What Does It Mean to Be “Baptized for the Dead”?
Let’s read the verse in question:
Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?
The topic is the resurrection of the dead, which some believers in Corinth doubted due to the spread of false teaching.
While there are a few theories on what being “baptized for the dead” means in this verse, the most obvious one is that some in Corinth were concerned about the salvation of believers who had passed away without being water baptized; as such, these Corinthians were baptized in their place.
This was a religious belief that some believers in Corinth embraced yet Paul never endorsed it because it’s not biblical. So why does he recognize the practice in this passage? Because he was revealing an inconsistency in their logic: If they didn’t believe in the future resurrection, there was no point in their proxy baptisms.
Again, Paul didn’t sanction this belief — which isn’t mentioned anywhere else in Scripture — he simply used the religious practices of his opponents to make a persuasive point concerning the scriptural doctrine of the resurrection of the dead.
Related Topics:
RESURRECTIONS: Firstfruits, Harvest & Gleanings
What is the “Better Resurrection” Noted in Hebrews 11:35?
What Will the Believer’s Glorified Body Be Like?
Is CHRIST’S BODY After Resurrection PHYSICAL or SPIRITUAL (or Both)?
Sheol / Hades: The “Intermediate State” of the Unsaved Dead
The Believer’s “INTERMEDIATE STATE” (between Physical Death and Bodily Resurrection)
The Six Basic Doctrines of Christianity
What Is the Significance of 153 FISH in John 21:11?
Let’s read the full passage in question:
1Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. a It happened this way: 2Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
6He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
John 21:1-14
Verse 14 reveals that this was Jesus’ third appearance to the disciples after his resurrection. Five of the disciples were fishing in the Sea of Galilee, but caught nothing all night. This changed the next morning, however, when the resurrected Christ saw them from the shore and instructed them to throw their net on the right side of the boat whereupon they miraculously caught the huge load of fish. The technical number they netted—153 fish—is merely a historical accounting of their take.
Yet consider the last two verses of the previous chapter:
30Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:30-31
This reveals the reason why the book of John documented the many miraculous signs of Christ, including the large catch on this occasion—that people might believe Jesus is the Messiah and, by believing, have life in his name (John 3:16). So you could view the fish caught in this chronicling as 153 reasons to believe that Jesus is the Christ.
Related Topics:
Seven Proofs that JESUS CHRIST IS GOD
Miracle or Divine Providence — What’s the Difference?
When You Should ASK and When You Should SPEAK IN FAITH, aka DEMAND
Why did Christ decline to give “Signs on Demand”?
Do Believers Need a “Spiritual COVERING”?
Anyone who takes the initiative to step out in faith and do something in service of God’s kingdom will inevitably hear criticisms like:
- “Who’s your covering?”
- “Who are you accountable to?”
- “You’re not one of us!”
Those who voice such criticisms are curiously upset that someone’s actively doing the work of God. In some cases they’re obviously rivalrous and envious. The diligent apostle Paul was familiar with these types of people in the early days of the Church (Philippians 1:15).
Such a faultfinding spirit can be observed with the disciples when Christ was on Earth:
49“Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
50“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Luke 9:49-50
38“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
39“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40for whoever is not against us is for us.
Mark 9:38-39
The disciples saw someone exorcising demons in the name of Christ, but instead of praising the LORD for people being delivered from satanic oppression and the advancement of God’s kingdom, they tried to stop the man because… he wasn’t one of them.
In other words, he wasn’t part of their group, their sect. Thus they assumed that he didn’t have the authority to do God’s work and thought the Lord would agree with them, but they were wrong. Christ plainly instructed them not to stop the man since he clearly wasn’t working against the kingdom of God, but rather for it.
When someone’s knee-jerk response to your sincere service for the LORD is because you’re “not one of them,” it’s an indication of the infection of sectarianism, which is a work of the flesh and a form of religious legalism. (The list of works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20 includes “factions,” which is hairesis in the Greek, which refers to a religious or philosophical sect and the resulting factionalism or contention).
Those who cop such an attitude are spiritually immature and tend to view people outside their group with a suspicious, rivalrous eye. What’s absurd is that this man was doing an incredibly good work—driving out demons—but it didn’t matter to John & the other disciples because they were blinded by their fleshly factionalist spirit.
Christ put an immediate stop to this nonsense. His response was simple: “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you.” Obviously it didn’t bother the Lord that the man was operating outside their group. It didn’t irk him in the least that this guy didn’t go to Jesus’ “seminary.” The man was doing a good work in bold faith and he was obviously on their side, so what was the problem? There wasn’t one, but those infected by sectarianism will always create a problem when it concerns someone who operates outside the box with which they’ve put themselves and God.
Now please notice that…
Christ Did NOT Stop the Man on the Grounds That “He Had No Covering”
I point this out because sincere believers who are actively serving the LORD and advancing the Kingdom of God one way or another might occasionally hear the criticism: “Who’s your covering?” The implication, of course, is that they (supposedly) have no covering or perhaps the critic doesn’t approve of their covering.
So what do these rivalrous faultfinders mean by “covering”? The term can be traced to the Shepherding Movement of the 1970s-80s, aka the “Discipleship Movement,” which taught that submission to an elder authority—usually a fivefold minister—provided spiritual ‘covering’ for the believer by being aligned with God’s delegated authority in the Church. Their support texts for this concept include 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13, 1 Corinthians 11:3 and 1 Peter 5:5.
While this principle is good and healthy to a degree in light of Paul being Timothy’s mentor (Acts 16:1-3 & 1 Corinthians 4:17) and Elijah being Elisha’s mentor (2 Kings 2), at some point the mentee should be mentored enough to strike out on his/her own in the field, like Timothy did. (This isn’t to say that every protégé is called to the fivefold ministry, of course). The biggest problem with the Shepherding Movement is that it emphasized total submission to one’s spiritual ‘covering,’ including getting permission for major decisions in life, such as career options and spousal choices, which, needless to say, is unhealthy, not to mention absurd.
