The Dangers of and Cure for Dullness of Hearing (An Exposition of Hebrews 5:11-14)

Image: Yaron Jeroen van Oostrom / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Kasisilip pa lamang ng araw noong Disyembre 30, 1896, nakagapos si Jose Rizal kasama ang mga guardiya sibil. Sila ay naglalakad papuntang Bagumbayan kung saan siya ay babarilin bilang katuparan ng parusang kamatayan na ipinataw sa kanya. Nang kanyang matanaw ang Ateneo, kanyang sinabi: "Iyon ba ang Ateneo? Doon lumipas ang mga pinakamaliligayang araw ng buhay ko."

I love school! In my dreams, I was still in the classrooms long after graduation.

 If there is anything that the school and church shares in common, I would say that both institutions value the imparting and acquiring of knowledge through teaching and learning. From the earliest days, education has been regarded as an essential for a healthy relationship with God.

1. Deut. 6:1- One of Moses' roles was to teach the young nation about the commands, decrees and laws of the Lord.

2. Deut. 6:2, 6-9- Parents must learn what God says not only for themselves, not only for their sons, but for the sake of the future generations. You won't find Kobe Bryant's poster on their walls (wala rin dun ang F4 o si Hannah Montana). What you'll see are excerpts from the law.

3. Ezra 7:10- he gave priority to the study, application and teaching God's word.

4. the synagogues- New Unger's Bible Dictionary: “As only a small proportion of the people could become proficient in the study of the law under the scribes, and as it was desirable that all should have at least an elementary acquaintance therewith, the custom grew up in postexilic times of reading the Scriptures in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. It must be understood that the main object of these Sabbath day assemblages in the synagogues was not public worship in its stricter sense but religious instruction, which to an Israelite was, above all, instruction in the law.”

5. Acts 2:42- the essential activities of a young church include "the apostles' teaching"

IMPARTATION OF KNOWLEDGE:
The solution to the problem of the Hebrews

In our text, there is a problem going on. The persecution is severe among the Hebrew Christians, it is almost intolerable. Because of the hardships, turning back on Christ and returning to Judaism looks enticing. They are about to abandon the precious faith. The writer of this epistle sought to strengthen their faith. His prescription: Education.

He educates them that the Jesus they are about to leave is superior over the angels (chapter 1). He informs them that the Jesus they are about to abandon is the Creator himself (also in chapter 1). He is greater than than Moses, Judaism's greatest prophet (chapter 3). The imparting of knowledge is the remedy to the threat of backsliding.

In chap.5, the writer was about to launch a massive discussion of the superiority of Christ over the priests in Judaism's temple. He was about to expound about the superiority of Melchizedek’s order of priesthood over the Levitical order... but he has to pause. THERE is something WRONG.

He cannot go on because the next topic is HARD TO TEACH.

WHAT MAKES THE LESSON HARD TO LEARN?

Mula sa mga karanasan ko sa high school at kolehiyo, may listahan ako dito ng kung bakit nagiging mahirap ang pagkatuto:

1. The lesson is inherently difficult  (for Einstein and his peers only)

2. The student’s limited ability (poor I.Q.)—
I must confess something. My mathematical  skills are up to linear equations only. Higher than that level, it's hard for me. Pagdating sa Calculus, wala na akong maintindihan. Pigain mo man ang utak ko, wala ka nang magagawa kasi hanggang doon na lang talaga ang kakayahan ko.

3. The teacher lacks skill— Hindi ko hangad na siraan ang mga guro. Apat sa limang kapatid kong mga babae ay mga public school teachers. Hindi ko magagawang siraan sila. Pero meron naman talagang mga guro na hindi gaano kahusay magturo.

