Proverbs 1:7, 9:10: Yir’ah, The Fear of the LORD.

Presented to the Nipawin, (17 May 2009) Swift Current (27 May 2012) and Alberni Valley Corps of The Salvation Army (15 May 2022) by Captain Michael Ramsay

This is the 2022 version. To view the earlier version, click here:  http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/05/proverbs-17-910-yirah-fear-of-lord.html

 

Today we are looking at Proverbs. A proverb is a wise saying with instructions for living an effective life. Proverbs are characterized by short, memorable statements that reflect the world as we know it As I was considering our text today, I ran across a number of contemporary proverbs about optimists and pessimists:

• –       In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip. ~Daniel L. Reardon
• –       Pessimist: One who, when he has the choice of two evils, chooses both. ~Oscar Wilde
• –       Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. ~Gil Stern
• –       An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan
• –       Always borrow money from a pessimist, he doesn't expect to be paid back. ~ Unknown[1]

My favourite: This is more of a definition than a proverb actually but I thought that I would share it anyway:

• –       An Optimist is a word which here refers to a person…who thinks hopeful and pleasant thoughts about nearly everything. If an optimist had his left arm chewed off by an alligator, he might say, in a pleasant and hopeful voice, "Well, this isn't too bad. I don't have my left arm anymore, but at least nobody will ever ask me whether I am right-handed or left-handed," but most of us would say something more along the lines of "Aaaaah! My arm! My arm!" ~Lemony Snicket[2]

 

Proverbs in the Bible often contrasts the wisdom of following God to the folly of following our any counsel that is not based in reverence for our Lord. Proverbs champions the truth, with many different examples, that people have very real choices in life but they all boil down to this: either we follow God and live an abundant life with God or we follow ourselves or anyone or anything else and forego that life with God.

The theme of Proverbs can be summed up in Proverbs 9:10 [9] and 1:7: ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.’ The beginning of any understanding is a fear of God. Well, what does that mean? What does it mean to have the fear of the LORD’?

Does it mean to panic? Does it mean to be timid? No. It is different. To be timid is to cower. To be timid is like…have you ever seen an abused animal who has been terrorized? She pulls back as soon as you reach out your arm. The timid person is walking on eggshells at all times. This concept shows up in the book of Timothy, where Paul tells us that timidity (Greek: deilia) is not from God. Timidity is not the beginning of wisdom. [11]

The timid person reminds me of in the parable of the talents. Remember that parable, recorded in Matthew 25? The king gives three people talents (money). The third one is so afraid (Greek: phobeo) that he does not even invest his talents. He is actually paralyzed with fear. This fear creates what the Apostle Paul calls in Romans 8:15, ‘a spirit of bondage’, a phobia. In Romans 8:15 (like Matt 25:35), the Greek word Paul uses is actually ‘phobos’ – from which we derive the word ‘phobia’, and this as we know refers to an irrational fear.[12] This kind of irrational fear is not the beginning of wisdom. It is not from God: phobia. And the spirit of timidity (deilia) Paul tells us about in 2 Timothy 1:7, is not from God; God gives us power and love and a sound mind. Sometimes even we Christians forget this.

Many –but not all- Christians believe in the so-called ‘rapture’. The idea behind the rapture is that at some point, God will snatch up either those He loves (the more popular belief) or those He hates (a less popular belief) and leave the rest behind. We had a professor at College who was raised in a phobia-producing kind of church environment that focused on a terror of being left behind if you weren’t good enough to be raptured and he told us that one night he heard a car horn or a train whistle and he woke up in absolute terror. He was so frightened that that sound was the trumpet of the Lord and that he had missed the rapture. He was terrified that he might have been left behind. Phobias, timidity and this panic: these are not representative of the fear of the Lord that Proverbs is talking about. This is a terror some even well-meaning people can put into the minds of innocent souls.

