this anymore will back to Judaism or whatever we see is in the word of God that we are per told that he gives us everything we need for life and godliness it is there that tells us that he is God who is faithful to see us through temptations not around them through them to bear up under them and he will provide away through it not been a GP gives us more than we can handle often they doesn’t give us something that the only where the only option sent us was talk he will help us in those trials and so is you stay in God’s words not just you Lone Ranger Christian doing her own thing read the workout you need the Saints is the Saints have that we are fellow sufferers were fellow recipients of grace and so we can help each other and must help each other he establish that back in chapter 3 remember we’ve got this vital ministry to each other would got to look out for each other that know what each other’s weaknesses are what things tempt them and be there to help them and we need to reach out when we feel those temptation. Tempted if you have to pick a phone call brother sister said I’m being tempted, but to get in and I need your help and they must then apply the word got to you and encourage you to the two of you together go take it before the throne of grace is a lot we need that help we need your mercy into Christ’s otherwise we won’t hold fast our confession we need a third it’s this pray continually and confidently to the God who can both sympathize and help pray continually re-confidently Jesus is already in major ways opened way for us he is our pioneering saviors that at that trail guide if you will he’s blazed the trail force already’s open the way I am made a way for us to the throne of grace is open heavens doors to us and because he knows what we endure invites us to kneel before the father and before his throne and make our petitions will learn as we get into this section more deeply on the high priestly ministry of Christ is because of Jesus working across and this is wonderful because of what Jesus did his father is predisposed to help us he doesn’t set up their like this but you really want to help what let’s talk about what you’ve been likely is that he’s predisposed to help us because of what Jesus his son is now an wonderful to know that the Almighty God of heaven the sovereign one is predisposed to help us because of what his son is done for us is actually ready and oh so willing to help us he’s he’s he’s waiting to travel your computer feeling these temptations: out ready to pour out mercy and grace asked for my help and we must continually go before him and lift up our prayers to him before the throne of grace knowing that once help us something with the talking and is waiting help us ready and willing so let us go to him who loves us who calls us invites us to come before his throne will find grace and mercy to how because of what Jesus has done because he has redeemed us include us with his righteousness we can come before the father as if we were Jesus himself with the same love that the father has for Jesus he now has for us

A lesson presented for Women of Grace
Grace Bible Church, Tulsa
by Martha Rusco
11 Jan 2011

George Kelly met Kathryn Shannon in 1927. Until then Kelly had been no more than an amiable, if less than competent, Oklahoma City bootlegger who spilled more than he delivered. By contrast, Kathryn was a firebrand out of the Mississippi backwoods who dreamed of riches and power and determined to make Kelly a top-flight criminal. She was well versed in underworld affairs since her parents ran a ranch where fugitives could hole up for $50 a day.  Kathryn began promoting Kelly as a fearless crook who was often “away robbing banks.” She gave him a shiny machine gun as a present and made him practice shooting walnuts off fence posts. Kathryn, who understood promotion, also passed out cartridge cases in underworld dives, saying, “Have a souvenir of my husband, Machine Gun Kelly.”

Kelly eventually made it into some local gangs and took part in a few holdups of small Mississippi and Texas banks. It was as much as he had ever hoped for, but Kathryn, who married Kelly in 1931, insisted they go after the big money in kidnapping. They pulled off only one major job and were promptly caught. In 1933, they kidnapped oilman Charles Urschel, from whom the gang collected $200,000. Kathryn opted for “killing the man” once they received the ransom, but Kelly, shocked by her request, convinced the rest of the gang that Urschel had to be freed or it would “be bad for future business.” At their trial, both Kathryn and George were sentenced to life in prison. –and some say George was happy to be free of Kathryn.  George was sent to the newly opened Alcatraz Prison, off the coast of San Francisco.  Bothered by the Alcatraz climate, Machine Gun Kelly was transferred to Leavenworth, where he died of a heart attack three years later. After serving 25 years, Kathryn’s life sentence was commuted in 1958, and she was released.

It was at this point in my lecture that I was thinking about making a comparison between the traits of Kathryn Kelly or  the Jezebel of the bible and the Proverbs 31 woman – but I just couldn’t make it work.  I thought I would talk about how industrious they were, how they used their gifts to make their husbands known.  How they were strong, capable women.  And by the world’s definition, they were.  But oh, how their lives show the futility and the destruction that come from living lives enslaved to sin and self.

