I think a lot of us know that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, but I don’t think we really ask why.

Origins In Genesis

If we start with Genesis, we find a somewhat familiar passage right after Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden. God is handing out judgments and He is starting with Satan. The key verse we want to focus on is:

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.” –Genesis 3:15.

When we think of “seed,” we commonly associate this to the male species. Here, God is associating to the woman which is in anticipation of the virgin birth.

From this point on, Satan goes to work doing everything he can to corrupt this “seed.” Here’s a short list of some of the things he tries to spoil the seed:

• He causes Cain to murder his brother Abel (Genesis 4)
• He causes his fallen angels to corrupt the bloodlines of many generations that precipitate the flood (Genesis 6)
• He causes the tower of Babel to be built (Genesis 11)
• He causes Abram and Sarai to have Ishmael by Hagar (Genesis 16)
• He causes the rise of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19)
• He causes Joseph’s brothers to deal treacherously with him (Genesis 37)
• He causes the illicit affair between Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38)
• He causes Aaron to make the golden calf and the resulting worship (Exodus 32)
• He causes David to commit adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11)

There are many more examples, but let’s jump ahead to the event that probably caused Satan to rejoice.

King Jehoiachin (Coniah)

All through the books of 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles, we read of Israel’s many failures and departures from worshipping God and turning to idol worship. Things would get better but then go right back to mire. There would be good kings, and then bad ones. The northern and southern kingdoms would seeming go from bad to worse.

God finally has enough and so with king Jehoiachin He pronounces a blood curse upon him.

“Thus says the LORD, ‘write this man down childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; for no man of his descendants will prosper sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah.’” –Jeremiah 22:30.

With this proclamation, Satan thinks he finally has succeeded in undermining God’s plan of redemption through David’s bloodline. It was announced by God that the Messiah would come from David’s line, but now Satan thinks that the plan has been ruined by his doing.

Joseph

So if we turn to Matthew now, we run across king Jehoiachin in Jesus’ genealogy.

Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. –Matthew 1:11-12.

Here, Jeconiah is another spelling of Jehoiachin. The genealogy continues and we’ll pick it up in verse 16:

Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. –Matthew 1:16.

Remember, Joseph was not Jesus’ natural father. If he were, then the blood curse that God pronounced on the lineage of David would apply to Jesus! No, Joseph was Jesus’ legal father, thus fulfilling the specifications that the Messiah was a descendant of David.

Something also peculiar that you might gloss over. In Luke 3, there is a little verse that has significant implications.

When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli. –Luke 3:23.

Did you pick up on that? In Matthew 1:16, it says that Joseph’s father was Jacob. Here in Luke, it makes it sound like there is a contradiction by saying “Joseph, the son of Eli.”

Who is Eli?

Eli is Mary’s father! In other words, Joseph is Jacob’s son by birth, and Eli’s son (in-law) by marriage to Mary. In order to really get at what is going on here, we need to dig back into the Old Testament to the book of Numbers.

The Daughters of Zelophehad

I won’t get into all the scriptures here, but will provide them in a moment. Basically what happened is that Zelophehad did not have any sons, only daughters. In ancient Israel, inheritance would typically go to sons. After Zelophehad had died, his five daughters came to Moses asking him what would happen to their father’s property who died without sons?

Moses then took the question directly to God who made a very particular exemption. However, this exemption was absolutely critical to the coming of the Messiah that we don’t appreciate the implications until we get to Jesus’ birth! God anticipated this detail a thousand years before Jesus’ birth!

If you want to dig into the background, check out these passages:

• Numbers 26:33
• Numbers 27:1-11
• Numbers 36:2-12
• Joshua 17:3-6
• 1 Chronicles 7:15

Merry Christmas 2010!

On behalf of the Chavez family, I wish each of you a blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with God’s love, grace, and mercy.

May He Increase!

I’m being flippant. Forgive me.

One of my Facebook friends is my high school alma mater. The other day, the school posted a story about how the remains of Saint Don Bosco will be on tour making a pilgrimage to 130 countries around the world. The website–”Don Bosco Among Us“– has the the full schedule of tour dates and maps of where the wax replica will be. One of those stops will actually be at my old high school.

As a Bible-believing Christian–just like Roman Catholics should all be, right?–I had some issues with the “veneration” of the remains.  According to Merriam-Webster, the word “veneration” has the following meanings:

1. respect or awe inspired by the dignity, wisdom, dedication, or talent of a person
2. the act of venerating
3. the condition of one that is venerated

The verb “venerating” is defined as: “to honor (as an icon or a relic) with a ritual act of devotion.”

Don Bosco’s Tour website explains:

The Church honors God through the relics of the bodies of the saints, the things they used, and the lives they touched. The relic of Don Bosco is being brought to the world so Christians may honor him as a Servant of God, as well as view him as a source of inspiration for those still living.

That all sounds really nice. But it reminds me of the Bronze Serpent from Numbers 21. God commanded Moses to create this serpent on a pole to heal those who were bitten by serpents so they might live. What happened to this–if I might use the term–relic 700 years later? The people turned it into an idol! King Hezekiah destroyed it as a result!

