Sunday, July 19, 2009
A VISIT FROM JOSEPH
Genesis 37
Joseph enters, wearing the coat of many colors…
I. A Story from Joseph
Good morning. I dropped by this morning to visit with you for a while. I especially want to talk to you young ones, though what I have to say won’t be too complicated for you adults either. So when I ask questions this morning, let’s give the young ones first opportunity to respond. By the way, do you know me? Why do you think I might be Joseph? The coat? The appearance and the voice are those of Pastor Ron, but the coat… Ah, the coat is the coat of Joseph. I heard someone call it “the rainbow coat.” Many of you grew up calling it “the coat of many colors.” Whatever you call it, it’s bright.
So let me ask you a question: Why am I, Joseph, wearing this coat? Yes, my dad gave it to me. And who is my dad? Jacob. Of course, I’m not Jacob’s only son. Do you know how many brothers I have? Yes, I have eleven brothers. Does anyone here have eleven brothers and sisters? I didn’t think so. I’m not the youngest, but almost. I have ten older brothers, and then there is one little brother named Benjamin.
Now let’s come back to my coat. This is not the kind of clothing that a man would wear for work. It’s a little bit too colorful and too fancy for hard work. So why do you think my dad would give me this coat? That’s right – I was his favorite. My dad was partial to me. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about my older brothers, but he certainly favored me. That’s why he gave me this special coat. I always got the feeling that my dad didn’t want me working very hard. He always tried to protect me.
By the way, why was I my dad’s favorite? Do you know? Well, it goes back a ways. My dad Jacob was a favorite child too. He was his mother’s favorite. His brother was his father’s favorite. You have heard that discussed lately, how Isaac favored Esau and Rebekah favored Jacob. Well, my dad Jacob did the very same thing. His favoritism actually started with my mom Rachel. My dad had another wife named Leah (Rachel’s older sister), but he always loved Rachel more. Well, since I was the first son of my mom Rachel, it was kind of natural that dad would favor me over all my older brothers. By the way, Benjamin is also the son of my mother Rachel. I guess you would say that Benjamin is my only full brother. You may ask, “Was Benjamin a favorite too?” Oh yes, but at this time, Benjamin was just a little fellow. Benjamin was 13 or 14 years younger than I.
Because Benjamin was so young, I suppose my older brothers didn’t mind Dad giving him a lot of attention, but it was different with me. My older brothers were not that much older, especially Zebulon and Issachar. They didn’t like me because Dad loved me more than he loved them. You can imagine what they thought when Dad made me this special coat and encouraged me to wear it. I didn’t have to work hard like my brothers.
Well, let me tell you one experience I had when I was a kid. I don’t remember exactly how old I was – maybe 13 or 14. Anyway, I had this dream. On this occasion, I was out in the field working with my brothers. We were harvesting the grain. The grain grows on tall stalks called sheaves. We would gather several sheaves and tie them together. It’s called “binding sheaves.” In my dream, my sheaf (stalk) stood up and the sheaves that my brothers had all came and bowed down to my sheaf. [Perhaps a picture on the overhead.] The dream was very real and hard to forget. When I got a chance, I told it to my older brothers. But they didn’t like my dream. They said, “Do you really think that you will rule over us?” I would have to say from that day forward my older brothers hated me. That seems like a strong word, but they did hate me.
It wasn’t very long until I had another dream. It was just as vivid as the first one. But this time the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me. Like before, I told the dream to my brothers, but this time I also told the dream to my dad. Even he didn’t like my dream. He said, “What kind of dream is that? Do you really think your mother and I and your brothers will come and bow down to you?” My brothers were jealous of me, but my dad kept on thinking about my dream.
That brings me to the big event that began to change the direction of my life. I was 17 at the time. My brothers were taking care of the sheep and the goats. In order to do that, they had to move around and find good pasture for them. Well, at that time, they had the flocks up around Shechem, which was over 50 miles north of us. You may wonder why I wasn’t with them. At 17, I was plenty old enough. Dad never really said, but I think he was protecting me. It seemed like he was always worried that something would happen to me. After mom died when she was giving birth to little Benjamin, Dad seemed to worry a lot about me. He liked to have me pretty close to home.
Since he hadn’t heard from my brothers in a while, he decided to send me to Shechem to check on them. I was glad to do whatever my dad told me to do, so I headed for Shechem. But when I got there, I couldn’t find my brothers anywhere. While I was out looking for them, a man saw me and asked me who I was looking for. I explained that I was looking for my brothers and their flocks. It turns out he had seen them and heard them talking about going to Dothan, which was another ten miles farther north. Sure enough, I found them at Dothan.
I didn’t know it at the time, but when they saw me coming, they started planning. You have to understand that my brothers could not stand me. Of course, I can kind of understand why they were jealous of me. It wasn’t right for my dad to love me more than them and to treat me better, but it wasn’t my fault he did that. It seemed pretty obvious that the brothers took out their bitterness and envy on me, and nothing demonstrates that more than what they did to me that day.
When I came to my brothers, they didn’t welcome me at all. Instead, they threw me in a pit. It was probably some kind of old cistern, kind of a well they used for collecting water. There wasn’t any water in it to speak of, but it was dirty and dark down there. Now just try to imagine how that would be. Try to picture yourself down at the bottom of that well, wondering what is going to happen next.
I didn’t find out until later that I was actually blessed to be in that well. Their original plan was to kill me and then throw me in. It was my oldest brother Reuben that took pity on me. He suggested they throw me in the pit instead of killing me right away. Actually, I’m not sure whether his greater concern was for me or for our dad. He knew what it would do to my father, if something happened to me. As the oldest son, he assumed extra responsibility for me. Reuben actually planned to come back later, get me out of the pit, and take me home to dad.
After they had put me in the pit, my brothers sat down to enjoy a meal. Yes, my brothers were pretty hardhearted at that point. Later, they admitted that they saw my great distress and heard me crying out for help, but they wouldn’t listen (see Gen. 42:21). They turned a deaf ear to my cries. I don’t know where Reuben had gone, but he wasn’t with the rest of my brothers. As the nine of them were eating, they saw a trading caravan approaching. They had camels carrying spices, perfume, and other goods. These Midianite merchants were on their way to Egypt. It was then that Judah came up with an idea that would get rid of me and also make them some money. The other brothers thought it was a great plan. Now they wouldn’t even have to kill me. So they sold me to the Midianites for twenty pieces of silver.
That left them with only one problem – what were they going to tell my dad? Remember that they were the sons of my dad Jacob, who until recently had been the deceiver, the tricky one, the one who cheated others. They learned their lessons well, because they came up with a very deceitful plan. They dipped my fancy coat in blood and sent it to Dad. When he saw it, he thought exactly what they hoped he would, that I had been eaten by some wild animal. My brothers didn’t have to say anything. They didn’t have to lie. But do you think they were lying? Even though they didn’t say, “Joseph was killed by a wild animal,” they deliberately led my dad to believe that’s what happened. The way they treated me was wrong and the way they deceived my dad was wrong.
I still don’t know if Reuben was in on their trickery. All I know is that when Reuben came back to get me out of the pit and take me home, I was gone. Was he ever upset! He was so upset that he tore his clothes. They was a sign of sorrow and despair. That’s exactly what my dad did when he saw my coat with the blood stains. His family tried to comfort him and tell him everything would be all right, but he didn’t listen. He said, “I will mourn over the death of my son until the day I die.” I’m thankful that God had other plans. But I’m getting ahead of my story.
After my brothers sold me, I traveled with the trading caravan until we got to Egypt. In Egypt the Midianites sold me to Potiphar. He was an official of the Pharaoh. The “Pharaoh” was like the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was the head man, and Potiphar was one of his main officials, the captain of the guard. I don’t know how much they sold me for, but I am assuming that they made a profit. They bought me from my brothers for 20 pieces of silver out in the middle of nowhere. Down in Egypt maybe they were able to sell me for 30 or 40 pieces of silver. Whatever the price, I was now the property of Potiphar.
So get this in your mind. I was 17 years old. I had been the favorite son of my father. I had the easy life, with Dad always taking care of me and giving me nice things like this coat of many colors. And now suddenly, I was a slave in Egypt. That would have been bad enough, but I had the constant memory of how I got there. My own brothers had sold me, and that was only because it was better for them than killing me. It appeared that life was over for me!
Now let’s pause for minute. Don’t you think my story is pretty exciting? It’s not every day that you meet someone who has been through what I went through. Wouldn’t you agree? Would anyone like to be sold by his brothers or sisters? Would anyone here like to be a slave in a foreign country, not knowing if you would ever see your beloved father and little brother again? Yes, I have quite a story.
II. Seeing Jesus through Joseph
But now I want us to look at another story that is kind of similar to mine. I am willing to say that none of you have been forced to face things like I faced. Of course, you are still young. We don’t know the future; you might have to face some difficult things. But I want you to know that there is one man who had it far worse than I ever did, but His story is a lot like mine. I would say that my story kind of prepares the way for His. When you look at my story, it ought to remind you of Him. Do you know who I am talking about? Yes, I’m talking about Jesus.
Most of you have probably never thought about how my story and the story of Jesus are alike, but I want you to think with me this morning. This will be a great way for you to think about Jesus, perhaps in some ways you haven’t thought before. Can anyone think of any way that Jesus’ story is like mine?
* [Take the coat off] Okay, I am removing the coat. Joseph is gone now. I am the Pastor you know me to be. I want to talk to you now about Jesus, whose story is like that of Joseph.
1. Dearly Loved by His Father
As we have seen, Joseph was greatly loved by his father Jacob. Yes, Jacob loved him more than his ten older brothers. That was wrong, and it caused a lot of problems. However, I want you to see that this is a picture of Jesus, who was greatly loved by His Father. I’m not talking about Jesus’ legal father Joseph, but about His Father in heaven. Remember that Jesus is the Son of God.
On two different occasions, there came a voice from heaven which said, “This is my beloved Son…” Can you remember when that was? The first time was when Jesus was baptized. There was this voice which said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). Who said it? Yes, it was God the Father. And who was He talking about? Jesus, the one who was being baptized. Can you hear the love in that voice? “This is my beloved Son.” It happened again later. Do you remember when it was? It was at what we call the Transfiguration. Jesus went up on a mountain and took Peter, James, and John with Him. While they were there Jesus was transfigured. That means that Jesus was changed. His sun was bright like the sun and His clothes became white as the brightest light. And then Moses and Elijah appeared with them. Moses and Elijah had died hundreds of years before, but they were there on the mountain with Jesus and those three apostles. It was then that a bright cloud came over them and they heard the voice: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him” (Matt. 17:5). Again, it was God the Father speaking about the Son whom He loved so much.
But now let’s ask a question. Did God the Father love Jesus more than He loved other people? The answer is “Yes.” But doesn’t the Bible say, “For God so loved the world…” Not like His Son Jesus. When we came into this world, we were sinners (Ps. 51:5; Eph. 2:1) and we were the enemies of God (Rom. 5:10). Our sins separated us from God (Is. 59:2). That was never true of Jesus. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2). Jesus had been one with His Father forever and ever and ever. No wonder He loved Him with a special love He had for no one else.
Now that isn’t the end of the story. There is a way that we can have the Father love us just like He loved Jesus. We read these words in Jesus’ prayer to the Father: "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me" (John 17:23). The Father loves a person like He loves Jesus when that person is “in Jesus.” When we are in Christ, we have been redeemed, justified, cleansed from sin, and made new.
So understand the picture. As Joseph was specially loved by his father Jacob, so Jesus was specially loved by God His Father. And He knew it. Jesus was well aware of this special love from His Father, just as Joseph was.
2. Spoke of Glory to Come
Let’s go back to the dreams of Joseph. Joseph had dreams about his future. We aren’t told how much stock Joseph put in those dreams. Did he believe those things would actually happen, that his brothers and father and mother would bow down to him? We don’t know. What we do know is that whether Joseph believed they would or not, they did indeed happen. We aren’t going to tell the rest of the story of Joseph this morning, but let me assure you that things happened just like the dreams said they would.
Did Jesus have dreams like that? Not that we know of. However, Jesus knew about things that were going to happen. There is much we could say, but let’s just say that Jesus knew that in the end He would die, be raised from the grave, and return to the glory He had known with His Father. On a number of occasions, Jesus actually told His disciples that they were going to Jerusalem, that the leaders were going to kill Him, and that He would be raised from the grave on the third day. They didn’t understand, but Jesus understood.
The time would come when Joseph would become second in command in all of Egypt. I don’t think he knew the details of that plan ahead of time, but that was the plan that God worked out. So it would be with Jesus. The day would come when Jesus would be exalted to the right hand of the Father. While Joseph didn’t know much about the details, Jesus knew more. He knew He would be glorified with the Father. Not too long ago we read from Matthew 26. Jesus was on trial before the Jewish leaders and spoke these words to the high priest: "Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" (Matt. 26:64). Jesus knew that such glory awaited Him. We read these words in Phil. 2:9-11…
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus didn’t speak those words, but He certainly knew that day was coming.
3. Seeking His Brothers
Remember that Jacob sent Joseph out to find his brothers. He had to travel over 60 miles before he found them. Well, Jesus had to travel a lot farther than that to find His brothers. He had to go all the way from heaven to earth, didn’t He?
But who are Jesus’ brothers? He did have four half brothers. They are mentioned in Matt. 13:55, "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?" These aren’t the brothers we are talking about. Referring to Himself, Jesus said, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” That’s me. I was lost, but Jesus came to find me, that I might become His brother. We read in Heb 2:11, "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren." When He finds a person and sets him apart, he becomes a brother (or sister) of Jesus.
