Warning, 3of3

~ Warning to Religious Leaders ~

There are at least three great warning chapters in Scripture.  Interesting enough they all are double digit chapters ending in three (making it easy to memorize them (Jeremiah 23, Ezekiel 33, and Matthew 23).  In this post we are summarizing the last of these three chapters.

Matthew 23 Summary  ~  This chapter follows the clash between our Lord and the religious leaders of the day.  (1) Pharisees were the most prevalent of the religious leaders and were legalistic to the extreme and were known for their self-righteousness and hypocrisy.  (2) Scribes were those who meticulously made copies of the Holy Scriptures—so they knew the text well and were therefore considered authorities.  The words of our Lord to these religious leaders are the strongest denunciation that He ever made of anyone or any group!  Keep in mind that Jesus Christ was the perfect embodiment of what a spiritual person should be—and He loathed religious pretense. 

It is important to keep the context of this chapter in mind.  On Monday of this week Jesus had cleansed the Temple.  At that point He left the Temple and would never again enter it!  This ended His public ministry.  He would hang on the Cross of Calvary just three days later. 

Matthew 23 Scripture Portions  ~  “Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.  Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do’” (verses 1-3). 

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Multiple times in the chapter).  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (verses 37-39).    

Matthew 23 and Today  ~  Religious form without substance is alive and thriving today—as it has been throughout Church history.  Is it time for your personal self-examination? 

closing note:  The warnings of Matthew 23 are well worth personal study by each of my readers.  A careful and thoughtful reading will cause conviction to any serious believer. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Warning, 2of3

~ Warning To All Individuals ~

There are at least three great warning chapters in Scripture.  Interesting enough they all are double digit chapters ending in three (making it easy to memorize them (Jeremiah 23, Ezekiel 33, and Matthew 23).  We are briefly summarizing these three chapters in this series.

Ezekiel 33 Summary  ~  There are several ways of summarizing this chapter and its warnings.  One way—which is often missed—is the inclusion of individual responsibility before God in addition to national responsibility.

side note:  In the Old Testament we find Israel as God’s witness (singular) on earth.  In the New Testament all Christians are His witnesses (plural). 

God adds a new principle of individuals being responsible before God in contrast to a main focus of national sin and consequences.  “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?”’  Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.  Turn, turn from your evil ways!  For why should you die, O house of Israel?’” (verses 10-11).  Now the door is open wide for individual responsibility, individual repentance, and individual judgment.  Another way of saying it is that the thirty-third chapter of Ezekiel provides the principles of God’s dealings in the last days—holding individuals accountable before God. 

Ezekiel 33 Scripture Portion  ~  “Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: “When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head.  He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself.  But he who takes warning will save his life.  But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.”  So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.  When I say to the wicked, “O wicked man, you shall surely die!” and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.  Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul’” (verses 1-9). 

closing note:  The warnings of Ezekiel 33 are well worth personal study by each of my readers. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Warning, 1of3

~ Warning to Political Leaders ~

There are at least three great warning chapters in Scripture.  Interesting enough they all are double digit chapters ending in three (making it easy to memorize them (Jeremiah 23, Ezekiel 33, and Matthew 23).  We will briefly summarize each chapter in this series.

Jeremiah 23 Summary  ~  The word translated “pastors” or “shepherds” in many Bible versions refers primarily to kings and the ruling politicians.  The chapter is a strong and bitter indictment of the leaders.  In fact, some of these leaders were basically saying: “Don’t believe Jeremiah because he is a liar.  We are voices for God and He told us Jerusalem is safe.”

Jeremiah 23 Scripture Portion  ~  “‘Woe to the leaders who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!’ says the Lord.  Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the leaders who feed My people: ‘You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them.  Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,’ says the Lord.  ‘But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.  I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,’ says the Lord” (verses 1-4).

Jeremiah 23 and The Messiah  ~  There is a foreseeing of the coming Messiah.  God will raise up a Shepherd after His own heart.  “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.  In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ 

‘Therefore, behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that they shall no longer say, “As the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,” but, “As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.”  And they shall dwell in their own land’” (verses 5-8). 

closing note:  The warnings of Jeremiah 23 are well worth personal study by each of my readers. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .