Numbers 9
Second Passoververses 1-5
And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai
in the first month of the second year after they were
come out of the land of Egypt
saying
Let the children of Israel also keep the Passover
at his appointed season
In the fourteenth day of this month – at even
you shall keep it in his appointed season
according to all the rites of it
and according to all the ceremonies thereof
shall you keep it
And Moses spoke to the children of Israel
that they should keep the Passover
And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at
even in the wilderness of Sinai – according to all that the LORD
commanded Moses – so did the children of Israel
Ceremonial unclean question Mosesverses 6-7
And there were certain men – who were defiled by the dead body of a man
that they could not keep the Passover on that day
and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day
and those men said unto him
We are defiled by the dead body of a man
wherefore are we kept back – that we may not offer an
offering of the LORD in HIS appointed season among
the children of Israel?
Moses asks instructions of the LORDverse 8
And Moses said to them
Stand still and I will hear what the LORD
will command concerning you
Unclean can celebrate one month laterverses 9-12
And the LORD spoke to Moses
saying
Speak to the children of Israel
saying
IF any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean
by reason of a dead body
or be in a journey afar off
yet he shall keep the Passover to the LORD
The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it
and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs
they shall leave none of it to the morning
nor break any bone of it
according to all the ordinances of the Passover
they shall keep it
Neglect of Passoververses 13-14
BUT the man that is clean – and is not in a journey
and forbear to keep the Passover
even the same soul shall be cut off
from among his people
BECAUSE he brought not the offering of the LORD in HIS
appointed season – that man shall bear his sin
And IF a stranger shall sojourn among you
and will keep the Passover to the LORD
according to the ordinance of the Passover
according to the manner thereof – so shall he do
you shall have one ordinance
both for the stranger
and for him that was born in the land
Cloud of the LORD gives directionverses 15-23
And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the CLOUD covered
the tabernacle – NAMELY – the tent of the testimony
and at even there was on the tabernacle as it were the
APPEARANCE of FIRE until the morning
SO it was always – the CLOUD covered it by day
and the APPEARANCE of FIRE by night
AND when the CLOUD was taken up from the tabernacle
THEN after that the children of Israel journeyed
and in the place where the CLOUD abode
there the children of Israel pitched their tents
AT the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed
and AT the commandment of the LORD they pitched
as long as the CLOUD abode on the tabernacle
they RESTED in their tents
And when the CLOUD tarried long upon the tabernacle many days
THEN the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD
and journeyed not
And so it was – when the CLOUD was a few days upon the tabernacle
according to the commandment of the LORD they abode
in their tents
and according to the commandment of the LORD
they journeyed
And so it was – when the cloud abode from even unto the morning
and that CLOUD was taken up in the morning
THEN they journeyed – whether it was by day or by night
that the CLOUD was taken up – they journeyed
Or whether it were two days – or a month – or a year
that the CLOUD tarried on the tabernacle remaining thereon
the children of Israel abode in their tents
and journeyed not – BUT when it was taken up
they journeyed
AT the commandment of the LORD they RESTED in their tents
and
AT the commandment of the LORD they journeyed
they kept the charge of the LORD
AT the commandment of the LORD – by the hand of Moses
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 5 And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel. (6213 “kept” [‘asah] means to make, manufacture, to do, to work about anything, commit, prepare, do so, maintain, or accomplish)
DEVOTION: God gave a command and the children of Israel at that time did what the LORD wanted them to do, when they were supposed to do it and didn’t do anything else. They were an obedient people at this time.
God set down standards for the children of Israel and they were to follow them under penalty of death. It was not something that they took lightly at that time. Later, in their history they began taking all the instructions as they pleased. Most of the time they disregarded what HE had to say with consequences.
Today we read our Bible and take what we want to take and discard what we don’t like because we don’t want to be obedient. It seems to be that we think we know better than God regarding HIS instructions.
Many churches set their own standards and expect the people to follow them whether they are in the Bible or not. In Jesus days the Pharisees had a set of rules and the Sadducees had another set of rules and they both said they came from God.
