J U LY 2 0 2 2 | $ 3

S A LT
and

LIGHT
COR A M DEO Before the Face of God B U R K P A R S O N S

C O N T E N T S
The Light of the World J U L Y 2 0 2 2 | V O L . 4 6 | N O. 7

E
very year , by the time July rolls around, I have already begun to anticipate the
Christmas season. I begin to reflect on the joys of Christmastime even as I con- 4 18 S T U D I E S
tinue to experience all the joys of summertime. As I consider all the wonderful The Salt of The Salt of 27 Into the Word
memories of Christmases past, my mind goes to all the delicious food, moments the Earth and Light Seasoned Speech 29 Our All-Praiseworthy
with my family, gatherings with friends, and beautiful decorations—especially of the World H a r r y L . Re e d e r I I I King
the lights. One reason that Christians adorn their houses and trees with lights at C h risto p h er J. G o rd o n
D u st i n W. Be n ge
Christmas is to celebrate Jesus Christ’s having come as the Light of the World. 20 37 Live in Freedom
There is something inexpressibly peaceful, hopeful, and glorious about lights glow- 8 Living Quietly C h r i st i n a R . Fox
ing brilliantly in the darkness of night. The glow of even a single candle in the darkness Pray for the City’s and Working 45 Honoring Elders
conveys a sense of peace, and it reminds us of the contrast between light and darkness, Welfare Diligently as a Light W i l l i a m Va n D o o d ewa a rd
a contrast emphasized throughout all of sacred Scripture. Ultimately, it is God who is M at t h i a s Lo h ma n n
D o n ny Fried erich sen 53 Shepherding with
light, and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). As God incarnate, the Word
Hospitality
made flesh, Jesus Christ came into the world and declared: “I am the light of the world. 10 Ba r r y J. Yo r k
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Forgoing Retaliation 61 Don’t Underestimate
Jesus has told us that Christians, because we are united to Him by faith, reflect His light
as Salt and Light Children
as the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13–16). Ro b e r t Rot hwe l l
H.P. M cCracken
Our being the light of the world points to the world’s being in darkness. Our being the
salt of the earth points to the decaying world’s need for preservation and rescue from
12
death. Therefore, God calls us to live our lives in contrast with the world, that we may C O L U M N S
The Light
be “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crook- 64 h e a r t a f l a m e

ed and twisted generation, among whom [we] shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). of Loving When You See Your Own
God does not tell us that we should strive to be salt and light; He tells us that we are salt Our Enemies Sin in Your Children
M a rg y Tr i p p
and light. That is to say, by virtue of being in Christ, reflecting His light, and God’s light David S. A p p le

shining through us by the Holy Spirit, our very identity is salt and light. 22 66 fo r t h e c h u r c h

God calls us out of darkness and into His marvelous light, and then He commands us 14 Above Reproach: Anticipating the Coming
of Christ
to go live as individuals, as families, and as the church in the midst of the darkness. We Maintaining Our Inside and Out J o e l E . S mi t
are not to shut ourselves off from the world, but we are to be ambassadors of Christ wher- Distinctiveness M i ke R i cc a rd i
68 c i t y o n a h i l l
ever we go—in the world but not of the world—shining the light of the gospel, demon- To m A sco l
Suffering as a Christian
strating our love for one another, and doing good works so that people will glorify our 24
Rosa r i a Bu t te r f i e l d
Father in heaven and worship God coram Deo, before His face forever (John 13:35; 15:19; 16 Being Subject
72 l a s t t h i n g s
see Matt. 6:1; 2 Cor 5:20). The Light of to Authorities as
The Main Themes
Christian Separation Light and Salt of Scripture
DR. BURK PARSONS is editor of Tabletalk magazine and serves as senior pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Warren Peel G e o rge G ra n t J o n t y R h o d es
Fla. He is author of Why Do We Have Creeds? He is on Twitter at @BurkParsons.
COVER Photo by Ryunosuke Kikuno on Unspla sh

Tabletalk (USPS 009-013; ISSN 1064881X) is published monthly by Ligonier Ministries, Inc., 421 Ligonier Court, Sanford, FL 32771. Annual subscription price (12 issues): AN OUTREACH OF LIGONIER MINISTRIES
$23.00. Periodicals postage paid at Lake Mary, FL, and additional mailing offices. The daily Bible studies are copyright 2022, Ligonier Ministries, Inc. Unless EDITOR Burk Parsons  SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR Thomas Brewer  ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kevin D. Gardner and
noted, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used Robert Rothwell  MANAGING EDITOR Aaron L. Garriott  ASSISTANT EDITORS Karrie Hahn and Meredith L. Myers
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2 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022 TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 3

THE SALT OF THE
T
hink of the struggle we are wit-
nessing in our culture over the
question of identity. Today, peo- Believers are like salt
EARTH AND LIGHT ple are on an endless quest of
finding an identity in those things that they
in this world. Their
distinctive character,
OF THE WORLD
believe will make them happy. The culture
tells people to turn inward and follow the through good works,
desires of the heart to define one’s identity.
preserves and flavors this
Christopher J. Gordon And once people believe they have found
their true identity, notice how passionate world to prevent its decay.
they are to make it known.
With all the challenges surrounding
identity, we often tell Christians to be care-
ful of these alternative identities proposed
by the world and to pursue the identity
we have in Christ. But what is our identi-
ty in Christ? Have we thrown this phrase
around too loosely without helping people
understand precisely what we are talking
about? It is not enough simply to tell peo-
ple that they have a new identity in Jesus.
Great attention needs to be given to help
people understand what this identity is
so that it will be valued and exercised.
When we understand how Jesus defines
our identity, that understanding forms the
foundation for how we are to live in this
world as His followers.

jesus defines our identity

As Jesus opens His Sermon on the Mount,
He declares that Christians are the salt of
the earth and the light of the world. It’s
easy to pass over this statement without
realizing that Jesus defines our identity
as Christians in this world with the met-
aphors of salt and light. In the Beatitudes
that precede His definition of our identity,
Jesus describes what we are by God’s grace.
Christians are characterized as meek, mer-
ciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers and
as those who rejoice when persecuted. The
Beatitudes are not imperatives telling us
how to achieve this blessedness. Jesus is
describing certain qualities that define the
character of true believers, who are blessed
by God. In what follows, Jesus expresses
how these qualities are demonstrated be-
fore the world and reveals what believers
accomplish.
Jesus first describes believers as salt in
this world. Salt in the ancient world was
used to prevent the decay of foods and fla-
vor them for better taste. People common-
ly knew that gypsum and other minerals
would dilute the potency of salt and make
it useless in the preservation of foods. Jesus
used this familiar phenomenon with the
added concern that if the salt loses its taste,

 ISTOCK TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 5
it is “no longer good for anything except
to be thrown out and trampled under peo-
ple’s feet” (Matt. 5:13). Believers are like salt
in this world. Their distinctive character,
through good works, preserves and flavors
this world to prevent its decay.
The second metaphor describes believ-
ers as light in this world. I have a common
first-century lamp that was used in Jewish
households to provide light in their homes.
The lamp is small and unassuming. One
day, I put a small amount of oil in the lamp
with a wick, turned off the lights, and lit
the wick to experience how people in the
first century, without the benefit of mod-
ern electricity, lit their homes when it was
dark. This lamp, though small, enabled
me to see throughout the entire room. Je-
sus expresses how inappropriate it would
be in a dark place to hide a lamp under a
bowl. The intention of light is to provide
a way for people to see where they are go-
ing (John 11:9–10). This is precisely what
Jesus is after in calling believers “light”:
they show people the way to salvation in
a dark world.
6 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
There is no question that Jesus is reacting
to the hypocritical religion of the Pharisees
who made public display of their religious
devotion to receive the praise of men. But a
strange irony is found in an insincere pub-
lic display of commitment to God, since
it is intended to glorify oneself in its pur-
suit. The effect is that of hiding the true
character of a Christian; he is salt without
saltiness, a lamp hidden under a bowl. All
religious devotion that is not intended for
the glory of God does not display a sincere
witness to those who observe its superficial
display. It has the effect of hiding what is
true and genuine from the world.
The Pharisees in all their religious show
did not lead people to glorify their Father
in heaven. Jesus exposed them as hiding
true religion under the false pretense of
religious devotion. Jesus is concerned to
describe what a believer truly is and the
consequences that result in the world.
a look at a true christian
The world in which we live is blighted by
sin, and people live in darkness without
Take Christians out of
this world, and everything
would quickly fall into
irreparable ruin.
knowing the true way to God. People are
searching, as they did at the Tower of Babel,
to find a way to heaven. But Jesus specif-
ically prayed in the High Priestly Prayer
for His followers not to be taken out of
the world (John 17:15). The metaphors of
salt and light that Jesus uses in Matthew 5
to define our identity help us understand
why believers are left on this earth.
The Lord always intended for His peo-
ple to be salt and light in this world. In the
Old Testament, when God made a cove-
nant with Israel, it was often referred to as
a covenant of salt (Lev. 2:13). The cove​nant
of grace made with Abraham was intend-
ed to include all the nations of the earth,
and the reference to the covenant’s being
made in salt reminded Israel that they had
a preserving presence among the nations
 STOCKSY
as God was fulfilling His plan to bring sal-
vation to all nations.
An appointed day is coming when Jesus
will bring an end to this present world in
judgment. Until that day, believers preserve
this world from its ultimate decay into sin.
There is a peculiar character of Christians
and their presence in the world that stays
what is passing away. As the author of the
well-known hymn “Abide with Me” writes,
“Change and decay in all around I see.”
When we live as true Christians, pursuing
the good works that glorify our heavenly
Father, we accomplish the preservation
of the world. Take Christians out of this
world, and everything would quickly fall
into irreparable ruin.
Likewise, Israel was designated as God’s
light to the nations, a light that offered hope
of the Savior to come. Isaiah 49:6 states, “I
will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end
of the earth.” Along with preserving and
flavoring the world, Christians also give
this world the only true Light.
Jesus said of Himself that He is the “light
of the world” (John 8:12). As the Lord is our
light and salvation, we as His followers are
the ones through whom His light shines
in this world to make Jesus known. This
is the reason that Christians are designat-
ed as light in the world who are to walk
as children of light (Eph. 5:8). Christians
have a distinctive witness as Christ’s light.
It is God who has commanded that light
shine out of darkness, and our purpose is
to give “the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”
(2 Cor. 4:6).
Deep within the Christian’s heart is a
burden that people would know the for-
giveness of sins and peace with God that
Jesus brings through His life, death, and
resurrection. Yes, Christians influence the
world in many different ways, including
political involvement, providing help to
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 7
the poor, and other ways that demon- PRAY FOR THE
strate compassion for the needy. But
the primary way that believers are CITY’S WELFARE
light in this world is through mak-
ing known the good news of the Donny Friederichsen
forgiveness of sins and the prom-
ise of eternal life through faith in
Jesus Christ. This hope drives the
Christian in this life and provides a
witness to the world of the only true
light shining in darkness. Through
this witness, eternal life is given to
all who believe.
The overall picture in Jesus’ use of
salt and light is clear: Christians pre-
serve and flavor the world with their
presence in how they live by doing
good works, and they give great light
to those in darkness through their
witness of salvation through faith in
Jesus Christ. Jesus fulfills this calling
and enables the new covenant church
to accomplish this vocation when
believers are sincerely behaving as
salt and light in this world.
Christian, this is your identity prophet Jeremiah took up his pen after the us as counterintuitive: “Seek the welfare of

in this world: you are Jesus’ salt and
light. A Christian who is not salty
or who hides his light under a bowl
is a contradiction in terms. Chris-
tians preserve the world and offer
a message of hope, not with false
displays of external piety but with
a sincere love for those who need
salvation. When Christians demon-
strate the precious identity that
they have been given in Jesus Christ,
a great difference is made in this
world, one that results in the glo-
rifying of our Father who is in heav-
en and the salvation of people from
their sins.
REV. CHRISTOPHER J. GORDON is pastor of
Escondido United Reformed Church in Escondido,
Calif., and host of Abounding Grace Radio.
T
he year was 597 BC, and many
of the Jewish people had been
forcibly removed from their
homes in Jerusalem. They were
living as exiles in Babylon. A cacophony
of false prophets peddled a false hope that
the exile would last only two years. There
was widespread unrest in Babylon. There
was discontent among the Jews. There was
broad economic distress, growing interna-
tional conflict, divisive political unrest,
and a general anxiety among the people.
It is not difficult to see similarities be-
tween the Jews living in Babylon and Chris-
tians living in the world today. Christians
are citizens of the city of God living in the
city of man. What are they to do? What is
the appropriate response of Christians liv-
ing in exile? How are Christians to be salt
and light in the cities where we live? The
fall of Judah in 597 BC and wrote, “Thus
says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to
all the exiles whom I have sent into exile
from Jerusalem to Babylon . . .” (Jer. 29:4).
God spoke to His people in the Babylonian
exile to reveal His will for them. Through
this Word, God still speaks today. Jeremi-
ah’s instruction is a ready application for
twenty-first-century Christians living as ex-
iles in an increasingly post-Christian world.
Jeremiah did not tell the people to run
away from or rebel against Babylon. Instead,
he reminded them twice that the Lord Him-
self had sent them into exile (vv. 4, 7; see also
v. 11). He instructed the exiles to build hous-
es, plant gardens, take wives, have children,
give their children in marriage, multiply
there, and not decrease. They were to make
a fruitful life there. Then he gave them an-
other piece of instruction that might strike
the city where I have sent you into exile,
and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its
welfare you will find your welfare” (v. 7).
Remember, the city here is not Jerusalem.
They were to seek the welfare of Babylon
and pray to the Lord on its behalf.
The word for “welfare” is the Hebrew
word shalom. It is the same Hebrew word
for “peace,” but by “peace” it does not mean
merely the absence of conflict. Biblical peace
includes the absence of conflict, but it is
far more. Biblical peace is the presence of
abundance and plenty. It is every man liv-
ing under his own vine and fig tree in a
land that is at rest (Mic. 4:4). We are to seek
the prosperity of the city, for in the city’s
prosperity we will experience prosperity.
Jeremiah then added that the manner
in which we are to seek the welfare of the
city is by praying for the city. Prosperity

8 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022  ISTOCK TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 9

