Uriah the Hittite                                   by Giulio Mari

2 Samuel 11

I would like to introduce the reader to a man whose appearance on the pages of Scripture is brief but very significant not only for his ruler, king David of old, but for the people of God today.

By virtue of his character Uriah the Hittite speaks to us today because people know who we are not just by what we say but, mostly and more significantly, by the actions and deeds we perform as we walk in this world.

His persona is cast onto the scene of Israel's history as recorded in the book of 2Samuel 11 and the record related to his story extends to the end of chapter 12. Of note is the fact that his name is mentioned by Matthew in the genealogy of Jesus instead of the name of his wife — Bathsheba.

And it is the name Bathsheba who is so well known by the student of God's word for the most memorable transgression in king David's — yet glorious — life. Even the writer of 1Kings marks that event with these words "[For] David did that which is right in the eyes of the Lord, and did not turn aside from all that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite."[i]

The Bible narrative seems to point out the king's letdown in not going out to battle with his army. It states that there was a time when kings went out and that David had sent his army commander Joab but he had remained in Jerusalem. "And it happened at evening time, David rose up from his bed and walked up and down on the roof of the king's house" Getting up from bed in the evening? "And [he saw] from the roof a woman bathing." A woman bathing in possible view of others? All likely circumstances working together to entrap man and woman in sin. Our Lord taught us to pray "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"[ii] None of us is immune from being lured into sin; may the Lord be gracious to us in our personal lives.

David ended up committing adultery with Bathsheba.

Placing aside the main reason for the popularity of this incident I would like to turn the readers' attention to the less known person of this triangular affair — Bathsheba's husband. Yes, it is not David's moral failure that I would like to emphasise but Uriah's uprightness. This man, counted among David's might men of valour[iii], was not an Israelite by birth yet was faithful to the God of Israel as one born as such.

Uriah had been on the battlefield with Joab's army fighting around Rabbah a city of the Ammonites while, unbeknown to him, his king had seduced his wife. Upon hearing the news of his mistress having become pregnant David reasoned that if he could convince Uriah to come back to his house and lie with his wife the whole incident would be just an obscure event kept between the two of them and soon to be forgotten.

Being summoned by his king Uriah came back to Jerusalem and after having been asked about the news on the frontline he was told to go home and to wash his feet — a euphemism for having a good time with his wife — I suppose. David even sent a gift after him. But Uriah did not go home to his wife and David heard that.

Concerned about this strange behaviour the king asked his soldier why he had spent the night with others at the entrance of his palace. He even told him how everyone coming from a journey would normally go to home  and relax.

David then asked him "Why have you not gone down to your house?" And right there Uriah gave David his soul piercing answer which even today rings true to the hearts of those who love the Lord and are concerned for His people. Uriah said "The ark and Israel, and Judah dwell in booths. And my lord Joab, and my lord's servants are camping on the face of the field. And I, shall I go into my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing."

Oh that we might have this kind of heart toward our brethren whether at home or abroad! Shouldn't these words convict us to embrace those we do not see yet we know are labouring in the trenches of this world of darkness?

 Uriah did not hide behind his tour of duty as a good reason to have a loving time at home with his wife. For him it was a matter of conscience. He did not consider his works as good enough, his principles were his guiding light not how much he had performed for king and country.

Doesn't this remind us of One who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but humbled Himself?[iv] Didn't Uriah, as Christ, have all the rights to grasp and enjoy what could have been used for his pleasure? The apostle Paul exhorts us to have this mind in us which was also in Christ Jesus and, in humility, to esteem others more than ourselves looking after not just our own interests but also to the interests of others.

Uriah's love for his fellow warriors restrained him. And, as with him, can we have our good time today and allow ourselves to live in luxury and enjoy the pleasures of this world while there are brothers and sisters in Christ down our street and throughout the world who, with enormous sacrifices, hold up the Word of Life to a perishing world? I suggest that we should, as Uriah, refrain from our fleshly indulgences for the sake of those who, in the Body of Christ, are fighting in the front lines the good fight of faith while faced with incredible obstacles and opposition — they need our help in every way possible.

We do have apparent reasons to indulge in fun and relaxation. After all, we work hard at our jobs, we strive to put bread on our table therefore we need to reward ourselves with some of the pleasures this world has to offer. Isn't this the way of life of most of our peers? Isn't this part of what we work for? We know that relaxation is not wrong nor are the things that this world has to offer yet only the Holy Spirit can bear witness to the conscience of the believer what is permissible in the realm of personal pleasure.