There is only one set of rules set down in the Bible and it is a set of rules for all believers. Jesus taught what Christians were supposed to follow whether they were Jews or Gentiles.
There is only one way to heaven and that is first by genuinely making Jesus Christ LORD of our lives, no matter what. Once a person makes this commitment, they read the New Testament with the understanding that the Holy Spirit will tell them what is right and wrong. If they attend a good Bible believing church the pastor and elders should be giving good instructions regarding the actions of a believer.
Too often we find that today many people who call themselves Christian are doing what they think is best according to their thinking rather than according to the Word of God. There are many people who think that they are believer who are doing their own thing rather than God’s instructions found in the Bible.
CHALLENGE: Those who want to be genuine believers need to keep what the LORD expects as their standard of living. We are not to be biting and devouring one another. We are to work together to bring individuals to a saving knowledge of the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 8 And Moses said to them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you. (5975 “Stand still” [‘amad] means take one’s stand, be in a standing attitude, present oneself, stop, cease, tarry, delay, remain, or abide)
DEVOTION: Men came to Moses with a honest question. Moses told them to wait on the LORD for an answer. Moses went to the LORD with the question.
The LORD doesn’t mind individuals asking questions or stating their opinion on something but HE wants it to be done in a way that honors HIM.
These men wanted to honor the LORD by the presenting of their offering to the LORD. They wanted to celebrate the Passover. They wanted to obey the LORD but they had a problem. They were close to a dead body when they were supposed to be ceremonially clean to celebrate the Passover.
Once they were unclean they were not allowed to celebrate the Passover. This could happen to anyone and they were wondering if they could celebrate at a later date.
The answer came that they could celebrate a month later if they were clean. It became a law or ordinance that was to be followed in the future. The LORD is willing to work with HIS people. HE answers the questions presented to HIM.
Today we have questions and we need to take them to the LORD as well. HE will give us an answer in HIS time regarding any issues we have questions concerning.
Are we taking our questions to the LORD or trying to answer them ourselves in our own way? All answers should come from the LORD and not just from our way of thinking.
CHALLENGE: Wait on the LORD for a answer to the questions you might have regarding your responsibility toward HIM.
: 14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you and will keep the Passover to the LORD, according to the ordinance of the Passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do you shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land. (2708 “ordinance” [chuqqah] means statute, custom, appointed, limit, enactment, something prescribed, or regulation)
DEVOTION: Anyone who was not born an Israelite was allowed to celebrate the Passover with the children of Israel. There were some who were not born Israelites but wanted to worship Jehovah. The LORD allowed it as long as they obeyed all the commands of the LORD.
There were ordinances written by Moses that stated the commands of the LORD regarding the Passover. These were to be followed by both Israelite and foreigner. If they were not followed they were to be cut off from the children of Israel.
Sometimes this seems to be put to death or just put outside the camp. God wanted the children of Israel and any foreigner to understand that HE took the Passover seriously. It was a symbol of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.
Today we celebrate the LORD’S Supper in many churches. It should be celebrated on a regular basis in all Biblical churches. It is a time of examination. It is a time to confess our sins for proper fellowship with the LORD.
Any one visiting a Biblical church that was a believer could celebrate the LORD’S Supper together. Some churches restrict it to members only but most churches will allow a visiting believer to partake.
The children of Israel were to worship the LORD together at least three times a year and if this was not done they were disobedient. The same can be true with us today. Not examining ourselves regularly can cause us to stray from the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Keep short accounts with the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 22 Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried on the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed. (748 “tarried” [‘arak] means prolong, lengthen, draw out, continue long, to make long, cause to last longer, or to delay in a matter.)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel learned patience in the wilderness. They had to be willing to wait for the cloud to move them or sit while it stood still above them. I imagine that they were in a hurry to get to the Promised Land that was full of milk and honey rather than stay in the wilderness where they had very little water and little food to eat.
So we know that the cloud was their guide. It is stated in the New Testament that Jesus Christ was the one guiding the children of Israel through the wilderness. HE moved them according to their actions. When they were obedient, they moved sooner rather than later.