He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nahushtan. –2 Kings 18:4.

Someone else will have to confirm it for me, but I’ll be willing to bet that Don Bosco’s “relic” will have incense burned to it at each stop.

In any event, I posted a comment to the Facebook news article. It went something like this:

Brothers & Sisters, do you not see the danger of idol worship here? Don Bosco is absent from his body and is with the Lord. Flesh is flesh. We need to get our eyes off idols and back on the Lord Jesus, the Creator of us all. God shares His glory and worship with no one and nothing.

I spoke the truth of the Word. I was not in attack mode, necessarily, but I felt compelled and lead to share what I felt God’s Word says about this sort of thing.

Soon after, the attacks came.

• “Keep your opinions to yourself. No one likes a Bible Thumper.”
• “I heard Looney Toon music play in my head as soon as I read Joe’s comment.”

Part of me was surprised because, though Roman Catholics and Protestants disagree on a number of items, we both believe in the same God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We both believe in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection and His Second Coming. Then it made me sad and Zechariah’s words came to me:

“And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will say, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’” –Zechariah 13:6.

These words are prophetic of Jesus’ wounds on the cross. And yet, He shows us over and over again how He experienced our pain of rejection. He reminds us that those who would persecute us are really persecuting Him!

And I suppose that is what makes me so angry. So many well-meaning Roman Catholics are deceived by false doctrines and out-right lies from Satan! I cannot understand how my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ could actually insult me by calling me a “Bible Thumper.” We read the same Bible!

Should I have stayed out of it? Should I have kept my opinion to myself? These are questions that haunt me a little as I think about this situation. But maybe my comments will actually drive someone to the Bible to see what God has to say about idols and relics. Don’t take my word for it. Take God’s Word for it. Seek out the truth of what God has to say.

Have you run into a similar situation where you kept quiet or spoke out? What was the result?

May He Increase!

To recap, we’ve looked at:

• Rahab and the Spies
• The Genealogy of Noah
• The Mourning of an Only Son
• The Ark and the Cross

One of my favorites is found in the book of Numbers.

The Cross and the Camp

Numbers might very well be one of those books that people gloss over because of all the names, generations and, well, numbers listed in various forms. One thing to always keep in mind while reading the Bible is that no detail is unimportant. Every name, every place, and yes, even every number serves God’s purposes.

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance.” –Numbers 2:1-2.

Beginning at verse 3 and ending in verse 34, God gives Moses and Aaron specific instructions on how the people were to be encamped around the Tabernacle. A basic rendering of this passage would look something like the image below.

What this ends up being is that the three tribes at the top of this picture are at the North (Asher, Dan and Naphtali) and the tribes at the bottom (Gad, Reuben and Simeon) are at the South. The tribes on the left (Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh) are on the west side and the last grouping on the right (Issachar, Judah and Zebulun) are on the east. The Levities are part of the tabernacle.

But these groups are numbered in this chapter by taking a census. The populations of these tribes are:

• Benjamin 35,400
• Manasseh 32,200
• Ephraim 40,500
• Naphtali 53,400
• Asher 41,500
• Dan 62,700
• Judah 74,600
• Issachar 54,400
• Zebulun 57,400
• Gad 45,650
• Simeon 59,300
• Reuben 46,500.

The Levities were not numbered. Outside of them, the total population was 603,550.

What’s the point? Well, using the image above, if we plot this out each “leg” of the camp will extend out from the Tabernacle according to the populations of each group of three tribes, yes?

What would this look like from 30,000 feet? See below.

The boxes represent more-or-less proportions against each population. What does the image appear to be?

A cross!

And this is from the Torah, one of the five books of Moses! This is centuries before crucifixion was even invented! Read Numbers 2 for yourself and just draw out a picture of what the camp would look like. Try it for yourself.

There is no way you can convince me that the Bible is anything but God-breathed. There is no way that Jewish rabbis would have tried to conceal this into the text. There is no way!

I close this post with the same point I made in my last post: if the Bible is authenticated over-and-over again by way of prophecy, thereby clearly making it a message outside of our domain of time and space, what is the implication?

You need to answer the question for yourself. You entire eternity depends upon the answer!

May He Increase!

Another example of this is found in the books of Exodus and Numbers.

In Exodus, the people of Israel complained to Moses that there was no water to drink as they traveled through the desert. So after Moses prays to God “a little more and they will stone me,” (Exodus 17:4) God tells Moses:

“Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” –Exodus 17:5-6.

It’s such a perfect picture fulfilled by Christ. What happened at Jesus’ trial and crucifixion? He was struck and most notably, His side was pierced and blood and water flowed from His side. From that wound, the Church flowed from His side. Just as the Israelites lived by drinking water from the rock in the desert, we live in a spiritual and eternal sense from the struck rock that is Jesus.

But then something odd happens later in Numbers.

The people complained again about there being no water. Moses prays to God and God answers him:

“Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.” –Numbers 20:8.