That being said, the word for fear here in Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10, yir'ah, is not totally absent of the concept of a terror of sorts. Scholar Allen P. Ross tells us that, “The term yir'ah can describe dread (Dt 1:29), being terrified (Jh 1:10), standing in awe (1 Ki 3:28), and/or having reverence (Lv 19:3). With the Lord as the object, yir'ah captures both aspects of shrinking back in fear and of drawing close in awe. It is not a trembling dread that paralyzes action, but neither is it merely a polite reverence (Plaut, p. 32).”[15]

Strong’s dictionary and concordance both define yir'ah as this ‘fear’ or ‘moral reverence’ acknowledging that yir'ah encompasses more than that – it can refer to a sense of moral fearfulness.[16] What does this mean? What is the difference between a reverent, moral fearfulness that leads to knowledge and wisdom and the fearful, panic-stricken, timid phobia that leads to cowering? We are all familiar with the word ‘deference’, right? Deference means respect. People often have a certain amount of deference (respect) for our uniforms. I have had many people -even strangers- alter their language and try not to swear in my presence because of my uniform.

In many other countries – more than here, students generally have a certain amount of deference for their teachers. They respect their authority. They seem to be a little less likely to speak out than children in our public school systems. I remember once when I was working at an international school, there was this joke among the staff. It went like this: ‘How do you get an international student to be quiet?’ The answer: ‘You ask them to be quiet… please.’ This is respect.

I have witnessed deference firsthand in courtrooms too. You would be surprised at how quickly a person removes his hat or turns off her cell phone with just one sideways glance from that judge. I have seen people talking big outside the courtroom and then a moment later I have seen them inside bowing quickly to the authority and power of the courts. I have seen even your most law-abiding citizens who are not in the court on charges but simply there to assist someone else – I have seen people who know the judge quite well – when they are addressed by the judge, immediately defer to her position. This deference is not entirely without fear. Our courtrooms are probably one of the best parallels to the emotions that accompany yir'ah in contemporary western society.

Another example of that same idea. We have a number of AA groups that meet here during the week. There was a time when I drank – too much. I remember my late teens. I was at a party at a friend’s apartment and I was drinking. It was late. Most of the people had gone home but a few of us remained. Things went bad. A friend and her boyfriend started fighting and when I say fighting, I don’t mean that they were just yelling at each other. She was hitting him quite hard and repeatedly and then he gave her a black eye. Other than them, I was the only one there who wasn’t passed out. I pushed him out on the tenth storey balcony with me and I locked the door behind us so that she would be separated from him. I did not want to be in the middle of this. Well, I thought that I had locked the sliding balcony door but next thing I know she comes through the door and attacks him and in the ensuing scuffle, I am knocked off the tenth-floor balcony. Literally, I am dangling by my fingertips. I am hanging there as they are fighting, trying to kill each other. I have been a Christian since I was a child. I have had way too much to drink and I am dangling from this balcony. I pray ‘God, please don’t let me meet you like this’ – what I mean is ‘God, please don’t let my last act at this time on earth be something so unglorifying to you.’ He answered my prayer obviously and saved my life as I climbed back onto the balcony and into the apartment with my friends and I sobered up and He used even me in that time and place to minister to my friends.

In that moment when I was dangling over the edge of the balcony and coming before the LORD in prayer, I had the fear of the Lord. I had a moral fear of the LORD. I am not afraid that He is going to punish me because I was bad. I am not afraid that I am going to go to hell. I did have that moral, dreadful fear of the LORD though that I – in this moment, in this state – am letting my saviour down. I am not living up to my heavenly potential. I am not holy as I could have been holy. When the Lord saves me, He lets me hold onto not only the memory of these events but also the real memory of the moral, dreadful fear of the Lord. From that experience, I am able to learn so much. I no longer find myself dangling from balconies or drinking too much! Nor am I committing other such errors. I have grown in knowledge and wisdom from this fear of the LORD.  

Even more: When we love someone, we don’t want to fail him or her. When we work for someone, we don’t want to let him or her down. When we love and work for someone, we want to do everything we can for them because we love them. It is this fear of the Lord that keeps us holy. It is this fear of the Lord that causes us to follow the path of wisdom put forth in the book of Proverbs. It is this love, this respect, and this fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom for it is only from this real love for and deference to the only real God, who loves us, that we can possibly be wise enough to serve Him. If we want to be wise it must begin here. Deference and, Prov 9:10: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, …”

What is wisdom then? Wisdom is this: It is how to survive in this world. It is an understanding of how the world works. The Bible and Proverbs are not books of do’s and don’ts randomly generated to organise a society or to earn our way into heaven. The ‘Scriptures… were given by inspiration of God, and…they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.’[17] The Scriptures explain to us the mystery of how and why the world works. The more we read them the more we know about God, just like the more time we spend with God, praying and reading His Word, the more we know Him.

