Covenant People: A People who Rest
DISCIPLESHIP SEMINARS PRESENTS …
Deuteronomy (Part 2)
MODULE: “LORD, HOW I LOVE YOUR TORAH!” (OT101)
Our Mission: A disciple-making church that transforms lives with the gospel and love of Jesus Christ.
Recap
Recap Last week we looked at how Deuteronomy shared the “format” of a Covenant with other Ancient Near East literature Ancient Near East covenants typically involve a more powerful king, called the Suzerain, and a less powerful one, the Vassal © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
3
Recap Therefore, there are some implications for us. If Deuteronomy, is a Covenant, who is the Suzerain, and who is the Vassal? • Suzerain -> YHWH • Vassal -> Israel
Therefore, Israel’s role in this is to OBEY the obligations of the Covenant © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
4
Recap However, there are some unique things about this Covenant A typical Covenant obligation in the Ancient Near East, typically involve a tribute payment or military support • E.g. Treaty between Tudhaliya and Sausgamuwa (Hittite) - I, My Majesty, [have taken you], Šaušgamuwa, [by the hand and] have made [you (my)] brother-in-law. . . . [In the past] the land of Amurru had not been defeated by force of arms of the land of Hatti. . . . Protect My Majesty as overlord, . . . Because I have made you, Šaušgamuwa, (my) brother-inlaw, protect my majesty as overlord. - TL;DR: Protect me, because I have made you my brother-inlaw © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
5
Recap However, what is the main concern of YHWH’s Covenant with Israel? It is primarily concerned with how they should live
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
6
The Promised Land
The Promised Land of Deuteronomy In this section, we will survey a few passages to see how the Promised Land is described.
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
8
The Promised Land of Deuteronomy Read Deut 8:7-10 • Emphasis on the Land’s “Eden-like” descriptions
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
9
The Promised Land of Deuteronomy Deut 11:8-17 • Emphasis on “fruitful-ness” of the land • Also the “rest” of the land - The Promised Land is an “anti-type” of Egypt - Where there was slavery now there is rest
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
10
The Promised Land of Deuteronomy Deut 5: 16 • “Life” in the land, specifically, that “your days may be long” • In opposition and direct contrast to death as a result of sin
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
11
Why is understanding the land important?
Why is understanding the land important? The pattern of Redemption: • “God’s people, in God’s place, under God’s Rule” – The Big Picture Story Bible • Redemption works to harmonize all three
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
13
Why is understanding the land important? E.g. expulsion from Eden • God’s people are not living in God’s place, under God’s rule • Enter Abraham -> whose descendants become God’s people, moving towards the promised Land to be under God’s rule
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
14
Why is understanding the land important? Therefore, Deuteronomy can be thought of as preparing God’s People (Israel) to be living in God’s Land (Promised Land), under God’s Rule (Covenant)
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
15
Covenant People: A People who Rest
Covenant People: A People who Rest Rest • One of the Ten Commandments • However there are differences between Deut 5/Exodus 20 • Exodus 20:8-11 – stronger emphasis on God resting after six days of work • Deut 5:12-15 – stronger emphasis on the fact that one “rests” from slavery © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
17
Covenant People: A People who Rest “Rest” is also a sign of arrival into the Promised Land Deut 12:9-10 • “… for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you. But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety …” © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
18
Covenant People: A People who Rest Two future examples shows “rest” at its highest points, when Israel enjoyed peace: • Joshua and conquest of the Promised Land - “There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.” (Joshua 11:22-23) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
19
Covenant People: A People who Rest Two future examples shows “rest” at its highest points (cont’d): • The reign of Solomon when Israel finally have a temple - “Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.” (1 Kings 8:56) - Context is important: Solomon had just built the temple © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
20
Covenant People: A People who Rest Thus, we see that the concept of “Rest” is a tremendously important biblical concept appearing in all these contexts: • • • •
God’s Creation of the World Ten Commandments Conquest of the Promised Land High Point (Temple Construction) in the Kingdom
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
21
Covenant People: A People who Rest However, let’s focus a bit back in Deuteronomy on how Israel is to put this into practice Remember, the Promised Land is meant to be an “anti-type” of the Land of Egypt
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
22
Covenant People: A People who Rest Life in Egypt was back-breaking work. We can remind ourselves of what it was like here: • “So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.” (Exodus 1:13-14) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
23
Covenant People: A People who Rest And because, life is meant to be the “anti-type” of Egypt, Israel is not meant to treat their slaves, or even their animals that way. Notice that the Sabbath commandment extends rest to slaves and beasts.
