From Foreigners to Family

Ephesians 2:11-22

From foreigners to family members, like us the Ephesian church members found unity and equality in Christ. Gentile believers, who were once alienated from Israel and from God, are now joined to both by the blood of Christ, who has removed the wall of separation represented by the law and has joined Jewish and Gentile believers together into “one body” — the Ephesian Church— and “one new man” —Christian Identity as opposed to ethnic identity— with direct access to God (Eph. 2:11-18). Gentiles, once strangers, can now be “fellow citizens” and members of the “household of God;” that is fellow citizens of Heaven with all true believers, and living stones in His holy Temple. To top it all off Christ is the Chief Cornerstone (Eph. 2:19-22; see 1 Peter 2:4-5).

Jesus “abolished” ended or made void the law by his death (Eph. 2:15) by fulfilling it (see Matt 5:17). He fulfilled it when he died on the cross for our sins, thus bringing the law to an end (see Rom 10:4).   — Portions from Wilmington’s Bible Handbook by Harold Wilmington

As a result of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we are reconciled and set into the Temple of God (Eph. 2:11-22). In the first half of this chapter, Paul has been telling us what God has done for sinners in general; now he discusses Jews and Gentiles in particular. God had made no messianic covenants with the Gentiles, but God had promised the Jews a kingdom. What is the status of Jews and Gentiles in God’s program today?

A. What the Gentiles Were (Eph. 2:11-12).

Historically, God made a distinction between Jews and Gentiles racially (1 Cor. 10:32), but not individually (Rom 10:11-13). This helped to preserve the nation of Israel. This is the former corporate condition of Gentiles apart from Christ. Christ brought fallen humanity out of alienation into a state of peace and unity with God.

      — The Gentiles were without Christ; that is, they had no promise of a Messiah.

      — They were not a part of the nation of Israel; in fact, the OT laws put a great gulf between Jews and Gentiles.

      — Instead of being "the people of God," the Gentiles were “aliens.”

      — They were strangers, without hope and without the true God in the world. Contrast this sad plight with the privileged position of Israel described in Rom 9:4-5.

      — Verse 13 sums up the Gentiles' condition in two words: "far off." While the problem of sinners in general (vv. 1-10) was spiritual death, the problem of the Gentiles in particular was spiritual distance from God and His blessings. Note in the Gospels that whenever Christ helped a Gentile, He did it at a distance (Matt 8:5-13; 15:22-28). Obviously, there is nothing we can do in and of ourselves to change this condition and state of affairs. God must act as our only means of hope.

B. What God Did (Eph. 2:13-17).

"But now" in v. 13 parallels "But God" in v. 4. When Christ died on the cross, He broke down every barrier that stood between Jews and Gentiles. In the Jewish temple, there was a wall that separated the "Court of the Gentiles" from the rest of the structure; and on this wall was a sign giving warning that any Gentile who passed beyond it would be killed. Jesus Christ tore down that wall!

      — He tore down the physical wall, for in Christ all are made one (v. 15, and see Gal 3:28-29).

      — He tore down the spiritual wall and brought the "far off" Gentiles near (v. 13).

      — He tore down the legal wall, for He fulfilled the Law in Himself and ended the reign of the Mosaic Law that separated Jews and Gentiles vv. 14-15).

Christ not only made peace between sinners and God (Rom 5:1), but He also made peace between Jews and Gentiles. He took sinful Jews and sinful Gentiles and through His cross made a "new man"-the church at Ephesus. Reconciliation is not a gradual process by which people become more acceptable to God over time. No, it is a decisive act, much like a legal verdict, in which believers are delivered from estrangement to harmony and fellowship with the Lord.

      — Keep in mind that the mystery of the church was revealed through Paul (as we shall see in chapter 3), and that it took some time for the Jewish Christians to understand God’s new program. For centuries, God had kept Jews and Gentiles separated, and the Jews had taught that the only way a Gentile could be brought near to God was by becoming a Jew. Now the truth was revealed that the cross of Christ condemns both Jews and Gentiles as sinners, but also reconciles to God in one body those that believe on Jesus.

C. What the Gentiles and Jews are Now (Eph. 2:18-22).

      — Both have access to the Father in the Spirit. Under the Jewish economy, only the high priest could go into the presence of God, and that only once a year. But in the new creation, every believer has the privilege of coming into the holy of holies (Heb. 10:19-25).

