The Seriousness of Sin
5/16/2025
The day of Judah’s judgment at the hands of the Babylonians had arrived. The people had rejected the Lord and turned to idolatry and the worship of false gods. Because of this, they would spend 70 years in exile, away from their homes and the land that God had given His covenant people. The people’s desperate situation is described in Lamentations 1:3, which says that “Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells now among the nations, but finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress” (ESV). The rest of the book of Lamentations is an emotionally challenging read as the sad condition of Jerusalem is described along with the desperate and impoverished state of the people.
This book stands as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and that offenses against a perfectly holy God should not be taken lightly. We, as finite creatures, should tremble at the thought of sinning against the infinitely just and righteous Creator of the universe. When we become Christians, God gives us a new heart and enables us to live a life that is truly pleasing to Him. But that doesn’t mean we don’t still sin. Christians fight a daily battle against the remnant of their former life. In Ephesians 4:23–24, Paul reminds us of the constant need to cast aside our pre-conversion ways of living when he exhorts us
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Sin is a serious matter. It needs to be removed with a sense of urgency. Even the seemingly small sins are a mighty offense because of the infinite nature of the One whom they’re committed against, God Himself. Also, sin has a growing effect in the lives of those who sympathetically flirt with it. It’s often easy to justify those sins that we see as “not a big deal” when compared to what we could be doing. But eventually, these “little” sins become habits. Once these habits become the new norm, one may be tempted to push the boundaries and take these sins one step further as the sinner grows increasingly numb to sin’s destructive effects. Before long, relationships are destroyed, marriages ruined, churches split, and the witness of the Church to a watching world damaged.
Call out to God for the strength to fight the sin in your life, even those things that may seem small. Run from your sin, and live like Jesus!
Hope in the Midst of Exile
5/9/2025
The prophet Jeremiah was given the difficult task of pronouncing the Lord’s coming judgment against the kingdom of Judah. Judah had abandoned her God and fallen into grave idolatry. Because of the message that he was called to bring to Judah, it’s no surprise that Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. As he meditates on the coming judgment, Jeremiah cries out, “My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!” (Jeremiah 4:19 ESV). Jeremiah’s sorrow continues in the book of Lamentations as he laments over the exiled kingdom and abandoned city.
Despite the grim outlook of a 70 year Babylonian captivity, this book contains remarkable messages of hope and future deliverance. The people had forsaken the Lord and would be exiled to Babylon, but God was still at work despite their rebellion against Him. Let’s take a look at a few of these hidden gems.
In chapter 23, we’re given the incredible reminder of the coming Branch, a future king who would succeed in all the ways the earthly kings of Israel had failed.
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’ (23:5–6)
What a promise! Throughout her history, the nation would see many kings come and go. Many were incredibly wicked, falling away from the Lord and worshiping false pagan gods. A few kings were good, but even then, their reigns were far from perfect. But a King was coming whose reign would be characterized by perfect “justice and righteousness” (23:5). This King is none other than Jesus Christ, who came into this world as a humble baby, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, was buried, rose from the grave, ascended into heaven, and now reigns as the Davidic King of Kings from the right hand of the Father.
In chapter 31, we read about the promise of the New Covenant, which would be something better than that of the old (see Hebrews 8:6). God said, “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (31:33). “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more”” (31:34). This too was fulfilled in Christ’s redemption-accomplishing work. He went to the cross where His blood was poured out for the sins of the world. In the New Covenant, we’re no longer bound by the Old Testament laws. We no longer have to rely on continual animal sacrifices year after year. Because in Christ it is done! When we place our faith in Jesus, our sin account is wiped clean and Christ’s righteousness is credited as our own. Praise the Lord for the new and better covenant!
Finally, in chapter 52 we read about King Jehoiachin being released from his Babylonian prison cell and given a place of prominence at the table of the king of Babylon.
And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table. (52:32–33)
This is a small yet highly significant glimmer of hope. Although the nation was in exile, Jehoiachin found favor in the eyes of the Babylonian king. This was a foretaste of the deliverance that would be granted upon the completion of the 70 years of Babylonian exile. Although God had sent His people into exile for their apostasy, He was still looking out for them. There was still hope. God was still at work.
Remember that even in the midst of life’s challenges, there is always hope in the God who loves us, hears us, and remembers us. Even if you’ve fallen away from the Lord and are going through a season of discipline much like the Babylonian exiles, remember that He still loves you and cares about you immensely. Run back to the perfect savior Jesus Christ, the righteous Branch, the Son of David, and the mediator of the New Covenant. He’ll be waiting for you with open arms!