Let not that believer assume that all he can afford may be justifiable in the eyes of God. It is not for us to set limits on somebody else's freedom of choice but let us all be aware that God knows our hearts and He is aware of how we spend the time and the resources He has entrusted us with. We may justify anything in our own mind, but is God convinced?

The rest of Uriah's story continues to speak as we read that for a second time, even after having been caused to become drunk, he still did not go to his house but kept his conscience pure to his values. He ended up paying with his life for the stand he took. Someone might say that God's plan was for David's sin to be exposed. Yes that is true, but it was Uriah's character and uprightness that God used to convict David of his sin.

God always chooses the proper vessel to fulfil His purposes.

Should our life be weighed on the scale of this man's ethical strength how would we fare?

The Bible says that "Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, fully furnished for every good work."[v] Has the story of this man reproved, corrected or instructed you? Let us all be made even more complete by what his life teaches us.

May the grace of God be the source and reason for a new apprehension on how to walk in this world.

Notes and References

[i] 1Kings 15:5

[ii] Luke 11:4

[iii] 2Samuel 23:39; 1Chronicle 11:41

[iv] Philippians 2:4-8

[v] 2Timothy 3:16

(Scriptures taken from the LITV [Literal Translation of the Holy Bible] by J.P. Green,Sr.1995).

Being aware of my limitations but desirous  to share, I submit this paper to my fellow believers in Christ.

None of my work is ever complete, there is always something to add as the Lord grants more light.

"For in You is the fountain of life, in your light we see light." Ps.36:9 LITV

gtphoto@telus.net                                                                                                   October 2015                                                                      

                               David and Michal                      by Giulio Mari

Reflections on 2 Samuel 6:12-23 / 1 Chronicles 15:27-29

"And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart."

  
 Later she said to him:

"How glorious was the king of Israel today, who was uncovered today before the eyes of

the slave-girls of his servants as one of the vain ones shamelessly uncovers himself."

David was dancing with all his might before the Lord while Michal, Saul’s daughter, was in the palace. She was notably absent from the multitude of people that had gone out to accompany her husband to the most holy task of bringing back the presence of the Lord into Jerusalem.

She was in a different spirit; she was of a different spirit.

Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen and girded with an ephod.[1] He had left his royal apparel and was dressed as the priests and the singers. He had, like the New Testament theme: "Emptied Himself taking the form of a slave." [2]

The king might have been less regal than usual but it was nothing to the ones who were rejoicing with him. Even to the slave-girls, who were probably dancing and playing timbrels along the way, the presence of a less than proper David was seen as natural under the extraordinary circumstances—they were engulfed in the same Spirit of worship and praise as their king was. To them it must have been great, but to Michal, who did not have her eyes set on God it was scandalous. Michal was in the flesh, the slave-girls in the spirit.

In the eyes of some of the young and old Jewish devout men, the newly Holy Spirit's filled disciples were despised as men full of sweet wine, and indeed they were, but it was the new wine of the Spirit—life had been released.[3] Often there seems to be a resistance on the part of those who walk according to the flesh toward those who walk according to the Spirit. It is in the same order of things expressed by Paul:

“ But then, even as he born according to the flesh persecuted the one according to the Spirit, so also now.” [4]

That was Michal’s attitude, propriety above sentiments, political correctness over offensive spiritual realities. David saw what was behind her attitude and he addressed the root cause:

"before the Lord, who chose me over your father and over all your father's house..."

Michal’s hopes were still entrenched in her father’s fame. She had been taken out of a house of disobedience and placed beside a man after God’s own heart and yet she was still nostalgic of her family’s former glory.

Doesn’t it remind us of a people taken out of Egypt, the house of bondage, to be taken into the Promise Land and yet looking back with longing to the comforts of slavery, complaining at the apparent slowness of God in providing for their needs? [5]

It also causes us to consider a people translated out of darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of His love and yet looking back to the time of self effort and personal energies, tired of waiting on God’s timing. The predictability of fleshly attainments and dead liturgies feels so good and comfortable when God requires quiet, patient waiting on the leading of His Spirit.

