Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Psalm 111:1-10, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28
A). JESUS: A PROPHET LIKE MOSES.
Deuteronomy 18:15-20.
1. A Prophet raised up by God (Deuteronomy 18:15).
John the Baptist was asked, ‘Are you that Prophet?’ (John 1:21). His answer was an emphatic, ‘No!’ So people began to wonder if it was Jesus (John 6:14).
2. From your own people (Deuteronomy 18:15; Deuteronomy 18:18).
‘He came unto His own’ (John 1:11-12).
He was the desire of Israel (Deuteronomy 18:16-17).
Also, ‘the desire of nations’ (Haggai 2:7; cf. Matthew 2:2).
3. Like unto Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15).
Moses was persecuted in his birth. So was Jesus. The parallels between Pharaoh’s policy and Herod’s are uncanny.
Moses was a man of intercessory prayer. Jesus was the ultimate intermediary to stand between God and man (Deuteronomy 18:16): ‘that He may lay His hand upon both’ (Job 9:33).
Moses was willing to lay down his life in his people’s stead.
Jesus did! - thereby overcoming death on their behalf.
4. Unto Him you shall hearken (Deuteronomy 18:15).
‘Listen to Him’ (Matthew 17:5).
a) I will put my words in His mouth (Deuteronomy 18:18);
b) He shall speak to them all that I command Him (Deuteronomy 18:18; cf. Hebrews 1:1-2).
c) Jesus is the Prophet like unto Moses (John 6:14), and all His words are truth (John 14:6) (Deuteronomy 18:18).
5. Accountability: the need to obey Jesus (Deuteronomy 18:15; Deuteronomy 18:19).
# How can we hearken to that which we do not hear? (cf. Romans 10:14-15).
a) First, seek out a relationship with Him: for He has said, ‘My sheep hear my voice’ (John 10:27).
Jesus is called the Word of God (John 1:1). So is the Bible (Hebrews 4:12).
Search the Scriptures, for in them you will find the words of eternal life - and they testify of Jesus (John 5:39; John 6:68).
b) Thereafter, get into the habit of going to a quiet place, and stilling your heart (Habakkuk 2:1).
Ever since we took our first faltering steps in the Christian life, the childlike song ‘Read the Bible, pray every day’ has resonated with us. It is part of our life’s blood. Meditation upon what we have read is also profitable.
Mrs Wesley reportedly improvised a closet place in the midst of her busy family life by placing her apron over her head, thus shutting out all else and everyone else for a time of communion with God.
6. A warning against two kinds of false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:20).
a) Those who speak words not consistent with God’s words;
b) Those who speak words in the name of any other so-called ‘god.’
# How do we know it is His voice (cf. Deuteronomy 18:21-22)?
Try the spirits (1 John 4:1). Compare ‘spiritual things with spiritual’ (1 Corinthians 2:13), scriptural with scriptural. Is it consistent with Scripture? Is it consistent with what we know of the Person of Christ?
B). A COMMITMENT TO PRAISE THE LORD.
Psalm 111:1-10.
After the initial exhortation to “Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 111:1), this song forms an acrostic, using all twenty-two Hebrew letters in alphabetical order.
As for the Psalmist, he has determined: “I will praise the LORD with my whole heart” (Psalm 111:1).
The heart is a metaphor for the inner self. It is the wellspring of emotions (Exodus 4:14); the seat of conscience (1 Samuel 25:31; 2 Samuel 24:10); the place of understanding (1 Kings 3:9); and the residence of faith (Romans 10:9-10).
Our praise should thus be deeply personal: but it also gives expression “in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation” (Psalm 111:1).
Let us not forsake our gathering together as part of the congregation of the Lord (Hebrews 10:25). There our praises are mingled with that of our brethren throughout the world, and throughout all ages. There our praises are joined by those of angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven (cf. Hebrews 12:22-24).
‘Where two or three are gathered together’ (Matthew 18:20) in the Name of Jesus there He is, ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23), in the midst. It is even as He has promised: ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5); ‘behold I am with you, even to the end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20).
As we study “the works of the LORD” (Psalm 111:2), we come to know Him in His Person: but His acts arise out of His nature, not vice versa.
It is the light and glory of the sun that convinces me of the sun’s existence: but the sun existed long before my perception of it. The LORD’s “righteousness,” which is displayed so wonderfully in the Cross of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21), does not stop with this single act, but “endures for ever” (Psalm 111:3).
