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Context Matters: The Weaker Vessel

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Though it may be unpopular to say it out loud in public these days, the Bible commands husbands to show honor to their wives “as the weaker vessel” (1 Peter 3:7). The reason for this is dramatic (“since they are heirs with you of the grace of life”), and the cost of failure is steep (“so that your prayers may not be hindered”). So it behooves husbands to ensure they understand what is expected of them. And the context should help.

Context matters. When we learn to read the Bible properly—and not merely as a collection of isolated instructions—we’ll find that some of the commands have more to say than we may have realized.

Likewise

The first observation we ought to make regarding the command to husbands in 1 Peter 3:7 is the first word, “likewise.” We must ask a critical interpretive question: “Likewise to what?” That is, what is this command to husbands like? How is this command similar to that which came before?

So we back up in the text and examine the commands to wives in 1 Peter 3:1-6, regarding subjection to husbands, doing good, and not fearing. Because these instructions also begin with the word “likewise,” we must again ask “likewise to what?”

Backing up further, we have a paragraph filled with commands to servants (1 Peter 2:18-25) to be subject to masters and do good regardless of what suffering it may bring. The incentive for such subjection and good behavior is the example of Jesus Christ who himself bore our sins. But what provoked these instructions to servants?

Going back another paragraph, we find the broad command to “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution” (1 Pet 2:13-17), and to silence those who call us evildoers by proving ourselves good-doers. But we should observe that this paragraph is not the first one to introduce these ideas either.

Moving back just one more paragraph, the author directly addresses his audience as “beloved” (1 Peter 2:11-12). And he urges them to act honorably and enable those who consider them evildoers to see their good deeds.

Pulling the Section Together

Looking ahead, we see the next use of the address, “beloved,” comes in 1 Peter 4:12. And the verses following the command to husbands (1 Peter 3:8-4:11) all continue the larger theme of doing good and not evil, with respect to how we treat one another. The rest of the letter’s body (1 Peter 4:12-5:11) shifts from exhorting people to do good to shaping their perspective when suffering for having done such good. All this data suggests that 1 Peter 2:11-4:11 is a unified section of the letter.

In the section under consideration (1 Peter 2:11-4:11), we can map the train of thought as follows:

  • 1 Peter 2:11-12: Reject your natural passions to do evil. It is honorable to do good, for it shows the glory of God to those who might seek to accuse you of wrongdoing.
  • 1 Peter 2:13-17: It is especially important to do the good of subjecting yourself to human authorities. Your good will silence the ignorance they demonstrate when they label your religion as evil. Use your freedom, not to cover up the evil coming at you, but to voluntarily serve God. This looks like honoring everyone, especially the emperor. Such honor will also play out in your love for other Christians and your fear of God.
  • 1 Peter 2:18-25: Let’s get more specific. Servants, do the good of obeying masters, regardless of whether they themselves are good or evil. When you suffer for doing good, that is, by submitting even to harsh masters, you are following in the footsteps of Christ. Be mindful not to do anything sinful simply because your master commands it. But when you obey every command that doesn’t require you to sin, God will give you the grace to endure whatever treatment may result from it.
  • 1 Peter 3:1-6: Another specific case: Wives, be subject to your husbands. The “likewise” assumes that such submission comes along with the same qualifications that were issued to servants: Don’t obey anything that would require you to sin. But by doing the good of submitting, you might even win over a husband who is not obeying the word. (Note: this hope is not only for women with unbelieving husbands, but for any woman whose husband—professing faith or not—is disobeying God’s word at any particular point in time.) Such submissive good-doing is what makes you both beautiful and precious in God’s sight.
  • 1 Peter 3:7: Husbands are “likewise” to live with wives in an understanding way and show honor to them “as the weaker vessel.”
  • 1 Peter 3:8-4:11: Though we could continue following the train of thought paragraph-by-paragraph, I will summarize the rest by simply observing that Peter now generalizes his larger instruction to “all of you” (1 Peter 3:8). After addressing three particular cases (servants, wives, and husbands), he generalizes the principle of good-doing to all Christian brothers and sisters toward one another.