Time is not important to God. HE has a schedule HE set down before HE created the world and HE is working HIS schedule. It is the not the children of Israel’s schedule or for us it is not our schedule HE is working with concerning our growth.
HE knows what is necessary for all of his children whether in the Old Testament or New Testament. HE moves us for our good. HIS purpose is always to bring glory to HIS name and bring us to become more like HIS Son.
CHALLENGE: The children of Israel were slow learners and so are we today. We like moving at our pace rather than HIS pace. When we run ahead of God we sin. Wait on HIM!!
: 23 At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.(6310 “commandment” [peh] means the mouth, speech, appointment, saying, sentence, talk, wish or word.)
DEVOTION: The Passover celebration was very important to and for the children of Israel. It was a reminder of the LORD bringing them out of the land of Egypt. They were taken out of that world and placed in a new world.
For those who are Christians it is a reminder of what Christ did on the Cross. HE was the Lamb of God that was sacrificed for the sins of the world. The Old Testament Passover looked at a deliverance from CAPTIVITY in Egypt. The New Testament Passover looked at a deliverance from the CAPTIVITY OF SIN.
The children of Israel are in their second year in the wilderness. The LORD commanded them to keep the Passover. Some who were unclean asked about celebrating the Passover another time. The LORD allowed them to celebrate the Passover at a different time. Instead of the first month on the fourteenth day they could celebrate on the second month on the fourteenth day.
Those who didn’t celebrate the Passover all were to be cut off from the children of Israel. It was not optional it was a command of the LORD that had to be obeyed.
Now the LORD gave instructions regarding the movement of the camp of the children of Israel. There was a cloud that they were to follow by day. There was the appearance of fire in the cloud at night. When the cloud moved the children of Israel moved. IF the cloud stayed in one location for a day or a month or a year, they were to follow the cloud. When they were waiting for the cloud to move, they were to be resting in their tents.
At the WORD of the LORD they did everything that was an action of their lives. Whatever the WORD of the LORD said, they did. The WORD said to move, they moved. The WORD of the LORD said stay, they stayed.
We need to let the WORD of the LORD lead us in all our actions. The only way the WORD of the LORD can lead us in all our actions is for us to KNOW the WORD of the LORD.
HE still speaks to us today. The LORD tells us when it is time to move and when it is time to stay. Are we listening to the voice of the LORD today? Are we silent enough to hear HIS word today? Are we fighting the LORD by moving too soon?
CHALLENGE: Obedience is necessary for the LORD to communicate with us. If we are disobedient, we need to confess our sin and ask for HIS guidance in our life. Are we keeping short accounts with the LORD?
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Cloud of the LORDverses 15-23
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship(Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Passover 1/14verse 3
Passover 2/14 for those who were defiledverse 11
Tabernacleverses 15-20
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Ordinancesverses 12, 14
Commandment of the LORDverses 18, 20, 23
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1, 5, 7-10, 13, 14, 18-20, 23
Appearance of fire over Tabernacleverses 15, 16
Cloud by day
Fire by night
Charge of the LORDverses 19, 23
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Wilderness of Sinaiverses 1, 5
Land of Egyptverse 1
Strangerverse 14
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Defiledverses 6, 7
Uncleanverse 10
Not keeping the Passoververse 13
Sinverse 13
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Offering to the LORDverse 7
Stand stillverse 8
Listen to the LORDverse 8
Keep the Passoververse 10
Clean verse 13
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Mosesverses 1, 4-9, 23
First month of second year
Children of Israelverses 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 17, 18
Passoververses 2-6
1/14/02
Aaronverse 6
Defiled keep Passover 2/14/ when they are cleanverses 10-12
Tent of testimonyverse 15
Cloud led by day and Fire by nightverses 15-22
Tabernacleverses 15, 17-20
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Cut offverse 13
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QUOTES regarding passage
19–22 The movement of the cloud and its presence were unpredictable, without discernable pattern. This was to impress on the people the sense that it was God who was leading them, not some pattern of creation nor some whim from above. The cloud might linger only a day or so, or it might linger in one spot nearly indefinitely. The wording of these verses indicates a very lengthy stay (v.19), a briefer stay (v.20), or a very short stay (v.21). Whatever it might be, the people were to move or to encamp based on the movement or settling of the cloud. (Allen, R. B. (1990). Numbers. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, p. 777). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
9:15–23. This passage anticipates God’s guiding the people by the cloud night and day as they made their journey to Canaan. The cloud was the manifestation of the very person and presence of the Lord (Ex. 40:34–38). When the cloud moved on, it represented the movement and leading of God; when the cloud settled over the tabernacle it represented His stopping and settling. Sometimes the time of rest was long (Num. 9:19) but at other times the cloud remained only for a few days or a night and then moved on the next day (vv. 20–21). Whatever the situation, the nation moved in response to the divine direction (v. 23). (Merrill, E. H. (1985). Numbers. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 225). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The pillar of cloud and fire (9:15–23). This miraculous pillar first appeared at the Exodus (Ex. 13:21–22) and it remained with Israel throughout their journey (Neh. 9:19). When the Israelites set up camp, the pillar hovered over the tabernacle at the center of the camp, reminding the people day and night that their God abode with them (Num. 9:17; this is the Hebrew word shekinah) and would guide them a day at a time, a step at a time. It must have been an awesome sight!