There was a large assembly in my area back in the ’80s, that subscribed to heavy shepherding wherein the congregants required permission to purchase major items, even a refrigerator (!). In these types of assemblies, if one family member decides to leave the fellowship, the remaining members are often instructed to cut all ties with him/her. While there may be times in your Christian walk where you might have to cut ties with someone for legitimate reason (like stubborn impenitence), such a strict, family-destroying attitude is Christianity-gone-wrong. In short, it’s toxic religion.
Carol & I experienced this a dozen years ago after we decided to leave a certain assembly that we seriously considered joining for two months. We didn’t do anything wrong, of course (in fact, we did everything right), but the pastor was evidently so offended by our decision that he instructed the congregants to shun us if they ran into us in public (!).
So the Shepherding Movement was marked by cult-ish authoritarianism and the corresponding abuses—excessive oversight, absolute obedience, manipulation and intimidation—which explains why the movement justly fell into disrepute. Leaders of the coalition, like Derek Prince and Bob Mumford, publicly apologized for the harm it caused.
We shouldn’t be surprised when abuses like this occasionally rear their ugly head in the Church today since the New Testament plainly warns of slick authoritarians in the ministry who are obsessed with “drawing away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30, Galatians 1:7, Galatians 2:4 & 2 Corinthians 11:3-4). Abuse, by the way, is the misuse of power.
To Whom/What Is Each Believer Accountable?
New Covenant believers are accountable in three ways:
1. Accountable to the LORD
All believers are ultimately accountable to God and will thus stand before Christ at the Judgment Seat to give an account of what we did in the body, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10-11). We’ll even have to give an account for our words (Matthew 12:36). Unbelievers are also accountable to their Creator and will thus undergo the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).
It is the Mighty Christ who is the worthy infallible Head of the worldwide Church (Colossians 1:18, 2:10 & 2:19), as well as its Foundation (Acts 4:11-12 & 1 Corinthians 3:11). Thus the LORD is the “Chief Shepherd” while fivefold ministers—e.g. pastors and teachers—are under-shepherds who are to lead in a servant-like fashion, not as pompous authoritarians (1 Peter 5:1-5, Galatians 2:1-14, Ephesians 2:19-20 & 4:11-15). Yeshua spoke against authoritarian-styled leadership in the Church in no uncertain terms (Matthew 20:25-28).
Hence we are to seek the Lord’s approval above human approval (2 Timothy 2:15). Remember, there’s only one mediator between God and people and that’s Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). While fivefold ministers, like pastors and teachers, are strategic to the spiritual growth of believers, they do not share this position with the Lord. We should certainly respect diligent, fruit-bearing ministers (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13), but we need to be careful about giving them too much weight—as if they’re God Jr.—since doing so is foolish and will create strife or division in the Church, as observed in 1 Corinthians 3:3-9.
2. Accountable to Fellow Believers
In the worldwide Church—regardless of sectarian label—all genuine believers are to be submitted to one another (Ephesians 5:21), which means we’re accountable to each other—young and old, male and female, spiritually mature and immature, minister and congregant. Holding each other accountable is relevant to (1) how we’re living and (2) the accuracy of the doctrines (teachings) we spread (James 3:1). The effectiveness of this corrective principle is explained in the book of Proverbs, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).
While believers are accountable to those over them in the Lord, accountability naturally works both ways (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13). For instance, if your pastor or worship leader is committing adultery or sneaking finances from the ministry fund, should you remain silent? Obviously not. Anyone who thinks these types of things never happen is naïve; I know pastors who have done both (but thankfully repented).
Speaking of pastors, it should be emphasized: The true ministerial spirit that fivefold ministers (should) have is for building believers up and not tearing them down (2 Corinthians 10:8 & 13:10). Paul also stressed this in Ephesians 4:11-13 wherein he detailed the purpose of all ministers: “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”
3. Accountable to God’s Word
Believers are accountable to the LORD and each other based on what? Obviously God’s Word, which informs us (1) how to live and (2) what to believe. All Christians—whatever sectarian tag they choose to go by (or not go by)—are to honestly meet at the blueprint for Christianity, the Word of God, regarding all matters of morality, practice and doctrine (2 Timothy 3:16-17 & 1 Corinthians 4:6). We all must be humbly willing to concede to the authority of the God-breathed Scriptures and what they clearly & consistently teach from a New Covenant perspective based on sound hermeneutics, such as “Scripture interprets Scripture” and “Context is King.”
We can all legitimately claim ignorance now and then—and the LORD deals with us according to the light we currently possess (as elaborated here)—but once scriptural revelation is provided we are obligated to make corrections accordingly.
Examples of Accountability
Not long ago, a minister from America who was working on the other side of the world wrote me in response to one of our extended articles and asked by what authority I’m doing this teaching ministry. Isn’t this reminiscent of the disciples’ criticism in Luke 9:49?
I humbly answered that I gave the article in question (and our other works) by the authority of the rightly-divided Word of God. He then had the opportunity to respond by explaining what he specifically disagreed with and proving his case from the Holy Scriptures, but all I got back was crickets. I’m assuming he investigated the topic further and saw that the article wasn’t in error, as he initially thought.
On another occasion a minister from another state wrote and corrected me on a biblical theory featured in the footnotes of one of my books. I examined his scriptural support and realized that he was correct and so immediately changed the info in the corresponding articles but, unfortunately, couldn’t change the footnote in the book since it was already in print. However, I will fix it if the book is ever rereleased in revised form.