4. Lack of resources and tools- Sa ilang asignatura nang ako ay nasa haiskul, wala kaming ibang ginawa sa araw-araw kundi kopyahin ang nakasulat sa pisara. Paano naman kasi, naglalaan naman ng budget ang pamahalaan pero hindi nakakarating ang mga aklat sa mga estudyante. Ang mga aklat ay mabibili sa bookstore at burado na ang markang "Government Property; Not for Sale." Ang tindi talaga ng korapsyon. Mas natuto sana kami kung meron kaming mga aklat. Sa pag-aaral rin ng salita ng Diyos, mahirap maghanda ng sermon na wala ang mga tools and resources tulad ng Study Bible, Bible dictionaries, lexicons, commentaries and bible backgrounds.

Pero ang problema sa Hebrews 5:11 ay:
hindi naman yung number 1: The lesson is inherently difficult
Hindi rin problema ang number 2: The student’s limited ability (poor I.Q.)
Hindi rin problma ang number 3: The teacher lacks skill 
Hindi rin number 4 ang problema: Lack of resources and tools

The problem is this condition called DULLNESS OF HEARING

DULLNESS of HEARING

Ni hindi nakatuntong sa haiskul ang aking tatay. Pero nagmula sa kanya ang isa sa mga pinakamahalagang payong natanggap ko tungkol sa pag-aaral. Nang ako'y papasok na ng grade 1, ang bilin ni tatay, makinig akong mabuti kung may sinasabi ang aking guro.

I have not always been consistent in applying it but as I look back, I did perform well when I was applying my father's advice. That's how important listening is.

The word Greek word translated as "dullness" ("slow" in NIV) is nothros. As we seek to understand what it means allow me to go to some extra biblical sources:

1. The word was used to denote the lazy condition of a slave that causes him delay response to the call of his master.

Tawagin mo minsan, "Inday!". Hindi sasagot. Tawagin mo ulit. "Inday!", hindi pa rin sasagot. Para bang wala siyang naririnig. Sa ikatlong pagkakataon ay tatawagin mo siya at ngayon ay pasigaw na "Indaaayyyy!!!".. Sasagot na sa wakas, "opo".

2. In sports, nothros denotes the condition of an athlete who is out of shape; lazy and sluggish. Like a sprinter who comes with a body of a sumo wrestler as he competes in 100 meter dash.

3. In an inscription from Eumeneia, he calls his brother " nothros" (negligent) for failing to fulfill his responsibility in building a tomb for their sisters. Because of this, the younger brother (Eumneia) was forced to use his resources for such a task. (See George Guthrie in NIVAC)

We can also better understand the word when we look into what its antonym meant. Hebrews 6:12:

"so that you may not be SLUGGISH, but imitators of those who through FAITH and PATIENCE inherit the promises" (ESV)

It turns out that the opposite is dullness is the faith and patience of those who have persevered to the end in exercising their faith (the writer will tell more about them when he comes to 11th chapter's Hall of Faith).

So from biblical and extra biblical data, we see that "dullness of hearing" convey: sluggishness, laziness, and negligence. Dullness of hearing is not an auditory defect. It is really an attitude problem. It is lack of interest in receiving instruction.. They don’t value sound teaching.

LEARNING FROM THE TENSE OF THE VERB

1. they were not always this way. There was a time when they were not dull in hearing the Word. In fact, they did some things in the past that are worthy of the highest commendation (Hebrews 10:34).Their faith was once vibrant

2. The shift from commitment to dullness did not happen overnight—they underwent a process that has put them in this condition

When the word of God that you used to treasure is slowly losing its sweetness--  beware. It may be an indication that your ears are in the process of becoming dull. When the Apostle Paul and his epistles begin  to bore you, and James Cameron's Avatar begins to excite you, do not take it lightly. It may prove fatal to your faith.

THE DANGERS OF DULL HEARING

1. It leaves you unequipped for ministry. "by this time, you ought to be teachers"

They stayed in the church long enough that it was expected upon them that they should articulate the faith that they have (1 Peter 3:15), but because of dull hearing they were unable. This condition not only cripples you from the ministry of teaching but all other ministries as well because you have to have attentive ears in order to be equipped in all forms of spiritual service (Ephesians 4:11)

2. It robs you of the things you already know—“ you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again.”

Luke 8:18—Consider how you listen..even what he has will be taken away from him.