Seven times in this paragraph you find the phrase “the commandment of the Lord” (vv. 18, 20, 23). The movements of the pillar were ordered by the Lord; He didn’t ask for the counsel of the leaders or the people (Isa. 40:13–14). Nor were the people of God able to predict what God would do next. The pillar might linger overnight and then move in the morning, or it might stay two days, a month, or even a year. But no matter when the pillar moved, by day or by night, the Jews had to be ready to pack up and follow.
It’s interesting to note that this miraculous pillar brought light to the people of Israel but darkness to their enemies (Ex. 14:19–20). In this respect, it symbolizes the Word of God, because those who don’t know Christ by faith simply can’t understand what the Word is saying (1 Cor. 3:12–16). In order to know the mind of God, we must submit to the will of God, and the first step is to put saving faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8–9). Then you move out of darkness and into God’s wonderful light (John 3:18–21; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 1:13).
The priests and Levites, who lived near the tabernacle, probably assigned people to keep watch day and night so they would know when the pillar was moving. If we sincerely want to do the will of God, we must keep our eyes open and be alert at all times. The New Testament word for this attitude of alertness and expectancy is “watch” (Matt. 24:42; 25:13; 1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Thes. 5:6; 1 Peter 4:7).
Jesus called Himself “the Light of the world” (John 8:12), and He promised those who followed (trusted) Him that they would never walk in darkness. It’s a great privilege to “walk in the light” and enjoy fellowship with God and God’s people (1 John 1:4–10). To walk in darkness means to be out of the will of God, apart from the blessing of God, and in danger of the discipline of God. Why live in the shadows or in the darkness when you can have God’s smiling face shining on you? (Num. 6:24–26) (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be counted (pp. 38–39). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
9:15–23 See Ex 40:34–38. The cloud, the visible symbol of the Lord’s presence, was continually sitting above the tabernacle. The movement of the cloud was the signal to Israel that they were to travel on their journey. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nu 9:15–23). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 21. And so it was when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, &c.] The whole night, during which time they rested in their beds: and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed; whether at morning or midnight; for sometimes, as Aben Ezra observes, they travelled in the night; whensoever their sentinels gave notice that the cloud was taken up, even though at midnight, they arose and prepared for their journey; and by this it is evident, that the appearance by day and night was the same body called the cloud, though beheld in a different view, in the day-time as a cloud, in the nighttime as fire. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 745). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Now that is the essential difference between remorse and repentance. A man who suffers
remorse is one who realizes he has done wrong, but he has not repented until he realizes that he has sinned against God. (Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
THE POST-CHURCH CHRISITAN
by J. Paul Nyquist and Carson Nyquist
Carson: Are You a Supralapsarian?