Neither of these women were excellent wives.  They did their husbands harm, not good.  They weren’t industrious workers.  They didn’t look out for the poor.  They weren’t clothed with strength and dignity.  They didn’t open their mouths with wisdom, and the law of kindness wasn’t on their tongues.  They didn’t look well to the ways of their households.  While their works are infamous, these women aren’t praised in the gates.  They used their charms for deception and their beauty, while noted by others, was only skin deep – and passing.

Dear friends, we’re going to take a look at Jezebel today and see the warning her life gives us.  As wives, or daughters, or mothers, or friends, we are able to do good or harm to those around us – especially for those closest to us – our husbands, our parents, our children, our friends.  And it all comes down to one question:  what are we worshiping?  The Proverbs 31 woman feared the Lord and from that reverential worship of God, her life poured out good to those around her.

If we’re truly honest with ourselves, apart from the fear of the Lord and the work of the Holy Spirit within us, we, too, are tempted to use the people around us to fulfill our own desires, just like Kathryn Kelly did, and just like Jezebel did.

“An excellent wife who can find?  She is far more precious than jewels.  The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.  She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.”  (Proverbs 31:9, 10)

“House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.”  (Proverbs 19:14)

“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.”  (Proverbs 12:4)

In 1 Samuel 16:29-34, we meet Ahab, king over Israel, and learn that, “Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him.”  And if that wasn’t enough, Ahab marries the daughter of the pagan Sidonian king, Eth-Baal and begins to serve and worship Baal.  Perhaps in order to please his wife, he built a place of worship for Baal in Samaria and had an altar erected there for Baal worship.  He also made an Asherah, a place of worship for the goddess Asherah.  In fact, the Bible tells us that, “Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.”  Baal worship involved child sacrifice, and Asherah worship included gross immorality.  Jezebel, as a Sidonian, had practiced this pagan religion from birth.  She encouraged Ahab to follow after Baal and Asherah.  Ahab, the king of God’s chosen people, began serving Baal because of her and with her.  And through their influence, almost all of the people turned from the worship of Yahweh and worshiped Baal as their god.

Elijah was God’s prophet in Israel during this time. And God had mighty plans to use Elijah to turn the Israelites away from Baal worship and back to the one true God.  God ordained a divine meeting between Elijah and Ahab during which Elijah chastened Ahab for abandoning the commandments of the Lord and following after the Baals.  Then Elijah set up a contest between himself and the prophets of Baal for each to call upon their god and to offer sacrifices to them, stating that the God who answers by fire will show himself to be the true God.

As we read in 1Kings 19, the prophets of Baal call upon him for hours, limping around the altar they made, crying aloud and cutting themselves with swords and lances until their blood gushed, but Baal never answered.  Then, Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down, dug a trench around it, laid the wood, placed the sacrifice on the altar, and then had everything doused with gallons and gallons of water until it ran down and filled the trench.  Elijah prays for God to answer so that the people would know that Yahweh was the God in Israel, so that they would turn back to him.  Then God’s word says, ‘The fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water in the trench.” (1 Samuel 19:38)  It must have been a supernaturally spectacular event.  It left no doubt as to whom the true God was.  All the people who saw this miraculous event proclaimed, “Yahweh, He is God; Yahweh, He is God.”  And the 450 prophets of Baal were then seized by the people and slaughtered.

When Ahab headed back to Jezreel and told Jezebel about all that Elijah had done and how all the prophets of Baal were killed with the sword, she was furious.  She personally supported four-hundred fifty prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, allowing them to eat at her table each day.

We’ve already read that her hatred of the true God of Israel was so intense that she had many of the prophets of Yahweh slaughtered.  Now we see that it is Jezebel, not king Ahab, who threatens to have Elijah killed by the next day.  By this time, Ahab has condescended to her wishes and it appears that Jezebel is the one who truly rules over Israel.

Elijah, the mighty prophet of God, who was willing to stand up by himself against 450 prophets of Baal, knows that Jezebel is evil and ruthless, and he doesn’t doubt that she will carry out her threat.  He loses courage and heads for the hills, asking the Lord to take away his life.  I’m sure that Elijah’s hasty departure was considered a victory by Jezebel.  When Elijah ran away, no one was left to challenge her authority or her desire to turn the Israelites against Yahweh and to Baal.

Jezebel must have been feeling pretty confident about herself and her control over her husband and the people.   The more often King Ahab resigned himself to Jezebel’s rule, the more willing she was to take a little more control, and the more control she takes, the more willing he becomes to yield control.  It’s Genesis 3 portrayed in real life.  As part of the curse, God told Eve, ‘Your desire will be to rule over your husband.”  Jezebel gives us a clear picture of how this curse plays out.

Ladies, is this aspect of the curse being played out in your home today?  I know how easy it is to subtly take over control of certain aspects of your home or family.  It’s easy to allow our husbands to not be the leader God calls them to be.

