How God validates you His servants

Numbers 17:1-5 "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel, and get from them a rod for each father’s household: twelve rods, from all their leaders according to their fathers’ households. You shall write each name on his rod, 3and write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for there is one rod for the head of each of their fathers’ households. 4“You shall then deposit them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you. 5“It will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you.” 

Perhaps you have come to today's blog, disappointed with life or disillusioned.  You are a Christian, you read your Bible and are doing all you can to serve the Lord - and yet it seems as if everything is against you.  Aaron in Numbers 16 and 17 would know what you are going through.  He had survived two major attacks on his character and ministry.  God speaks forth here in Numbers 17.  Nearly 15,000 people lost their lives as a result of the twin mutinies recorded in Numbers 16.  What God does for Aaron can truly offer encouragement to those who have been on the receiving end of attempted character assassinations. 

How does God validate those who serve Him?

1. God identifies with His servants.   Numbers 17:1-5
Notice what God says in Numbers 17:5 "Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you."  You and I have to remember that when people attack God's servants, they are attacking Him.  Jesus said that as much as is done to the least of His people, it is tantamount to being a direct attack upon Himself. (Matthew 18:1-10)  God has not hung you out to dry - He is fighting for you and will stand by your side through your difficult circumstance.  The Lord does not merely sympathize for you at a distance, he empathizes with you in close proximity to where you are at.  He is there with you.  At times he will speak loud and clear, and at other times His voice will be still and small, like with Elijah. (1 Kings 19:9-21)  He is there with you no matter what.  Remembers, Jesus said: "I'll never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

2. God indicates His servants.  Numbers 17:6-8
What God did to validate Aaron in front of the people was to have each of the twelve tribes bring a rod to place in the tent of testimony.  Each one was to write their name on the rod, with Aaron writing his name on the rod of Levi. (Numbers 17:3)  Moses did as God commanded and placed all of those rods as dead sticks in the tabernacle of God.  The next day when he went to retrieve them, eleven of them remained dead wood - however Aarons rod had budded!

God indicated his servant Aaron as a testimony to the whole nation!  Aaron's calling and ministry had the life and favor of God running through it.  His claims as Israel's High Priest were reinforced.  God was not ashamed of his man.  Woe to the others who would dare lay a hand on God's chosen man!  2 Corinthians 3:4-6 is a great verse to you who feel inadequate: "Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. 5Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

3. God immobilizes attacks upon His servants Numbers 17:9-13
The text tells us that when Moses' placed Aaron's rod before the Tent of Testimony as a sign against the rebels, they got the point! (Numbers 17:17:9-11).  As a matter of fact, the people stated in Numbers 17:12-13 "Then the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying! 13“Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, must die. Are we to perish completely?”

God totally immobilized the naysayers, he fought Aaron's battle - Aaron won in the Lord!  The great preacher Warren Wiersby has made this observation of the outcome of Aaron's Rod and the people's response here in Numbers 17: "The people were fearful after they they had seen this demonstration of God's power.  What the death of nearly 15,000 people could not do, the sole blossoming of a dead stick did accomplish."  What was the accomplishment?  The silencing of the enemy's lips. 

We know after this episode in Israel's history, Aaron was never spoken against ever again.  God demonstrated He was for Aaron, and understand He is for you too!  My prayer today is that this blog has encouraged you.  Do not fear, nor be dismayed, for greater is He (the Lord) in you who believes on Him, than he (Satan) that is in the world. 

Jesus Christ the forever standing mediator

Numbers 16:46-48 Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the LORD, the plague has begun!” 47Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked.

Brief review from yesterday
Yesterday we demonstrated the comparisons between Jesus and Aaron, Israel's first high priest.  We noted that in nearly 30 verses of the book of Hebrews, Aaron and the priesthood of Old Testament Israel stands as a type, a shadow, a pattern, of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 5:4-5)

Quick background of Numbers 16 - A Nation with two tragedies
In Numbers 16, tragedy had struck the nation of Israel not once but twice.  In Numbers 16:1-40 we see the rebellion of Korah, the great grandson of Levi, leading 250 men to mutiny against Moses and Aaron.  God judges them, resulting in their falling live into hell after being swallowed up by the earth.