Notice that Joseph’s father Jacob sent him to find his brothers. In the same way, God the Father sent Jesus into this world to find His brothers. Let’s read again I John 4:9-10…
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
We read twice that God sent His Son. He took our sins on Himself so that God’s punishment might be turned away from us.
4. Rejected
Joseph traveled all that way to find his brothers, and then what did they do? They threw him into the pit, sold him, and led his father to believe he was dead. They rejected their brother totally. In doing so, they caused great grief to his father as well.
That is the picture of Jesus. He came all the way from heaven to earth to seek the lost, and what happened to Him? Let’s read it in John 1:10-11, "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not." Jesus was not just any man; He was the One through whom the world was created. And yet the world refused to recognize Him. But it gets worse. “He came to His own, and His own received Him not.” “His own” speaks of His own people. Jesus was a Jew and He came and lived among the Jews, but they did not receive Him. As a matter of truth, it was the leaders of His own people that stirred the people up to say, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
Conclusion
Don’t you feel sorry for Joseph. The day would come when Joseph could look back and be thankful for every single thing that happened to him, including the way his brothers treated him and the fact that he was sold into slavery. And don’t you feel sorry for Jesus either. Yes, He was rejected, but let me say two things about that rejection.
First of all, it will not last forever. Most of the world today rejects the Lord Jesus. The world hates Him and treats Him terribly. Nevertheless, the day is coming when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Every person on earth will know that He is Lord and will bow down before Him.
The second thing about His rejection is this: not everyone rejects the Lord Jesus. Praise God that He does indeed seek and save the lost. He saved me and many others here this morning. We have become a part of His people. Though He is our Lord and King, He is also our brother. I don’t understand that, but I declare from the Word of God that it is true. Now we who are in Christ are also dearly loved by God our Father. And praise God, we will share in His glory! We will be with Him forever and ever. There in His presence we will worship Him together forever and ever and ever.
Those brothers who treated Joseph with such cruelty would be forgiven by Joseph. I know we are getting ahead of our story, but we must make it clear that Joseph forgave His brothers. But how could he forgive them when they did such a terrible thing? That’s nothing compared to what we have done to Jesus. You may be very young, but you have treated Jesus terribly. From the time you were very young and began to think, what did you think about the most? YOU. You learned to say “I” and “my” and you said it often. Your parents or someone else taught you about Jesus. You thought about Him for a while, but then you went right back to thinking about yourself. Your world has revolved around you. You may not have done terrible things like murder, but you have done the things that please you rather than the things that please God. That’s what sin is. Jesus came to seek you, to show you that your young life is a mess and it will get far worse until He rescues you.
You may think that Jesus died for big sinners, but I want you to know that He died for you. You may not think your sins are very bad, but they have separated you from God. You are the lost ones that Jesus came to seek and to save. Now your great need is to seek Him. As He stirs your heart and convicts you of sin, seek the Lord Jesus Christ. Repent and believe. Set your mind and your heart on Jesus. Think of Him instead of yourself. Learn everything you can about Him from God’s Word and cry out to Him to save you.
* This morning we have looked at Genesis 37 (our normal study of Genesis). However, we will only be hitting the highlights of Gen. 38-15, because the theme of our Bible School is the life of Joseph. Our Bible School will start two weeks from today, Lord willing. That will give you two weeks to read these 12 chapters (Gen. 39-50). That means we can cover the material by reading one chapter per day. I want to encourage you to get started and stick with it. You will find it exciting reading, whether you are young or old.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
More of Jacob's Life -- 7/12/09
Sunday, July 12, 2009
FINAL YEARS OF JACOB
Genesis 33-35, 38
We have been looking at the life of Jacob. As we have seen, the book of Genesis has a great deal to say about Jacob, as it did about his grandfather Abraham. The connecting link between them is Isaac, but he doesn’t receive as much coverage as his father Abraham and his son Jacob.
You will remember that the most significant event in Jacob’s life occurs in Genesis 32, where he wrestles with the angel of the Lord and his life is changed. This change is symbolized by the fact that the Lord renames him “Israel.” He is no longer “supplanter, deceiver, swindler,” but “the one who strives with God,” or “prince of God.” Though he had lived for about 95 years as the con man who was always looking out for himself, it was not too late for God to get hold of him and grant him a blessing greater than wives, children, and riches. Though he seemed to win the wrestling match with the angel of God, in reality it is the story of God winning the life of Jacob.
This morning, Lord willing, we are going to wrap up the life of Jacob, as we look primarily at chapters 33-35 and 38. We obviously won’t have time to read all these chapters, but I hope you will take time to read them during the next couple of weeks. This morning we will hit some of the highlights. We will read a few passages from these chapters and I will summarize other sections.
Before we begin reading, I want to remind you of one thing. The Bible is the Word of God and the Bible contains some very graphic and ugly stories. Some people question how those two facts could go together. Surely a book from God wouldn’t tell about such things. It is the inclusion of what I call “ugly stories” that confirms the truth that it is God’s Word. If I were producing a book and wanted to make God and His people look good, I guarantee you I would not include chapters 34 and 38 of Genesis. Rest assured that they do not make good bedtime stories for children. They underscore violence and immorality. Then why are they included in the Bible? Simply because that’s what happened. The more you read the Bible, the more you have to conclude that God does not cover up things. He reveals things the way they are. That is strong evidence that the Bible is exactly what it says it is – the God-breathed record of God’s revelation of Himself.
I. Jacob’s Movements in Later Life (33,35)
You will note that I continue to refer to this man as “Jacob,” rather than “Israel.” When God changed Abram’s name to “Abraham,” the Genesis account never uses the name “Abram” again, but it is different with Jacob. After his name is changed in chapter 32, the name “Jacob” occurs another 68 times in Genesis, while the name “Israel” occurs 39 times. People speculate about why, but we simply are not sure. At any rate, I will continue to call him by the name “Jacob,” but realizing that he is a changed Jacob. When I say that he is changed, that does not mean that he has become a perfect man overnight. In these stories, we will find evidence of a change, but also evidence of a struggle. Living as a con man for some 95 years does create some baggage that is not easy to shed.
Perhaps the simplest way to summarize chapters 33 and 35 is to take a look at the geographical movements of Jacob. So let’s begin with Peniel, the place where he wrestled with the angel. Though we cannot locate this place with pinpoint precision, we do know that it was close to the Jabbok River, because we are told in Gen. 32:22 that Jacob was transporting his family across the Jabbok. We also know that it is east of Succoth, because Jacob will stop at Succoth on his way to Canaan. (Show these places on the map).
After his experience of wrestling all night with the angel at Peniel, Jacob readied himself to meet Esau. He is still fearful, for there is no evidence that the outward situation has changed. He carefully arranges his family so that the servant girls Zilpah and Bilhah, along with their children, are in front; then Leah and her children; and finally his favored wife Rachel and her son Joseph. To his relief, Esau was coming to welcome him, not to kill him. Lets’ read it in Gen. 33:4, "And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept."
What joy these two brothers experienced. They were both very gracious in their treatment of one another. Jacob insisted that Esau keep all the gifts that he had sent to insure that he would find favor in his eyes (8-11). Jacob presented all of his family to his brother Esau. Instead of a major conflict, it was a joyful reunion. During those 20 years, God had not only changed Jacob, but he had obviously changed the heart of Esau toward his brother.
When it was time to depart from that place, Esau suggested that they travel together, but Jacob told Esau that he couldn’t keep up with him, due to the children and the flocks. While there was some truth to that statement, the children and the flocks made great time when they were fleeing from Laban (traveled as far in 10 days as Laban and his men did in 7). It seems that Jacob didn’t want to go with Esau, but he didn’t want to tell him that. Let’s read 33:14, "Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir." Jacob indicates that he will join Esau in Seir. Seir is another name for Edom, which is another name for Esau. It is located south of Moab (show on map) and is the place where Esau’s descendants would settle. It is not a part of the Promised Land. Jacob never went there, and apparently has no intention of going there. While Jacob is to be commended that he didn’t go to Edom but went to Canaan, where the Lord told him to go, he didn’t have the courage to be honest with Esau.
So from Peniel, Jacob journeyed to Succoth. Gen. 33:17, "And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth." It sounds like he stayed there for a while, but we don’t know how long. From Succoth, he made his way to Shechem. We are told specifically in verse 18 that Shechem was in the land of Canaan. Notice the account of Jacob leaving Laban back in Gen. 31:18, "And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan." His intention was to go back to the land of Canaan, the land that God had promised his grandfather Abraham, his father Isaac, and now Jacob himself. He was kind of slow getting there, as he stayed long enough in Succoth to build a house, but now he has come to Shechem, which is in the Promised Land. There he bought a piece of land. It is also here that we have the first record of Jacob building an altar.
For now we are going to skip chapter 34. Later we will come back to look at what happened while they were living at Shechem.
So now come to chapter 35. Let’s read 35:1, "And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother." What is the significance of Bethel? This is where God first appeared to Jacob almost 30 years earlier (one of the keys to understanding this time frame is considering how old Dinah must have been when she was raped). It was there that God made great promises to Jacob. Though Jacob recognized the presence of God at Bethel even back then, at that time he tried to bargain with God. Now God appears to Jacob and tells him to go back to Bethel, reminding him of that earlier appearance.
Don’t get the idea that Jacob has been on his way to Bethel all this time. After leaving Peniel, he stayed long enough in Succoth to build a house and shelter for his cattle. Then he went to Shechem, a pagan city that was not at all on the way to Bethel. We are not told specifically how long he was in Succoth and Shechem, but we are talking about a number of years. How do we know that? Chapter 34:1 tells us that Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land, and consequently she was raped. We would expect her to be at least 13 to 15 years of age. On the other hand, being younger than Joseph, she would have been less than 17, because Joseph was 17 when he was sold by his brothers in chapter 37. Dinah was born shortly before Joseph. That would make her six or seven years old when she and her family left Laban’s place. So we have seven to ten years between the time Jacob left Padanaram until he returns to Bethel.
While God had not told Jacob to return specifically to Bethel before this, He did say to him, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your kindred…” (Gen. 31:3). Notice how Jacob related this command when he was talking to his wives shortly after this: "I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred" (Gen. 31:13). God had reminded Jacob of that appearance. But at this point, Jacob had not even returned to his kindred. While he was in the land of Canaan, he had not moved back to where his family lived. We are not told why, but it seems to me that he was drawn to the city of Shechem for some reason.
Now when the Lord tells him to go back to Bethel, Jacob doesn’t put up any argument. I suspect the recent events at Shechem, which we will look at a bit later, softened his heart. He realized how desperate he needed the Lord. So Jacob immediately obeyed the Lord.
Notice that the first thing he told his family was, “Put away your strange gods, be clean, and change your garments.” These were outward acts that were to reflect a humble and clean heart. His family complied, handing over all their strange gods and their earrings, which obviously had something to do with idolatry. Remember that Rachel had earlier stolen the household gods, the images, from her father Laban. Now they are willing to give them all up, according to Jacob’s instruction.
It seems clear that though Jacob is a changed man, he still struggles with following the Lord. Perhaps he got busy taking care of his family and cattle. Maybe he was attracted to the big city lights. Nevertheless, when the Lord spoke to him, he obeyed. And finally, after all these years, Jacob takes seriously his responsibility as the head of the family. In no uncertain terms, he tells his family to get rid of their false gods and make themselves clean. You will notice that God didn’t have to tell Jacob to do this. He knew that he couldn’t go to Bethel to meet God while they were clinging to their images of false gods. True to his word (35:3), when Jacob arrived at Bethel, he built an altar. He called the place “Elbethel,” the God of Bethel, the God of the house of God.
Surely God was pleased with Jacob’s response. Let’s read God’s response in 35:9-12…
And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. 10. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12. And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
With the exception of the promise that kings would come from him, these are the same promises that were given to his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac and to Jacob himself when he had come to Bethel the first time. God had indeed been faithful to Jacob and promised to continue that faithfulness. We read in verse 14 that Jacob set up a pillar of stone and poured a drink offering and oil upon it. Jacob repeats what he had done almost 30 years before. His motives were less than pure the first time, but now he makes sure that he performs it from his heart.
When Jacob left Bethel, there is no hint that he was disobeying God in any way. It seems clear than God’s command to return to Bethel was long these lines: “Go to Bethel and stay there long enough to fulfill your vows.” The key was in his obedience to go. As verse 16 states, it wasn’t far from Bethel to Ephrath (about 17 miles). We see in verse 19 that Ephrath is the same as Bethlehem. It is here that Rachel dies. We will say more about her death later on. Though Rachel died during childbirth, the baby was fine. She named him Benoni, “son of my sorrow.” However, Jacob gave him the name Benjamin, “son of the right hand.”
After leaving the place of Rachel’s death, Jacob pitched his tent in the area of the tower of Edar. We don’t know the exact location, only that it was between Bethlehem (Ephrath) and Hebron. It was most likely a watchtower that shepherds used. And after a short stay there, “Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned” (35:26). Jacob has finally returned to his family. When he left for Padanaram, his father Isaac was living in Beersheba (show on map), but now he has moved about 25 miles northeast to Hebron.
We don’t know if this is the first time he saw his father since coming back. It is possible that he might have gone down to visit him while he was living in Shechem. It is interesting that we have back in 35:8 the record of the death of Deborah, who was Rebekah’s nurse. Where does she come from? At some point she has joined Jacob and his family, which indicates that there was some contact.