These are examples of two believers meeting at God’s Word to settle a matter.
In light of all this, please be careful about denouncing certain believers because they’re teaching something you might never have heard before, or their calling is different, or they’re not part of your group (Romans 14:4). One minister I know was actively trying to reach ‘gays‘ and was criticized for it—even slandered—by seasoned believers in ministry positions. Wow, God forbid that anyone would try to reach those most lost amongst us! (Obvious sarcasm). Remember what the Messiah said to his judgmental disciples: “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Of course you should correct sin or false doctrine, as led of the Spirit, assuming you can scripturally back up your case. Yet there’s a right way to confront & correct and a wrong way, which you can read about here.
‘What About Hebrews 13:17?’
This is an understandable question in light of what the verse says:
Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
Submission to spiritual authority is good assuming the minister in question consistently bears fruit of the spirit (Matthew 7:15-23) and walks blamelessly before the LORD, which is different from being sinless, since no one on earth is sinless (1 John 1:8-9, Ecclesiastes 7:20 & 1 Kings 8:46). In other words, there’s healthy submission and unhealthy submission to a spiritual authority, which is explained in the article Should You “Obey” Your Pastor?
So Do Believers Need a “Covering” or Not?
If having a ‘covering’ means believers need to receive from mentors in order to learn to minister effectively then, yes. After all, a ‘disciple’ is a learner since that’s what the word actually means, as explained here.
Take the man from Luke 9:49 who was driving out demons and thus stirred up the disciples’ envy/rivalry, he obviously heard Christ’s public teachings on the believer’s authority & faith and so took the initiative to go out and minister to people suffering from demonic oppression. As such, the Messiah was his mentor and this shows that you don’t have to know someone personally to be mentored by them. Learn from the person and put what you learn into practice as you have the opportunity, led of the Spirit.
However, if having a ‘covering’ means to submit to a human being in ministry in the absolute sense then, no, the Bible does not support this. To do so wouldn’t just be questionable, it’s unhealthy since it fuels arrogance in the mentor and paves the way for potential abuse. Believers are only to submit to the LORD in the absolute sense (Acts 5:29).
Unhealthy submission to a human mentor can result in overreliance and a dependent spirit, which will actually hinder the disciple’s productivity and prevent him/her from fulfilling their God-given call. For instance, an associate minister in the Midwest informed the senior pastor of his fellowship that he had decided to leave and pursue other ministerial endeavors, led of the Spirit. The pastor sternly told him that it wasn’t God’s will for him to go and, if he did, he’d “come back crawling on his hands and knees!” Can you believe it? No wonder the LORD was calling him out of that shepherd’s ‘covering.’ He followed the Spirit’s leading, rather than this pastor who was obviously infected by arrogance, and ended up producing way more fruit in ministry in the years to come.
The lesson? Don’t allow a flawed human ‘covering’ (mentor) to prevent you from fulfilling your God-given calling and the many fruit-bearing works thereof. Be led of the Spirit. Amen.
This article is available in book form as chapter 16 of…
- The print book is available here for only $12.50 (303 pages)
- The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!
Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.
Related Topics:
Ministerial Pitfalls and Abuses
Condemnation & Authoritarianism
Why It’s Not Good to Over-Praise Your Spiritual Mentor
Does Matthew 16:18-19 Support the Idea of a Pope?
ACCOUNTABILITY — the Good, the Bad and the Eye-Rolling
Are Some Leaders Beyond Accountability?
Official Prophets (Ministers) and Independent Prophets (Ministers)
What Does It Mean to Be “MORE THAN A CONQUEROR”?
The Bible says “we are more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37). What does this mean? A conqueror is someone who fights and defeats a foe. A person who is “more than a conqueror” is someone who partakes of the blessings of victory because the foe is already defeated. Make no mistake, you are more than a conqueror since the Lord Christ has already defeated the enemy and you have authority, as plainly observed in the Scriptures:
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Satan and his filthy angels have been disarmed! The Messiah triumphed over them through his death, burial and resurrection. They’ve been stripped of their power & authority for all those who believe and are in covenant with God through Jesus Christ. All genuine believers are the “church,” which is ekklésia in the Greek and means “called-out from” the darkness & satanic bondage of the world (1 Peter 2:9).
This explains why the forces of darkness do everything in their power to hinder the good news of the gospel from coming to people. Every time someone turns to God in repentance and faith it’s one more person they’ve lost and no longer have authority over (Acts 20:21 & Titus 3:5).
As for the believer having authority over the kingdom of darkness, the Lord gave his twelve disciples just such authority:
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
And here’s what Christ said to his 72 disciples on a different occasion:
18“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Luke 10:18-20
“Snakes and scorpions” are figurative of the devil and evil spirits. Christ gave his disciples authority to trample them under their feet, that is, overcome their power. Hence, filthy spirits had to submit to them and therefore the disciples were understandably elated (verse 17). They delivered people from demonic oppression and possession; they healed the sick and brokenhearted; they set the captives free because they had the authority and power to do so.
If Jesus’ disciples, who weren’t even spiritually regenerated at the time, had authority to overcome the powers of darkness, how much more so Christians who have been spiritually born of the imperishable seed of Christ (1 Peter 1:23)?
Get a hold of this fact: If you’re a believer YOU have authority over the kingdom of darkness! You’re not just a conqueror, you’re more than a conqueror! All the spiritual forces of evil are under your feet! They don’t have the authority to overcome you; you have the authority to overcome them!
Simply believe the Word, speak it authoritatively, and stand your ground in faith. See the articles below for linking topics that go into more scriptural detail.
Related Topics:
Spiritual Warfare — The Basics
Spiritual Warfare — Do You Know What You’re Fighting For?