for the city will come through prayer.
This does not mean that we don’t do
anything else, but it does mean that
the bare minimum is that we pray.
How should we pray for the city? Da-
vid’s instruction in Psalm 122:6–9 is
a prayer for the peace of Jerusalem.
These principles are transferable to
prayers for the welfare of another city.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love
you!
Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
For my brothers and companions’
sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
For the sake of the house of the Lord
our God,
I will seek your good.
We are called to seek the welfare
of the city by praying for the econ-
omy, safety, leadership, and people
of the city. We pray for the financial
prosperity of the people, that they
would be economically secure. We
pray for the defense of those in the
city, that they would be safe. We
pray for those who govern from the
towers, that the leadership would
be effective in achieving good
things. We pray for all people, that
they would experience peace with-
in. Praying for the welfare of the
city is simply praying for God’s will
to be done on earth as it is in heav-
en (Matt. 6:10). We ask for the true
and full welfare of the city, which
comes only when the people have
peace through our Lord Jesus Christ
(Rom. 5:1).
REV. DONNY FRIEDERICHSEN is senior pastor
of Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Southlake, Tex.
10 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
FORGOING
RETALIATION
AS SALT
AND LIGHT
H.P. McCracken
O
ne of the universal traits
among sinful humans is
the urge to retaliate—an
urge that Martyn Lloyd-Jones
referred to as “one of the most hideous
and ugly results of the fall of man.” In
Matthew 5:38–42, Jesus issues a radical
call to believers to be salt and light by
resisting this tendency.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shares
six “you have heard that it was said . . . but
I tell you” sayings in which He corrects not
the Old Testament law itself but certain
misunderstandings and abuses of it. The
Old Testament phrases “an eye for an eye,
a tooth for a tooth” (Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20;
Deut. 19:21) are just as misunderstood in
our broader culture today as they were in
Jesus’ day, frequently used as a reference
to—or even justification for—revenge.
At least three movies about revenge carry
the title Eye for an Eye.
To understand Jesus’ radical call in this
passage, we need to understand how “an
eye for an eye” functioned in its old cov-
enant context. First, along with ensur-
ing that justice was done in response to
harmful evil, the principle of “an eye for
an eye” actually served to ensure that
consequences were proportional to the
crime and that punishment was appro-
priately limited. An eye for a tooth, or a
life sentence for petty theft, would not
be justice. Second, the principle of “an
eye for an eye” was intended for public
and legal justice carried out only by le-
gitimate authorities and did not autho-
rize retaliation by individuals (see Deut.
19:18–-21).
non-retaliation as salt
Thus, Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 5:39–
42 to not resist, to turn the other cheek, etc.,
do not negate these principles of public
justice but rather speak to the way that
this language was misapplied to justify
personal retaliation. The Bible is consis-
tent in its prohibition of revenge and re-
taliation in any circumstance (Lev. 19:18;
Prov. 24:29; Rom. 12:19). Jesus has freed
His people from bitterness toward others
and from the impulse to retaliate, and He
therefore calls disciples to a preservative,
“salty” influence in society, promoting peace
and breaking cycles of violence. As those
who have the riches of God’s grace, who
know the perfect (if not yet finalized) jus-
tice of God, and who live for the glory of
God, Christians are free to respond to road
rage, insults, and petty fraud with peace
(Matt. 5:39), a willingness to lose (v. 40),
and generosity (vv. 41–-42). Jesus Himself
is our example in that “when he was re-
viled, he did not revile in return . . . but
continued entrusting himself to him who
judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).
non-retaliation as light
But what of self-defense and justice? Do
Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 prohibit Chris-
tians from opposing evil or pursuing en-
forcement of the law, as some have taught?
The example of Jesus Himself and other
teachings of Scripture lead away from this
interpretation. Jesus verbally and physi-
cally opposed those defiling the temple
(Matt. 21:12–17) and protested an unjust
slap (John 18:19–24). Paul repeatedly de-
fended himself against unjust treatment,
and he teaches in Romans 13:1–7 that civil
government is appointed as an avenger of
God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Jesus, in
the Sermon on the Mount, is not address-
ing public justice or laying down a new
law that is to be rigidly applied in every
circumstance but is addressing the heart
attitude of His people. In this sermon, He
addresses those who are poor in spirit, meek,
merciful, and peacemakers (Matt. 5:2–12),
calling them to be prepared always to suf-
fer, to give a cloak, or to go a second mile.
His people are those who do not insist on
their own rights for their own sake, who
are free to overlook an offense, who think
more of how they are free to bless others
than what they have the right to claim or
protect. This does not (and often should
not) preclude efforts to defend oneself or
others or to pursue legal justice. One can
pursue justice without an attitude of bit-
terness or revenge.
Jesus’ words are a call to believers to rad-
ical discipleship, to be a light to a world
shaped by the darkness of retaliation. In
how they respond to personal offense,
Christians shine a light on the power of
Christ to free people from slavery to angry,
vengeful impulses and to help others find
contentment in the knowledge of Christ
as perfect and final Judge. Christians as
light point to the Savior who did not insist
on His rights but made Himself nothing
and became obedient even to death
(Phil. 2:5–8) and who continues in long-​
suffering faithfulness to those who trust
in Him (2 Peter 3:9).
REV. H.P. MCCRACKEN is pastor of Salt & Light Reformed
Presbyterian Church in Longmont, Colo.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 11
THE LIGHT
OF LOVING
OUR ENEMIES
David S. Apple
“
Y
ou have heard that it was said,
‘You shall love your neighbor
and hate your enemy.’ ” So
said Jesus to His listeners in
Matthew 5:43. His purpose in saying this
was to put that nonbiblical “rule” aside.
And in Luke 10, Jesus makes clear who
our neighbor is by telling the parable of
the good Samaritan. There He presents a
wounded man, beaten and left for dead;
a priest and a Levite, each of whom saw
the wounded man as someone who was
unclean; and a Samaritan, who saw the
wounded man as someone worth car-
ing about.
In the parable, the priest and Levite
showed that their hearts were far from the
heart of God. According to Jewish prac-
tices, the priest had “religious” reasons
for ignoring the man’s need. If the body
was a corpse and he touched it, the priest
would be unclean for seven days (Num.
19:11). To the priest, law and ceremony
were more important than loving oth-
ers. The Levite, too, would take no risk to
help this man. But the Samaritan demon-
strated that he and his values were close
to the heart of God. The Samaritan, the
one whom all religious Jews of the time
despised, was prepared to help, for the
love of God was in his heart.
What was the teaching of the day? To
Jews of Jesus’ era, a neighbor was “one of
12 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
their own.” Gentiles were not neighbors;
they were the enemy. Samaritans were
similar to gentiles, since they intermar-
ried with pagans. Jews exempted gentiles
from their neighbor obligation because
the Jews considered gentiles unclean. Mat-
thew Henry wrote:
They would not put an Israelite to death
for killing a Gentile, for he was not
his neighbour: they indeed say that
they ought not to kill a Gentile whom
they were not at war with; but, if they
saw a Gentile in danger of death, they
thought themselves under no obliga-
tion to help to save his life. (Emphasis
original)
At the time, Jews considered Samar-
itans as they would lepers—they were
among the “untouchables.” They went
so far as to believe that if a Jewish per-
son’s shadow touched a Samaritan’s,
the Jew would be contaminated, and
The parable of the good
Samaritan clearly defines
our “neighbor” as anyone at
all whose need we see.
 UNSPLASH
if a Samaritan woman entered the Jew-
ish village, the entire village would be-
come unclean.
How we answer the question “Who is
my neighbor?” has a lot to say about our
priority to love people who are different
from us. It doesn’t take much imagination
for each of us to figure out who Jesus would
use as an example of “neighbor” in our
hometowns and cities.
The parable of the good Samaritan
clearly defines our “neighbor” as any-
one at all whose need we see. I have been
reminded by God many times that I am
required to be kind to the unlikable and
the unthankful and that I am required
to show love to all people. Such love re-
quires that I confess my sins and repent.
It is hard work.
Do you ever look at neighbors you dis-
like as though they were inanimate ob-
jects and treat them as such? Jesus never
did; He loved even His enemies. He did
not seek to advantage Himself at the ex-
pense of others, and He surrendered the
right to get even with His enemies. So our
question “Who is my neighbor?” should
be replaced by our asking, “Whose neigh-
bor am I?” We cannot know beforehand
whom we will meet, yet God places us in
positions to be helpful. The immediate
sight of a neighbor demands a gracious
response.
I love the power of the words contained
in Proverbs 3:27: “Do not withhold good
from those to whom it is due, when it is
in your power to do it.” Often, our neigh-
bors ask, “Where are the Christians?”
Don’t make them guess. Assure them by
the power of your Christian love.
DR. DAVID S. APPLE previously served as director
of mercy ministries at Tenth Presbyterian Church in
Philadelphia. He is author of  Not Just a Soup Kitchen
and Neighborology: Practicing Compassion as a
Way of Life.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 13
MAINTAINING OUR putrefaction and dispelling darkness, re-
spectively. The Apostle Paul emphasizes
DISTINCTIVENESS this aspect of Christians’ calling when he
describes believers as living in a “crooked
Tom Ascol and twisted generation, among whom you
shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15).
At the heart of this responsibility is our
duty to live as faithful children of God who
accurately commend His saving grace in
Christ and reflect His character to the
world. “As he who called you is holy, you
also be holy in all your conduct, since it is
written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’ ”
(1 Peter 1:15–16). This is every individual
Christian’s calling, and it is the calling of
every church.
In fact, all the Scriptures cited above are
in the plural. The call to holiness belongs
not only to individual believers but also to
local congregations. When a church fails to
fulfill this calling, it undermines the very
good news of salvation that it proclaims
and dishonors the name of Jesus Christ.
The church in Corinth learned this the
hard way when it allowed scandalous sin
to go uncorrected in its membership. Its
spiritual apathy about the Lord’s reputa-
tion brought an Apostolic rebuke:
It is actually reported that there is sexual
immorality among you, and of a kind that
is not tolerated even among pagans, for
a man has his father’s wife. And you are
arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn?
T
he Christian life was never meant to be lived alone. Though God regenerates Let him who has done this be removed
us individually, the path of growth and maturity He has designed requires from among you. (1 Cor. 5:1–2)
following Christ together with other believers in a church. Christian growth
and maturity happen in the context of committed relationships that arise in The Corinthian believers undoubtedly
local congregations. That is, it takes a church to raise a Christian. thought they were being loving and non-
No believer, no matter how experienced or well taught, can navigate the challenges of the judgmental in the presence of this scan-
Christian life on his own. The road is too long, the opposition too great, and our weaknesses dalous sin among their members. They
too pernicious for any single believer to stay on the path of faithfulness without the Spirit-em- were proud of their tolerance when they
powered assistance of brothers and sisters who are traveling to the Celestial City with us. should have been grieved over the outbreak
Jesus tells His followers that we are the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” of such sin among them. In the rest of the
(Matt. 5:13–16). Those metaphors illustrate ways that Christians are to relate to the un- chapter, Paul corrects their faulty thinking
believing world. Both salt and light make an impact on their environments, retarding about sin, tolerance, and holiness.
 STOCKSY
When a church tolerates unrepentant
sin within its membership, it demonstrates
a lack of love for the one who is sinning,
for the unconverted, and for God.
A church is the context in which indi-
vidual Christians are taught, strengthened,
and encouraged to grow in the grace and
knowledge of Christ. Brothers and sisters
who know and love us help us overcome
the inevitable idiosyncrasies that attend
every believer, as well as resist the regular
temptations that plague us all. They help
us live in faith and repentance.
When this kind of mutual care and en-
couragement is commonplace in a church,
the power of the gospel is put on display
to unbelievers. The truth of our message
is given credibility by the character of our
lives, thus providing a powerful apologetic
for the gospel.
Finally, and most importantly, when
church members love each other enough to
hold one another accountable to live holy
lives, they demonstrate that they love God
and His glory more than they love their
own ease, their reputations, or other peo-
ple. Such supreme love to God will compel
a church to obey the Apostolic command
to deliver unrepentant members to Satan
(1 Cor. 5:5).
By loving God supremely and loving
people sincerely, a church will maintain
its distinctiveness from the world. Then
it will be properly positioned to carry
out the mission that the Lord has given
to us. As a holy people, we can humbly
call sinners to join us in being recon-
ciled to the holy God through His Son,
Jesus Christ.
Only by being separate from the world
can a church live effectively in the world,
for the world.
DR. TOM ASCOL is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church
in Cape Coral, Fla. He is executive director of Founders
Ministries and editor of Dear Timothy.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 15
THE LIGHT OF
CHRISTIAN
SEPARATION
Warren Peel
A
ccording to a 2015 article in
the MIT Technology Review, a
single candle flame can be seen
with the naked eye in the dark-
ness from a distance of 1.7 miles. Even the
smallest light stands out because it is so
different from the darkness all around it.
It must be different if it is to be seen. If it is
just like its surrounding environment, it
will make no impact on an observer. In the
same way, as the light of the world (Matt.
5:14), Christians must be distinctive in the
world—we are called to be holy, set apart,
separated from the world to God.
But what should that separation look like?
What form does it take? Should we retreat
into Amish-like communities, shunning
anything that is “worldly”? The Christian
church has a long tradition of this kind of
separation, with its hermits and monastics
dating back to the earliest days of the church.
For example, in about AD 429, a Syrian
Christian named Simeon found a fifty-
foot-high column that was standing among
some ancient ruins, built a small plat-
form on the top, and lived there for the
remaining thirty-seven years of his life,
spending his days in prayer, reading, and
meditation. He became known as Simeon
Stylites (literally, “the pillar man”) and
16 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
inspired a succession of followers who
took to columns to separate themselves
from the world below.
Simeon has his spiritual descendants
today among Christians who believe they
should have as little contact with the
non-Christian world as possible, shunning
all secular television, music, film, and lit-
erature. Some believers even avoid friend-
ship with unbelievers altogether. After all,
referring to unbelievers, doesn’t Paul say
in 2 Corinthians 6:17, “Go out from their
midst, and be separate from them”?
Is this what it looks like to be light in
the world? No. Paul’s first letter to the Cor-
inthians makes it clear that a wholesale
withdrawal from everything in the world
that is not Christian is not what separation
from the world means:
I wrote to you in my letter not to associ-
ate with sexually immoral people—not
at all meaning the sexually immoral of
this world, or the greedy and swindlers,
or idolaters, since then you would need
to go out of the world. (1 Cor. 5:9–10)
It seems that some in Corinth may have
taken these words to mean that they had to
withdraw from any kind of interaction with
non-Christians. This became a particular
problem when they were invited to the lo-
cal pagan temple for dinner. In the ancient
world, temple complexes had small dining
rooms where hosts could invite friends
for a meal (Corinth had at least thirteen
temples like this). The meat on the menu
would be from the sacrifices offered to the
god or goddess of the temple, and prayers
would be offered to that deity in the course
of the meal. It was one thing to go to an
unbeliever’s home and eat meat bought
in the marketplace that may have been
sacrificed to an idol—Paul doesn’t forbid
that (1 Cor. 10:27)—but eating in an idol’s
temple is participating with unbelievers in
an act of pagan worship, something Paul
describes as being “unequally yoked with
unbelievers” (2 Cor. 6:14).
Imagine two animals being yoked together
to pull a plow—one is a massive, powerful
ox and the other is a domestic cat. That’s
the picture Paul is using, and his point is
that there is no way such utterly different
creatures could ever work closely togeth-
er in any kind of harmony. It would be the
height of folly to try to make them. An ox
and a cat may be able to live together on the
same farm, each benefiting in different ways
from the contribution the other makes to
the running of the farm. But they cannot
be yokefellows—they need to be separated.
Christians need to understand that there
are situations in which they must sepa-
rate from non-Christians to avoid being
“unequally yoked.” Paul hammers this
point home with five pairs of completely
contradictory and incompatible realities:
righteousness and lawlessness, light and
darkness, Christ and Belial, believers and
unbelievers, and the temple of God and
the temple of idols. Believers and unbe-
lievers belong to two such utterly different
realms that they simply cannot be yoked
Believers and unbelievers
belong to two such
utterly different realms
that they simply cannot
be yoked together.
together. Not only do they pull in different
directions, but they also pull in completely
opposite directions.
This principle has many relevant and
challenging applications today. It applies
to any kind of multifaith worship services:
How could a Christian and a Muslim pull
the yoke of worship together? They would
be pulling in opposite directions. It applies
to membership in a church that has aban-
doned the gospel and fallen into heresy. It
certainly applies to marriage, for there is no
closer relationship between two human be-
ings than the one-flesh union of a husband
and wife who are yoked together for life. It
surely applies by extension to the dating or
courting relationship before marriage, in
which a man and woman are yoked togeth-
er in a serious relationship as they explore
the possibility of marriage. It is often hard
for Christians to have non-Christians as
close friends, given the fundamental and
radical differences there are between us.
Business partnerships with non-Christians
can be difficult because values and priori-
ties are so different.
This separation may involve painful loss
and sacrifice, especially when friends are
involved. We may be derided as self-
righteous, narrow-minded bigots. But we
will shine like lights in the darkness, bring-
ing glory to God and bearing witness to
the world around us. More, there is a won-
derful encouragement to endure this in
2 Corinthians 6:17–18, for God Himself
promises to those who let their light shine
in this way, who are mocked and insulted
for the sake of holiness, who are misun-
derstood and left friendless: “I will welcome
you, and I will be a father to you, and you
shall be sons and daughters to me, says
the Lord Almighty.” Surely this more than
compensates for any loss or pain.
REV. WARREN PEEL is pastor of Trinity Reformed
Presbyterian Church in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 17
THE SALT OF
SEASONED SPEECH
Harry L. Reeder III
M
y father and grandfather
loved aphorisms—short,
memorable statements of
wisdom. I not only inherited
their love for them but became personally
fascinated by the development and use of
aphorisms. My fascination grew in response
to my pastoral call. How can I say something
with an economy of words that is memo-
rable and precise and that communicates
biblical wisdom? It is challenging and re-
warding in conversation and preaching.
In Colossians 4:6, the Apostle Paul writes,
“Let your speech always be gracious, sea-
soned with salt, so that you may know how
you ought to answer each person.” Much
of this text is captured in this aphorism:
“Say what you mean, mean what you say,
and never be mean when you say it.”
right words
Proverbs 25:11 tells us, “A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk
come out of your mouths, but only such
as is good for building up.”
Communication is possible because we
are made in the image of God, but it is never
neutral. Perhaps you have heard this mis-
leading aphorism: “Sticks and stones may
break my bones, but words will never hurt
18 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
me.” The reality is that it doesn’t take long
for the wounds from sticks and stones to
heal, but hurtful words hurt deeply and
linger interminably.
We have been saved by the “word of life”
that brought us to Christ; therefore, Chris-
tians need to speak words of life even in the
most challenging situations. Jesus said, “Let
what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ ” (Matt.
5:37). Speak truth truthfully and lovingly
even when addressing difficult subjects.
Do not choose words that destroy, pollute,
or poison others. The more difficult the is-
sue, the more careful the choice of words.
right way
The Scripture calls us to speak with lan-
guage that is “seasoned with salt” (Col.
4:6), reflecting God’s grace. The English
language depends heavily on tone and man-
ner of speech. The same sentence with the
same words can actually communicate
two entirely different messages depend-
ing on the tone.
Say what you mean,
mean what you say,
and never be mean
when you say it.
right time
Speaking at the right time means speak-
ing according to the need of the moment.
Consider the friends of Job. They said some
right things and used some right words, but
they were ultimately destructive because
they spoke at the wrong time. The Preach-
er exhorted in Ecclesiastes 3:7 that there
is “a time to keep silence, and a time to
speak.” And James 1:19 says: “Be quick to
hear, slow to speak.”
In my pocket I carry a card to use when I
meet with someone. It has three questions
to prompt our conversation and an acrostic:
WAIT, meaning “Why Am I Talking?” My
father challenged me to be a learner. He also
informed me that there is one time in life
when it is impossible to learn—while we
are talking. Silence is necessary to listen so
that we know how and when to respond.
right reasons
It is essential in redemptive communication
to convey wisdom from our hearts to others’
lives. Christians must not speak simply to
hear themselves talk; nor should we commu-
nicate only to relieve ourselves of a burden.
Redemptive communication is not for
self-gratification but is for the recipient’s ed-
 ISTOCK
ification. A dear friend with whom I love to
talk always begins our conversations, “Harry,
my boy, I love you, and there is something
you need to hear.” I know that what is about
to come out of his mouth will come from his
heart with the right words, with the right
tone, at the right time, and for the right rea-
sons: for God’s glory and my edification. From
his first words, it is clear that he is talking
not for his benefit but for mine.
James is clear: the tongue is difficult to
control and has great impact when used.
If it speaks from a heart full of sin, it will
pour forth the poison of evil (see James
3:1–12), but if it speaks from a heart sea-
soned with the salt of grace, it will pour
forth “wisdom from above” (v. 17). So the
issue in redemptive communication is not
the tongue but the heart: “The heart of the
problem is the problem with the heart.”
Choose right words spoken the right way
at the right time for the right reasons. J.C.
Ryle rightly said: “Speak the truth in love.
Truth without love is barbarity; love with-
out truth is cruelty.”
DR. HARRY L. REEDER III is senior pastor of Briarwood
Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Ala. He is author
of several books, including From Embers to a Flame.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 19
LIVING QUIETLY “Aspire to live quietly.” This initial ex-
hortation seems more urgent than ever
AND WORKING before. The world around us has turned
into an ever-louder place. Polite civil con-
DILIGENTLY versation has frequently been replaced
by loud shouting matches. Thoughtful
AS A LIGHT reasoning has given way to Twitter-like
sound bites—and Christians are far too
Matthias Lohmann often right in the middle of it. Some are
eager to argue about whatever the topic
of the day is. Yet when it comes to shar-
ing the gospel, many are shy and quiet.
Thankfully, some Christians are bold
evangelists at their workplaces and are
quick to share the one message that this
dying world needs to hear. Still, even some
workplace evangelists need to learn to be
quiet at times.
This was something I had to learn back
in the days when I used to work in busi-
ness and sought to evangelize my col-
leagues with many words. Often, I was
persistent and extended my lunch break
just to give a few more arguments for
why my colleagues should follow my
example and trust in Jesus. What I didn’t

