WRITE THIS IN A BOOK

Since the written word was essential in communicating God’s truth, we might wonder when was the first time God commanded someone to write something. What did he command to be written and why? I was surprised to find that the first use of the verb “to write” in the Bible is in Exodus 17:14:

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."

(Exodus 17:14)

The first command to write was a pronouncement of judgment! It was against a people known as Amalek or the Amalekites. This vicious tribe was the very first enemy of Israel when God’s people left Egypt, and they remained the implacable enemies of God’s people through David’s reign and even into Israel’s captivity in Babylon. The Amalekites are an illustration of the enemy of God’s people today – sin!

When we understand how devastatingly destructive sin is to our lives, we can understand why God’s first command to “write” a book of remembrance has to do with judgment on this enemy of God’s people

There is a profound spiritual lesson in God's dealings with Amalek.  Theodore Epp, long-time director of Back-to-the-Bible ministries, saw Amalek as a type of the sin nature and by extension the Amalekites as specific sins.  Here God says He will "utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."  In verse 16 He states that He will "have war against Amalek from generation to generation."  The typology finds greater clarity in the life of David, especially in 1 Samuel 30.  King Saul had compromised with Amalek, sparing the "King of the Amalekites" (1 Samuel 15:9), but David (as a type of Christ) showed them no quarter (1 Samuel 30:17-19).

Note the following analogies between the Amalekites and sin in our lives:

I.            Amalek is determined to destroy God’s people before they can enter the Promised Land.

A.    The Amalekites were the first to fight against Israel after they had been delivered from Egypt through the blood of the Lamb.  (cf. Dt. 25:17)

B.     The Amalekites were determined to exterminate the people of God. (See Esther  8:3– Haman, the Agagite. “Enemy of Israel.”

II.         Amalekites attack at the weakest points and at the most vulnerable moments. (Deut. 25:18)

            “Sin that closely clings closely to us” (Compare Hebrews. 12:1)

To defeat sin we need help from our brethren – “Aaron and Hur” to come alongside (Exodus 17:12).

           

III.      Amalek must be utterly put to death – show no quarter!

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13)

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  (6)  Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,  (7)  in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. (Colossians 3:5-7) 

A.    We do this by the power of the Holy Spirit.

B.     We do this through prayer (Ex. 17:9-12): personal and joint prayer.

IV.      Sin will ultimately be eradicated by the Lord.

“the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation." (Ex. 17:16)

But ultimately, He declares victory:

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." (Ex. 17:14)

 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. (Revelation 22:3) 

In this world we will have warfare with sin from generation to generation. But one day, God will "blot out the memory" of sin forever and establish His kingdom!

Christian, we need to ask ourselves: What are we doing with the Amalekites in our lives?

FALSE PROPHETS, THEN AND NOW: THOUGHTS ON EZEKIEL 13

Ezekiel 13 strikes me as very relevant to the condition of American Christianity. The prophet Ezekiel, like his contemporary Jeremiah, had a tough mission. He was commissioned by God to deliver a message of judgment to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, particularly to the leaders, the priests, and the prophets. The latter were false prophets who preached from their own deluded heart (Ezek. 13:2).

"They see falsehood and lying divination who are saying, 'The LORD declares,' when the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word. (Ezekiel 13:6 NASB) (Literally, “they hope their word will stand up.”)

The false prophets today are just like the false prophets in Ezekiel’s day. First, they preach what people want to hear – peace and prosperity – even though the Lord has warned of judgment for disobedience to His word and worship of “the work of your hands” (Jeremiah 25:6, 7). They build a false wall of promises that give false security to their followers, and they whitewash it to conceal its inherent weakness.

