I Samuel 8
Samuel’s sons corruptverses 1-3
And it came to pass – when Samuel was old
that he made his sons judges over Israel
Now the name of his firstborn was Joel
and the name of the second was Abiah
they were judges in Beer-sheba
And his sons walked not in his ways
BUT turned aside after lucre
and took bribes – and perverted judgment
Elders of Israel ask for kingverses 4-5
THEN all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together
and came to Samuel to Ramah
and said to him
BEHOLD you are old
and your sons walk not in your ways
now make us a king to judge us
like all the nations
LORD tells Samuel to give them a kingverses 6-9
But the thing displeased Samuel
when they said
Give us a king to judge us
And Samuel prayed to the LORD
and the LORD said to Samuel
Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to you
FOR they have not REJECTED you
BUT they have REJECTED ME
that I should not reign over them
According to all the works which they have done since the day that
I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day
wherewith they have forsaken ME
and served other gods
so do they also to you
Now therefore hearken to their voice
howbeit yet protest solemnly to them
and show them the manner of the king that shall
reign over them
Samuel tells people what a king will doverses 10-18
And Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people
that asked of him a king
and he said:
This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you
he will take your sons – and appoint them for himself
for his chariots – and to be his horsemen
and some shall run before his chariots
he will appoint him captains over thousands, captains over fifties
and will set them to ear his ground – and to reap his harvest
and to make his instruments of war
and instruments of his chariots
he will take your daughters to be confectionaries – cooks – bakers
he will take your fields – vineyards – olive yards
even the best of them – and give them to his servants
he will take the tenth of your seed – vineyards
and give them to his officers – and to his servants
he will take your menservants – maidservants – goodliest young men
asses – and put them to his work
he will take the tenth of your sheep – and you shall be his servants
and you shall cry out in that day
BECAUSE of your king which you shall have chosen you
AND the LORD will not HEAR you in that day
People didn’t careverses 19-20
Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel
and they said
Nay – but we will have a king over us
that we also may be like all the nations
and that our king may judge us
and go out before us
and fight our battles
Samuel informs LORD of people’s reactionverses 21-22
And Samuel heard all the words of the people
and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD
And the LORD said to Samuel
Hearken to their voice – and make them a king
And Samuel said to the men of Israel
Go you every man unto his city
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. (1215 “lucre” [betsa] means goods or money obtained illegally, covetousness, unjust gain, gain acquired by violence, dishonest gain, greed, or plunder)
DEVOTION: Samuel followed in the steps of Eli regarding the raising of his sons. He didn’t seem to see their sins and wanted them to follow him in the office of prophet or priest.
He should have taken his sons before the elders if they would not listen to him and had his sons stoned according to the Law of Moses for children who would not honor their parents.
However, he was busy traveling each year to other cities as their judge and so was so busy that he left the raising of his sons to his wife. This was wrong. The husband was to take full responsibility for the raising of the sons according to the SHEMA. He was to set the example and train them in the process.
This is true even today. The responsibility is for both parents to raise the children but there are many warning to the fathers to make sure that they are raising their children right in the Word of God.
God hold fathers accountable for the family. It is not an easy responsibility especially for those fathers who didn’t have good examples in the life of their fathers. However, the LORD can still help any father dedicated to the task to train their children to honor the LORD.
I tell my children that it seems to be harder to raise children today than it was when I raised them because the temptations are much more available. It used to be that the educational system honored the wishes of the parents but today it doesn’t seem to be happening in our educational system. Also, many parents don’t want their children disciplined like it was in the time when I was in school and when my children were in school.
Plus today we have advocates that want the children to be independent of their parents for one reason or another and there are lawyers that will help them to be rebellious.
So we are not living in easy times for parents but with the help of the LORD it can be done. Grandparents have to be more involved today than ever before and they can be a good influence regarding spiritual upbringing or bad influences.
Some parents can do everything according to the instruction of the LORD and their children can rebel against them, their grandparents and the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Parents and grandparents will have to answer to the LORD for the way they are raising their children and grandchildren. Honor the LORD by raising them in the nurture and admonition of the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto you: for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. (3988 “rejected” [ma’ac] means to spurn, to disappear, abhor, cast away, contemn, despise, or disdain)
DEVOTION: Has anyone that you have helped ever treated you badly? Have family members every treated you poorly even though you have helped them many times? Are there people in your life that you have helped over and over and they still treat you with contempt?
Here we have God, who is the ruler of Israel, being treated with contempt. HE has delivered them from Egypt. HE has delivered them from the Philistines. HE is willing to continue to deliver them but they want a king instead.