T
he majority of adults in the
United States spend roughly
half their waking hours at work.
But many Christians don’t know
how to live out their faith at work. What
does it mean to be salt and light in the midst
of a busy job?
The Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians
4:10–12 provides three clear exhortations
about how we should go about our work,
followed by two reasons why we should
do this:
We urge you, brothers, to do this more
and more, and to aspire to live quietly,
and to mind your own affairs, and to
work with your hands, as we instruct-
ed you, so that you may walk proper-
ly before outsiders and be dependent
on no one.
realize was that my example at work
wasn’t very impressive. I was quick to
speak but at times neglected my work
responsibilities.
Sometimes a few words about our faith
are enough, and then we should go back
and faithfully do our work. The words
that the Apostle Peter wrote to Christian
wives regarding their husbands might
be pretty good advice for those who are
neglecting their work to evangelize.
We should strive to win others with-
out words; it should make an impres-
sion “when they see [our] respectful and
pure conduct” (1 Peter 3:2). We should
“aspire to live quietly.” If we are marked
by such general restraint, the gospel will
sound forth much more powerfully once
we open our mouths to speak about our
Lord and Savior.
Furthermore, we should “mind [our]
own affairs” (1 Thess. 4:11). Christians
shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of others.
We should not gossip and try to know ev-
erything better. We should be single-mind-
Christians shouldn’t
ed about what God has given us to do.
meddle in the affairs of Obviously, it is fine to be distracted by
others. We should not seeing people in need and then to come
alongside them. This is not what Paul
gossip and try to know is talking about. Yet we all know how
everything better. easy it is to get pulled into things that
shouldn’t be our concern.
Finally, Paul exhorts the Thessalonians

20 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022  ISTOCK TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 21

“to work with your hands.” This is a call
to diligence at work. The Thessalonians
expected the immediate return of Christ.
In their excitement and eager anticipa-
tion, they neglected their work. But such
idleness isn’t pleasing to God. While very
few Christians today will go so far, some
might be tempted to think that it might
be pleasing to God if they do the bare
minimum at work in order to have more
time to do what they consider to be more
significant things for God. This is prob-
ably well intentioned, but it is not what
God’s Word teaches us. Think about the
instruction Paul gives to servants:
Obey in everything those who are your
earthly masters, not by way of eye-service,
as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of
heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do,
work heartily, as for the Lord and not for
men. (Col. 3:22–23)
Our job at work is to be quiet, to mind our
own business, and to work diligently and
faithfully.
We should do all this so that we “may
walk properly before outsiders”—in oth-
er words, so that we will be salt and light
at our workplaces. After all, most of us will
work surrounded by non-Christians. The
way we go about our work will be an im-
portant aspect of our witness. God will use
our diligent work to provide for us so that
we may “be dependent on no one.” Instead,
we will be able to make up for what may
be lacking in the diligence of others, and
we will be able to help those who are in
need. All this will strengthen our Christian
witness and might well be used by God to
draw others to Himself.
R E V. M AT T H I AS LO H M A N N is pastor of the Free
Evangelical Church in Munich, Germany, and
chairman and founder of the German gospel partnership
Evangelium21.
22 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
ABOVE
REPROACH:
INSIDE
AND OUT
Mike Riccardi
B
efore moving on from his
discussion in 1 Timothy
3:1–7 of the qualifications
for the elders of Christ’s
church, the Apostle Paul concludes
in verse 7 by requiring elders to enjoy
a good reputation with unbelievers.
Such a requirement seems to go
without saying. The Great Commis-
sion is central to a pastor’s life and
calling. Yes, he must equip the saints
for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12)
by working hard in preaching and
teaching (1 Tim. 5:17), endeavoring
to present every member complete in
Christ (Col. 1:28). But the commission
to make disciples begins with doing
the work of an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:5),
proclaiming the gospel to those who
are outside in the hope that, by God’s
grace, they may be converted and be
joined to the body of Christ. A pas-
tor constantly prays that “outsiders”
would become “insiders”—that un-
believers would be transformed into
disciples of Christ, who are then gath-
ered into the church to be baptized
and taught to observe all that Christ
has commanded (Matt. 28:19–20).
Surely it follows, then, that an elder ought
to pursue a good reputation with unbe-
lievers. All believers are called to give no
offense (1 Cor. 10:32), to walk in wisdom
(Col. 4:5), to “be blameless and innocent,
children of God without blemish in the
midst of a crooked and twisted generation,
among whom you shine as lights in the
world” (Phil. 2:15).
Yet upon a moment’s reflection, such a re-
quirement can seem quite counterintuitive.
Unbelievers are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1–3),
hostile to God (Rom. 8:7), and unable to ac-
cept or understand the things of the Spirit of
God (1 Cor. 2:14). Can we really expect them
to approve of elders of Christ’s church, those
who stake their lives on the very Bible whose
authority unbelievers reject? Jesus Himself
reminded His disciples that the unbelieving
world that hated Him would hate His fol-
lowers (John 15:18–21). Our Great Prophet
pronounced woe on us when all men speak
well of us, for that is how the false prophets
were received (Luke 6:26). Indeed, one of the
greatest hindrances to faithful ministry in
our day has been an uncrucified lust for the
world’s praise. An entire generation of pastors
has sold out to the pragmatist’s philosophy
of ministry: If we can get unbelievers to like
us, then they’ll accept Jesus. Perhaps no oth-
er principle has done more to weaken the
church in the past thirty years. But Paul says,
“What we proclaim is not ourselves” (2 Cor.
4:5). How, then, can he demand that pastors
“must be well thought of by outsiders”?
The answer requires that we understand
first what Paul is not calling for. He is not
setting aspiring elders on a course to court
the esteem and admiration of the enemies
of righteousness. This qualification does
not require the man of God to escape all
criticism of those who are blind to the glory
of the gospel. John Calvin observed:
How stupid we would be to want to be
liked by those who despise God and who
trample our Lord Jesus Christ underfoot!
We should instead expect the wicked to
mock and reject us, seeing that we can-
not persuade them to honor God as they
should and to submit reverently to his word.
Pastors and elders must never forget that
“the wisdom of this world is folly with God”
(1 Cor. 3:19), and that we His servants are,
as Paul says, “the scum of the world, the
refuse of all things” (4:13).
Instead, the Apostle is calling for elders
to live lives above reproach—not only
above the reproach of those inside the
church, as he called for in 1 TIimothy 3:2,
but also above the reproach of those out-
side the church. Sometimes a prospective
elder’s unbelieving relatives, coworkers,
or neighbors may know more about his
character than his fellow church members.
If unbelievers know him to be marked by
immorality or drunkenness, or by a lack
of discipline or integrity, while at the same
time he is serving as an elder in Christ’s
church, they will ridicule him as a hypo-
crite, and the name of Christ will be blas-
phemed because of it (Rom. 2:24). Paul re-
quires that this not be so. Though the
enemies of the truth will seek to discredit
the character of God’s servants, elders must
“keep [their] conduct among the Gentiles
honorable” (1 Peter 2:12), “so that, when
[they] are slandered, those who revile [their]
good behavior in Christ may be put to
shame” (3:16). If charges are brought, they
must never stick, and they must be shown
to be illegitimate by a clear appeal to the
man’s life. Under the examination of in-
siders and outsiders, the man of God must
live a life above reproach. May God give
grace to His servants, that we might walk
worthy of such a high calling.
REV. MIKE RICCARDI is pastor of local outreach ministries
at Grace Community Church and assistant professor of
theology at The Master’s Seminary.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 23
BEING SUBJECT When Calvin was banished from Geneva
in 1538, Viret was called on to do the work
TO AUTHORITIES of reconciliation and restoration. Viret’s in-
tercessions persuaded the council to invite
AS LIGHT AND SALT Calvin to return in 1541, and Viret persuad-
ed his reluctant friend to accept the invita-
George Grant tion. Whenever there was an intractable
conflict in any of the churches throughout
the Swiss cantons, Viret was enlisted to re-
store their purity and their peace.
Such gospel fruitfulness was inevitably
met by fierce opposition and persecution.
After two decades of effectual ministry, po-
litical pressure from Bern forced Viret to

T
he Apostle Peter declared, “This
is the will of God, that by doing
good you should put to silence
the ignorance of foolish people”
(1 Peter 2:15). Pierre Viret, a forgotten gi-
ant of the sixteenth-century magisterial
Reformation, carried out this order well.
It was Viret who, along with his mentor
William Farel, first brought the Reforma-
tion to the city of Geneva in 1534. After the
Genevan Disputation of 1535, he moved
on to Lausanne, where he again witnessed
great gospel fruitfulness.
He was back in Geneva in 1536, in time
for a famously fateful meeting with John
Calvin. It was then that the fiery Farel threat-
ened Calvin with divine retribution if he
did not remain in the city to labor side by
side with them. What is less often known
is that it was Viret who softened Farel’s
fulminations, persuading Calvin to stay.
The next year, Viret was again in Laus-
anne, overseeing the Reformation there. He
pastored a thriving church and established
the first academy for Reformed theological
training. It was there that Viret discipled
Theodore Beza, who became the headmas-
ter of the Lausanne Academy. It was also
there that Viret discipled Guido de Bres,
author of the Belgic Confession, as well as
Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus,
authors of the Heidelberg Catechism.
flee from Lausanne in 1559. He was joined
in exile by all his fellow pastors, the pro-
fessors of the academy, their students, and
hundreds of the city’s congregants. They
tasted the bittersweet truth that the king-
dom of heaven belongs to “those who are
persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (Matt.
5:10) and that great blessings and rewards
await those who have been insulted, slan-
dered, and hard pressed but nevertheless
persevere (vv. 12–13). Never one to indulge
in bitterness, Viret embraced the truth that
“all who desire to live a godly life in Christ
Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). He
knew that the heroes of the faith have al-
ways been those who sacrificed their lives,
fortunes, and reputations for the sake of the
gospel. He affirmed that it is in “afflictions,
hardships, calamities, beatings, imprison-
ments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger”
(2 Cor. 6:4–5) that our faith is often proved.
Though Viret suffered the slanging rid-
icule and torments of the civil and ecclesi-
astical authorities of his day, he remained
steadfast in hope. He returned again and
again to the surety of the power of the gos-
pel to change men and nations.
In 1 Peter 2:13–17, the Apostle Peter re-
minded the “elect exiles” of his day (1:1) that
they were but “sojourners” (2:11). They were
to keep their “conduct among the Gentiles
honorable” so that when they were reviled
as evildoers, the revilers might “see [their]
good deeds and glorify God on the day of
visitation” (v. 12). They were to “be subject
for the Lord’s sake to every human institu-
tion,” including “the emperor as supreme”
or to “governors as sent by him” (vv. 13–14).
Thus the command to do good. And thus
the promise that they should, consequently,
“silence the ignorance of foolish people”
Heroes of the faith have
always been those who
sacrificed their lives,
fortunes, and reputations
for the sake of the gospel.
(v. 15). Indeed, they were to “live as people
who are free,” not using their freedom “as
a cover-up for evil, but living as servants
of God” (v. 16). They were to “honor ev-
eryone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.
Honor the emperor” (v. 17).
Viret’s great purpose, like Peter’s before
him, was reformation, not revolution. He
therefore encouraged his beloved brothers
and sisters, as oft-beleaguered sojourners, to
be “the best of subjects.” He declared, “There
is no doubt that rulers are—beyond com-
pare—much better served by believers who
know the Gospel than by any other men.”
Viret was deeply beloved in his day. To
friend and foe alike he was known as the
“Smile of the Reformation.” To others, he
was the “Angel of the Reformation.” There
is little wonder why.
DR. GEORGE GRANT is pastor of Parish Presbyterian
Church, founder of New College Franklin, president of the
King’s Meadow Study Center, and founder of Franklin
Classical School in Franklin, Tenn. He is author of numerous
books, including The Micah Mandate.

24 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022  ISTOCK TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 25

 J U L Y 2 0 2 2 D A I L Y B I B L E S T U D I E S

I N T O the W O R D

THE GIVING OF THE LAW

S
ince god is our Creator, we owe us to Him. Seeking to obey Him, in fact,
Him obedience. The Lord gives us is the least we can do to give Him the
laws, and we must obey them be- thanks He is due.
cause it is our duty as rational creatures. This month, our study of Exodus brings
Even before the fall, we were required to us to 20:1–13, which describes how the
obey God, and that demand did not pass Lord gave the first six of the Ten Command-
away once Adam sinned. ments to Israel. We will see how God’s giv-
If we owe God obedience because we ing of the law only after saving His people
are creatures, how much from slavery demonstrates
more should we want to that we do not merit sal-
freely be obedient in light “BECAUSE GOD IS vation by keeping the com-
of all that He has done THE LORD, AND OUR mandments. We will also
for us? The Lord could GOD, AND REDEEMER, work our way through the
have left us all to die in THEREFORE WE first six commandments,
our sin and misery and ARE BOUND TO getting a taste of their com-
STORIES FROM OUR PAST to suffer His wrath eter- KEEP ALL HIS prehensiveness so that we
nally, but He did not do COMMANDMENTS.” will begin to understand
Day by day, century after century, God has been faithful to His people. Every
that. He sent His only be- —Westminster Shorter how God’s law addresses
Wednesday, Dr. Stephen Nichols tells the story of Christianity by giving a glimpse gotten Son to reconcile Catechism 44 all of life.
into the people, events, and places the Lord has used to shape our past and
bring us to the present. Subscribe to the 5 Minutes in Church History podcast
A BIDING IN THE WORD We e k o f July 3  ������������������������������������������� E X O D U S 2 0 : 2
and hear how remembering God’s work in the church can help and encourage These verses parallel the themes of the We e k o f July 1 0  ���������������������������������������� M AT T H E W 6 : 9

Christians today. studies each week. We encourage you We e k o f July 1 7  ���������������������������������������� H E B R E W S 4 : 9

to hide them in your heart so that you
We e k o f July 2 4  ������������������������������� M AT T H E W 5 : 2 1 – 2 2
may not sin against the Lord:
We e k o f July 3 1  ��������������������������������������� E X O D U S 2 0 : 1 4

5MinutesInChurchHistory.com

TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 27
 FRIDAY

1 THE PLACE OF THE DECALOGUE WEEKEND DEVOTIONAL

JULY 2–3

EXODUS 20:1 “God spoke all these words.”

OUR ALL-PRAISEWORTHY KING
D U S T I N W. B E N G E

R L
eturning to our study of the book of Exodus, we pick up our
study just as Moses has ascended Mount Sinai to receive the
CORAM DEO terms of Israel’s covenant with God (see Ex. 19). This was one
Living before the of the most important moments in the history of redemption, for at
face of God
Sinai, Moses received the fundamental laws not only to govern the
There are some nation of Israel but to guide God’s new covenant people as well. We
people today who are talking, of course, about the Ten Commandments.
believe that Throughout church history, Christians from all theological tradi-
Christians are not tions have understood that the Ten Commandments have a unique,
required to follow abiding significance for us today. While we look to all the Old Tes-
the Ten Command-
tament laws for guidance, for that is what the Apostles did (see, e.g.,
ments because Jesus
has come. Yet while
1 Cor. 9:8–12), the Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, have a special
the coming of Jesus place. There are several reasons for this. First, we see that the Lord gave
certainly has the Decalogue to the people of God directly. We see this in today’s pas-
ramifications for sage, where we read that our Creator spoke the words of these com-
how we keep the mandments, but no mediator is listed (Ex. 20:1). It is not until Exodus
Ten Commandments, 20:18–21 that the Israelites asked for God to speak only to Moses and
the church has long
not to them directly, for the divine voice and the attendant natural
recognized that the
Decalogue did not
phenomena terrified them greatly. Exodus 31:18 reports also that the
pass away when Ten Commandments were later written on the stone tablets with the
Christ came. These finger of God. Other laws, however, Moses wrote down after receiv-
laws remain in force ing them from the Lord (see 24:4; Deut. 31:9). God’s giving the Ten
as the foundational Commandments directly to Israel without speaking through Moses
ethical guide for
the mediator signifies the importance of the Decalogue and its place
God’s people.
as the foundation of the covenant law code. Furthermore, the reality
of the Ten Commandments as foundational to all other laws is indi-
cated in that these were the first of the written laws to be revealed.
We see the significance of the Decalogue also in that these laws are
given in what we could call a universal form and not limited to the
experience of Israel in the promised land. Deuteronomy 5:31 tells us
FOR FURTHER STUDY
that after God gave the Ten Commandments, He gave laws to be fol-
Deuteronomy 5:1–5
Matthew 5:17–20 lowed “in the land” of Israel. There is a distinction between the Ten
Commandments, which are given first and are to be followed every-
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 24–25
where, and the other Mosaic laws with their punishments and civil
Acts 11 and ceremonial regulations, which were limited to Israel’s particular
situation. Not every commandment in the law of Moses is to be fol-
THE WEEKEND
Job 26–31 lowed under the new covenant exactly as given, but the Ten Com-
Acts 12 mandments remain in force as written (see Rom. 13:8–10).
eading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and
resurrection, there were many par-
ticipants in the grand drama of re-
demption. From Judas who betrayed our
Lord to the priests who condemned Him,
each person played a vital role in God’s
sovereign plan.
One of the most striking scenes is found
in John 12:1–8. The story begins just out-
side Jerusalem in Bethany, the place where
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Simon
the leper, whom Jesus probably healed from
leprosy, is hosting an evening meal for Jesus
in his home. As is typical for an evening
meal, guests are reclining on plush cushions
to facilitate conversation. Courtesy dictates
that servants would wash and often per-
fume the feet of those feasting because of
this reclined posture. Chatter fills the room,
and in walks Mary, the sister of Martha and
Lazarus. She appears with an alabaster vial
of very costly perfume of pure nard.
The perfume would have been kept in
a small marble vial with a long neck and a
stopper in the opening to release a few drops
of the precious fragrance. With contents
worth a year’s wages, this bottle was no doubt
protected and locked away. “Pure nard” is
an undiluted aromatic amber-colored es-
sential oil derived from a flowering plant
in the honeysuckle family that grows in
the Himalayas. With the prized vial in her
hand, Mary makes her way to Jesus, who is
reclining at the table. She doesn’t sprinkle
a few drops of perfume on His feet but does
the unthinkable. She breaks open the bottle
and pours its contents on His head and feet,
anointing His feet and wiping them with
her hair. John adds, “The house was filled
with the fragrance of the perfume” (v. 3).
Judas, who is also reclining at the table,
becomes indignant and begins to remark
that the perfume has been wasted and should
have been sold and the proceeds given to the
poor. With his mind already set on betraying
Jesus, Judas’ heart is filled with greed (v. 6).
Jesus rebukes those reprimanding Mary:
“Leave her alone, so that she may keep it
for the day of my burial. For the poor you
always have with you, but you do not always
have me” (vv. 7–8). It is right to give to the
poor, but what is your ultimate priority?
Mary provides an example of ignoring the
naysayers and being unrelenting in one’s
worship of Jesus. Just a few days before His
crucifixion, Jesus blesses her for this selfless
act of worship in preparing Him for buri-
al. Mary is powerless to stop His inevita-
ble death and suffering, but she can offer
Him all she has in an act of devotion that
is remembered two thousand years later.
Jesus says that when the gospel is preached
throughout the world, Mary’s adoring wor-
ship of her King will be remembered.
Against the backdrop of the betrayer, the
wicked priests, and the cruel soldiers is
Mary, who has given Jesus her all in an act
of worship that clearly points to His buri-
al and resurrection. Jesus is the supreme
object of all our worship. What do you have
to give Him?
DR. DUSTIN W. BENGE is vice president of communications
and associate professor of biblical spirituality and historical
theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
in Louisville, Ky. He is author of The Loveliest Place.