"It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash; so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash, that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a violent wind will break out. "Behold, when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, 'Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?'" Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "I will make a violent wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and hailstones to consume it in wrath. "So I will tear down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare; and when it falls, you will be consumed in its midst. And you will know that I am the LORD. "Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it over with whitewash; and I will say to you, 'The wall is gone and its plasterers are gone, along with the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,' declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 13:10-16)

                   The Apostle Paul, when falsely accused of desecrating the temple, may have been alluding to Ezekiel’s imagery of the whitewashed wall when the high priest ordered that Paul be struck:

Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, "Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day." The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?" (Acts 23:1-3)

Though Paul offered somewhat of an apology, pleading ignorance of the high priest’s status, the truth of Paul’s accusation stood: the high priest was acting hypocritically. Jesus accused the Scribes and Pharisees of being “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27). They looked clean and pure on the outside, but were full of corruption inside.

The message of the false prophets then and now invariably conflicts with the revealed Word of God – the Bible. Their bold assertions that the Lord spoke to them is nothing short of blasphemy!

Peter warned New Testament believers of this threat:

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:1-3)

John urged believers in Christ to “test the spirits” of those who claim to be speaking for the Lord.

Beloved, 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. (1 John 4:1)

So how can be “test the spirits”?  There is no simple formula, no quick, easy test. The deceptions of the false prophets are subtle and often seem plausible. The only way to discern the spirit of a false prophet is by immersing oneself in the Word of God. We need to study through the whole Bible, year after year, praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we read. This is God’s way of building a true wall of defense against false prophets.

DO CHURCHES REALLY TRUST THE BIBLE?

Last June, I celebrated 42 years as an ordained minister. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service . . .,” and I know that his considering was by grace, not merit. I have stumbled many times during those years, yet the Spirit of Christ always lifted me up and set me back on track. And I have learned a lot!

As a missionary I ministered in many churches across the country, raising support, reporting on our ministry, and participating in conferences. After missionary service, I pastored two churches and supplied the pulpit of churches of various denominations. What I have learned – and it’s a painful lesson – is that while churches staunchly profess their faith in the Bible as the Word of God and pastors preach from that Bible, when problems or difficult challenges come their way, they instinctively turn to other sources for solutions.

For instance, I have ministered in several churches that were seeking a pastor, and I have shared the Bible’s standards for pastoral ministry, even sharing a checklist and system for evaluating a candidate based on those standards. I have yet to see a church call a pastor based on Bible standards. Oh, they listen to a candidate’s testimony of faith and question him about his beliefs, but a systematic consideration of biblical qualifications has not been applied in the churches I have observed. Often the result turned out to be unsatisfactory, to say the least. Sometimes, however, God was gracious in spite of the congregation’s negligence, and the pastor turned out to be what the Bible says he should be.

Why would a church that claims to believe the Bible neglect to meditate every day on First Timothy 3, Titus 1, First Peter 5, Acts 20, and other pertinent passages before considering any candidate for the pastorate?

Then there are those problems that inevitably arise because churches, after all, are made up of people, and where there are people, there are problems. The problems may be interpersonal conflicts, differing views of ministry, or differing priorities. Personal tastes and preferences become sources of conflict.  Time to call for a “church consultant,” right? Why not first see if the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit will reveal the root of the problem and God’s solution?

The disturbing fact is that few churches turn to the Scriptures and diligent prayer when faced with a crisis that threatens the unity and future of the congregation. Why is that? Could it be that their view of the Bible is defective, and they harbor the notion that it is an archaic book that doesn’t have a solution to their particular problem? (Of course they would never voice such a view!) Or are they just lazy, unwilling to put in the study to search for principles that apply to the problem? Impatience also drives them to seek quick solutions.

Worst of all, pastors, elders, and members may be unwilling to take the hard steps of obedience that God demands in His Word. I can’t dismiss this reason because I have seen it played out in more than one church over the decades. “If we do that,” I’ve heard, “we’ll lose even more members.” That kind of pragmatism is surely odious to the Lord! His Word is set aside because it might cost us members!

In these last days, Jesus’ words come to mind: “However, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) In the context, Jesus is teaching about persistence in prayer (Luke 18:1), especially prayer for justice. Jesus’ conclusion is that God is not reluctant to answer our prayers; it is our lack of faith in Him and His Word that's the problem.