After all, like so many lofty church practices, Saul was head and shoulders above anybody else in Israel, and this ruddy former shepherd boy, passionately in love with the presence of God, almost seemed like an impostor on her family’s course to glory. But she was looking at the stature of the flesh, not having treasured the word given to Samuel—God looks to the heart not to appearances.[6]

In the same spirit of thanksgiving as David, much later, a woman came to worship the Lord Christ with all she had. As with Michal, the same with the people watching the anointing oil being wasted on Jesus’ head—they despised this woman in their hearts—that expression of worship was too much for them.

When people are confronted with the unashamed abandonment of the true worshipper, it usually happens that the real colors of the cold hearted are revealed. As long as nominal and safe forms of worship are displayed and practised nobody objects. But when people of unrestrained gratitude express their full joy and ecstasy before the Savior then the dry squalor of an unthankful heart comes to the surface and tries to oppose what it cannot find within itself.

We, the redeemed of today, must not lose our first love. We have to guard our hearts from the deceptive pleasures of the world and lifeless traditions, and set them on the soon returning King. Rejoicing, let us go out as those simple slave-girls, ushering back in the earth the presence of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

After all didn’t David say that with the slave-girls he will be honored?

The choice is ours, shall we be a people of unpretentious, lowly estate and dance with the King or shall we associate with the proud spirit of Michal and be unfruitful?

“And there was no child to Michal the daughter of Saul until the day of her death.”

Endnote and References

[1] Please note that David was not scantily dressed as it may appear from Michal's choice of words. Also, the statement in

              2Sam.6:14 "And David was girded with a linen ephod." seems to imply that that was the only thing he was wearing.

              But the extent of his apparel is clarified with the addition of the report of the same event found in 1Chronicles 15:27.

              That text states that the king was clothed with a robe of fine linen (ankle length) as the Levites and singers with him,

              and  that he was also wearing a linen ephod (knee length and opened at the sides).

[2] Phil.2:7   

[3] Acts 2:13

[4] Gal.4:29

[5] Exo.16:2-3

[6] 1Sam.16:7

(Scriptures taken from the KJV, NKJV of the Bible and the LITV [Literal Translation of the Holy Bible] by J.P. Green,Sr.1995).

_____________________________

Being aware of my limitations but desirous  to share, I submit this paper to my fellow believers in Christ.

None of my work is ever complete, there is always something to add as the Lord grants more light.

"For in You is the fountain of life, in your light we see light." Ps.36:9 LITV

  Rev.02. 2013                                                                                                                                    

                                                           DIANOIA                                             by Giulio Mari

"[M]aking mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know. . ." Ephesians 1:17-18  KJV

The reason for this short essay is to specifically deal with the dynamics of God's revelation to the believer more than the subject of the revelation itself. It is true that the ultimate goal of God's revelation is to elevate us to a fuller knowledge of the person and the work of our Lord Jesus, nevertheless we will limit this study to the way in which the enlightenment comes.

There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit of God is the One who grants the "spirit of wisdom and revelation" to the believer. 

I am also convinced that even the unbeliever who approaches God with an honest, repentant, and seeking heart is likely to receive this kind of revelation. That, would be the heavenly light which will bring him to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and usher him into the reality of salvation.

We can see from Paul's writing that the process of receiving wisdom and revelation is subject to the "eyes of your understanding being enlightened." In other words, in exclusion of God's enlightenment, there is no possibility of receiving wisdom and revelation. To be able to explain the process of the coming of the "spirit of wisdom and revelation" we have to look at one of the recipient of this delivery—the mind.

We find however, from other parts of the Scriptures, that the process of understanding spiritual matters is a complex one; it includes the mind as well as the heart and the spirit of man. In fact we see how our Lord, talking to His disciples, in Mark 8:17-18 is recorded as saying: "Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?" Consequently we notice that, in this instance, our Lord placed the emphasis on the hardness of the heart and not on a closed mind—no perception, no understanding, eyes not seeing and ears not hearing all being the result of having a hardened heart.

And yet in Ephesians 1:17, the passage in question, Paul writes about the eyes of the understanding; stressing in this case, the role of the mind. We know that because the Greek word he uses for understanding  is dia-noia. The word noia, in the original language, describes the function of the mind as opposed to the organ itself which is called nous.

