God's Form of Government

[Music] this afternoon i'd like to talk about something that's very basic one of our fundamental beliefs and and maybe in one sense you might think well we're almost to passover so we need passover sermons but this is something i think that is relevant at all times and whether we look at the events of 2020 or what's going on today and it doesn't matter that what god has put in place in his creation is important for all of us to the god how god has chosen to work with mankind is important for all of us to understand he has not revealed his purpose his plan to the masses he's chosen to reveal that only to very few individuals very select individuals down through the millennia and there are very few of us today that understand that within the limited number that he has called and worked with over this time he has consistently used a rather simple structure to work with mankind and to support the work that he is doing that he has been doing that structure is hierarchical government top-down government as we would call it that something is put in place god's form of government is reflected throughout the history of his work with the individuals that he's called and also with all of mankind and it's also reflected in the major elements of his creation we can see that we'll be going through that again this is one of our fundamental beliefs of how god's government is implemented we we talk about church government and that's it it's fine but i also think we should consider it god's government in the church is how he has chosen to work with mankind so this afternoon we want to review that government how it's structured how it's reflected in his works so let's turn to genesis chapter two to begin and we'll be looking at four areas in which we see this hierarchical government displayed and validated and how he's worked with with mankind in the first area is that of the family structure first area is that of the human family structure so in genesis chapter 2 after god has created adam he says in verse 18 and the eternal god said it is not good that man should be alone i will make him a helper comparable to him someone like him similar to him and someone who can be a helper someone who can work with him in a comparable way complementary way and then in verse 21 and the eternal god caused a deep sleep to fall on adam and he slept and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place then the rib which the eternal god had taken from the man he made into a woman and he brought her to the man and adam said now this is now boned of my bones and flesh of my flesh she shall be called a woman because she is taken she was taken out of man therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh so god created adam and eve and they were married he talks about a man leaving his mother and father and being joined to his wife now they were the first two human beings but he was pointing out that they were going to be other individuals down through time and there would be the families and the men should leave his family his family parents and then be joined to his wife then let's go on over to ephesians chapter five and we'll see this structure that god put in place in his family in ephesians chapter 5 verses 22 through 24 for now ephesians 5 verse 22 he says wives submit to your own husbands as to the lord for the husband is the head of the wife as also christ is head of the church and he is the savior of the body therefore just as the church is subject to christ so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything so how is the church supposed to be subject to jesus christ in every way in everything we ask him to inspire and guide everything that we do as a work and we are to submit to that will as he reveals that to us so it tells us here that the husband then is the head of the wife in the same way and the wife should submit to that government that he's put in place in the same way in everything not certainly not in disobeying any of god's laws but in everything if you will administrative and what's good for the family and the decisions that are made god says someone has to be the final decision maker and that should be the husband but notice in verse 25 when we think about the fact that the husband is the head of the house how is he to be there and this is not germane to the structure per se except that the government that god puts in in the family in the home he's also telling the husband how to manage that government he says here in verse 25 husbands love your wives just as christ also loved the church and gave himself for her so there's a reminder even in that government that the head of the house is to administer that government in a matter of love a matter of concern and welfare and love for those individuals his wife and his children so just as christ loved the church so again as i mentioned if christ is we're supposed to be subject in the church to christ then in everything then the husband to be respected and to be honored in that position also has the responsibility of being the kind of head that is worthy of respect worthy of following god's way of life and that the wife can then if you will be submissive to the government that he's put in place over in first peter chapter 3 in first peter chapter 3 peter scriptures resonate with those of paul's paul in chapter 3 of first peter in verse 1 it says wives likewise be submissive to your own husbands and likewise referring back to verse 18 where it's talking there about servants being submissive to those that are their masters and so he adds that he says and likewise the wives then should be submissive to their own husbands that even if some do not obey the word they without a word may be won by the conduct of their wives again just a reminder of the influence that any one of us can have by a good example on someone else and especially a comment a comment there about the wife the kind of influence she can have on a husband now we know that god has to call us to have our minds opened but to have that mind opened it might sometimes that opening is through the example someone else sets and the wife can have a great influence on an unbelieving husband as an unbelieving uh believing husband can have one of them believing wife i've seen that in my