There’s a line from the movie, ‘My Big, Fat Greek Wedding’ that I’ve heard quoted many times.  It goes something like, “The man is the head, but the woman is the neck.  And she can turn the head any way she wants.”  While it makes us giggle, it’s very dangerous to think that is good or acceptable advice.  It certainly isn’t Biblical.  Here’s what Ephesians 5: 22-24, and 33 tell us, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.  … and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

Our marriages are supposed to be a beautiful picture of Christ as the head of the church and the church’s willing submission to her head.  It’s oh, so easy, to get this wrong.  And when we do, we present a flawed picture to the watching world.

If you are struggling with not respecting your husband today, or if you have wrongly assumed the role of head of your home, make it a matter of fervent prayer.  Use God’s word in the power of the Spirit to battle against your sin.  Ask someone to hold you accountable.  If I asked for a show of hands today of those who have struggled or do struggle with desiring to rule over our husbands, I’m pretty sure most hands in the room would go up.  Don’t feel like you’re alone in your struggles, you’re not.  And all of us that are indwelt with the Holy Spirit are competent to use the word of God to counsel one another.

In her book, The Excellent Wife, Martha Peace gives several examples of how a woman can be not submissive to her husband (or girls – to your father).  If you are taking notes, I’ll give you the example, and then the scripture reference she gave to support that example.

1. She does things that are annoying or vexing to her husband. (Proverbs 21:19)
2. She does not discipline the children as she should (even after her husband asks her to.)  Proverbs 29:15
3. She is more loyal to others than to her husband. (Proverbs 31:11)
4. She argues or pouts or gives him the cold shoulder when she does not get her own way.  (Proverbs 21:9)
5. She does not stay within the limits of their budget.  (Proverbs 19:14)
6. She corrects, interrupts, talks for her husband, and is too outspoken when others are around.  (Proverbs 27:15, 16)
7. She manipulates him to get her own way.  She may manipulate by deceit, tears, begging, nagging, complaining, anger, or intimidation.  (Luke 10:40)
8. She makes important decisions without consulting him.  (1 Corinthians 11:3)
9. She directly defies his wishes.  (1 Samuel 15:23)
10. She worries about the decisions he makes and takes matters into her own hands.  (Philippians 4:7,
11. She does not pay attention to what he says.  (James 1:19)

In the same book, Martha Peace also gives us several ways to show respect for our husbands:

1. Never speak to your husband in a condescending manner, but rather with respect.
2. Treat your husband in private as respectfully as you do your pastor, your neighbor, or your friends in public.
3. Be sure that your body language expresses respect for your husband – no angry looks or looks of disgust, crossed arms, etc.
4. Don’t speak for your husband or interrupt him.
5. Don’t bring up his shortcomings to others.
6. Don’t inappropriately contradict him in front of others.
7. Don’t compare him unfavorably with other men.
8. Listen carefully to his opinion, trying to understand him.
9. Respect his position in the home so much that he can depend upon you to do as he asks, even when he isn’t home.
10. Try to do what he asks, even if it doesn’t seem important to you.
11. Develop a meek and quiet spirit.
12. Obey God by being respectful to your husband.

As we get back to Jezebel, we’ll see several of those wrong characteristics in her life.  Proverbs 16:18 warns us, ‘Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  1 Kings 21 tell us of Jezebel’s actions that will lead to her destruction and fall.

Someone once asked John D. Rockefeller how much wealth was enough, and his answer was, “Just a little bit more.”  That seems to sum up Ahab’s feelings also.  As king, his holdings were vast, but Naboth’s little vineyard, right there by the palace, looked just perfect for a vegetable garden.  He wanted it and assumed Naboth would willingly trade it for a better vineyard or a fair sum of money.  But this piece of land was Naboth’s inheritance from his father, and if he parted with it, he would be disobeying God.  The ESV study bible note says, “The land of Israel belonged not to the families who technically ‘owned’ it, but to God, who had brought the Israelites into the land in fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise and had, through Joshua, allocated its various parts to the tribes as their inheritance.  Individual Israelites could not sell land in perpetuity, and a complex set of laws kept land in the family and prevented its accumulation in the hands of a few.”

Ahab’s offer to buy the land shows us his disregard for both Yahweh and his laws.  He is so used to ignoring God that he must have assumed he could convince everyone else to also.  When Naboth refused Ahab’s offer, he sulks home, refuses to eat, and goes to bed with his head to the wall so he can enjoy his own pity party.  His sin is already great, but this instance might have ended here, if Ahab hadn’t let his wife take control of the situation.