All the time you spent in the past when your faith was robust will all be wasted. You have to be taught about it all over again. There is a consensus among the scholars I consulted that "elementary truths" here are equivalent to the ABC's of the faith. You can sink that low even if you are healthy now if dullness of hearing develops in you. You think you know John 3:16; you think you know Psalm 23 and other verses you memorized as a young Christian. But even these things you think you know will all go to the garbage can when dullness of hearing takes place.

3. It leads to perpetual infancy
It makes you unready for deeper spiritual lessons. You can't tolerate adult food; you'll go for baby food and even that needs review.

Sakaling mapasyal ka sa kambingan, wala kang gana sa Kaldereta, Ginising, Kinigtot, Kilawin Sinampalokan at iba pang putahe. Tatanungin mo ang serbidora: "May Cerelac ba kayo?" The mature shall feast on the finest meats yet all you want is what's inside your Babyflo bottle.

4. It makes you unskilled in application-. The “word of righteousness” in verse 13 has been variously interpreted. One of the most common view is that it refers to the imputed righteousness of Christ. Though that sounds very orthodox, I can't see it in the immediate context. I guess Simon Kistemaker is right. We "ought to look at the phrase in question not from a theological perspective but from a contextual point of view" (Exposition of Hebrews, NTC).

I adapt Homer Kent's view: The "word of righteousness" means “God’s revelation about righteousness which is expected of every Christian” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, a commentary)

5. It may lead to Apostasy
This point is justified by the next chapter. Hebrews 6:4-6 is hotly debated. Does it teach that salvation could be lost? I firmly believe that the elect persevere to the end. Yet I do not take the warning passages lightly. I believe the threats are very real. The Canons of Dordt teaches Perseverance of the Saints yet it also teaches that God's word is a means of perseverance. Shun God's word and deny yourself of God's preserving agent.

The Cure:

1. Let them be aware of their condition.
The writer of Hebrews did. Mahirap kausap yung mga immature na ang akala nila mature sila. Buti pa yung immature na alam niyang immature siya kasi makikinig pa iyon. Pero ang immature na hindi niya alam na immature siya, hindi na makikinig yun. May opinyon siya sa lahat ng bagay, kadalasan nga lang ay mali kasi nga immature. They must know their true state.

2. Urge them to progress and give them meat… as the Lord permits…
Hindi ko inaasahan na magiging ganito ang solusyon. Nang unang basa ko kasi, parang ang labas: "Dahil gatas lang ang kaya ninyo, hindi ko kayo bibigyan ng karne". Mali pala. What he did was the exact opposite. He did not stick with their favorite topics; he urged them to move to maturity (6:1-2). He went on anyway to give the meat in chapters 7,8,9 and 10 by discussing the priesthood of Melchizedek and Jesus because it is what they need in order to appreciate the Messiah that Judaism rejects.

But he does so with the recognition that they can only move in this direction as God permits (Heb.6:3).

Homer Kent comments: “It is an acknowledgment that only God can change the course of a man’s life when it is going in the opposite direction”

Leon Morris says the same thing: “This verse expresses not only a resolute determination to go ahead on these lines but also a recognition that it is only with the help of God that this can be done. We should take the words not simply as a pious nod in the direction of God but as coming out of the author's realization that without divine aid the plan he was suggesting was impossible.” (EBC)

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

Kahit merong lunas para sa dullness of hearing, bakit kailangan pa nating hintayin na dumating pa sa puntong iyon. Ito ay tulad ng kanser, nakamamatay kaya mas maigi na ito ay iwasan kaysa gamutin.