ministry when one gentleman came into the church fairly young by himself he would bring his children but his wife never came and within a few months his wife started coming to church and after coming to church for a good while she asked about baptism and part of the questioning for this counseling for baptism as well why do you want to do this just just to make some sort of arrangements or affiliation at home and and the comment was no no there's something to this way of life you should have known my husband before he came into church because he had changed so greatly that his wife then recognized that there was something to this truth this way of life and of course the word here it was talking about what can happen to in a marriage where the wife is submissive as god instructs so that without a word without being pushed without being cajoled into cooperating with the truth that this husband may be won by the conduct of their wives when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear and the word here for fear is phobos and it can mean fear but the better rendering of it is respect or reverence not like reverence we do for god we don't revere human beings in the same way we revere god but nonetheless a respect and a reverence for the position that the husband holds in the home and then verse four explains but it says here rather verse five it says for in this manner in former times the holy women who trusted in god also adorned themselves being submissive to their own husbands we think of adornment we usually think about how we dress what clothes we put on how we you know comb our hair etc but in verse 4 it talks about here that this this the wife this incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit this adornment was is the right frame of mind the right kind of submissiveness to the government that god has placed in the home god to put that government there he honors that government when husbands as their role handle that responsible responsibility appropriately god blesses that when wives fulfill their responsibility appropriately god blesses that as well and makes for the right kind of happy home in exodus 20. i won't turn there but exodus 20 verse 12 giving one of the one of the commandments about the government in the home he says to our children that they should honor their parents the fifth commandment how children are to honor the government that god has put in the home and then paul talks about this back in ephesians 6. ephesians chapter 6 verses 1 through 3. it says children obey your appearance in the lord for this is right honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with promise that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth so again the government in the home government of god reflected here not only the responsibilities given to the husband responsibilities given to the wife and also the expectations and guidance commandments even to children to follow and instruct and obey their parents and honor them in cooperating with them the family is the basic unit of society and god put a government established a line of authority in the home so that the family could operate the way he intended all right point number two a little more time on this one point number two is seeing god's government in the angelic realm god's government in the angelic realm let's turn back to daniel chapter 8. we'll note that there are three angels as we go through this there are three angels that are named here in daniel chapter 8 verse 16 just makes reference here middle of the thought and so i heard a man's voice between the banks of the lay eye who called and said gabriel make this man understand the vision and so the angel gabriel is a messenger he's given the responsibility of delivering this message over and over in chapter 9. chapter 9 verses 21 through 23 breaking in again in the middle of the thought referring to daniel who said yes while i was speaking in prayer the man gabriel whom i had seen in the vision at the beginning earlier we read part chapter eight being caused to fly swiftly reached me about the time of the evening offering and he informed me and talked with me and said o daniel i have come forth to give you skill to understanding or to understand at the beginning of your supplications the command went out and i have come to tell you for you are greatly beloved therefore consider the matter and understand the vision of course the the succeeding verses to talk about the 70 weeks prophecy a major prophecy about the end time especially and looking forward down through history and he delivers this major prophecy daniel has given this or gabriel given the job of delivering that that message and a couple other places let's turn over to luke chapter one luke chapter one we'll begin reading in verse 11. it's talking about zacharias who is there doing his his uh priestly duties and zechariah is married to elizabeth they're elderly they have no children but here in verse 11 is an angel the eternal or the lord appeared to him standing on the right side of the altar of incense and when zacharias saw him he was troubled and fear fell upon him but the angel said to him do not be afraid zacharias for your prayer is heard i don't think it says anywhere prior to this that there's no record that zacharias had prayed about this but he obviously had and certainly understandable and he says and your wife elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall call his name john so again a vital message being delivered here to someone that god had chosen for a special function for special responsibility then in verse 18 and zechariah said to the angel how shall i know this for i am an old man and my wife has well advanced in years in the angel land answered and said to him i am gabriel who stands in the presence of god here is a messenger that has a very high position in god's at god's throne because i stand in the presence of god and was sent to speak to you in bringing you these glad tidings i've brought you good news however but behold you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place because you do not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time he had the authority the authority to say give certain amount of correction to zacharias and tell him he was going to be mute