By using the word dianoia Paul expresses the concept of the mind being engaged into a meditation leading to understanding. Through the use of this particular word there is an effort being described—a thinking through, a deep reflecting on the matter at hand with the aim of perceiving something of value.[i]

Paul is telling the Ephesians that he is praying that God's light will break through on them while they are engaged and delving into the things of the kingdom of God. It is at that very time, of thinking and meditating on the Lord, that Paul desires and prays that the believer might receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. The heart, the mind, and the spirit of man are all involved at the receiving end of God's grace.

Therefore, the heart must be open to be able receive from the Lord. Moreover, a spirit of humility is an essential prerequisite to the knowledge of spiritual realities because "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6. KJV

The believer has to be hungry for the true Manna from heaven and figuratively go out, day by day, to gather the fresh Word of God having a soft heart and a clear mind.  Matthew 4:4 and Deuteronomy 8:3 both declare:

  "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."

Jesus said that He is the Bread of life and if we want to live godly lives and grow in grace we must feed on Him continuously—and we do that because He loves us.

Are we seeking first His kingdom so that God's revealing light may shine upon us? Let us admit that there is no other alternative for our spiritual health, but to grow in Him through the prayerful study of His Word. The challenge before us is clear. Are we engaged in meditating and reflecting on our Lord and the Scriptures or have we handed over to others this sacred activity?

 "Blessed is the man listening to Me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors." Prov.8:34 LITV

The various ministries which our Lord has given to the Church are vital to the well being of His body on earth, but have we relegated our personal duties to the professional ministers instead of feeding ourselves with the truth of God's Word?  Which sober thinking person might want to munch on snacks the entire week simply because on Sunday he can go to a restaurant and have a feast? But that's exactly what we do if we do not spend adequate and meaningful time with God but just wait for a Sunday sermon.

The local Church, radio and television preachers, Christian literature, daily devotionals and other forms of knowledge are great and we can be blessed by them, but they should characterize the minor part of our interaction with the things of God. We could easily starve on information, we need living spiritual food which the Holy Spirit is longing to give us if only we take the time to—dianoia—the Scriptures with prayerful attention.

Often, while listening to a sermon or a fellow Christian, God's light beams into our hearts. As a result we should follow-up those insights with thoughtful care so that the revelation received might stay and become part of who we are and not just vanish as a passing interest. We need to be changed by the Word of God for the sake of our character and to become also more fruitful in the work of sharing Jesus—by words and deeds.

Let us not abandon the Scriptures and the seeking of His face. Let us not wholly rely on the professionals to do the job for us. Let us not regard ourselves as unable to understand. The Holy Spirit is ready to give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him —are we ready to receive?

In these matters the opening of the eyes is the gift of God, no amount of education, Christian or otherwise, will ever make up for it. Spiritual perception is the realm of the person with a broken heart and a contrite spirit[ii].

By the grace of God may we be such people—because the proud and the casual observer shall remain in the dark.

---

Notes and References.

[i] We might find easier to understand the word dianoia by considering the similar word diagnosis, which, in non-medical terms, can be defined as a careful examination of the facts in an attempt to understand a matter.

Dia-gnosis, (through-knowledge) emphasises the scrutiny of facts already known.

Dia-noia, (through-thinking) emphasises the thinking process the mind goes through to be able to know facts.

(Explanations adapted from Webster's Dict.; Strong's Concordance, Greek word n.1271 and the Expository Dict. W.E. Vine 1952).

[ii] Psalm 34:18;  Isaiah 57:17 and 66:2 

(Scriptures taken from the KJV of the Bible and the LITV [Literal Translation of the Holy Bible] by J.P. Green,Sr.1995).

_____________________________

Being aware of my limitations but desirous  to share, I submit this paper to my fellow believers in Christ. None of my work is ever complete, there is always something to add as the Lord grants more light. "For in You is the fountain of life, in your light we see light." Ps.36:9 LIT   

                                                                                                                                                                                        Rev.03.2013

Isaac, Esau and Jacob.

                                            Grace and forgiveness are the very precious, God-given means of love.                       by Giulio Mari

"Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children." Gen.32:11 KJV

In the Bible there is a very emotional encounter between two people which vividly depicts the power of God's grace. The story is found in the book of Genesis, chapters 32 and 33. It recounts the time when Jacob, on the way back to the Promise Land, makes preparations to meet his brother Esau whom he had defrauded years before —and whose face he had fled.