Chapter 35 ends with the record of Isaac’s death. Now don’t get the idea that Jacob arrived at Hebron just before the death of his father. At first glance, that is what we would think, but that is definitely not the case. How do we know? Because Joseph was 30 years old when his grandfather Isaac died. Here is a quick review…
…Isaac was 60 when Jacob was born
… Jacob was 90 when Joseph was born (gather this from the fact that Jacob was 130 when he came down to Egypt and spoke with Pharaoh; Joseph would have been 39 or 40 at the time)
…That would make Isaac 150 years older than Joseph. So when Isaac died, it would have been just before or just after Joseph became ruler in Egypt.
So why is Isaac’s death chronologically out of order? I think it is simply a way of closing out the last chapter of Isaac’s life. The last time Isaac figures in the story is his reunion with his son Jacob. The last time we see Jacob and Esau together is at the burial of their father. (Chapter 36 is a detailed account of the descendants of Esau.)
Now we are going to shift gears and look a little more closely at what Jacob must have been experiencing in these years. I want to title this second part of the message…
II. Jacob, A Man of Sorrows
Remember that God touched the life of Jacob in a real way at Peniel, as we saw in chapter 32. Surely that life-changing experience would smooth the way for Jacob. No doubt, his life had been full of turmoil for the first 95 years or so, but now he had come to know the God of his fathers. Now he could claim the Lord as his God. Surely the days of sorrow are over for Jacob. As we will see, that was not the case. Let’s just take time to look at some of the sorrows in the life of Israel, the new Jacob. Some of these events we have already seen, but some we haven’t.
1. The Defilement of Dinah (34:1-2)
While Jacob and his family were living in Shechem, we have a note about Dinah. The record of Genesis records Jacob as only having one daughter. There is one reference which might indicate that Jacob had other daughters. After Joseph’s brothers had sold him and led their father to believe that he was dead, we read these words in Gen. 37:35, "And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him." Notice the word “daughters” in the plural. But it seems strange that the record would mention the birth of Dinah and not the birth of other daughters. It’s possible that Dinah alone was mentioned in anticipation of the events of this chapter (34). It is also possible that Jacob had daughters after he left Padanaram. On the other hand, it is possible that this could be a reference to his daughters-in-law. (Possibly a reference to granddaughters, but probably not, since the oldest son would have been 23 a this time).
Now let’s read about Dinah here in Gen. 34:1-2, "And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her." “Defiled” isn’t a very strong word for us, but it was a strong biblical word. A modern writer might simply say that he raped her. Though the following verses tell us of how he loved Dinah, the truth is that he wronged her greatly. Notice how the brothers defend their violence in the last verse of the chapter: “And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?” (34:31). Not only did Shechem wrong Dinah personally, but he committed an act that was defiling to the whole family. 34:7, "And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done." Much will be written later in God’s law about such defilement.
Surely this brought great sorrow to Jacob, especially if Dinah was indeed his only daughter (if not, she was most likely his oldest daughter). Perhaps he also bore guilt because he allowed her to venture out as she did. On the other hand, Jacob may have known nothing of her actions until it was too late. Much could be said about the foolishness of a daughter who demands her independence at a young age.
2. The Violence of Levi and Simeon (34:3-31)
For Shechem there was a simple solution – just marry the girl. He claimed to love her and begged his dad to do whatever necessary to get her for his wife. So his dad Hamor went to Jacob and made that very request. Jacob heard about Shechem’s actions before his sons heard, but he chose not to say anything right away. Needless to say, when they found out, they were not happy. They came in just in time to get in on the conversations with Hamor, Shechem’s dad. Hamor told Jacob to please let Dinah marry Shechem. Not only that, but he suggested that their families begin to intermarry, which would allow Jacob and his family to take full advantage of the land. Shechem assured Jacob that he would pay whatever dowry was required.
Well, the brothers of Dinah also had a solution. Let’s read it in 34:13-17…
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister: 14. And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us: 15. But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised; 16. Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17. But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.
Believe it or not, Shechem and his father were able to convince the men to do it. The selling points were these: more choices for marriage and better business opportunities (perhaps with implications of doing some shady dealing). For their part, the brothers of Dinah were not at all honorable in their bargain. That is why verse 13 says that they answered deceitfully. They had a plan. We don’t know exactly what the plan was at the beginning, but we do know the end results. On the third day after all the men were circumcised, when they were still recovering, Levi and Simeon when into the town with their swords and killed all the males. After they had rescued Dinah out of the house of Shechem, the rest of their brothers joined them in looting the town. They took their animals, their possessions, their children, and their wives. The chapter closes with the words of verses 30-31…
And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. 31. And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?
This is not a high point in the history of Israel. There was no reason to use such violence. The crime was committed by the young man Shechem, not by all the men of the city. Later, God would give specific regulations that would forbid this kind of vengeance. Not only were they guilty of murder, but they also made a mockery out of circumcision, a sign that was given by God to confirm His covenant with His people. They took it and used it for their own selfish purposes. In effect, they used God to do something that God hated. Later on, we will see how Levi and Simeon paid dearly for what they did.
3. The Death of Deborah, Rebekah’s Nurse (35:8)
We have already referred to Deborah’s death, which is recorded in 35:8. The mention of it implies that Jacob’s mother Rebekah had died as well. Otherwise, her nurse Deborah would have still been with her. We don’t know how or when Jacob learned of his mother’s death, but when he did, it must have been very hard on him. While it is true that Rebekah was wrong in her attitude of favoritism and actions of deceit, Jacob no doubt cared deeply for her. Her death would have brought much sorrow to him.
4. The Death of Rachel (35:16-20)
Though Jacob loved his mother, a far greater loss was the death of his beloved wife Rachel. Remember that Rachel was Jacob’s favorite wife, the one for whom he gladly suggested that he serve Laban seven years. He ended up serving an additional seven years for her, but he never complained. Though his grief is not mentioned here, shortly before his death some 30 years later, the memory is still fresh in his mind (Gen. 48:7). I think it is safe to say that this was the greatest sorrow Jacob had ever known.
5. The Immorality and Unfaithfulness of Reuben (35:21-22)
We have seen what Jacob’s second and third sons Simeon and Levi did. What shame they brought on their dad. Now we come to Reuben, who was the firstborn, the one upon whom Jacob looked forward to giving the greatest blessing. Let’s read about Reuben in Gen 35:21-22, "And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. 22. And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve."
We are not told what was the motive of Reuben. Was it just lust, or something more? Some, comparing this to what Absolom would later do, believe that he was trying to take over the headship of the family. Regardless of Reuben’s motive, what a grief to his father Jacob. Imagine the firstborn doing something like that.
6. Joseph’s “Death” (37)
I am referring to this as “Joseph’s death,” though he would not die until 93 years later. But for Jacob, Joseph was dead. When he saw Joseph’s coat stained with blood, he was fully convinced in his mind that his beloved son was dead and that he would never see him again. It must have brought back memories of his beloved Rachel. His loss of Joseph helps us to understand why he was so reluctant to let Benjamin out of his sight. By the way, there is a debate about whether Benjamin had been born at this time. While it is true that his birth is recorded in chapter 35 before Joseph is sold in chapter, we know that there are some chronological misplacements, as seen by the death of Joseph at the end of chapter 35. Having said that, I still hold that Benjamin was alive at this time, but he was certainly much younger than Joseph. It seems he would have been less than four years old at this time.
7. The Tragedy of Judah (38)
Then we come to the tragedy of Judah, the forth son born to Jacob (by Leah). To learn this story, we have to go over to chapter 38. I am including it in today’s study in order to clear the way for the story of Joseph, which begins in chapter 37. It is interesting that the story is placed where it is. For that reason, some people have called it “The Judah Interlude.” However, it seems to be placed exactly where it came chronologically. We’ll talk about that a bit more in a minute. Besides its chronological placement, it also gives us a great contrast to the character of Joseph. How different Judah and Joseph were in the way they handled things. And finally, this story reveals how easy it would be for Jacob’s family to intermarry with the Canaanites around them. Later, God would specifically forbid such marriages, and we already have clues that His people knew it wasn’t His will. By taking His people down to Egypt, God would preserve their purity from Canaanite influences for 400 years. Judah gives us a graphic example of what happens when they intermarried with the Canaanites.
Alongside chapter 34, this is the other “ugly chapter” in Genesis. In Joseph we will see a wonderful picture of God-centered morality, in Judah we see just the opposite. Let’s read the very first verse of chapter 38: "And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah." Not only did Judah depart from his brothers physically and geographically, but he also departed from the way of life of Jacob’s family. Like Levi and Simeon had done, he would bring shame upon the family. At this nearby town of Adullam he found a wife named Shuah and they had three sons – Er, Onan, and Shelah. When Er was old enough, Judah found a wife for him, a young lady named Tamar.
It is at this point that we begin to see the character of Judah’s family. Because of Er’s wickedness, God killed him. By the way, the Creator of the universe does sometimes killed people. He did it here, He did it in the New Testament, and He still does it. Remember that it that culture it was very important for a man to have a son to whom he could give the inheritance and who would carry on his own name. But Er had been killed by the Lord before he could have a son. Judah instructed his second son Er, marry Tamar and raise up an heir for your brother Er. Onan married her, but he wouldn’t follow through on the son part because he knew the first son would be his brother’s heir and not his own. By the way, later the Lord would put this very principle in His law; it was called levirate marriage (see Deut. 25:5-6). The Lord was so displeased with Onan that He killed him too. We must understand the wickedness of Onan. He knew that the seed would not be his. If Er had no son to his name, his part of the inheritance would go to Onan. Now Judah has only one son left, his youngest Shelah.
Judah’s next move is recorded in 38:11, “Gen 38:11 "Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.” It seems obvious that it was to himself that he said, “Lest he die also, as his brothers did.” The NIV, NAS, and Amplified all bring this out by rendering it, “For he thought…” He had already lost two sons who had married Tamar, and he didn’t want to lose a third. Surely it would be safer to just keep him at home. But he did tell Tamar that when he was grown, he would give him to her.
Tamar took Judah at his word. She moved back home and lived as a widow. We read in verse 14 that she was wearing widow’s garments. Whatever they were, they distinguished her as a widow. In other words, she did not look for a husband, because she was waiting for Judah to keep his word. Shelah grew up. We also read that Judah’s wife (who is never given a name) also died. No doubt, it was difficult for Judah, having lost two of his three sons and now his wife.
Tamar gave up waiting and decided to take matters into her own hands. When she heard that Judah was going up to shear his sheep and goats, she saw her opportunity. It was customary to have a big feast in conjunction with the time of shearing. Tamar set aside her widow clothing and dressed herself like a prostitute, covering herself with a veil, which was convenient because it would assure that she would not be recognized. Judah saw her and made the arrangements. They agreed that her price would be a young goat from the flock. But Tamar asked that Judah give her a pledge, something that would guarantee he would send the kid later. When Judah asked, “What shall I give you for a pledge?” Tamar boldly suggested he give her his signet, bracelets (cord), and staff. In that day, a prominent man sealed documents with a seal he wore around his neck on a cord. In light of the context, Tamar’s request for his staff indicates that his walking stick also had identifying marks on it. So Jacob gave her his signet ring and cord, along with his staff.
After this brief encounter Jacob went back to the flock. He sent his friend Hirah to find the prostitute and give her the young goat they had agreed upon. Meanwhile, Tamar left and returned to her father’s house and widow’s clothing. So when Hirah asked about the prostitute, everyone assured him there had been no prostitute there. After a while he gave up, not wanting to ask too many questions under the circumstances. When he came back and told Judah, he agreed it would be best to just let her keep the pledge tokens he had given her.
Three months later Judah found out that Tamar was pregnant as a result of prostitution. Judah’s response was immediate: “Bring her and let her be burned.” But when they brought her, she sent this message to her father-in-law Judah: “I am pregnant by the man who owns this signet ring and cord and staff. Can you tell me whose these are?” Now verse 26, "And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.” Not only had Judah practiced immorality, but he had failed to keep his word to Tamar. He had put his own fears and selfishness above her need for a son.
It came to pass that Tamar brought forth twins, whose names were Pharez and Zerah. What a story. It would be an ugly story under any circumstances, but bear in mind that this is a son of Jacob. And he is not just any son of Jacob. What is most significant about this particular son Judah? Yes, he is the one through whom Jesus would come. Of the twelve sons of Jacob, it is Judah who is in the ancestral line of the Messiah. Not only is Judah mentioned in the Luke’s account of Jesus’ ancestry, but also Tamar. What a powerful picture of God’s grace and redemption! What Judah did was wrong, and what Tamar did was wrong. Nevertheless, both are included in the genealogy of Jesus. God is not putting His stamp of approval on their actions; He is emphasizing that no one is beyond His reach. God has chosen to use fallen men and women in His plan.
How do you think this affected Jacob when he heard it? Surely it broke his heart.
8. Isaac’s Death (35:28-29)
We have already read the account of Isaac’s death in 35:28-29, even though it occurred long after chapter 37. At first, we might think that Isaac’s death wouldn’t be hard on Jacob at all. After all, Isaac favored Esau. There is no hint that he planned to give Jacob any kind of blessing at all. Nevertheless, he was still Jacob’s father. On the other hand, the fact of the favoritism likely made it even harder for Jacob. How he must have grieved over the messed-up relationship with which he had grown up. Though he was away from his father for over twenty years, remember that he didn’t leave the vicinity of his immediate family until he was over 75. Many of his memories were not pleasant.