Samuel comes to the LORD with the request of the people. They don’t want Samuel’s sons to be their judge because they are wicked. So they think that if they have another human being as their king, things will be better. What is wrong with their thinking?
One of the first things that a Biblical leader must learn is that when they are serving the LORD and following the LORD, the people around him might not follow him. The leader is not to feel bad, like Samuel, because they do not just abhor his advice but the advice of the LORD. There are many leaders that are not following the LORD. They say they are but are not.
The sons of Samuel fell into this category. There are some leaders today that fall into the category. However, there are many who are trying to serve the LORD and those who are supposed to be supporting them are not supporting them.
Samuel found the people not willing to follow his advice. The LORD told him to give them what they wanted. Sometimes the LORD gives us what we ask for and we find out later that we really, really didn’t want it.
The children of Israel wanted to be like the rest of the world and have a king. This upset Samuel and he took it personally. God reminded him that they were not despising him but the LORD. They were casting away God’s rule over their lives and kingdom for someone they could see.
The LORD sent Samuel with a warning to the people. HE told them that the king would take, take, take and take from then. Samuel also informed the children of Israel that when they were tired of a king and prayed to the LORD for a break, HE would not hear them.
Do we sometimes follow men we can see rather than the God of the Bible? Do we sometimes worship men rather than the LORD? How could we tell if this was happening? It would be easy – we spend more time listening to a person rather than the LORD through HIS Word, the BIBLE. Remember that we are to keep our eyes on the LORD. HE wants to reign in our lives daily!!!
CHALLENGE: Who do you spend more time with? LORD or TV or Sport or a good author? Does the LORD have any right to feel we are neglecting HIM?
: 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, wherewith they have forsaken ME, and served other gods, so do they also to you. (5800 “forsaken” [azab] means to leave, to leave behind, abandon, to depart from, neglect, or apostatize)
DEVOTION: The LORD knows the hearts of the majority of the people. HE knows the hearts of the elders or leaders of the people. Samuel had not trained his children right or if he had they had followed the ways of the people around them rather than their father.
So, the leaders wanted a king to judge rather than just a judge who answered to the LORD. They wanted to be like the other nations. They wanted to abandon the LORD and follow false gods instead of the one TRUE God. They thought the rest of the nations were better off then themselves. They were jealous of all the fun they were having instead of following the standards the LORD set down before them.
The LORD told Samuel they were just giving him the same treatment they were giving HIM. He thought he did a good job of judging the children of Israel. He thought he was pleasing the LORD and he was but the people didn’t care.
Good leaders want to please the LORD if they claim to be a follower of the LORD. These leaders were not willing to follow the LORD. They wanted to be like the culture around them. They wanted to follow only the rules that the people around them were following.
This is happening today in all of the countries of the world that used to want to follow the standard set in the Bible for their legal rules. Now everything is changing so everyone can do what is right in their own eyes. They are changing the laws to please the people instead of to please the LORD.
What happens when this happens in a nation? The nation goes into captivity because of their sin.
CHALLENGE: When you want something that displeases the LORD there is going to be judgment.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 18 And you shall cry out in that day because of your king which you shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. (2199 “cry out” [za’aq] means call for help, to summon, raise a battle cry, to utter aloud a request for help with intensity, send out a call to arms, or cry out in agony)
DEVOTION: Samuel gave a solemn warning to the people what the king would do to the nation if they chose to follow a king instead of the LORD. It is a long list that he gave to the elders of Israel. After they heard the list, they told Samuel they didn’t care. They wanted a king.
So, they refused to obey the LORD. They refused HIS leadership through HIS chosen judge. They wanted a king. Well, the LORD also told Samuel to tell them that they would regret their choice and come to him crying and HE told them that HE would not hear their prayers at that time.
HE would never give up on HIS people but HE would allow them to suffer for their choices. HE would allow them to reap the consequences of this choice. HE does the same to us at times as well.
We know what the LORD wants us to do in a given situation and we do just the opposite of obedience and expect HIM to always bail us out because we are one of HIS people, but HE allows us to face the consequences of our choices.
When we repent genuinely then HE will hear our prayers and send relief. HE always waits for HIS timing to answer our prayer and send relief. So, if we expect to not suffer for wrong choices, HE is informing the children of Israel and us that HE will not take away all suffering.
CHALLENGE: HE wants us to know that there are consequences to our poor choices. We all are going to make them at times. Confession needs to happen for HIM to restore our fellowship with HIM.