At 5:14, there are people who managed to prevent the cancer of dull hearing and moved to maturity by constant practice of what they learn from the word. It is noteworthy that the Greek word translated as "trained" here sounds like our word for "gym". I'm not a fitness buff, but I know enough for a fact that you won't benefit from the gym by going there once a year. You have to exercise regularly so there will be devlopment in your muscles.

Same is true for mature people. They have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil by constantly practicing God-given insights.

Psalm 119:34 says “Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.”…

The desire to learn and the desire to obey must go together. We have no business asking God for illumination without the desire to practice what we learn.

As I was in the final stages of preparing this lesson, I came across an article by Wayne Grudem on the clarity of Scripture. He said something that reminds m that even scholars can be devoid of spiritual insight if they don’t trained their senses in application of God’s word.

“Christians who begin to practice willful, repeated sin (and ven- or especially pastors and scholars) will likely soon begin to lose sound judgment in interpretation and will become less and less able to understand Scriptures rightly". (Themelios 34.3)

kahit dalubhasa ka pa Griyego at Hebreo; kahit kasinlaki ng Astrodome ang library mo, kung hindi ka nagsasanay sa kabanalan--- bale wala rin. You will soon lose sound judgment in bible interpretation.

Why am I passionate about this? It just hurts me to see people who grew up in church who show no signs of spirituality now. By this time, they ought to be veterans in spiritual warfare but it seems that they are not enlisted in God's army. They cannot live without their i-pod; can't live without their phone; can't live without Facebook. But they CAN live without God. May God have mercy upon us and keep us away from this condition called Dullness of Hearing.

How to love your son without walking in the path of Marlene Aguilar -Pollard

In one of her recent interviews, she was crying heavily as she was saying this:

"I'm still traumatized. I have not slept. I have not eaten. My heart breaks beyond words. My son is fighting for his life, and if he dies I accept that with all humility. But I want everyone to know that no matter what my son did I love him with all my heart and soul."

She was also crying heavily infront of a TV camera two months ago as she pleads her fugitive son to surrender himself to the authorities and face the charges of murder.

Then in December, she reports to the authorities that his son is overseas.

Yet last Monday, a team of NBI agents finally arrested Jason Ivler after an exchange of bullets in the basement of her mother's house. In another interview, she insists that she was unaware of the fugitive's presence inside because "the house is too big". Some lies stink so much that you don't have to be a trial court judge to sort out falsehood from truth.

It is by no means exhaustive but I have a few items here I want to share on how to love to your son without walking in the path of Marlene Aguilar-Pollard.

1. You have to teach your son the concept of retribution. Teach him that justice demands that the offender must pay for the evil he has done.He cannot steal his younger brother's marbles and get away with it. He cannot destroy his sister's doll without getting spanked. "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him" (Proverbs 13:24). Tell him that a person who disobeys traffic rules must be fined. Make it clear that Antonio Margarito deserves the suspension sanctioned on him for using illegal hand wraps. Murder somebody else's son and be ready for Reclusión perpetua.

2. Teach your son to respect civil authorities.. They may not stand behind pulpits but in a sense, they are ministers-- ministers of God in executing his wrath against evil. As the Apostle Paul says in Romans 13:4, "... He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer ." So respect them. Teach your son to submit themselves to the authorities if a warrant of arrest is issued against him. When they come to arrest you, do not engage an exchange of bullets.Teach your son that if he rebels against civil authorities, he is rebelling against what God has instituted (Romans 13:2).

3. Teach your son that the guilty cannot evade justice for all eternity. You can hide in the basement, in thick forests or even in Antartica until you turn 70. But God will not let the guilty go unpunished. Evil doers will be punished with everlasting destruction in what is commonly known as hell (2 Thess.1:8-9). Mothers who are liars and sons who are murderers shall surely go there unless they repent and embrace the gospel.
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Do you think that the people of Haiti are worse sinners than the rest of us?

Pat Robertson's controversial statement regarding the Haiti earthquake is a hot item across the blogosphere (click here). Without necessarily interpreting what Robertson has intended to say, I myself have some thoughts on this issue.