Conclusion
Surely you can understand why I have been referring to Jacob as a man of sorrows. But in the midst of it all, the man trusted God. Even when Rachel died, he marked her grave with a pillar and then “Israel journeyed…” (35:21). Though he was crushed, he moved on. Perhaps it is significant that his new name “Israel” is used at this point. Though his pain was almost unbearable, he was a man who continued to strive with God.
Isn’t it amazing how God can choose to bless us in spite of our failures. We find that to be true with Jacob and with Judah. In spite of all Jacob’s failures, He still inherited all the great promises that began with Abraham. He was the father of the twelve tribes. Judah was one of the direct ancestors of Jesus, the Messiah. And what about Levi? After what he did, God still blessed him by making him the father of the priestly tribe. It is said of the Levites that the Lord Himself was their inheritance (Deut. 10:9).
I can testify that God is still in the business of blessing people in spite of their failures. I have failed God on many occasions. My failures haven’t been as much about committing acts of sin as great omissions. But the Word says that to him who knows to do good and doesn’t do it, it is sin (James 4:17). How many times I have failed to grasp the opportunities God has given me to serve Him, and yet He continues to bless me beyond measure. Can anyone else testify to that truth.
If that is true, let’s ask the Lord to keep on blessing us. But let’s be specific. Let’s ask Him to bless us by making us a blessing to others. That is in perfect harmony with the promise God first gave to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, when He said, “And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” That promise was fulfilled and is being fulfilled through the Lord Jesus Christ, who was a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We have been blessed through Him. Now let’s pray that the Lord will continue to bless others through us who belong to Him. That is our privilege, to be a blessing to others.
FINAL YEARS OF JACOB
Genesis 33-35, 38
We have been looking at the life of Jacob. As we have seen, the book of Genesis has a great deal to say about Jacob, as it did about his grandfather Abraham. The connecting link between them is Isaac, but he doesn’t receive as much coverage as his father Abraham and his son Jacob.
You will remember that the most significant event in Jacob’s life occurs in Genesis 32, where he wrestles with the angel of the Lord and his life is changed. This change is symbolized by the fact that the Lord renames him “Israel.” He is no longer “supplanter, deceiver, swindler,” but “the one who strives with God,” or “prince of God.” Though he had lived for about 95 years as the con man who was always looking out for himself, it was not too late for God to get hold of him and grant him a blessing greater than wives, children, and riches. Though he seemed to win the wrestling match with the angel of God, in reality it is the story of God winning the life of Jacob.
This morning, Lord willing, we are going to wrap up the life of Jacob, as we look primarily at chapters 33-35 and 38. We obviously won’t have time to read all these chapters, but I hope you will take time to read them during the next couple of weeks. This morning we will hit some of the highlights. We will read a few passages from these chapters and I will summarize other sections.
Before we begin reading, I want to remind you of one thing. The Bible is the Word of God and the Bible contains some very graphic and ugly stories. Some people question how those two facts could go together. Surely a book from God wouldn’t tell about such things. It is the inclusion of what I call “ugly stories” that confirms the truth that it is God’s Word. If I were producing a book and wanted to make God and His people look good, I guarantee you I would not include chapters 34 and 38 of Genesis. Rest assured that they do not make good bedtime stories for children. They underscore violence and immorality. Then why are they included in the Bible? Simply because that’s what happened. The more you read the Bible, the more you have to conclude that God does not cover up things. He reveals things the way they are. That is strong evidence that the Bible is exactly what it says it is – the God-breathed record of God’s revelation of Himself.
I. Jacob’s Movements in Later Life (33,35)
You will note that I continue to refer to this man as “Jacob,” rather than “Israel.” When God changed Abram’s name to “Abraham,” the Genesis account never uses the name “Abram” again, but it is different with Jacob. After his name is changed in chapter 32, the name “Jacob” occurs another 68 times in Genesis, while the name “Israel” occurs 39 times. People speculate about why, but we simply are not sure. At any rate, I will continue to call him by the name “Jacob,” but realizing that he is a changed Jacob. When I say that he is changed, that does not mean that he has become a perfect man overnight. In these stories, we will find evidence of a change, but also evidence of a struggle. Living as a con man for some 95 years does create some baggage that is not easy to shed.
Perhaps the simplest way to summarize chapters 33 and 35 is to take a look at the geographical movements of Jacob. So let’s begin with Peniel, the place where he wrestled with the angel. Though we cannot locate this place with pinpoint precision, we do know that it was close to the Jabbok River, because we are told in Gen. 32:22 that Jacob was transporting his family across the Jabbok. We also know that it is east of Succoth, because Jacob will stop at Succoth on his way to Canaan. (Show these places on the map).
After his experience of wrestling all night with the angel at Peniel, Jacob readied himself to meet Esau. He is still fearful, for there is no evidence that the outward situation has changed. He carefully arranges his family so that the servant girls Zilpah and Bilhah, along with their children, are in front; then Leah and her children; and finally his favored wife Rachel and her son Joseph. To his relief, Esau was coming to welcome him, not to kill him. Lets’ read it in Gen. 33:4, "And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept."
What joy these two brothers experienced. They were both very gracious in their treatment of one another. Jacob insisted that Esau keep all the gifts that he had sent to insure that he would find favor in his eyes (8-11). Jacob presented all of his family to his brother Esau. Instead of a major conflict, it was a joyful reunion. During those 20 years, God had not only changed Jacob, but he had obviously changed the heart of Esau toward his brother.
When it was time to depart from that place, Esau suggested that they travel together, but Jacob told Esau that he couldn’t keep up with him, due to the children and the flocks. While there was some truth to that statement, the children and the flocks made great time when they were fleeing from Laban (traveled as far in 10 days as Laban and his men did in 7). It seems that Jacob didn’t want to go with Esau, but he didn’t want to tell him that. Let’s read 33:14, "Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir." Jacob indicates that he will join Esau in Seir. Seir is another name for Edom, which is another name for Esau. It is located south of Moab (show on map) and is the place where Esau’s descendants would settle. It is not a part of the Promised Land. Jacob never went there, and apparently has no intention of going there. While Jacob is to be commended that he didn’t go to Edom but went to Canaan, where the Lord told him to go, he didn’t have the courage to be honest with Esau.
So from Peniel, Jacob journeyed to Succoth. Gen. 33:17, "And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth." It sounds like he stayed there for a while, but we don’t know how long. From Succoth, he made his way to Shechem. We are told specifically in verse 18 that Shechem was in the land of Canaan. Notice the account of Jacob leaving Laban back in Gen. 31:18, "And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan." His intention was to go back to the land of Canaan, the land that God had promised his grandfather Abraham, his father Isaac, and now Jacob himself. He was kind of slow getting there, as he stayed long enough in Succoth to build a house, but now he has come to Shechem, which is in the Promised Land. There he bought a piece of land. It is also here that we have the first record of Jacob building an altar.
For now we are going to skip chapter 34. Later we will come back to look at what happened while they were living at Shechem.
So now come to chapter 35. Let’s read 35:1, "And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother." What is the significance of Bethel? This is where God first appeared to Jacob almost 30 years earlier (one of the keys to understanding this time frame is considering how old Dinah must have been when she was raped). It was there that God made great promises to Jacob. Though Jacob recognized the presence of God at Bethel even back then, at that time he tried to bargain with God. Now God appears to Jacob and tells him to go back to Bethel, reminding him of that earlier appearance.
Don’t get the idea that Jacob has been on his way to Bethel all this time. After leaving Peniel, he stayed long enough in Succoth to build a house and shelter for his cattle. Then he went to Shechem, a pagan city that was not at all on the way to Bethel. We are not told specifically how long he was in Succoth and Shechem, but we are talking about a number of years. How do we know that? Chapter 34:1 tells us that Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land, and consequently she was raped. We would expect her to be at least 13 to 15 years of age. On the other hand, being younger than Joseph, she would have been less than 17, because Joseph was 17 when he was sold by his brothers in chapter 37. Dinah was born shortly before Joseph. That would make her six or seven years old when she and her family left Laban’s place. So we have seven to ten years between the time Jacob left Padanaram until he returns to Bethel.
While God had not told Jacob to return specifically to Bethel before this, He did say to him, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your kindred…” (Gen. 31:3). Notice how Jacob related this command when he was talking to his wives shortly after this: "I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred" (Gen. 31:13). God had reminded Jacob of that appearance. But at this point, Jacob had not even returned to his kindred. While he was in the land of Canaan, he had not moved back to where his family lived. We are not told why, but it seems to me that he was drawn to the city of Shechem for some reason.
Now when the Lord tells him to go back to Bethel, Jacob doesn’t put up any argument. I suspect the recent events at Shechem, which we will look at a bit later, softened his heart. He realized how desperate he needed the Lord. So Jacob immediately obeyed the Lord.
Notice that the first thing he told his family was, “Put away your strange gods, be clean, and change your garments.” These were outward acts that were to reflect a humble and clean heart. His family complied, handing over all their strange gods and their earrings, which obviously had something to do with idolatry. Remember that Rachel had earlier stolen the household gods, the images, from her father Laban. Now they are willing to give them all up, according to Jacob’s instruction.
It seems clear that though Jacob is a changed man, he still struggles with following the Lord. Perhaps he got busy taking care of his family and cattle. Maybe he was attracted to the big city lights. Nevertheless, when the Lord spoke to him, he obeyed. And finally, after all these years, Jacob takes seriously his responsibility as the head of the family. In no uncertain terms, he tells his family to get rid of their false gods and make themselves clean. You will notice that God didn’t have to tell Jacob to do this. He knew that he couldn’t go to Bethel to meet God while they were clinging to their images of false gods. True to his word (35:3), when Jacob arrived at Bethel, he built an altar. He called the place “Elbethel,” the God of Bethel, the God of the house of God.
Surely God was pleased with Jacob’s response. Let’s read God’s response in 35:9-12…
And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. 10. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12. And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
With the exception of the promise that kings would come from him, these are the same promises that were given to his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac and to Jacob himself when he had come to Bethel the first time. God had indeed been faithful to Jacob and promised to continue that faithfulness. We read in verse 14 that Jacob set up a pillar of stone and poured a drink offering and oil upon it. Jacob repeats what he had done almost 30 years before. His motives were less than pure the first time, but now he makes sure that he performs it from his heart.
When Jacob left Bethel, there is no hint that he was disobeying God in any way. It seems clear than God’s command to return to Bethel was long these lines: “Go to Bethel and stay there long enough to fulfill your vows.” The key was in his obedience to go. As verse 16 states, it wasn’t far from Bethel to Ephrath (about 17 miles). We see in verse 19 that Ephrath is the same as Bethlehem. It is here that Rachel dies. We will say more about her death later on. Though Rachel died during childbirth, the baby was fine. She named him Benoni, “son of my sorrow.” However, Jacob gave him the name Benjamin, “son of the right hand.”
After leaving the place of Rachel’s death, Jacob pitched his tent in the area of the tower of Edar. We don’t know the exact location, only that it was between Bethlehem (Ephrath) and Hebron. It was most likely a watchtower that shepherds used. And after a short stay there, “Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned” (35:26). Jacob has finally returned to his family. When he left for Padanaram, his father Isaac was living in Beersheba (show on map), but now he has moved about 25 miles northeast to Hebron.
We don’t know if this is the first time he saw his father since coming back. It is possible that he might have gone down to visit him while he was living in Shechem. It is interesting that we have back in 35:8 the record of the death of Deborah, who was Rebekah’s nurse. Where does she come from? At some point she has joined Jacob and his family, which indicates that there was some contact.
Chapter 35 ends with the record of Isaac’s death. Now don’t get the idea that Jacob arrived at Hebron just before the death of his father. At first glance, that is what we would think, but that is definitely not the case. How do we know? Because Joseph was 30 years old when his grandfather Isaac died. Here is a quick review…
…Isaac was 60 when Jacob was born
… Jacob was 90 when Joseph was born (gather this from the fact that Jacob was 130 when he came down to Egypt and spoke with Pharaoh; Joseph would have been 39 or 40 at the time)
…That would make Isaac 150 years older than Joseph. So when Isaac died, it would have been just before or just after Joseph became ruler in Egypt.
So why is Isaac’s death chronologically out of order? I think it is simply a way of closing out the last chapter of Isaac’s life. The last time Isaac figures in the story is his reunion with his son Jacob. The last time we see Jacob and Esau together is at the burial of their father. (Chapter 36 is a detailed account of the descendants of Esau.)
Now we are going to shift gears and look a little more closely at what Jacob must have been experiencing in these years. I want to title this second part of the message…
II. Jacob, A Man of Sorrows
Remember that God touched the life of Jacob in a real way at Peniel, as we saw in chapter 32. Surely that life-changing experience would smooth the way for Jacob. No doubt, his life had been full of turmoil for the first 95 years or so, but now he had come to know the God of his fathers. Now he could claim the Lord as his God. Surely the days of sorrow are over for Jacob. As we will see, that was not the case. Let’s just take time to look at some of the sorrows in the life of Israel, the new Jacob. Some of these events we have already seen, but some we haven’t.
1. The Defilement of Dinah (34:1-2)
While Jacob and his family were living in Shechem, we have a note about Dinah. The record of Genesis records Jacob as only having one daughter. There is one reference which might indicate that Jacob had other daughters. After Joseph’s brothers had sold him and led their father to believe that he was dead, we read these words in Gen. 37:35, "And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him." Notice the word “daughters” in the plural. But it seems strange that the record would mention the birth of Dinah and not the birth of other daughters. It’s possible that Dinah alone was mentioned in anticipation of the events of this chapter (34). It is also possible that Jacob had daughters after he left Padanaram. On the other hand, it is possible that this could be a reference to his daughters-in-law. (Possibly a reference to granddaughters, but probably not, since the oldest son would have been 23 a this time).