      — Both Jews and Gentiles now belong to “the household of God,” and the Jew can no longer claim greater privileges. It is through faith in His blood that Jews and Gentiles are justified.

      — Paul closes by picturing the church at Ephesus as a temple. This would be a fitting image not only for the Jews, who revered their holy temple at Jerusalem, but also for the Ephesians, who had the great temple of Diana in their city (Acts 19:21-41). Each believer is a living stone set into the temple (1 Peter 2:4-8). The apostles and prophets (NT prophets, 4:11)–symbols of the Word— are part of the foundation; they laid the foundation since they were the first to proclaim the message of Christ Who is the foundation of the local church (1 Cor. 3:11) and the “Chief Cornerstone” of the whole building.

      — The local churches today are living, growing temples; when this age is completed, Christ will return and take the temples to glory.

      — God dwelt in the Jewish tabernacle (Ex. 40:34), in Solomon’s temple (2 Chron. 7:1), in the temple of Christ’s body (John 1:14 and 2:18-22), and today in the individual believer (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and the local church (Eph. 2:21-22). What a privilege to be the very habitation of God through the Spirit! — (Excerpts from The Bible Exposition Commentary)

Perhaps more could be learned from these important activities of God and other like passages of Scripture to bring about unity and harmony among believers in modern NT churches. Ethnic division is a real issue in our world and in our country. Even in the churches ethnic division is very real. I know of churches with almost identical doctrinal statements, but they cannot get along or see eye to eye because they differ politically. One group may be relatively conservative politically and the other may have a few progressive leanings on just a few matters, and yet they find more to disagree on than they share in common. Again both groups say they believe the same truths, use the same denominational identity, use the same Bible, sing many of the same songs in their worship services, and subscribe to the same theological and philosophical positions. 

It appears their respective political positions are more important to each group than what they share in Jesus Christ. It appears they value the temporal far more than the eternal. It appears they cherish homogeneous congregations and fellowships far more than God’s family members who may be a little different than others. It appears they wish to hang on to anything that maintains the distinctions and divisions even though we believe the same fundamental truths. If I were guessing I would say much of this mutual inflexibility is rooted in fear and ignorance. People simply don’t talk constructively about these matters. They simply bark out their positions unwilling to hear the other person’s perspective. Everyone seems to be convinced their position is right. Each group can identify numerous passages in the Bible to support their position. There is little willingness to grow in perspective…too see things through the other person’s point of view. I know this to be true, because I have observed it for years. This is a painful reflection for me…. 

While I am not ecumenical, no not by any stretch of the imagination, it would be great to see churches of like faith and practice more ethnically diverse where the opportunities present themselves. Many more churches could become far more cosmopolitan if they really trusted God to build His churches. God has brought the world to live in the very shadow of our steeples, why not reach them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Why not strengthen our churches for cross culture evangelism? Why not demonstrate from Scripture how multicultural early NT churches were? Christ died to reconcile fallen humanity to God and God’s people into one family, God’s temple, and one citizenship. Who are we to stand in the way of that?   

The Advantage of a Government Shutdown!

Are there any advantages to a government shutdown? I know that sounds like a weird question when government shutdowns cause so much difficulty, uncertainty and chaos. How can something so disturbing to normal life have any good to offer? Yet, I still believe there are powerful lessons that can be learned from such a national crisis.

In the United States, a government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass or the President refuses to sign appropriations bills (budget) into law. That is legislation that will basically fund federal government operations and agencies for the fiscal year. This is actually the 21^st government shutdown in our national history! So, when was the last time a budget was passed in Congress? In the four decades since the current system for budgeting and spending has been in effect, Congress only managed to pass required appropriations bills four times! In fiscal 1977 (the first full fiscal year under the current system), 1989, 1995 and 1997. This is a record of gross failure.

What is the longest government shutdown? There was a long U.S. federal government shutdown in 1995–96. The 16-day-long shutdown of October 2013 was the third-longest government shutdown in U.S. history, after the 18-day shutdown in 1978 and the 21-day 1995–96 shutdown. So, 21 days was the longest in our national history before the 2018/2019 shutdown of 35 days. Will the next shutdown set a new record? Concerning....