The Argument in Summary

So Peter’s main idea in the whole section is that we must resist our natural desires to do evil, and choose to do good instead. A major reason for doing this is that we might win over, to the glorification of God, those who are currently doing the wrong thing.

Peter then particularizes the instruction to the power structures of society. Wherever you are in the hierarchy, you have an opportunity to influence others to join you in giving glory to God:

  • Servants can win over harsh masters by doing the good of honoring them through lawful submission.
  • Wives can win over disobedient husbands by doing the good of honoring them through lawful submission.
  • Husbands can extend honor not only up the chain (to the emperor – 1 Pet 2:17) but also down the chain, toward their wives, the “weaker vessels.” Though wives are called to submit, husbands are called treat their wives as the co-heirs they are of the grace of life. To honor them as they would an emperor. Live with them in an understanding way, so they don’t have to fear either your strength or the consequences of their obedience to God.

Beloved brothers who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, this means that if you are doing the good God requires of you toward your wife, she ought not find herself too often in a position of having to win you over without a word. Make it so she can submit to you with joy and not with fear, because she feels so deeply understood by you, even when you have to disagree with her.

The Cost of Failure

And what is the cost of failing to husband your sister, your bride in this way? Hindered prayers.

But what does that mean, in the context of the argument?

I believe Peter is saying that you will cease to function as true partners, co-heirs of the grace of life with your wife. You will stop praying together.

And this state of affairs does not glorify God. It goes against the overarching instruction (1 Peter 2:11-12), which has the purpose of winning people over, influencing them to glorify God with us.

You husband, can win your wife to the glory of God by understanding her. By showing her the same honor you would show an empress. By praying together with her.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Context Matters: The Unashamed, Approved Worker

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Perhaps you’ve seen the latest internet firestorm where that Bible teacher was attacked and discredited for saying something controversial. Or perhaps you’ve been through the drama in your own church where a faction of people didn’t like the pastor and called for his removal, or at least for a recanting of a certain teaching. These situations are scary and tense, drawing out the worst in all of us.

Context matters. When we learn to read the Bible properly—and not as a collection of disconnected proverbial sayings—we’ll find that some of our most famous mantras connect in unexpected and profound ways with real life.

Paul’s Thesis in 2 Timothy

Before diving into a particular verse (2 Tim 2:15), we ought to grasp Paul’s thesis which drives the letter:

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Tim 1:6-7)

Comparing this statement with Paul’s comments in 1 Tim 4:13-16, we see that “the gift of God” which Timothy received through the “laying on of hands” was his preaching and teaching ministry. Paul’s second letter to Timothy has as its chief objective the flourishing of Timothy’s preaching, in the wake of Paul’s impending execution, from a spirit of power and love and self-control.

Rachel James (2008), Creative Commons

Paul’s Argument

Paul’s argument then moves through:

  • the consequences of Timothy’s preaching: suffering, which will tempt him to shame (2 Tim 1:8-12)
  • the content of Timothy’s preaching: the pattern of sound words, the deposit, received from Paul and rejected by many (2 Tim 1:13-18)
  • the continuation of Timothy’s preaching: being strengthened by grace (2 Tim 2:1, 8-13) to entrust this ministry to the faithful few (2 Tim 2:2-7)

Now Paul moves into a lengthy section about the confrontation of Timothy’s preaching (2 Tim 2:14-3:17).1

Immediate Context

Why do I say this section is about confrontation?

  • 2 Tim 2:14 calls Timothy to remind his faithful men (from 2 Tim 2:2) not to quarrel about words, lest they ruin their hearers.
  • 2 Tim 2:16 calls him to avoid irreverent babble.
  • 2 Tim 2:17-18 gives an example of a two such quarreling babblers, who have been upsetting the faith of some in Timothy’s congregation in Ephesus.

So this paragraph (2 Tim 2:14-19) is all about confronting, in Timothy’s own community, the false teachers, who declare that the resurrection has already happened. This teaching is to be condemned, as the coming resurrection is a critical motivator for those who will suffer for the true faith. Remember Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead (2 Tim 2:8). If we die with him, we will also live with him (2 Tim 2:11). If the resurrection has already taken place, and we’ve missed it, why bother enduring?