A recurring theme throughout this Psalm is “the wonderful works” of the LORD. The beauty of a rainbow, spanning a mountain glen, reminds us that He is “gracious and full of compassion” (Psalm 111:4).
As well as the work of Creation, there is the work of Providence, and the work of Redemption. He gives food to those who hold Him in awe, because He is mindful of His covenant with them (Psalm 111:5).
The power of His works is seen in His giving “the heritage of the nations” to Israel (Psalm 111:6). The meek shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).
As we contemplate these things, we can be sure also of His Word. He is faithful and just, so we can trust His precepts (Psalm 111:7). ‘Grass withers, and the flower fades away, but His Word endures forever’ (Isaiah 40:8); ‘and this is the Word which by the gospel is preached to you’ (1 Peter 1:25).
His precepts “stand fast forever” (Psalm 111:8). Jesus came not to abolish them, but to fulfil them (Matthew 5:17-18). It is He alone who has done them “in truth and righteousness” (Psalm 111:8).
The law was our schoolmaster, leading us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). Now we are partakers of the Redemption wrought by Him at Calvary. Through that one act - the giving of God’s only begotten Son to die for us, in our room and stead - the LORD has fulfilled His eternal covenant. “Holy and awesome is His Name” (Psalm 111:9).
Having studied the works of the LORD, the Psalmist concludes that reverencing the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. All those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever (Psalm 111:10).
C). A RIGHT USE OF FREEDOM.
1 Corinthians 8:1-13.
Faced with a difference of opinion concerning food which may (or may not) have been offered to idols, the Apostle Paul appears here to be addressing some of the slogans being used in the theological and ethical debate in Corinth.
The first slogan is, “We all have knowledge” (1 Corinthians 8:1). However, says the Apostle, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” In other words, a person who has ‘knowledge’ without LOVE is full of hot air!
The word for ‘knowledge’ is mentioned six times in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, but it is LOVE that is the primary thing. True, ‘agape’ love does not get puffed up (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:4). Whereas ‘love never fails;’ all our so-called ‘knowledge,’ by contrast, ‘will be ended’ (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:8).
Love is the foundation of the Christian faith. It is contained in the Jewish Shema: ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength (might)’ (Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus reads ‘mind’ for ‘might,’ and couples this commandment to love God with the command to ‘love your neighbour’ (Matthew 22:37-40).
Which all brings us back to the brother who might have concerns about food that may (or may not) have been sacrificed to idols. Whatever my position may be on a sensitive issue like this, it is not my place to dictate to the consciences of others: but rather to be considerate of the brother of the other opinion.
The Apostle John picks up the mantle, associating the true knowledge of God with love (cf. 1 John 4:7-8).
The second and third slogans are, “An idol has no real existence” and “there is no God but One” (1 Corinthians 8:4).
The LORD says, ‘No other god before Me’ (Exodus 20:3); followed by ‘No idols!’ (Exodus 20:4-6). Our knowledge of God is based in who He is: the one and only true and living God (cf. Deuteronomy 6:4). ‘For all the gods are idols dumb, which blinded nations fear’ (Psalm 96:5).
The Apostle Paul unfolds his argument by referring to the ‘so-called’ gods and lords in contrast to the One true God (1 Corinthians 8:5-6). The Apostle emphasises the Fatherhood of God “FROM whom are all things,” who is the goal and purpose of our existence. Paul also places “the one Lord Jesus Christ, THROUGH whom” we all have our existence, on a par with God the Father.
The Apostle John was still saying, ‘Little children, keep yourselves from idols’ (1 John 5:21) towards the end of his life.
The fourth slogan is, “Food does not bring us near to God” (1 Corinthians 8:8).
Yet it is not enough to have right theology if we are the cause of our brother’s stumbling. Not everybody understands our knowledge, and some new Christians in Corinth had a problem disassociating themselves from the customs of their old life. For some, old associations of ideas, from that old life, were hard to shake off (1 Corinthians 8:7).
Paul is clear. Whether we eat or not may be a matter of some indifference - to us - but what about the other brother? (1 Corinthians 8:8-10). In practise, is what we are doing (quite legitimately, we may argue) hurting someone else? Is our use of our legitimate liberty leading somebody else into sinning against their own conscience?
Paul says elsewhere, ‘It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak’ (Romans 14:21).