Let me say with brilliant clarity I am an American Patriot. I have served my country for more then 13 years on Active Duty and as a civilian. I have visited and lived in many other countries, but I love these United States of America more than any. I am loyal to our republic and the three-branch system with checks and balances of power. I am NOT advocating for either party, and I mean NO disrespect to any elected officials! Unfortunately, the main news outlets seem to be content to merely assign blame...much like the two parties. I will not play that deceptive game or fall prey to their spin machines! Their antics only skew the real issues or leave them unaddressed altogether. If we are merely pointing fingers of blame, then we have been thoroughly duped by the mainstream media. Beware!

If we are asking questions like “Who is responsible for the government shutdown?” we are asking the wrong questions and giving the power to the wrong people. It is not that responsible individuals or parties are insignificant, but there is a far more pressing question. A better question would be, “What am I learning from this and other government shut downs?” I think a few things are obvious…. The government, our elected leaders, are not doing their jobs of leading and finding solutions that satisfy the requirements of law and the needs of the American people. Its not the Democrats or the Republicans fault! Its not a party issue primarily, but a failure of our elected officials to do their jobs…. There is a difference; pointing the finger of blame to another person or party is often a ploy to evade careful scrutiny. As a result ineptitude goes undetected...unexposed...continues in office while doing next to nothing. 

These offices and positions require working together (reaching across the else) to secure real solutions and not merely taking obstructionists positions to halt viable corrective measures. Both political parties are more concerned with their party (legacy, power, re-election, image) and not with the best courses of action for the country--the American people. Further it is a failure of the American people to hold them accountable at the polls. These are the leaders we elected and re-elected again and again, and they fail the country repeatedly. There is a formula for insanity analogy looming large presently.... We can make a difference at the polls. There is much more I could say here, but I must refrain.   

So, the advantage of the shutdowns is that they demonstrate in a punctuated manner that our elected officials on both sides of the isle are not representing the interests of the American people. The point here is not merely to assign blame…that solves NOTHING! My aim is to reaffirm where the real power is and to recognize the opportunities before us. The real crisis is not the shutdown, but the fact that we tolerate such failures from our elected officials. The shutdowns only reveal a much larger cancer eating away at the very fibers of our Republic. Beloved, this much should be extremely evident.  The question is, what are we going to do about it?

Well, what can I do? You can fall to your knees in prayer crying out to Almighty God to deliver us from such ineptitude and narcissism among national leaders. You can pray for a spirit of cooperation in Congress and a revived interest in the will of God for our nation. You could pray to God for national revival among real believers across the nation that will impact our views, values and abilities to influence the country for God’s glory. You can write your congressmen and express your concerns in a civil and respectful manner. Not merely complaining but offering workable solutions that could benefit the country as a whole. You could also vote intelligently in local, state, and national elections inviting the Spirit of God to lead you in these civil duties. You could also become the Daniel, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel of our times. All of these godly leaders influenced godless governments and leaders for the glory of God! Yes, I am saying the power is still with you and me to make a real difference in our national life. In the middle of all this despair...I want you to see that God is our hope, and He gave us a potent promise. “If my people which are called by My Name….” Once again, what are we going to do about it?

Scandalous Behavior in High Places

1 Samuel 2:11-21

Our recent US Presidents have certainly generated a good deal of negative press. The mere mentioning of their names revives memories of continuing investigations for unconstitutional, immoral and unethical behaviors. This is a pervasive theme throughout our federal and state governments. Whether it is Hillary Clinton’s Benghazi investigation or police brutality, everyone is justifiably more skeptical of public officials! The business world is another sector where scandals have made international news. Names like Martha Stewart, WorldCom, British Petroleum, Enron, Xerox, Volkswagen and too many others have been charged with illegal and unethical business practices. Though we are accustom to scandals related to the lives of entertainers still we find ourselves dumbfounded by the behaviors of ‘superstars’ like Bill Cosby, and NBC’s former anchorman Brian Williams. Such negative developments create unholy ripple effects in society!    

Unfortunately this kind of behavior is not limited to politics, business, and entertainment. It has also permeated the “religious” world. Catholic priests have been publicly charged with the horrible crime of sexually abusing children. The Anglican Church has a homosexual priest serving as the head bishop. Prominent television evangelists and other well-known religious leaders have been charged with double lives indulging in pornography, adultery, and homosexuality.