for a period of time and here he has the power to render this judgment then later in chapter one as well luke uh here we go over at verse 26 this is now in the sixth month the angel gabriel was sent by god to a city of galilee named nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was joseph of the house of david the virgin's name was mary in having come in the angel said to her rejoice highly favored one the lord is with you blessed are you among women but when i saw him when she saw him she was troubled at his saying and considered what manner of greeting this was then the angel said to her do not be afraid mary for you have found favor with god and behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name jesus he will be great and will be called the son of the highest and the lord god will give him the throne of his father david and he will reign over the house of jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end so again we find this account where gabriel as this special angel and one being in the presence of god is given this privilege of bringing a great message to mary about jesus christ being begotten and being born so here's an angel of gra again of great stature so gabriel is named also let's turn back to isaiah 14 and we'll look at the account of the second angel isaiah chapter 14. verse 12 isaiah 14 verse 12 he says how you are fallen from heaven o lucifer son of the morning so a name is given we find out what kind of individual this angel is or this this lucifer is how you were cut down to the ground you weakened the nations you have said in your heart i will ascend into heaven i will exalt my throne so he's he's not in heaven he's going to attempt to go to heaven i will ascend into heaven i will exalt my throne he has this throne of position and going to go above the stars of god i also will sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north i will ascend above the heights of the clouds clouds on the earth he's going to go from the earth up to he says here he's going to descend into heaven with his throne and he says i will be like the most high lucifer is named and of course he's then cast down to the ground and he has his throne of ma again a great position but that position and his throne is on earth corresponding account over in ezekiel 28. ezekiel 28 verse 14 and again we're talking about lucifer the account here beginning in verse 14 says you were the anointed carob who covers again a very great position and honored position at the throne of god i established you you were on the holy mountain of god you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones you were perfect in all your ways from the day you were created till the iniquity tell iniquity was found in you and by the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence with phil you were filled with violence within so trading can be rendered traffic and as well as uh merchandise i think in the old king james where but a matter of his activities as a result of the things you were doing and the trading whether that be as we'll see with it with the other angels and talking to them whatever it says but you became filled with violence within and you sinned therefore i cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of god and i destroyed your covering carob from the midst of the fiery stones i took you away from that position no longer were you there at the throne of god in verse 17 your heart was lifted up because of your beauty you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor i cast you to the ground back to the earth i laid you before kings that they might gaze at you so god took care of lucifer's rebellion of course as we know became satan let's turn over to revelation 12. to look at the same individual revelation chapter 12 reveals something to us about him verse 3 of revelation 12 and another sign appeared in heaven behold a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven diadems on his head his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth so he's responsible for one third of them a third of the angels talked about stars often representing angels and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth to devour her child as soon as it was born where satan was out to destroy god's plan and destroy jesus christ as in the church as soon as he could then we didn't pick it up in verse 9 and so the great dragon was cast out that serpent of old called the devil and satan who deceived the whole world he was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him so one third of the angels get in the position of great responsibility apparently lucifer had one third of the angels under his authority under his structure and his government under his responsibility but the angels were cast out and the third individual third angel that is named let's turn back to daniel chapter 10. [Music] daniel chapter 10. verse 7 refers here to daniel having a vision and i daniel in verse 7 of chapter 10 says i and then i daniel alone saw the vision for the men who were with me did not see the vision but a great terror fell upon them so they fled to hide themselves so here's a vision the daniel that daniel is having and pick it up in verse 10 he says suddenly a hand touched me which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands he literally was down on the floor facing face down and his hands out on the floor but this angel says said to him this person talking to him said to him oh daniel greatly beloved understand the words that i speak to you and stand upright for i have now been sent to you while he was speaking this word to me i stood trembling then he said to me do not fear daniel for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humble yourself before your god your words were heard and i have come because of your words but the prince of the kingdom of persia withstood me 21 days now here this uh this angel that's come to daniel is not named because he said in 21 days withstood me but behold michael one of the chief princes came to help me for i had been left alone there with the kings of persia and that's worthy of note as we go into a couple of more scriptures as to why that that matters that here is an angel has a certain amount of power but whoever this this prince of the