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
24
Covenant People: A People who Rest In fact, by understanding the “anti-Egypt” nature of Israel’s life, we can understand the basis for some laws. Oxen are not supposed to work without enjoying the food of its work (contraEgypt): • “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” (Deut 25:4) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
25
Covenant People: A People who Rest Most importantly, the Israelites themselves are to specifically use the Sabbath to “remember” that they have left their days as slaves: • “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” (Deut 5:15) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
26
Covenant People: A People who Rest We then need to understand, given this situation, why would Israel STRUGGLE to rest? “THE STRUGGLE IS REAL” – Internet
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
27
Covenant People: A People who Rest Israel struggles when they do not: • Depend on God for their sufficiency • Greed -> Extra income on Sabbath
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
28
Covenant People: A People who Rest Conversation between Hittite and Israel: • Hittite: My oxen is injured. Could I borrow yours to thresh my grain? Otherwise I would waste one extra day of harvest. • Israel: I’m sorry, but my ox needs its rest for today is the Sabbath, and it should not work. In fact, neither should I.
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
29
Covenant People: A People who Rest Conversation between Hittite and Israel (cont’d): • Hittite: Resting? Today?! Have you not seen the weather? Its perfect for harvesting! I am prepared to make all my slaves go OVERTIME today. Who knows, I may be able to gather twice as much as I did yesterday! I just need one more ox! • Israelite: No, not today. I’m afraid. It’s a special day for me, for today I am speaking to you as a free man. This is a day that would not happen if YHWH my God did not bring me out of Egypt. © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
30
Examining our Culture
Examining our Culture Let’s talk about a few things: • Work and Identity • Overworking • Modern Slavery?
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
32
Examining our Culture (1) Work and Identity • Anyone recognize this man?
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
Photograph by: Chris J. Moffett. Used under Creative Commons License.
33
Examining our Culture In ancient times, a person and his/her family is known by their trade: • • • •
Schumacher = Shoe-maker Taylor = Tailor Clark = Clerk Chandler = Candle-maker/Dealer/Trader
Remember, things were not mass-produced! Shoes were not made by Converse. If you need shoes, look for a Schumacher © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
34
Examining our Culture In the East, this is less so, one is more known by the family from which one is from. In modern times, there is still some sense in which our work becomes our primary identity (i.e. less Eastern) Usually, it is still the thing we introduce ourselves to others with © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
35
Examining our Culture Work/Industry influences: • Education - Separation of “good”/ “practical” education vs. “bad” / “impractical” education
• Parenting - All about preparing children to “Get a good job”
• Social Strata - Upper-class/middle-class/lower-class
• Marriage - “Does he have a good job?” © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
36
Examining our Culture First of all, there is nothing wrong with work. • We are made in God’s image. God works, hence we take after Him
But is there “rest” from work’s stranglehold on all these areas of society? © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
37
Examining our Culture (2) Overworking A society that measures itself by work will eventually compete on the basis of work GDP growth -> in order to sustain this -> work more
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
38
Examining our Culture Singapore • The Economic Miracle of the 20th Century
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
39
Examining our Culture (3) Modern Slavery? • Usually when ‘Slavery’ is brought up this is what we think of:
Slaves brought from Africa to pick cotton in the America
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
40
Examining our Culture Death rate of 1 every two days (The Guardian, 2014) for World Cup 2022 Stadium Construction
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
41
Examining our Culture If you think about it what is the difference? 18th Century Cotton-Picking Slavery
Modern Construction
Needs cheap labour to sustain its plantations Sourced from another country
Needs cheap labour to control cost Sourced from another country
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
42
Application
Application (1) Should Christians celebrate the Sabbath? • More tricky than you think (too many angles in this debate) • On the one hand, if you are thinking specifically the “Jewish” Sabbath, no, but .. - “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord.” (Rom 14:5-6) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
44
Application Because, Christians should recognize that they are “at rest” and not “at rest” at the same time: Our rest comes not from “an Exodus”, but from Jesus’ work on the Cross: • “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
45
Application Thus, in one sense, Christians should “celebrate” a kind of Sabbath, that realizes that Jesus’ work brings rest: • All the biblical themes associated with rest, are given to us through Jesus!