Never before in the history of our own culture have we experienced so much “wickedness in high places.” Surprisingly in contrast, the Bible indicates this is not new; throughout Israel’s colorful history God exposed sinful leaders for the whole world to see.

Lesson:

I.  The Scandalous Behavior of Eli’s Sons.   1Sam. 2:11-17

A.  THEY WERE WICKED SONS OF BELIAL.

   1.  Sons of The Priest and Judge.

Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were extremely wicked men. Eli served both as a judge and as high priest in Israel.

   2.  They Were Priests Also.   (2:12)

We first meet these men in the opening verses of the book of 1 Samuel, where they are also identified as "priests of the Lord" (1:3). Sadly, these two men did not measure up to the spiritual qualifications that God had established for spiritual leaders (Lev. 21:1-15). Rather than living righteous and holy lives, they were very wicked the “Sons of Belial.”(1 Sam. 2:12a).

   3.  They Knew Not the Lord.   (2:12)      

This phrase, “they knew not the LORD” is very revealing regarding their spiritual status.  Even though Eli’s sons had not turned from God to worship the false gods of Canaan, they did not know God personally. Even though they were involved in a religious profession as priests in the Tabernacle at Shiloh, they were not true followers of the Lord. (Getz)

   4.  Not All Jews Were Saved.

When Paul addressed the Jews in his epistle to the Romans, he made it clear that there are Jews who are Believers and those who are not. More specifically, Paul said: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: [29] But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Rom. 2:28-29).

 

Eli’s sons were not true Jews by God’s definition. They were no doubt circumcised according to the Law of Moses, but they had cold and calloused hearts. Their wickedness is almost incomprehensible.

B. THEY WERE DISRESPECTFUL OF GOD’S OFFERINGS.    1 Samuel 2:15-16

   1.  They Ignored Bible Guidance. Vs. 16

They Treating the Lord’s Offering with violent Contempt!  Moses had clearly outlined God's plan for the priests (Lev. 7:30-34). They were not to take the fat portions of the meat that was being offered. They were legally allowed to have the "breast" and the "right shoulder," but only after the fat portions of the sacrifice had been burned upon the altar.

  2.  They Established Personal Preferences.   Vs. 15

Instead, Eli's sons had set up their own rules in order to get the best meat while the sacrifice was being boiled (1 Sam. 2:13-14).

  3.  They Asserted Their Will.

But they took another step out of the will of God. We read that “Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.” (2:15). In addition, if anyone resisted, the servants would “take it by force” (2:16).

 

C.  THEY WERE LITERALLY ROBBING THE LORD.

   1.  Their Actions Were Robbery.

God was very displeased with Eli’s sons. God viewed their actions as taking for themselves what belonged to Him. As Keil & Delitzsch state: "To take the flesh of the sacrificial animal and roast it before the offering had been made, was a crime which was equivalent to a robbery of God."

   2.  Their Actions Were Frustrating Worship.  Vs. 17

But more so, these men were stealing the LORD’S offerings with zero appreciation for the worship of Jehovah. Not only were they taking from God what belonged to Him, but they were keeping people from offering sacrifices to atone for their sins. Consequently, what they did affected all Israel. They were treating with contempt what God had established as a means of having fellowship with His people and a way in which His people could have fellowship with Him. (Getz)

 “Just Suppose!” Though I cannot think of any contemporary illustration to describe the gravity of the sin Eli's sons committed, let me share one idea that may help. The church I serve has seventeen paid pastors. Suppose we ordered our secretaries to meet our people at the door on Sunday mornings and demand they give directly to the pastors the money they had planned to give to the Lord. Though what a person gives to the Lord financially has nothing to do with the forgiveness of sins, we would certainly be taking from God what belongs to Him and hindering our people from worshiping God. Though the Lord has given us biblical guidelines specifying that pastors should be paid from the offerings of the people (1 Tim. 5:17-18; Gal. 6:6), those salaries should be paid from a portion of the offerings after the money has been first and foremost given to God.—Gene Getz

This illustration, multiplied many times, describes the seriousness of the sin committed by Hophni and Phinehas. Such behavior grieved God. Sadly, modern so called servants of God are taking money people believe they are giving to God for themselves. This too is scandalously disrespectful of the God’s offering!  