kingdom of persia was able to withstand him for what we would call what we know three weeks and he was not able to complete his mission and michael one of the chief princes came to help him so let's turn over to jude this short chapter book of jude verse 9. which helps us understand michael being a chief prince in verse nine he talks about says yet michael the archangel now the term archangel is on only appears in two places here and also in first thessalonians chapter 4 verse 16. gabriel and lucifer are not referred to as archangels literally in any scripture that i could find but here michael is called an archangel in contending with the devil when he disputed about the body of moses dared not bring him bring against him a reviling accusation but said the lord rebuked you so they were there was contention there was a bit of a battle going on between the devil and michael and it would appear that michael said i didn't we wouldn't bring an accusation against him but nonetheless this battle was going on and in order to win that that battle he says he invoked the authority of jesus christ talked about here the lord rebuked you would appear that michael did not have the authority to just push satan aside he invoked jesus christ's name michael the archangel relies upon the power of jesus christ in order to protect the body of moses so think about that for a moment there was an angel that resisted the angel was sent to daniel and then that angel had to uh then we waited on after three weeks waiting for michael to come and michael had more authority to push that that prince of the uh the kingdom of persia aside so the first angel could get through with this message to to daniel so it would appear here that this michael certainly had authority to push that ain't the the bad angel the demon aside but he didn't have the authority to necessarily push satan aside so there's clearly there's lines of authority lines of power lines of government in the angelic realm let's turn over to revelation 12 as we begin to close this this portion of the sermon revelation chapter 12 verse 7 we were here a moment ago and when we read verses three and four about lucifer having the power and becoming satan over one third of the angels but verse 7 tells us in war broke out in heaven so both what happened perhaps in the past and a prophecy of what will happen yet in the future the war broke out in heaven michael and his angels fought with a dragon and the dragon and his angels fought there are lines of government lines of authority here between satan and his angels between michael and his angels as i said michael is the only one that's actually named an archangel but he's one of the chief princes three angels are named all three have great power all three are given very special positions and special responsibilities and certainly the inference is that all three were archangels as well as one third of the angels that god created were under each one of them in responsibility and in in duties and those three archangels were responsible for their their powers and those angels that they were leading so clearly again there is a hierarchy in the angelic realm of god's creation so third point or third area this has to do with the family of god if you will and the spiritual structure within the family of god we can see the government of god that he created let's turn back to begin this to john chapter 14. john chapter 14 just the one verse in this case verse 28 christ is of course preaching talking to his disciples verse 28 he says you have heard me say to you i am going away and coming back to you if you loved me you would rejoice because i said i'm going to the father in other words if you if you clearly understood and you loved me you would be happy about this where he says for my father is greater than i and maybe that's hard for the human mind to grasp it is for me sometimes because god the father is omnipotent and omniscient he's perfect in all his ways he can't lie his self-discipline if you want to call that or his self-control is absolutely perfect and yet so is christ christ was righteous he never sinned even as human being he was god when there was no time along with what we now call the father but christ says the father is greater than i now we don't know we don't know how that works is sort of like the same thing when he says uh michael and his angels fought lucifer satan and his angels well uh how do how do angels fight uh you know we've all seen star wars or so you know you wonder there's power there's authority to be to be controlled and god says angels can fight that that's happened but and then here just another matter of spiritual understanding is the father is greater than jesus christ over in chapter 10 or back in chapter 10 verses 29 and 30. verse 29 says my father who has given them to me referring to those that were following him is greater than all he is all-powerful and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand so when god has chosen us chosen his servants and we choose to follow him and we serve him that our salvation is really between him and me between him and you that there's not some other power that can take you away if you don't if you don't if you stay close to him he said no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand we're so close to god there is no way to fail being in his kingdom and then christ says i and my father are one in christ also pointing out that no one can take them from me and it's what he told father in his prayer later on he says here the father is greater than all and the christ and the father are one the one in righteousness they're one imperfect coward character they're one and being omnipotent both of them have those characteristics over in first corinthians chapter 11. first corinthians chapter 11. which gives us a a taste of government not only in this point but also even what i discussed in the first point in verse three just one verse paul writes but i want you to know that the head of every man is christ we all have someone over us and the head of woman is man and the head of christ is god christ even said i came to do my father's will i speak the words that my father inspired me to speak he was totally submissive to his father as a human being here on this earth and it's