The bulk of the Bible is made up of the old Testament and the greater portion of every book in the Bible consists of instructions. For every situation we may come across in life, from marriage to salvation, to health and finances, and many other topics too numerous to mention, there is a law, a principle, a statute or an instruction. The great commission when fulfilled correctly, begins with instruction, and after people are baptized, the instructions continue throughout our Christian experiences. Let’s read:
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world.
And it goes on and on and on. Even in the last book of the Bible, which is slated as the revelation of Jesus Christ, the majority of the book has to do with instructions, both prophetic and practical in nature. As a matter of fact the “Revelation” of Jesus Christ only mentions His sacrifice but a few times, which is ironic, for Calvary is the centerpiece in the great plan of salvation. However, after a brief introduction, The Lord goes into detailed instructions for the seven churches which span the entire spectrum of Christianity. Let’s read:
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:
1:5 And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
Revelation 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
2:4 Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Revelation 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
That’s why the Bible makes a profound statement about our attitude towards instruction, because the way in which we receive it has a direct bearing on our eternal destiny. Let’s read:
Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment [is] a lamp; and the law [is] light; and reproofs of instruction [are] the way of life.
Note well that the definite article is used, for it does not say “A way of life” but “The way of life, meaning that this is the only safe and righteous way to live. As human beings we are all born in sin and shapen in iniquity, and so we have to win the battle of life through the blood and merits of our crucified and risen Savior. But our attitude towards Biblical instructions and reproofs determine to a great extent whether or not the Lord can work with us.
The Jews of old had a problem with selective hearing, in that they would only receive that which was palatable to the carnal ear, and thus when the prophets of God came speaking the plain truths, the Israelites rose up and slew many of them, while others were cast into prison, and many more were exiled or ostracized from society, family, and friends
The general disposition thus manifested is echoed in the words of Christ as He tried in vain to get them to listen to God’s unadulterated word. Let’s read:
Matthew 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
That’s why the Bible cautions us not to repeat the mistakes of the past by resisting the instructions of God when they are presented to us from His word, for God has given them to us in wisdom so that we can avoid making bad choices or grievous mistakes in life. Let’s read:
Proverbs 15:32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.
15:33 The fear of the LORD [is] the instruction of wisdom; and before honour [is] humility.
Proverbs 12:1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof [is] brutish.
Proverbs 15:10 Correction [is] grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: [and] he that hateth reproof shall die.
It is very important for us to understand that the carnal heart would not be in agreement with all of the instructions that are given in God’s word, for we are inherently fallen in nature, and thus the laws of God often go against our natural grain. For this reason we are going to study three instructions given in the Bible that we might not necessarily agree with, but they are given in infinite wisdom with the hope that we will be patient and humble enough to surrender our own ideas in favor of what the scriptures say. Let’s read:
(1) One of the best times to give is when we’re broken or poor. The natural human tendency when things get tight is to squeeze as much as possible, but in so doing many people squeeze until they suffocate themselves. Many people try and save meticulously for the rainy day, but try as they might they just don’t seem to get ahead. The reason may be that they are saving too much. Let’s read:
Proverbs 11:24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and [there is] that withholdeth more than is meet, but [it tendeth] to poverty.
11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
The way that God estimates giving has nothing to do with amounts, but rather with the spirit and the sacrifice that attend the good work. There are many millionaires and billionaires in this world who have major charities and foundations in operation, yet in many cases these organizations were put in place as a way to write off taxes, and in many cases their charitable works were implemented only after all of their personal needs, wants, and desires were met.
Then after they have spent until they could spend no more, a charity is formed, and therefore touted by the media as being a major benevolent work, worthy of praise and the adoration of all men.
Now while these charitable organizations and activities are not to be condemned, yet we should understand that in the eyes of God, true charity and benevolence is measured by completely different standards. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 9:6 But this [I say], He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Mark 12:41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
12:42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
12:43 And he called [unto him] his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
12:44 For all [they] did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, [even] all her living.