I invite you to read through Proverbs this week. It won’t take long and as you do, you will notice that indeed each proverb is a brief glimpse into the reality that is our life. These are words to live by (as is the whole of Scripture) that we can fully understand when we really do love God when we honestly really have a healthy deference, yir'ah, fear of the LORD, because the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

Let us pray

 

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[1] The Quote Garden! Quotations about Optimism and Pessimism: http://www.quotegarden.com/optimism.html Cited 03 May 2009.

[2] Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill. (New York, NY: Scholastic, 2000), 26-27.

[3] Cf. DA Hubbard, ‘Wisdom Literature’, NDB, p. 1334

[4] Richard J. Clifford, NIB V: Proverbs-Sirach, ‘Introduction to Wisdom Literature’ (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1997), p. 9.

[5] Doctrine 2 of The Salvation Army.

[6] Richard J. Clifford, NIB V: Proverbs-Sirach, ‘Introduction to Wisdom Literature’ (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1997), p.12.

[7] Raymond C. Van Leeuwen, NIB V: Proverbs-Sirach, ‘The Book of Proverbs’, (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1997), p.34.

[8] Cf. also. Michael Ramsay, ‘Paul and the Human Condition as reflected in Romans 1:18-32 and 2:1-16’. Presented to William and Catherine Booth College (Winter 2007). Available on-line: http://www.sheepspeak.com/NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Paul%20and%20the%20Human%20Condition

[9] Derek Kidner. An Introduction to Wisdom Literature: The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job & Ecclesiastes, (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1985), p. 17.

[10]Warren E. Berkley, Expository Files 4.9 (September 1997), available on-line: http://www.bible.ca/ef/expository-proverbs-1-7.htm: You must carefully consider the context in order to assign the proper meaning to the word. It is one of those words that is context sensitive. So, the "fear" we are concerned with in Prov. 1:7 is not identical to the "fear" of Rom. 8:15 or 2 Tim. 1:7.

[11] Cf. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. ‘1167: deilia’ (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishing, 1995), p.20.

[12] Cf. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. ‘5401: phobos’ (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishing, 1995), p.96.

[13] Tim F. Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, Left Behind (Cambridge, UK: Tyndale House Publishing, 1996).

[14] But I will argue against it here: Michael Ramsay, The Sheepspeak Commentary. Farewell to the Rapture! March 19, 2009. Available on-line: http://renewnetwork.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html#1407993155574202234 Cf. also N.T. Wright, Farewell to the Rapture! Bible Review, August 2001. Available on-line at: http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_BR_Farewell_Rapture.htm

[15] Allen P. Ross, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Proverbs/Exposition of Proverbs/I. Introduction to the Book of Proverbs (1:1-7)/C. Motto: The Fear of the Lord (1:7), Book Version: 4.0.2

[16] Yirah, in The New Strong’s Complete Dictionary of Bible Words. (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishing, 1966), p. 395. Cf. also Cf. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. ‘5374: yir’ah’ (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishing, 1995), p.59.

[17] Doctrine 1 of The Salvation Army

 

Proverbial Blessings from Proverbs 3-16

Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries, 06 February 2022 by Sarah-Grace Ramsay

This week was Chinese New Year. At Chinese New Year events they often give each person a loonie. What we will do for that is donate a loonie to Partners In Mission for each person here today.

 

The other thing I associate with Chinese New Year is what most of us associate with Chinese food. Fortune Cookies. I often think it would be neat to have a Christian Chinese Food Restaurant where instead of fortunes in the cookies there would be scriptures or proverbs.

 

So today I have proverb cookies – well proverb plastic eggs for us. Heather will hand them out. You can open yours up and look at it. Don’t lose it. I am going to ask people to read them out. And then we will share in a blessing from each one.

  

Who has Proverbs 3:5? Read it out please.