This is not just about meat or drink - or other such scruples, religious or otherwise - but about “the brother for whom Christ died” (1 Corinthians 8:11). It is so easy to make everything about US (OUR opinions, OUR freedom) without taking account of the havoc we are wreaking in the other’s life and walk.
‘Whatever is not of faith is sin’ to the doubting brother (Romans 14:23) - and if I thus cause my brother to sin against his conscience, I am in fact sinning against Christ (1 Corinthians 8:12)!
We have our own slogans, carted out every so often to justify ourselves in doing as we please: (e.g. ‘We are not under the law;’ ‘It is covered by the blood.’)
However, there is a more mature liberty which we might engage: the freedom NOT to do just as I please! If there is anything I do, however legitimate it may otherwise be, which causes my brother to offend: then says Paul, I will not do it (1 Corinthians 8:13)!
D). TEACHING THROUGH HEALING.
Mark 1:21-28.
As we re-read Mark’s Gospel - as we must, from time to time - we find it to be a Gospel of two halves. The first half tells of Jesus’ presentation to the people as an authoritative teacher (Mark 1:21-22), who also happened to use healing (or more explicitly here, exorcism) as a teaching device (Mark 1:27). The hinge between the two halves is the confession of Peter (Mark 8:29), after which the Lord started to prepare His inner circle of disciples for His Passion, Cross and Resurrection - a message which they were slow to receive (Mark 8:31-32; Mark 9:31-32; Mark 10:33-34; Mark 10:45). To a lesser or greater extent, the Cross casts its shadow over the whole narrative.
Timing is important, especially in the face of the heightened Messianic expectations of the people - and more so on account of their mistaken views as to what He had come to accomplish. This is why the unclean spirit was silenced (Mark 1:25). Even Jesus’ disciples were bound to silence (Mark 8:30). Jesus’ identity could not possibly be fully understood until the Cross event was passed - and then the first breakthrough in understanding would come from the unexpected lips of a Roman centurion (Mark 15:39).
It was the Sabbath and Jesus (‘as His custom was’ - cf. Luke 4:16), entered into the synagogue (Mark 1:21). It is good for us to meet together on the Lord’s day, for mutual edification (cf. Hebrews 10:25). But even when that is not possible, we must nurture regular habits of worship (cf. Revelation 1:10).
On this occasion, Jesus taught: “not as the scribes” (whose teaching consisted of tradition, quoting ‘Rabbi so-and-so who said that Rabbi such-and-such said that…’) but “as one that had authority” (Mark 1:22). Jesus’ authority is original, replacing even the ‘Thus says the LORD’ of the older prophets with ‘I say unto you’ (e.g. John 5:24).
Both the Temple and the synagogue were concerned about issues of ceremonial cleanliness. Yet there in the assembly was a man “with an unclean spirit” (Mark 1:23). We are not told the nature of his uncleanness, but it is starkly stated as something incongruous to his surroundings. Amazingly, it would seem, no-one had noticed.
At this point, the malevolent spirit cried out. Bad spirits always quake at the presence of “the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24), and there was certainly heightened activity in the spiritual realm on account of Jesus’ incarnation. Notice that Jesus did not deny the title, since it was true, but He rebuked the spirit for speaking out of turn (Mark 1:25).
The presence of Christians does trouble the spiritual forces of evil. Everything in their limited armoury is engaged to knock us off balance: if not by persecution, then by division; if not by division then by getting us to believe that they do not exist. We need to arm up for the fight (Ephesians 6:11-20), recognising our authority (Matthew 16:16-19).
The evil spirit was cast out, and the man was liberated (Mark 1:26). It is for this kind of liberation that Jesus came (cf. Luke 7:19-23). This stands as a token of His greater victory at Calvary.
Again the people were astonished: not only at Jesus’ teaching (Mark 1:22), but also on account of His complete authority over contrary spirits (Mark 1:27). They called it a “new” teaching - and there is no doubt that Jesus does teach through healing and exorcism. Yet the message (in this instance) is not in the miracle, but in the One who performed the miracle.
Given the need of men to seek out that which amazes, it is no wonder that Jesus’ fame “spread abroad” so rapidly (Mark 1:28). However, to be amazed is not the same as being converted. The crowds who followed Jesus proved fickle to the last. It is those ‘who endure to the end’ who are ultimately saved (Mark 13:13).