How to Distinguish 3 TYPES OF TRIALS — SITs, MITs and DITs
TEMPTATION, TRIALS and TESTS — What’s the Diff?
Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled
Spiritual Development — The Four Stages
Should I Get the Surgery or BELIEVE for Healing?
What Can We Get From Eli, Samuel and the Flickering Lamp?
In 1 Samuel 3 we observe young Samuel being called to his prophetic ministry while he was staying with the elderly high priest, Eli, at the the Tabernacle in Shiloh where the Ark of the Covenant was located. Samuel and Eli slept under the same roof somewhere outside the Tent of Meeting (i.e. the Tabernacle). The golden lampstand in the Holy Place was filled with olive oil and lit at dusk (Exodus 30:8); it was kept burning from nightfall until first light (Exodus 27:20-21).
Just before dawn when the light was flickering the LORD called Samuel:
1The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
2One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
1 Samuel 3:1-7
You can read the rest of the account here. The question we want to answer is how does this story relate to us today in the New Covenant era? After all, the very purpose of such Old Testament accounts is to teach us, as observed in Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:11.
The lamp of God was flickering and about to go out, but this didn’t seem to concern the high priest. Young Samuel, however, heard something; and heard it again and again. It was the voice of the LORD. So he ran to the immediate religious authority for counsel, but the youth was readily dismissed.
Like Eli, the eyesight of some in the Church has grown dim and the elders can’t see so well, at least not spiritually. They’ve become content with the day-to-day goings-on of the ministry wherein they keep going through the motions, lighting the lamps and so forth. A personal word from the LORD and visions rarely happen, if ever.
- When the Holy Spirit really does speak to someone willing to listen, they are automatically written off as unsophisticated or dreaming.
- When the Creator really does appear, the elders’ eyes are too dim to see it.
- When the Almighty actually does move, they are resistant to accepting it for fear of tripping over something unknown—something fresh—in their weak-eyed darkness, which would be awkward and humiliating. (“The horror, the horror”).
Sometimes today we might need to “examine ourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5) and admit that the lamp of God is flickering and perhaps even at risk of going out. Things are not as they should be. Why isn’t the glory of God breaking out of our places of assembly and illuminating our communities and beyond?
This is just food for thought for any of us and our ministries, small and great. Let’s give credit to Eli in that he finally recognized that the LORD was speaking to Samuel and thus gave the youth proper instructions, as observed in verses 8-9, but this didn’t prevent God’s judgment from falling on him & his wicked sons as detailed here.
This article is available in book form as (part of) chapter 24 in…
- The print book is available here for only $12.50 (303 pages)
- The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!
Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.
Related Topics:
How to Be a Modern DAVID Against a Modern GOLIATH
Insights for Today From the Book of RUTH
When Pastors Fail to Correct Their Relatives in the Church
Does God Reserve All Judgment until the End of the Age?
Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms
Religion and Christianity — What’s the Difference?
Godliness and Religion—What’s the Difference?
How to Distinguish 3 TYPES OF TRIALS — SITs, MITs and DITs
When you experience an unexpected trial of some sort, the first thing you need to do is determine if the assault is a Self-Inflicted Trial (SIT), a Discipline-Intended Trial (DIT) or a Maturity-Intended Trial (MIT). Here’s an explanation of each:
- SITs are obvious: they’re the result of one’s own folly, like being injured due to reckless driving and the resulting wreck or suffering physically due to a junk food diet. In both cases the person’s travails are not due to some satanic plot, but simply his/her foolish choices. The answer to SITs is learning wisdom.
- A DIT means the trial is hitting you due to disobedience, whether a sin of commission or a sin of omission. If this is the case, immediately ’fess up and God will dismiss the charge (1 John 1:8-9); then take up your weapons and fight the good fight of faith until the curse departs (1 Timothy 6:12).
- An MIT means that the trial is occurring for righteousness’ sake and the LORD is allowing the enemy to assault you in order to test your character and, once your character is proven, turn the negative situation around to your good (Romans 8:28). That’s the genius of MITs: God takes something in which the enemy intends to destroy you with—or, at least, hinder you—and ultimately turns it around to your good, making you “strong, firm and steadfast” “after you have suffered for a little while” (1 Peter 5:8-10). Of course, this is providing you fulfill your role by fighting the good fight of faith and enduring. (Remember: the LORD is your “helper,” not your do-everything-for-you-so-you-don’t-have-to-do-anything-at-all-er). This is precisely what happened with Joseph (Genesis 50:20).
The reason this data is essential is so that you know with certainty when you’re under satanic attack. After all, what good is the armor & arms of God if you can’t even recognize when you’re being assaulted?
This material is also essential so you don’t mistake a satanic attack for “God’s will.” For instance, a genuine Christian woman was diagnosed with life-threatening cancer and concluded that, whether she lived or died from the cancer, it was God’s will. No, it’s Satan’s will to take out fruit-bearing believers prematurely.
The obvious problem with this woman’s type of fatalistic reasoning is that, if you think something’s God’s will, you won’t fight it. You’ll accept it and suffer the consequences. But if you recognize something as a satanic attack you’ll fight it tenaciously.
Needless to say, don’t accept any curse of the Law on the mistaken grounds that it’s “God’s will”! If a curse shows up in your life due to your own folly or rebellion, you’re evidently undergoing an SIT or DIT; simply repent and proceed to fight the good fight of faith. The curse will flee from you and you’ll be restored as you persevere in faith. Here are two real-life examples:
- Several years ago I got back from a 5-day vacation in the Breckenridge, Colorado, area and it was just awesome, and inexpensive to boot. Unfortunately, when I got home I copped a grumbling attitude due to some minor grievances. Instead of overflowing with thankfulness for my wonderful God-given vacation I allowed some small mishaps to damper my attitude to the point of being childish. Sickness immediately came upon me and I fought it in faith but it wasn’t working. Then I knew – God was rebuking me for my negative, complaining spirit. Once I realized this, I humbly repented and resisted in faith. I was then delivered from the illness.