Now let’s read about Dinah here in Gen. 34:1-2, "And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her." “Defiled” isn’t a very strong word for us, but it was a strong biblical word. A modern writer might simply say that he raped her. Though the following verses tell us of how he loved Dinah, the truth is that he wronged her greatly. Notice how the brothers defend their violence in the last verse of the chapter: “And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?” (34:31). Not only did Shechem wrong Dinah personally, but he committed an act that was defiling to the whole family. 34:7, "And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done." Much will be written later in God’s law about such defilement.
Surely this brought great sorrow to Jacob, especially if Dinah was indeed his only daughter (if not, she was most likely his oldest daughter). Perhaps he also bore guilt because he allowed her to venture out as she did. On the other hand, Jacob may have known nothing of her actions until it was too late. Much could be said about the foolishness of a daughter who demands her independence at a young age.
2. The Violence of Levi and Simeon (34:3-31)
For Shechem there was a simple solution – just marry the girl. He claimed to love her and begged his dad to do whatever necessary to get her for his wife. So his dad Hamor went to Jacob and made that very request. Jacob heard about Shechem’s actions before his sons heard, but he chose not to say anything right away. Needless to say, when they found out, they were not happy. They came in just in time to get in on the conversations with Hamor, Shechem’s dad. Hamor told Jacob to please let Dinah marry Shechem. Not only that, but he suggested that their families begin to intermarry, which would allow Jacob and his family to take full advantage of the land. Shechem assured Jacob that he would pay whatever dowry was required.
Well, the brothers of Dinah also had a solution. Let’s read it in 34:13-17…
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister: 14. And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us: 15. But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised; 16. Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17. But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.
Believe it or not, Shechem and his father were able to convince the men to do it. The selling points were these: more choices for marriage and better business opportunities (perhaps with implications of doing some shady dealing). For their part, the brothers of Dinah were not at all honorable in their bargain. That is why verse 13 says that they answered deceitfully. They had a plan. We don’t know exactly what the plan was at the beginning, but we do know the end results. On the third day after all the men were circumcised, when they were still recovering, Levi and Simeon when into the town with their swords and killed all the males. After they had rescued Dinah out of the house of Shechem, the rest of their brothers joined them in looting the town. They took their animals, their possessions, their children, and their wives. The chapter closes with the words of verses 30-31…
And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. 31. And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?
This is not a high point in the history of Israel. There was no reason to use such violence. The crime was committed by the young man Shechem, not by all the men of the city. Later, God would give specific regulations that would forbid this kind of vengeance. Not only were they guilty of murder, but they also made a mockery out of circumcision, a sign that was given by God to confirm His covenant with His people. They took it and used it for their own selfish purposes. In effect, they used God to do something that God hated. Later on, we will see how Levi and Simeon paid dearly for what they did.
3. The Death of Deborah, Rebekah’s Nurse (35:8)
We have already referred to Deborah’s death, which is recorded in 35:8. The mention of it implies that Jacob’s mother Rebekah had died as well. Otherwise, her nurse Deborah would have still been with her. We don’t know how or when Jacob learned of his mother’s death, but when he did, it must have been very hard on him. While it is true that Rebekah was wrong in her attitude of favoritism and actions of deceit, Jacob no doubt cared deeply for her. Her death would have brought much sorrow to him.
4. The Death of Rachel (35:16-20)
Though Jacob loved his mother, a far greater loss was the death of his beloved wife Rachel. Remember that Rachel was Jacob’s favorite wife, the one for whom he gladly suggested that he serve Laban seven years. He ended up serving an additional seven years for her, but he never complained. Though his grief is not mentioned here, shortly before his death some 30 years later, the memory is still fresh in his mind (Gen. 48:7). I think it is safe to say that this was the greatest sorrow Jacob had ever known.
5. The Immorality and Unfaithfulness of Reuben (35:21-22)
We have seen what Jacob’s second and third sons Simeon and Levi did. What shame they brought on their dad. Now we come to Reuben, who was the firstborn, the one upon whom Jacob looked forward to giving the greatest blessing. Let’s read about Reuben in Gen 35:21-22, "And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. 22. And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve."
We are not told what was the motive of Reuben. Was it just lust, or something more? Some, comparing this to what Absolom would later do, believe that he was trying to take over the headship of the family. Regardless of Reuben’s motive, what a grief to his father Jacob. Imagine the firstborn doing something like that.
6. Joseph’s “Death” (37)
I am referring to this as “Joseph’s death,” though he would not die until 93 years later. But for Jacob, Joseph was dead. When he saw Joseph’s coat stained with blood, he was fully convinced in his mind that his beloved son was dead and that he would never see him again. It must have brought back memories of his beloved Rachel. His loss of Joseph helps us to understand why he was so reluctant to let Benjamin out of his sight. By the way, there is a debate about whether Benjamin had been born at this time. While it is true that his birth is recorded in chapter 35 before Joseph is sold in chapter, we know that there are some chronological misplacements, as seen by the death of Joseph at the end of chapter 35. Having said that, I still hold that Benjamin was alive at this time, but he was certainly much younger than Joseph. It seems he would have been less than four years old at this time.
7. The Tragedy of Judah (38)
Then we come to the tragedy of Judah, the forth son born to Jacob (by Leah). To learn this story, we have to go over to chapter 38. I am including it in today’s study in order to clear the way for the story of Joseph, which begins in chapter 37. It is interesting that the story is placed where it is. For that reason, some people have called it “The Judah Interlude.” However, it seems to be placed exactly where it came chronologically. We’ll talk about that a bit more in a minute. Besides its chronological placement, it also gives us a great contrast to the character of Joseph. How different Judah and Joseph were in the way they handled things. And finally, this story reveals how easy it would be for Jacob’s family to intermarry with the Canaanites around them. Later, God would specifically forbid such marriages, and we already have clues that His people knew it wasn’t His will. By taking His people down to Egypt, God would preserve their purity from Canaanite influences for 400 years. Judah gives us a graphic example of what happens when they intermarried with the Canaanites.
Alongside chapter 34, this is the other “ugly chapter” in Genesis. In Joseph we will see a wonderful picture of God-centered morality, in Judah we see just the opposite. Let’s read the very first verse of chapter 38: "And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah." Not only did Judah depart from his brothers physically and geographically, but he also departed from the way of life of Jacob’s family. Like Levi and Simeon had done, he would bring shame upon the family. At this nearby town of Adullam he found a wife named Shuah and they had three sons – Er, Onan, and Shelah. When Er was old enough, Judah found a wife for him, a young lady named Tamar.
It is at this point that we begin to see the character of Judah’s family. Because of Er’s wickedness, God killed him. By the way, the Creator of the universe does sometimes killed people. He did it here, He did it in the New Testament, and He still does it. Remember that it that culture it was very important for a man to have a son to whom he could give the inheritance and who would carry on his own name. But Er had been killed by the Lord before he could have a son. Judah instructed his second son Er, marry Tamar and raise up an heir for your brother Er. Onan married her, but he wouldn’t follow through on the son part because he knew the first son would be his brother’s heir and not his own. By the way, later the Lord would put this very principle in His law; it was called levirate marriage (see Deut. 25:5-6). The Lord was so displeased with Onan that He killed him too. We must understand the wickedness of Onan. He knew that the seed would not be his. If Er had no son to his name, his part of the inheritance would go to Onan. Now Judah has only one son left, his youngest Shelah.
Judah’s next move is recorded in 38:11, “Gen 38:11 "Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.” It seems obvious that it was to himself that he said, “Lest he die also, as his brothers did.” The NIV, NAS, and Amplified all bring this out by rendering it, “For he thought…” He had already lost two sons who had married Tamar, and he didn’t want to lose a third. Surely it would be safer to just keep him at home. But he did tell Tamar that when he was grown, he would give him to her.
Tamar took Judah at his word. She moved back home and lived as a widow. We read in verse 14 that she was wearing widow’s garments. Whatever they were, they distinguished her as a widow. In other words, she did not look for a husband, because she was waiting for Judah to keep his word. Shelah grew up. We also read that Judah’s wife (who is never given a name) also died. No doubt, it was difficult for Judah, having lost two of his three sons and now his wife.
Tamar gave up waiting and decided to take matters into her own hands. When she heard that Judah was going up to shear his sheep and goats, she saw her opportunity. It was customary to have a big feast in conjunction with the time of shearing. Tamar set aside her widow clothing and dressed herself like a prostitute, covering herself with a veil, which was convenient because it would assure that she would not be recognized. Judah saw her and made the arrangements. They agreed that her price would be a young goat from the flock. But Tamar asked that Judah give her a pledge, something that would guarantee he would send the kid later. When Judah asked, “What shall I give you for a pledge?” Tamar boldly suggested he give her his signet, bracelets (cord), and staff. In that day, a prominent man sealed documents with a seal he wore around his neck on a cord. In light of the context, Tamar’s request for his staff indicates that his walking stick also had identifying marks on it. So Jacob gave her his signet ring and cord, along with his staff.
After this brief encounter Jacob went back to the flock. He sent his friend Hirah to find the prostitute and give her the young goat they had agreed upon. Meanwhile, Tamar left and returned to her father’s house and widow’s clothing. So when Hirah asked about the prostitute, everyone assured him there had been no prostitute there. After a while he gave up, not wanting to ask too many questions under the circumstances. When he came back and told Judah, he agreed it would be best to just let her keep the pledge tokens he had given her.
Three months later Judah found out that Tamar was pregnant as a result of prostitution. Judah’s response was immediate: “Bring her and let her be burned.” But when they brought her, she sent this message to her father-in-law Judah: “I am pregnant by the man who owns this signet ring and cord and staff. Can you tell me whose these are?” Now verse 26, "And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.” Not only had Judah practiced immorality, but he had failed to keep his word to Tamar. He had put his own fears and selfishness above her need for a son.
It came to pass that Tamar brought forth twins, whose names were Pharez and Zerah. What a story. It would be an ugly story under any circumstances, but bear in mind that this is a son of Jacob. And he is not just any son of Jacob. What is most significant about this particular son Judah? Yes, he is the one through whom Jesus would come. Of the twelve sons of Jacob, it is Judah who is in the ancestral line of the Messiah. Not only is Judah mentioned in the Luke’s account of Jesus’ ancestry, but also Tamar. What a powerful picture of God’s grace and redemption! What Judah did was wrong, and what Tamar did was wrong. Nevertheless, both are included in the genealogy of Jesus. God is not putting His stamp of approval on their actions; He is emphasizing that no one is beyond His reach. God has chosen to use fallen men and women in His plan.
How do you think this affected Jacob when he heard it? Surely it broke his heart.
8. Isaac’s Death (35:28-29)
We have already read the account of Isaac’s death in 35:28-29, even though it occurred long after chapter 37. At first, we might think that Isaac’s death wouldn’t be hard on Jacob at all. After all, Isaac favored Esau. There is no hint that he planned to give Jacob any kind of blessing at all. Nevertheless, he was still Jacob’s father. On the other hand, the fact of the favoritism likely made it even harder for Jacob. How he must have grieved over the messed-up relationship with which he had grown up. Though he was away from his father for over twenty years, remember that he didn’t leave the vicinity of his immediate family until he was over 75. Many of his memories were not pleasant.
Conclusion
Surely you can understand why I have been referring to Jacob as a man of sorrows. But in the midst of it all, the man trusted God. Even when Rachel died, he marked her grave with a pillar and then “Israel journeyed…” (35:21). Though he was crushed, he moved on. Perhaps it is significant that his new name “Israel” is used at this point. Though his pain was almost unbearable, he was a man who continued to strive with God.
Isn’t it amazing how God can choose to bless us in spite of our failures. We find that to be true with Jacob and with Judah. In spite of all Jacob’s failures, He still inherited all the great promises that began with Abraham. He was the father of the twelve tribes. Judah was one of the direct ancestors of Jesus, the Messiah. And what about Levi? After what he did, God still blessed him by making him the father of the priestly tribe. It is said of the Levites that the Lord Himself was their inheritance (Deut. 10:9).
I can testify that God is still in the business of blessing people in spite of their failures. I have failed God on many occasions. My failures haven’t been as much about committing acts of sin as great omissions. But the Word says that to him who knows to do good and doesn’t do it, it is sin (James 4:17). How many times I have failed to grasp the opportunities God has given me to serve Him, and yet He continues to bless me beyond measure. Can anyone else testify to that truth.
If that is true, let’s ask the Lord to keep on blessing us. But let’s be specific. Let’s ask Him to bless us by making us a blessing to others. That is in perfect harmony with the promise God first gave to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, when He said, “And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” That promise was fulfilled and is being fulfilled through the Lord Jesus Christ, who was a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We have been blessed through Him. Now let’s pray that the Lord will continue to bless others through us who belong to Him. That is our privilege, to be a blessing to others.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
What About Your First Love? 7/5/09
Sunday, July 5, 2009
WHAT ABOUT YOUR FIRST LOVE?
Rev. 2:1-7
God created and He said, “It is good.” After the creation reached its climax in the forming of man, God said, “It is very good.” The creation was very good because God Himself is very good and more. He placed Adam and Eve in a wonderful garden, where they had everything anyone could want. Above all else, they had the privilege of fellowship with their Creator. We know that this marvelous arrangement only lasted for a time, until Adam and Eve decided they would trust their own judgment instead of God’s Word. We call it the fall, because they fell from their privileged fellowship with God.