Yes, Esau had been grieved having despised his birthright by selling it to his younger brother. Yet even more so, Jacob had stolen from Esau their father's "blessing of the firstborn" by impersonating him under the hand of Isaac. Jacob had acquiesced in his mother's scheme to promote the interests of her favorite son —himself. He had taken Esau's birthright by opportunism but the blessing by deception.

Three times Jacob had explicitly lied about his identity as he was being questioned by his nearly blind father. Imagine therefore the fear he must have felt while committing his transgression. These incidents in Jacob's eventful life show how God and fear are closely knit in the fabric of a stained conscience. So much so that Jacob refers to God as Fear — he actually substitutes the word God with the word Fear.

"Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me. . . ." Gen.31:42 KJV

And again we see why, later in life, Jacob, evoking his earlier sinful behavior, would call the "God of his father" the "Fear of his father" because in his father's presence he felt the holy fear of God. 

"And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac." v.53 KJV

In Jacob's heart, at the very moment of sinning, God and Isaac were one and the same.

The reality of life is that God is the silent witness to all our actions[i]—He is ever present. When we hurt or wrong someone that person becomes His messenger unto our conscience —like an instrument of the Almighty. We know we have sinned and the person we harmed is, in our eyes, the sword of God's impending punishment upon us. Jacob makes this ever so clear as we join the narrative of his return to Canaan Land.

From the time his mother Rebekah had compelled him to flee twenty years has passed, but now, on his way back, Jacob had sent his servants ahead to tell Esau that he was returning home. But the report he hears is anything but reassuring—Esau is coming to meet him with four hundred men. During the years of separation a bad conscience had been Jacob's companion, but on his way back home fear had joined hands with guilt. The time of reckoning had come.

Jacob becomes very fearful for his life and that of his large family. As the time of the encounter approaches he lets most of his great caravan go ahead of him with a well staged present for the appeasing of his brother's anger. Later on, knowing that Esau is closing in with his force, he arranges his family in such a way that the ones he loves the most would have the greatest chance of survival. 

In his eyes Esau had all the right to avenge himself and punish him as he saw fit. So Jacob, being in dire need of help, lifts his voice to God and in his desperate prayer for deliverance he cries: "for I fear him. . . ." But, upon facing each other, his brother relieves his fears: "And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept." Gen.33:4 KJV. Jacob wept for joy as well as relief, and while sobbing he shouts: 

"For I have seen your face, like seeing the face of God, and you are pleased with me." v.10 LITV

To him, over the passing years, to encounter Esau would have been the same as confronting God. But finally his brother's forgiveness had set him free from guilt and fear of punishment.

And so it is for us —how great a surprise and joy when instead of punishment we find grace! Therefore, having been forgiven, we are now free from the fear of judgement, condemnation and punishment.

But why—why have we found grace with God and His wrath[ii] has turned away from sinners? And what made Esau change his mind from his first intention, "[I] will kill my brother Jacob", to embracing him with such affection? Was it the twenty years that had elapsed? Had he forgotten what Jacob had done to him? And do we receive forgiveness just because God forgets our trespasses and our sins have an expiry date? Is time then the great healer? Not so with God, neither with man. By considering why Jacob was forgiven by Esau we will also know why we are forgiven by God.

Well then, what is it that moved Esau's heart? The Bible does not say—it gives no reason—just the facts. It is up to us to discern. To that end, let us go back to the encounter to look and sense the drama of the unfolding scene as painted for us by the words of Scripture.

What was it like for Jacob to face the one who he knew had determined in his heart to kill him?

The only thing we may go by is Jacob's reaction to the report of his servants—fear. He confessed that to God to find relief for his anxious soul. Jacob's messengers had related to Esau the size of his people and possessions. So now Esau was coming to meet him with enough company to have the upper hand

Jacob was a man of his times, he knew how to read the signs of peace and peril. He knew that four hundred men was a bit much to go and say hi to somebody. Justifiably so, Jacob became very much afraid and started to make preparations to try and save himself and his own. The words of his mother, reaching back to the time of his escape, came back to him: "Esau is going to ease himself on you, to kill you." Trouble was on its way. That same Esau was there now, he had arrived, the dust having settled revealed the might of his band.

