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Jesus Sanctifies His Brothers: Observations from Hebrews 2

November 20, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

Sometimes profound, biblical truths take hours to unearth. They are the result of long wrestling and deep exertion.

At other times, deep doctrine lies right on the surface. We can walk by and snatch it from the ground, like a ripe pear on a bed of orchard grass.

Observation is the foundation of any good Bible study method. We often think of interpretation as the Bible study phase which produces life-changing, paradigm-altering conclusions. But on occasion, we can spot gems in the first stage.

I’ve recently been studying the book of Hebrews with my small group. I was shocked how many statements of life-giving goodness jumped off the page as I was observing Hebrews 2 this week. In an effort to encourage our readers in their Bible study efforts, below I present 35 observations from Hebrews 2:10–18. I don’t claim these are the only observations one could make from these verses (they’re not!), nor even that these are the most important. But, since interpretation is built on observation, holding a passage under the microscope is a necessary first step to understanding.

Observing Hebrews 2

Here are some of the wonders I spotted in Hebrews 2:10–18.

God the Father is the one “for whom and by whom all things exist.” (Heb 2:10)
God the Father brings “many sons to glory.” (Heb 2:10)
Those God brings to glory are called “sons.” (Heb 2:10)
Jesus is the “founder” of the sons’ salvation. (Heb 2:10)
God the Father made Jesus perfect. (Heb 2:10)
God made Jesus perfect through suffering. (Heb 2:10)
This perfecting of Jesus was “fitting.” (Heb 2:10)
Jesus is the one who sanctifies the sons. (Heb 2:11)
The sons are sanctified. (Heb 2:11)
Jesus and the sons have one source. (Heb 2:11)
This common source is why Jesus is not ashamed to call the sons “brothers.” (Heb 2:11)
Jesus calls the sons “brothers.” (Heb 2:11)
Jesus shared in “flesh and blood.” (Heb 2:14)
Jesus shared in “flesh and blood” because the children do. (Heb 2:14)
The devil “has the power of death.” (Heb 2:14)
Jesus destroyed the one with the power of death. (Heb 2:14)
Jesus destroyed the one with the power of death through death. (Heb 2:14)
Through death Jesus delivered many. (Heb 2:15)
Those Jesus delivered were subject to slavery. (Heb 2:15)
This slavery was lifelong. (Heb 2:15)
This slavery happened through fear of death. (Heb 2:15)
Jesus does not help angels. (Heb 2:16)
Jesus helps the offspring of Abraham. (Heb 2:16)
Those Jesus delivered are again referred to as his “brothers.” (Heb 2:17)
Jesus was made like his brothers in every respect. (Heb 2:17)
Jesus became a high priest in the service of God. (Heb 2:17)
Jesus became a high priest who is merciful. (Heb 2:17)
Jesus became a high priest who is faithful. (Heb 2:17)
Being made like his brothers was necessary for becoming a high priest. (Heb 2:17)
Jesus’s work as a high priest involved making “propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Heb 2:17)
Jesus suffered when tempted. (Heb 2:18)
Jesus suffered. (Heb 2:18)
Jesus was tempted. (Heb 2:18)
Jesus is able to help those who are being tempted. (Heb 2:18)
Because he suffered when tempted, Jesus is able to help those who are being tempted. (Heb 2:18)

More Work To Do

Now, after observing the text there’s more work to do. We must ask and answer questions and work to determine the author’s main point.

But careful observation gets us going in the right direction.

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ESV Chronological Bible: A Fresh Way to Read

November 17, 2023 By Peter Krol

To study the Bible well, we must learn to read the Bible well. To read the Bible well, we need to develop good habits. And one such habit is to find ways to keep the text fresh. Beware the danger of growing so familiar with the Bible that you can no longer observe it accurately.

One way to foster a fresh approach to the text is to read the entire Bible in a different order. And one of the most useful ways to order the Biblical is by chronology. Crossway has done just that for us with their recent release of the ESV Chronological Bible.

Why a New Bible Instead of Just a Reading Plan?

Chronological reading plans have been circulating for many years now. For years, I’ve been recommending one for our annual Bible reading challenge.

The thing with a plan, though, is that you’ve got to constantly flip around in your Bible. That might go quicker if you read a digital Bible, but it still adds a significant amount of time to hop from passage to passage.

Now that I’ve gotten the ESV Chronological Bible in my grubby hands, I can sigh with delight at the ease of simply reading from one page to the next, with the chronological reading order served up like a 365-course meal.