- Something similar happened to my wife around the same time. Carol’s a healing warrior and the epitome of health, but she came down with a sickness that was spreading around the office. Yet, when she tried to fight it off with faith it wasn’t happening. She then knew by the Spirit that it was a DIT. She had been holding a minor grudge against a subordinate at work because she caught him speaking negatively about her behind her back. She confronted him and he apologized, but she maintained an attitude against him. In other words, she didn’t truly forgive him despite his apology, which is a no-no as explained here. Once she got the matter straightened out with the Lord, she resisted her sickness in faith and it left her. This disciplinary trial lasted 24-hours in total.
If, however, you’re walking blamelessly before the LORD, keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8 & Luke 3:8), you’re obviously undergoing a Maturity-Intended Trial (MIT). Don’t embrace the curse as “God’s will.” Tenaciously fight the good fight of faith and don’t give up. The curse will eventually depart and the LORD will turn around the negative situation for your good. Job’s trial is a good example in the Bible, although that’s of course an extreme example (here are the four main relevant chapters for those not familiar with the book of Job: Job 1-3 & Job 42).
Now, someone might point out that Discipline-Intended Trials (DITs) complicate the issue because they require the believer to determine if the malady in question is an attack from the kingdom of darkness for righteousness’ sake or a disciplinary measure on God’s part due to unrepentant disobedience. Well, that’s just the way it is. Besides, this very factor calls for an actual relationship with the LORD, which is what true Christianity is all about and separates it from mere human religion.
What do I mean? If a believer has a genuine relationship with God s/he will be able to fairly easily discern if the trial in question is the result of a MIT or a DIT, as Carol and I did in the two examples above. On the other hand, believers who fail to cultivate such a relationship will have a harder time distinguishing MITs from DITs. So, in reality, this is a great spur to go deeper in God.
For important scriptural details, see this article.
Related Topics:
TEMPTATION, TRIALS and TESTS — What’s the Diff?
Spiritual Development — The Four Stages
Spiritual Growth is Like Climbing a Mountain
Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled
Spiritual Warfare — The Basics
Should I Get the Surgery or BELIEVE for Healing?
Should Believers Participate in FASTING?
Fasting is a spiritual discipline in which the individual goes without food for a period of time to, ideally, humble themselves and focus on spiritual things. It is denying the needs of the outer man to attend to the needs of the inner man.
The Messiah insinuated that the Church would fast after he was crucified:
14Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”
15Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”
Matthew 9:14-15
(Parallel accounts can be found in Mark 2:20 and Luke 5:35).
Christ also expected believers to fast, with these instructions:
16“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18
So it’s assumed that believers will fast, but it’s a personal matter between the believer and his/her Creator. And notice that nothing is said about how long or how often one should fast. Furthermore, believers are not commanded to fast anywhere. Hence, you have to be led of the Holy Spirit regarding both, keeping in mind that the Spirit is the believer’s counselor and teacher (John 16:13 & John 14:26). This of course requires relationship, which develops as you mature spiritually.
What Are the Benefits of Fasting?
There are several profitable things about fasting assuming it’s not used to manipulate God into answering prayer or devolves into a legalistic work that fuels religious arrogance (Luke 18:12):
- It’s a way of humbling yourself before the LORD and humility attracts God’s grace (James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6, Psalm 35:13 & Ezra 8:21).
- It helps you focus on the needs of the inner man and honestly look at areas that need improvement (Matthew 4:4 & 2 Corinthians 13:5).
- It naturally provides extra time to devote to God and the things of God since you’re not preoccupied with preparing & consuming food.
- By coming nearer to the LORD in this manner, the LORD comes nearer to you and you will be blessed because of it, one way or another (James 4:8 & Hebrews 11:6). It’s an axiom.
- It thus increases faith (2 Corinthians 10:15).
- It keeps the flesh under via the practice of self-control, which is a fruit of the spirit (2 Timothy 1:7, 1 Corinthians 9:25 & Proverbs 16:32).
- It gives a needed break to your digestive system, not to mention cleans out your system (stomach/bowels).
- It naturally helps prevent you from becoming massively overweight — which isn’t healthy — since fasting shrinks your stomach and so you won’t need as much food to feel full.
If you’re not used to fasting, I suggest starting with skipping a meal or a one-day fast once a week for a few weeks — assuming your medical condition can handle it — and then be led of the Spirit from there. You can consider a two-day fast now & then; then maybe an occasional three-day fast or even longer. Be led of the Spirit.
Be sure to keep fasting a positive discipline in your life and don’t allow it to become physically harmful or bog you down in religious drudgery. Get plenty of rest when you fast. Speaking of which, I don’t recommend fasting when your work demands a lot of pressing activity (since it would naturally require regular sustenance to be effective on the job).
For a list of fasts featured in the Bible and their lengths, see this article.
Important Closing Words
Again, the Scriptures expect that New Covenant believers will fast, but nothing is said about how long or how often; and neither is fasting commanded. Whether you fast or not, how often and how long, is between you and your personal Counselor (John 16:13 & John 14:26). Every believer’s situation is different.
Speaking of which, I know strong believers filled with the Word & wisdom who don’t fast on a regular basis, although they have fasted on particular occasions in the past and will fast if the LORD leads them to do so. I know other believers who fast on a regular basis, e.g. weekly.