: 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. (1696 “rehearsed” [dabar] means to state emphatically and authoritatively, to speak, to promise, threaten, declare or warn)
DEVOTION: We know that the LORD knows everything but here we find that Samuel felt the need to restate to the LORD the desire of the people. He told the LORD that the people wanted a king just like the other nations around them. He told HIM that they were not satisfied with HIM being the one who was directing their actions.
We do the same today. We want someone to lead us other than the LORD on many occasions. We would rather have a human being leading us rather than us going to the LORD for direction in our daily life.
This was a mistake by the children of Israel as Samuel explained to them later but they still wanted to have a human lead them.
Today we have pastors and other leaders in our churches. The New Testament give instructions for every believer to follow. It is good to have leaders but we have direct instructions from the LORD and that should give us direction in our daily walk with HIM.
Too often we use human people as excuses, why we are not following the Bible. We think that God will allow excuses but HE has given HIS Word in the Bible and we need to read it and follow it.
Does that mean that we don’t need the church? NO!! The LORD has ordained the church but we are to not use the church leadership as an excuse when we know what the LORD expects of us and we are not obedient. Church leaders will answer to the LORD but as Samuel gave warning, we need to take warning regarding excuses for not being obedient to the revealed will of God in our life.
CHALLENGE: Don’t use excuses for disobedience. It doesn’t work with the LORD. HE has seen and heard it all.
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)
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)
Samuel prayed to the LORDverse 6
LORD tells Samuel to hearken to peopleverses 7, 9, 22
Samuel told words of the LORDverse 10
People will cry out to the LORDverse 18
Samuel told Israel the LORD would not hearverse 18
Samuel tells LORD words of Israelverse 21
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 6, 7, 10, 18, 21, 22
LORD rejectedverse 7
LORD forsakenverse 8
Words of the LORDverse 10
LORD will not hear compliant verse 18
Ears of the LORDverse 21
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)
Nationsverses 5, 20
Egyptverse 8
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Walked not with the LORDverses 3, 5
Turn aside after lucreverse 3
Took bribesverse 3
Perverted judgmentverse 3
Like other nationsverses 5, 20
Rejected LORDverse 7
Forsook LORDverse 8
Served other godsverse 8
Chosen a kingverse 18
Refused to obeyverse 19
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Prayerverse 6
Protest solemnlyverse 9
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Samuel is oldverses 1, 4-17
Elders came to him in Ramah
Told to hearken to voice of people
To show Israel manner of king
Take sons
Take daughters
Take fields
Take tenth
Take servants
Take tenth of sheep
Samuel’s sons judgesverses 1-3
Joel
Abiah
Son’s didn’t walk with LORD
Elders of Israelverses 4-20
Samuel is old
Sons don’t walk after the LORD
Want a king to judge them
Displeased Samuel
Want to be like other nations
King to judgeverses 5, 20
Actions of a kingverses 11-18
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
10–18 The “regulations of the kingship” described by Samuel (with God’s prompting and approval, v.10) were totally bereft of redeeming features and consisted only of oppressive requirements. Among the latter was the corvee (forced labor), including compulsory induction (“make them serve,” v.11) of both raw recruits (cf. Saul’s policy, 14:52) and laborers in field and foundry (v.12). Although common in the ancient world generally, the corvee was unknown in Israel during the time of the judges and was introduced there under the monarchy (cf. Mendelsohn, “Samuel’s Denunciation of Kingship,” p. 21, n. 33; id., “On Corvee Labor in Ancient Canaan and Israel,” BASOR 167 [1962]: 33).
The palace-to-be would acquire horses in great numbers (contrary to Deut 17:16), and the king’s chariots would need front runners (v.11; cf. the practice of Absalom [2 Sam 15:1] and Adonijah [1 Kings 1:5]). Reference (v.12) to commanders “of thousands and … of fifties” (probably shorthand for “thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens”; cf. Exod 18:21, 25; Deut 1:15) implies a huge standing army. The term “weapons of war” (v.12) would become so immediately recognizable that David would be able to use it as a figure of speech in his elegy for Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam 1:27). Women would not be exempt from conscription into royal service (v.13). Even in desperate times the king would always get his share (Amos 7:1)—a minimum of 10 percent of the income from field and flock (vv.15, 17).
Key words in the “regulations of the kingship” are “take” (vv.11, 13–17) and “best” (vv.14, 16). By nature, royalty is parasitic rather than giving, and kings are never satisfied with the worst. Although Israelite rulers were prohibited from expropriating family property (cf. Ezek 46:18), no such scruples applied to Canaanite rulers—as Ahab learned in the sordid case of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21:7). Garsiel (pp. 69–70) observes that although the king “takes” everything, Samuel reminds the people that he himself has “taken” nothing (12:3–4).