28 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022 TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 29

 MONDAY
4 GRACE BEFORE LAW
EXODUS 20:2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house
of slavery.”
A B
ll the commandments given to Israel under the old cove-
nant continue to guide our understanding of what we are
CORAM DEO to believe about the Lord and what duty He requires of us,
Living before the for Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17). Of
face of God
course, the way we follow the law under the new covenant differs
Our salvation in some ways from how old covenant believers kept it. For example,
precedes our we do not sacrifice animals anymore (Heb. 10:18). Nevertheless, the
obedience. We see Mosaic law remains God’s Word to us, and we must have at least a
this with particular basic understanding of it to comprehend all the facets of our salvation.
clarity in Ephesians What is the purpose of the law in our salvation? Today’s passage
2:8–10, where we
tells us one essential truth about the law and our redemption: God’s
read that we are
saved by grace alone
grace to sinners precedes His giving of the law. Exodus 20:2 continues
through faith alone the introduction to the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, with a
in Christ alone. Yet one-sentence rehearsal of the history of the Lord’s dealings with Israel.
the same text Before He gives the Ten Commandments, God reminds the Israelites
reminds us that faith that He “brought [them] out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
does not remain slavery.” We will not comprehend the Bible’s teaching on salvation if
alone in the
we miss the importance of this sequence. The Lord did not demand
converted but bears
fruit in the good
that the Israelites keep the commandments before liberating them
works that God has from enslavement, and He did not rescue them from Pharaoh by using
given us to do. their power. Instead, Israel’s salvation from bondage was the work of
Saved people seek God alone. As Moses had told the people in Exodus 14:13–14, the de-
to obey the Lord. liverance at the Red Sea from Pharaoh’s army—and everything that
led up to it—was the salvation that the Lord worked for them. He
alone fought and defeated Pharaoh to take them out of Egypt. Israel
could take no credit for their own deliverance; God alone saved them.
Only after the Lord redeemed Israel did He give His law to His peo-
ple. Thus, obedience to God is a consequence of our salvation, not the
means by which we secure our salvation. Obedience to the Lord, then,
displays our gratitude toward Him for what He has done; it does not
merit eternal life. Yes, we are obligated to serve God and keep His
FOR FURTHER STUDY commandments, but we do this not to be saved but because we have
Deuteronomy 5:6; been saved. His free grace to us redeems us, and then we obey Him
9:1–12
James 2:14–26
because we belong to Him, for we were purchased by Him and are
1 John 5:1–5 glad to thank Him with lives of holiness. Matthew Henry comments
on today’s passage that Israel was “bound in gratitude to obey him,
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 32–33 because he had done them so great a kindness, had brought them out
Acts 13 of a grievous slavery into a glorious liberty.”
30 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
TUESDAY
NO OTHER GODS
5
EXODUS 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.”
eginning our study of the Ten Commandments proper, we
must first note that there is a fullness to each of these com-
mandments that includes but is not limited to their most CORAM DEO
literal reading. In other words, each commandment has broader ap- Living before the
face of God
plications. Jesus Himself makes this clear. For instance, His teaching
on the law against adultery indicates that the commandment forbids Because our idols
not only a sexual relationship with a person who is not one’s spouse tend not to be
but all lustful thoughts as well (Matt. 5:27–30; see Ex. 20:14). Each physical statues, it is
commandment both outlaws certain things and enjoins us to take easy for us to miss
positive actions for holiness, as the Reformation creeds and catechisms how idolatry seeps
into our own lives.
demonstrate. Thus, as we make our way through the commandments,
Yet each one of us
we will look at other Scripture passages that help us understand what can easily start to
each commandment means in its fullness. put something
The first commandment, given to us in today’s passage, tells us besides God—per-
that we may have no other gods before the Lord. In essence, this is a haps even something
commandment against idolatry, the giving of worship or ascription good—ahead of the
of highest value to anything other than the Lord God Almighty. Idol- Lord in our hearts.
Let us search our
atry, in fact, lies at the heart of all other sins. Before human beings
hearts today and
transgress any other law, Paul tells us in Romans 1:18–32, they fail to discern whether
honor God as God—to set Him above all else—and fail to thank Him, we are letting
turning instead to other deities. If we do not honor the Lord alone as something else
God, we will fail to keep every other commandment. besides God have
John Calvin observes that the first commandment addresses our first place in
our lives.
internal attitudes. The Decalogue forbids us from making and wor-
shiping actual physical idols, but that is addressed more fully in the
second commandment (see Ex. 20:4–6). The first commandment is
broader, covering all forms of idolatry, including both fashioning gods
out of wood, stone, or metal and the devotion of our souls to anything
above the Lord. God, Calvin says, calls for “the affections of the heart,
that He alone may be spiritually worshiped; and the expression ‘before
my face,’ [refers to these affection] because, although [some people]
secretly turn aside to false worship, and cherish their errors within FOR FURTHER STUDY
their own bosoms, may be able to evade the eyes of men, yet their Deuteronomy 6:4
Joshua 22:5
hypocrisy and treachery will not escape the notice of God.” Matthew 10:37
Idolatry has many forms, so any of us can fall into it. Our idols may Mark 12:28–34
not be figurines of deities but rather culturally acceptable things such
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
as money, power, and fame. Still, if anything comes first in our lives Job 34–36
and affections but our Creator, we are committing idolatry. Acts 14
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 31
LIGONIER

DOERS of
the WORD
W. ROBERT GODFREY & DEREK THOMAS

True saving faith makes a difference in our lives as we seek to obey our Savior and
Lord. The Apostle James provides some of Scripture’s clearest guidance
on how Christians should both hear what God has revealed and do what His Word
commands. As we spend eight days studying James’ essential teachings on the
character of God, we will seek to be equipped to act on His Word and
to live for His glory.

JUNE 16–2 3, 2023

L IGONIERT O U RS.C O M | 877- 768- 2784 EX T. 100

 WEDNESDAY
6 THE ABSURDITY OF IDOLATRY
ISAIAH 44:9–20 “No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, ‘Half of it I burned
in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it
an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?’ ” (v. 19).
T E
he first commandment forbids the sin of idolatry, which
consists of worshiping anything other than the one true God
CORAM DEO or giving anything besides Him first place in our hearts and
Living before the minds. Given that the Israelites had lived for centuries in Egypt, a
face of God
nation that had many gods, and would be settling in Canaan, whose
Whenever we try to residents worshiped many gods (Ex. 12:12; 23:32–33), this command-
make our own god, ment was especially important for the children of Israel. It would con-
we end up with a tinue to be vital throughout the history of the old covenant people,
being that falls far for the history of Israel recorded in Scripture tells us that the people
short of God as He repeatedly fell into idolatry and, in fact, suffered exile into Assyria and
has revealed Himself
Babylon because of their idolatrous ways (2 Kings 17; 2 Chron. 36).
in Scripture. Thus, we
should not guess at
God sent prophets to His old covenant people because idolatry was
who the Lord is; a perpetual temptation for them and because the people frequently
rather, we should fell into idolatry, worshiping other gods alongside Yahweh, the God
learn from His Word of Israel. The Old Testament Prophetic Books overflow with condem-
who He is and what nations and the mocking of idol worship. Isaiah 44:9–20 gives us
He has done. Only one of the fiercest critiques of idolatry, pointing out its absurdity by
by knowing Scripture
noting that the same wood used to build images of the gods is also
can we know who
the true God is.
used for cooking and keeping warm. The point is clear: What kind
of god can be made from the same materials that we use to meet our
everyday needs? The unstated answer is that such a god is one that is
not sovereign over all and is thus unworthy of worship.
Some people have criticized oracles such as the one found in today’s
passage for lacking a nuanced view of idolatry. They argue that an-
cient Near Eastern peoples did not actually believe their statues were
gods but that the statues only represented the gods and worship was
directed to the gods, not their images. Thus, the prophets were wrong
to criticize the pagans for worshiping images because the images
were not the object of their worship. In response, let us note that the
prophets were not ignorant of this view. They knew that the peoples
around them, for the most part, did not believe a statue made of wood,
FOR FURTHER STUDY metal, or stone was an actual god. They had contact with other na-
Psalm 96:5 tions and knew their religious beliefs. But that does not take away
Jeremiah 10:1–16
Ephesians 2:11–22
from the prophetic critique. The point is that a deity that can be im-
1 Timothy 1:17 aged in a man-made carving is not much of a god at all. The gods of
our imaginations, even if we never make physical images of them,
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 37–38 are not the infinite God of Scripture, who is self-sufficient and there-
Acts 15 by more than able to do all that He has promised His people.
34 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
THURSDAY
KEEPING AWAY FROM IDOLS
7
1 JOHN 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
very idol promises much but cannot deliver. This is the con-
sequence of making God in our own image. Our finite minds
and fallen natures make it impossible for us to fashion a deity CORAM DEO
that can even begin to be compared with the one true God. The gods Living before the
face of God
we make invariably turn out not to be as holy as Yahweh, the holy
God of Scripture, who detests sin so much that He cannot even look God has not left us
upon it and accepts nothing less before His bar of judgment than ab- hard directions to
solute perfection (Hab. 1:13; Matt. 5:18). When we fashion idols, we follow in order to be
create gods that look a lot like us and thus cannot satisfy, for as Augus- equipped to keep
tine of Hippo said, our hearts are restless until they rest in the Lord. the first command-
ment and, indeed, all
Idolatry was a persistent problem for the old covenant people of
His commandments.
God, but it did not go away when Jesus brought the new covenant. Participation in
Today’s passage warns the new covenant church that idolatry remains Christian fellowship
a real temptation for us, for the Apostle John tells us to keep ourselves and the ordinary
from idols (1 John 5:21). This verse helps us see that idolatry includes means of grace is
far more than just the crude fashioning of gods out of metal, stone, how we grow and
or wood. When John wrote his letter, such idolatry existed in the Ro- are fortified to more
and more die unto
man world and was a danger to the early Christians, but the Apostle
sin and live unto
was not focusing on that type of false religion. He wrote, instead, to righteousness (Acts
counter false ideas that people had about the one true God, especially 2:42–47). We do
the belief that God the Son had not taken on human flesh (see 4:1–3). these things in the
Wrong views about God are idolatrous, which is why we must take local church, which
our theology—our doctrines regarding God—only from Scripture. is why church
membership is
We have noted that each of the Ten Commandments both com-
so vital.
mends something and forbids something. Since wrong views of God
are idolatrous, we conclude that the first commandment, in forbid-
ding idols, tells us to develop and promote knowledge of the one true
God. Dr. Joel Beeke writes in his commentary on the Johannine Epis-
tles that “we keep ourselves from idols by abiding in a right relation-
ship with God, which entails living through the means of grace in
the shadow of Calvary, so that when idolatry offers its attractions, we
will be able to see them for what they truly are.” To avoid idols and FOR FURTHER STUDY
remain focused on the one true God, we remember the cross and its Ezekiel 20:18
Hosea 6:3
revelation of God’s holiness and mercy; participate in the ordinary 2 Corinthians 4:6
means of grace of hearing the Word preached, receiving the sacra- 2 Peter 3:18
ments, and prayer; engage in Christian fellowship; and so forth. If we
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
do these things, we will keep ourselves from idols and grow in the Job 39–40
grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 16:1–15
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 35
 FRIDAY

8 NO GRAVEN IMAGES WEEKEND DEVOTIONAL

JULY 9 –1 0

EXODUS 20:4–6 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that
is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not
LIVE IN FREEDOM
bow down to them or serve them” (vv. 4–5).
CHRISTINA R. FOX

C M
ontinuing our look at the book of Exodus and the Ten Com- ost democracies have a day set servant.” Peter is saying: “Live as people who
mandments, we come today to the second commandment, aside to celebrate their freedom are free from bondage. Live as bondservants
CORAM DEO which builds on the first commandment’s concern with the from the regime that once ruled of God.” In the context, doulos is used met-
Living before the worship of God. The first commandment speaks against idolatry in them. Communities gather to enjoy a feast, aphorically to mean a voluntary yielding
face of God
stressing that our devotion to the one true God must be greater than spend time with friends and family, and of one’s freedom to another. Believers are
It can be difficult to our devotion to anything else (Ex. 20:3). The second commandment perhaps even watch a fireworks display. called to willingly live as servants of the
apply the second puts limits on how that devotion is to be expressed. As we see in Exodus Such events are worth commemorating, Lord, submitting to His will and Word.
commandment, and 20:4–6, we are not to make a carved image or a likeness of anything for freedom is a valuable thing. This means that freedom for the Christian
faithful Christians for the purpose of worship. We are not to make any graven images. The Bible affirms the value of freedom as is different from worldly freedom. It means
have differed Some Christians have argued that the second commandment well. There’s the account of Moses’ deliv- that we are no longer ruled by our sin. Sin
on how we are
warns us against visual imagery of any kind in the context of corpo- ering God’s people from slavery to Egypt. is no longer our master. It no longer has the
to follow the
prohibition of graven
rate worship. But Exodus 20:4–6 is not prescribing visual plainness There’s also the moving story in Ezra of power to dictate how we live our lives; it
images. Still, it is in our church buildings. We know this to be the case from texts such the captives’ return to Israel, where they has no hold on us. Instead, we have a new
always a good as Exodus 26:31, which directs the Israelites to work images of the then rebuilt the temple. But there’s a greater Master, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:
principle to seek to cherubim—angelic beings—into the tabernacle curtains. If the Lord theme of freedom running through these
do in worship what could direct the people to include visual imagery in the tabernacle, the stories and the pages of Scripture: human- But thanks be to God, that you who were
we have biblical second commandment cannot be forbidding all artwork or elegant ity’s need for spiritual freedom. once slaves of sin have become obedient
warrant or
design in the places where we gather to worship God. We are born enslaved to sin. It’s our great- from the heart to the standard of teaching
justification to do.
If we follow that
Applying the second commandment can be difficult, but it is clear est problem and one for which we need a to which you were committed, and, having
course with prayer, that the law explicitly prohibits what are often called graven imag- great Savior. Jesus Christ purchased our been set free from sin, have become slaves
study, and humility, es, or images created for the purpose of worship. When professing freedom through His sacrificial death on the of righteousness. (Rom. 6:17–18)
we will exercise Christians treat images as objects of worship and devotion, then the cross. This is amazing news. But He didn’t
wisdom. second commandment has been broken. Additionally, in the second set us free only for us to live wild lives full We now live for the One who purchased
commandment we can discern a general rule to follow when it comes of debauchery—as in one of those movies our freedom.
to the worship of God—namely, that we need biblical warrant or jus- about a prison break when murderers and As we yield to the Lord and His work in
tification for whatever we do in corporate worship. We are not to do thieves are set loose upon an unsuspecting our lives—as we live as bondservants to
whatever we think is pleasing to the Lord but should be careful to town to wreak havoc and destruction. This our Savior—our lives will reflect that new
take our cues for worship from Scripture. is often how the world views freedom: as the identity. We’ll bear the fruit of holiness
Finally, let us address the warning in Exodus 20:5 that the Lord will right to pursue whatever we desire, right or (Rom. 6:22); we’ll serve one another in love
visit “the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the wrong. Scripture teaches otherwise: we’re (Gal. 5:13); we’ll live our lives for the One
FOR FURTHER STUDY
fourth generation of those who hate [Him].” At first glance, some peo- set free to live as servants of God. to whom we now belong (Rom. 7:4). What
Deuteronomy 5:8–10
Acts 19 ple might conclude that this text means that our Creator will punish The Apostle Peter wrote, “Live as people a freedom worth celebrating.
people for the sins of their ancestors. Yet we dare not overlook the who are free, not using your freedom as
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 41–Psalm 1
qualifier “of those who hate me.” It is not that the Lord punishes peo- a cover-up for evil, but living as servants CHRISTINA R. FOX is a counselor, retreat speaker, and

Acts 16:16–40 ple for the sins of their fathers when children are innocent of those of God” (1 Peter 2:16). This verse uses two author of several books, including A Holy Fear and Like
sins; rather, He punishes the children who hate Him and repeat the different Greek words to refer to bondage: Our Father: How God Parents Us and Why That Matters
THE WEEKEND
Psalms 2–7 sins of their fathers. Ezekiel 18 confirms this by noting that people eleutheros and doulos. The former means “free for Our Parenting. She also serves her local church in
Acts 17:1–15 are not punished for their fathers’ sins if they turn from them. from bondage” and the latter means “bond- women’s ministry and crisis care.

36 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022 TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 37

 MONDAY TUESDAY

11 REFORMING WORSHIP THE ELEMENTS OF WORSHIP

12
2 KINGS 18:1–7 “[Hezekiah] removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah.
ACTS 2:42–47 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking
And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of
of bread and the prayers” (v. 42).
Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan)” (v. 4).

