Obedience, the Key to Opening the Door to Heaven.

 Obedience, the Key to Opening the Door to Heaven.

 

By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Jeremiah 35:1-19

Jeremiah 25:15

I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to me.

(ESV)

 

The U.S. Declaration of Independence states that every human being has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Friday’s reversal of Roe v. Wade marked a restoration of the right to life for babies in the womb. Psalm 139:13 reminds us that God formed each of us in the womb. While the argument as to whether a baby in its mother’s womb is a life will continue even after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a baby is important to God while in its mother’s womb. As one striving, although imperfectly, to live in obedience to God, I choose to consider a baby in the womb a life and not something to terminate for convenience. Abortion is a matter of whether one values life over convenience.

 

The only mention of the Rechabites in scripture occurs in Jeremiah 35 and illustrates obedience to God. Jeremiah uses them as an example for disobedient Judah. From this passage, we can observe,

 

1)      Obedience (Jeremiah 35:1-11) – While this is the only mention of the Rechabites, is a powerful picture of obedience. The passage begins with Jeremiah visiting the family and delivering them to the House of the Lord (Jeremiah 35:1-4). The level of specificity provided in the passage validates the passage for there could be eyewitnesses who could have seen Jeremiah bring the Rechabites into the Temple. Once in the Temple, Jeremiah tempts the Rechabites with wine to which they respond with they will drink no wine in obedience to their father who commanded them and their descendants to drink no wine (Jeremiah 35:5-6). Their obedience to their father continued with them building no houses, sowing no seed, not planting a vineyard, and living in tents (Jeremiah 35:7) with the family continuing to live in obedience (Jeremiah 35:8-10). The Rechabites also moved to Jerusalem for protection in fear of the army of the Chaldeans and the Syrians, moving to Jerusalem for protection (Jeremiah 35:11).

2)      Disobedience (Jeremiah 35:12-16) – God then uses the example of the Rechabites obedience to point out the disobedience of the Judah and the people of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 35:12-14). Jeremiah reminds the people of Judah and Jerusalem that he has provided ample warning of their disobedience only to have it fall on deaf ears (Jeremiah 35:15). Instead of an example of obedience like the Rechabites, Judah and the people of Jerusalem provide an example of disobedience (Jeremiah 35:16).

3)      Retribution (Jeremiah 35:17) – Disobedience has consequences, as mentioned in Deuteronomy 28:15-68. For Judah and the people of Jerusalem, this will be seventy years of exile.

4)      Reward (Jeremiah 35:18-19) – Obedience has rewards which for the Rechabites are never lacking a man to stand before God which will later be Jesus Christ the Son of God (Acts 2:33; 5:31). The reward for obedience is eternal.

 

The illustration of Jeremiah 35 is the choice of obedience and its eternal rewards like that enjoyed by Rechabites (Jeremiah 35:18-19) or the consequences of exile suffered by Judah and the people of Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Jeremiah 35:17). Judah and the People of Jerusalem had ample warning and could have repented of their disobedience at any time but chose continued disobedience with the consequences of exile. However, God did have a remnant of obedient people in Jerusalem as evidenced by the presence of the Rechabites in Jerusalem. While the Rechabites went to Jerusalem for protection, something that did not occur due to Jerusalem’s capture by the Babylonian army, the Temple and the presence of God did dwell there.

 

The Church also has examples of obedience and disobedience, evidenced by the illustrations of the Church in Philadelphia and the Church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:7-22). The Church in Philadelphia, like the Rechabites, is an example of obedience (Revelation 3:7-8). God commends them for their obedience to the Word of God (Revelation 3:10) which would have included the Lord’s command that they love one another (John 13:34). This love for one another is how the world identifies the people in the Church as disciples of Christ (John 13:35).

 

In contrast to this Church, the Church at Laodicea is self-centered only living in obedience to the Word of God when it fits into their selfish desires (Revelation 3:15-17). The Church is not the building but the people in the congregation who when focused on their selfish desires would have zero interest in loving others and instead seek others who will help them advance their selfish desires. This is the self-centered consumer Church looking no different than secular organizations designed to make others feel good often at the expense of genuine spiritual growth.