Their fall has touched all of their descendants. That is why we don’t have to teach our children to be selfish and rebellious. “Foolishness is bound in the heart of child” (Prov. 22:15) because every child is born a sinner, dead in his trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). All of us have proved we are sinners by sinning. Though we tried to do better, we found that sin was at the very core of our being. Yes, we were slaves to sin. No matter what we did, that stubborn truth did not change. Though some of us learned great truths from the Bible and prayed and tried to do good, we found that we did not have the power to escape our bondage to sin.
But praise God that Adam was “the figure of him that was to come” (Rom. 5:14). Yes, there would be a second man, a last Adam. And who was that? It was none other than Jesus of Nazareth, the Word who was in the beginning, who was with God and who was God (John 1:1-2). The first Adam had a choice to trust God or to go his own way; he went his own way. The last Adam, not being born of two human parents but being conceived by the Holy Spirit, had that same choice; He trusted His Father. He was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). He could testify with all integrity that He always did those things which pleased His Father (John 8:29).
That same Jesus went to the cross. The only man who didn’t deserve to die for His sins was crucified for ours. It pleased the Lord to bruise Him (Is. 53:10). No one took His life from Him; He laid it down of His own accord (John 10:18). God made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (II Cor. 5:21). "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:9-10). That is, God sent His Son to turn away His own wrath. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. That is why God can be just in making us right with God.
And that same Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, demonstrating that He was Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness (Rom. 1:4). His resurrection reversed the verdict of Satan and the world, that He was a criminal, smitten of God. It was not some mystical rising of the Spirit; Jesus was raised in bodily form. He appeared to His disciples and at one time was seen by over 500 people. After 40 days, His own disciples watched Him ascend into heaven.
Because of what He would do on that cross and because He would rise never to die again, Jesus could preach the simple message, “Repent and believe the gospel.” What I have shared with you is the gospel, the good news. You can be set free of your bondage. Jesus was proclaimed Savior at His birth, because He came to save His people from their sins. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). You can have that life, as you repent and believe, as you give up on making yourself better and throw yourself on Jesus who died in your place. This very day you can cry out to God, “O God, I confess that I am a slave of sin and have nothing good in me. I can’t do a thing to change myself. I need you to give me a new heart and to make me right with yourself. Lord, please do this in my life.”
As people have responded to that gospel down through the centuries, what has resulted? The establishing of local churches. God didn’t call us to walk alone, but rather to exhort one another, pray for one another, care for one another, love one another, and serve one another as we walk together in the body of Christ.
I. A Great Church in Ephesus
I want to remind you of one of the great New Testament churches. I am speaking of the church at Ephesus. On his second missionary journey, Paul passed through Ephesus and reasoned with the Jews in the synagogue. They wanted him to stay longer, but he told them that it was important for him to arrive in Jerusalem in time for the feast. However, he assured them that he would return, if it was the Lord’s will (Acts 18:19-21). The Lord was indeed willing, and Paul was true to his word. The focal point of the third missionary journey was Ephesus.
Paul’s ministry at Ephesus began in the synagogue, where he continued to preach boldly for three months. But when some of the Jews there became hardened against his ministry and began to stir up trouble, Paul rented a place and continued to teach the new disciples for two years. That seems like a long time for a church planter like Paul to remain in one place, but rest assured that it was worth it. We read in Acts 19:10, “And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” Paul reminds the elders of the Ephesian church that he had ministered there for three years (Acts 20:31).
It is difficult to overstate the influence of the Ephesian church. As we read, as a result of Paul’s ministry there, “all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” When Paul instructed the disciples in Ephesus, he was training missionaries who would take the gospel all over Asia Minor. It is no wonder that some believe the first letter of Revelation 2-3 was addressed to Ephesus because it was the mother church of the six other churches. Paul spent more time at Ephesus than any other place of ministry. If you check the record in Acts, you will find in Ephesus great miracles, the healing of the sick, the casting out of demons in Jesus’ name, and many turning to Christ. This was not just a religious movement that could be confined to the Christian meetings. So many lives were radically changed that the business of those who sold idols was severely restricted, leading to a major riot in which Paul’s very life was threatened.
The strength of the Ephesian church didn’t end with the ministry of Paul. Paul founded this church and ministered there three years during his third missionary journey. After leaving, he ministered in a few other places, but on his way to Jerusalem he called for the elders of the Ephesian church to meet him at Miletus. There he came them some critical instructions (see Acts 20:17-38). From I Tim. 1:3, we learn that Paul left Timothy to minister at the church in Ephesus. Tradition teaches that John the apostle served there for many years. I say all that to emphasize that Ephesus was a strong and effective missionary church.
II. A Timely Message for the Ephesian Chuch
With that background in mind, let’s turn to the last New Testament record of the church at Ephesus. And where do we find that? Yes, in Revelation 2. Most of you are aware that Rev. 2-3 contains seven letters to seven churches. The letters are from the Lord Jesus Himself. The churches were all in the Roman province of Asia (geographically, the western part of what we would refer to as Asia Minor, roughly modern Turkey). Though we know there were other churches in this same region (such as Colossae and Heirapolis), these seven seem to be representative of all. Each letter is addressed to the “angel” of that particular church. The word translated “angel” simply means messenger. Sometimes it is a heavenly messenger, sometimes not. In this case the messenger is a representative of the church. Some would see him as pastor of the church. The first of these letters is the letter to the church at Ephesus. Let’s read that letter in Rev. 2:1-7…
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3. And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. 7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
As in all of these letters, Jesus begins with a description of Himself. In this first letter, He identifies Himself as “He that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (or ‘lampstands’).” We learn from 1:20 that the seven golden candlesticks are the churches themselves and the seven stars are the angels of the churches. Without going into detail, it seems clear that Jesus is present in the churches and is in control of the churches. The destiny of the church is in His hands. As the one who walks among the lampstands, He is present within the church.
Back up in 1:14 Jesus eyes’ were described as being like a flame of fire. They pierce everything. As Jesus walks among the churches, He is inspecting them. He sees everything about every church. That is why He can say to everyone of these churches, “I know…” He knows because all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Heb. 4:13).
Before we get into the meat of this letter to the church at Ephesus, let me say just a few words about these letters and these churches. As I mentioned, there were other churches in the area, but Jesus sent letters only to these seven. “Seven” is a number that is used throughout Revelation and throughout the Bible. It speaks of completion, or perfection. I understand the use of the number seven with regard to these letters as a way of indicating that these letters are for all churches of all times. There are those who believe that each letter represents a different period of time in church history. That may be true, but even if it is, don’t think that only one of these letters pertains to us. In His wisdom, God knows how to apply the truth of every letter to every church. So understand that when Jesus writes to the church at Ephesus, He is also writing to the church at La Luz. Jesus is inspecting this church. He knows everything about us, as there is no reality that can be hidden from Him.
A. Strong Commendation
After identifying Himself, the Lord then speaks words of strong commendation. Verses 2-3…
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3. And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
In two of the letters, Jesus uses the statement “I know thy works” in a negative way (Sardis and Laodicea), but not here. He uses three words in verse 2 to commend their conduct – works, labor, patience. The word “works” is the general term. It simply speaks of the deeds of the church. Then the Lord becomes more specific in praising their labor and patience. The word “labor” simply means “to toil.” It speaks of working to the point of exhaustion. The Ephesian Christians were not lazy. They had toiled tirelessly for the Lord, and Jesus commends them for it. The word translated “patience” means “stedfast endurance.” This word does not speak of a passive folding of the arms, but of what one calls a “triumphant fortitude.” It speaks of remaining true in time of trial, literally meaning “to remain under the load.” It is described well by the attitude of Ps. 16:8, "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." Jesus was pleased with their works, specifically their labor and perseverance.
Then He becomes even more specific: “and how thou canst not bear them which are evil; and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.” When Jesus says they did not put up with those who are evil, He certainly wasn’t talking about sinners in general. We know He can’t mean that, because Jesus Himself was a friend of sinners. The key to understanding is in the context, when He says they have tested those who claim to be apostles and are not. Jesus is speaking about false teachers. There were those who claimed to speak for God but who did not. To their credit, the Christians of the Ephesus church did not tolerate them. Down in verse 6 He further commends them for their stance against the Nicolaitanes, who were also teachers of false doctrine. The Ephesian church unapologetically stood for truth. They cared about the truth of scripture, about right doctrine, and Jesus strongly commended them for it.
In verse 3 Jesus repeats three of the terms He used in verse 2 – hast borne, labor, patience. This is largely a strengthening of the concepts of verse 2, with the additional idea that they have not fainted. They continued to labor and demonstrate stedfast endurance. But whereas in verse 2, Jesus commended them because they would not bear, now He praises them for bearing. It is the exact same word, but this word has a wide range of meaning. The idea seems to be something like this: Jesus praised them because they refused to bear with the false teachers, but He now praises them because they were willing to bear the consequences that came as a result. It is not popular to stand for the truth. Standing for truth often stirs up opposition. These brothers and sisters were willing to bear the cost, refusing to be moved by the pressure of men. Though the road was long, they did not faint.
Now let me shift from Ephesus to La Luz. In the name and spirit of our Lord Jesus, I want to commend this church. He knows our works and He is pleased. Jesus is aware that through the years we have labored. Though there have been times when we became weary, we did not faint. We have continued to remain under the load, to be faithful even when circumstances were difficult.
Very specifically, I want you to know that the Lord is pleased with the fact that this church has stood for truth and has refused to embrace the false teachings that are constantly swirling around us. Paul urges us not to be like children, “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). We have witnessed the great influences of the church growth movement, the prosperity gospel, the purpose driven movement, and now the emergent movement, but we have refused to tolerate them. That is not to say that we have it all together and that we perfectly know the truth. Nevertheless, the Lord commends us for seeking to remain faithful to the true gospel.
I remind you that it was to the leaders of this very church of Ephesus that Paul spoke these final words of warning in Acts 20:28-31…
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
There have been a couple of times when we had to deal with very obvious false teachers. Many years ago we had to go to a particular individual and ask that individual not to talk to any of the members of this church. But most of the time the attacks have been more subtle. Though we have not handled these situations perfectly, we have continued to toil tirelessly to preserve the truth of the gospel. That is pleasing to the Lord. Praise God for the privilege of working, laboring, enduring stedfastly, and even bearing reproach for His name.
After his commendation for the stance against the Nicolaitanes in verse 6, this letter to the church of Ephesus closes with a wonderful promise of verse 7, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." The one who overcomes will have the privilege of eating from the tree of life in the midst of God’s paradise. Adam and Eve were in the Garden where stood the tree of life, but because they didn’t trust the Lord, they were not able to eat from the tree of life. But praise God that the last Adam, Jesus Christ, promises that we can yet eat of that tree of life. Jesus Himself opened the way by overcoming sin and death through His own sacrifice on the cross and His glorious resurrection. We can overcome by trusting that same Christ. 1 John 4:4, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." And that trust is always closely associated with obedience, for we read in Rev 22:14, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
Jesus is still inspecting His churches, and He is doing it this very hour. Praise God that He has found us faithful, as we continue to labor and endure, as we stand for the truth for His name’s sake.
B. A Word of Rebuke
Okay, does anyone have anything to add? Aren’t you thankful for this letter to the Ephesian church, which we can take personally even today? [Hopefully, a few brave souls will bring it to my attention that we skipped verses 4 and 5.]
Oh, you think we left out part of the passage. I am well aware of that fact, but we don’t want to be negative. There is too much negativity; we want to stay positive. But if you insist, perhaps we had better look at verses 4 and 5...
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Jesus has given the Ephesian Chrsitians great commendation for things that were right in the church. He only finds one thing wrong, the fact that they had forsaken their first love. In light of all the praise, surely this can’t be very important. But it is important. And how do we know? Because of what we find in verse 5. It is important enough that it requires repentance. Not only that, but if there is no repentance and change, Jesus will remove their lampstand. When Jesus finds fault with them because they have left their first love, it is not something to be taken lightly.
What we must understand is the importance of this love. When Jesus was asked, “What is the great commandment?” how did He answer? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind... And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt. 22:37-39). This commandment to love stands above all others. More than once, Paul says that this love for others is the fulfillment of the law. As we ponder the importance of this love, we begin to see why Jesus was concerned about the Ehpesian church.
Please turn to the first chapter of I Thessalonians. Let’s read 1 Th. 1:2-3, "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father…" Notice the words “work,” “labor,” and “patience.” These are the exact same terms that Jesus has used her in Rev. 2:2. As Jesus praised the Ephesian believers for these qualities, Paul appreciates these same things in Thessalonica. However, there is a great difference. Notice that Paul speaks of work produced by faith, and labor motivated by love, and patience that grew out of hope in the Lord Jesus. The Ephesians still had the works, labor, and patience, but they were lacking in love. In Thessalonica it was faith, love, and hope that undergirded their work, labor, and stedfast endurance. The Ephesians were still clinging to the outward deeds, but they were no longer based on love for the Lord. Remember those first three verses of I Cor. 13… (13:1-3, NASV)
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
Yes, it is possible to do good deeds and not have love. That is what Jesus finds in the Ephesian church.
III. What About the Church at La Luz?
So does that have anything to do with us? Do you think the Lord might be speaking the same thing to us? Is this a danger to avoid? Or is this failure for which we need to repent? Brothers and sisters, the Lord is speaking directly to us in this letter. I believe with all my heart He can indeed commend us for our work, labor, and stedfast endurance. Though we may be criticized because we take a stand for truth and seek to preach a pure gospel, the Lord Jesus makes it clear that He is pleased with that. He does not despise our labor and good deeds.