Our generation avoids that approach. We’ve seen relationships damaged beyond repair by the church’s emphasis on doctrine. Yet our hesitancy to share our convictions often results in the church condemning us. (p. 65)
Our religious preferences lead to less segregation and more positive dialogue. (p. 66)
In an effort to remain distinct from the world and not be mistaken as condoning the gay lifestyle, the church has often placed their doctrinal convictions at the forefront of relationship with homosexuals. This communicates anything but love and acceptance. (p. 67)
We are friends with unbelievers apart from doctrinal differences. Religious diversity does not bother us. There is an overall comfort in relationships with those far from Christ. I believe this is a step toward sharing Jesus – not a move away from it. (p. 68)
And because of our relational focus, we have many opportunities to share the gospel that were previously unavailable to the church. (p. 68)
With the increased exploration of Christian freedom, our generation is spreading the gospel to places previously unreached. Because bars are often a place of social connection for the world, our generation is exploring ways to reach those people. Some have started breweries with the goal of later planning a church through the community that is formed. Other peers are connected to the artist community through painting, tattoos and design (p. 70).
As a general attitude, we are seeking to enter any arena where the gospel is not present. (p. 70)
But the reality is the church rarely creates a safe place for people to honestly deal with life. (p. 71)
The people in a relationship that have never had disagreements or conflict are those who have kept their true hearts hidden from one another. (p. 73)
Our generation is desperate for the church to be real. Leaders who share their struggles concerning faith and life. Music that isn’t a ‘90s knockoff, repeating a cheery refrain. We need the ability to confess that we mess up – because we do. We’re pretty sure everyone else does too. It just doesn’t seem to come up much when we’re at church. (p. 73)
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2 Corinthians 12
Paul was given a vision of heaven and then “a thorn in the flesh” to keep him humble.
INSIGHT
The Bible gives us a number of reasons why Christians suffer adversity. One reason is to strengthen and mature us. Another is that it is the natural consequence of our own foolishness from which God does not necessarily protect us. And another reason Paul gives us in today’s chapter is to keep us humble. If things always went well for us, if life was always “coming up roses,” we would tend to become conceited, to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and perhaps think less of others. Notice that Paul only prayed three times for the removal of his “thorn in the flesh” (vv. 7-8). When it was clear that God was not going to remove it, Paul accepted it. (Quiet Walk)
RIGHTEOUSNESS
If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. 1 John 2:29
Now righteousness obviously does not just mean morality, nor does it just mean living a good life. There are plenty of people who are outside the Christian church today who deny the elements of the Christian faith, but who are quite moral and decent. They are quite good people, using the term good in its moral or philosophical connotation; but they do not conform to what the New Testament means by righteous. Righteousness means the quality of life that was lived by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
So John puts it like this: “Every one that doeth righteousness.” If you see people who are living the quality of life that was lived by the Lord Jesus Christ, you can know for certain, says John, that they are born of God—they could not do it otherwise. No one can really live the Sermon on the Mount until he or she is born again; the Sermon on the Mount is impossible to the natural man or woman. Indeed, the Christian life as a whole is impossible to such persons. It does not matter how good people are—they cannot live the Christian life. They can live a moral, ethical life up to a point, but they cannot live the Christian life, and the New Testament does not even ask them to. The New Testament standard of living for the Christian condemns the natural man and woman, and it should drive them to see the absolute necessity of the rebirth.
John reasons as follows: “If, then, we are born of God, does it not follow of necessity that we must be living a certain quality of life? If you are breaking the commandments and are living in sin, you cannot claim you are a child of God. The child of God must be living a different type of life.”