In Numbers 16:41-50, the rest of the congregation responds the next day, accusing Moses and Aaron of killing God's people.  The Lord wants to wipe out the nation, however Moses and Aaron intercede. This is the eighth prayer recorded in the book of Numbers.  In this particular intercession of Moses on behalf of the people, he instructs Aaron, his brother and Israel's high priest, to make atonement and stave off the plague that had at that point wiped out nearly 15,000 people.     What Aaron does as mediator between God and the people provides some striking foreshadowings of Jesus Christ - the Forever Mediator who stands between the people and God. 

1. Satisfaction is made  Numbers 16:46
Numbers 16:46 tells us that Aaron went as Moses instructed: "make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the LORD"  To make atonement means to satisfy the wrath of God.  Thus Aaron, acting as a representative for the whole congregation, stood in the gap.  Only he and his actions could stop the plague of death.  Jesus Christ, the eternal High Priest, provided atonement, satisfaction (propitation) for the sins of the whole world that was to be applied to all who by grace through faith believe. (1 Timothy 4:10; 1 John 2:2).  Christ alone can protect the sinner from the plague of sin that leads to the second death - eternal punishment. (John 3:16)  Christ came to provide protection from the wrath of God that is coming on this world. (Romans 5:8-10; 1 Thessalonians 1:10).


2.Standing in the place of sinners Numbers 16:48b 
Numbers 16:48a states about Aaron: "48He took his stand between the dead and the living".  That phrase "He took His stand" refers to Aaron stationing himself, in firm resolve, not retreating until the wrath of God was complete.  Those rebels did not deserve Aaron's standing in their place, nonetheless he did it.  When Jesus Christ "took His stand", he did so not out of compulsion, but of His own accord. (John 10:17).  As the Good Shepherd He gave His life for the Sheep. (Acts 20:28).  He stood in the sinner's place - your place and mine, the innocent in place of the guilty, the wonderful in the place of the wicked - in order to bring us who believe unto God. (2 Coritnhains 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18)

3. Shutting down the wrath of God  Numbers 16:48b
In the NASB the text reads in Numbers 16:48b - so that the plague was checked.   In the original Hebrew we could literally translated this last phrase: "so that the plague was shut down".  Think about how the sinner who believes on Jesus Christ is exempted from the wrath of God.  The wrath of God is "shut down" for them.  They are not subject to due penalty - they are justified by faith, declared righteous with the righteousness earned for them by Jesus Christ. (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21)  Its as if around the cross is the Divinely dug fireline. 

All of those who huddle on the ground around that barren cross are untouched by the wrath of God flaming around the edges.  The circle is large in circumference, with room for you.  When you by grace through faith believe in Jesus Christ, you are admitted.  The flames cannot touch you.  In that circle around the cross blows the sweet breezes of Heaven, the cool winds of grace and grows the lush grasses of faith.  Outside the cross and its perimeter burns the wrath of God.  All who remain in their sin will never smell Heaven nor feel a gentle breeze. They will ever be in torment. 

Like the people in Numbers 16, only one could stay the plague - Aaron.  In a far more profound sense, only Christ, the Forever Standing Mediator, can stay the consequences of wrath upon those who by grace through faith believe on Him.  I pray you have so trusted in Him. 

Jesus Christ: The Supreme High Priest

Numbers 16:47-48 Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked.

Hebrews 5:4-5 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. 5So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him,“YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”;

Comparing Aaron (the Old Testament High Priest) and Jesus Christ 
Throughout the book of Hebrews we are treated to comparisons between Old Testament people and events to that of Jesus Christ.  One of those Old Testament figures that Hebrews uses to picture the person and work of Jesus Christ is Aaron.  Whenever a person, event or situation is used to illustrate Christ or a doctrine in the New Testament - we call that manner of illustration "typology".  A "type" or "typology" refers to a foreshadowing, a pattern, a form.  The person or doctrine that is being pointed to is what Bible teachers call "an anti-type". 

We see then in the above two scripture passages, Aaron, Israel's first high priest,  as a "type", and Christ, the eternal high priest, as the "anti-type".  Aaron's life, ministry and characteristics have points of commonality that point to the fuller and rich life, ministry and characteristics of Jesus Christ.  Aaron is the shadow, Christ is the substance.  With that said lets look at how the book of Hebrews uses Aaron to illustrate Jesus Christ, the Supreme High Priest.