So in the midst of his instructions of what not to do in the face of detractors—don’t quarrel, don’t let your men quarrel on your behalf, and avoid irreverent babble—Paul also gives Timothy a suggestion of what to do: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved (2 Tim 2:15).

What This Means

When a church leader or Bible teacher faces opposition from within the Christian community, the chief temptation will be to go on the attack. To engage in quarreling and to justify it by calling it “debate.” Paul is not saying that debate is always unhelpful; he’s only saying that it’s not the best way forward in the face of direct opposition.

Rather, the man of God (2 Tim 3:17), the Lord’s servant (2 Tim 2:24), the ordained leader of the church (2 Tim 1:6) ought to redouble his efforts to preach the word (2 Tim 4:2). He must fan this gift into flame. He must follow this pattern of sound words. He must guard this good deposit (2 Tim 1:14) and keep proclaiming it simply and clearly.

As he handles the word of truth rightly and accurately, he has no need to be ashamed (though he will still be tempted to shame when he suffers opposition from his detractors – 2 Tim 1:8). God will vindicate this faithful Bible expositor as the one he approves, over against the false teachers. The way the man of God demonstrates his vindication—his approval by God for his task of preaching the word—is by clearly and faithfully opening God’s word, skillfully setting it before the people, and proclaiming God’s message with God’s authority, week after week after week.

Paul will go on to say that he must do this with kindness, competence, and patience (2 Tim 2:24). He must correct opponents gently (2 Tim 2:25). As he continues proclaiming the word, without watering down its message but making it plain to the people and applying it clearly to the matters at hand, God might just grant repentance to some of those detractors (2 Tim 2:25-26). But the teacher must understand that most of them will not repent, and they are therefore to be avoided personally (2 Tim 3:1-9).

My previous paragraph describes what it means to be useful as a servant in God’s great house (2 Tim 2:20-21)—another statement that loses its meaning, and thereby gets misapplied, when we remove it from its context.

Gospel Hope

What will motivate the teacher of God’s word to endure in his task, even while some violently oppose him or even call for his resignation?

He stands on a firm foundation laid by his God (2 Tim 2:19). Paul paraphrases Numbers 16:5 and Numbers 16:26 to correlate Timothy’s detractors with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who opposed Moses, the Lord’s servant, the one laboring usefully in God’s house. God vindicated Moses with theatrical flair, proving to everyone that he knew who his man was. And God called the people to make sure they lined up behind the approved teacher lest they be swept up in the unapproved teachers’ destruction.

So for those who have been opposed for teaching the Scripture faithfully: Take heart. You do not need to quarrel to defend yourself; the Lord will defend you. He will not allow them to get very far. He will make their folly plain to all (2 Tim 3:9), and he will raise you up to reign with Christ (2 Tim 2:11-12). Just keep teaching God’s word, and do your best to learn how to do it even better than you already do. God’s firm foundation stands.

And for those who are watching and listening to the criticism and public assault on Christian leaders, wondering whom you can trust: Go with the approved workmen. Look for those who proclaim God’s word rightly—this requires you to know how to do that yourself so you’ll know it when you see it—and who do so with gentleness, kindness, and patience. Avoid the proud, abusive, babbling quarrelers, lest you be caught in their snare. God’s firm foundation stands.

Context matters.

1Thanks to David Helm for showing me this structure at a recent Simeon Trust workshop on biblical exposition.

For more examples of why context matters, click here. 

Context Matters: All Things Work Together For Good

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Perhaps, when you went through a tough spell, a friend or mentor reminded you that all things work together for good for those who love God. Perhaps you’ve reminded others of the same thing in their tough spells. And such comfort may be in line with what the Apostle Paul hoped to achieve in Romans 8:28. But do you understand why? Do you understand what is the “good” for which all things work together? This verse is not a promise to remove or alleviate suffering. Nor does it require us to take a noble or pious perspective about suffering, as though, if you love God, all things that happen to you must be seen as “good” things.

Because context matters. If we learn to read the Bible for what it is—and not as a collection of independently assembled proverbial sayings—we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages say something slightly different from what we’ve always assumed.