 

3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding

 

God confounds the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27); the sin of the book of judges that shows just how much trouble can come when we ‘do what is right our own eyes’. The truth is God is smarter than we are, any of us. We can all make mistakes but God doesn’t. As we trust in Him, He will bring us through everything.

 

Our blessing from this for us today is this:  As we all put our trust in God, He will do amazing things. More than we can even imagine.

  

Who has Proverbs 3:5? Read it out please.

 

3:27: Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

    when it is in your power to act.

 

We have heard the saying “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.” It is important that when we have the opportunity to do good for someone that we not decline that opportunity. When we fail to do good for someone, we leave the door open for harm; so then let us a do the most good for everyone we meet.

 

Dear God, please help us to always to good whenever and wherever we are able. Amen

  

Who has Proverbs 4:27? Read it out please.

 

4:27: Do not turn to the right or the left;

    keep your foot from evil.

 

This is important. I think many times in our world, we realize our errors in going too far in one direction and so to correct for that we swing far too far in the other direction. It is the pendulum effect. Rather than always looking to the left or the right, we need to keep focused on the Lord; that is the way to keep us from veering off into the sins of one extreme or the other.

 

Dear God, please protect our hearts from the temptations on the left and on the right. Please guide us on your path so that we may keep our feet from evil. AMEN

  

Who has Proverbs 10:12? 

 

9:10: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

    and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

 

The Hebrew Word for fear here ‘yirah’ doesn’t mean being timid. It means more specifically feeling and showing deference, reverence, and real respect. It is the kind of respect one has when they are before a judge. You know that they are in charge. When we have this respect for the Lord, we will have all His knowledge and understanding available to us.

 

Lord, help us to always seek you with reverence and fear that you may make us wise. Amen.

  

Who has Proverbs 10:8?

 

 10:8: The wise in heart accept commands,

    but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

 

There are two parts to this. One is about the growth and blessing we have from accepting direction. The second is about talking too much. They are related. If we are talking, we are not listening. If we are not listening, we come to ruin. If your voice is the one squashing the quiet, your heart is not the wise one, learning. When we are tempted chatter on and on, we can resist and instead be still and listen to what God is telling us through others.

 

When tempted to chatter on and one, may each and all of us close our mouths tightly so that we may open our hearts to the commands and wisdom of the Lord.

  

Who has Proverbs 10:12? Read it out please.

 

10:12: Hatred stirs up conflict,

    but love covers over all wrongs.

 

Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘don’t let anyone drag you so low as to make you hate them’. Forgiveness is key to the whole Christian message. As we are able to love others, our adversaries and conflicts may just melt away.

 

Our blessing from this proverb is this: As we are able to accept and give the love of God, we are able to be free of the power of hate and all the conflict it stirs up. May it be so.  

  

Who has Proverbs 12:1? 

 

12:1: Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

    but whoever hates correction is stupid.

 

And who has Proverbs 10:17? Read that one out too please.

 

10:17: Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,

    but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

 

These two proverbs are obviously related and very important. Discipline is so important. That is how we learn. Proverbs speak to discipline from others and discipline from God. I do believe that we are given lessons to learn from in all of our circumstances, and as we learn from them, we are more prepared for everything else that comes our way.

 

My prayer is this: that we will always be open to the Lord’s correction and heed His discipline so that through our faithfulness the Lord will show others the way of Life. Amen.

  

Who has Proverbs 10:19? Read it out please.

 

10:19: Sin is not ended by multiplying words,

    but the prudent hold their tongues.

 

This is similar to what we heard about chattering bringing us to ruin. This proverb, I believe, is speaking more specifically about when we have made an error or done something wrong. If we keep speaking, justifying it, explaining it, and the like, it doesn’t make it better. It makes it worse. It is best just to hold your tongue and let healing take place.

 

May all of us know the peace that comes from holding our tongues.

  

Who has Proverbs 11:2? Read it out please

 

11:2: When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

    but with humility comes wisdom.

 

When we always think we are the best, our surprises will always be disappointments. We can never learn if we are filled with pride. It is only when we realize that God can speak through everyone that we can listen and hear God when He does speak to us through others. When we puff ourselves up, life will pull us down; when we are humble, God will lift us up.

 

God help us to be humble that we may bring Glory unto you. Amen.