been that way for eternity all of us have a leader all of us have one have someone over us and god says here it's clearly god the father is supreme in matthew chapter 28. matthew chapter 28 verses 16 through 18. familiar scriptures here in the account of christ going back going just before he goes back to heaven after he's been resurrected in verse 16 it says then the 11 disciples went away into galilee to the mountain which jesus had appointed for them when they saw him they worshipped him and sort of an aside from the tangent from the point at hand he says but some doubted at after 40 days of the miracles that christ performed he said some still there they weren't they weren't quite sure what was happening they weren't quite sure all the things they were supposed to do perhaps couldn't quite figure it out it was still beyond the human mind they didn't have god's spirit yet but then jesus came and spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth all authority that god the father had once again restoring him to this position of rulership and full responsibility for his creation in full responsibility for being as we said earlier the head of the church and the executor to carry out all of the plans that the two of them had put together at some time in in past eternity in working out the plan to expand and grow their family immensely but all authority was given to him by the father the father had the authority to do the power to share and give that to him let's turn back to hosea because the responsibility of that kingdom christ is going to come back and set up that kingdom and the government will be the king of kings and lord of lords we find here in hosea chapter 3 verse 5 a part of that government that will be there in the world tomorrow in verse 5 it says and afterward the children of israel referring to the millennium and afterward the children of israel shall return and seek the lord their god and david their king they shall fear the lord his goodness and his goodness in the latter days so david is going to be a part of that government in the world tomorrow and we know there are plenty of scriptures to talk about david being given that responsibility that once the kingdom of god comes and that government is established on the earth david will be a major part of that government and in matthew chapter 19 as we've rehearsed on many occasions matthew chapter 19 verses 27 and 28 verse 27 of matthew 19 and peter answered and said to him talking to christ to see we have left all and followed you therefore what shall we have and a nice way of saying uh what's the return on our investment what do we get out of all of this sacrifice that we've made as your disciples what do we have to look forward to enjoying to sharing and so jesus said to them in verse 28 assuredly i say to you that in the regeneration in the resurrection when you're made spirit beings when the son of man sits on the throne of his glory you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of israel david give the responsibility of being over israel and these the disciples the apostles given responsibility worked with one of the tribes there are plenty of other scriptures that you and i count on in looking at the parables are there that based on the sacrifices you and i make we're going to be given certain responsibilities in that government we'll be like god we'll be like jesus christ we'll be eternal but we'll forever for all eternity are going to be part of that hierarchy somewhere down the line below god below jesus christ below the david below the apostles some of those positions are already taken but you and i have the opportunity to earn if you will put it that way to produce fruit to grow in the grace and knowledge of christ so that we qualify for positions of rulership and leadership we're going to be kings and priests in the world tomorrow part of that hierarchy part of that government that god will put in place for all of mankind at that time and of course we'll go right on in to eternity okay point number four a little bit different wording here or longer but the organizational structure dealing with mankind organizational structure dealing with mankind and in particular israel as an example just i'll make reference to three or four scriptures here and talking about this point matthew chapter 23 verse 35 if you want to write it down matthew 23 35 and also hebrews 11 verse 4 both the scriptures discussed the fact that abel was righteous one of the very first human beings that abel was righteous he knew god and even though unfortunately what happened but he did serve god considered he was righteous in genesis chapter 5 verses 22 and 24 he talks about enoch being one who walked with god so there was a a christian a righteous individual who walked with god also in genesis chapter 6 verses 8 and 9 makes reference here in genesis 6 verses 8 and 9 that noah was a just man and noah walked with god so here was someone at the very close of that very violent and unrighteous society that permeated the world with violence and unrighteousness in the midst of all of that noah was a just man and he walked with god in second peter chapter 2 verses 4 and 5. second peter chapter 2 verses 4 and 5 makes reference to noah being a preacher of righteousness someone who attempted perhaps to preach god's truth to those that would listen and the only ones that would pay any heed were those of his immediate family but he was a preacher of righteousness and we surmise about where that ark was and how much what rain there may or may not have been before the flood and maybe he was building this ark got in the middle of i won't say nowhere but somewhere away from a great body of water perhaps and could easily be the object of ridicule why are you doing that what's going to rain well how much rain you expecting noah uh anyway and warning them being a preacher of righteousness that there was a problem with the society but being the object of ridicule in many ways i have no doubt about that but he was his job was to preach god's truth it would appear that god kept the truth alive from the very beginning working with individuals that somewhere on this earth there was someone who knew what god was doing what what god expected of mankind and as the world moved further and