 

Matthew 6:21 reminds us that our heart follows what we treasure. The challenge for everyone reading this is whether to be like the Laodiceans treasuring wealth or like the church in Philadelphia, treasuring God, and each other. When choosing, consider the Church in Philadelphia having an open door to heaven and escape from God’s wrath, a reference to the rapture, or the closed door of the Laodiceans, closing them off to heaven and escape from the wrath of God. My prayer is that those reading this would choose to open the door, following the examples of the Rechabites and the Church in Philadelphia. 

Release Through Death

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Romans 7:1-6

 

Romans 7:6

But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code

(ESV)

 

The account of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 could rightly be named the parable of the Prodigal Sons as both sons had wandered from what their father believed. The younger son believed the grace of his father would allow him to take the inheritance from his father and waste it on riotous living without consequences (Luke 15:11-13). The older son was full of pride and refused to attend the celebration, celebrating the return of the lost son (Luke 15:25-28). When confronted by his father regarding his absence at the celebration, the older son pridefully touts his years of service to his father and never receiving any celebratory reward for this service (Luke 15:29-30).

 

God evicted Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden because after disobeying God and eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, eating from the tree of life would have meant Adam and Eve, and their descendants would have been sentenced to eternal life in their sin (Genesis 3:22-24). This situation would have been worse than living in sin so God chooses to banish humanity from access to the tree of life and promises a savior who will bring salvation to humanity (Genesis 3:15). The purpose of the law was an illustration of the extent of sin in fallen humanity for even though sin was in the world before the law, sin is counted as sin because of the law (Romans 5:13).

 

In Romans 7:1-6, the apostle Paul uses the illustration of marriage to illustrate how death releases one from bondage to the law. Paul begins by telling his readers, who know the law, that one is only bound to the law as long as he or she lives (Romans 7:1). Similarly, Paul uses the example of a woman bound to her husband by the law of marriage until he dies (Romans 7:2-3). Paul is not saying a woman is in bondage to her husband by marriage but bonded by the law to remain married to him till his death. The biblical basis for this is found in Paul’s discourse on marriage found in Ephesians 5:22-33. Both spouses in a marriage are equal in the sight of God and bound by the law of marriage with each having a different role in the marriage. Therefore neither spouse is in bondage to the other but bonded by the law of marriage which mirrors the Church’s relationship to Christ.

Paul continues by telling the believers he addresses that they have achieved freedom from the bondage to the law of sin through the death of the body of Jesus Christ (Romans 7:4). This release of one from the law of sin fulfills the legal requirement of death for sin in Romans 6:23 and frees one to join with the resurrected Lord resulting in a life of fruitfulness (Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 7:5-6).

 

The promised savior in Genesis 3:15 is Jesus Christ who fulfilled the legal requirement of death for sin through His death on the cross. Since Jesus knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), there was no need for him to die but chose to surrender to the will of God and drink the cup of wrath for humanity’s sin in their place (Matthew 26:39). This provides release from the law of sin, freeing us to join the resurrected Lord and have eternal life.

 

However, one does not automatically receive salvation and eternal life and must make a conscious choice to accept the substitutionary death of Jesus for their sin and join in a relationship with the resurrected Lord. Romans 10: 9-10 tells us that this conscience choice occurs through a public profession of belief in the death burial and resurrection of Christ. I encourage those reading this who have not made this choice to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

I encourage those reading this who have a personal relationship with the resurrected Lord to grow deeper in that relationship through the reading of God’s Word, the Bible, regular prayer, and meditation on how God’s Word applies in their life. One should strive for distance and depth in their study of the Bible by having a plan to read through the bible in a year and meditating on verses that stand out to them as they read the Bible. Prayer should also be more than making petitions to the Lord by following the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). This pattern begins with adoration and praise to God for who He is (Matthew 6:9), his coming kingdom (Matthew 6:10), Asking for provision of daily needs and forgiveness (Matthew 6:11-12), and ending with deliverance from temptation and evil (Matthew 6:13). May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post. 

Resistance Instead of Repentance

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Jeremiah 34:1-22

 Jeremiah 34:4-5

Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the Lord concerning you: ‘You shall not die by the sword. 5 You shall die in peace. And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall burn spices for you and lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word, declares the Lord.”