Though Scripture is clear that though God's final outpouring of judgment and wrath is reserved for the very last days, he do sometimes intervene in history to execute his judgment and to make his wrath known. He may judge certain localities (Sodom & Gomorrah; Tyre, Nineveh). He may also judge certain individuals (Herod in Acts 12:22-23).

Yet those who are spared from divine wrath have this tendency to be self-righteous and judgmental. In the early 1990's, when severe calamities struck Luzon (1990 Killer quake; 1991 Pinatubo eruption), a heard a statement which goes like this: "Mas makasalan ang mga taga-Luzon kaysa sa mga taga-Mindanao." While Saddam Hussein was being executed, he was mocked heavily by a crowd.

These attitudes were addressed by the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 13:1-5:

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." (NIV)

Jesus' point is that they are not better than the victims of massacres and calamities. They too are deserving of judgment unless they repent.

He further told them a parable: Luke 13: 6-9 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, `For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' " `Sir,' the man replied, `leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "

The tree was unfruitful after three years of cultivation so it deserves to be cut off. Yet it was given another year of intensified care.

Based on these teachings by the Lord, let me point out some things we should think about.
1. Let us be grateful for the patience of God. The whole world deserves judgment and wrath, yet he withholds what we deserve most of the time. Instead, he provides us with good things.

There was only one killer quake in Northern Luzon for the last 19 years though we are sinners and deserving of daily killer quakes.

2. Let us fear God and repent. The patience of God as displayed in delayed judgments does not mean that the day of reckoning shall not come. Do not listen to scoffers who say "Where is this `coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:4). Remember the parable: he may give you an extra year of intensified care, but if you remain fruitless you shall be cut down.

3. Be grateful for the gift of repentance. Repentance is the only way to escape from his wrath. Yet the source of this repentance is God himself (2 Tim.2:25; Acts 11:18)

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Ten Percent of Registered Voters for Ang Ladlad?

In their campaign to convince people that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle both socially and morally, you will often hear the statistical claim that 10% of the population are homosexuals. This is cited confidently and authoritatively as if it is an unquestionable fact.

The latest person to make this assertion is Danton Remoto of the group Ang Ladlad. Should the Supreme Court affirm the legitimacy of Ang Ladlad as a party list group, Remoto expects that 10% of the 49 million registered voters will cast their votes in Ang Ladlad's favor. I am not an election expert, but as I recall, that would be enough to secure three seats in the House of Representatives.

Yet is it true that 10% of the population are homosexuals?

The source of the statistic frequently used is a study made more than 60 years ago led by a man named Alfred Kinsey. From the earliest days, the flaws in the study were evident as it doesn't represent the general population.

• Approximately 25% of the 5,300 individuals studied were prison inmates-- therefore they cannot have physical contact with the opposite sex.
• Kinsey himself admits that several hundred male prostitutes were used in this study.
• Volunteers were used in the study. Sexuality is a very sensitive issue that those who have the guts to voluntarily submit their selves to a study like this cannot represent the general population (consider also the more conservative culture of the 1940's)

The flaws in the study are so glaring that Paul Gebhard,  Kinsey's successor as director of the Kinsey Institute for Sex Research attempted to clean up the mess in 1979 of the defects mentioned above and he came up with the conclusion that "none of Kinsey's original estimates were significantly affected" by these flaws. But Kinsey Institute's credibility is already in question and other studies say otherwise (click here). Another factor that affects their credibility are the serious allegations of child molestation during the course of the study.(Click here)

Aside from these flaws, the study is not being quoted accurately by those who use it:

"Kinsey did not say that 10 percent of the entire U.S. population was homosexual. Rather, he affirmed that ten percent of white American males were "more or less" exclusively homosexual for at least three years of their lives between the ages of 16 and 65. The statistic for females was five percent. The actual percentage of those thought to be exclusively homosexual for their entire lives was only four percent of men and two or three percent of women, all based on his allegedly representative sample of the population." (Joseph Gudel, Homosexuality: Fact and Fiction; Christian Research Journal)

Am I saying that Ang Ladlad cannot win in May? No. All I'm saying is the statistic being cited is seriously defective.