One devout woman my wife knows said she fasted for 40 days to concentrate on a spiritual breakthrough regarding her husband, and she was victorious, but I can’t in good conscious recommend taking such a looong fast — 40 days — since 43-70 days without food is the point that people will die of starvation, depending on their weight and state of health. Meanwhile people can only survive without water for about 3-7 days, sometimes a few days longer.
Sure Moses did it, but he was on his face in the supernatural presence of the Almighty on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28 & Deuteronomy 9:18). So please don’t consider an extraordinarily looong fast without the very certain confirmation of your divine guide and helper, the Holy Spirit.
A mighty minister who flowed in the gifts of the Spirit and has positively influenced people all around the globe for decades said he was bent on taking extremely long fasts when he was a young man in Christ and suffered some health problems due to it (he had a history of medical issues going back to when he was a kid). He recovered quickly, thankfully, but the Lord instructed him to never again put his physical health at risk by engaging in dubiously long fasts. He said the Spirit counseled him from then on to live what he called the “fasted life,” which was to never eat to the point of being full. This worked for him and his global calling.
I point this out because how often you fast and how long you fast — not to mention what precise kind of fast you take — is between you and the Lord, corresponding to your unique situation and calling. Whatever you decide, make sure the peace of Christ rules in your heart (Colossians 3:15). In other words, don’t do anything you don’t have a peace about.
Lastly, fasting is not the all-and-end-all spiritual discipline and so believers have to be careful to not allow it to become a legalistic ascetic practice, which fuels religious arrogance (Colossians 2:23 & Luke 18:12). If you fast, keep it between yourself and your Heavenly Father, as Christ plainly instructed (Matthew 6:16-18).
And, please, don’t allow any spiritual discipline to go to your head and think you’re better than others since “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (James 4:6). Actually, as noted above, one of the purposes of fasting is to humble oneself before the LORD (Psalm 35:13 & Ezra 8:21).
NOTE: Matthew 17:21 is not covered here because it cannot be found in the earliest, most reliable manuscripts of Scripture, which explains why some versions of the Bible don’t include it, such as the New International Version (although the NIV does include it in the footnotes). How do we explain this verse’s inclusion in later manuscripts? Evidently an overzealous scribe foolishly added it to the text at some point, evidently due to Mark 9:29 (below), perhaps thinking he could make God’s Word better (Proverbs 30:6).
Mark 9:29 features a similar scenario to Matthew 17:21 (although not necessarily the same occasion) where “and fasting” was added in later manuscripts. This explains why these words are absent in translations based on earlier, more reliable manuscripts, like the NIV, ESV and BSB.
There are two other occasions in the New Testament where the word “fasting” was wrongly added to the text at some later point, Acts 10:30 and 1 Corinthians 7:5. Again, “fasting” is not included in the earliest, best manuscripts.
This article is available in book form as chapter 12 of…
- The print book is available here for only $12.50 (303 pages)
- The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!
Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.
Related Topics:
How to keep BALANCED in every area of Life
Religion and Christianity — What’s the Difference?
Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages
Spiritual Growth is Like Climbing a Mountain
Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms
How You Can KNOW You Are Saved
For anyone struggling with assurance of salvation, here are a few relevant passages from God’s Word that will help:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
That last passage promises “you will be saved” if you do this.
For details on receiving eternal salvation see this article.
For info on growing spiritually once you are saved see this article.
Related Topics:
How to Walk FREE OF THE FLESH by being Spirit-Controlled
Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages
The Six Basic Doctrines of Christianity
HEBREWS / ISRAELITES / JEWS — Why Did God Choose Them?
The LORD chose Abraham because he was an extraordinary man of faith (Romans 4:11). Abraham originally hailed from Ur of the Chaldeans, a city of moon worshippers in the lower Mesopotamian region near the mouth of the Euphrates River (Genesis 11:28), not far from modern-day Baghdad. This is today southeastern Iraq, which is the center of what is we know as the Middle East.
God called Abram and his wife Sarai — later renamed Abraham & Sarah — to leave the moon worshipping culture of Ur and travel some 900 miles West to Canaan (650 miles due West), which was eventually the Promised Land of the Hebrews, aka Israel (Genesis 12:1). The LORD would not give this land over to them until the sin of the Canaanites had reached its full measure thus incurring God’s judgment; the land, in essence, spewing them out (Genesis 15:16 & Leviticus 18:28).
Semites, Hebrews, Israelites, Jews
Noah’s son Shem produced the Semitic peoples (Genesis 10:21-31), which includes Moabites, Assyrians/Chaldeans, Arabs and Hebrews, amongst others.
Abram (Abraham) is plainly referred to as a Hebrew in the Bible (Genesis 14:13), which is Ibri (ib-REE) in the Hebrew language and stems from Shem’s great grandson Eber (Genesis 10:21 & 11:14-17). Abraham sprang from Eber’s line six generations later.
Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, was renamed Israel by the LORD (Genesis 32:28) and Jacob’s twelve sons were the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel who were naturally called Israelites. These were God’s “chosen ones” (1 Chronicles 16:13).
By the time of the Babylonian exile, the Hebrews or Israelites were referred to as Jews, which is simply a shortening of Judah, the main southern tribe of Israel (2 Kings 25:25). Judah became the name of the southern kingdom when Israel split into two nations (1 Kings 12:16-17).
After the northern kingdom was taken into exile by the Assyrians in two phases in 740 BC and 711 BC (1 Chronicles 5:26 & 2 Kings 17:5-6), Judah — the southern kingdom — was all that was left of Israel for well over a hundred years. The Babylonian conquest of Judah occurred with several deportations of Judeans between approximately 607-586 BC (2 Kings 24–25).