What is different this time? God tells Moses to “speak to the rock.” Why? Because the rock (Christ) was already struck (died) once. There is no need to strike (re-sacrifice) Jesus again. The atoning work of Christ at the cross is done!

Is it time for you to speak to The Rock and ask for forgiveness of your sin?

Or are you already a Christian and you need to confess your sin, with the assurance that He is faithful and righteous to forgive us? (1 John 1:9).

May He Increase!

Like Ephesus, Smyrna was one of the better churches. Smyrna, however, did not receive any word of condemnation. Jesus only had positive words to speak to Smyrna.

We will now study the third letter, the letter to the church of Pergamum.

Pergamum: The Pagan Church

Pergamum was located about 45 miles north of Smyrna. It had one of the finest libraries of antiquity, boasting over 200,000 volumes. It was the place where parchment was first used. At one time, it was the capital of the Roman province of Asia.

The word “Pergamum” in the Greek is “Πέργαμος.” Transliterated it is “Pergamos” which is the word used in the King James Version. The word means “height” or “elevation.” Quite picturesque considering that it was built on a mountain and was a fortified city.

Pergamum represents church history between A.D. 314 to A.D. 590. It was a period marked by the world moving into the church and the church moving away from the person of Christ.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church at Pergamum

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: the One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this.” –Revelation 2:12.

Here is the third description Jesus gives of Himself. The “sharp two-edged sword” is found in the Bible several times.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sward, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. –Hebrews 4:12.

Also,

And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. –Ephesians 6:17.

And,

And out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword. –Revelation 1:16.

What is this sword? The scripture is clear: it is the word of God. What is the Word of God?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. –John 1:1.

It’s Jesus.

The Good News

“‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.’” –Revelation 2:13.

Jesus notes two things right away about Pergamum. He notes that in spite of Satan setting up shop there, Jesus acknowledges His faithful who dwell there and “hold fast [His] name, and did not deny [His] faith.” That’s a huge commendation.

It is also revealing that it dismisses that notion that Satan is in hell. This is such a common belief that it is almost taken for granted. There is nor has there been anyone in hell up to this time. That does not mean that hell does not exist. It very much does. It has already been prepared but no one is there . . . yet. Satan and all his fallen angels as well as those that are not in Christ, will be cast into hell much later in Revelation 20:10-15.

When I first read this passage and saw the name “Antipas,” I initially thought this was referring to Herod Antipas. That was until I read the description of this person that followed: “My witness, My faithful one.” I knew immediately that Jesus was not referring to Herod.

This Antipas–a name which means “like the father–was a Christian whom we know nothing about other than he was a martyr in Pergamum. Although we may know nothing about him, Jesus certainly does as He mentions him by name!

The thought ends much as it began. Jesus says twice that Pergamum is where Satan dwells and that it is the place of his earthly throne at that time.

The Bad News

“‘But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.’” –Revelation 2:14.

The story of Balaam and Balak is found in Numbers 22-24. Balak had asked Balaam–a prophet–to curse Israel who had come into the land of Moab. Every time Balak asked Balaam to curse Israel, Balaam would actually bless Israel!

However, Balaam wasn’t necessarily a good guy. At that time, Israel fell into pagan worship of the god Baal. Later in Numbers we find out who counseled them to do this:

Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord. –Numbers 31:16.

Peter mentions Balaam as well:

Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. –2 Peter 2:15.

This is the covetousness of one who hires himself to do religious work only for personal gain.

The half-brother of Jesus, Jude, also mentions the “error of Balaam”:

Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam. –Jude 11.

Here, Jude explains that Balaam had hired himself out as a prophet. This epitomizes his deceit and covetousness.

Back to Revelation:

“‘So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” –Revelation 2:15.

Remember back in the letter to the Ephesian church, Jesus praised them for hating the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Here it’s word of condemnation for Pergamum’s toleration of them!

“‘Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.’” –Revelation 2:16.

You do not want to be on the opposing side of a war with Christ!

The Promise to the Overcomer

“‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’” –Revelation 2:17.

“The hidden manna” here refers to Christ Himself.

“Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” –John 6:49-51.

The “hidden manna” notes the sufficiency of Christ for the believer’s needs.

The “white stone” refers to a vote of acquittal. In the ancient courts of justice, the accused were condemned by black pebbles and the acquitted by white. It signifies our assurance that we will be acquitted when we stand before God.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. –Romans 8:1.

As for the “new name,” J. Vernon McGee explains:

It is helpful to learn that the people of Asia Minor to whom John was writing had a custom of giving to intimate friends a “tessera,” a cube or rectangular block of stone or ivory, with words or symbols engraved on it. It was a secret, private possession of the one who received it. Well, Christ says that He is going to give to each of His own a stone with a new name engraved upon it. I do not believe that it will be a new name for you and me but that it will be a new name for Him. I believe that each name will be different because He means something different to each one of us. It will be His personal and intimate name to each of us. –J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee.

In spite of the dire message to the church, Jesus ends His letter with a wonderful promise.

This is the pagan church: the church at Pergamum.

The next letter is written to the church at Thyatira: representative of Romanism. We’ll study that letter next time.

May He Increase!