Basic Observation

Let me first address one wrongful use of Romans 8:28. I’ve sometimes heard people refer to this verse to suggest that all things are good for those who love God, as though we should be happy or pleased with the suffering we endure. As though suffering is a good thing.

But the verse doesn’t say “all things are good for those who love God.” It says, “all things work together for good for those who love God.” Simple observation should clear out our thinly veiled reincarnations of stoicism or asceticism. Your suffering is not good. It will not last forever. One day, every tear will be wiped from your eyes, if you love God and have been called according to his purpose. Your suffering is bad, a product of living in a fallen world.

But God still uses it to work together for good. But how?

Train of Thought

To understand Paul’s argument in this part of Romans 8, we need to see that he’s talking about not only suffering but also glory. Rom 8:18 tries to compare the present suffering with the coming glory—and finds such a comparison be not worth our time. Rom 8:30 ends with the sure result of God’s calling: not only justification but glorification. These two references to glory (Rom 8:18, 30) create an inclusio that marks off a unit of thought for us. Let’s trace it accordingly.

The main idea (Rom 8:18): Our present suffering is not worth comparing with the coming glory. (Note: This unit unpacks Paul’s conclusion from the previous section (Rom 8:17): that we who are children of God are also his heirs, if indeed we suffer with him in order to be glorified with him.)

Julia Manzerova (2010), Creative Commons

How does Paul prove these things aren’t worth comparing? First, he addresses the present suffering we can see.

  • The creation suffers (Rom 8:19-21): It waits, it endures futility, and it’s bound to corruption.
    • The creation groans (Rom 8:22): like a woman in the second stage of labor, groaning that she’s got to push this baby out!
    • So also we groan (Rom 8:23a): inwardly, despite having the Spirit as the firstfruits of God’s promise
  • So also we suffer (Rom 8:23b-25): We wait with patience, we anticipate final redemption, and we can’t yet see what we hope for.

Second, he addresses the hope we have for glory we can’t see.

  • We do not groan alone (Rom 8:26-27): The Spirit, who knows both our desperate weakness and the will of God, takes our concerns directly to the Father on our behalf.
  • We do not suffer without purpose (Rom 8:28-30): God determined before the ages began to make his people like his Son. This means they don’t only suffer with him; they’re also glorified with him.

In the rest of the chapter, Paul gives 5 questions we should ask (“What then shall we say to these things?”) to help us appropriate the unseen, coming glory in the midst of our visible, present suffering:

  1. If God is for us, who can be against us (Rom 8:31)?
  2. Won’t he also graciously give us all things with his Son (Rom 8:32)?
  3. Who can accuse us (Rom 8:33)?
  4. Who can condemn us (Rom 8:34)?
  5. Who can separate us from Christ’s love (Rom 8:35-39)?

Conclusion

Romans 8:28 does not say that suffering is a good thing. Nor does it promise to alleviate suffering here and now. Rather, the verse gives us a sense of purpose in our suffering: It shows us that God is making us to suffer like Jesus now so we can be glorified in resurrection like him on the last day. Jesus’ life sets a pattern for those who love him. This is God’s good purpose, which he is working out while we, along with the creation, wait patiently for the redemption of our bodies and the revealing of us as heirs of God.

Context matters.

Exodus 13:17-14:31: Watch Out When God Decides to Show You His Powerful Rescue

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We’ve now reached the first major climax of the book of Exodus. The people who tried to drown the sons of God (Ex 1:22) will have their own sons drowned instead.

Ari Evergreen (2009), Creative Commons

Observation of Exodus 13:17-14:31

Most repeated words: Egypt/Egyptian (28 times), Israel (19x), people (19), Lord (18), sea (18), Pharaoh (12), chariot (10), all (9), Moses (9), said (9), out (8).

  • The terms Egypt and Egyptian take over the narrative in this chapter. Before this passage, “Egypt” occurred 94 times in Exodus. After this passage, it will occur only 20 more times.
  • This chapter marks a major transition, for both the Israelites and those who read their story. “For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again” (Ex 14:13).

