Oppressors To Be Judged

Bobservations Column

By Pastor Bob Lawrenz

In Numbers 13 and 14, we read of the spies of the Lord, sent into the land to possess it. One spy from each of the 12 Tribes went in to search out the land and weigh the strength of those heathen peoples that occupied it. Among those heathens were Canaanites, Amalakites, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and the descendants of Anak, who were known to be giants. Moses writes the testimony of the spies: “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:33). For the Israelites to take the land from all these became a formidable task! It would be impossible without God’s help. 

But the Israelites did take the land, with God fighting the battles with them. God never failed them when they sought Him for victories over His enemies. 

Examining Fruit

Bobservations Column
By Pastor Bob Lawrenz

In the Apostle Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians regarding Communion at the Lord’s Table, we are encouraged to examine ourselves, so as to not partake of the emblems in a sinful, or unworthy state (1 Corinthians 11:27-34).

Examining his own heart is something that King David was in the habit of doing (Psalm 139:23,24), and he stayed in close enough contact with Jehovah that it was written that David “had a heart after God.” It is a great help to examine ourselves with God in order to maintain a healthy and open relationship with the Lord Jesus. He already knows us inside and out, so it’s impossible to hide anything from Him. The examination is not for His benefit, but for ours, that we might know our own weaknesses! 

Judgment For Scatterers

Bobservations Column
By Pastor Bob Lawrenz

Last week, at the beginning of Jeremiah 23, the Lord God pronounces woe to the Pastors that scatter His sheep. The Hebrew "ra`ah (rah-ah’)" is the primitive root word meaning to graze, or to pasture. More specifically, a pastor is shepherd, a leader of sheep. One does not think about a flock without calling to mind the shepherd also. A pastor is that shepherd that leads God’s flock to fresh grazing, and good provender, providing protection and comfort as well. 

Israel was being led astray by false shepherds, by errant teachers and their bad teachings, by errant prophets and their false prophecies. The first half of chapter 23 was directed to the flock. Verses 10 and 11 tell us that the land was full of adulterers because the prophets and priests were all profane.

Today as we cover the second half of Jeremiah 23, the Lord directs Jeremiah to address the problematic sheep that are willing to graze on garbage, rather than healthy spiritual food; and to those prophets who speak presumptively in the name of the Lord, but who so far have not heard from the Lord at all! Their “Thus saith the Lord...” is nothing more than a lie, conjured up in their own minds. Insecure in their own faith relationship, they speak “popular things,” because 1) they want the flock to like them, and 2) because they do not want the flock to turn against them. That’s pride, based in a fear of man, rather than truth due to a healthy fear of the Lord! 

The Lord does not raise up shepherds, priests, and prophets for any reason other than to lead His flock, whom God knows have a tendency to wander. They are aloof and unprotected as they wander away from the flock. Sheep wandering away from good grazing become vulnerable to predators that will drag them further from the flock, and then tear them apart. 

Being a shepherd is not about being popular, it’s about faithfully tending to God’s flock. Warnings, corrections, teachings and instruction is good spiritual food. But not all good foods are easily chewed, digested, or liked! 

Perhaps you remember a least favorite food
that was doctored up so that you would eat it.
(for me, it was broccholi !)