Samuel’s “regulations of the kingship,” which would not benefit the average Israelite, followed contemporary semifeudal Canaanite society. “In view of the evidence from the Akkadian texts from Ugarit it seems obvious that the Samuel summary of ‘the manner of the king’ does not constitute ‘a rewriting of history’ by a late opponent of kingship but represents an eloquent appeal to the people by a contemporary of Saul not to impose upon themselves a Canaanite institution alien to their own way of life” (Mendelsohn, “Samuel’s Denunciation of Kingship,” p. 22). Various aspects of the “regulations” would be implemented by Saul (22:6–19) and Absalom (2 Sam 15:1–6)—although Solomon would become the most notable offender. In the light of Samuel’s own record of fairness and honesty during his judgeship (cf. esp. 12:3–5), it is no wonder that he was alarmed at the prospect of setting up a typical Oriental monarchy in Israel.
If the “regulations of the kingship” attained full authority, the average Israelite would soon be little more than a chattel at the disposal of his monarch. The frequent occurrence of ʿeḇeḏ (“servant,” “slave”) thus sounds an especially ominous note (vv.14–15, “attendants”; v.16, “menservants”; v.17, “slaves”). In v.17 Samuel warned the people that they would “become” their king’s “slaves,” terminology employed elsewhere of bondage imposed by a conqueror (17:9, “become … subjects”; 27:12, “be … servant”; 2 Sam 8:2, 6, “became subject to”). Too late the Israelites would cry out to a God who would not answer (v.18)—unlike the days when Samuel was judge (7:8–9). (Youngblood, R. F. (1992). 1, 2 Samuel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 614). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
8:10–18. At last Samuel relented. He told the people God would give them what they wanted, but the king would be a despot, a demanding dictator who would enrich himself at the people’s expense. He would press them into his military and domestic enterprises (vv. 11–13, 16, 17). He would appropriate their properties to his own use (vv. 14, 16) and would inflict heavy taxes on them (vv. 15, 17). And when all this happened it would be too late to complain, for the people would have reaped the consequences of their own fleshly desires (v.18). Shortly after Saul ascended the throne many of these predictions came to pass (14:52) and continued to mark the long history of the monarchy in both Israel and Judah (2 Sam. 15:1; 1 Kings 12:12–15; 21:7). (Merrill, E. H. (1985). 1 Samuel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 439–440). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Paying for a king (1 Sam. 8:10–22). What’s true of individuals is true of nations: you take what you want from life and you pay for it. Under the kingship of Jehovah God, the nation had security and sufficiency as long as they obeyed Him, and His demands were not unreasonable. To obey God’s covenant meant to live a happy life as the Lord gave you all that you needed and more. But the key word in Samuel’s speech is take, not give. The king and his court had to be supported, so he would take their sons and daughters, their property, their harvests, and their flocks and herds. Their choice young men would serve in the army as well as in the king’s fields. Their daughters would cook and bake for the king. He would take their property and part of their harvest in order to feed the officials and servants in the royal household. While these things weren’t too evident under Saul and David, they were certainly obvious under Solomon (1 Kings 4:7–28). The day came when the people cried out for relief from the heavy yoke Solomon had put on them just to maintain the glory of his kingdom (12:1–4; see Jer. 22:13–17).
In spite of these warnings, the people insisted that God give them a king. Pleasing the Lord wasn’t the thing uppermost in their minds; what they wanted was guaranteed protection against their enemies. They wanted someone to judge them and fight their battles, someone they could see and follow. They found it too demanding to trust an invisible God and obey His wonderful commandments. In spite of all the Lord had done for Israel from the call of Abraham to the conquest of the Promised Land, they turned their back on Almighty God and chose to have a frail man to rule over them. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2001). Be successful (pp. 47–48). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor/Cook Communications.)
Ver. 11. And he said, this will he the manner of the king that shall reign over you, &c.] Not in which he ought to proceed, but what he will do: and this not the manner of one king, or of the first only, but of all of them, more or less; of kings in general, who are commonly inclined to arbitrary power. So Aristotle, in opposition to theocracy, describes a full and absolute kingdom, as he calls it, when aking does all things according to his will: and observes, that he that would have the mind or reason preside, would have God and the laws rule; but he that would have a man to reign, adds also a lust, or one led by his own lust: so it follows, he will take your sons, and appoint them for himself; for his own use and service, to wait upon him, to be his pages, or grooms, or guards: for his chariots; to take care of them, and drive them, though not without paying them for it; yet this being but a mean and servile employment, and what they should be obliged to, whether they would or no, is observed to shew the tyranny and bondage to which they would be subject, when their sons otherwise might be free men, and possessed of estates and carriages of their own: and to be his horsemen; or rather for his horses, to take care of them, and go out along with him, and attend his person, whether when going to war, or on pleasure: and some shall run before his chariots; be his running-footmen, being swift of foot, and trained up for that service; some are naturally swift, as Asahel was. Pliny speaks of some swifter than horses; and of the swiftness of some he elsewhere givesc many surprising instances. It seems as if it was usual to have 50 such men to run before them, see 2 Sam. 15:1. 1 Kings 1:6. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, pp. 450–451). 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!!)