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
46
Application Yet elsewhere, the New Testament exhorts us to strive to a final rest: • Hebrews 3:16-4:1
A huge theme behind the Book of Hebrews is “we have no lasting city” and there is a New Covenant greater than the Old, i.e., this REST is better! • “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” (Hebrews 13:14) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
47
Application (2) Redeeming the culture from work • Education -> Education as an end, in and of itself; knowing God; Wisdom (“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”) • Parenting -> Love! Displaying the Father’s love • Social Strata -> No such thing in the church. The rich and the poor, equal before God. Emphasis on brotherhood/family • Marriage -> “Christ’s love for His Bride” © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
48
Application (3) Personal Identity and Work Who is the Feeder? • Your own hands/work? • God?
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
49
Application Defining yourself as a Schumacher (replace Schumacher with whatever), downplays more biblical identities about who you are • Image of God (Prophet, Priest, King) • Pursuing perfection of that image (Christlikeness) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
50
Application (4) Your view on work -> will influence how you see others and yourself • Especially if you are the exceptional hardworking sort • You will judge others if they don’t work as well as you • You will beat yourself when you fail to live up to your own lofty standards © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
51
Applications (5) Treatment of Others • Hired hands working for you? • Maids/Subordinates, etc. • Do you have a reputation for being a “slavedriver”? • Get the balance right. God also does not condone idleness: 1 Thess © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
52
Application The key question being: Does it feel like Egypt when they work under you/with you? James, their voice cries out to God/reaches God’s ears (these are Exodus terms!): • “Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.” (James 5:4) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
53
Application Do not muzzle the ox when it is treading the grain! (Deut 25:4) Paul’s applies this to the church in 1 Corinthians 9 who did not pay gospelworkers Those who preach the gospel, earn their living by the gospel © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
54
References G. McConville, “Deuteronomy”, Apollos Old Testament Commentary J. Verbruggen, “Of Muzzles and Oxen: Deut 25:4”
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
55
Deuteronomy (Part 2)
MODULE: “LORD, HOW I LOVE YOUR TORAH!” (OT101)
Our Mission: A disciple-making church that transforms lives with the gospel and love of Jesus Christ.
Recap
Recap Last week we looked at how Deuteronomy shared the “format” of a Covenant with other Ancient Near East literature Ancient Near East covenants typically involve a more powerful king, called the Suzerain, and a less powerful one, the Vassal © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
3
Recap Therefore, there are some implications for us. If Deuteronomy, is a Covenant, who is the Suzerain, and who is the Vassal? • Suzerain -> YHWH • Vassal -> Israel
Therefore, Israel’s role in this is to OBEY the obligations of the Covenant © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
4
Recap However, there are some unique things about this Covenant A typical Covenant obligation in the Ancient Near East, typically involve a tribute payment or military support • E.g. Treaty between Tudhaliya and Sausgamuwa (Hittite) - I, My Majesty, [have taken you], Šaušgamuwa, [by the hand and] have made [you (my)] brother-in-law. . . . [In the past] the land of Amurru had not been defeated by force of arms of the land of Hatti. . . . Protect My Majesty as overlord, . . . Because I have made you, Šaušgamuwa, (my) brother-inlaw, protect my majesty as overlord. - TL;DR: Protect me, because I have made you my brother-inlaw © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
5
Recap However, what is the main concern of YHWH’s Covenant with Israel? It is primarily concerned with how they should live
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
6
The Promised Land
The Promised Land of Deuteronomy In this section, we will survey a few passages to see how the Promised Land is described.
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
8
The Promised Land of Deuteronomy Read Deut 8:7-10 • Emphasis on the Land’s “Eden-like” descriptions
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
9
The Promised Land of Deuteronomy Deut 11:8-17 • Emphasis on “fruitful-ness” of the land • Also the “rest” of the land - The Promised Land is an “anti-type” of Egypt - Where there was slavery now there is rest
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
10
The Promised Land of Deuteronomy Deut 5: 16 • “Life” in the land, specifically, that “your days may be long” • In opposition and direct contrast to death as a result of sin
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
11
Why is understanding the land important?