The Suffering Servant
5/2/2025
The Old Testament Scriptures are saturated with prophetic testimonies regarding the future work of Jesus Christ. As early as Genesis 3:15 we see God promising the serpent that the seed of the woman would deal a fatal death blow to the seed of the serpent. As we move through the Scriptures, we’re given more and more revelation of the redemption that would be accomplished through the coming Messiah. One such revelatory prophecy is Isaiah 53, where we read about the Suffering Servant.
The prophet Isaiah writes with astounding detail when describing the crucifixion of Jesus at the hands of the Romans. He does so while writing hundreds of years before the events transpired. Fulfilled prophecy is just one of many reasons why we can trust the veracity of Scripture. Although it’s hard to do the chapter justice without looking at it in its entirety, let’s consider a few verses in particular.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5-6 ESV)
Here in the pages of this hefty prophetic book we have the message of the gospel, how God saves sinners. Every single one of us was born with a sin nature which we inherited from our father Adam. This presents a problem. Because of God’s perfect holiness, He can’t tolerate sin in His presence. God is also a perfect Judge, and because of that, He can’t simply erase our sins from our account without someone paying the price. A just judge must punish sin or he would fail to be just. As a sheer act of love, the Father sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die on our behalf. There on the cross, Jesus “was pierced for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities.” He bore the wrath of the Father on our behalf. God’s justice was satisfied. Those who place their faith in the risen Savior Jesus Christ are no longer seen in the darkness of their sins but in the light of the righteousness of the Son. Amen!
Isaiah 53 is a powerful reminder of what Christ had to suffer for sinners. He endured unspeakable suffering as He was mocked, humiliated, beaten, and crucified. Not only this, but He was forsaken by God the Father there on the cross as He “cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”” (Mark 15:34). Never forget the great price that was paid for your salvation. Thank you Jesus, for suffering in my place!
Solomon and His Bride
4/25/2025
The Song of Solomon is quite the love story. Some believe that it’s an allegorical picture of the love that Christ has for the Church. Others believe that it’s primarily a picture of the intimacy that a husband (in this case Solomon) and his wife share. I lean towards the latter of these two views while still recognizing that marriage reflects the love that Christ has for His own bride, the church. This book paints a picture of the joys of marriage and the unique intimacy that should only be found in the context of this union.
Let’s look at a few examples from the first chapter of the book. Solomon, speaking to his bride, says “I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots. Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels” (1:9–10 ESV). A few verses later he declares “Behold, you are beautiful, my love; behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves” (1:15). This poetic love story continues through all eight chapters of the book and describes the intimacy found between husband and wife.
It so happens that this Sunday’s sermon is on the topic of divorce and marriage. In Mark 10:1-12, the Pharisees attempt to test Jesus by asking Him a question pertaining to divorce. In Jesus’ response, He quotes from the first two chapters of Genesis, which describe the creation week. By quoting these early chapters in the first book of the Bible, Jesus grounds the institution of marriage in the creation order itself. From the very beginning, marriage was created by God with specific requirements. In Genesis 1:27 we read not only that “God created man in his own image” but that they were created “male and female.” In the second chapter, we read that “a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed” (2:24–25). Let’s break down what we know about marriage from these early verses in Genesis, verses that Jesus draws upon when responding to the Pharisees’ test regarding the question of divorce.
- God designed marriage to only be between one man and one woman. Any claim to the legitimacy of gay marriage is undermined by the fact that God grounded the institution of marriage in the creation order itself. Marriage is also to be monogamous and involve the physical and emotional union of only two people, man and wife.
- Marriage involves leaving one’s parents and uniting with one’s spouse as “one flesh.” When we say “I do” our priorities shift to our spouse and that new family that’s been created.
- Becoming “one flesh” describes the union that takes place between man and wife and how a new family is born. This union involves both physical and emotional intimacy (see Genesis 2:25) and a uniting of one’s goals, ambitions, and desires. Rather than having my goals, my money, my dreams, it becomes our goals, our money, and our dreams. Both spouses make a commitment to faithfully walk together in lifelong unity. But we shouldn’t go on this journey with one another alone. We need to call upon the Lord and His guidance every step of the way.
- Marriage is to be lifelong. The first marriage in the Garden of Eden was a lasting union between Adam and Eve. Jesus affirms in Mark 10:9 that “what therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” So too, marriage today is designed to be a lifelong joining together of man and wife as they exercise dominion over God’s creation and glorify Him in all they do.
In summary, marriage is to be a lifelong, monogamous, and faithful union of one man and woman. It’s also to be characterized by intimacy as was the case with Solomon and his bride. Marriage is one of God’s many wonderful blessings that He’s given us. It’s also a beautiful picture of the gospel as the self-sacrificial love and commitment of a husband and wife is a reflection of Christ’s love for His own bride, the Church.