Both David and Jesus Christ were incidentally from the tribe of Judah (Matthew 1:1). The Greek word for Jew is Ioudaios (ee-oo-DAH-yos) and is used in reference to Hebraic people some 185 times in the New Testament.
While Abraham was Hebrew, he wasn’t an Israelite or Jew because the Israelites wouldn’t exist until the time of his twelve great grandsons, one of which was Judah wherein — again — the term Jew originated much later.
Abraham Was a Gentile
Gentile in the Hebrew is goy (GO-ee) while in the Greek it’s ethnos (ETH-nos), both of which refers to the “nations” or non-Israelites. The Greek word hellén (HEL-layn) technically refers to Greeks, but often figuratively refers to Gentiles — non-Jews around the globe (e.g. Romans 2:9-10).
God’s chosen nation in the Old Covenant was the Israelites (Exodus 6:7, 19:5 & Deuteronomy 7:6). Abraham was technically a Gentile since the Israelites/Jews did not exist yet. While Abraham was the physical forefather of the Israelites/Jews in the inferior Old Covenant, he’s more importantly the father of all believers in the superior New Covenant (Romans 4:11 & Hebrews 8:6). This can be observed here:
16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” c He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” d
Romans 4:16-18
Notice the LORD’s original intention for Abraham:
“No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.”
The name ‘Abram‘ means “Exalted father” whereas ‘Abraham‘ means “father of a multitude” or “father of many nations.” God made one nation through the loins of Abraham, Israel, but many nations through the faith of Abraham, which is one global spiritual nation regardless of sectarian tag, i.e. the Church of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:9).
Physical Israelites vs. Spiritual Jews
This explains why the Scriptures say that “not all who are descended from Israel are Israel” (Romans 9:6). The same was pointed out by Christ when he told the unbelieving Jews — who prided themselves on being children of Abraham — that, if they were truly Abraham’s offspring, they’d do the things Abraham did, which they didn’t (John 8:39). Thus the Lord told them frankly that the devil was their father (John 8:44).
In short, there are two kinds of Israel:
- The ethnic variety, meaning people physically descended from Abraham.
- The faith-oriented variety, meaning people who have the spirit of faith, i.e. those who turn to God in faith as their father of faith did (Romans 4:17).
There are some people of the first definition who are not of the second (Revelation 3:9). Yet there are some of the second definition who are also of the first, like Paul. Today, you’ll often hear the latter referred to as Messianic Jews.
Those of the second definition are truly “Abraham’s seed” or “Abraham’s offspring” and are thus spiritual Jews, as it is written:
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.
28A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.
Romans 2:28-29
This isn’t just a New Testament phenomenon as it can also be observed in the Old Testament. For instance, Numbers 13-14 details how Moses sent twelve Hebrews from each tribe into the Promised Land in preparation to take it, but ten came back with a spirit of fear, discouraging the masses, while two had a spirit of faith — Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:6-9). The ten doubters were dyed-in-the-wool Hebrews, but they weren’t children of Abraham because they didn’t have a spirit of faith. Joshua and Caleb, by contrast, were Abraham’s true offspring, not just in flesh, but in spirit as well.
For anyone who argues that Gentile believers are not spiritual Jews, you can observe further scriptural proof here.
Why Did God Choose the Israelites/Jews to Reveal the Truth?
The Bible makes it clear that God did not choose Abraham’s descendants — the Israelites/Jews — because they were superior to anyone else on Earth (Deuteronomy 9:4-6). However a couple of obvious things contributed to the LORD’s choice:
- Their capacity to develop an advanced written language.
- Their capacity to preserve vital documents from generation to generation, both of which were necessary for us to have God’s Word today (Romans 3:2, 9:4 & Deuteronomy 4:8).
Another obvious reason the Creator chose this people and the corresponding locale — the proverbial “cradle of civilization” — is because it was the geographical center of the continents, which used to be one supercontinent, Pangaea or Gondwana, before splitting into separate land masses (Genesis 10:25).
Being centrally located, the truths of Judeo-Christianity would more easily spread to the four corners of the Earth and reach:
- The people of the Mediterranean, Europe and northern Asia,
- The people of sub-Saharan Africa,
- The people of the Far East,
- And, eventually, the people of the Western Hemisphere, who are not actually native to the Americas since their progenitors came from East Asia via Beringia to settle in the “New World.”
This illustrates that…
From the Beginning, God’s Plan of Redemption Included ALL Peoples
This can be observed in comparing Matthew’s genealogy of Christ with Luke’s version. Matthew traces Christ’s heritage back to Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17) whereas Luke traces it all the way back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38).
The reason for this difference is that Matthew wrote his account primarily for Hebraic readers while Luke, believed to be a Gentile, wrote primarily to Gentiles with the hope that they would learn that God’s love & truth reach beyond the Israelites/Jews to the entire world. With Luke’s list going all the way back to Adam, the first man (Genesis 2:7 & 1 Corinthians 15:45), it illustrates that the Messiah came for all humanity since every skin-color sprang from Adam’s loins (Romans 3:29-30).
This shows that there is, in essence, only one race, the human race. And since Earth used to be one continent, Pangaea or Gondwana, we’re all native to the same continent, the same Earth, regardless of the fact that the land mass eventually split into several pieces, including thousands of islands (Isaiah 51:5 & 66:19).
Secondly, observe what God said when he called Abram, aka Abraham:
1The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:1-3
The Almighty would use Abraham, the father of faith (Romans 4:11), to express his heart and purpose for all peoples of Earth (Galatians 3:8). God’s desire was to redeem humanity from the depths they had fallen after Adam’s sin. Through Abraham, the LORD would send the Messiah to fulfill the awesome plan of redemption for the whole world.