Now here is the danger we face. The great danger is that we will come to trust that our good deeds, tireless labor, and stedfast endurance can be a substitute for God’s love working through us. You might say, “Those are the fruits of our love.” Not necessarily. That wasn’t true in Ephesus. The same people who are commended for their works, labor, and stedfast endurance are rebuked for forsaking their first love. Brothers and sisters, we need to hear the rebuke of our Lord. Have we not left our first love?
Don’t misunderstand this concept of first love. Jesus is not saying that the greatest love we can have for Him is the love we experience when we first meet Him. If that were the case, we would inevitably leave our first love behind; we would have no choice but to do so. That is not what He is saying. Think back to when the Lord first made you His own. Do you remember your love for Him? Do you remember how other things grew pale beside your life in Christ? Do you remember how eager you were to know Him more, to spend time with Him, to discover what He said in His Word? That is the first love the Lord is talking about here. Doctrinal purity and the performing of good deeds do not guarantee a passionate love for Jesus Christ.
Let me put it this way – it is the first love that leaves first. It is possible to continue believing the right things and doing many acts of service without that childlike love for Jesus Christ, just like we saw in I Corinthians 13. The more our deeds cease to be based on love, the less their value. We are always in danger of relying upon our forms and routines, though we profess our reluctance to do so.
Do you remember Jesus’ conversation with Peter after the resurrection. “Peter, do you love me?” “Lord, you know that I love you?” Jesus asked him that three times, reminding Peter that he had denied him three times. This morning let’s cut through everything else and hear the Lord Jesus asking us that same question, “Do you love me? Do you love me like you did at first? Do you have that childlike abandonment that you once knew?”
Now let’s read from God’s Word. Luke 7:36-50…
And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38. And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43. Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
And now let’s read Mark 14:3-9…
And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. 4. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5. For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 6. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 8. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
What wonderful examples of two people who had a deep love for Jesus. Because of that love for Jesus, nothing else mattered. Can we hear Jesus saying this morning, “I commend you for your good deeds, for your tireless labor, and for keeping on keeping on, but I have one thing against you – you have forsaken your first love for me. I long for that love from you.”
Lest you think I am burdening you, let me give you the good news. According to Jesus, there is a way back to our first love. Praise God! Jesus was not condemning the Ephesian Christians nor us. After gently reproving them, He then gave the solution. That solution can be summarized in three words: remember, repent, and return. The solution is no different for us: remember, repent, and return.
First, we must remember. I’m not just talking to us as individuals, but also as a body. It is hard for me to put my finger on it, but it seems that there is something missing in us. I sense that some of you struggle with that same thing. Could this be it? Can we remember times when there was an abandonment to the Lord that we have lost? Studies have been done which reveal a strong trend in all religious groups. As the group grows older, it tends to cool in its zeal and love for the Lord. It can be true of entire denominations, and it can be true of a local church. It seems that in earlier days we had no one to depend upon but the Lord. As time goes on, we have a way of putting our trust in other things. Maybe we think that since the pastors are older and hopefully wiser, we can trust them. Or maybe we come to trust in our reputation. The bottom line is that we trust other things more and the Lord less. If we are trusting Him less, you can rest assured that our love for Him is lessening as well. Can you remember the sweetness of first love for the Lord?
Remember from where you have fallen. Yes, the Lord Jesus refers to it as a fall. We may see it as a gradual drift, but He sees it as a fall. We were here, and now we have fallen down to this level. Brothers and sisters, it is not inevitable that our love for the Lord lessen as we grow older – not as individuals, and not as a church. The Lord has something better. He wants us to remember. Our Lord is not just talking about going back to the good old days. There are things we have forsaken to which we should not return. Nevertheless, we must remember the tender, childlike first love from which we have fallen.
So once we realize the truth of Jesus’ statement and remember the height from which we are fallen, what then? Repent. Have such a radical change of mind that your life is changed. We thought we were getting along pretty good. Things may not be all they should be, but we’re doing all right. We’re doing better than most. The Lord is still working on us. We’ll be all right. Repent. No, we are not doing all right, if we have forsaken our first love. What could be worse than loving Jesus less? He is our Redeemer. He gave His very life for us and took our punishment on the cross. He loved us when we were absolutely unlovable. What is worse than moving away from our first love for Him? When we repent, we acknowledge the awfulness of our sin and desire His best. We forsake all of our excuses and coping strategies.
Then what? Return. In Jesus’ words, “Do the first works.” Do the things you did at the first. But Jesus has already praised them for their works. Surely He is now including motive. We may be doing some good deeds, but who can fathom the deeds that will flow from us, as we move back to our first love for our Savior and Lord. It was love that drove the woman to anoint His feet and wipe them with her tears. It was love that led Mary to anoint Jesus’ body for burial, even when His own apostles criticized her for it. “Do the first works. Let love compel you to deeds that will glorify me.”
As we seek to remember, repent, and return, is there one thing that holds it altogether? Absolutely. We remember our first love, but we remember something deeper. We repent of the sin of forsaking our first love, but we don’t keep looking at our sin. We seek to return to the first works, but our focus isn’t on a previous experience. In all of this, we look to Jesus. Why did we come to love Him in the first place? Because He first loved us and gave Himself for us. Our desire is not to return to an experience in the past, but the Lord in the present. He is worthy. He is glorious. Remember that marvelous verse at the end of II Corinthians 3. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (II Cor. 3:18).
Conclusion
After I got this message together, I prayed over it a great deal. “Lord, is this right? Is it true that we have forsaken our first love?” Even then, I wanted to soften it. Maybe we have slacked off a little. No, I believe Jesus would have us hear it just as He spoke it.
Having said that, I want to emphasize that our focus must not be on the fact that we have forsaken our first love. Our focus must be upon what Jesus said to do about it: Remember, repent, return. I don’t think it’s enough to just preach a sermon about it this morning and then forget it. Let’s make this our theme in these days. You will notice in your bulletin that we have songs for the new quarter. The first is that old hymn “Revive Us Again.” The Psalmist prayed, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Ps. 85:6). The second is a newer hymn, “Christ Alone.” We have sung it a few times. It has a powerful message. Then we have a little chorus called “O Lord, You’re Beautiful.” The second verse goes like this…
Lord, please light the fire
That once burned bright and clear;
Replace the lamp of my first love
That burns with holy fear.
Our passage for memory and meditation will be Rev. 2:4-5. Brothers and sisters, we desperately need revival, beginning with a revival of our first love.
Let me remind you that God convicts us that He might change us, conforming us to the
image of His Son Jesus. Let’s thank Him for His conviction and that He has promised to complete the work that He has begun in us.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR FIRST LOVE?
Rev. 2:1-7
God created and He said, “It is good.” After the creation reached its climax in the forming of man, God said, “It is very good.” The creation was very good because God Himself is very good and more. He placed Adam and Eve in a wonderful garden, where they had everything anyone could want. Above all else, they had the privilege of fellowship with their Creator. We know that this marvelous arrangement only lasted for a time, until Adam and Eve decided they would trust their own judgment instead of God’s Word. We call it the fall, because they fell from their privileged fellowship with God.
Their fall has touched all of their descendants. That is why we don’t have to teach our children to be selfish and rebellious. “Foolishness is bound in the heart of child” (Prov. 22:15) because every child is born a sinner, dead in his trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). All of us have proved we are sinners by sinning. Though we tried to do better, we found that sin was at the very core of our being. Yes, we were slaves to sin. No matter what we did, that stubborn truth did not change. Though some of us learned great truths from the Bible and prayed and tried to do good, we found that we did not have the power to escape our bondage to sin.
But praise God that Adam was “the figure of him that was to come” (Rom. 5:14). Yes, there would be a second man, a last Adam. And who was that? It was none other than Jesus of Nazareth, the Word who was in the beginning, who was with God and who was God (John 1:1-2). The first Adam had a choice to trust God or to go his own way; he went his own way. The last Adam, not being born of two human parents but being conceived by the Holy Spirit, had that same choice; He trusted His Father. He was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). He could testify with all integrity that He always did those things which pleased His Father (John 8:29).
That same Jesus went to the cross. The only man who didn’t deserve to die for His sins was crucified for ours. It pleased the Lord to bruise Him (Is. 53:10). No one took His life from Him; He laid it down of His own accord (John 10:18). God made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (II Cor. 5:21). "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:9-10). That is, God sent His Son to turn away His own wrath. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. That is why God can be just in making us right with God.
And that same Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, demonstrating that He was Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness (Rom. 1:4). His resurrection reversed the verdict of Satan and the world, that He was a criminal, smitten of God. It was not some mystical rising of the Spirit; Jesus was raised in bodily form. He appeared to His disciples and at one time was seen by over 500 people. After 40 days, His own disciples watched Him ascend into heaven.
Because of what He would do on that cross and because He would rise never to die again, Jesus could preach the simple message, “Repent and believe the gospel.” What I have shared with you is the gospel, the good news. You can be set free of your bondage. Jesus was proclaimed Savior at His birth, because He came to save His people from their sins. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). You can have that life, as you repent and believe, as you give up on making yourself better and throw yourself on Jesus who died in your place. This very day you can cry out to God, “O God, I confess that I am a slave of sin and have nothing good in me. I can’t do a thing to change myself. I need you to give me a new heart and to make me right with yourself. Lord, please do this in my life.”
As people have responded to that gospel down through the centuries, what has resulted? The establishing of local churches. God didn’t call us to walk alone, but rather to exhort one another, pray for one another, care for one another, love one another, and serve one another as we walk together in the body of Christ.
I. A Great Church in Ephesus
I want to remind you of one of the great New Testament churches. I am speaking of the church at Ephesus. On his second missionary journey, Paul passed through Ephesus and reasoned with the Jews in the synagogue. They wanted him to stay longer, but he told them that it was important for him to arrive in Jerusalem in time for the feast. However, he assured them that he would return, if it was the Lord’s will (Acts 18:19-21). The Lord was indeed willing, and Paul was true to his word. The focal point of the third missionary journey was Ephesus.
Paul’s ministry at Ephesus began in the synagogue, where he continued to preach boldly for three months. But when some of the Jews there became hardened against his ministry and began to stir up trouble, Paul rented a place and continued to teach the new disciples for two years. That seems like a long time for a church planter like Paul to remain in one place, but rest assured that it was worth it. We read in Acts 19:10, “And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” Paul reminds the elders of the Ephesian church that he had ministered there for three years (Acts 20:31).
It is difficult to overstate the influence of the Ephesian church. As we read, as a result of Paul’s ministry there, “all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” When Paul instructed the disciples in Ephesus, he was training missionaries who would take the gospel all over Asia Minor. It is no wonder that some believe the first letter of Revelation 2-3 was addressed to Ephesus because it was the mother church of the six other churches. Paul spent more time at Ephesus than any other place of ministry. If you check the record in Acts, you will find in Ephesus great miracles, the healing of the sick, the casting out of demons in Jesus’ name, and many turning to Christ. This was not just a religious movement that could be confined to the Christian meetings. So many lives were radically changed that the business of those who sold idols was severely restricted, leading to a major riot in which Paul’s very life was threatened.
The strength of the Ephesian church didn’t end with the ministry of Paul. Paul founded this church and ministered there three years during his third missionary journey. After leaving, he ministered in a few other places, but on his way to Jerusalem he called for the elders of the Ephesian church to meet him at Miletus. There he came them some critical instructions (see Acts 20:17-38). From I Tim. 1:3, we learn that Paul left Timothy to minister at the church in Ephesus. Tradition teaches that John the apostle served there for many years. I say all that to emphasize that Ephesus was a strong and effective missionary church.
II. A Timely Message for the Ephesian Chuch
With that background in mind, let’s turn to the last New Testament record of the church at Ephesus. And where do we find that? Yes, in Revelation 2. Most of you are aware that Rev. 2-3 contains seven letters to seven churches. The letters are from the Lord Jesus Himself. The churches were all in the Roman province of Asia (geographically, the western part of what we would refer to as Asia Minor, roughly modern Turkey). Though we know there were other churches in this same region (such as Colossae and Heirapolis), these seven seem to be representative of all. Each letter is addressed to the “angel” of that particular church. The word translated “angel” simply means messenger. Sometimes it is a heavenly messenger, sometimes not. In this case the messenger is a representative of the church. Some would see him as pastor of the church. The first of these letters is the letter to the church at Ephesus. Let’s read that letter in Rev. 2:1-7…
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3. And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. 7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
As in all of these letters, Jesus begins with a description of Himself. In this first letter, He identifies Himself as “He that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (or ‘lampstands’).” We learn from 1:20 that the seven golden candlesticks are the churches themselves and the seven stars are the angels of the churches. Without going into detail, it seems clear that Jesus is present in the churches and is in control of the churches. The destiny of the church is in His hands. As the one who walks among the lampstands, He is present within the church.
Back up in 1:14 Jesus eyes’ were described as being like a flame of fire. They pierce everything. As Jesus walks among the churches, He is inspecting them. He sees everything about every church. That is why He can say to everyone of these churches, “I know…” He knows because all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Heb. 4:13).
Before we get into the meat of this letter to the church at Ephesus, let me say just a few words about these letters and these churches. As I mentioned, there were other churches in the area, but Jesus sent letters only to these seven. “Seven” is a number that is used throughout Revelation and throughout the Bible. It speaks of completion, or perfection. I understand the use of the number seven with regard to these letters as a way of indicating that these letters are for all churches of all times. There are those who believe that each letter represents a different period of time in church history. That may be true, but even if it is, don’t think that only one of these letters pertains to us. In His wisdom, God knows how to apply the truth of every letter to every church. So understand that when Jesus writes to the church at Ephesus, He is also writing to the church at La Luz. Jesus is inspecting this church. He knows everything about us, as there is no reality that can be hidden from Him.