further away from god's way of life someone was still there apparently preaching apparently working with those that were around and maybe sharing god's truth and he kept the truth alive but apparently by singularly choosing certain individuals select individuals at any given time so the truth did not die out it's what we hope and what we think but god kept truth alive in the world and then of course down after the flood down through time eventually he chose abraham isaac and jacob to implement his plan for salvation for mankind and then after israel was taken into captivity for well over 200 years into egypt the descendants of of jacob or israel as his name was changed and they were in captivity and then in due time god chose moses to lead israel to the land that he had promised to abraham isaac and jacob he chose a man to lead his nation so let's turn back to exodus 18 and after moses has led israel out of egypt and he's given the responsibility of teaching them working with them a lot of people there were no telephones there were no there was no email there was no internet so how do you communicate with two or three or four million people and maintain some sort of oversight of course she's trying to do that in a difficult way and what he's trying to do that a wonder sometimes moses apparently was a well-respected we'd call maybe a general in egypt and he had officers under him and he would command them and they would come and go and do things that had to be done but here in dealing with israel he was not carrying out his mission that way but here in verse 13 of exodus 18. they've israel has exited egypt and so his father-in-law comes he says and it was on the next day that moses sat to judge the people and the people stood before moses from morning until evening when moses father-in-law saw all that he did for the people he said what is this thing you're doing for the people why do you alone sit and all the people stand before you from morning until evening moses explained to him i'm trying to direct israel and teach the people they come and ask me what uh to inquire of god and so they have a difficulty and so i'll make the judgment and next part of verse 16 i make known the statutes of god and his laws and moses father-in-law said the thing you do is not good the thing you do it's really not wise moses that's part of verse 18 you are not able to perform it by yourself so he says in verse 19 listen now to my voice i will give you counsel and god will be with you stand before god for the people so that you may bring the difficulties to god and you shall teach it to you shall teach them the statutes and the laws and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do and moreover you shall select from the people notice how he is given advice to select able men such as fear god men of truth hiding covetousness and place such over them to be rulers of thousands rulers of hundreds rulers of 50s and rulers of tens those a brief description there of the qualifications of the ones that moses was to choose to to be part of the government in israel those qualifications pretty much permeate the entire bible as far as what god expects of those that are to govern and guide his people he goes on verse 22 and let them judge the people at all times and they'll judge the small matters when the difficult runes really difficult then they'll bring these things to you and you can take care of it verse 23 and if you do this thing and god so commands you in other words i'm giving you advice but if god confirms that this is what you ought to do then you will be able to endure it'll be good for you physically and all this people will go to their place in peace so moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he'd said and moses chose able men out of all israel and made them heads over the peoples he said over thousands hundreds fifties and tens because god had confirmed that was a wise thing to do and what we had there was in essence that we had a civil and a spiritual government a top-down government that god had placed over all of israel so over numbers 12. what how well did that government work and did some individuals take opposition to this in numbers chapter 12 read verses 1 through 11. and again you're very familiar with this story but i think it if we analyze it maybe a little bit differently we'll understand just how important government is because everything again we've seen so far from the family from the angelic realm from the god family itself as now and into the kingdom that is hierarchical we'll see how important it is for the government that god has placed in the human realm then miriam and aaron spoke against moses because of the ethiopian woman whom he had married for he had married an ethiopian woman that's all it says there doesn't give us any detail all we know is that it was for them that was an excuse to bring some sort of accusation against moses josephus has some speculation on why that was the case it doesn't say that wasn't the case it was the case and when and how that happened we don't know there's very speculations about it but it is speculation but again you look at the commentaries uh you can find a variety of speculations and again josephus has a has a comment on it on what that may have been but that's all the detail that god reveals about this and so they said has the as the eternal indeed spoken only through moses now so the accusation made was about a physical matter so what was behind that what was the motive for even bringing that up and again it doesn't mean that it doesn't say that they want out any other people apparently all the the accounts sort of indicates this was between miriam and aaron and so they said is the eternal spoken only through moses has has he not spoken through us also so there's some maybe that tells us about the motive behind the accusation they were maybe not in the limelight or the spotlight as much as they wanted to be it says then the eternal heard it of course he heard it he hears everything he knows what's going on and he heard it and just to point out the contrast of how unfair and unjust this was there was this parenthetical insert here another man moses was very humble more than all men who were on the face of the earth that's that that's pretty all-encompassing