R T
eformed Christianity, as we have noted, has discerned in the
second commandment not only a prohibition against graven
CORAM DEO images—images constructed for the purpose of worship—but
Living before the also the principle that we should have biblical justification for what
face of God
we do in worship. Not everything that human beings call “worship”
In some churches, is necessarily pleasing to the Lord, even practices associated with the
the attitude toward corporate praise of the one true God. We see this throughout Scripture.
worship has become For instance, when the Israelites built the golden calf, they sincerely
that just about believed that they were worshiping Yahweh, the God who had re-
anything is deemed them from Egyptian slavery. But the Lord condemned their
acceptable. There is,
worship practices (Ex. 32). Consider also the example of Nadab and
of course, a measure
of freedom that
Abihu, who offered “unauthorized fire before the Lord.” Ostensibly,
churches have as they had the right motives in following their unapproved liturgy, but
they make their wor- God rejected their worship and even destroyed them (Lev. 10:1–3).
ship agreeable to These examples and others indicate that it is not enough to have
Scripture, but we good motives in designing worship. We must also have biblical war-
must take care that rant for what we do when we worship God as a corporate body of be-
this freedom does
lievers. Furthermore, because we are sinners, we should expect that
not become a license
for whatever we
from time to time errors will creep in to our worship. We must correct
think is best in the errors according to biblical principles; worship must be conducted
liturgy of the church. with reverence and awe in a manner agreeable to divine revelation.
God alone prescribes This was the case throughout the old covenant, and passages such as
how He is to be 1 John 5:21 and Revelation 2–3 indicate that the beliefs and worship
worshiped.
of the new covenant church can be corrupted as well.
Today’s passage records one instance of reform that took place un-
der the old covenant. When King Hezekiah ascended the throne of
Judah, he had to reform the worship of the people by tearing down
idolatrous shrines throughout the land (2 Kings 18:1–7). He even had
to destroy an image that God had commanded Moses to build, the
bronze serpent, to reform worship according to the law of God, for
the people had been worshiping it (v. 4; see Num. 21:4–9).
FOR FURTHER STUDY When the church’s worship deteriorates into idolatry, we must
2 Chronicles 29 take action to purify the liturgy and bring its practices back in line
Nehemiah 13
Matthew 21:12–13
with the Word of God. The iconoclasm (destruction of images) that
1 Corinthians 10 Hezekiah had to engage in during the eighth century BC is not always
required in order to reform worship, but there should always be a
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Psalms 8–9 concern on the part of God’s people and especially church officers
Acts 17:16–34 that we worship in a manner agreeable to the Scriptures.
he old covenant and new covenant enjoy a substantial uni-
ty. For instance, the way of salvation through faith in God’s
promises is the same under both covenants (Gen. 15; Rom. CORAM DEO
4; Heb. 11). New covenant believers see more clearly the substance of Living before the
face of God
God’s promises—Christ the Lord—but those who lived before the in-
carnation nevertheless were saved by faith in Him. Through shadows Both today’s
and types, Abraham and other believers who lived before the birth of passage and
our Savior in Bethlehem saw His day and were glad (see John 8:56). 1 Corinthians 14
Nevertheless, when it comes to God’s relationship with His peo- indicate that
ple, there are differences in its external administration, but not properly conducted
worship will cause at
its essence, between the old and new covenants. We see this espe-
least some
cially in the corporate worship of the covenant people. As many non-Christians to
have noted, there is no detailed liturgy given to the new covenant take notice and
church, no new covenant equivalent to the book of Leviticus with inquire about the
its prescribed practices for old covenant worship. Yet the same old faith. Yet we must
covenant principle that worship must be agreeable to the Scriptures not design worship
is true for the new covenant. The second commandment tells us, to cater to
non-Christians; nor
positively, that we must worship according to God’s directions and
do we need to if we
not what we think is best (Ex. 20:4–6). The outward form of wor- want them to see
ship looks different under the new covenant than under the old, Christ. Worship that
especially because we no longer sacrifice animals (Heb. 10:18), but is properly designed
right worship under the new covenant, no less than under the old to glorify our great
covenant, is conducted in the proper spirit according to the truth God and equip
believers in His Word
of God’s Word (John 4:24).
is in itself
Although God has not given the new covenant church a prescribed evangelistic.
liturgy, the New Testament provides some explicit guidance for new
covenant worship. Many passages touch on this subject, including
Acts 2:42, wherein Luke gives a description of the worship of the Ap-
ostolic church that he intends as a model for new covenant worship.
The early Christians together devoted themselves “to the apostles’
teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
Here we find the exposition of the Word of God, the only place where FOR FURTHER STUDY
we find the Apostles’ teaching today; corporate gathering, where we Nehemiah 8:1–8
1 Corinthians 14
find Christian fellowship; the sacraments, for the breaking of bread Ephesians 5:18–21
most likely refers to the Lord’s Supper in conjunction with a larger Hebrews 12:18–29
fellowship meal; and prayer, including hymns and psalms, which are
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
sung prayers and proclamations of Christian truth. Christian worship Psalms 10–12
agreeable to the Scriptures features these elements. Acts 18

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 WEDNESDAY
13 HONORING THE LORD’S NAME
EXODUS 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold
him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”
H Y
aving considered the first two commandments given to
the people of God on Mount Sinai (Ex. 20:4–6), we now
CORAM DEO look to the third commandment, which forbids our taking
Living before the the Lord’s name in vain. Commonly, believers understand this com-
face of God
mand as outlawing crude or coarse language, especially when it is used
God is very alongside the name of God. Of course, this is a proper interpretation of
concerned with how the commandment, but it does not exhaust the meaning of this rule.
His people speak To understand the third commandment, we must first consider the
and act with significance of a person’s name. Especially in the ancient world but
reference to Him. It also today, a person’s name is a symbol that encapsulates a person’s
is important not to
character and points to the kind of person that he is. When we hear
use His actual name
in a sinful or careless
the name of someone we know well, we often think about what that
manner, but we person is like, if only for a brief moment. Scripture emphasizes the
must not speak of importance of a good name (Eccl. 7:1), connecting a person’s name
Him in such ways with his reputation and reinforcing the idea that a name symbolizes
even when we do the entire person. We see this with particular clarity when it comes
not utter one of the to the names of God, each of which tells us something true about His
actual names given
nature. For instance, as we saw in our study of Exodus 3, the covenant
to Him in Scripture.
Let us be careful in
name of God, Yahweh (“I am”), reveals His eternality and self-existence.
how we talk about Since the name of God points to His very nature, the third com-
the Lord. mandment has in view more than coarse language that uses the name
of God. John Calvin’s comments on Exodus 20:7 help us rightly com-
prehend the scope of the third commandment: “It is silly and childish
to restrict this to the name [Yahweh], as if God’s majesty were confined
to letters or syllables; but, whereas His essence is invisible, His name
is set before us as an image, in so far as God manifests Himself to us,
and is distinctly made known to us by His own marks, just as men
are each by his own name. On this ground Christ teaches that God’s
name is comprehended in the heavens, the earth, the temple, the al-
tar [Matt. 5:34], because His glory is conspicuous in them. Consequent-
ly, God’s name is profaned whenever any detraction is made from His
FOR FURTHER STUDY supreme wisdom, infinite power, justice, truth, clemency, and recti-
Leviticus 24:10–16 tude.” Yes, the third commandment has special reference to our ac-
Deuteronomy 5:11
Psalm 139:19–24
tual use of His name in spoken word or in writing, but it more broad-
Romans 2:17–24 ly forbids anything that presents our Lord and His character in an
incorrect or frivolous manner. There are many ways that our words
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Psalms 13–15 and deeds can say wrong or trite things about God, and the third com-
Acts 19 mandment forbids all of them.
42 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
THURSDAY
THE SCOPE OF BLASPHEMY
14
EZEKIEL 20:27–29 “Thus says the Lord God: In this also your fathers blasphemed me, by dealing
treacherously with me. For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then
wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices.”
esterday we saw that the third commandment, which forbids
the vain use of the Lord’s name (Ex. 20:7), concerns more than
just crude or coarse language and the speaking of God’s name CORAM DEO
in conjunction with such language. Ultimately, it forbids all words Living before the
face of God
and actions that detract from the glory and supremacy of God. Today’s
passage eliminates any doubt that actions, as well as words, fall under One of the ways we
the scope of the third commandment. In Ezekiel 20:27–29, blasphemy can avoid misusing
is associated with unlawful worship, which includes serving other the name of God is
gods or praising the one true God in a manner not agreeable to Scrip- to be well-grounded
ture. Such worship practices detract from God’s glory and turn our in what the Bible
teaches about His
attention away from our Creator, making them a kind of blasphemy.
character. By
Since the third commandment pertains to words and actions, every studying theological
sin ultimately takes God’s name in vain. For instance, to break the first topics such as the
commandment by having other gods before the Lord is to attribute attributes and works
the highest glory to something that does not deserve it, naming that of the Lord, we come
thing as deity (see Ex. 20:3). This is a vain use of God’s name. To kill to a better
someone unlawfully is an assault on an image bearer of God and thus, understanding of the
God of whom we
indirectly, an attack on the holy name of the Lord who made that
speak and are thus
person (Ex. 20:13; James 3:9). Yet, each of the Ten Commandments is less likely to
similarly intertwined with the others. For example, what is adultery misrepresent Him.
but the theft of another person’s spouse? To break the commandment
against adultery is also to break the commandment against theft (see
Ex. 20:14–15). Of course, stealing is the fruit of coveting that which
does not rightly belong to us, so theft also breaks the tenth command-
ment, which outlaws covetousness (v. 17). The interrelatedness of the
Ten Commandments is particularly clear when we consider the first
commandment (Ex. 20:3). When we break any of God’s laws, we are
really saying that His rules do not stand above all other laws, thereby
exalting ourselves over the Lord. To sin is to choose our ideas of right
and wrong over God’s, making ourselves authorities in His place.
Although the scope of each of the Ten Commandments is broad,
we should pay attention to the focus of each law. Regarding the third FOR FURTHER STUDY
commandment, commentators note that it features a special empha- 2 Chronicles 32:9–23
Matthew 12:22–32;
sis on invoking God’s name in an oath, swearing by His name that 15:1–9
He will guarantee the one making the vow will not escape his obli- 1 Timothy 1:12–14
gation—that the Lord will punish oath-breakers even if human beings
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
do not. Thus, Scripture stresses that it is better not to make a vow or Psalms 16–18
oath than to make one and not fulfill it (Eccl. 5:4–5). Acts 20:1–16
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 43
 FRIDAY
15 HALLOWING THE LORD’S NAME
MATTHEW 6:9 “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’ ”
N T
egatively—that is, with respect to what we are not to do—
the third commandment tells us that we may not take the
CORAM DEO name of the Lord in vain (Ex. 20:7). Ultimately, we have seen,
Living before the this means that we must not do or say anything that detracts from God
face of God
and the highest glory that belongs to Him. The commandment has
Because we are a specific application to our speech, however, so we must be careful
sinners, we will fall not to use our words in a manner that speaks of God frivolously or
short and at times incorrectly. This includes such things as swearing rash vows or invok-
take the name of the ing God’s name to make promises that we do not intend to keep. It
Lord in vain. is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it (Eccl.
Thankfully, God is
5:4–5). Moreover, in making vows, we should not invoke something
gracious and forgives
us when we turn to
other than God as a witness in the hope that this will enable us to
Him and repent. If escape His discipline when we do not keep our commitments. This
we have been taking practice is what Jesus refers to in Matthew 5:33–37.
God’s name in vain, Like the other commandments, the third commandment has a
let us turn from this positive dimension. In other words, it tells us to do something: to
sin today toward engage in actions and speech that are contrary to the sins it forbids.
Christ and seek to
Therefore, as the third commandment forbids the frivolous or wrong
honor His name in all
that we do.
use of God’s name, it enjoins the reverent and right use of the Lord’s
name. To keep the third commandment, we must take direct actions
and speak words to honor God.
Today’s passage applies the third commandment in the context
of the Lord’s Prayer. Before we ask our Creator for anything else in
this model prayer, we must ask for His name to be hallowed, to be
respected and praised (Matt. 6:9). Since God will not give His glory
to another (Isa. 48:11), His name, which represents His character,
must receive the glory and honor it is due. At present, all creation
does not glorify and set the Lord apart as holy as it should, for un-
repentant sinners transgress God’s law and use the Lord’s name
wrongly. It’s good for our churches to pray that this would end.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
In praying for the Lord’s name to be hallowed, we also seek to be
Psalm 34
Matthew 28:18–20 an answer to that prayer. We are to endeavor to be used by God to
exalt His name in all the earth. This means speaking correctly about
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Psalms 19–22
Him and His character, seeking to present Him to others only as Scrip-
Acts 20:17–38 ture presents Him. It entails praising His name with reverence in both
private and corporate worship. It requires that we make oaths and
THE WEEKEND
Psalms 23–27 vows only on solemn and proper occasions, striving to keep our prom-
Acts 21:1–16 ises. In doing these things, we fulfill the third commandment.
44 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
WEEKEND DEVOTIONAL
JULY 1 6 –1 7
HONORING ELDERS
W I L L I A M VA N D O O D E WA A R D
he beauty of God’s order for Chris-
tian life and community shines in
faithful care for church leadership.
In 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul instructs
Timothy on how the church should see its
ordained elders: “Let the elders who rule
well be considered worthy of double honor,
especially those who labor in preaching and
teaching” (5:17). Simply holding the office
of elder is not a reason to be regarded with
honor, but elders who serve faithfully, and
particularly those who minister the Word,
are “worthy of double honor” in the church.
Giving “double honor” means honoring
faithful elders in their service and honor-
ing them through financial provision, as
becomes evident in the next verse: “For the
Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox
when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The labor-
er deserves his wages’ ” (v. 18). John Calvin
reflects that if it is cruel for an owner to fail
to provide for a working animal, how much
more intolerable is failing to pay pastors ad-
equately? The Apostle reaffirms this in his
other epistles: “Let the one who is taught
the word share all good things with the one
who teaches” (Gal. 6:6). When we think of
all the blessing we receive through faith-
ful ministry, how can it not be our joy to
provide generously for those caring for us?
Another aspect of care for elders is care
when criticisms and allegations are made
against them: “Do not admit a charge against
an elder except on the evidence of two or
three witnesses” (1 Tim. 5:19). Faithful gos-
pel ministry will at times result in hostility.
Faithful elders are to be protected against
slander, but there may also be accurate
charges against an elder. The biblical pat-
tern of requiring “two or three witnesses”
(which can include people and other evi-
dence) stands in unity with both Old Testa-
ment teaching (see Deut. 17:6) and Christ’s
teaching in the Gospels (see Matt. 18:16).
Sadly, evil men sometimes take advantage
of what is intended to protect the innocent
to try to minimize or avoid consequences.
Wrongs can be compounded through fail-
ures of justice. The church, in holding its
elders accountable, is to do so with loving
and determined faithfulness.
The fact that elders are accountable in
life and doctrine is made plain by Paul: “As
for those who persist in sin, rebuke them
in the presence of all” (1 Tim. 5:20). Faithful
care of elders not only warns sinners, but it
lovingly protects church and community.
Paul reminds Timothy that an aspect of
faithful discipline is “so that the rest may
stand in fear” (v. 20). Trembling at the con-
sequences of sin is healthy. Our high calling
to honor elders through care, protection,
and accountability is made plain by Paul’s
concluding charge to Timothy in verse 21:
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus
and of the elect angels I charge you to keep
these rules without prejudging, doing noth-
ing from partiality.” Following Christ’s call
by the Apostle honors God as it honors faith-
ful ministry, and it brings beauty and bless-
ing to the whole body of His church.
DR. WILLIAM VANDOODEWAARD is professor of church
history at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
He is author or editor of several books, including The Quest
for the Historical Adam.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 45

MONDAY
18 HALLOWING THE SABBATH
EXODUS 20:8–11 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (v. 8).
A C
s we continue our study of the Ten Commandments, let us
note that these laws address the most fundamental aspects
CORAM DEO of human life. For instance, the fifth and seventh command-
Living before the ments provide essential guidance for family life by preserving marriage
face of God
and parental authority (Ex. 20:12, 14). The eighth commandment, by
Christians disagree outlawing theft, provides a key regulation of the economic sphere of
on the exact way our existence (v. 15). The first, second, and third commandments all
that we are to have import for religious life (vv. 3–7). In the ninth commandment, we
observe the Sabbath, find essential guidance for maintaining all relationships by promoting
better known under truth, and the tenth commandment calls us to keep our thoughts and
the new covenant as
desires under control when it prohibits covetousness (vv. 16–17). The
the Lord’s Day. Yet
there is general
sixth commandment helps keep life itself going by establishing struc-
agreement among tures for protecting innocent lives from harm (v. 13). Today’s passage
believers from most shows us that even time itself is a concern of God’s law.
theological traditions We are talking, of course, about the fourth commandment, which
that we are to set we find in Exodus 20:8–11. God, in these verses, commands His people
apart Sunday as the to remember the Sabbath and to hallow it by refraining from ordinary
day of corporate
labor on the seventh and final day of the week. The reason for this is
worship. Without
regular attendance
highlighted in verse 11, which points to our keeping the Sabbath as
at Sunday worship, part of our imitation of God. Just as the Lord, in His work of creation,
we will be labored for six days and rested on one, we are to do the same (see Gen.
ill-equipped to 1:1–2:3). Thus, as one commentator has noted, we are directed to pat-
serve God the rest tern our time after God’s model. In so doing, we are implicitly directed
of the week.
to orient all that we do according to our Creator’s own rhythms and
to set apart a portion of our time—one day in seven—for a special
remembrance of the Lord and for particular devotion to Him. Wor-
ship on the Sabbath, then, is part of the fourth commandment, as also
indicated in the close association with the Sabbath and the corporate
praise of God’s people that we see in texts such as Leviticus 23.
In Exodus 20:8–11, the Sabbath is closely associated with divine
rest, and thus our need to rest on the Sabbath is emphasized. When
FOR FURTHER STUDY the Lord repeats the commandment in Deuteronomy 5:12–15, He
Isaiah 56:1–2 refers to rest as well as His rescue of Israel from slavery in Egypt. This
Ezekiel 20:19–20
Acts 20:7
connects the Sabbath with redemption. It is no wonder, then, that
Hebrews 10 with the coming of the new covenant, believers began celebrating
the Sabbath on the first day of the week instead of the seventh day,
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Psalms 28–29 for Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week for our jus-
Acts 21:17–36 tification and thus our salvation (Matt. 28:1–10; Rom. 4:25).
46 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
OUR PLEASURE
TUESDAY
ON THE SABBATH 19
ISAIAH 58:13–14 “Turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable” (v. 13).
hristians within the Reformed tradition have agreed that the
new covenant Sabbath is the Lord’s Day, and therefore we are
to gather for corporate worship on the first day of the week. CORAM DEO
Since the Sabbath celebrates the redemption of God’s people, and Living before the
face of God
since the greatest act of salvation occurred when Christ rose from the
dead on the first day of the week, the new covenant Sabbath should Resting on the
be observed on Sunday (Deut. 5:12–15; Matt. 28:1–10; see Rev. 1:10). Sabbath is a sign of
Although Christians have agreed that Sunday is the new covenant faith because it
Sabbath and the day on which we should gather with other believers demonstrates our
for corporate worship, they have disagreed regarding other aspects confidence that God
will meet our needs
of the Lord’s Day. In particular, Christians have debated the place of
if we forgo the extra
recreational activities on Sunday and whether they can be part of money we could
properly observing Sabbath rest. Some have taken the view that on earn if we were to
the Sabbath we are to engage only in worship, rest, and deeds of ne- work every day of
cessity and mercy—activities required to sustain life or alleviate suf- the week. As much
fering. Others have generally agreed with this but include within the as is feasible in light
sphere of rest what might be considered recreational activities such as of our current
circumstances and
playing games or engaging in other amusements. We lack the space
the control we have
to get into the full debate here, but it is important to note what both over our schedules,
views hold in common, namely, that we are to give careful thought to we should endeavor
what we do on the Lord's Day. It is a day to be set apart and not a day to refrain from
to be treated just as another day off from labor. Truly, we are to glorify ordinary labor on the
God every day of our lives, but the Lord's Day is to be hallowed as a Lord’s Day.
time on which we are to give special thought to our Lord's character,
God's plan of salvation, and the state of our souls. We are to do what
we can to be engaged in corporate worship with God's people and to
fellowship with them, forsaking not the assembly of believers but
gathering together for mutual edification (Heb. 10:25).
Sometimes those who believe that all recreations are forbidden on
the Lord’s Day have appealed to Isaiah 58:13–14 to support their po-
sition. A surface reading of the text might lead one to that conclusion,
but “pleasure” here more likely refers to the labors we engage in to FOR FURTHER STUDY
earn a living, not recreational or “fun” activities. The prophet teaches Deuteronomy 8
Nehemiah 13
that instead of doing what we want by engaging in our ordinary la- Mark 2:23–28
bors on the Sabbath, we must obey the Lord’s will that we rest from Hebrews 3:7–4:13
our everyday work. Instead of seeing the Sabbath as another day for
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
commerce, we are to rest and devote ourselves to God as a sign of our Psalms 30–32
trust that He ultimately supplies our needs. Acts 21:37–23:11
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 47