In this story, the drama moves forward through frequent changes of perspective:

  • God’s perspective: Leading his people right where they must go (Ex 13:17-22).
  • Moses’ perspective: Receiving a frightening message (Ex 14:1-4).
  • Pharaoh’s perspective: Regretting the release and pursuing his slaves (Ex 14:5-9).
  • Israelites’ perspective: Seeing and fearing their oppressors (Ex 14:10-14).
  • Moses’ perspective: Receiving another frightening message (Ex 14:15-18).
  • God’s Angel’s perspective: Separating God’s people from God’s enemies (Ex 14:19-20).
  • Israelites’ perspective: Crossing on dry ground with oppressors pursuing (Ex 14:21-23).
  • Yahweh’s perspective: Throwing Egypt into a panic before throwing them into the sea (Ex 14:24-28).
  • Israelite’s perspective: Seeing their oppressors’ dead bodies, fearing Yahweh who made it happen, and believing Yahweh and Moses (Ex 14:29-31).

With italics, bold, and underlining, I highlighted the connections that strike me within the text. And a few implications stand out further:

  • We see a pattern happen twice
    • Yahweh tells Moses what he will do (and it doesn’t sound like fun).
    • Egypt pursues God’s people.
    • The Israelites see their oppressors and feel fear as a result.
  • Roughly bracketing this pattern is God’s sovereign control over the situation:
    • He led the Israelites right here on purpose.
    • He throws the Egyptians into the sea.
  • And almost right in the middle is the separation caused by the angel of God by means of the cloud and the darkness.

While the pattern isn’t perfect (not quite an ABCDEDCBA structure), it’s close enough to be noticeable.

Interpretation of Exodus 13:17-14:31

Some possible questions:

  1. How is this path to the Red Sea an avoidance of war (Ex 13:17), when they face Egypt’s army and soon will face war with Amalek (chapter 17)?
  2. Why would God harden Pharaoh’s heart to cause this terrible situation (Ex 14:4).
  3. Why is the concluding response fear and belief instead of joy and relief?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. Ex 14:14 clarifies that Israel will not have to fight Egypt; Yahweh will fight on their behalf. Though they see a terrible disaster befall Egypt, they do not have to wield the sword themselves. In addition, God’s purpose in Ex 13:17 is to prevent the Israelites from changing their minds and returning to Egypt. The Red Sea incident burns their last bridge and therefore guarantees they can never return this way again, even if war with Amalek frightens them.
  2. Again, the Lord wants to make sure the Israelites can never change their minds and return to slavery. So he must do two things: utterly eliminate the oppressors, and close the route at Israel’s back. Once they cross the Sea, and the waters return to their place behind them, they literally cannot turn around and go back.
    • Now this answer demands a deeper question: Why would God even go through with all that? Why must he eliminate the oppressors and close off Israel’s escape route?
    • The text’s best answer has to do with God getting all the glory (Ex 14:4, 17) when the Egyptians know he is Yahweh (Ex 14:4) and the Israelites see his mightiest act of salvation (Ex 14:30-31).
  3. In an earlier chapter, I mentioned that God is not bringing these people out of slavery into unconditional freedom. He’s bringing them out of slavery to a harsh master into slavery to a good and gracious master. Similarly, they have a vibrant fear of the powerful (Ex 14:10). God does not want to ease their fear; he wants to redirect it to the source of true power (Ex 14:31). In order to fear, they must believe he is who he’s said all along: the one who sees, hears, knows, and rescues.

Train of thought:

  • The Lord takes his people exactly where they must go to learn to fear him.
  • They experience their deepest fears and are completely unable to do anything about it.
  • God rescues them in such a way as to make it clear that he is the one with all the power.
  • They now fear and believe this God who uses his power to rescue.

Main point: The all-powerful God employs his power to separate and rescue his people so they might fear and believe him.

Connection to Christ: Jesus has all power. He used it to rescue his people through the cross. He will one day use it to wipe out his enemies. He inspires all with proper fear (Matt 10:28).

My Application of Exodus 13:17-14:31

I love it when God uses his power to ease my pain and suffering. I want him to remove discomfort. But I must trust he will often use his power to increase my discomfort so I will fear and trust him.