It is very possible that Ang Ladlad could still occupy three seats in the Lower House.Why? Because even heterosexuals could advocate the homosexual cause. As it is written: "Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:32 NIV)

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How John Piper uses Twitter

I hope you'll see principles of Twitter use that could also be applied to others such as blogging, Friendster, Facebook, fora (or should I say forums), etc. He calls these technologies as "gifts that God has given us" yet at the same time he recognizes the dangers that go with them, so we should be careful on how we use them.



You may also want to check out an article Piper wrote seven months ago: Why and How I Am Tweeting. You can follow Piper's tweets here.
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Zechariah’s Benedictus (Luke 1:67-79)-- Christmas: an act of kindness and redemption for a people in misery

Ang mga Pasko ng 2003, 2006, at 2009 ay may pagkakahalintulad. Pare-pareho silang malapit sa isang pambansang halalan. Sa mga ganitong panahon, ang mga Christmas party ng mga baranggay doon sa aming lungsod ay dinudumog ng mga pulitiko. Nang ginanap ang Christmas party sa aming baranggay noong petsa 22, nagkaroon ng problema sa parking space.

Hindi lang naman mga pulitiko ang nananamantala sa pagkakataon; ang mga barangay leaders rin ay tuso rin sa ganitong mga panahon. Ang pinipili nilang guest speaker ay yung inaasahan nilang makakapagbigay ng malaki-laking regalo sa baranggay pandagdag pondo. Kinaumagahan pagkatapos ng Christmas party, walang nagtatanong tungkol sa mensahe ng ispiker; ang tanong ay kung magkano ang kanilang ibinigay.

Naalala ko ang isang eksena sa jeepney bago magpasko noong taong 2003. Habang hinihintay kong mapuno ang dyip, naupo sa tapat ko ang isang pamilyar na mukha-- mukha ng isang frustrated politician (hindi pa nananalo sa halalan). Nandun yung paggalang ko sa kanya sapagkat bukod sa siya ay matalino, siya rin ay may mga prinsipyong pinaninindigan. Alam ko yun sapagkat nagging guro ko sa sa pamantasang aking pinasukan. Hindi naman siya militante, naaalala kong itinaguyod niya ang isang panukalang magsusulong sa kapakanan ng mga estudyante. Ayon rin sa isang mapagkakatiwalaang saksi, natutuwa ang kanyang mga anak sa tuwing natatalo siya sa halalan sa paniniwalang iiksi ang buhay ng kanilang ama kapag napasok sa pulitika dahil sa kanyang mga paninindigan.

Balik jeepney tayo: tinanong ko siya “sir, tatakbo po ba kayo?”. Sagot niya “oo, sa ticket kami ni FPJ”. Bilang isang kandidato, nakatangap rin siya ng imbitasyon bilang guest speaker sa Christmas party ng isang baranggay. Pero ang problema, hindi naman siya ganun kayaman. Tinangap niya ang paanyaya sa kanyang maging guest speaker sa isang kondisyon: “mampasimbalo tayo, mangiter ak met balet say anapen tayun kanepegan et aliwn satay kuwarta nu ang inggen say naasul tayun kakabatan”
Translation: “magbago na tayo, magbibigay rin ako pero ang dapat nating hanapin ay hindi ang pera kundi ang maiigib nating kaalaman.”

Pagkatapos ng eleksyon , hayun… talo nanaman ang aking mahal kong guro.

Hindi ko narinig ang kanyang talumpati at dahil hindi naman niya pinanghahawakan ang Limang Sola na pinanghahawakan ko, malamang hindi rin tugma ang kanyang talumpati sa mga pinaninindigan ko. Subalit tama siya sa isang punto: mababaw ang kaalaman ng mga tao pagdating sa "tunay na diwa ng pasko". We need the right guest speakers for Christmas. Today, I chose Zechariah, father of John the Baptist.