  

Who has Proverbs 11:2? Read it out please

 

14:21: It is a sin to despise one’s neighbour,

    but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy

 

Matthew 22:40, Jesus tells us, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself for this sums up the Law and the Prophets’. As we love God and one another and look out for each other, we will indeed experience all the blessings of the Kingdom of God. No matter what anyone does, may we never exchange the freedom that comes with love for the chains of hate.

 

Lord help us to always love others and to be faithful in serving You in all that we do. Amen

  

Who has Proverbs 14:29? 

 

14:29: Whoever is patient has great understanding,

    but one who is quick-tempered displays folly

 

People will say many things that are offensive. People will refer to others in ways you find objectionable. People will have political and religious views that are different than yours. People will do things that you do not approve of… when we react angrily and quickly to these things, we alienate others and refuse the opportunity to learn. Who knows, if we are patient rather than reactionary maybe we will discover that they were not saying what we thought they were or… we may even discover that we can learn from God through them. We can never learn if we are always angry. We can never truly show love if we are always responding in rage.

 

Dear God, please help us to listen and love rather and respond and be offended. Help us to be patient with one another. Amen.

  

Who has Proverbs 15:1? 

 

15:1: A gentle answer turns away wrath,

    but a harsh word stirs up anger.

 

This warning and blessing is similar to the previous one. Someone is going to be mad at you. Someone is going to yell at you. Someone may cry and scream at you. Someone is going to look at you in such a way to suggest that this is coming. Someone is going to say something that offends you. Someone is going to say something that upsets you. When you answer gently you will find that their wrath is turned away and terror is adverted.

 

May it be so. May we always be equipped to answer rage with peace, and hate with love. As the beatitude says, blessed be the peacemaker.

  

Who has Proverbs 15:17? Read it out please.

 

15:17: Better a small serving of vegetables with love

    than a fattened calf with hatred.

 

This is comfort to us all. Whatever we have to share, let us share it. Whether it is a little or a lot, let us share it with love. We all know what is like to have a big fancy occasion ruined through strife. We all know what it is like to experience joy and love in the little things. May we show, experience, and be the love of God in both circumstances.

 

They will know we are Christians by our love.

  

Last One!

Who has Proverbs 16:3? Read it out loud please

 

16:3: Commit to the Lord whatever you do,

    and He will establish your plans.

 

In all that we do, let us seek the Lord. Let us seek His Face. Let us ask His direction. Let us commit to seek His guidance in all we do, for as we do, He will establish those, His plans that come straight from Him.

 

Let us pray.

 

Dear God,

 

Thank You for your encouragement and blessings that You show us through the Scriptures, the proverbs, and in every other way. Thank You for everything that You do for us and through us. Please help us to faithfully serve You, love You and learn from You in all that we do. Help us to be faithful even as you are faithful.

 

In Jesus’ Name Amen.

 

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Acts 1:12-26: Show Us Which You Have Chosen

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 19 May 2013

By Captain Michael Ramsay

To read a version of this sermon presented to Toronto's Corps 614, 20 Sept 2015, click here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2015/09/acts-112-26-who-have-you-chosen.html 

To read a 2024 TSA AVM BC version click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2024/04/acts-112-26-show-us-which-you-have.html 

1) How do we choose an important employee, manager, CEO, etc.? (Resume, ability)

2) How do we choose the Head of State? (Heredity: intense job-training programme from the moment they are born)

3) How do we choose the Canadian Idol, talent show winners and politicians in this country? (Popularity contest AKA an election)

4) What is the traditional way that one decides whether the one they fancy truly loves them or not: ‘she loves me, she loves me not’? (Removing leaves from a flower)

5) How does one decide which team is going to start with the ball in Canadian football or in a soccer game? (Coin toss)

6) How does one decide where to transfer Salvation Army Officers? (Prayer and fasting?)

Near the conclusion of Acts Chapter 1, the believers who have gathered in Jerusalem – about 120 of them – are faced with a choice that needs to be made: they need to choose a successor to one of the 12 disciples. This whole episode that we are examining today raises three layers of questions.

1) The first layer is composed of questions to which the solutions are not all that difficult to find, such as:

Ø      Who are these disciples here - particularly Judas Iscariot?