moses didn't even want the job he didn't want to be the spokesperson he wanted god finally was a little bit upset with him because he said okay i'll give you aaron i'll tell you what to say and you tell aaron and aaron can do it can be the mouthpiece moses didn't want it then it says suddenly the eternal said to moses aaron and miriam uh i won't try to say what i think happened but i don't think that god was whispering here only but it did he said to them come out you three to the tabernacle of meeting uh just a thought perhaps how many of us as children have ever had one of our parents say to us come here you know that something's wrong this is not going to end well when when you knew when mom or dad say that or just dad gives you this look and just signal come on over here let's go to the back room or the old saying let's go out behind the shed suddenly he says this come out you three i think that it was a very emphatic command that came over came over to them then the eternal came down and the pillar the cloud of course they came out and stood in the door of the tabernacle and called aaron and miriam and they both went forward can you can you envision this a little bit uh the very small steps i mean the children do sometimes in trouble they just kind of stumble forward when what when you know they're in trouble they both went forward and he said hear now my words if there is a prophet among you i the eternal make myself known to him in a vision i speak to him in a dream in other words i work with a variety of people down through time in certain ways but not so with my servant moses and god says here's some it makes the statement that it's i think deeply meaning meaningful in light of what miriam and aaron had said in verse 1 verse 2. he says not with my servant moses he is faithful in all my house that was moses perfect no but he was practicing god's way of life he was god's servant he was doing what god commanded him to do we know later on he didn't make a mistake it had dire consequences but he tell god says here he's faithful in all my house moses is above reproach i speak with him face to face even plainly and not in dark sayings and he sees the form of the eternal very special privilege given to him why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant moses how dare you take it upon yourself to criticize my servant he's responsible to me he's my servant and he is faithful in all my house can you not recognize that the things that have been happening over the last weeks that i've been administering this these things through moses why were you not afraid to speak against my service my servant moses so the anger of the eternal was aroused against them and he departed and when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle suddenly miriam became leprous as white as snow then aaron turned toward miriam and there she was a leper so aaron said to moses oh my lord please do not lay this sin on us recognizing what they had done that even that kind of criticism that kind of judgment in their minds he recognized there was sin in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned now it doesn't say here that there's no indication there that nothing anything anything happened to aaron it did happen to miriam we don't know why except maybe maybe aaron miriam was the uh first one to talk to aaron and talk about how unfair this was i don't it doesn't we don't know but it was god's way of making clear to both of them there are consequences for criticizing and for judging unfairly those that god places in authority government matters it always matters but in some ways it only matters most when we disagree recognizing that those in in government make decisions that may not be our purview so god was upset with them and judged them accordingly so they they had no rationale in reality no legitimate rationale for doing this maybe it was a verse two indicates it was provoked by jealousy suddenly this happened and god held them accountable for doing that in number 16 and i won't spend a lot of time there but let's turn over to chapter 16 and i'll i'll read a part of it verses 1 through 35 to read the entire account that is referred to quite often about the story of quora in verses 24 through 26 we find that korah being a levite and also dathan and byram are reubenites and they're in cahoots together and god is going to show the difference between those that moses has behind him and those that are rebelled and judged him unfairly for his responsibilities and god says in verse 26 depart now from the tents of these wicked men touch nothing of theirs lest you be consumed in all their sins we find in the account then through verses 28 through 32 of what's going to happen because of what they've done and they didn't relent and guys the earth opened up and swallowed korra and all of those households in the fire in verse 35 fire came out from the eternal and consumed the 250 men who were offering incense major leaders as well of israel who had decided to follow cora's rebellion so god very much backed up the government he had put in place dramatically dramatically showing who he was working who who through whom he was working and of course as we go down through the history of israel under moses and joshua eventually we come to the period of judges and again through the book of judges we find where god time and again would work with one man one person to bring israel out of captivity they'd sin go back into captivity he'd raise up someone to lead them out of captivity we finally then come out of the judges to to samuel the uh example of especially being a judge and we turn over to turn over to uh first samuel chapter 3. first samuel chapter 3 verses 19 through 21 so samuel grew and the eternal was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground that means he backed up everything that he used samuel to share with israel and to lead israel and whatever whatever duties he said should be done things that were to be done he backed up every one of them and all israel from dan to beersheba knew that samuel had been established as a prophet of the eternal he was god's specially chosen one and the eternal appeared again in shiloh for the lord revealed himself to samuel and shiloh by the word of the eternal chapter 7 verse 