NEW
STEADFAST IN UNSTABLE TIMES
AMERICAN PRESBYTERIANS AND REVIVAL:
LESSONS FROM THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
with W. Robert Godfrey
The church today must navigate a rapidly changing world. But we’re not the first
to experience the pressure to compromise our convictions and accommodate the
spirit of the age. In this new teaching series, Dr. W. Robert Godfrey takes us back to
another period of volatile transitions to demonstrate how the church can shine as
a light in dark and difficult circumstances. Preorder today.
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WEDNESDAY
THE SABBATH THAT REMAINS
20
HEBREWS 4:9 “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”
I
t can be easy to overemphasize the disagreements in the church
regarding how the Christian Sabbath is to be kept. Yet we should
not overlook the significant areas of agreement. Believers have CORAM DEO
mostly agreed that the Sabbath commandment continues to apply Living before the
face of God
today in at least some manner. For instance, Christians almost uni-
versally set apart the first day of the week as the Lord’s Day, gathering Augustine of Hippo
for corporate worship and fellowship on that day. Only a few groups gives us this
continue to insist that the seventh day is the Sabbath, and often those observation on the
groups hold other heterodox beliefs. Furthermore, there has been fourth command-
widespread agreement that the first day of the week should be a day ment: “However we
try in this world, we
of rest. Until very recently in the West, most businesses were closed
shall nevertheless
on Sundays. Even today, while shops and restaurants are often open not arrive at that
on the Christian Sabbath, commercial and government offices tend perfect rest except
to be closed on the first day of the week. That is a legacy of a Chris- when we have
tianized culture that understands Sunday to be the Christian Sabbath. departed this life.”
Yet some Christians argue that there is no such thing as a Sabbath
under the new covenant. Generally speaking, they understand the
Our ultimate
Sabbath rest is still
to come, and as we
fourth commandment as part of the ceremonial law that has passed
keep the Lord’s Day,
away with the coming of Christ. Such believers might say that having a we prepare ourselves
day of rest each week is good for our health and that Sunday is a fitting for that glorious day
day for corporate worship, but they also argue that there is nothing of rest.
special about Sunday and that any day of the week would suffice as
a day off and as a day for gathered worship. Many of these individu-
als might also argue that to insist on keeping a Sabbath is legalistic.
Certainly, we should beware the danger of legalism, lest we forget
that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath
(Mark 2:23–28). Still, there are at least two good reasons to believe
that the fourth commandment is still in force. First, the Sabbath was
given in creation, before the ceremonial law, suggesting its abiding
validity even under the new covenant (Gen. 1:1–2:3). Other creation
ordinances, including marriage and labor, have not passed away, so
why should we think the Sabbath has passed away? Second, Hebrews FOR FURTHER STUDY
4:9 says that a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. Christ has Numbers 15:32–36
2 Chron. 36:17–21
brought us rest, but He has not yet consummated this rest. We have Luke 6:6–11
not yet entered the new heaven and earth, and many troubles, toils, John 9
and snares plague us. In light of this, observing Sabbath rest on the
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Lord’s Day is a vital part of anticipating and preparing for the final Psalms 33–35
rest to come when Jesus returns to usher in the new creation. Acts 23:12–35
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 49
 THURSDAY

21 HONORING AUTHORITIES

EXODUS 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the
Lord your God is giving you.” Live Out Your
CORAM DEO
Living before the
F
our of the Ten Commandments, Christian theologians have
argued throughout history, focus primarily on our relation-
ship to God. These are the first four commandments, which
forbid idolatry, graven images, and taking the Lord’s name in vain, as
Studies—Together.
face of God
well as enjoining Sabbath-keeping. Commonly, Reformed Christians
At REFORMATION BIBLE COLLEGE, we believe faith flourishes when
Western culture is have referred to these four commandments as the first table of the law.
The other six commandments have to do with our relationships with Christians grow together in community. Our on-campus residence hall
experiencing a crisis
of authority, and other people. These have often been called the second table of the law, opens to qualifying students in fall 2022, creating a new way for you to
much of it is due to and the first commandment in this division is the fifth command- apply your theological studies on a day-to-day basis through mutual
a neglect of the fifth ment, which calls us to honor our fathers and our mothers (Ex. 20:12).
commandment. discipleship. Begin your application today and join us next semester.
Clearly, the first concern of the fifth commandment is the family.
Many parents do not
think it proper to
God established the family as the foundational institution of human
expect their children society, and His institution of the family goes back to creation itself,
to honor them, and when the Lord created marriage and tasked humans with being fruitful
many children and multiplying (Gen. 1:28; 2:18–25). Our Creator instituted for our
therefore do not good and His glory the one-man/one-woman marriage relationship
respect their as the normative environment for the production and raising of chil-
mothers and fathers.
dren (see also Matt. 19:3–9). The fact that some groupings of parents
Christian parents,
especially, should
and children do not include both a mother and a father because of
look for their tragedy or outright rejection of the creation order does not eliminate
children to obey the standard that the Lord has established or our need to encourage
their proper exercise and support the formation of families according to God’s paradigm.
of authority. The call to honor our parents includes such duties as love and obedi-
ence to their lawful authority. A blessing is attached to this command-
ment: it will go well for God’s people when they honor their parents
(Ex. 20:12). Matthew Henry comments, “Those that do their duty to
their parents are most likely to have the comfort of that which their
parents gather for them and leave to them; those that support their
parents shall find that God, the common Father, will support them.”
Moreover, theologians have noted that the fifth commandment
not only establishes authority and obedience in the home but also
FOR FURTHER STUDY grants it to two other foundational institutions for human society:
Deuteronomy 27:16 the civil magistrate and the church. It is easy to see the connection.
Proverbs 20:20
Romans 13:1–7
If people do not honor their parents, they will not respect other au-
Ephesians 6:1–4 thorities. Augustine of Hippo comments: “It’s your parents you see
when you first open your eyes, and it is their friendship that lays down
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Psalms 36–38 the first strands of this life. If anyone fails to honor his parents, is there R E F O R M AT I O N B I B L E C O L L E G E . O R G / H O U S I N G
Acts 24 anyone he will spare?”

50 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
 FRIDAY
22 THE CIVIL MAGISTRATE
ROMANS 13:1–7 “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority
except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (v. 1).
S A
in affects every part of us and every part of the rest of creation,
as texts such as Romans 3:9–20 indicate. The fall has tainted
CORAM DEO everything, even the foundational institutions of human so-
Living before the ciety that God has established, including the family, the church, and
face of God
the civil magistrate. Among other things, this means that authorities
Determining when will sin, at least on occasion, and may even abuse their subordinates
not to obey earthly or command them to do things that God forbids.
authorities can be Continuing our study of the fifth commandment, let us begin today
difficult, so we by noting that the call to honor earthly authorities that is given in
should be careful that law (Ex. 20:12) is not a call to unquestioning obedience. Human
about not making
authorities may not treat those whom they lead in any manner that
every bad decision
on the part of our
they see fit; there are limits to what these rulers may do. Scripture
leaders an excuse tells us that we are not ordered to follow authorities when they im-
not to submit. Yet penitently abuse their authority by hurting those in their care or by
we must not forget commanding us to break God’s law. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:1–4
that God has put that obedience is to be rendered unto authorities “in the Lord” and
limits on the civil that authorities are not to exasperate their subordinates. The call is for
magistrate, and as
godly obedience that recognizes God’s law as supreme over all and that
we are able we
should call leaders to
understands that we must obey God rather than men when human
act within those authorities forbid us from doing what God commands or command
limits. us to do what the Lord forbids (see Acts 4:1–22). Similarly, God’s con-
cern for those who are suffering under true oppression means that
those who are suffering real abuse are not commanded to put up
with it if they can find rescue (Ex. 22:21–24). John Calvin comments
on the limitations of human authority in all spheres: “If a father en-
joins anything unrighteous, obedience is freely to be denied him.”
Nevertheless, we must note that Scripture generally calls us to obey
authorities, including the civil magistrate, even when he is not a Chris-
tian. We see this in today’s passage, wherein Paul tells us to submit
to the governing authorities, since they have been put in place by
FOR FURTHER STUDY
God (Rom. 13:1–7). At the time, the Roman Empire was not Christian
1 Timothy 2:1–7
1 Peter 2:17 and certainly fell short in many ways in administering justice. Still,
the Apostle encourages us to do what we can to submit. Of course,
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Psalms 39–41
Paul was no fool, and he knew from history that governments can
Acts 25 become corrupt and can even try to force us to do what the Lord for-
bids (see Dan. 3). Obviously, he does not expect us to obey in such
THE WEEKEND
Psalms 42–47 situations. Still, such circumstances will likely be rare for most of us,
Acts 26 so let us submit to the authorities according to godliness.
52 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
WEEKEND DEVOTIONAL
JULY 2 3–2 4
SHEPHERDING WITH HOSPITALITY
BA R RY J. YOR K
ll Christians are to practice hospi-
tality (Heb. 13:2). But elders are to
be so engaged in this practice that
it characterizes them (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8).
In so many words, Paul told Timothy and
Titus that elders not only need to go and
seek God’s sheep; they also need to bring
them into the fold of the shepherd’s home.
At least three benefits come to the con-
gregation when its pastors and elders open
their homes to the flock. First, hospitality
supplies experiential love. An elder’s hav-
ing members of the congregation in his
home demonstrates a special care for them.
You learn about one another in ways that
simply are not possible at Sunday morn-
ing worship. Sharing a meal and laughter
around a table brings a needed warmth to
the gospel that is preached in the church.
Shepherds are testifying to their congre-
gants that the true Shepherd loves them
so much that He is preparing an eternal
home for them (Ps. 23:1, 5).
Second, hospitality provides Christian
modeling. In my years of pastoral experience,
I am grateful that I have served alongside
elders who are hospitable. Many of the peo-
ple brought into our congregation by the
gospel did not come from Christian homes.
By hosting them, the elders provided won-
derful models of the gospel in many ways.
Elder hospitality gave new Christians the
opportunity to see how a believing hus-
band and wife treat one another. Guests
witnessed how parents are to raise and dis-
cipline their children. They not only heard
about family worship but participated in
it. They witnessed what a home devoted
to Christ looks like. Being in the home of a
shepherd helped them learn more deeply
what following Christ requires.
Third, hospitality furnishes family. In
this broken world of ours, the poor, the
stranger, and the widow often live in iso-
lation. When elders provide hospitality to
folks such as these, they learn that they are
truly regarded as brothers and sisters in
God’s house. Indeed, Jesus told us to have
a special regard for people such as these:
“When you give a dinner or a banquet,
do not invite your friends or your brothers
or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest
they also invite you in return and you be
repaid. But when you give a feast, invite
the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
and you will be blessed.” (Luke 14:12–14)
How true Jesus’ words are. Showing hospi-
tality to a converted homeless man who once
lived under railroad trestles transformed our
congregation in mercy. Caring for the child
of a single mother in our homes while she
worked taught us patience and love. Having
an elderly widower over for meals led him
to find ways to serve rather than despair. For
each one, the church became their family.
On the great day of judgment, Jesus will
say to His faithful followers, “I was a strang-
er and you welcomed me” (Matt. 25:35).
Elders should live so as to anticipate that
blessed affirmation.
DR. BARRY J. YORK is president and professor of pastoral
theology at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
in Pittsburgh. He is author of Hitting the Marks.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 53
 SUBMITTING TO
MONDAY
25 CHURCH LEADERS
HEBREWS 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls,
as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that
would be of no advantage to you.”
W H
hen God commanded us to honor our fathers and moth-
ers (Ex. 20:12), He had more in mind than just honoring
CORAM DEO our earthly parents. The family, as the foundational
Living before the building block of human society, is the first place that we learn the
face of God
basic structures of corporate human life, and our submission to our
Some Christians mothers and fathers has ramifications for our obedience to other au-
have had bad thorities. As we have noted, the family is one of the three main insti-
experiences in the tutions that the Lord has established for the good of humanity, with
past with church the second being the government or civil magistrate, which has been
leaders that lead tasked with punishing criminals and maintaining civil order for the
them to view all
sake of the common good (Rom. 13:1–7). The last, but certainly not
ecclesiastical
authorities with
least, of the institutions our Creator established for the well-being of
suspicion. This humanity is the church, the household of the living God (1 Tim. 3:15).
should not be. While Today’s passage is one of the most important texts on the church’s
we should be wise, authority. The author of Hebrews exhorts us to obey and submit to the
we should also be leaders in our churches—namely, the deacons, elders, and pastors (Heb.
willing to give our 13:17). One necessary implication of this passage is that the church
pastors and elders
is not merely a voluntary society whose advice and direction we can
the benefit of the
doubt and to not
heed or not heed at a whim. True, God has not given the sword to the
judge them by the new covenant church, so no ecclesiastical authority can force us to
poor behavior of join it. In joining a church, however, we are pledging to submit to its
other officeholders. doctrine and discipline and placing ourselves under the authority
of others. We are committing to obeying our church leaders when
they give directions in accordance with God’s Word that are proper to
their sphere of divinely instituted authority. Moreover, we do this for
our own benefit, for the leaders of the church, especially pastors and
elders, have been tasked with preserving and advancing the good of
our souls. When we submit to godly church authorities, they are able
to do their jobs with joy, and this is a great advantage for us.
Like other human authorities, church leaders are imperfect. They
make mistakes, but the fact that they err does not invalidate their
FOR FURTHER STUDY authority. There is a difference between an honest, unintentional
Exodus 18 error and deliberate, impenitent abuse of authority on the part of
Ezekiel 34
Hebrews 13:7
church leaders. We should bear patiently with the former, giving
1 Peter 5:1–5 much grace, while also not putting up with the latter. It can take a
great deal of wisdom to navigate such matters, but one way that we
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Psalms 48–49 can help all our churches is by striving to be humble servants of Christ
Acts 27:1–32 who do not act contrary to the peace and purity of the church.
54 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
TUESDAY
PROTECTING INNOCENT LIFE
26
EXODUS 20:13 “You shall not murder.”
aving considered the fifth commandment, which is the first
rule in what has often been called the second table of the
law, we come today to the sixth commandment (Ex. 20:13). CORAM DEO
This law is one of the best known of the Ten Commandments, and Living before the
face of God
most people would probably name it if they were asked to list these
foundational laws. In keeping with the great influence of the King Everything in
James Version of the Bible on English-speaking peoples, many indi- creation belongs to
viduals know this commandment as “Thou shalt not kill.” God, even our own
The King James translation of this commandment, while justifi- lives and the lives of
able in light of English usage during the 1600s, runs the risk today other people. Thus,
the occasions on
of introducing a misunderstanding. “Thou shalt not kill” suggests a
which it is lawful to
blanket prohibition on the taking of human life under any circum- take a life are strictly
stance. Yet this is not what the commandment is actually advocating. regulated and
The Hebrew word translated “kill” in the King James Version is better limited. We have no
translated as “murder,” which is how the English Standard Version absolute right of
renders it, for the term refers to the unlawful taking of innocent life. control over our lives
It also has connotations of taking life through negligence. Thus, the or the lives of others,
and we must never
sixth commandment does not forbid all killing.
take a life when God
All murder is killing, but not all killing is murder. The Bible rec- has forbidden it.
ognizes that in some cases, the proper authorities have a duty to end
a human life. As we will see in the next few days, Scripture gives the
state the power and authority to execute certain lawbreakers (see Rom.
13:1–7) and grants to us the right to use lethal force in self-defense
if there is no other way to protect ourselves or our loved ones from
harm or loss (see Ex. 22:2–3). These are forms of lawful killing. But
killing innocent people, those who have committed no capital crime,
is strictly forbidden. This includes suicide and euthanasia.
Limitations on our right to take human life are rooted in the fact
that God is the self-existent source of life who alone has the absolute
authority to kill and to make alive (Deut. 32:39). He delegates that
authority to people in limited circumstances but never grants to hu-
man beings the right to take life whenever they want to or for reasons FOR FURTHER STUDY
of convenience. Consequently, legalized abortion on demand and the Genesis 4
Deuteronomy 5:17
encouragement of direct and active so-called mercy killings are a great John 8:44
affront to justice and can never be acceptable to Christians. If acci- 1 John 3:15
dental killings of unborn people or of those who are perceived to not
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
have life worth living deserve punishment (e.g., Ex. 21:22–25), how Psalms 50–52
much more their deliberate murder? Acts 27:33–28:10
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 55