To be sure God still uses imperfect Christians, but sin in our lives leads to serious consequences. God used Eli even though he at times disobeyed the Word of the Lord, and today God may even use us when we deliberately disobey Him. He honors His Word. But ultimately we’ll pay a serious price for our sins. We will eventually reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7).  Galatians 6:7, unmistakably says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

I know a number of former pastors who had built very prominent churches. Thousands of people professed faith in Christ under their preaching and ministries. At the same time, they were living scandalously immoral double lives. They got involved with pornography, their secretaries, and young ladies in their Christian schools, social media outlets, ladies they were counseling, and in some instances multiple affairs through dating services. But eventually their worlds came crashing down because sin had caught up with them. It always does! Unfortunately, too many of their confessions of sin and repentance were superficial, dishonest, and manipulative. Eventually, they lost their pastorates, some of them lost their marriages, and their families.   

Please do not misunderstand me. Not all crises of this nature are the result of sin. But in Eli’s case—the cause-effect relationship seems quite clear. These men violated God’s will again and again over lengthy periods of time. It did not all happen at once or suddenly…gradually their unrepentant sinfulness led to greater and deeper sin. Beloved, this should not surprise us. Really bad things do happen because God promises He will discipline His children who habitually practice sin (Heb. 12). In Corinth, some church members’ sins were so flagrant that God allowed them to become terribly ill and some of them actually died. In other words, God took them home to heaven prematurely. First Corinthians 11:30, clearly warns, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”

II. The Spiritual Development of Hannah’s Son.  1Sam. 2:18-21

A.  SAMUEL WAS GROWING PHYSICALLY. (2:18-19).

In stark contrast, little Samuel was growing up and ministering before the Lord in truth. In spite of the terrible wickedness and outright hypocrisy that existed in the tabernacle at Shiloh, Samuel continued his spiritual journey. Eli served as his mentor, even though his own sons were woefully wicked. As a young boy, he actually performed spiritual tasks alongside Hophni and Phinehas—“ministered before the LORD” (1 Sam. 2:18). Once a year when his parents traveled to Shiloh to worship, Hannah brought him a “little coat” she had made—obviously a bit larger each year to fit his growing body. (Getz)

B.  ELKANAH’S FAMILY WAS GROWING NUMERICALLY. (2:20-21)

And each year, Eli pronounced a blessing on Elkanah and Hannah, asking the Lord to give them more children to replace Samuel. God graciously responded to Eli’s prayers and blessed Hannah with “three sons and two daughters.” That is a five hundred percent increase on the initial investment of little Samuel. I love God’s math!

C.  SAMUEL WAS GROWING SPIRITUALLY. VS. 21

Meanwhile, we read, “The child Samuel grew before the LORD” (2:21). Again in spite of his immediate climate, circumstances, and culture this little servant was thriving in the Lord his God!

    1.  God Protected His Heart.

In some miraculous way, God protected young Samuel from being negatively influenced by the corruption that existed in the house of the Lord.

   2.  Hannah’s Prayers Shielded Him.

I have no problem believing that Hannah’s faithful prayers afforded him a measure of protection and grace. A godly mother’s and father’s prayers can still avail protection for our children in this evil permeated culture we must traverse. If we must send them off into the public school system and secular colleges, then please shield and guard them with your prayers!  

It is possible for children to grow up to be godly men and women, even though they have lived in an environment that is permeated with evil. This is one of the most encouraging principles that grow out of this unique story. In spite of his evil environment, Samuel continued to mature to become a man of God. If this could happen to this young man in his environment, it certainly can happen to our own children.  However, this does not happen automatically. We must adhere to God’s strategies, plans, and ways. Most importantly, we must live consistent Christian lives in front of our children from the very time they are born. We must dedicate them to the Lord early and pray for them consistently. It is also incumbent upon us to do all we can to protect them from evil influences without attempting to remove them completely from the broader society. This, of course, is one of the greatest challenges we face as parents in the world today. But, when we join together as Christian parents and encourage and pray for one another,  I am confident God will help us to bring up our children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). If this was possible in the first-century world, it is certainly possible in our deteriorating twenty-first century world.