At last, now Jacob faces his brother. Yes, he had aligned his family in such a way that the people he loved the most were the safest in line. But now he comes out from among them to meet Esau. Having come to the open he begins to walk toward his brother—he faces Esau and his four hundred men behind him. What will it be, death or life? We can only imagine the tension of the moment. His family and his people holding their breath before the might of Esau's small army. Only the snorting of the horses on one side and the bleating of sheep on the other, might have been breaking the silence due to such an anxious moment.

With Esau looking over the camp, Jacob, now alone with his destiny, begins to bow to the ground as he walks towards his brother.

"And he (Jacob) passed in front of them (his family) and bowed himself to the ground seven times until he came even to his brother."

His steps are interrupted by seven bows—all the way to the ground. How difficult it must have been for the newly crippled Jacob to walk and bow on the way to look into his brother's eyes. During this time Esau, while watching his brother, apart from the bows, must have noticed his limping—something was different. Yes, only the previous night Jacob had wrestled with the Angel until dawn and God had touched his hip socket which had become unhinged. His name had been changed to Israel and God had blessed him there. Jacob had indeed met with the Almighty and had been changed in character and posture.

Esau saw a broken man limping toward him. Humility and repentance were his brother's virtues now—the outcome of God dealings with him—the touch to the hip crowning twenty years of discipline. Esau must have been moved to compassion and kindness toward his now crippled brother and loved him. I believe that at this very moment God moved Esau's heart toward Jacob and filled it with compassion turning revenge into pity. 
"And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him. And they wept"

What hurt Jacob from God helped him with Esau. The discipline we receive from our Lord shapes the witness we hold before man.

There has been a time and a place, in our own lives, when we, having been met by God, have been crippled in our own will-power. Our sinful way of life gave in and surrendered to His will and His wonderful ways. And just as Esau had seen his brother as an enemy so God has seen us as sinners, but just as Esau was moved to kindness at the sight of Jacob's limping, so God is moved to forgiveness and compassion toward us who have been broken by the work of Christ and He is pleased with us.

We have spent our night wrestling with the Angel. For some that night has been a lifetime, for others just a day but all the redeemed have come to surrender—in the morning, at the dawn of that new life which Jesus secured for us[iii]. Jacob was touched in the flesh, we have been touched in the spirit—to walk in newness of life. Jacob limped from then on—he had to lean and rely on his staff, we, by faith, have to rely on the work of Christ who obtained peace for us by the blood of His cross[iv].

Oh the joy of knowing God's forgiveness! To know that the Judge of all the earth has pardoned us; not because He has looked the other way, but because somebody else - Jesus - took the penalty we deserved.

What amazing love is this! His favor and grace freely flood our souls with wonder and gratitude.

Fleeing from Esau, having left home, and passing over the Jordan on the way to Paddan-Aram, Jacob had used his staff to defend himself and sustain his long steps, "For I passed over this Jordan with my staff. . . ."

But now, on the way back, after having met and struggled with the Angel, he had become crippled. His staff now was to support his weakness—God had done His work in Jacob—his natural strength had been dealt with.[v]

And so with us, at the cross, meeting our Savior, we came to know our sinfulness and the weakness of our flesh. We realized that we cannot make it on our own. We are too weak and our flesh is beyond redemption. We have been crippled in our own self-sufficiency. We need Christ's cross as our staff to sustain us in our weaknesses and help us to walk a holy life. Because He was nailed to it, we are sustained by it.

The work of the Angel saved Jacob from the wrath of man, the work of Christ saves us from the wrath of God[vi].

---

References

[i] Prov. 5:21, For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and He ponders all his paths. NKJV

[ii] John 3:36, The one believing into the Son has everlasting life; but the one disobeying the Son will not see life but the wrath of God remains on him. LITV

                                                                                                                   

[iii] Gal. 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; [yet] not longer I but Christ lives in me. And the [life] I now live in the flesh I live by faith toward the Son of God, the [One] loving me and giving Himself over on my behalf. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness [is] through law, then Christ died without cause. LITV 

[iv] Col. 1:20, [And] through Him making peace by the blood of His cross. . . LITV

[v] Hosea 12:3, He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and in his strength he struggled with God. NKJV

[vi] Rom. 5:9, Much more then, being justified now by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. LITV

(Scriptures taken from the KJV, NKJV of the Bible and the LITV [Literal Translation of the Holy Bible] by J.P. Green,Sr.1995).