Why is understanding the land important? The pattern of Redemption: • “God’s people, in God’s place, under God’s Rule” – The Big Picture Story Bible • Redemption works to harmonize all three
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
13
Why is understanding the land important? E.g. expulsion from Eden • God’s people are not living in God’s place, under God’s rule • Enter Abraham -> whose descendants become God’s people, moving towards the promised Land to be under God’s rule
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
14
Why is understanding the land important? Therefore, Deuteronomy can be thought of as preparing God’s People (Israel) to be living in God’s Land (Promised Land), under God’s Rule (Covenant)
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
15
Covenant People: A People who Rest
Covenant People: A People who Rest Rest • One of the Ten Commandments • However there are differences between Deut 5/Exodus 20 • Exodus 20:8-11 – stronger emphasis on God resting after six days of work • Deut 5:12-15 – stronger emphasis on the fact that one “rests” from slavery © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
17
Covenant People: A People who Rest “Rest” is also a sign of arrival into the Promised Land Deut 12:9-10 • “… for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you. But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety …” © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
18
Covenant People: A People who Rest Two future examples shows “rest” at its highest points, when Israel enjoyed peace: • Joshua and conquest of the Promised Land - “There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.” (Joshua 11:22-23) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
19
Covenant People: A People who Rest Two future examples shows “rest” at its highest points (cont’d): • The reign of Solomon when Israel finally have a temple - “Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.” (1 Kings 8:56) - Context is important: Solomon had just built the temple © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
20
Covenant People: A People who Rest Thus, we see that the concept of “Rest” is a tremendously important biblical concept appearing in all these contexts: • • • •
God’s Creation of the World Ten Commandments Conquest of the Promised Land High Point (Temple Construction) in the Kingdom
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
21
Covenant People: A People who Rest However, let’s focus a bit back in Deuteronomy on how Israel is to put this into practice Remember, the Promised Land is meant to be an “anti-type” of the Land of Egypt
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
22
Covenant People: A People who Rest Life in Egypt was back-breaking work. We can remind ourselves of what it was like here: • “So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.” (Exodus 1:13-14) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
23
Covenant People: A People who Rest And because, life is meant to be the “anti-type” of Egypt, Israel is not meant to treat their slaves, or even their animals that way. Notice that the Sabbath commandment extends rest to slaves and beasts.
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
24
Covenant People: A People who Rest In fact, by understanding the “anti-Egypt” nature of Israel’s life, we can understand the basis for some laws. Oxen are not supposed to work without enjoying the food of its work (contraEgypt): • “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” (Deut 25:4) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
25
Covenant People: A People who Rest Most importantly, the Israelites themselves are to specifically use the Sabbath to “remember” that they have left their days as slaves: • “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” (Deut 5:15) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
26
Covenant People: A People who Rest We then need to understand, given this situation, why would Israel STRUGGLE to rest? “THE STRUGGLE IS REAL” – Internet
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
27
Covenant People: A People who Rest Israel struggles when they do not: • Depend on God for their sufficiency • Greed -> Extra income on Sabbath
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
28
Covenant People: A People who Rest Conversation between Hittite and Israel: • Hittite: My oxen is injured. Could I borrow yours to thresh my grain? Otherwise I would waste one extra day of harvest. • Israel: I’m sorry, but my ox needs its rest for today is the Sabbath, and it should not work. In fact, neither should I.
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
29
Covenant People: A People who Rest Conversation between Hittite and Israel (cont’d): • Hittite: Resting? Today?! Have you not seen the weather? Its perfect for harvesting! I am prepared to make all my slaves go OVERTIME today. Who knows, I may be able to gather twice as much as I did yesterday! I just need one more ox! • Israelite: No, not today. I’m afraid. It’s a special day for me, for today I am speaking to you as a free man. This is a day that would not happen if YHWH my God did not bring me out of Egypt. © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
30
Examining our Culture
Examining our Culture Let’s talk about a few things: • Work and Identity • Overworking • Modern Slavery?
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
32
Examining our Culture (1) Work and Identity • Anyone recognize this man?
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
Photograph by: Chris J. Moffett. Used under Creative Commons License.