15. samuel 7 first samuel chapter 7 our chapter yeah 7 verse in verse 15 7 15 and samuel judged israel all the days of his life samuel specially chosen to be the leader of israel and quite a story behind that over in ii kings second kings chapter 2 here we have the account of the passing of position of leadership from elijah to elisha and i won't read all of chapter 2 but read verses 9 through 15. it says and so it was when they had crossed over this is referring to elijah and elisha that elijah said to elisha ask what i may do for you before i am taken away from you they they both knew this was about to happen shortly elisha said please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me and elijah responded well if you see what happens then so be it verse 11 and they continued on and talked and suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire and separated the two of them and elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven elisha saw it and it says here in the middle of the verse he saw him no more but in verse 13 he also took up the mantle of elijah that had fallen from him went back and stood by the bank of the jordan then he took the mantle of elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water and said where is the eternal god of elijah and it said i should be able to do what elijah had done he had struck the river in previous verses and the water the river stopped and he said where is the eternal god of elijah when he also had struck the water it was divided this way and that and elisha crossed over in verse 15 when the sons of the prophets who were from jericho saw him this from a distance they were able to witness what happened they said the spirit of elijah rests on elisha and they came to meet him and bowed bowed to the ground before him showing respect for that back in first kings chapter 19 first kings chapter 19 verses 15 and 16. first kings 19 verse 6 verse 15 then the eternal said to him talking about he's talking to to elijah go on your way to the wilderness of damascus and when you arrive anoint hazel uh king over ice king over syria and also you shall anoint jehu the son of nimshi as king over israel and elisha the son of shaophet of abel mahola you shall anoint as a prophet in your place elijah knew what was coming that his tenure as a prophet of god was about to end and of course we see that recorded as i just read over in second kings that that lead responsibility as i would say the leading prophet there were sons of the prophets in various places if you read the account in kings that position of responsibility was given from one person to another in the book of acts you can just example again where the deacons were chosen the apostles are the ones who appointed the deacons we've heard recently a good many times about acts 15 where the matter of circumcision was decided decided by those by the apostles and by those that god had put in responsible positions of leadership so in closing let's turn over to ephesians chapter four because i made reference to the leadership in the human realm and of course certainly as we come down to the church today we find that god is given the same kind of government in the church ephesians chapter 4 verses 10 through 16. and they gave himself or he himself gave some to be apostles christ did some apostles some prophets some evangelists and some pastors and teachers and we teach this is a hierarchy these are positions within the ministry why do you do that how why do we even need ministers you go back to romans we find the account where if you said how could someone understand he said well you can't without a preacher and how should there be a preacher if he's not sent god picks and chooses certain ones to carry out responsibilities and christ himself appoints them this way why do we need that for the equipment equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry for preaching the gospel for doing the work for the edifying of the body of christ so that we all understand more perfectly how to become part of christ's body till we all come to the unity of the faith that's a big stride forward to become united the way god wants us to be come to the unity of the faith unto the knowledge of the son of god to a perfect man to be mature christians to the measure of the stature of the fullness of christ that is the goal that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting but speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things unto him who was the head christ that's why we have sermons so many sermons on basic understanding god's truth so that these things are written in our minds in a way that they would never be removed we don't take for granted any of the truth we've been given that's what the ministry is there for god put the ministry in place today to take care of his work and take care of his church he has always worked this way from the family structure from the angelic realm he put in place certain government it's what he has within the spirit god family from god on down to christ and through the others and why he has put this kind of government in place in his church it is god's government in the church and all of us benefit by understanding that realizing this is god's church and it's god's government i would refer you to mr weston's recent article in the living church news about love and government those two go together right government is administered through the love of god that government is part of god's love for his creation it's reflected in the family human family in the angelic realm in the godly god god's family and how he has dealt with mankind down through from adam all the way down to us and you and i are privileged to be called to share in that government to learn how it works and be a part of it for all eternity there's a lot more to be said about government another time another place perhaps but understanding how god put his his government in place in the church now he's worked with mankind is always very important for us to understand it's one of our fundamental [Music] beliefs you

Channel: Living Church of God

Views: 3,094

Rating: 4.9189191 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: acVSsc3cr50

Length: 70min 24sec (4224 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 16 2021