A. THE GRANDFATHER MOSES
Grandfather – Moses – Lawgiver.
Father – Gershom – Undistinguished.
Good son – Jonathan – Prodigal priest.
“Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land” (Judges 18:30).
1. The accomplishments of Moses.
a. Leadership. What Moses did? “And by means of many miraculous signs, and wonders, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and back and forth through the wilderness for forty years” (Acts 7:36, NLB).
b. Ability. What Moses said. “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in word” (Acts 7:22).
c. Humble. Who Moses was. “Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3).
d. The Deliverer. How is Moses characterized?
e. Set up a place of worship. What was Moses’ most influential accomplishment? “Now it came to pass, when Moses had finished setting up the Tabernacle, that he anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings, and the altar and all its utensils; so he anointed them and consecrated them” (Num. 7:1).
2. Gershom: A famous father and an infamous son.
a. His name means stranger. Who was Gershom? “She (Zipporah) bore him a son, and he (Moses) called his name Gershom, for he said, ‘I have been a stranger in a strange land’” (Ex. 2:22).
b. The sons of famous men are not usually famous themselves.
B. JONATHAN: A GRANDSON’S FALL FROM GREATNESS
1. Jonathan was given a spiritual direction in life, but he didn’t follow it. His name means Jehovah has given.
2. Jonathan wanted, to be famous like his grandfather Moses, but apart from Moses integrity.
a. Jonathan sold out for money. “Micah said . . . I will give thee ten shekels of silver” (Judges 17:10).
b. Jonathan wanted security. “Micah said . . . I will give thee . . . a suit of apparel and thy victuals” (Judges 17:10).
3. Jonathan wanted to serve the Lord like his grandfather Moses, but was not called of God.
a. Moses was “called” by God at the burning bush, but Jonathan was “called” by a man named Micah. “Micah consecrated the Levite (Jonathan)” (Judges 18:12).
b. Jonathan yielded to pressure. “Six hundred warriors from the tribe of Dan stood outside the gates . . . they said, . . .‘come with us’” (Judges 18:16, 19, NLB). Those who serve the Lord for money, willingly change jobs when a better offer comes along. Jonathan’s response “His heart was glad” (Judges 18:20).
4. Jonathan wanted the vast influence of his grandfather Moses, but yielded to the influence of greed. “The men of Dan said, ‘Isn’t it better to be a priest for an entire tribe of Israel, than just for the household of one man?’” (Judges 18:19).
5. Jonathan wanted the supernatural power of his grandfather Moses, but was treated as a good luck charm. “Now know I the Lord will bless me, seeing I have hired a Levite as my priest” (Judges 17:13, ELT).
C. JONATHAN’S SIN
1. Incomplete obedience. He didn’t worship at Shiloh. “In Shiloh before the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle” (Joshua 19:31).
When a beginning preacher
gets away from the church
he is heading for trouble.
2. Obvious disobedience. He worshipped graven images. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images . . . thou shalt not bow down, nor serve them, for I the Lord thy God I am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generations” (Ex. 20:4-5).
3. Flagrant heresy. He created a separate house of worship. “All the time the house of God was in Shiloh” (18:31).
4. Arrogantly deceptive. He falsely claimed to speak for God. Jonathan told the Danites, “Go in peace, may the presence of the Lord be with you on your way” (Judges 18:6). But the Danites slaughtered, stole, and took hostages.
5. Perplexing question. How could Jonathan begin so high, yet fall into heresy and apostasy? He forgot his grandfather’s first law, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deut. 6:5).
D. HELPING A DOCTRINAL PRODIGAL
1. Pray. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in Heaven” (Matt. 18:19).
2. Be intentional in their life. “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).
3. Point out difference. “He who knows God, hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (I John 4:6).
4. Quietly explain (don’t argue). “Aquila and Priscilla . . . took him (Apollos) aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26).
5. Their reason to sin is usually not their root reason. “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness” (I Tim. 6:10).
6. Always love them. “But when he (the prodigal son) was still a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
All PBC lessons are available online at trbc.org/pbc. Go to www.Hopenow.tv for the current program schedule.
Dr. Towns’ email is eltowns@liberty.edu.
Dr. Towns’ web address is www.elmertowns.com.