How is the Plan?

This is not the first “chronological Bible” to appear under the sun. I’ve seen others (in other English translations) but have generally declined to purchase them for one major reason: They’re typically enslaved to chapter divisions. When I flip through a chronological Bible that refuses to break texts down any smaller than complete chapters, I quickly lose interest.

Where’s the fun in that? A single chapter of, say, a gospel could have 5 to 8 scenes in it, each of which is paralleled in different ways in other gospels. It’s difficult to get the truly chronological feel of the larger story when the parallel accounts are not actually parallel. For example, Matthew 8 portrays Jesus:

healing a leper
healing a paralytic
healing Peter’s mother-in-law
turning down would-be disciples
calming a storm
casting demons from men into a herd of pigs

In Mark’s ordering of these events, those events occur in the following chapters:

chapter 1
chapter 2
chapter 1 (even before the leper)
not present
chapter 4
chapter 5

So if you’re only reading full chapters at a time, it is not possible to sync up these events in a useful way.

In contrast, the ESV Chronological Bible is no respecter of chapter divisions. At times, you get chunks as small as two verses. And at other times, you’re reading entire books with no interruption. For example, after beginning with Genesis 1-5, you get the first 4 verses of 1 Chronicles. But a little farther into the plan, you get the entire books of Job, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy without interruptions.

In short, I’m thrilled with the plan followed by the ESV Chronological Bible. It is not identical to the plan I’ve recommended on this site, but it follows a very similar philosophy.

With this chronological plan, you’ll read the prophets right after reading the historical events that led to their writing. Books like Jeremiah, that jump back and forth in time, are rearranged so you can grasp the order of events better. The gospels primarily follow the sequence of events as presented in Mark and John, with Matthew and Luke rearranged to fit. However, when an episode has parallel accounts, they’re always presented in canonical order (Matthew’s version first, then Mark’s, then Luke’s, then John’s). The latter half of Acts is interrupted by the epistles, according to the time they were written.

Two Things This Bible is Not Good For

There are a few things that people normally use a Bible for, that you should not expect to find here:

Extensive Bible study. This will not be your go-to Bible for digging in, deepening study, or marking up. Because the reading order is so jumbled up, this Bible is simply not designed for you to take to church or small group to follow along or participate in a discussion. The chronological format makes it quite difficult to even locate any given text. You have to go to the Scripture Index in the back, find the text you’d want to read, and then find the page it’s on.
Grasping the flow or arguments of books. Again, the text is all jumbled up. So you will not come away from this Bible with a better grasp of the main point or argument of Jeremiah or Luke. Likewise, you will get a great idea of the differences in gospel accounts of the feeding of the 5,000. But you’ll need another Bible to put those differences to use with respect to the larger arguments of each gospel.

Two Things This Bible is Exceptional For

Reference. If you are studying a passage in another Bible, you might call upon the Chronological Bible to figure out which other Bible passages speak to or at the same time as your text. For example, let’s say you’re studying a psalm. The Chronlogical Bible places that psalm near the historical narrative describing the same set of events. You could get good historical context for the prophets and epistles in a similar manner.
Reading. The main thing the Chronological Bible is designed for is for reading. That is the genius of this format. It gives you permission to read the Bible voraciously, and to simply keep reading. For that reason, I believe this Bible would be even better if it were presented like a reader’s Bible, without verse or chapter numbers (except perhaps in the margin). The single-column format, without section headings, encourages readers to drown themselves in the living and abiding word of God.

Additional Features

The entire Bible is organized (chronologically, of course) into 365 selections, each of which can be read in about 10 minutes. Before each selection there is a simple timeline to help you get your bearings in the chronology. There is also a brief paragraph summarizing the texts for that reading.

At the back of the Bible, there is a table of weights and measures, along with a chart explaining the Hebrew calendar. One index lists all 365 readings with text references, so you can get an overview of the plan and how it works. A Scripture Index helps you to locate a particular Bible passage by page number.

Then, in addition to 15 maps (the sort you’ll find in any study Bible) there is a beautiful fold-out timeline of the entire history found in the Bible. This timeline is color-coded by period, providing lists, names, and dates for the patriarchs, judges, Israelite oppressors, kings of Israel, and kings of Judah. With this gorgeous graphic, you can locate your text or any major figure in the chronology at but a glance.