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Being aware of my limitations but desirous  to share, I submit this paper to my fellow believers in Christ. None of my work is ever complete, there is always something to add as the Lord grants more light. "For in You is the fountain of life, in your light we see light." Ps.36:9
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                               Rev. 03, 2013

      

God & Christ, husband & wife - submission.

I have heard many sermons that try to water down and explain away the term "submission" in the Bible

as it relates to husbands and wives. After one such sermon I wrote a letter to the preacher to share what

I believe the Bible clearly states on the subject.

                                                                     

Dear Brother,

The family, as God Almighty instituted, is certainly under attack and the need to spread the knowledge of the original design and purpose for this covenant between husband and wife has never been so urgent as today. The family is a clear reflection of the spiritual condition of the man and the woman who share in its life. The family is in crisis because men and women are in crisis. With this in mind I beg for your attentive patience as I share with you these thoughts of mine.

     I was at our Fellowship gathering last Sunday when you treated the subject of relationships with special emphasis to the ones within Christian marriage with your sermon entitled “Submitting to each other”. I found your talk overall helpful but I would like to share with you some concerns that have risen within me as a result of your message.

    The focal point is your brief discussion on verse 22 of Ephesians chapter 5 where the Word of God says:

” Wives, subject yourselves to [your] own husbands as to the Lord”.

In teaching, you mentioned the absence of the word “subject” or “submit” in the Greek Text. You also said that the introduction of such word in your hearer’s Bibles is assumed by the use of the same word in the previous verse. That does concern me for various reasons, which will become evident as my letter progresses.

   First of all I noticed, that you went to great lengths in trying to explain the position of verse 21 as to whether it belonged to the end of the previous phrase or was the beginning of the next. You did explain the various possibilities. In doing so you gave the hearer the freedom to think and choose. This is why I was dismayed when you did not do the same for verse 22 when you mentioned, quite categorically, that the word “subject” or “submit” is not in the Greek Text.

You should have made your hearers aware of the fact that this word is not found in the Nestle Greek Text but it is found in the Received and Majority Greek Texts. Furthermore it is a known fact that of the 600 manuscripts containing Ephesians only 2 omit the word in question.

      No Ancient Versions omit this word, and no Church Fathers quote v.22 without it except 2 only. So we can safely state that more than 90% of existing Manuscripts contain this verb in one form or another. With all due respect I submit to you that a teacher in your position should have mentioned that fact and left the congregation to draw their own conclusions. A little more exegesis would have not confused us.

     Now, it could be possible that you did not know about this discrepancy between these Greek Texts in which case I would think that anyone who teaches the Word of God, before making such drastic statements concerning the original Texts, should thoroughly familiarize himself with all the variants on that particular section of text before coming to doctrinal conclusions that can affect people’s lives to such a degree as this particular point can . I am sorry to say that, in my opinion, on this specified point you failed to be fair to the Scriptures and to your audience.

The thing is that in the overall tone of your talk you did give the impression that the wife is subject to the husband and you did expressly say so, but mostly within the concept of mutual submission to each other, hence the title of your sermon, and not on the express command the Holy Spirit gives to wives to be subject to their own husbands in everything.

On the top of that having introduced a doubt in the mind of the church regarding the veracity of this particular text, you caused the godly concept of family order, to be greatly diluted.

As an addendum to our bulletin we received some notes to your sermon and in these under the heading “ The marriage application” you write that husbands need to submit to their wives as a sister in Christ and out of reverence for Him. To prove this point you used Eph.5:21 and 1Pet.3:8. Let’s consider Ephesians 5:21 were Paul says:

”Being subject to one another in [the] fear of God”.

Your idea being that both husband and wives should submit to each other. Now even if v.21 is the beginning of the next phrase, upon considering it, we can easily see that even in this case the apostle gives the wife a double command because v.22 does say, only to the wives, to submit to their own husbands.

Now looking at 1Pet.3:8, I would really like to know how v.8 can be isolated from the context of the overall discourse. Peter has been writing from v.1

“Likewise wives, submitting yourselves to your own husbands…”

and bringing Sarah’s example in v.5 he continues

“For so then indeed the holy women who were hoping on God adorned themselves submitting themselves to their husbands as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him lord…

Then Peter calls on the husbands to

bestow honor on the weaker vessel, the female, that their prayers may not be hindered.