1. Hebrews 1:3 refers to Jesus Christ having "provided purification for sins"

2. Hebrews 3:1 calls Christ the "High Priest of our confession"

3. Hebrews 4:14 calls Jesus the "High Priest who has passed through the heavens

How Jesus Christ is shown Supreme compared to Aaron and Melchizedek
These first three references use the title "High Priest" to describe Jesus Christ in His office as the believer's repesentative before God the Father.  This title of course would had reminded the Jewish readers of the high priestly office of Israel.  Of all the High Priests in Israel's history - none were considered greater than Aaron.  However as you go further into Hebrews, you will discover that the author will use the mysterious figure Melchizedek (who is perhaps none other than Jesus Himself) to illustrate a superior priesthood to that of Aaron's, with Jesus then revealed to be greatest!  

4. Hebrews 5:1-4 refers to Jesus as being "the appointed high priest", a desgination shared by Aaron in Hebrews 5:4.  With Hebrews 5:4 being the clearest statement of Aaron being "a type" of Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest, the book of Hebrews also uses another figure, Melchizedek, to reveal how Christ is superior to Aaron. Melchizedek was a priest that ministered to Abraham in Genesis 14, some 600 years before Aaron.  With Aaron as the main figure of comparison, and Melchizedek the secondary figure, the writer of Hebrews weaves for us a rich tapestry of how Jesus Christ is the Eternal High Priest.

5. Hebrews 6:20 tells us that Jesus is "high priest forever"

6. Hebrews 7:5, 11-22 we see Christ's eternal priesthood being unlimited by death, whereby Aaron's priesthood changed from one generation to the next due to death.   

7. In Hebrews 7:23-28 we see Christ the high priest who "is able to save to the uttermost".  As the comparison between Christ and Aaron proceeds (with Melechizedek as background comparison), the differences between both starts to exceed their similarities.

8. Hebrews 8:1-6 reveals how both Aaron and Christ represent not merely two priesthoods, but two completely different covenants - Old (Aaron) and New (Christ).  The point of Hebrews 8 is to show how Aaron's priesthood was temporary, whereas Christ's priesthood is a permanant priest hood.

9. Hebrews 9 and 10 finishes out the typology of Aaron and Christ by noting that Jesus alone could ascend and enter into heaven on behalf of the saints.  Israel's priesthood (the Levitical priesthood, led by Aaron) was limited to service in the earthly tabernacle of the Old Testament, bring into that sanctuary the blood of sheep and goats.  However Christ was able to enter the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood, cleansing the consciences of those who by grace through faith believed on Him.  Neither the Aaronic priesthood nor the Old Covenant system could cleanse the conscience of the worshipper. (Hebrews 9:14)

Jesus Christ, the Supreme High Priest
In all nearly 30 verses in Hebrews provides the powerful analogies between Aaron and Jesus.  Through it all we learn that Jesus Christ is the believer's Supreme High Priest, ever able to mediate between God and man.  Jesus Christ is the Eternal High Priest who passed through the Heavens, having sat down at the Father's right hand after providing purification for sins. (Hebrews 1-3)  He is the
Eternal High Priest, able to save to the uttermost, forever being the source of salvation to all who believe, world without end. (Hebrews 4-10) 

Experiencing Heaven on Earth

Hebrews 12:18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind

Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,

Experiencing Heaven on Earth in a dirt floor house
I'll never forget the time I went to visit a family at a broken down cinder-block shack.  On a dirt road on the outskirts of town lived a man, his wife and their four children in a house riddled with beer bottles, broken furniture and windows.

The house was a one bedroom with one mattress and a dirt floor.  It had one room with working electricity and no backdoor.  Over a period of weeks this family had been attending the nearby church and I had occasion to meet them in my travels.  The family was the poorest family I had ever met.  They each had one outfit, the husband had an amputated arm and the mother was on food stamps.  After several weeks of talking to the family, I went for a visit one Sunday afternoon.  I shared the Gospel with them.  The father was non-receptive, however the children (ages 6-12) were very receptive. 

I asked if they would like to pray to the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and trust Him as their Savior, Lord and treasure.  In the presence of the father and mother, sitting on the broken, mouse-eaten couch, the children and I knelt down on that dirt-floor living room. The Holy Spirit orchestrated the work in their hearts.  That day, as those children prayed with me in unison, outloud, we were experiencing a moment where Heaven came down to earth.  The dirt floor of that old run down shack became a mansion of salvation for those kids.  Hebrews 12:18-22 describes the miracle of salvation, and how the hopelesseness of the human condition can be reversed by the life changing power of Jesus Christ received by grace alone through faith alone.