But the predominance of the negative usages indicates that it is very easy for the acquisition of personal gain to become the ruling motive of one’s life, obscuring duty, honesty and the rights of others.
The contexts in which bāṣaʿ and beṣaʿ occur emphasize two points concerning the lust for personal gain. First, it is a special temptation to leaders, and those showing any predilection in that direction should be disqualified (Ex 18:21). The leader who succumbs to this temptation to use his position for his own ends will certainly play his people false (Ezk 22:27). Again, and again in the ot, it was the desire of the leaders for personal gain which led Israel into disaster (cf. I Sam 8:3; Isa 56:11; Jer 8:10; 22:17, etc.).
Secondly, lust for personal gain is in direct opposition to unselfish devotion to God (Ps 10:3; 119:36; Isa 33:15) and must inevitably destroy the person who succumbs to it (Prov 1:19; 15:27; Hab 2:9). Perhaps its most disastrous result is its tendency to dull the hearing of God’s word (Ezk 33:31). (Oswalt, J. N. (1999). 267 בָּצַע. (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke, Eds.)Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press.)
The Day of Atonement.
INSIGHT
In spite of God’s desire that we be holy, He is fully aware that we will not remain free from sin. But because God loves us and wants to be gracious to us, He provides a way for our sins to be forgiven.
In the Old Testament, the nation is cleansed from sin annually on the Day of Atonement. Since Christ has come, we may be cleansed moment by moment- whenever we ask for His cleansing mercy. (Quiet Walk)
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THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS THE WORK OF CHRIST
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 1 Corinthians 2:12
The Holy Spirit not only reveals the person—He also reveals the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The preaching of Christ, says Paul, is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks (1 Corinthians 1:23). These so-called wise men frequently stumble at the cross especially. You see, the preaching of the first disciples was not only that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, but that He came into the world in order to deal with the problem of sin. They taught that the meaning of His death upon the cross was not merely that He was arrested by the Romans at the instigation of the Pharisees and put to death by crucifixion. No; they taught also that God had made Him to be sin for us—it was a great transaction between the Father and the Son. To the philosophers this was nonsense. They did not understand because they did not receive the Holy Spirit. But “we,” says Paul again to the Corinthians, “have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Corinthians 2:12)
I want to ask a simple question here: Have you understood this matter of the atonement? Are you clear about the work of Christ? Do you see and know that the Lord Jesus Christ has taken your sins upon Himself and has died for them on the tree? If you are in difficulty, it is because you have not been enlightened by the Holy Spirit. The only way you can come to know this is not to try to understand it intellectually, but to ask God to enlighten you by the Spirit and to enable you to see and receive this truth as the Spirit unfolds the work of Christ.
A Thought to Ponder: Ask God to enlighten you by the Spirit.
(From Saved in Eternity, pp. 89-90, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Our Ministry to Angels
“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” (Ephesians 3:10)
There is “an innumerable company of angels” in heaven (Hebrews 12:22) who serve as “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).
At the same time, it is instructive to realize we also have a ministry to the angels. Despite their great power and knowledge, angels are not the “heirs of salvation” themselves and so will never personally experience that peculiar type of love and fellowship that we share with our Lord and Savior. Nevertheless, as personal beings with the free will to reject their role as God’s servants if they choose, they are intensely interested in our salvation. “Which things the angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:12).
In addition to serving for the protection and guidance of individual believers, apparently certain angels are also assigned by God to serve Christian congregations functioning corporately, especially in true local churches. Paul mentions the observing presence of angels in the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 11:10), for example.
In His letters to the seven representative churches, Christ addressed the individual angels of each church (Revelation 2:1, etc.). That these are heavenly angels (not human pastors or other human church leaders) seems probable from the fact that the word “angel” is used 65 other times in Revelation and always refers to real angels.
Finally, the words of our text for the day give a special incentive for our lives, for there we are reminded that it is through God’s dealings with “the church” that His holy angels are able to learn for themselves “the manifold wisdom of God.”
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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