Conclusion

I eagerly commend to you the ESV Chronological Bible. I plan to make much use of it for my annual speed read in the new year. Crossway graciously sent me a review copy of the TruTone (imitation leather) version, which lays quite flat on any page, making the reading experience all the more pleasant. I expect the hardback version to have just as strong of a physical presence.

Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliate links. If you click them and buy stuff, you will provide a small commission to this blog at no extra cost to yourself.

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Why Memorize a Whole Book

November 15, 2023 By Peter Krol

Beth Myers memorized the entire book of Romans and lived to tell us about it. She found the following benefits of such lengthy memorization:

Discovery of passages hidden in plain sight
Understanding of the Scripture
Weapon against anxiety
Love of Scripture
Duty becomes delight
Renewal of the mind
Keen sense of the love of Christ for me
A soaring of my spirit

Perhaps this is worth trying for yourself. Let Myers encourage you to consider it. Check it out!

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How the Reformation Gave us the Bible

November 8, 2023 By Peter Krol

Barry Waugh takes advantage of the anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 theses to reflect on how the Reformation put the Bible into the hands of God’s people.

Owning Scripture was not only pricey but possession could lead to imprisonment or execution. Fourteenth-century forerunners of the Reformation such as John Wycliffe of England and one of his followers in Bohemia, Jan Hus, were persecuted for providing Bibles in the common language of their people. In the case of Hus, translation work contributed to the heresy case against him resulting in his execution at the stake. In the next century, William Tyndale was hunted down wherever he set up his printing press as he moved from place to place to clandestinely provide Scripture in English. He was eventually caught, strangled, and burned at the stake for publishing the Word in the vernacular. Lives were sacrificed for the translation and distribution of Scripture. If Wycliffe, Hus, and Tyndale could return to visit their homelands today they would likely be encouraged by the availability of the Word, especially with digital Bibles accessible on a variety of devices, but they would also be discouraged by the common indifference to and ignorance of Scripture.

Along with the history lesson comes some helpful advice regarding Bible reading.

Check it out!

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Don’t Forget the Gospel During Bible Study

November 6, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

This is not a post about connecting the interpretation of a Bible passage to Jesus. I won’t dwell on considering the work of Christ when applying the truth of Scripture. By God’s grace, you should do both of these things. Today I want to stress the importance of the gospel as it relates to the Bible study process.

Success and Failure

At Knowable Word, we’re big fans of the Observation-Interpretation-Application (OIA) Bible study method. It is our goal to help ordinary people learn to study the Bible. We advocate for steps that help you find the author’s main point, connect it to Jesus, and apply that truth to all the musty crawlspaces of your life. Our suggestions are not perfect, but we believe these are sound principles that help us to know God better through his son Jesus.

But what if you forget? How do you react if you jump too quickly to interpretation and don’t spend enough time in careful observation? What happens when you get excited about a pet application and miss the main point? What should you do when you mishandle God’s word?

On the other hand, suppose you follow all of our suggestions to the letter. How do you feel about your personal Bible study then? How does God think about it? Or maybe the Bible study group you are leading had a wonderful meeting—do you carry yourself as though you got a heavenly promotion?

We Always Need the Gospel

The good news of Jesus Christ is not just information that brings us into a relationship with God; we need to know and act on this news in every moment of our Christian lives. Neither is the gospel merely the dessert cart wheeled out at the conclusion of the Bible study meal. We need the gospel from soup to nuts and back into the kitchen.

We tend to hear this exhortation about remembering the gospel and think immediately of our moral behaviors—our successes or failures in the realms of pride, anger, lust, jealousy, and the like. But we need reminders about God’s love, Jesus’s work, and our new identities throughout our lives, and we need to connect these truths to our every endeavor, including studying the Bible.

So as you study the Bible yourself or with a group of other people, here are some ways to remember the gospel.

Our successes do not take us closer to God — If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God’s love for you is full. You cannot do anything, including following sound Bible study principles, to make God prize you any more. All the proper method, careful listening, and prayerful application in the world will not draw God any closer to you. In your place, Jesus has offered to God all of the obedience you will ever need to be accepted. Interpreting the Bible accurately and applying it thoroughly will lead you into further obedience and greater joy, but God cannot be on your side more than he already is.
Our failures do not cast us away from God — In the same way that God does not love you any more for your successes, he loves you no less for your failures. Whether your errors in Bible study are small or large, you cannot drive God away from you, not even a little. If you have spotted a mistake, you should repent and make efforts to set things right. But God is not distant from you in the meantime; indeed it is his grace that leads you to repentance (Rom 2:4).