For example, we’ve faced some severe (and sensitive) parenting challenges this year. Circumstances are not what I would prefer for myself, my wife, or my children. But I can see how God has given us all greater fear and trust in him. And we have nothing to hope in but Jesus’ work on the cross on our behalf. When I have eyes to see this, I realize this is a better place for our family than to have all the pain simply removed.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

Exodus 5:1-21: The God of Rest and Stink

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God has entrusted his mission to Moses, and he’s enabled Moses to relate to experiences of the Israelites. Moses is now ready to act as God’s mediator and deliver these people. But first, God has a little more work to do…1

Observation of Exodus 5:1-21

Repeated words:

  • If we look only at each word, the most repeated ones are some of the usual ones: people (12 times), go, Pharaoh, said (9x), Israel, Lord (6x).
  • But if we look at word families, a major theme jumps off the page
    • Words having to do with work or labor occur more than 70 times.
    • These words include: straw (9x), bricks (7x), foremen, make, work (5x), servants, taskmasters (4x), idle, reduce, task (3x), beaten, burdens, daily, gather, get, give, given, made (2x), complete, done, find, heavier, impose, labor, scattered, stubble (1x).

Names/titles:

  • Though Pharaoh is given his usual title 9 times, once in the passage he is referred to as “the king of Egypt” (Ex 5:4). In that verse, this king demands that his slaves return to their burdens.
  • God’s name (Yahweh, or “LORD”) remains prominent, especially as Pharaoh asks, “Who is Yahweh, that I should obey his voice?” and claims, “I do not know Yahweh” (Ex 5:2).

Structure:

  • Paragraph 1 (Ex 5:1-5): Alternating dialogue about the fate of the sons of Israel.
    • Moses & Aaron (Ex 5:1), Pharaoh (Ex 5:2), Moses & Aaron (Ex 5:3), king of Egypt (Ex 5:4).
    • Pharaoh then gets the last word (Ex 5:5)
  • Paragraph 2 (Ex 5:6-9): Pharaoh increases the burdens on the people.
  • Paragraph 3 (Ex 5:10-14): Taskmasters pass along Pharaoh’s wishes and beat the Hebrew foremen for failing to meet quotas.
  • Paragraph 4 (Ex 5:15-21): The foremen cry out to Pharaoh, and are accused of being idle. On their way out, they meet Moses and Aaron and blame them for worsening their slavery.

Alain (2012), Creative Commons

Alain (2012), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 5:1-21

Some of my questions:

  1. Why are these work-related words repeated so much?
  2. What makes Pharaoh think the people are idle? They’ve already built at least 2 cities for him (Ex 1:11)!
  3. Why have the people shifted so quickly from worship (Ex 4:31) to blaming Moses and Aaron (Ex 5:21)?
  4. Why would God begin the deliverance of his people by making their lives so much harder?

Answers (numbers correspond to the preceding questions):

  1. The narrator shows us this new Pharaoh’s gut reaction to the problem of the people being “many” (Ex 5:5). His predecessor enslaved them and tried to murder and drown their sons. This Pharaoh wants to keep control by giving them more work to do. Work, work, work. Labor, burdens, servants. Foremen, taskmasters, bricks, straw. Words are multiplied to an extreme to show Pharaoh’s chief strategy: let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words (Ex 5:9). But what are the “lying words” he fears so much? He shows his hand in his last word to Moses and Aaron in Ex 5:5: “You make them rest from their burdens!” The word rest occurs only here, in huge contrast to the 70+ occurrences of “work”-related words. Pharaoh perceives that Moses and Aaron (and therefore Yahweh) want to give the Hebrews rest. So his solution is to increase their work.
  2. Pharaoh’s problem clearly is not with the people, but with Moses and Aaron who want to make them rest. And especially with Yahweh, the God of rest (Ex 5:1-2).
  3. Of course, they’re upset by the increased workload. But even more, they are concerned “because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants” (Ex 5:21). Moses and Aaron led them to worship Yahweh (Ex 4:31), but Yahweh has proven to be a God who makes his people stink. That’s just not fair.
  4. God already said Pharaoh would not let them go unless compelled (Ex 3:19). God would have to strike Egypt with mighty wonders (Ex 3:20). (Perhaps this is why Moses and Aaron fear pestilence or sword against themselves in Ex 5:3.) God would harden Pharaoh’s heart and kill his son (Ex 4:21-23). We don’t exactly know why God would do it this way, other than perhaps to show his people that they can do nothing to deliver themselves. To learn that lesson, they must be in a situation that goes from bad to worsest.