When Jezebel sees Ahab lying in bed and finds out why he is so sullen, she belittles him for not being able to use his kingly authority to get what he wanted.  She chides, “Do you now govern Israel?’  Sort of a ‘what kind of a sorry king are you?’ inference.  She admonishes him to get up and eat be cheerful.  Since he just can’t seem to take care of it himself, she’ll go get that vineyard for him, just watch.

We’ve already seen that murder is no big deal for Jezebel.  She’s ordered the death of hundreds of prophets.  It’s a small matter to get Naboth out of the way.  And once Naboth was out of the way, it would be easy for Ahab to claim the vineyard.  She quickly and efficiently takes control of the process, like she’s done this a few times before.  She writes letters to the elders and leaders in Naboth’s city using Ahab’s name and sealing them with Ahab’s seal.  This idol worshipper uses the religion of the Israelites to get Naboth killed.  She has the elders proclaim a religious fast, a time of humble self-examination before a God who does not let sin go unpunished.  Then she has them call two false witnesses who assert that Naboth cursed God and the king.  (Note how even the charge she conjures up elevates Ahab to the same level as God.)  Of course, this was punishable by death; accordingly, Naboth was taken outside the city and stoned to death.

Jezebel then informs Ahab that Naboth is dead and he can go claim the vineyard as his own.  But as soon as Ahab gets there, Elijah appears with a message from the Lord pronouncing God’s judgment upon Ahab and Jezebel and decreeing how they will die because they sold themselves to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord.  And again, 1 Kings 21:25, 26 tell us, “There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife.  He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols.”

God’s judgment surely does come to pass against Jezebel as we read in 2 Kings 9.  Elisha the prophet anoints Jehu as king over Israel and the first task the Lord gives him is to strike down the house of Ahab, “so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord…. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.” (2 Kings 9:7)

Still proud and haughty and refusing to humble herself and repent of her great sin, Jezebel greets Jehu, the instrument of God’s vengeance upon her family, with painted eyes and adorned head, looking out from a window of the palace.  While this adornment might be her queenly attire, more likely she is dressed as the goddess Astarte, one of the wives of Baal.  Jezebel’s life ends while she is dressed as a wife of Baal, a fitting end for the woman responsible for bringing the false religion of Baal worship into Israel from Sidon.

In the message to the church at Thyatira, Jesus uses the name Jezebel to identify a so-called prophetess who was leading the people of the church into sexual immorality and spiritual adultery – much like the real Jezebel did.  Jesus said he gave her time to repent, but she wouldn’t (nor did the church discipline her).  Therefore, he promises to punish her and all who follow her ways unless they repent.  Revelation 2:23 says, “then all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.”

As part of my studying to present a lecture, I usually Google the name of the woman we are studying to see if there are any good articles to read.  When I Google’d the name “Jezebel”, I was afraid to open most of the sites that popped up.  And I don’t recommend that you try that at home.  Just from the few words of description that came up under the address, I could tell that most of them were vile, evil, and immoral.  Even today, thousands of years after she lived, Jezebel’s name is still very much associated with the sins she promoted in Israel.

Jezebel is being punished for her sin, and those who follow in her ways will suffer the punishment due their sins.  1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 are very clear when they teach us, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”  And wouldn’t we be hopeless if the passage ended right there?  But praise be to God, it doesn’t.  In that same passage, verse 11 says, “but such were some of you.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”   think about that….

You were washed – clean, spotless, white as snow,

You were sanctified – made holy and blameless, set apart for God, by the truth of God’s Word, changed into the image of Christ

You were justified – redeemed, pardoned, accepted in the beloved, adopted.

How?  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ – Son of God, the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, our great High Priest, the guarantor of a better covenant, our confidence to enter the presence of God, the founder and perfecter of our faith, ever living to intercede for us, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

An Study by John Dugas
Grace Bible Church
Tulsa, OK

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Hebrews

A Study by Kevin Johnson
Grace Bible Church
Tulsa, OK

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Praise lifts your eyes from the battle to the victory, for Christ is already Victor, and you have the Victor in your heart that you might have His victory in your life.

Have you ever noticed the way God multiplies your faith when you begin praising Him? There are times when it is more important to praise God than to pray to Him a prayer of intercession. Praise lifts your eyes from your circumstances to your almighty Father who is Ruler over all. Not one circumstance in your life can come without His permission, and that means that He has a way of causing it to work together with other things for His glory and your good.