I need this exhortation most as a small group leader. Hours after a study ends I will think of several ways I failed my group. I didn’t connect our interpretation to Jesus; I didn’t make time for specific applications; I talked too much and didn’t ask enough questions. It’s easy for me to be overcome with regret.

But I need to remember the gospel at these moments. Instead of dwelling on my shortcomings, I try to focus on Jesus. God doesn’t look at me as subpar and inadequate because of my performance; he sees Jesus’s perfect record instead of mine and is completely satisfied. God’s grace is lavish and powerful—strong enough to lift my chin and help me trust him even when my flesh tugs me toward despair.
We are free to offer the grace we’ve been given — Have you ever caught someone yawning or nodding off during your Bible study meeting? Are you frustrated to see your friend fighting the same battles against sin he fought a year ago? Does one member of your small group seem clueless despite your efforts to teach the Bible? Because God has loved you deeply, you are free to pass along love in the same manner. In his love God is patient, long-suffering, and full of forgiveness. Despite your flesh’s desire to complain or lash out in anger or frustration, remembering the gospel will help you to be patient with others in their sanctification even as God is patient with you.

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Announcing our 2024 Bible Reading Challenge

November 3, 2023 By Peter Krol

We believe one of the best ways to learn to study the Bible is to read it. A lot of it. Over and over again. That won’t give you everything you need to understand it, but it will get you quite a long way toward the goal. As in marching through Kadesh all the way to the peaks of Pisgah. All you have to do is look down toward the valley, trust that God meant what he said, and finish the job from there. Don’t listen to those fools who speak of giants and grasshoppers. Just look at the size of those grapes. And the size of the God who gives them.

If you’re not sure what I mean by all this Kadesh/Pisgah stuff, then maybe this is your year to read the entire Bible in 90 days. Milk and honey are yours for the taking. Not the under-the-tongue sort (Song 4:11) but the flowing-land sort (Deut 26:9). Though, of course, there is a theological connection between the two.

But I digress and perhaps ought to get to the point.

The Challenge

I’m writing to announce our 9th annual Bible reading challenge. The challenge is to read the entire Bible within 90 days. If you wish, you may begin today. Regardless of when you begin, your 90-day period must end no later than March 31, 2024.

And why—you ask—would you embark on such a strange venture? (“Has the day finally come,” they inquire, “when the Lord has struck with madness the riders of this horse we call the blogosphere?” Zech 12:4) I can think of at least three reasons.

Your grasp of the Bible’s big picture will surge like a COVID case count in winter.
Your reward in heaven will be great.
We’ve got a sweet set of prizes to urge you on in the present age.

All who complete the challenge are invited to fill out the form below (which we’ll share repeatedly as the twilight of March draws nigh). One grand prize winner will be selected at random to win an ESV Wide Margin Reference Bible in Top Grain Leather, generously provided by the good people at Crossway Bibles. Yes, you read that right: This Bible has top grain leather. This is one of those gorgeous “premium” Bibles that might not normally fit the budget.

One additional winner will be selected to receive a one-volume reader’s Bible of their choice. Physical prizes are limited to the continental United States. Winners in other parts of the world will receive a $50 Amazon gift card via email.

If you’d like a checklist to help you stay on pace, here are three. You may make a copy and update the dates, if you plan to start on a date other than January 1.

Or here is an iOS app that can help you track your plan. You may also want to consider making a reading plan in the Dwell listening app if you prefer audio.

You may now begin any time, and may this be the ride of your life.

Official Rules

Here are the rules:

You must read (not scan or skim) all 66 books of the Protestant Bible. You may choose the translation and reading plan (canonical, chronological, etc.). You don’t have to stop and meditate on every detail, but the Lord sees and knows when you are being honest about reading and not skimming. Listening to an unabridged audio Bible is acceptable. You may also use any combination of audio and visual reading, as long as you’ve read or listened to the entire Bible within the allotted time period.
You must read the entire Bible within a 90-day period.
The last day of that 90-day period must be between November 4, 2023 and March 31, 2024. If you’d like to understand why we recommend such fast-paced reading, see our Bible reading plan for readers.
To enter the drawing, you must fill out the survey below, letting us know the dates you read and what you thought of the speed-reading process. Your thoughts do not have to be glowing, but they should be honest; you’ll still be entered into the drawing if you didn’t enjoy your speed-read.
Any submissions to the form below that don’t meet the requirements or appear to be fabricated will be deleted. For example: multiple entries with different data, date of completion not between November 2, 2023 and March 31, 2024, “What I thought about the experience” has nothing to do with Bible reading, or date of completion is later than the date of entry submission (please don’t try to enter the drawing if you plan to read the Bible; only enter once you have completed reading it).
In the first week of April 2024, we will randomly select 2 winners from those who have submitted the form. We will email the winners to get their shipping addresses. If a winner does not respond to our request for a shipping address within 1 week, a new winner will be selected in their place.
The first prize winner (if continental US) will receive a copy of the ESV Wide Margin Reference Bible in Top Grain Leather. The second prize winner (if anywhere in the US) will get their choice of a one-volume reader’s Bible (While these are not your only options, we have reviewed the following: ESV, CSB, NIV.). Any winner who does not qualify for a physical prize will receive a US $50 Amazon gift card via email.
Unfortunately, though they are terrific people doing marvelous work for the sake of Christ, staff members of DiscipleMakers are not eligible to win the drawing.

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How God Directs His People in the Book of Numbers

November 1, 2023 By Peter Krol

A few weeks ago, I finished reading the book of Number 20 times in a row. From that reading, my draft of the main point is “Yahweh sees his people through the wilderness, though not in a manner any of them hoped or expected.”

Douglas Allison recently posted an overview of Numbers, where he proposes a similar main point: “I have taught that the big idea of Numbers is that Yahweh is his people’s guide to the promised land.”

Allison defends his main point through an outline of the book and an explanation of benefits for reading the book.

As we read today, we can be confident that the same God who led the Israelites through the wilderness in Numbers is the same God who will see us home. Yahweh was Israel’s guide to the Promised Land. And he has not left us without a guide.

Check it out!

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Your Conscience Requires an Eternal Inheritance

October 27, 2023 By Peter Krol

Previously, I proposed that Jesus is the best thing for your conscience because he provides an eternal redemption and he promises an eternal inheritance. This is what Hebrews 9 is all about. Last week I explained our eternal redemption in Heb 9:1-14. Now it’s time to see the eternal inheritance in Heb 9:15-28.

close up photography of concrete tombstones — Photo by Mike Bird on Pexels.com

The Promised Eternal Inheritance

Hebrews 9:15-28 states its main idea right at the beginning, in Heb 9:15: That which awaits the beneficiaries of Jesus’ new covenant is a “promised eternal inheritance.”

‌Now the way an “inheritance” worked back then was very similar to how it works now. An inheritance is the thing you receive when your parents or grandparents pass away. A person spends their life building up an estate.‌ And when they die, they pass that estate on to their heirs in portions.

‌That’s what this text is saying that Jesus does.

‌The text has been talking about a “covenant” (Heb 9:, 15), but in Heb 9:16, he’s suddenly talking about a “will.” At least, it feels sudden to us, but it’s not sudden at all.

‌You should know that the original Greek word for “will” (Heb 9:16-17) is exactly the same as the original Greek word for “covenant” (Heb 9:15, 20, etc.). This one Greek word could be used in a variety of ways, and we need two English words to capture the sense of it.

‌But a “covenant” and a “will” are closely related concepts, and the author plays off those concepts here in this text.

“He is the mediator of a new covenant…” (Heb 9:15)
“For where a covenant is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.” (Heb 9:16)

‌What he’s saying here is simply that an inheritance cannot pass on until the person owning it passes away. And that’s exactly what happened with Jesus Christ.

‌So those who trust in Christ and join his new covenant receive a promised eternal inheritance (Heb 9:15). But they can’t actually get it unless the one who promised it dies (Heb 9:16-17). Heb 9:18-22 references Exodus 24, where the first covenant was activated in those copycat, earthly places by constant death. But the new covenant was activated in the real place—heaven—by just one death (Heb 9:23-26).

‌Sometimes people think of the Old Covenant as being real and physical, and the new covenant as being spiritual and invisible. But this text looks at the differences differently:

The old covenant was only figurative. The one making the covenant didn’t actually die. He had to kill an animal as a substitute to activate the covenant. And since it was only figuratively forgiving sins, the sacrificial deaths had to occur over and over again.
But the new covenant is the thing that is real, not symbolic. Therefore only one death had to occur, since it fully and finally activated the will, so the heirs could receive the inheritance.