Ø      What did Judas do?

2) A little more challenging are the questions of the second layer:

Ø      Why do they need a successor to Judas? Outside of the RC tradition, I believe, we don’t believe that they even need successors to any of the apostles anymore; so why do they need a successor in Acts here?

Ø      And did they choose the correct successor? What about the apostle Paul? Some people say Paul was supposed to be the successor to Judas Iscariot, not Matthias. According to Luke, did the disciples make a mistake in selecting Matthias?

3) Once we have resolved the issues in these two layers of questioning, we should look at the third layer and ask ourselves the most important question inherent to the text: how should we resolve the difficult questions in our lives? How should we make the important decisions that we have to make in our life and in our world on a daily basis?

In answering these questions, let's look a little bit at the context of our pericope here. This book, Acts, is the second book written by the author Luke to his friend Theophilus. Can anyone tell me what is the name of the first book Luke wrote to his friend Theophilus? (Luke.) The book of Acts is a sequel to the book of Luke. It is a continuation of the story: The book of Luke tells about Jesus and his followers prior to Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. Acts picks up the story from where Luke finishes off.

We read Acts 1:1-11 earlier in the meeting today. This recaps what Luke had written to Theophilus in his previous book. As recorded in Acts 1:1-2, Luke writes, ‘In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.’ Luke then lists some of those things:

Ø      Jesus’ suffering,

Ø      His presenting himself alive after he was killed,

Ø      And showing many other convincing proofs (Acts 1:3-4).

Luke then tells Theophilus that Jesus also reminded the believers to stay in Jerusalem while they await the Holy Spirit to give their post-resurrection ministry a kick-start. Once Gods sends the Holy Spirit like a starter pistol, Luke tells us, the believers are to run to the ends of the earth sharing this Gospel of Salvation with everyone they meet (Acts 1:1-11). This review of his earlier book is how Luke sets the stage for this book of Acts.

Now let's look at one or two of the questions that we asked ourselves off the top today. Who are the disciples here?  Acts 1:13 mentions them by name. We’ll highlight a few of them. Peter, James and John were Jesus’ inner circle of disciples. They were all fishermen in their previous career, as was Andrew. Peter is the one who is going to take a leadership role among the disciples. Philip we will learn more about in the next few chapters of the book of Acts. We know the story of doubting Thomas. We also recognize the name of Matthew in the list. Someone can tell me what book did Matthew write? (Matthew). Luke also mentions, Verse 13, Simon the Zealot, Judas son of James, James son of Aphaeus, and Bartholomew. These were the 11.

Who was the 12th disciple? (Judas Iscariot). For what is Judas infamous? Judas Iscariot, Judas is remembered as Jesus’ betrayer. He led the Romans and the priests to Jesus and betrayed him with a kiss. Then Jesus was led off to be killed, to be crucified. Now this Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ 12 chosen disciples and he was the one trusted enough to be placed in charge of the disciples’ money. He was their treasurer. Luke, through Peter, tells us a few more things about Judas Iscariot in our text today. Acts 1:15-20 records that Judas:

Ø      Was a guide to those arresting Jesus, Verse 16 (like we said);

Ø      Was allotted a full share in Jesus ministry, Verse 17 (like we said);

Ø      And then, with the money he was paid for helping arrest Jesus –Verse 18 – he bought and field;

Ø      And he killed himself.

Judas was one of Jesus’ closest twelve followers, he betrayed Jesus for whatever reason, and then he took his own life (Acts 1:18-20 contrasts Matthew 27:3-10).

This is sad and this brings us to our second level of questions: Why do the disciples need a successor to Judas? And did they choose the right successor?

Why do the disciples even need a successor to Judas? As Jesus is already crucified, resurrected, and glorified; why do they need someone to replace Judas? They don’t replace any of the other disciples when they die; so, why do they need to replace Judas when Judas dies? Jesus gives us the answer to this question, as recorded in Matthew 19:28 and Luke 22:30. Jesus tells us that “at the renewal of all things,” his twelve disciples will “sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28, Luke 22:30). OT Scriptures, in particular the psalmist, also speak to this need: Psalm 69:25, 109:8.[1] John, in the book of Revelation writes that at “the consummation of God’s redemption as a ‘Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God’, having twelve gates with ‘the names of the twelve tribes of Israel’ written on them and twelve foundations with ‘the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb’ written on them (Revelation 21:10, 12, 14).”[2] Israelite tradition, Jesus’ teaching and subsequent Christian thought and belief record that the apostles have a role still to play at the resurrection of the dead. Jesus says that it is their job to judge the tribes of Israel after the resurrection of the dead.