Praise lifts your eyes from the battle to the victory, for Christ is already Victor; and though we do not yet see all things under His feet, they are there (Hebrews 2:8; Ephesians 1:22) in a divine reality. When you need faith, there are two steps to take — go to God’s Word, and begin praising Him. These two go together as naturally as hydrogen and oxygen together make water. Stop worrying, fearing; try praising. Do you need faith?  PRAISE THE LORD!

If you want a new fountain of joy to spring up in your soul, start praising God. God’s Word tells us that He places a song in our hearts. If we are not singing Christians we are disappoint­ing God. God wants His people to begin His worship, to approach Him with praise, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise...” (Psalm 100:4). All the graces of the Holy Spirit grow much better in a happy heart.

In each crisis when God meets the soul in a new way, He brings unspeakable joy, new peace, a touch of His glory, and praise is as inevitable as for water to flow from a fountain. Whenever the clouds of darkness begin to hide God’s loving face, praise is the quickest way through to His glorious light again. Is your spiritual life lack­ing in joy? Be sure that there is no hidden sin, and then just start praising God. PRAISE THE LORD  !

Have you ever realized that God’s answers to your prayers are at times delayed by your lack of praise to God? Have you seen God re­move insurmountable difficulties and obstruc­tions in answer to praise? Did you know that you can often rout Satan faster by praise than in any other way? Have you experienced the effectiveness of praise and fasting? Did you know that bodies have been healed, demons have been cast out, and peace restored to troubled hearts by simply praising the Lord?

Have you ever deliberately gone into an im­possible situation with the weapon of praise to God, and watched God perform the miracle? Oh hungry-hearted, struggling child of God, oh saint of God battling the forces of darkness, oh interceding prayer warrior, this may be God’s message to you! Look up just now and begin to praise God.   PRAISE THE LORD! Perhaps it is seldom that God would have us do nothing but ask and intercede. It may also be true that God would seldom have us spend a protracted time In nothing but praise to God.

There is scarcely a spiritual conflict into which we enter without some measure of prayer; but how often do we, like Judah under Jehosha-phat (II Chronicles 20:20-21), march into battle doing nothing but believing and praising? Oh, my Christian brothers and sisters, let us begin to praise God more. Praise changes things, and praise will transform you!

There is, at times, a deep sacrifice in praise. There are times when we must praise God though tears be in our eyes. There are times when all we can say is, “The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” There is no sweeter music under heaven, there is no more fragrant perfume than that which arises from a life of suffering which is nevertheless filled with praise.

No doubt you today are facing situations not of your own choosing. Can you look up just now out of your Gethsemane and still say, PRAISE THE LORD!

PRAISE IS THE LANGUAGE OF HEAVEN

Praise will sweeten and hallow all that it touches. Praise will kindle a new faith. Praise will fan the sparks of your smouldering love into a flaming love for God. Praise will start the joy bells ringing in your soul; you will soon have all heaven joining in on the chorus and you will have a little touch of heaven in your heart. Praise will pierce through the darkness, will dynamite away long-standing obstructions, and will strike terror in the heart of Satan.

We have praised God a little and occasionally; let us praise Him more and more. We have praised God in the past; come let us praise Him just now! Look up to heaven just now and praise your mighty Redeemer. Praise Him for His love and faithfulness; praise Him for His power and goodness. He is worthy of all praise; let us praise Him now!   PRAISE THE LORD!

He is worthy to be praised;
He is worthy to be praised;
He’s the  Lord  of  Glory,
The Ancient of Days:
He is worthy to be praised.

— Wesley Duewel

Ye that fear the Lord, PRAISE HIM

“Whoso offereth praise glorifieth ME: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of GOD” (Ps. 50:23).

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the FRUIT OF OUR LIPS giving thanks to his name” (Heb. 13:15).

“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving” IPs. 69:30).

“Oh that men would PRAISE the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing” IPs. 107:21-22).

“I create the fruit of the lips [praise); Peace, peace to him that is afar off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will HEAL him" (Isa. 57:19).

(Many of God's children lack healing of their bodies because they neglect this victorious part of praising. Power for healing is wonderfully conveyed through the channel of PRAISE. "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh. 8:10).]

“His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1).

“Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation” (Ps. 111:1).

“Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his com­mandments” (Ps. 112:1).

—World-Wide Keswick tract

Osterhus Pub. House. 4500 W. Broadway. Mpls., MN 55422.

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An Expository Study by John Dugas
Grace Bible Church
Tulsa, OK

A list of audio files.

Lamentations

Grace Bible Church
Tulsa, OK

Lords Supper

Grace Bible Church
Tulsa, OK
18 February 2011
Dr. John D Hannah

A list of audio files and pdf files.

John Owen Conference

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