‌So what is the point of all this?

‌You can know your redemption is real and eternal, because the Lord Jesus died, activating his covenant, and passing on his full estate as your inheritance.

‌Application

‌Stop trying to cleanse your conscience through good deeds or religious activity! You can’t silence the inner voice of accusation by attending services or performing rituals. And you’ll never do enough good deeds to balance out the sin you have committed.

‌Instead, look to the inheritance that belongs to you because the Lord Jesus died.

‌And that begs a crucial question: What is that inheritance? What is it that we get after Jesus died that we couldn’t have gotten before he died?

‌The Old Testament people of God had the land of Canaan as their inheritance. They lost that inheritance when they rejected God as their God. But what is our inheritance under the new covenant?

‌Well, that’s what the author ends with: the general principle that all people die and face judgment (Heb 9:27), applied specifically to Jesus (Heb 9:28). Jesus himself died, and will one day face judgment. Though in his case, the judgment he faces will not be brought against him. It is his own judgment to put the world to rights and save his people from injustice.

‌And who will those people be? How can you tell who will be saved by him on the last day when he returns?

‌He “will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Heb 9:28).

‌Right here, the author informs us of what we inherit. The thing we get, now that Jesus has died, is Jesus himself. We are those who are waiting for him. Eagerly.

‌And if you’re tempted to think that’s lame and anticlimactic, because that’s not the sort of inheritance you were hoping for, and you wonder where all the fortune and glory is—

‌Then you need to go back to chapter 1 of Hebrews and remind yourself of who Jesus is.

‌It is no small thing to say that Jesus is yours. That he is your inheritance. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. Jesus is the one who upholds the universe by his word of power. He created the world, and he is the heir of all things.

‌And when he is your inheritance, everything that is his becomes yours. And you belong to his God and Father.

‌So as a final application: Let’s test your conscience right now.

‌If you found out that Jesus was returning this afternoon, how would you take that development? Would you embrace the news eagerly, as the solution you’ve been waiting for? Or would there be a nagging voice in your head that springs to life, reminding you of the grave danger you are in, rehearsing all the things you’ve left unresolved?

‌Would you feel as though Jesus’ return would cut you off from experiencing something “better” that you haven’t experienced yet?

‌I encourage you to wait for the Lord Jesus to return, and to wait eagerly. As you look ahead to his return, you ought not be wracked with guilt, anxiety, or distress. You can serve him now with a clear conscience, because you wait eagerly for him to become fully yours then, when he returns. He’s already dealt with your sin and that of the world. Now you’re just waiting for him to clean up all the undesirable effects of it.

‌Your eternal inheritance is the Lord Jesus himself, your great high priest. He provides you with the assurance that your redemption is eternal. And because of his eternal redemption and eternal inheritance, your conscience is clean.

‌Not just for a little while, but now and forever.

‌Jesus is the best thing for your conscience.

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Watch Out for Silly Putty Bible Study

October 25, 2023 By Peter Krol

Consider the following scenario. What do you think could be the problem with it?

…a Christian woman who has been praying for her family’s conversion stumbles upon Acts 16 during her quiet time. Her eyes settle on Paul’s response to the Philippian jailer, who asked, “What must I do to be saved?” “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved,” Paul answered, then added, “you and your household” (vv. 29–31).

Encouraged by these words, the woman begins to claim the “promise” that her own household will be saved, with the justification that “the Holy Spirit gave me this verse.”

This situation comes from a wonderful article from Greg Koukl about how easy it is to treat the Bible like Silly Putty®—a squishy, doughy substance you make into any shape you want. Koukl’s analysis and counsel is very good.

Check it out!

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No Substitute for God

October 23, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

In the kitchen, some food substitutions work better than others. Swap oil for applesauce? Sure! Use almond or soy milk for your lactose-sensitive friends? Unnoticeable. Cut some butter in favor of plain yogurt? Absolutely.

But other replacements don’t cut the mustard. Gluten-free bread doesn’t behave like bread. Fat-free cheese won’t melt. Tofu? No thanks.

Tim Sackton (2012), Creative Commons License

But the altar is unlike the oven. Though we know nothing measures up to God, our hearts are prone to wander. How does God react to his children’s idolatry? Isaiah 31:1–9 gives us a glimpse.