So then, it is not because Judas died that he needs to be replaced because he will be raised on the last day with all the rest of us and none of the other disciples were replaced when they died. It is because Judas abrogated his responsibility, he forfeited his position as one of the twelve judges of Israel when he betrayed Jesus - who is Israel and the world’s Messiah - and then took his own life.[3] This is why they need a replacement; this is why they need a twelfth disciple. They need a twelfth person who will help judge the twelve tribes of Israel on the last day. As a side note, this is probably where originates the idea that continues even to this time and place that we should have 12 people sitting on juries to determine innocence or guilt in court.

The next question in this second layer of questions is, did they choose the correct successor? What about the Apostle Paul? Some people say that Paul was supposed to be the successor to Judas Iscariot, not Matthias. According to Luke, did the disciples make a mistake in selecting Matthias? No. The short answer is no. The reasons that some offer for Paul being the correct replacement for Judas rather than Matthias do not hold up to scrutiny.  Howard Marshall writes,

 “Some commentators have argued ... that the church acted wrongly in choosing Matthias: it should have waited for the ‘twelfth man’ of God’s own choice, Paul, instead of giving God his choice between two others who are never heard of again. But we never hear any more of [any of]the other members of the Twelve (apart from Peter, James, and John) in Acts, and Paul did not [even] possess the essential qualifications to be one of the Twelve.”[4]

The list of the qualifications for the job of disciple here include:

1. Acts 1:21, that, ^“… it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us” (The expression “was living among us” is a Semitic idiom for familiar and unhindered association; cf. Deuteronomy 31:2; 2 Samuel 3:25; Psalm 121:8; Acts 9:28).
2. Acts 1:22: “For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” He must have seen Christ in person both before and after the resurrection.
3. And, Acts 1:14, Judas’ successor must also be appointed by the same Lord who appointed the Eleven.

The Apostle Paul does not meet all these criteria.[5] God used the Apostle Paul greatly -as Paul himself acknowledges- as an apostle to the gentiles not necessarily as the one to judge the tribes of Israel at the resurrection (cf. Galatians 1:18, 2:1-10).[6]

So, to review: the disciples referred to in this pericope were the 12 chosen ones who were with Jesus during his ministry. These apostles, at the eschaton, on the last day will judge the tribes of Israel. Therefore the successful applicant for Judas’ old job will have been a witness to the resurrection, will have met Jesus in person both before and after His death and resurrection and he will need to be appointed by Jesus Christ himself.

In our text then the disciples have before them then two viable candidates, Acts 1:23-26, “Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, ‘Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.’ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.” Luke records that these people who are gathered together in Jesus’ name when it comes time to make a decision pray, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen.”

This is important and this brings us to our third and most important layer of questioning today. How do we make decisions that need to be made in our lives? I know that Susan, the kids and I have had to discern God’s leading in a few significant matters in our lives. How do we discern which paths to take in our own lives?

When we were called by God into full-time ministry with The Salvation Army, it was a tough decision. We were first called as urban missionaries in Vancouver’s infamous downtown eastside. We had two small children. I had businesses both on the Island (Victoria, Saanich, Sidney) and in and around Greater Vancouver; but my home, my wife with my children and our immediate families were all on the Island. I loved my businesses. I would have to give up my businesses that I founded and raised almost like a first child in order to enter the ministry and we would have to leave our long-time friends and extended family.

We had to make a decision. We could make an economic decision and stay on the Island with our house and our businesses or we could say, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two [options] You have chosen.” We could make a family decision and stay near the children’s grandparents and at that time great-grandparents or we could pray, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen.” We could make a sentimental decision and stay by all that we have ever known and loved on the Island or we could pray, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen.” As we are here today we thankfully took the latter option as our way forward. Praise the Lord; we followed Him into the mission field.