Salvation is as much about Heaven coming down to me as me having the promise of someday going to Heaven
When I read Hebrews 12:18-22, I see salvation being described as involving two mountains, one valley and one miracle. 

Salvation's two mountains
On the day those children prayed to receive Christ, they made a journey from the slopes of Mount Sinai to Mount Zion.  Heaven came down to them, and through the cross they were by faith brought into the blessed hope of salvation. 

In Biblical history Mount Sinai was the mountain about which the nation of Israel was situated following their Exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 19-20)  God revealed His Law in a cloud of thunder and lightening on top of the mountain.  The people were not allowed to touch the Mountain, lest they die.  Mount Sinai is pictured as the Mountain of God's justice.  No hope, only judgment. 

Mount Zion is another name for the Heavenly Jerusalem or the abode where God is.  Both of these mountains are mentioned in Galatians 4:25-26 "Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother."

The Miracle of salvation
Quite literally the miracle of salvation is about the power of God in salvation coming down to us. Heaven's reality comes to me, through faith, by which I receive and believe on Christ.  I'm told that I must abandon the quest of trying to get to God through keeping the law.  This is the fool's errand of those camped around Sinai.  They think they can get to the God of the mountain, however He is too holy and they are too sinful. 

The Cross in the valley
The law of Sinai points to the cross of calvary.  Once I identify with Christ in His death - I die.  According to Romans 6:4-11, I'm buried and then raised with Him.  I have crossed the valley between these two mountains.   Between the mountain of God's justice and the mountain of God's grace lies a valley wherein the cross stands.  Lest the sinner by grace through faith leaves the slopes of judgment at Sinai to be declared dead at the cross and raised, they will never know the glory of Mount Zion. 

In the Old Testament the God of the Mountain came to dwell among the people.  In the New Testament the God dwelling among the people brings the people to the Mountain
So what results when the miracle of salvation has occured?  Notice the seven-fold description given by Hebrews 12:22-23:

1. Change of Address.  "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God. The heavenly Jerusalem".  I am now viewed as a citizen of heaven, and look forward to Jesus Christ's return.  (Philippians 3:20-21)

2. Change of spiritual environment. "And to myriads of angels".  Hebrews 1:14 tells us the angels of heaven are sent to serve and aid those who are believers in Christ.  I'm no longer under the power of the Kingdom of Darkness. (Ephesians 2:1-2)  The Kingdom of Heaven characterizes the disposition of my heart, with the Spirit's leading characterizing how I approach life. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

3. Change of identity. "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven".  As a Christian I have been seated in the heavenly realms in Christ and am an heir of God, a co-heir of Christ, a child of the King! (Romans 8:14-16; Ephesians 2:4-9)

4. Change in relationship to God. "And to God, the Judge of all,"  Once I was separated from God, now I am reconciled through Christ, by faith, to be brought unto God. (1 Peter 3:18) 

5. Change in spiritual condition.  "And to the spirits of the righteous made perfect".  This of course is speaking of those saints who have went on before us. Our spiritual condition is changed to partake in the same promises of salvation as they. (2 Peter 1:3-11)

6. Change in how I view Jesus. "And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant." Jesus Christ is more precious to me, my Savior, Lord and treasure.  (1 Peter 1:8; 2:1-9)

7. Change in the basis of my confidence. "And to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel."  My confidence in God lies not in what I have done, but His accomplishment, His righteousness and His blood cleansing me from the guilt and shame of my sin. (Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:9; Hebrews 9:14) 

In sum, we can close out today's blog with these words from a hymn entitled: "Heaven Came Down": "Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.  There at the cross the Savior made me whole.  My sins were washed away, and my night was turned to day.  Heaven came down and glory filled my soul". 

D.L Moody's thoughts on the Bible

Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food."

Today's blog is going to feature a statement about scripture written in the flyleaf of the Bible of famous 19th century evangelist D.L Moody.  It is so wonderfully encouraging and edifying that I felt it necessary to share it with you today dear reader.  Enjoy!

The Bible: The Book of Books

by D.L Moody

"The Bible reveals the mind of God, the state of man, the way of life, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers.  Read it to be wise.

 

It gives light to direct you, food to support  you and comfort to cheer you.  It is the traveler's map, the soldier's sword, the Christian's chart

 

In the Bible paradise is restored; heaven is opened; and the gates of hell are described.  Christ is its theme, our good its design and the glory of God its purpose.