A Thought to Ponder: Righteousness means the quality of life that was lived by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
(From Children of God, p. 12, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Reconciled (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research) 3 Simple Reminders to Encourage Burned-Out Pastors 1 . It doesn’t all depend on you In preaching, it doesn’t all depend on you. For most preachers, this is good news, that is, that our preaching is not solely based on our study, our background, the way we communicate, or even the congregation—the place in which we speak. Really, it’s all about God. We have heard it said that it is all about God. It is all about God. All that we do, all that we have, all that we attempt to do is about God. The act of preaching itself is an act of worship. So what we do as we worship, as we preach, as we communicate God’s Word to God’s people, we do all that we have been required to do (i.e., we work with the text, pray, understand our listeners, exegete them, prepare a sermon that is clear and concise, and communicate God’s Word to them) and then we leave the rest up to God. We give it to God as an act of worship. Preaching is not dependent solely on us. That really is good news. It does not all depend on you as a preacher. For a lot of us who struggle in contexts where we think people are not hearing what we have to say, we may find out that weeks or years later that what we said and how we said it was something that has been a keen insight and an encouragement for growth for somebody, because it all doesn’t depend on us. And yet, as preachers, we know that we don’t give up the responsibility of doing all the work that we have to do—the study that we are called to do—because of all the gifts that God has given to us. But that is it isn’t it? It is God who gives gifts. It is God who has given us His Word. It is God who does His work. There is a mystery to preaching that I do not quite understand, because once we stand up to deliver God’s Word, it is set on the hearts of the people. When that happens, as we have prayed that God would work, the flint of God’s Word strikes the steel of people’s lives as Haddon Robinson says, some kind of spark takes place, and God does His work. So be encouraged, preachers. Be encouraged to know that the work that you do (i.e., the study that you do, the way that you stand and communicate to a congregation that you have understood and have tried to intersect with as you clearly communicate God’s Word to them) is well worth doing. It is assuring for us to know that God is the one who does the work. It is true. It is encouraging. It is freeing as well. In preaching, it does not all depend on you. 2. Preach as a dying man to dying men “I preached as never sure to preach again, as a dying man, to dying men.” You may have heard this statement before. It’s from Richard Baxter who wrote the Puritan classic The Reformed Pastor. He is telling us that every time he stepped into the pulpit he recognized that it could be his last sermon—one day it was. Baxter also recognized that it could be the listener’s last sermon—one day it was. The conviction of human mortality and the brevity of life drove him to speak clearly, with pastoral warmth, as one who kept watch over the souls of his people. The Bible uses various metaphors for the brevity of life: We are a shadow that passes. The span of our days is a hand-breadth. We are like grass that springs up in the morning but then withers in the afternoon. We are as thin as vapor. We preach to dying men and women. Baxter understood the brevity of life because he was a pastor. The minister who marries, buries, baptizes, and counsels lives with the awareness that life is brief. So Richard Baxter tells us to consider human mortality—ours and that of our listeners—to ignite our passions as we stand to teach the Word. Meditate on the brevity of your days so that you can preach like Richard Baxter: “as never sure to preach again, as a dying man, to dying men. 3. Be yourself when you preach This seems almost obvious; but when you stand up to preach, be yourself. Years ago when I first began preaching, the models I had were people who were orators. These were the kinds of folks who were featured at conferences and they would have a sense of speaking to the ages. So I copied them. I remember that after I had been preaching for about a year, a friend of mine who came to hear me said, “You know, it is interesting. When I talked to you on the way out here in the car, you talked one way. When you got up to preach, you talked another way. You are somebody else in the pulpit. You are not the person that I talked to in the car.” I thought about that and I think I began to change to try to be more of myself. When it really came home to me was when I was general director of the Christian Medical Dental Society. I spoke to groups of physicians and dentists. They are a tough audience. They don’t give you a lot of response. You give them your best joke and they show you two teeth. But I discovered that I could not have a strong, declarative way of talking at them. I had to talk with them. I had to interact with them in the way I spoke, in the way I tried to get stuff across. I discovered that they wouldn’t put up with somebody who was a phony, who was one thing when he stood in front of the group and another when he was interacting with them personally. I don’t think you can afford it. Be yourself when you preach. Be your best self—this is not a plea for sloppiness, for the use of slang, or the use of bad language—but be yourself. Ultimately, what people hear is not a sermon, not an outline. They hear you. So when you stand to speak, help people understand. You’ll be intense because you would be intense if you were speaking across a table to somebody. Don’t be afraid to laugh because you would do that if you were talking to somebody in your office. Don’t make someone else an idol in your life. God made you you. There has never been another person just like you, with your background, with your approach to life, with the things that you have seen and done. Be the same person in the car, at home, and in the pulpit. Therefore, since God has made you you, be yourself when you preach. |
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