33
Examining our Culture In ancient times, a person and his/her family is known by their trade: • • • •
Schumacher = Shoe-maker Taylor = Tailor Clark = Clerk Chandler = Candle-maker/Dealer/Trader
Remember, things were not mass-produced! Shoes were not made by Converse. If you need shoes, look for a Schumacher © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
34
Examining our Culture In the East, this is less so, one is more known by the family from which one is from. In modern times, there is still some sense in which our work becomes our primary identity (i.e. less Eastern) Usually, it is still the thing we introduce ourselves to others with © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
35
Examining our Culture Work/Industry influences: • Education - Separation of “good”/ “practical” education vs. “bad” / “impractical” education
• Parenting - All about preparing children to “Get a good job”
• Social Strata - Upper-class/middle-class/lower-class
• Marriage - “Does he have a good job?” © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
36
Examining our Culture First of all, there is nothing wrong with work. • We are made in God’s image. God works, hence we take after Him
But is there “rest” from work’s stranglehold on all these areas of society? © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
37
Examining our Culture (2) Overworking A society that measures itself by work will eventually compete on the basis of work GDP growth -> in order to sustain this -> work more
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
38
Examining our Culture Singapore • The Economic Miracle of the 20th Century
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
39
Examining our Culture (3) Modern Slavery? • Usually when ‘Slavery’ is brought up this is what we think of:
Slaves brought from Africa to pick cotton in the America
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
40
Examining our Culture Death rate of 1 every two days (The Guardian, 2014) for World Cup 2022 Stadium Construction
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
41
Examining our Culture If you think about it what is the difference? 18th Century Cotton-Picking Slavery
Modern Construction
Needs cheap labour to sustain its plantations Sourced from another country
Needs cheap labour to control cost Sourced from another country
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
42
Application
Application (1) Should Christians celebrate the Sabbath? • More tricky than you think (too many angles in this debate) • On the one hand, if you are thinking specifically the “Jewish” Sabbath, no, but .. - “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord.” (Rom 14:5-6) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
44
Application Because, Christians should recognize that they are “at rest” and not “at rest” at the same time: Our rest comes not from “an Exodus”, but from Jesus’ work on the Cross: • “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
45
Application Thus, in one sense, Christians should “celebrate” a kind of Sabbath, that realizes that Jesus’ work brings rest: • All the biblical themes associated with rest, are given to us through Jesus!
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
46
Application Yet elsewhere, the New Testament exhorts us to strive to a final rest: • Hebrews 3:16-4:1
A huge theme behind the Book of Hebrews is “we have no lasting city” and there is a New Covenant greater than the Old, i.e., this REST is better! • “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” (Hebrews 13:14) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
47
Application (2) Redeeming the culture from work • Education -> Education as an end, in and of itself; knowing God; Wisdom (“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”) • Parenting -> Love! Displaying the Father’s love • Social Strata -> No such thing in the church. The rich and the poor, equal before God. Emphasis on brotherhood/family • Marriage -> “Christ’s love for His Bride” © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
48
Application (3) Personal Identity and Work Who is the Feeder? • Your own hands/work? • God?
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
49
Application Defining yourself as a Schumacher (replace Schumacher with whatever), downplays more biblical identities about who you are • Image of God (Prophet, Priest, King) • Pursuing perfection of that image (Christlikeness) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
50
Application (4) Your view on work -> will influence how you see others and yourself • Especially if you are the exceptional hardworking sort • You will judge others if they don’t work as well as you • You will beat yourself when you fail to live up to your own lofty standards © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
51
Applications (5) Treatment of Others • Hired hands working for you? • Maids/Subordinates, etc. • Do you have a reputation for being a “slavedriver”? • Get the balance right. God also does not condone idleness: 1 Thess © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
52
Application The key question being: Does it feel like Egypt when they work under you/with you? James, their voice cries out to God/reaches God’s ears (these are Exodus terms!): • “Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.” (James 5:4) © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
53
Application Do not muzzle the ox when it is treading the grain! (Deut 25:4) Paul’s applies this to the church in 1 Corinthians 9 who did not pay gospelworkers Those who preach the gospel, earn their living by the gospel © Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
54
References G. McConville, “Deuteronomy”, Apollos Old Testament Commentary J. Verbruggen, “Of Muzzles and Oxen: Deut 25:4”
© Grace Baptist Church, Singapore
55
