Joshua and Judges: The allotment of the land, part 30 - Predestination - The Lord runs to help. Man's problems are caused by man. Jos 14-17.

Title: Joshua and Judges: The allotment of the land, part 29 - Predestination - The Lord runs to help. Man's problems are caused by man. Jos 14-17.  

 

Announcements/opening prayer:  

 

 

We love because He first loved us, 1Jo4:19, means that our love for God and others rests solely on our being loved by God.

 

As we are accepted in Christ so we love God and find our entire being in Him and obey Him. As we are accepted unconditionally in Christ so we accept all others in the same love. Our love rests fully on our being loved by God.

 

1Co 8:1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.

 

Such a person is greedy for knowledge like another may be greedy for wealth. Wealth with love looks the same as knowledge with love, the commodity is given graciously.

 

Also, love cannot exist without knowledge from God. Love rejoices with the truth.

 

1Co 8:2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything [conceited knowledge], he has not yet known as he ought to know;

 

1Co 8:3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

 

God of course knows all who are His.

 

This statement is first a certainty that only believers can have God's knowledge and love with God's love. Secondly it is a statement of approval. God knows His vessels of honor and He uses them mightily.

 

And so, we complete Heb 2:

 

Heb 2:1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

 

Heb 2:2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense,

 

Heb 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,

 

Heb 2:4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

 

Heb 2:5 For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.

 

Heb 2:6 But one has testified somewhere, saying,

"What is man, that You remember him? Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him?

 

Heb 2:7 "You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And have appointed him over the works of Your hands;

 

Heb 2:8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet."

For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

 

Heb 2:9 But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

 

Heb 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

 

Heb 2:11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

 

Heb 2:12 saying,

"I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Thy praise."

 

Heb 2:13 And again,

"I will put My trust in Him."

And again,

"Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me."

 

Heb 2:14 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;

 

Heb 2:15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

 

Heb 2:16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

 

Heb 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

 

In this, Christ restores to man the rulership and glory that he carelessly gave away, and in fact, gave him more than he lost.

 

Heb 2:18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

 

Verse 18 reveals why He can help us. He was tempted and He also suffered. He is able to come to the aid of those who suffer and are tempted.

 

The Greek verb [boetheo], translated "to come to the aid of" means "to run to help." When believers are in need He runs to help.

 

He doesn't run to remove the problem. He runs to help in order to give us surpassing power through His word and His Spirit as we persevere in the problem. He prays for us at the right hand of God. When we are tempted and we suffer, we have His temptation and suffering, recorded for us in the gospels, to look to by means of the power of the Holy Spirit. We know that He went before us and faced all that the world and the kingdom of darkness could throw at Him and He reveals the means by which He was able to bear it [the word, the Spirit, the plan of the Father], which means is expanded in detail in the epistles of the New Testament. There are thousands of ways that Christ can manipulate circumstances and people in order to aid in helping us.