But our reliance on God is not a one-time thing. There are still many more decisions that each and every one of us are faced with everyday in our lives. And every time that we are faced with a decision we have to decide whether we are going to try to decide on our own or whether we are going to trust God to show us the way and then follow Him.

Our first month or so here in Swift Current, I think every staff member of our Thrift Store quit including the manager. Two Christmases ago our CFS director needed to be let go right as we were heading into our busiest time of year. Every year the Army has to declare whether we as Officers are going to stay in our communities or whether we are going to be transferred. In any of these situations any of us can just try to make up our own minds; we can dig our heels in and say to the Lord that we are not going to do what you or anyone else says; we can be bullied by those around us who have an agenda or who are just not very skilled at discerning the will of God; we can just rely on own devices to make the decisions ourselves; we can tell the Lord to please bless the decision that we are about to make. But really - no matter how skilled we are at making decisions - it would gain much better results if instead of any of these ways of deciding what to do, we would pray like the disciples in Acts 1, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen.” And then we need to wait to see how He actually responds.

When we don’t do this we can be tricked into making the wrong choice. I remember once when I was living in a different part of the country, there was an election. I prayed. I looked at the various candidates in my riding. I checked out their resumes and past experiences and there were two of the myriad people running who seemed to have the prerequisite qualifications for the position, so I picked one and voted for him. He was elected but no sooner was he elected then he immediately betrayed those of us who voted for him by joining an opposing political party. He ran as if he belonged to one party so everyone who voted for him thought they were voting for a member of political party 'A' but as soon as he was elected, before he was ever even sworn it, he defected to political party 'B'; so in essence political party 'B' had two candidates in that riding in that election. No matter how much effort I put into casting my ballot, like everyone else who voted for this candidate, I was betrayed.

The disciples, in our passage today, have before them then two viable candidates to replace the one who betrayed Jesus, Acts 1:23-26, “Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, ‘Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.’ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.” Luke records that these people who are gathered together in Jesus’ name when it comes time to make a decision pray, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen.”

This is important. How do we make decisions that need to be made in our lives? Do we attempt to make up our own minds or do we -like the disciples here- correctly attempt to discern the will of the Lord.

The disciples, they don’t pray, “Lord please bless our decision making process” and then do whatever they see fit; they pray, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have already chosen.” They don’t pray, “Lord, please help us to make the right decision” and then do whatever they see fit; they pray, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have already chosen.” They don’t pray, “Lord, show us what we should do” and then do whatever they see fit; they pray, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have already chosen.”

Do you see the difference? The disciples, they don’t call a big meeting and pray for God to bless the proceedings and then make up their own minds anyway after pouring over all of the resumes, conducting interviews, checking references; they don't make the decision all on their own and then ask God to bless it. Quite the opposite, they pray, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have already chosen.”

So what about us? When we are faced with life’s choices how do we decide what to do? Do we pray and then make up our own minds or do we ask for God to show us what he has already decided and keep our eyes and ears open to see what he is showing us? This is the end to which I would encourage us today. Whenever we are faced with a critical decision let us each seek the will of God in our lives and let us each pray as the disciples prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have already chosen.” And then let us actually wait for His answer. I know that as we do, He will show us what He has already chosen for our lives.

 

Let us pray.

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[1] Cf. Robert W. Wall, ‘Acts’ The New Interpreter’s Bible 10, (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 2002), 49-50.

[2] Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Acts/Exposition of Acts/Introduction: The Constitutive Events of the Christian Mission (1:1-2:41)/D. The Full Complement of Apostles (1:12-26)/2. Matthias chosen to replace Judas Iscariot (1:15-26), Book Version: 4.0.2

[3] Cf. William H. William, ‘Acts’, Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, (Atlanta, Georgia: John Knox Press, 1988), 23.

[4] I. Howard Marshall: Acts: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 5), S.71

[5] Cf. Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Acts/Exposition of Acts/Introduction: The Constitutive Events of the Christian Mission (1:1-2:41)/D. The Full Complement of Apostles (1:12-26)/2. Matthias chosen to replace Judas Iscariot (1:15-26), Book Version: 4.0.2

[6] Cf. Simon J. Kistemaker, ‘Acts’, New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids Michigan: Baker Academic, 2007), 68.