 

The Bible should fill our memories, rule our hearts and guide our feet.  Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully.

 

It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, a river of pleasure.  It is given to us in life; it will be open in judgment and remembered forever.  It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor and condemns all who trifle with it.

 

The Bible sets forth two things: the cross and the throne.  The Old Testament points toward the cross.  The Gospels tell the story of the cross.  The Epistles point toward the throne.  The Book of Revelation tells the story of the throne.

 

The Old Testament tells us what sin leads to and ends with: 'Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse'. (Malachi 4:6)

 

The New Testament shows the way out of sin and ends like this: 'The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all'. (Revelation 22:21)"





Worse than hell

Revelation 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

For the past several days we have been exploring the terrible but true doctrine of hell in the Bible.  We have discovered the following about this place:

1. It is a place of unquenchable fire Mk 9:13; Ps 106:17-18

2. It is a place of everlasting fire Mt 18:18

3. It is a place of outer darkness Mt 25:47; Jude 11

4. It is a place that has gates or influence Mt 16:18; Ps 9:13; Is 38:10

5. It is a place were unbelievers are conscious Lk 16:25-28

6. It is a place of wailing & gnashing of teeth Mt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28

7. Place of constant burning and stench Mt 5:22, 29-30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 33, Mk 9:43; Lk 12:5

These are most of the references we find in the New Testament regarding the current destination of unbelievers.  In the Old Testament the word translated "hell" or "grave" is the Hebrew "Sheol" which points primarily to the realm of the dead.  In the New Testament the Greek word "hades" is used and we see a more nuanced understanding - lending itself to the progressive nature of God's revelation of topics in the Bible.  The word "hades", in addition to referring to the realm of the unbelieving dead, also carries with it the idea of being a "holding place" until judgment day. 

The Holding Cell until judgment day
In most of the places of the Old Testament and New Testament, we come to understand that unbelievers go to a place that the scripture commonly translates as "Hell".  However there is another place that though often lumped in with the current holding place until judgment, is actually a worse place. 

Think of the difference between a county jail and a state penitentury.  The county or local jail is often used to hold offenders until the final details of their sentence is handed down by the judge.  Once the legal system has sentenced the offender, they are taken to a high security facility that will house them for years, decades or life.    County jail is no doubt a horrible place, however the "State Pen" is even worse.  

For the past several days we have been focusing only on the holding cell - Hell.  Both Jesus and scripture reveal a far worse reality - the Lake of Fire.

The Lake of Fire - Worse than hell
In Matthew 25:41 we get a hint of this far worse place, wherein Jesus speak of the final judgment having unbelievers going into a place of unquenchable fire.  In Matthew 25 we see Jesus presiding over the final judgment, separating the "Sheep and the Goats".  It is here that we really get the sense of the awful truth of an even worse place.

In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John describes the Lake of Fire as a separate reality.  In the opening verse we quoted today at the beginning of this blog, "death and hades" are cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14).

The Book of Revelation describes this Lake of fire in the following ways:

1. Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that worked miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

2. Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

3. Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

4. Revelation 20:15 And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

5.Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.



Why there are times the Bible makes Hell and the Lake of Fire sound the same
Jesus will sometimes use the same descriptions in his references to both the current holding place and final place of judgment for unbelievers.  One of those images is that of a stinking place where the fire burns and the worm dies not.  This intense imagery utilized a well-known trash dump outside the city limits of First century Jerusalem known as "Gehenna".  It was a constantly burning place where people would dump trash, dead bodies and sanitation waste.  Worms and maggots would crawl through the flame scorched, smoke intoxicating trash heaps, lending further to the real-life imagery.  In fact this place had been around for centuries and had been also the site of human sacrifices in the Old Testament times.  Jesus of course alludes to this in passages such as Mark 9:44.  Quite frankly these references by Jesus could be used to describe the current holding place and the future final place of the condemned, being that the former will be cast into the latter.  (Revelation 20:14)

The first mention of the Lake of Fire
The Lake of Fire imagery of course invokes the vision of Daniel in Daniel 7:9-11 “I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. 10“A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him;  Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;  The court sat, and the books were opened. 11“Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire."

This worst of all places reveals ever more the urgency and greatness of the Gospel
Whenever we look at the most well-known passage of John 3:16, we should see even more how marvelous of a passage it is.  Not only is the promise of "not perishing" referring to faith in Jesus Christ as providing immunity from the wrath of God suffered in the current holding place of Hell, but also from the worse place of judgment - the Lake of Fire. 