Train of thought:

  • Yahweh wants to give his people rest.
  • This idea stinks to those who don’t respect such a God.
  • Therefore, God’s people stink to those who don’t know or respect Yahweh.
  • It is not easy for God’s people to go through this, but it is an important part of their eventual deliverance.

Main Point: The LORD makes his people rest and stink.

Connection to Christ: Jesus came to make God’s people rest from all their works (Matt 11:28-30, Hebrews 3:7-4:13). This plan of deliverance made Jesus stink (Mark 3:1-6), and it makes God’s resting people likewise stink to those who think they must work harder for God’s approval (2 Cor 2:14-17).

My Application of Exodus 5:1-21

Inward, head application: Why am I still surprised every time my faith in Christ makes me stink to those who are perishing (1 Peter 4:12-14)? I must expect to enter the kingdom of God through much tribulation (Acts 14:22). This stink is a crucial part of attaining my rest.

Outward, hands application: When I preach the gospel of Christ, I must preach a message of both rest and stink. The work of Christ’s salvation is done; there’s nothing more we can add to it. And the world will hate us for it; men love darkness rather than light.

1Much of my thinking on this passage was influenced by a marvelous sermon preached recently at my church by my colleague Tom Hallman. Tom explained this text so well, I may never again be able to think of it apart from the categories of rest and stink.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

Who Really Wrote The Psalms?

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Who wrote the Psalms?  Predominantly King David wrote them.  Who spoke the Psalms?  The witness of the New Testament is that Jesus is the primary speaker of the Psalms.  It’s his voice we should hear as we read the Psalms.

Jesus Spoke The Psalms

When the author of Hebrews read Psalm 22, instead of David, he heard Jesus telling the Father of his intent to be the worship leader for the church: “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” (Heb 2:12)

When Luke read Psalm 31 he knew David wrote it, but the voice that resounded in his ears was Jesus’ voice as he hung on the cross, calling out with a loud voice, saying, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46)

Jesus had grown up hearing Psalm 118.  It was written ages ago, but to him the words of Psalm 118 were his words.  Psalm 118 was about him, and it expressed his thoughts.  So, when rejected by the religious leaders, he spoke the words of Psalm 118 as his own: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes”. (Matt 21:42)

We should hear the voice of Jesus when we read the Psalms.  Jesus is the new David who spoke the Psalms, the new worship leader who leads his people through the Psalms in worship (Heb 2:12) and the new David who experienced the more ultimate suffering and victory that his ancient father expressed in his psalms (Matt 22:44).

Reading The Psalms Afresh

This truth has unlocked new treasures in some of my favorite Psalms.  If Jesus is the primary speaker of Psalm 20, did you know that his prayer for you is …

May God grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! (Psalm 20:4)

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! (Psalm 20:1)

May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! (Psalm 20:1)

May we shout for joy over your salvation! (Psalm 20:5)

Do you ever doubt that Jesus is for you?  Does it seem that he has forgotten?  I’ve lost loved ones, experienced heart-wrenching break-ups, seen loved ones destroyed by Parkinson’s, seen churches and ministries split because of fighting and pride, and experienced deep loneliness and separation.  I’ve wondered if God even cares.  Does he pay attention?

The resounding answer is “Yes.” He cares.  In fact, right now he is praying for God to grant your heart’s deepest desires.  He is praying for an overflowing joy in the very salvation that he bought for you.  He is praying that God would protect from trouble.  We know God hears his son!

Do you see the power of reading the Psalms with Jesus as the speaker?  I encourage you to read the Psalms in a fresh way.  See that Jesus is the primary speaker of the Psalms.  See that the Psalms are all about Jesus (Luke 24:44).