And finally in v.8 how can you extract from

“Live in harmony with one another”

 the doctrine of the husband to be submitted to their wives?  I am sorry, dear brother, the Scriptures do not state that husbands must submit to their wives. On the contrary in many places and by different writers the Holy Spirit states the exact opposite.

You cannot pick one verse (Eph.5:21) and use and misuse it to promote what the majority of other Bible verses disprove. Few examples follow:

- Eph.5:23-24 …”Because a husband is head of the wife as also Christ is head of the Church. But even as the Church is subject to Christ, so also the wives to their own husbands in everything.”

-1Cor.11:3, “But I want you to know that Christ is the Head of every man, and the man is [the] head of a woman, and God is [the] head of Christ.”

 Aren’t Father, Son and Holy Spirit God? So why does this verse say that God is the head of Christ? So we see that as with God’s Trinity we have Three bearing the same Image, but with different roles, so with the marriage both bear God’s image, but within that the husband bears the image of Christ and the wife bears the image of the Bride of Christ.

- Also 1Pet.3:1, “Likewise, wives, submitting yourselves to your own husbands….”

v.5 “submitting themselves to their own husbands.”

-Titus 2:5,”….Discrete, chaste, keepers at home, good, subject to [their] own husbands, so that the Word of God may not be blasphemed.”

The call on the husband is far greater in sacrifice than just submit, it is to love. And because of love the husband is called upon to forgive first, die to self first and give himself up to death first for his wife’s sake.

The wife is not called to do that, the husband is. The Church did not die for Christ, but He for the Church. The husband is called upon by God to exemplify Christ’s attitude toward the Church and the wife is called upon to exemplify the Church’s attitude toward Christ.

It’s on the basis of this very prerogative that the husband is required to sacrifice first. In God’s order there is equality of value but not equality of roles. The fact that Christ submitted Himself to the will of the Father as Son, to be obedient even unto death, did not diminish the fact that He was co-equal with God, see Phil. 2:6. So the woman, being equally valued in God’s sight to the male in her nature as female, nevertheless submits herself to the husband in her role as wife.

Concerning the order of authority in the family, God’s order stands: the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church. She submits to her own husband as the Church submits to Christ.

Christ gave Himself up on the Church’s behalf (Eph.5:25) but that does not imply that He submitted Himself to her. On the contrary, because of that great love, the Church subjects herself to Christ. The same should be in the family - because of the love we pour on our wives, in return, they willingly submit themselves to us as husbands.

As Christ’s sacrifice brought to life the Church so the sacrificial love of the husband brings the wife’s submission to life.

Now if we fail as husbands, are our wives therefore free from submitting to us? 1Peter 3:1 provides us with the answer:

“Likewise wives, submitting yourselves to your own husbands, that even if any disobey the Word, through the behavior of the wives, without word they will be won observing your pure behavior in fear”.

So as you can see even the argument of submitting to each other on the basis of being brother and sister in Christ fails because the Scriptures teach submission of the wives even to unbelieving or disobedient husbands. Obviously wives should not do anything contrary to God's word even when their husbands, Christians or not, suggest to do such things.

I might be wrong but I do not recall any mention of Eph.5:23 during your message. There Paul affirms that the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church and reading on you’ll find verse 28 where the Word states that the husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies - that verse is the antidote to cultural male superiority. Anyone concerned with husbands' misuse of power should point that verse out and not try to rearrange God's established order.

In closing let me say that these points, in your talk to our church, weakened these biblical truths in the lives of married couples and aspiring ones.

God’s authority is the single most important factor in the universe; it is exalted and magnified through our voluntary submission, hence the glory. God has decided that His authority, which satan, the fallen angels and man disobeyed, would be established through the obedience of the Son which would bring to fruition the submission of His Bride, the Church.

I do not know the intentions of your heart but I sense that for the sake of counteracting a potential widespread abuse of patriarchal despotism you have gone in a way, even if involuntarily, which undermines that authority instead of working at fashioning the husband’s role after the image of Christ Himself. We don’t touch, even slightly, God’s appointed order of authority but, in Christ, we work to chisel and mold the characters of those who hold such authority so that they will reflect the sacrificial virtues of our Lord Jesus, the Son of God.                                                      

Yours in Christ

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                          Jan