A striking example of the kind of giving The Lord approves of is given in the book of first kings, in which the story is told of a woman who had been brought to the brink of extinction on account of a deadly famine that lasted for three and a half years. After one year had expired, The Lord sent His servant Elijah to this widow woman so that she could provide him with food for the rest of the drought.
Now why would God choose one of the poorest persons in the land to supply Elijah’s needs? One of the reasons is because the Christian’s life is filled with paradoxes that are inherently opposed to logical thinking, and where we see an extremity, God sees an opportunity. That’s why in our Christian experience, they way that we live victoriously is diabolically opposed to the norms of survival espoused by secular society.
For instance, we live by dying, we save by losing, we conquer by surrendering, we become rich by being poor, we receive by giving, and we overcome evil by doing good. And so Elijah approaches one of the poorest persons in the land so that one of the many paradoxes can be fulfilled, through which both he and the woman would cross a major milestone in their experience with God, and would thereby be enabled to penetrate new frontiers. Let’s read:
1st Kings 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman [was] there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
17:11 And as she was going to fetch [it], he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
17:12 And she said, [As] the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I [am] gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
17:13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go [and] do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring [it] unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
17:14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day [that] the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
17:15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat [many] days.
(2) Avoid hasty moves and flee from speculation and presumption. Hastiness in any decision making process is ill-advised and is not to be encouraged. The principle of careful deliberate thought in the affairs of life is of critical importance if we are to avoid as far as possible, making serious mistakes, which we will regret later on in life. This instruction coming from God covers the entire spectrum of the Christian’s experience, ranging from hasty marriages, hasty loans and mortgages, hasty speech, hasty vows, hasty words, and even hasty conversions.
In the parable of the Sower, the seed that fell on stony ground sprung up quickly, and the hearers thus represented are the only ones in the parable, of whom it is stated that they received the word with “Joy”. But after some time had elapsed during which the rubber meets the road, they are shown to become offended by the difficulties that appeared in the way, and the reason for this is that they obviously did not weigh the pros and cons carefully before committing themselves to the gospel. Let’s read:
Matthew 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
13:4 And when he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
Then Christ goes on to explain the mindset of the stony ground hearers. Let’s read:
Matthew 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
The true gospel does not offer, or guarantee to its adherents, freedom from difficulties, problems, anxieties, perplexities, or harassment. During the recent financial meltdown of the “Seven lean years”, several Christians lost their jobs and their homes, and no one is to say why or why not. What we do know is that Jesus also lost His home, He lost many friends, and finally He lost His life, and to all who would follow Him he says, do not believe that the Christian’s life is a bed of roses, in which we can sleep all day with “The Comforter” without ever being molested or disturbed by the devil and His agents.
Any Christian who subscribes to the popular and contemporary health/wealth/deliverance gospel is sadly deluded, and will be in for a very rude awakening whenever serious difficulties arise. What the true gospel does is to offer solutions through Christ, and obedience to His every word, as the only means by which the fiery darts of the enemy can be successfully deflected. This sacred truth is clearly stated in the Bible. Let’s read:
Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
This is why the Bible gives us profound instructions and statements regarding the making of any hasty moves or decisions, or drawing hasty conclusions, for the Scriptures teach us to be sober and prudent in all of our ways. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 5:2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter [any] thing before God: for God [is] in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
5:3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice [is known] by multitude of words.
5:7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words [there are] also [divers] vanities: but fear thou God.