The Alliance With Egypt

In a previous post we saw Judah seek protection from Assyria through a sinful alliance with Egypt. Isaiah tells us that Judah turned to “horses,” “chariots,” and “horsemen” instead of looking to God (Is 31:1). Why did Judah trust Egypt? What are the consequences of that misplaced trust?

Isaiah writes that Judah “trust[s] in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong” (Is 31:1). Were the chariots and horsemen of Egypt really stronger and more able than God? Judah’s betrayal was that they did “not look to the Holy One of Israel, or consult the Lord.”

God’s reaction to this treason springs from his character: he is “wise” and he “does not call back his words” (Is 31:2). He will turn against Egypt, the “helpers” who “work iniquity.” We read the obvious contrasts: “the Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit” (Is 31:3). Isaiah highlights these disparities both to emphasize the inability of Egypt to resist “when the Lord stretches out his hand” and to finish the rebuke begun in Is 31:1.

Notice that Egypt and Judah share a fate: “they will all perish together” (Is 31:3). As we saw when studying Isaiah 30, God often punishes sin by bringing about its natural consequences. Judah sinned by aligning with Egypt, so they will share Egypt’s demise. The alliance they pursued for life has resulted in death.

Like a Lion, Like Birds

We read of two similies for God’s posture toward his people in Is 31:4–5. In Is 31:4, Isaiah compares God to a lion who “growls over his prey.” The “band of shepherds” (Egypt) tries to rescue the prey (Judah) from the lion, but the lion “is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise.”

Does it bother you that God compares Judah to a lion’s prey? God is jealous for his people—he will discipline them as he pleases, with no unwanted interference.

This same “Lord of hosts” (repeated in Is 31:4 and Is 31:5) who will wage war on Mount Zion (Is 31:4 NASB) will also protect Jerusalem like hovering birds. God will “protect and deliver” and “spare and rescue” his people, a fourfold blessing of protection.

A natural question is, from whom/what is God delivering Judah? On the one hand, God is rescuing his people from their earthly enemies. But put these two figures together—if Judah is like a lion’s prey, then God is also sparing Judah from himself.

Can you see your Savior here? In Jesus, God rescues us from his own just wrath. The Father spares us by devouring his son like lion’s prey. We are protected because Jesus was not.

Turn to God!

In Is 31:6 NASB, Isaiah exhorts Judah to return to God from whom they have “deeply defected.” What an accusation! Defected means Judah has not merely forgotten God or somehow grown apathetic, but they have turned against him! A defector doesn’t quit military service, he wages war against his former allies. “Defector” is the charge leveled against idolators. If we worship anything other than God (and we do), we are traitors.

Isaiah tries to persuade Judah to return to God in Is 31:7 by writing that “everyone shall cast away his idols.” Is this a convincing argument?

There is no doubt about the sinfulness of idols: we see “idols” twice along with “sinful” and “sin” in Is 31:7 NASB. But the glory of the Lord will be so great “in that day” that “everyone” will discard their idols. If that is true about this glorious, future day, why not start now? You’ve defected from him—waste no time in turning back!

God Fights for His Own

Along with a return to God and the smashing of idols, in that day “the Assyrian shall fall” (Is 31:8). We saw God’s willingness to fight for his people in Is 30:32 and we see it again here with the repetition of “a sword, not of man.” God’s sword will slay the Assyrian.

In addition to death, God will bring slavery, panic, and terror to the Assyrians (Is 31:8–9). God is not to be opposed. If you wage war against his people, you may feel his “fire” or be subject to his “furnace” (Is 31:9).

Return to God through his Son

Isaiah’s message is clear. Do not trust in replacements for God. Return to God—he will discipline, protect, and deliver his people. But we take no Christian meaning from the chapter unless we consider Jesus.

Jesus died for our idolatry. The Lord “stretch[ed] out his hand” against Jesus in terrible judgment. Though he had opportunity (Matt 4:1–11), Jesus never (not once!) trusted anyone except his Father.

Jesus makes it safe for deep defectors to return to God. Because Jesus (the faithful, loyal one) was treated as a traitor, we are welcomed as sons and daughters of God. For those who are in Christ, we are no longer enemies of God, and God will take vengeance on our behalf (Rom 12:19).

Application

Consider these questions as you apply the truths of this chapter.

How can we identify our replacements for God? How can we help each other identify these replacements?
What are the barriers we might face to helping each other in this way?
How should we call each other to return to God? How can we be the sort of people that can be called back to God by our friends?

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