Let the reader think back over the past couple of days in which we have covered the fairness of hell and the problems that can arise if Christians deny the doctrine.  Those arguments apply even moreso to this biblical teaching on the lake of fire.  

We should as Christians have a greater burden to see our loved ones, neighbors and co-workers won to saving faith in Christ.  As Christians, we should also be humbled and ever more thankful to the fact that God in His love and mercy decided to extend saving grace to us, to send His Son and to Sovereignly have His Spirit convict sinners such as us to freely believe on Jesus Christ.    May we go and tell others about Jesus Christ, so that they may believe and escape the wrath of God that is already on them, and that is coming. (John 3:36; 1 Thessalonians 1:10)


 
 

 

Why Hell is fair

Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!

We most recently looked at seven major problems that can arise when one denies the existence of hell.  Today we want to deal with an even more difficult issue: the fairness of hell. Jesus' account of the Rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 helps us to understand the difficult, but nonetheless true teaching about hell. Most of the blog today will be interacting with that text.

IS HELL TOO SEVERE OF A PUNISHMENT?

When we see the attitudes and words of this rich man in Luke 16, we can say with sadness that he got what he deserved. A brief study of that text yields to us three traits of not only that rich man but all of those who are currently suffering in Hell:

1. The rich man remained unrepentant. Luke 16:24
He wanted relief, he wanted comfort, however he was neither repentant nor did he confess any wrongdoing to God.

2. The rich man had re-occurring memories. Luke 16:25
Father Abraham reminds the rich man of how good he had it when he was on the earth.  The rich man furthermore still recalls his brothers' and father’s house.

3. The rich man still is rejecting God’s word. Luke 16:30
Just as he had done while on earth, he does all the more in Hell – namely reject God;s Word.  At Abraham’s statement about the Law and Prophets the Rich man screams out “No!”.  The rich man is still manufacturing his own version of salvation to prevent his brothers from coming to hell.    

We can say with sadness that the rich man is not repentant and that he is getting justice.  However many will ask: is it too much? is the punishment too severe? Consider the thoughts below:

 
1. Consider the Nature of the Offended
To deny the fairness of hell as punishment, as well as its eternal duration, is to not grasp the nature of the sinner's offense against God.  We have got to remember that all sin is ultimately an assault on God’s very character and reputation.   

Whenever an adult experiences a crime, society has set certain laws and punishment for the offender.  However have you ever noticed when a crime is committed against a child how society demands stricter punishment? Why?  Because the nature of the child is that of innocence, and the injustice is understood to be more offensive due to the nature of the child.  Think about God.  He is infinite and infinitely Holy. When we look at the concept of justice and punishment, the punishment of the offender always fits the nature of the offense committed against the offended.
 
 2. The nature of the offended party determines the nature of the punishment
If the offended party is a finite creature, then a finite punishment would be warranted. However, God is not finite, but infinite. To do violence to His reputation in any form is sin. Being that His reputation (His glory) is without limit, then any attack against Him is regarded an infinite attack. Humanity’s problem is two-fold – we minimize the enormity of sin and minimize the being and character of God. 

3. God is Just and Loving
Romans 9:22-23 reveals that it will take eternity to put on display the glory of God's justice and mercy. Heaven was created for the redeemed, since God through them will be displaying the glory of His mercy. Hell was created for the devil and his angels.  All of those who follow the enemy and die without Christ will end up there as well. Thus God will be displaying the glory of His justice for all eternity. So when we consider those three points above, we can only conclude that in light of the attack that sin is on God's infinite Holy character, Hell, sadly but truly, is not an unfair punishment.

IF THERE WAS NO HELL, WE WOULD NEVER KNOW IF GOD WAS A GOD OF JUSTICE When Christ suffered on the cross, He suffered God's wrath in the place of all who would ever believe on Him. He also suffered in the place of the rest of humanity to give them space and time for repentance - thus Christ's death in the historical sense was for all men.  In the eternal sense His death is to be applied to all who would ever believe. Thus God displayed His justice and grace in the cross. For those who die rejecting Christ, they will suffer in hell because they never took advantage of the grace poured out at the cross. (John 3:36) Thus as difficult as the doctrine of hell is, without it we could never say God is Just and fair. In order for God to be a good God, He has to be a Just and Loving God.