ALWAYS READY
FAITHFUL LIVING IN
UNFAITHFUL TIMES
HOW WILL YOU RESPOND TO THE UNBIBLICAL IDEAS
ALL AROUND YOU?
In every generation, God calls His people to be faithful witnesses of Jesus
to the world around them. But to better represent the Lord and His truth,
we need to know the worldviews that are common in our culture and
know how to give a Christian response.
Mark your calendar for September 17, 2022, and join us on the campus of
Reformation Bible College in Sanford, Fla., for an apologetics conference
for Christians ages twelve to eighteen. This one-day event is designed to
help equip you to be a faithful witness for Christ in our unfaithful times.
Ligonier.org/AlwaysReady
WEDNESDAY
WHEN TO TAKE A LIFE
27
GENESIS 9:5–6 “For your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and
from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. ‘Whoever sheds the blood
of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.’ ”
M
any people have memorized the sixth commandment in
the King James translation, which says, “Thou shalt not
kill” (Ex. 20:13). As we saw in our last study, however, the CORAM DEO
sixth commandment is more narrowly focused than the King James Living before the
face of God
translation suggests. The sixth commandment does not outlaw all
killing; rather, it speaks against the taking of innocent life. Its con-
cern is with unlawful killing, hence the English Standard Version’s
God regards the
unlawful taking of
translation: “You shall not murder.” human life and the
Scripture actually gives us cases in which taking a human life is a attempt to unlawful-
just and appropriate action. Yes, God alone has the absolute right to ly take human life as
such egregious sins
take a life because He is the author of life itself (Deut. 32:39; Acts 3:15);
that we have a right
nevertheless, He has granted to men and women the right to kill in se- to use lethal force to
lect circumstances. Today’s passage, wherein we read of God’s institut- punish or prevent
ing capital punishment, is one place where the right to kill is granted. murder. This is not
After the great flood in Noah’s day, God entered into a covenant something that has
with all creation, and in this covenant He calls His image bearers to passed away under
shed the blood of human beings who have unlawfully killed others the new covenant.
The right use of
(Gen. 9:5–6). The reasoning for this is rooted in the fact that human
self-defense and
beings are made in the image of God. Murder is, in many respects, capital punishment
the greatest display of hostility toward our Creator that any person is part of the
can show. We cannot end the life of God, so the closest we can ever biblical ethic.
get to trying to kill Him is to murder one of His image bearers. To kill
a divine image bearer unlawfully is really to show a willingness to
kill God because of how He has imparted to us a special likeness to
Himself. Such a brazen assault on our Creator cannot be tolerated, so
those who commit what we would call first-degree murder must be
executed if their guilt can be legitimately proved (Deut. 17:6).
We are also granted the right to kill another person in cases of
self-defense, as passages such as Exodus 22:2–3 indicate. If a thief can
be killed when he invades another person’s home to steal material
goods, certainly someone can be killed if he is attempting to kill some-
one and thereby steal the victim’s life. Yet note that Exodus 22:2–3 FOR FURTHER STUDY
does not grant an absolute right to kill someone, for the killing is Numbers 35:9–34
2 Samuel 4
lawful only if it happens at night, presumably because during the day Matthew 5:21–26
it is easier to see and there might be other ways to stop the intruder Luke 22:35–38
without killing him that are harder to see at night. The idea is that
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
killing in self-defense is legitimate when there is no other way to stop Psalms 53–55
an enemy from doing harm. Acts 28:11–31
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 57
 THURSDAY

28 PROACTIVELY PROTECTING LIFE

ASK LIGONIER
DEUTERONOMY 22:8 “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that Do we have
you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it.” free will?

E
xodus 20:13 prohibits the unlawful taking of life, reminding
us that human beings have no absolute right to take the lives
CORAM DEO of other people. The civil magistrate, after a just trial with
Living before the witnesses, is to execute someone who has committed a capital crime
face of God
(Gen. 9:5–6; Deut. 17:6; Rom. 13:1–7). When our lives or the lives of
It is impossible to others are threatened and there is no other way to save the innocent
prevent every except by using lethal force against an attacker, then killing as an act
possible accident of self-defense is lawful (Ex. 22:2–3). This includes killing when one is
that can lead to a part of an army participating in a just war. In other circumstances,
harm. But if we use however, human beings are not allowed to take the lives of other people.
common sense to
The sixth commandment tells us what not to do with respect to Does prayer
develop reasonable
measures to protect
the taking of human life, and in so doing it also enjoins a positive change things?
duty—namely, to protect life. Various other commandments in the Is it true that God
life in dangerous
Scriptures show us this. Deuteronomy 22:8 is one of the best exam- controls everything?
situations, then we
have gone far in ples of a commandment given to proactively protect life that we find
fulfilling the Bible’s in Scripture. God told the people of Israel to build parapets or fences
call to proactively on the borders of their roofs to prevent their incurring bloodguilt.
protect life.
The ancient Israelites spent a lot of time on their roofs, using them
for entertaining and other gatherings. So there was a real danger that
people could fall to their deaths whether they were at their own house
or visiting someone else. The Lord, therefore, instructed them to fence
their roofs to keep people from falling off, thereby protecting life.
Matthew Henry comments that we should note two things in par-
ticular from this verse. First, “how precious men’s lives are to God,
who protects them, not only by his providence, but by his law.” Sec-
ond, “how precious, therefore, they ought to be to us, and what care
we should take to prevent hurt from coming to any person.” The Lord
considers human life so important that He provides not only laws to Have Biblical or Theological Questions? Just Ask Ligonier.
prevent the intentional taking of human life but also laws designed Get trustworthy answers to your questions about God, the Bible, and the Christian life through
to prevent the loss of a human life by accident. This should impress
Ask Ligonier, our online chat service. Well-trained team members across various time zones
on us our duty to seek proactively to protect life through reasonable
FOR FURTHER STUDY safety measures. We might not need to build a fence on our roofs, but are ready to answer your questions 24 hours a day, Monday through Saturday.
Deut. 19:1–13 we might need to make sure that young children cannot access a
Joshua 20
Luke 6:31
swimming pool. We might need to establish proper protocols for the
Across Ligonier.org, Ask Ligonier a You can ask Ligonier Subscribe to
Philippians 2:4 use of heavy equipment. We drive carefully to protect ourselves and use the chat bubble in question by sending on Twitter too. Just the Ask Ligonier
other drivers. There are any number of ways that we could apply the the lower right hand us a message from direct message us podcast and listen
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR corner to ask Ligonier live. our Facebook page. with your question. every Thursday.
Psalms 56–58 principle behind today’s passage, but the main point is that we should
Romans 1 seek to protect human life at every stage whenever we can.
F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N , V I S I T A S K . L I G O N I E R . O R G .
58 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
 MORTIFYING THE ROOT
FRIDAY
29 OF MURDER
MAT THEW 5:21–26 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and
whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says,
‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire” (vv. 21–22).
F M
irst Samuel 16 describes the anointing of David to replace
Saul as king of Israel, narrating for us one of the most impor­
CORAM DEO tant moments in redemptive history. In so doing, it gives us
Living before the a key principle for biblical ethics that applies to all of God’s people.
face of God
Verse 7 tells us that the Lord does not evaluate people by outward
God's law does not appearance; rather, He judges the heart. Our Creator is concerned
merely address with our hearts, with our motives and thoughts, not only with our
things at a surface outward behavior.
level but penetrates The Ten Commandments, therefore, address not only our actions
deep to our hearts but also the state of our hearts behind them. In fact, to do what any
and minds. It is to
of the commandments forbid starts with a violation of the law in
guide our affections,
thoughts, and
the heart. That is part of what we learn in today’s passage. Jesus
desires. If we are not makes it clear that we break the sixth commandment not only if
putting to death we commit actual murder but also when we are angry with anoth-
ungodliness in our er person without just cause (Matt. 5:21–26). Murder is the fruit of
hearts and minds, anger, for an unlawful killing is always motivated by anger, so if we
we will certainly not do not mortify our unjust anger, it could lead to murder.
put to death our
We should be clear here that Jesus is not saying that unjust an-
ungodly actions.
ger is as heinous as the actual murder of another person. God’s law,
after all, mandates the death penalty for murder and not for anger.
Yet the broader implications of the sixth commandment address
anger, and indeed, the sixth commandment was given not only
to prevent murder but also to show us that we have broken God’s
law when we are irrationally and unjustly angry with others. Thus,
even those of us who have never killed anyone have broken the
sixth commandment when we have not sought to purge sinful
anger from our hearts.
It is, of course, possible to be angry without sinning. After all,
Scripture tells us that God is angry with the wicked every day (Ps.
7:11), and He is perfectly righteous. Yet we must acknowledge how
FOR FURTHER STUDY
difficult it is for human beings to be angry in a righteous manner.
Ecclesiastes 7:9
James 1:19–20 So it is wise to deal with our anger immediately and to seek to put
it away before it festers and becomes an occasion for further sin. If
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Psalms 59–61
we seek to be slow to anger and to repent for our unjust and sinful
Romans 2 anger, then we will be well on our way to keeping the sixth com-
mandment. We can do this only in the power of the Holy Spirit as
THE WEEKEND
Psalms 62–66 we seek to put to death all that is ungodly within our hearts and
Romans 3 minds (Col. 3:1–14).
60 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
WEEKEND DEVOTIONAL
JULY 30 –3 1
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE CHILDREN
ROBERT ROTHWELL
atthew19:13–15featuresthewon-
derful account of Jesus’ welcom-
ing children and blessing them.
The disciples, thinking it beneath our Savior
to receive the little boys and girls, attempt
to turn the children away. Surely, they must
have been thinking, Jesus was too busy and
too important to waste His time with chil-
dren. They believed He had more significant
matters to deal with, people of greater influ-
ence and power to address. But Jesus did not
agree with their assessment. In yet another
instance of reframing the disciples’ notions
of propriety, Jesus said, “Let the little children
come to me and do not hinder them, for to
such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (v. 14).
We dare not miss the significance of Jesus’
words. If children had no capacity to under-
stand the things of God and the person and
teachings of Jesus, it would make sense to
keep them at arm’s length from the Savior
until they’re old enough to really grasp Him.
Jesus’ welcome of the children implies that
our young ones are able to understand and
believe the deep truths He proclaims. They
may have a simpler understanding of these
matters than adults, but that doesn’t make
their understanding less true. In reality, Jesus is
implicitly exhorting us not to underestimate
our children and what they are capable of.
Anyone who has spent any time talking
about the Bible, or God, or other spiritual
matters with kids soon learns that they are
actually profound little theologians. I am
amazed at the questions my four children
ask (they range in age from twelve to four)
as well as their insights into divine truth.
But it’s not just my own children. As I’ve had
opportunity over the years to teach Sunday
school or to sit in on communicants’ classes
(classes for children as they prepare to take
the Lord’s Supper), I see the children of oth-
er people ask the same kinds of remarkable
questions and display a similar breadth of
insight. To put it another way, young boys
and girls often show more theological un-
derstanding than we give them credit for.
Sadly, however, we all too often underes-
timate children. Many churches send the
children off to a childrens’ worship service
during the sermon. The intentions behind
this are good, for the practice is driven by a
concern to make instruction age-appropri-
ate. But it assumes that kids are incapable
of understanding ordinary sermons. It un-
derestimates the children and divides the
corporate gathering.
To be fair, sometimes this happens because
pastors do not take into account the pres-
ence of children in the congregation. That,
too, underestimates children, for it misses
their need of application of God’s Word to
their own lives and assumes that they are
incapable of taking what is said to adults
and adapting it to their own circumstances.
Certainly there is a place for instruction
tailored to younger children and classes spe-
cifically for them. Nevertheless, we must be
careful never to underestimate our children.
Jesus never did.
REV. ROBERT ROTHWELL is associate editor of Tabletalk
magazine, senior writer for Ligonier Ministries, resident
adjunct professor at Reformation Bible College, and a
teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He
is writing the Tabletalk daily studies in Exodus this year.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 61
Y O U R S U P P O R T at W O R K
DARIUSH
IRAN
”
I found two books by Dr. Sproul—The Holiness of
God and Everyone’s a Theologian—on Ligonier’s Farsi
website. Both are very good, things that we never heard
MICHAEL
EGYPT
” before. Everyone’s a Theologian is the best book on
systematic theology ever translated into Farsi. It is a

The discipleship resources that Ligonier offers are very easy read and understandable. I plan to share it

fundamental references in my ministry. Ligonier’s video with our house churches. I thank God for your ministry.

teaching series in Arabic are translated, dubbed, and

available as written scripts, which is wonderful. I hope you
will continue providing these resources; we are in desper-
ate need of your ministry.

YOUR GENEROSITY MAKES

I T P O S S I B L E to B R I N G

TRUSTWORTHY BIBLICAL

”
TOMÁS TEACHING TO PEOPLE
PA R A G U AY
A R O U N D the W O R L D . T H A N K
It has been an immense joy to hold the Reformation Y O U F O R H E L P I N G A D VA N C E
Study Bible, Spanish Edition in my hands. I have found
A GLOBAL AWAKENING
its study notes, theological articles, and historical creeds
T O the C H A R A C T E R O F G O D .
and confessions to be second to none in Spanish. The
Reformation Study Bible has become my bedside study
Bible. It is like sitting down for coffee with some of
the greatest pastors and theologians in the world and
rediscovering God’s truth.

Ligonier.org/international

H E A R T
When You See Your Own
Sin in Your Children
M A R G Y T R I P P
W
h e n m y c h i l d r e n were
young and struggling with
sinful behavior, I would quip,
“I hope they pick up some of my strengths
too!” Of course, it is natural to personalize
everything our children say and do. And it’s
true—our shaping influences profoundly
affect our children. It shouldn’t surprise
us that our children struggle in the same
ways that we do. Children imitate their
parents. In fact, we can promise ourselves
that we will never duplicate our parents’
struggles, only to find ourselves struggling
in the same ways. The apple never falls
far from the tree.
But the reality is that our children sin
because of their sinful nature, not because
we sin. Actually, our struggles with sin can
enable us to stand in solidarity with our
children and give us insight to help them.
So it is not hypocritical to correct our chil-
dren when we struggle as well. Rather than
lamenting that their sinful behavior often
mirrors our own, our time would be bet-
ter spent learning to bring them the same
gospel help and hope that we have known.
We must answer two questions to over-
come our uneasiness about correcting our
children for the same sins we struggle with.
First, “How can I correct my child when I fail
64 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
A F L A M E
in the same ways?” Think about how pro-
foundly your Christian perspective should
shape the way you respond to your child’s
sin and your parenting role. The secular
mind reasons: “What right do I have to
correct others? I’m no better.” The Chris-
tian mind, however, must reason with a
biblical view of sin and redemption. What
gives us the right to speak to others about
sin and the gospel remedy for sin? It is sim-
ple, yet so profound.
We have the right to speak because God
has spoken, and we are His ambassadors.
Proverbs 1:8–9 says, “Hear, my son, your
father’s instruction, and forsake not your
mother’s teaching.” God has called parents to
instruct and correct children. Consider these
foundational thoughts about correction.
The gospel is always the agenda in cor-
rection. Speaking to others about sin is
not an end in itself. Rather, correction is
God’s sovereign path to salvation. Galatians
3:24 (KJV) states, “The law was our school-
master to bring us unto Christ.” Sin—ours
and our children’s—is a reminder that we
need grace to atone for sin and to pursue
sanctification. The law demonstrates our
inability to obey in our own strength. Cor-
rection should always lead to the gospel.
Biblical correction focuses on the heart
as the source of sinful behavior (see James your sin has contributed to his struggle
4:1–3). God has identified our struggle with or discouraged his confidence in gospel
sin first in the attitudes and desires of our hope. Ask his forgiveness for your heart
hearts and then in our behavior. Behavior attitudes (fear, pride, self-love, etc.) and for
is a window into the desires of the heart. your resulting sinful behavior.
Changing only behavior short-circuits God’s Share Scripture insight to describe
purpose to invade the heart and bring true
repentance and lasting change.
the sin and its consequences and Scrip-
tures that promise hope to overcome.
God’s people are called to be light and
salt to others. God has provided for our
redemption through
What Scripture passages have helped you
identify the desires and struggles of your
heart? Use your person-
Christ’s perfect life, aton- al heart-searching jour-
ing death, resurrection, T HE GOSPE L I S ney to help your child
and high priestly office. ALWAYS T HE on her journey. What
We are His ambassadors. AGE N DA I N promises of God and
We are to bring the min- descriptions of Christ’s
CORRE CT I ON.
istry of reconciliation to enabling have filled you
others (see 2 Cor. 5:18– with hope and ener-
19). For parents, that calling is to raise our gized your faith? Give your child appro-
children in the fear and admonition of the priate insight into your own struggles that
Lord. It is to bring instruction, correction, can encourage her that there is hope and
and discipline that keeps their need and help for you both in Christ.
God’s provision front and center. Under- Help your child understand that Chris-
standing our mission to take the gospel to tian growth doesn’t mean that we never
the whole world, starting “in Jerusalem” again struggle with sin. Christian growth
(think: your home), animates our desire is learning how to access the gospel in our
to bring life-giving truth to our children. time of need. Help your child learn to flee to
Second, “How can my child and I find the cross of Christ in times of temptation.
help and hope for our struggles with sin?” Help him understand the power and per-
Imitate Christ’s response to your sin. Come sonal import of Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then
alongside your struggling child rather than with confidence draw near to the throne
standing over him. Imitate what Christ did of grace, that we may receive mercy and
in the incarnation. He entered our world. He find grace to help in time of need.”
looked at the world through our eyes so that How can we respond to our children when
He could identify with our struggle. Hebrews they commit the same sins that we are guilty
4:15 proclaims that our High Priest is able to of? Think of your calling as a privilege and
help us because He was tempted in every way, responsibility to bring the same life-changing
yet without sin. Here are some important instruction and correction to your child
considerations for correcting your children. that you have known from the Savior. Im-
Be transparent and quick to acknowl- itate Christ’s response to your sin with hum-
edge your own sin. Let your child know ble, gospel-embracing help and hope for
that you understand and are sympathetic your child.
to his struggle. Be quick to ask forgive-
ness when your sin has had implications MARGY TRIPP is a biblical counselor, conference speaker,
for your child. Perhaps your impatience and author of It’s Not Too Late: Restoring Broken
has led to harsh words or anger. Perhaps Relationships with Teenage and Adult Children.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 65