(ESV)

 

I woke up this morning and discovered the bank had paid me seven cents in interest in my checking account. This led me to imagine what one could do with seven cents. I thought about buying a drop of gas but wondered if seven cents could even buy a drop of gas at over five dollars a gallon. I thought about something to eat and realized that all seven cents might buy is a sesame seed on a hamburger bun. Instead of spending the money frivolously, I decided to take my windfall profit of seven cents, along with my own money, and buy a smoothie or coffee drink at Church this weekend because the money goes to missions. In other words, the seven cents, along with some other money, is going to missions.

 

Jeremiah 34:1-22 records three words from the Lord.

 

1)      The City of Jerusalem will fall to the Babylonians (Jeremiah 34:1-5) – The army of Judah is fighting against the invading Babylonian army which means the people of Judah still believe their army can defeat the Babylonian Army (Jeremiah 34:1). This prompts the Lord to issue a command to Jeremiah to give a word to King Zedekiah reminding him that the city of Jerusalem will fall to the Babylonians (Jeremiah 34:2). The Lord's word to King Zedekiah continues by telling Zedekiah that the Babylonians will capture him and that he will meet the king of Babylon face-to-face (Jeremiah 34:3-4). However, King Zedekiah will not die by the sword but die in peace in Babylon (Jeremiah 34:5).

2)      Continued disobedience (Jeremiah 34:6-16) – The second word from the Lord occurs during the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem and the fortified cities of Lachish and Azekah (Jeremiah 34:6-7). The Word also came after a proclamation made by King Zedekiah to set their Hebrew slaves free, something that was part of the Levitical law in Israel (Deuteronomy 15:12; Jeremiah 34:8-9). While the people of Judah initially obeyed the king’s proclamation, they went back on their word and took their Hebrew slaves back into slavery (Jeremiah 34:10-11). Not only was this disobedience in violation of the King's proclamation but it also went against the command of the Lord in Deuteronomy 15:12 to free their Hebrew slaves after six years during the seventh year something their fathers had not obeyed (Jeremiah 34:13-14). King Zedekiah’s proclamation and the initial obedience to the proclamation was an act of repentance by the people of Judah (Jeremiah 34:15). However, the people going back on their word by taking back their Hebrew slaves negates their initial repentance and is continued disobedience of God (Jeremiah 34:16).

3)      Consequences of a broken covenant (Jeremiah 34:17-22) – Instead of enjoying the benefit of repentance, in the third word of the Lord, the people of Judah find out they will suffer consequences for their continued disobedience. The consequences will be death by the sword, pestilence, and famine (Jeremiah 34:17). In the ancient world during the time of Jeremiah, individuals would walk between the halves of a slaughtered calf indicating their agreement to honor the covenant. God compares those that transgressed the King’s proclamation to the slaughtered calf (Jeremiah 34:18-19). The transgressors will die with their bodies becoming food for the birds and beasts (Jeremiah 34:20). The fate of King Zedekiah and his officials is capture by the army of the King of Babylon with the cities of Judah becoming a desolation without inhabitants (Jeremiah 34:21-22).

 

The context of Jeremiah 34:1-22 is the people of Judah at war with Babylon (Jeremiah 34:1). While it is understandable that the people of Judah would fight against an invading army to protect Jerusalem. They have had ample warning from God and the opportunity to repent of their disobedience to God. Their fighting against Babylon is futile for they are about to go into exile as prophesized by God (Jeremiah 13:15-27). As a further example of disobedience, Jeremiah reminds them of the commandment to free their slaves after six years of servitude during the seventh year (Deuteronomy 15:12). Even in the face of attack from the armies of Babylon, the people disobey the proclamation of king Zedekiah to free their Hebrew slaves per God’s Word, by freeing their Hebrew slaves, only to conscript them into slavery again (Jeremiah 34:8-11). God’s people must not be just hearers of the Word, but doers of the Word (James 1:22-25).

 

I encourage everyone reading this post to learn more about God through His Word, the Bible. However, just as Jesus told the woman at the well, true worshippers of God worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23), knowing the truth of God’s word is insufficient unless accompanied by the spirit of obedience to the Word. My prayer to those reading this is that they would continue gaining knowledge of God’s Word and not forget to apply the truths learned to their lives. A world in chaos must see God’s people living in obedience to the Word of God and how it benefits one’s life. If anyone is reading this and has not accepted Jesus as their personal savior, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.