A. Strong Commendation
After identifying Himself, the Lord then speaks words of strong commendation. Verses 2-3…
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3. And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
In two of the letters, Jesus uses the statement “I know thy works” in a negative way (Sardis and Laodicea), but not here. He uses three words in verse 2 to commend their conduct – works, labor, patience. The word “works” is the general term. It simply speaks of the deeds of the church. Then the Lord becomes more specific in praising their labor and patience. The word “labor” simply means “to toil.” It speaks of working to the point of exhaustion. The Ephesian Christians were not lazy. They had toiled tirelessly for the Lord, and Jesus commends them for it. The word translated “patience” means “stedfast endurance.” This word does not speak of a passive folding of the arms, but of what one calls a “triumphant fortitude.” It speaks of remaining true in time of trial, literally meaning “to remain under the load.” It is described well by the attitude of Ps. 16:8, "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." Jesus was pleased with their works, specifically their labor and perseverance.
Then He becomes even more specific: “and how thou canst not bear them which are evil; and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.” When Jesus says they did not put up with those who are evil, He certainly wasn’t talking about sinners in general. We know He can’t mean that, because Jesus Himself was a friend of sinners. The key to understanding is in the context, when He says they have tested those who claim to be apostles and are not. Jesus is speaking about false teachers. There were those who claimed to speak for God but who did not. To their credit, the Christians of the Ephesus church did not tolerate them. Down in verse 6 He further commends them for their stance against the Nicolaitanes, who were also teachers of false doctrine. The Ephesian church unapologetically stood for truth. They cared about the truth of scripture, about right doctrine, and Jesus strongly commended them for it.
In verse 3 Jesus repeats three of the terms He used in verse 2 – hast borne, labor, patience. This is largely a strengthening of the concepts of verse 2, with the additional idea that they have not fainted. They continued to labor and demonstrate stedfast endurance. But whereas in verse 2, Jesus commended them because they would not bear, now He praises them for bearing. It is the exact same word, but this word has a wide range of meaning. The idea seems to be something like this: Jesus praised them because they refused to bear with the false teachers, but He now praises them because they were willing to bear the consequences that came as a result. It is not popular to stand for the truth. Standing for truth often stirs up opposition. These brothers and sisters were willing to bear the cost, refusing to be moved by the pressure of men. Though the road was long, they did not faint.
Now let me shift from Ephesus to La Luz. In the name and spirit of our Lord Jesus, I want to commend this church. He knows our works and He is pleased. Jesus is aware that through the years we have labored. Though there have been times when we became weary, we did not faint. We have continued to remain under the load, to be faithful even when circumstances were difficult.
Very specifically, I want you to know that the Lord is pleased with the fact that this church has stood for truth and has refused to embrace the false teachings that are constantly swirling around us. Paul urges us not to be like children, “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). We have witnessed the great influences of the church growth movement, the prosperity gospel, the purpose driven movement, and now the emergent movement, but we have refused to tolerate them. That is not to say that we have it all together and that we perfectly know the truth. Nevertheless, the Lord commends us for seeking to remain faithful to the true gospel.
I remind you that it was to the leaders of this very church of Ephesus that Paul spoke these final words of warning in Acts 20:28-31…
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
There have been a couple of times when we had to deal with very obvious false teachers. Many years ago we had to go to a particular individual and ask that individual not to talk to any of the members of this church. But most of the time the attacks have been more subtle. Though we have not handled these situations perfectly, we have continued to toil tirelessly to preserve the truth of the gospel. That is pleasing to the Lord. Praise God for the privilege of working, laboring, enduring stedfastly, and even bearing reproach for His name.
After his commendation for the stance against the Nicolaitanes in verse 6, this letter to the church of Ephesus closes with a wonderful promise of verse 7, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." The one who overcomes will have the privilege of eating from the tree of life in the midst of God’s paradise. Adam and Eve were in the Garden where stood the tree of life, but because they didn’t trust the Lord, they were not able to eat from the tree of life. But praise God that the last Adam, Jesus Christ, promises that we can yet eat of that tree of life. Jesus Himself opened the way by overcoming sin and death through His own sacrifice on the cross and His glorious resurrection. We can overcome by trusting that same Christ. 1 John 4:4, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." And that trust is always closely associated with obedience, for we read in Rev 22:14, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
Jesus is still inspecting His churches, and He is doing it this very hour. Praise God that He has found us faithful, as we continue to labor and endure, as we stand for the truth for His name’s sake.
B. A Word of Rebuke
Okay, does anyone have anything to add? Aren’t you thankful for this letter to the Ephesian church, which we can take personally even today? [Hopefully, a few brave souls will bring it to my attention that we skipped verses 4 and 5.]
Oh, you think we left out part of the passage. I am well aware of that fact, but we don’t want to be negative. There is too much negativity; we want to stay positive. But if you insist, perhaps we had better look at verses 4 and 5...
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Jesus has given the Ephesian Chrsitians great commendation for things that were right in the church. He only finds one thing wrong, the fact that they had forsaken their first love. In light of all the praise, surely this can’t be very important. But it is important. And how do we know? Because of what we find in verse 5. It is important enough that it requires repentance. Not only that, but if there is no repentance and change, Jesus will remove their lampstand. When Jesus finds fault with them because they have left their first love, it is not something to be taken lightly.
What we must understand is the importance of this love. When Jesus was asked, “What is the great commandment?” how did He answer? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind... And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt. 22:37-39). This commandment to love stands above all others. More than once, Paul says that this love for others is the fulfillment of the law. As we ponder the importance of this love, we begin to see why Jesus was concerned about the Ehpesian church.
Please turn to the first chapter of I Thessalonians. Let’s read 1 Th. 1:2-3, "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father…" Notice the words “work,” “labor,” and “patience.” These are the exact same terms that Jesus has used her in Rev. 2:2. As Jesus praised the Ephesian believers for these qualities, Paul appreciates these same things in Thessalonica. However, there is a great difference. Notice that Paul speaks of work produced by faith, and labor motivated by love, and patience that grew out of hope in the Lord Jesus. The Ephesians still had the works, labor, and patience, but they were lacking in love. In Thessalonica it was faith, love, and hope that undergirded their work, labor, and stedfast endurance. The Ephesians were still clinging to the outward deeds, but they were no longer based on love for the Lord. Remember those first three verses of I Cor. 13… (13:1-3, NASV)
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
Yes, it is possible to do good deeds and not have love. That is what Jesus finds in the Ephesian church.
III. What About the Church at La Luz?
So does that have anything to do with us? Do you think the Lord might be speaking the same thing to us? Is this a danger to avoid? Or is this failure for which we need to repent? Brothers and sisters, the Lord is speaking directly to us in this letter. I believe with all my heart He can indeed commend us for our work, labor, and stedfast endurance. Though we may be criticized because we take a stand for truth and seek to preach a pure gospel, the Lord Jesus makes it clear that He is pleased with that. He does not despise our labor and good deeds.
Now here is the danger we face. The great danger is that we will come to trust that our good deeds, tireless labor, and stedfast endurance can be a substitute for God’s love working through us. You might say, “Those are the fruits of our love.” Not necessarily. That wasn’t true in Ephesus. The same people who are commended for their works, labor, and stedfast endurance are rebuked for forsaking their first love. Brothers and sisters, we need to hear the rebuke of our Lord. Have we not left our first love?
Don’t misunderstand this concept of first love. Jesus is not saying that the greatest love we can have for Him is the love we experience when we first meet Him. If that were the case, we would inevitably leave our first love behind; we would have no choice but to do so. That is not what He is saying. Think back to when the Lord first made you His own. Do you remember your love for Him? Do you remember how other things grew pale beside your life in Christ? Do you remember how eager you were to know Him more, to spend time with Him, to discover what He said in His Word? That is the first love the Lord is talking about here. Doctrinal purity and the performing of good deeds do not guarantee a passionate love for Jesus Christ.
Let me put it this way – it is the first love that leaves first. It is possible to continue believing the right things and doing many acts of service without that childlike love for Jesus Christ, just like we saw in I Corinthians 13. The more our deeds cease to be based on love, the less their value. We are always in danger of relying upon our forms and routines, though we profess our reluctance to do so.
Do you remember Jesus’ conversation with Peter after the resurrection. “Peter, do you love me?” “Lord, you know that I love you?” Jesus asked him that three times, reminding Peter that he had denied him three times. This morning let’s cut through everything else and hear the Lord Jesus asking us that same question, “Do you love me? Do you love me like you did at first? Do you have that childlike abandonment that you once knew?”
Now let’s read from God’s Word. Luke 7:36-50…
And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38. And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43. Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
And now let’s read Mark 14:3-9…
And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. 4. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5. For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 6. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 8. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 9. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
What wonderful examples of two people who had a deep love for Jesus. Because of that love for Jesus, nothing else mattered. Can we hear Jesus saying this morning, “I commend you for your good deeds, for your tireless labor, and for keeping on keeping on, but I have one thing against you – you have forsaken your first love for me. I long for that love from you.”
Lest you think I am burdening you, let me give you the good news. According to Jesus, there is a way back to our first love. Praise God! Jesus was not condemning the Ephesian Christians nor us. After gently reproving them, He then gave the solution. That solution can be summarized in three words: remember, repent, and return. The solution is no different for us: remember, repent, and return.
First, we must remember. I’m not just talking to us as individuals, but also as a body. It is hard for me to put my finger on it, but it seems that there is something missing in us. I sense that some of you struggle with that same thing. Could this be it? Can we remember times when there was an abandonment to the Lord that we have lost? Studies have been done which reveal a strong trend in all religious groups. As the group grows older, it tends to cool in its zeal and love for the Lord. It can be true of entire denominations, and it can be true of a local church. It seems that in earlier days we had no one to depend upon but the Lord. As time goes on, we have a way of putting our trust in other things. Maybe we think that since the pastors are older and hopefully wiser, we can trust them. Or maybe we come to trust in our reputation. The bottom line is that we trust other things more and the Lord less. If we are trusting Him less, you can rest assured that our love for Him is lessening as well. Can you remember the sweetness of first love for the Lord?
Remember from where you have fallen. Yes, the Lord Jesus refers to it as a fall. We may see it as a gradual drift, but He sees it as a fall. We were here, and now we have fallen down to this level. Brothers and sisters, it is not inevitable that our love for the Lord lessen as we grow older – not as individuals, and not as a church. The Lord has something better. He wants us to remember. Our Lord is not just talking about going back to the good old days. There are things we have forsaken to which we should not return. Nevertheless, we must remember the tender, childlike first love from which we have fallen.
So once we realize the truth of Jesus’ statement and remember the height from which we are fallen, what then? Repent. Have such a radical change of mind that your life is changed. We thought we were getting along pretty good. Things may not be all they should be, but we’re doing all right. We’re doing better than most. The Lord is still working on us. We’ll be all right. Repent. No, we are not doing all right, if we have forsaken our first love. What could be worse than loving Jesus less? He is our Redeemer. He gave His very life for us and took our punishment on the cross. He loved us when we were absolutely unlovable. What is worse than moving away from our first love for Him? When we repent, we acknowledge the awfulness of our sin and desire His best. We forsake all of our excuses and coping strategies.
Then what? Return. In Jesus’ words, “Do the first works.” Do the things you did at the first. But Jesus has already praised them for their works. Surely He is now including motive. We may be doing some good deeds, but who can fathom the deeds that will flow from us, as we move back to our first love for our Savior and Lord. It was love that drove the woman to anoint His feet and wipe them with her tears. It was love that led Mary to anoint Jesus’ body for burial, even when His own apostles criticized her for it. “Do the first works. Let love compel you to deeds that will glorify me.”
As we seek to remember, repent, and return, is there one thing that holds it altogether? Absolutely. We remember our first love, but we remember something deeper. We repent of the sin of forsaking our first love, but we don’t keep looking at our sin. We seek to return to the first works, but our focus isn’t on a previous experience. In all of this, we look to Jesus. Why did we come to love Him in the first place? Because He first loved us and gave Himself for us. Our desire is not to return to an experience in the past, but the Lord in the present. He is worthy. He is glorious. Remember that marvelous verse at the end of II Corinthians 3. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (II Cor. 3:18).
Conclusion
After I got this message together, I prayed over it a great deal. “Lord, is this right? Is it true that we have forsaken our first love?” Even then, I wanted to soften it. Maybe we have slacked off a little. No, I believe Jesus would have us hear it just as He spoke it.
Having said that, I want to emphasize that our focus must not be on the fact that we have forsaken our first love. Our focus must be upon what Jesus said to do about it: Remember, repent, return. I don’t think it’s enough to just preach a sermon about it this morning and then forget it. Let’s make this our theme in these days. You will notice in your bulletin that we have songs for the new quarter. The first is that old hymn “Revive Us Again.” The Psalmist prayed, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Ps. 85:6). The second is a newer hymn, “Christ Alone.” We have sung it a few times. It has a powerful message. Then we have a little chorus called “O Lord, You’re Beautiful.” The second verse goes like this…
Lord, please light the fire
That once burned bright and clear;
Replace the lamp of my first love
That burns with holy fear.
Our passage for memory and meditation will be Rev. 2:4-5. Brothers and sisters, we desperately need revival, beginning with a revival of our first love.
Let me remind you that God convicts us that He might change us, conforming us to the
image of His Son Jesus. Let’s thank Him for His conviction and that He has promised to complete the work that He has begun in us.
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