Closing Word
Let me close by stressing something emphasized in the Scriptures:
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
“Jew” refers to the Israelites descended from Abraham while “Gentile” in this context refers to all non-Jewish people. In other words, there is no white, black, brown, yellow or red in Christ Jesus. Believers are all brothers and sisters — spiritual family — in the body of Christ. There’s no place for racism, which of course doesn’t mean you can’t take healthy pride in your physical heritage and culture. Please notice I said healthy pride à la Galatians 6:4, not carnal pride.
The world is obsessed with skin-color and race/racism while believers should be focused on the heart of the individual. It’s why Paul said:
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:16-17
Regarding a person from a worldly point of view means to focus on what’s on the outside, including skin-color. God isn’t like this. The LORD looks to the inside of a person — the heart — as observed when Samuel was trying to discern which one of Jesse’s sons God chose as the next king of Israel:
6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”
7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:6-7
Related Topics:
REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation
The Five Earths of the Bible (and the Eight Ages)
The Three Realms—Heaven, Earth and the Underworld
Mother Earth — What the Bible Says
Was Jesus White, Black or Yellow When He Was on Earth?
Insights for Today From the Book of RUTH
The short book of Ruth details the account of Naomi’s family moving from Bethlehem in famine-stricken Israel to Moab, which was a 7-10 day trip to the Southeast by foot (which you can get a visual of here). The two sons married Moabite women but, unfortunately, Naomi’s husband and sons soon died and thus Naomi & her two daughters-in-law were left without husbands.
While disillusioned, Naomi heard that food was available in Israel again and set out to return, but encouraged her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab. Orpah chose to stay, but Ruth insisted on sticking with her desperate mother-in-law and accompanied her to Bethlehem.
What are some key insights believers today can get from this moving story? Remember, the very purpose of these Old Testament accounts is to teach us, as verified by Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:11. Here are ten insights to chew on:
- Bethlehem literally means “place of bread,” but unfortunately there was no bread (food) there and so Naomi & family felt compelled to leave Bethlehem and go to Moab for sustenance. Quoting the Old Testament, Christ said “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4 & Deuteronomy 8:3). People will leave Church assemblies if there’s not enough spiritual food there to live on. They’ll go elsewhere to find sustenance. In some cases they’ll unwisely turn to the world for succor, like bars, alcohol, drugs (illegal or legal), psychologists & psychiatrists, psychics, sexual immorality, “gay” culture, government idolatry, etc. In short, if there’s no bread in the Church fellowship they’re naturally going to look elsewhere for sustenance, even turning to the world in some sad cases.
- “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and so going to Moab (the world) for succor results in heartbreak and disillusionment. Cruel Moab can destroy your marriage and steal the lives of your children. The world will rob you of your life-passion and leave you embittered. It will “steal, kill and destroy” but, thankfully, the LORD “gives life and life to the full” (John 10:10).
- When Naomi “heard” that the LORD had come to the aid of his people in Israel and that there was food there, she dropped everything to return home for sustenance. The prodigals—i.e. people who leave the Church to find possible sustenance in the world (Luke 15:11-32)—will come back when they are desperate enough and hear there is spiritual bread available.
- The prodigals probably won’t come back alone. Ruth accompanied Naomi to Bethlehem—the house of bread—a place she’s never been to before. In other words, the prodigals will bring those from the world—the unsaved—who’ve never been to a genuine Church assembly and experienced the abundant spiritual bread thereof (John 6:35 & 6:63). These are hungry people, longing for true spiritual sustenance since the cruel world has left them empty and bereft.
- Unfortunately, some, like Orpah, won’t come because the reputation of the Church has been so sullied by lifeless legalists and the impotence of human religion. They thus choose to live and die in “Moab,” the world (Ruth 1:8-14).
- Thankfully, there are those who are utterly sick of the world and hunger for truth, like Ruth (Matthew 5:6). They’re willing to leave everything they know and go to “the house of bread” merely because it’s rumored there’s spiritual succor there.
- Yet Ruth didn’t stick with Naomi merely due to a rumor, but also because of (1) a noble sense of loyalty to her deceased husband and, therefore, his mother; and (2) despite losing her husband and witnessing Naomi’s disillusionment, Ruth discerned from her time with this flawed family that they had something she didn’t have, spiritually speaking. She discerned that they were a “golden connection” to something better, perhaps even the abundant life she so desired (John 10:10).
- Loyalty is underrated. Note Ruth’s moving declaration of loyalty to her embittered mother-in-law:
16“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
Ruth 1:16-17
- Ruth’s moving loyalty and her passion to obtain spiritual bread by leaving everything she knew behind pays off as she meets & marries Naomi’s relative, Boaz, and they have a son, Obed, who was the father of Jesse, the father of the great King David, which placed a Gentile in the lineage of the King of Kings (Luke 3:23-38). In short, those who refuse to starve to death in a spiritual desert, but wisely take advantage of the “golden connections” the Creator provides will be placed in the line of royalty! See 2 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6 & 5:10.
- By calling a Moabite to be in the lineage of the coming Messiah, the LORD illustrated that the New Covenant would apply to all people of every skin-color around the globe and not just to the Israelites/Jews. You can get amazing insights on this here.
This article is available in book form as (part of) chapter 24 in…
- The print book is available here for only $12.50 (303 pages)
- The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!
Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.
Related Topics:
Religion and Christianity — What’s the Difference?
Spiritual Growth is Like Climbing a Mountain
Christianity — Does it Weaken People or Empower?
Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms
WOMEN — Were They Considered Just Property in Bible Times?
Can Christians Drink Alcoholic Beverages?
Drug Obsession (Idolatry) Is of the Flesh
Understanding the Religion of LIEberalism
(Pseudo) Science is the “New God” and Dubious Scientists are the “New Gods”