A prominent example of what is being referred to here can be found in the experience of Jephthah, who on the spur of the moment, made a very serious vow to God, if he were granted deliverance from the invading Ammonites. Let’s read:
Judges 11:30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
11:31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
Jephthah obviously did not take the time to weigh the pros and cons of such a vow, for he used the word “Whatsoever” which means that anything that first comes out to greet him after his victory, will be earmarked for a burnt offering. “Whatsoever” could then be a lizard, a spider, a sheep, a parrot, a puppy, or the family’s favorite pet. And if he lived in the Everglades it might be even an alligator or a Burmese python. But on a more serious note, the sacred vow could also include his wife and children, for the word “Whatsoever” means whatsoever and nothing else. Let’s read:
Judges 11:34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she [was his] only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
11:35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
As Christians we should always allow time to think things through thoroughly before committing ourselves, whether it be a church office, a marriage, a divorce, a job, a mortgage, an investment or anything that is of consequence. It is true that there are unforeseen circumstances and variables that appear only after we have committed to a vow, however we should at all times avoid the common temptation to make hasty decisions on the spur of the moment without prayer and meditation, and when unforeseen circumstances do appear, we should go to God in faith, knowing that we had done our due diligence.
(3) The final instruction that we will research this evening is that of avoiding hasty words, a very common problem even amongst Christians. Words can be used to bring comfort, cheer, goodwill, hope and healing, but they can also be used to start forest fires that even the bravest and most experienced firemen cannot put out. Words are so important that they are the measure used in the Bible for either justification or condemnation, and thus it is necessary for us to fully understand their importance in the Christian’s life. Let’s read:
Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
The apostle James also reiterates the importance of our words, for they can be a savor of life unto life, or of death unto death. Let’s read:
James 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
3:6 And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
3:7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
One of the main causes of misunderstandings and alienation between friends, families, and brethren, is the haste in which conclusions about others are often drawn. It is often the case that we incorrectly read someone’s motive, and thus make statements about a person’s intentions and character, without carefully weighing the factual evidences, or hearing both sides of the story. Every story has two sides, and we should be extremely careful in our foregone conclusions regarding motives, which only God can accurately read and evaluate.
A striking example of this common scenario can be found in the complaint that was lodged by one woman against another in the Bible. Let’s read:
1st Kings 3:16 Then came there two women, [that were] harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
3:17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
3:18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we [were] together; [there was] no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
3:19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
3:20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
3:21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
3:22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living [is] my son, and the dead [is] thy son. And this said, No; but the dead [is] thy son, and the living [is] my son. Thus they spake before the king.
As king Solomon listened to the first woman with her side of the story, his indignation and emotions were probably stirred, and if he had acted rashly on what he then heard, he might have given her the benefit of the doubt. But this was only one side of the story, for when he heard the other side, he began to scratch his head. In order therefore to draw the correct conclusion born of God, he was directed to test the two conflicting theories using natural human nature, for no woman in her right mind would like to see her son killed for any reason. Let’s read:
1st Kings 3:23 Then said the king, The one saith, This [is] my son that liveth, and thy son [is] the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son [is] the dead, and my son [is] the living.
3:24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
3:25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
3:26 Then spake the woman whose the living child [was] unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, [but] divide [it].
3:27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she [is] the mother thereof.
3:28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God [was] in him, to do judgment.
That’s why the following instructions from The Most High, pertaining to words are so important and relevant to us living in the twenty-first century, for we are often found making hasty statements and drawing hasty conclusions, without carefully weighing both sides of a story. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
Proverbs 17:27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: [and] a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
17:28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: [and] he that shutteth his lips [is esteemed] a man of understanding.
1st Timothy 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
It is obvious that very serious and permanent changes need to be wrought in our lives, for we often come short of God’s glory, by slander, evil speaking and gossip about the faults and failings of each other. If there is nothing good to say about another, it is best not to say it, except a person can be put in danger if such information is withheld.
Instructions, instructions, instructions, they are the key to life, and the majority of the Bible’s teachings are made up of them, so that we may avoid making unnecessary mistakes, as we travel the Christian path, beset with dangers within and without. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which calls us to a renewed interest and study of the many instructions given in God’s word, and if by the grace of God we are faithful in following them, our path will shine brighter and brighter until the perfect day. Let’s read:
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
May God add His blessing to the study and doing of His every word. God Bless!