F O R T H E
Anticipating the
Coming of Christ
J O E L E . S M I T
S
now in many parts of the Amer-
ican South is a meteorological rar-
ity, so a forecast with the slightest
possibility of snow is big news. Such was
the scene in our part of the country at the
beginning of this year. The forecast predict-
ed snow and ice about a week in advance,
and the town was abuzz in anticipation
and preparation. From the neighborhood
social media page to workplace chatter to
the checkout aisle, the looming weather
was the topic of conversation. The news
caused mixed reactions. Some were giddy
with delight, dreaming of a winter won-
derland; others were tentative and wary
of possible closures and power outages;
still others hurried about, gathering pro-
visions. Yet everyone was well aware of
the coming wintry mix.
The snowstorm came and went with-
out incident. Yes, snow fell, but the
above-freezing temperatures meant that
it melted upon arrival on the ground—
much to the disappointment and tears of
little ones in my home.
This incident made me ponder another
coming. Not of wintry precipitation, but
one that will nonetheless take place on
the clouds in the second coming of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “Behold, he
66 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
C H U R C H
is coming with the clouds, and every eye
will see him” (Rev. 1:7). What will this day
be like? And who will be ready and antic-
ipating such an event?
We know that many, through willful rejec-
tion and heedless neglect, will not be antici-
pating or ready for such a coming, but how
about the church of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is
there a preparation and eager expectation?
Or have we grown dull and comfortable in
this world so that our thoughts and affec-
tions rarely turn heavenward in longing
and expectancy for the return of our Lord?
One of the great thematic arcs of Scripture
is the presence of God. It was the distinguish-
ing feature of the garden of Eden that was
lost through man’s sin and rebellion as the
full manifestation of God’s presence was
removed. Yet God through His gracious cov-
enant love placed symbols of His presence
before His Old Testament people, such as
the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of
fire by night in the wilderness, along with
the presence of the tabernacle and temple.
In the New Testament, the presence was
veiled in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus
Christ as “the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us” (John 1:14).
Remaining faithful to His promise, God
has not abandoned us as orphans or left us
or deprived us of His presence. Due to re-
maining sin and corruption in the world,
however, God has graciously veiled His
full presence. But the hope of all believ-
ers throughout the centuries is the com-
ing of the Lord in the fullness of His glory
and power. The continual exhortation of
Scripture, therefore, is not only of readiness
but kindling and fanning into flames one’s
anticipation and prayers for the return of
our Lord.
This expectation has
been neglected in the SUF FE RI N G T URN S
modern church. So how OUR HE ARTS
can we regain this per-
spective? Here are three TO T HE RE T URN
ways. First, by seeing OF OUR LORD.
this present world and
its troubles aright. With
the many problems that we have faced re-
cently, it’s hard to be overly enamored of
the world. But the modern church tends to
focus on temporal solutions to our individ-
ualistic or sociological problems. Such an
emphasis is not far removed from human-
istic thinking that man is the measure of
all things and that all solutions are within
reach. Perhaps the Lord has allowed such
frustrations (individually and socially) in
part so that our hearts and thoughts would
turn away from things below and look above
to “desire a better country, that is, a heavenly As one elderly woman I know, instead of
one” (Heb. 11:16).
Second, as painful and trying as they
may be, suffering and tribulations turn
our hearts and minds to the return of our
Lord. The early church had little difficulty
in keeping the return of the Lord before
them as they endured great persecution,
imprisonment, loss of possessions, and
even death. Yet as they fled persecution,
they continued “gospeling” the Word (see
Acts 8:4). As they did so, I doubt that the
“best life now” message was on their lips.
The Lord used (and still uses) suffering and
persecution in this world to develop His
people’s longing for the world to come.
Peter says as much when he states:
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery
trial when it comes upon you to test you,
as though something strange were hap-
pening to you. But rejoice insofar as you
share Christ’s sufferings, that you may
also rejoice and be glad when his glory
is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12–13)
Our present suffering,
increased hostility, and
even persecution are not
wasted if they are produc-
ing an abundance of joy
andrejoicinginthefuture
glory that is ours in the
revelation of His glory.
Third, increased love for our Lord would
have us long for His return. As we increase
in knowledge and revel in the blessing that
is ours, our love for our Lord and Savior ex-
pands. Likewise, His presence in the corpo-
rate worship of our local churches on the
Lord’s Day surely always satisfies but never
satiates our longing. There is a hunger and
thirst for more of Him that will be made
complete only when our faith becomes sight,
and with every passing day and year, that
reality, with increased yearning, escalates.
bemoaning her ever-increasing age, would
joyfully respond when greeted with birthday
wishes, “One year closer to seeing Jesus!”
C.H. Spurgeon once said: “We are not
called down to the grave, but up to the
skies. Our heaven-born spirits should long
for their native air.” Is this “native air” fill-
ing our thoughts and lives here below, as
we look for a greater and far more glorious
presence yet to come? “Amen. Come, Lord
Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).
REV. JOEL E. SMIT is senior pastor of Smyrna Presbyterian
Church in Smyrna, Ga.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 67

C I T Y O N
Suffering as a Christian
R O S A R I A B U T T E R F I E L D
W
hen we as believers in
the Lord Jesus Christ read the
Word of God with faith, we
are pulling down the very power of heaven
to bear on our earthly trials. Because the
Word of God is pure and true, we can trust
it with our lives: “By this faith, a Christian
believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed
in the Word, for the authority of God speak-
ing therein” (Westminster Confession of
Faith 14.2). The Word of God calls us to “act
differently . . . yielding obedience to the
commands, trembling at the threatenings,
and embracing the promises of God for this
life and that which is to come” (WCF 14.2).
First Peter 4:12–19 is written in the rhe-
torical style of paraenesis—it offers strong
encouragement to press on even when it
hurts and to not change course because of
intense suffering that we will experience.
This strong exhortation pushes believers
to grow into mature saints. In this passage,
Peter commands us to do things that we
cannot do without the Lord’s grace: to face
the fiery trial with expectation that we will
suffer (v. 12); to rejoice in the midst of suf-
fering (v. 13); to interpret the slander that
comes our way because of our strong stance
for the Christian faith as a blessing from
God Himself and a proof of the Spirit of
68 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
A H I L L
glory resting upon us (v. 14); to mortify all
sin and all potential sin, especially murder,
robbery, and meddling (v. 15); to glorify the
name of God in our words and our deeds
as we suffer for the faith (v. 16); to expect
God’s hard and rebuking judgment upon
the nation to start with the church (v. 17);
to realize that, as John Calvin puts it, we
can arrive in heaven only after escaping a
thousand deaths on earth (what Peter calls
being “scarcely saved”). And if all this isn’t
enough, God expects us to continue in do-
ing good works in the midst of this agony
(v. 19). Written to suffering Christians who
are covenant members of a faithful and vis-
ible church, belonging to the church and
to one another (vv. 1–11), 1 Peter 4:12–19
raises an important question: Why does
a God who loves us as a gracious Father
want us to suffer for the name of Christ?
While it seems like a paradox, God’s
good purpose for our Christian suffering
isn’t found in its lonely agony. God uses our
Christian suffering for the building up of
believers, for the purifying of the church,
and for the spreading of the gospel. Peter
warns us that suffering “tries” our faith—
but it doesn’t ruin our faith. Trials allow us
to partake in the “fellowship of [Christ’s]
sufferings” (Phil. 3:10, KJV). And trials re-
veal how union with Christ is central to our
faith. John Owen calls union with Christ the
logical priority of all other graces. Spiritual,
unbreakable, irreplaceable, and eternal, our
union with Christ means that Christ redeems
our future and heals our past through the
trials that are lovingly and providential-
ly handed to us by God Himself, and that
through thick and thin, He will never leave
us or forsake us.
Peter commands us to
“rejoice insofar as you
share Christ’s suffer-
ings” (1 Peter 4:13). We
do not rejoice as mas-
BE L I EV E RS
ochists or as Nietzsche’s SUFFE R WI T H
Übermensch (whose ex- EY E S GLUE D
traordinary giftedness
ON CHRI ST.
puts him above the law
and enables him to soar
over life’s difficulties).
Believers suffer with
eyes glued on Christ. As we bear our cross
of suffering for Christ, we marvel at what
Christ endured for us. We ask ourselves,
in the words of Thomas Case:
If the chips of the cross are this heavy, what
was the cross itself? If my bodily pains
are so bitter, what were the agonies the
Lord sustained in his soul? If the wrath of
man is so piercing, what must the wrath
of God be? By our sharing the remainders
of his cross, which he has bequeathed to
us as a legacy . . . we are able to guess at
what we cannot understand.
The believer’s lot is his chosen portion from
God (see Ps. 16:5). Christ is our Savior and
also our pattern, and our legacy and identity
as Christians will reflect the cross.
Reformation always begins in the church,
and for this reason, Peter tells us that judg-
ment begins at the household of God (1 Pe-
ter 4:17). Peter is saying not that only the
household of God will face God’s judgment
but rather that calamities on whole nations
generally begin with God’s own people (Isa.
10:12; Jer. 25:29; Ezek. 4:6). The privilege of
being a follower of Christ comes with respon-
sibility. Judgment begins with the household
of faith, but it ends when God pours out His
wrath on the wicked. Calvin reminds us that
we do not want to be like calves fattened for
the slaughter, enjoying the comfort of today
that secretly carries with it the judgment
of tomorrow. Because in-
tense suffering prompts
sin, repentance unto life
prepares our spirits to
bear trials.
Therefore, “those
who suffer according to
God’s will entrust their
souls to a faithful Cre-
ator while doing good”
(1 Peter 4:19). Peter paints
the contrast starkly: the
ungodly can trust only in riches, strength,
and princes. The Puritan David Clarkson
says, “Riches are uncertain, unsatisfying,
insufficient, limited, and deceitful.” In con-
trast: “God is unchangeable, satisfying, all
sufficient, and faithful. Strength is vain.
God is omnipotent. Princes are trembling,
broken reeds. God is the rock of ages.” God
and God alone will faithfully keep us and
protect us through all our trials. Matthew
Henry reminds us, “It is not the suffering,
but the cause that makes the martyr.”
Peter’s checklist style asks us to look
closely at our own lives: Are we covenant
members of a faithful church? Are we
pressing on in the midst of suffering, en-
during slander or worse for the cause of
Christ? This strong medicine for our weak
and wandering faith will prepare us faith-
fully for the days ahead.
DR. ROSARIA BUTTERFIELD is an author, speaker,
pastor’s wife, and homeschool mom. She is author of several
books, including The Gospel Comes with a House Key.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 69
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L A S T
The Main Themes
of Scripture
J O N T Y R H O D E S
H
ow do you get from London to
Edinburgh? Even if you’ve nev-
er visited either city, you’ll likely
know that there’s more than one answer to
the question. Plug the destinations into a
maps program and you’ll be offered a host
of routes, and even those will be just the
major ones. In reality, there are thousands
of connections between the two capitals,
an almost endless number of ways you can
travel between them. Of course, some are
more obvious than others, the large motor-
ways cutting a clearer trail than the wind-
ing country roads. But the point remains:
there are many ways to make the journey.
When it comes to Scripture, what links
Genesis to Revelation? We know that the
Bible is one book, giving a coherent, uni-
fied message. It is, ultimately, the product
of one Author, revealing one way of sal-
vation to mankind. But is there only one
theme that binds the Bible together? The
answer, surely, is no. Just as on any other
journey, there are multiple paths we might
follow as we trace God’s great redemption
story. To change the image, Scripture is a
book woven together by many threads,
a rope of many intertwining cords. To
search for “the one theme” of the Bible is
a pointless exercise; rather, we can enjoy
72 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
T H I N G S
discovering dozens, perhaps hundreds, of
different melodies that combine to create
the final symphony.
Let’s consider some of the major roads.
It’s sometimes noted that the Bible nowhere
uses that common evangelical phrase “re-
lationship with God.” This is not, of course,
because there is no relationship with God.
Rather, the Bible’s word for that bond be-
tween Jesus and His people is covenant. Un-
surprisingly, therefore, covenant is a major
road through the pages of Scripture. Begin-
ning in the garden of Eden, God entered
into a covenant with Adam. Although the
explicit word covenant doesn’t appear in the
text of Genesis 2, all the elements that make
up a covenant are there: the two parties
(God and Adam), the terms of the relation-
ship (wholehearted obedience, expressed
in the command not to eat of the Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil), penalties
if the covenant is breached (death), and
rewards if it is kept (eternal life, symbol-
ized by the Tree of Life; Gen. 3:22). Indeed,
Hosea later refers to this arrangement as
a covenant (Hos. 6:7).
Once Adam breaks this covenant of works,
as it has most commonly been known, God
doesn’t abandon the idea of covenant. In-
stead, He continues to bind Himself to His
people through covenant, this time not of
works but of grace. Abraham receives in-
credible promises and enters into one such
covenantal union with God (Gen. 15; 17).
But Abraham is not called to perfect obedi-
ence as the terms of this covenant. Rather,
he “believed the Lord, and he counted it
to him as righteousness” (15:6). In time,
Abraham’s family grew and ended up in
slavery in Egypt. But “God remembered his
SCRIPTURE IS BOUND TOGETHER
BY M Y R I A D I N T E RT W I N I N G T H E M E S .
PULLING ON EVEN MINOR THREADS
CAN PROVE FRUITFUL.
covenant with Abraham” and came to the
rescue (Ex. 2:24). As a result of this rescue,
He refreshed and expanded His covenant
with Israel, this time at Mount Sinai. The
same promises that were made to Abraham
were reissued (land, descendants, protection),
together with the covenant promise “I will
be your God, and you will be my people.”
Fast-forward several hundred years, and
David and his descendants are added to the
covenant story: from now on, he and his
offspring will rule God’s people.
And so, eventually, we come to the new
covenant. Jesus inaugurated this with His
death, resurrection, and ascension and the
pouring out of His Spirit at Pentecost (Mark
14:24). But the shape remains as it has al-
ways been: God’s people trust His gospel
promises, and He blesses them out of sheer
grace. The promise of a land is expanded to
include the whole new heavens and earth.
The largely ethnically Jewish people of the
Old Testament grows to include those from
all nations. But fundamentally, the work of
Jesus in the new covenant is, as Zechariah
sings, because God has come “to show the
mercy promised to our fathers and to re-
member his holy covenant, the oath that he
swore to our father Abraham” (Luke 1:72–73).
We might also consider the theme of
God’s presence with His people. In the gar-
den in Eden, God met with Adam and Eve,
walking in the cool of the day. The fall led
to man’s expulsion from God’s blessed pres-
ence, with the garden guarded by cherubim
wielding a fiery sword. God promised to
be with Abraham, and there were occa-
sional theophanies, appearances of God,
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 73
 L A S T T H I N G S
throughout Genesis and Exodus—think
of Abraham’s mysterious visitors (Gen. 18)
or the burning bush (Ex. 3). But it is with
the building of the tabernacle, the portable
dwelling place of God, that we get the next
great step forward. At the close of Exodus,
fire falls on the Most Holy Place, the per-
fectly cubic center of the tabernacle, the
throne room of God. Yahweh is back with
His people, though distanced through the
various protective zones of the tent. This
tabernacle is in fact reminiscent of Eden:
the entrance is to the east, as was the gar-
den’s entrance. Cherubim are sewn into
the curtain guarding the entrance. Can-
dlesticks are shaped like trees.
This garden-temple theme continues
with the building of the permanent temple
under King Solomon. Now the Israelites
have a homeland and capital city, David’s
son builds a “permanent” home for his
God, and again fire falls as Yahweh “moves
in” (2 Chron. 7). God is present with His
people in this way, right through to the
dramatic visions of Ezekiel, in which the
prophet sees the glory of the Lord depart.
Coupled with the destruction of the tem-
ple, it would seem that God had left His
people. Hence the incredible opening of
John’s gospel, where we read, “The Word
became flesh and tabernacled among us”
(John 1:14, author’s translation). God has
returned to dwell on earth; indeed, Jesus
Himself is the true temple (2:21). As His
body is broken and then raised, He ascends
to pour out His Spirit on the church and
thus can promise them that He will be
“with [them] always, to the end of the
age” (Matt. 28:20). Between Christ’s first
and second comings, God is present with
His people in a way that means that both
the individual believer and the church
can be described as temples of the Holy
Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19). Finally, on the
74 TABLETALK  J U LY 2022
lies in His hands alone as He pours His life binds the Bible together, there is one main
out for His people. Marriage, too, runs from character on whom it all centers. While
day of Jesus’ return, the dwelling place Genesis to Revelation, painting the story of there are villains, victims, servants, and
of God will be with man again, as heaven redemption. Marriage was created to depict sidekicks aplenty, there is only one hero.
and earth are reunited. Indeed, the new Jesus’ love for and union with His bride, Wherever we find ourselves in Scripture,
Jerusalem is described as a perfect cube to the church, but that picture is distorted the spotlight is always shining on the triune
symbolize that the whole new earth has
become a Most Holy Place, as God lives
with His people.
Covenant and God’s presence are just two
“major roads” through the Bible. We could
have traced the theme of God’s people—
from Adam and Eve in Eden, through the A LT H OUG H T H E R E I S N OT O N E S I N G L E
godly line of Seth, the family of Abraham,
the Israelites at Sinai, down to the mul-
tinational church of our age. We might
T H E M E T H AT B I N D S T H E B I B L E
consider the kingdom of God. Adam was
given dominion over all creation but lost
his throne as he submitted to Satan’s word.
TOGETHER, THERE IS ONE MAIN
Israel as a nation was a “kingdom of priests”
but failed to exercise its duties well. David,
who together with his descendants had the
privilege of being called “sons of God,” was
CHARACTER ON WHOM IT ALL CENTERS.
at best a mixed blessing to God’s people,
and the kingdom of Israel was divided, con-
quered, and in large part destroyed under
WHILE THERE ARE VILLAINS, VICTIMS,
his successors. But with the resurrection
of Jesus, we finally meet a King who has
been given all authority and can therefore S E R VA N T S , A N D S I D E K I C K S A P L E N T Y,
rule over a kingdom that knows no end. For
now, that kingdom is found in the church
(Matt. 16:18–19), though one day it will T H E R E I S O N LY O N E H E RO .
encompass a whole new creation.
So Scripture is bound together by myr-
iad intertwining themes. Pulling on even
minor threads can prove fruitful. Think
of the thorns that we meet for the first
time as part of the curse but that we find
ultimately woven into a crown adorning in adulterous Israel before it climaxes in God and the rescuing work of the Lord Jesus
the Messiah’s brow as He bears that curse Christ’s sacrificial death and will be con- Christ. All the melodies of God’s one great
for His people. Similarly, the fall leads to summated at the great wedding supper of symphony combine to sing His praise.
sweat: work has become unpleasant and the Lamb (Rev. 19:6–7).
tiring, forcing life to ooze out of us. What These last examples are clearly less cen- REV. JONTY RHODES is minister of Christ Church Central
a relief, therefore, to see that Jesus sweats tral than those of covenant, kingdom, or Leeds in Leeds, England. He is author of several books,
blood for us in the garden of Gethsemane, God’s presence. But they help show that including Covenants Made Simple: Understanding
a reminder that the work of our salvation although there is not one single theme that God’s Unfolding Promises to His People.
TABLETALKMAGAZINE.COM 75
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Next Month: Misunderstood Biblical Words and Phrases
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