Introduction to the guest speaker

Isang kaugalian sa mga programa na bago magsalita ang guest speaker, mayroon munang nagbibigay ng introduction to the guest speaker. Karaniwa’y inilalatag dito ang credentials ng panauhin tulad ng kanyang eskuwelahang pinasukan, mga kursong tinapos, mga puwestong kanyang nahawakan at iba pang mga achievements. Anu-ano ba ang mga kuwalipikasyon ni Zechariah upang magbigay sa ating ng mensaheng pampasko?

1. He is the father of the other miracle child in the Christmas narratives- There were two miracle babies in the biblical Christmas narratives. One was conceived by a virgin; the other one was conceived when his parents are in old age and past reproductive stage. He has a personal knowledge and experience in the Christmas story.

Mary even lived at his house for some time: “Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home” (Luke 1:56)… they must have shared each other’s stories like their encounters with the angels (though he is mute by that time). Pinag-usapan rin siguro nila ang mga magiging kanya-kanyang papel ni Hesus at ni Juan Bautista sa kasaysayan.

2. He is a righteous man—“Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly” (Luke 1:6).

3. Just underwent pruning—Though he is righteous ang productive in God’s service, he lacked the faith to believe the angel’s announcement that he will have a son. It just sounded too good to be true. So for about nine months (his wife’s pregnancy period) he was put under discipline by the Lord. This is an example of a productive vine pruned for even more fruitfulness.
John 15:2 "... every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful"

4. The Benedictus (Zechariah’s song) is part of inspired scripture; It is “useful”, “profitable” for “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16); He was so filled with the Holy Spirit when he uttered this song (Luke 1:67)

You see, the people are very much interested in what his child will be. Luke 1:65-66 “The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?"”

But in his song, he spent most of the time talking about the Messiah. For the first seven verses of His song (68-75), it’s about the coming of the Messiah. Only in verse 76 does he start to talk about his child and he does so as he contemplates on the role of his Son John the Baptist in this new age that has dawn—the coming of the Messiah. So Zechariah’s song is more about the coming of the Messiah than the coming of John the Baptist.

Zechariah’s main point: Christmas is an act of kindness and redemption for a people under misery.

v.68: “"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people." We can see that from the two verbs used here: “Come” (visit) & “redeem”

This word translated as Come or visit (episkeptoma) is “often used in a charitable way” (Walter Liefeld, EBC).

James 1:27—“look after” orphans and widows (care for those who are helpless)
Matt. 25:36—I was sick and you looked after me (care for the weak)

The usage of the word episkeptomai in James and Matthew indicates attending to the needs of those who are in misery. So when Zechariah says that “the Lord has come (visited; episkeptomai), he sees Israel in a state of misery, in anguish; and the Lord visits to care for his people.

Same is true for the verb redeem. It is used for God’s actions in behalf of his people. (see Psalm 107:2—and the rest of the Psalm where the redemption of God was experienced by different types of people in misery: those lost in a dessert; those who are languishing in jail; those who are about to die in terrible disease and seamen stranded at sea for violent storm. These are all portraits of people in misery who tasted the Lord’s goodness. They are called the redeemed.

The Lord Jesus affirms his ministry to those who are in misery. Luke 4;18… ‘"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind to release the oppressed,”

From what types of miseries did Jesus came for?

1. Christmas is an act of kindness and redemption for a people under physical miseries.
It may come as a little surprise to you, Zechariah’s first thoughts on Christmas is not deliverance from spiritual miseries, but physical miseries, specifically their political problems (v.71, 74). By this time they are under Roman rule. But in Israel’s history there were others who hated them: If you have followed Pastor Jun’s teachings, they were often judged by the Lord for their cruel acts against Israel (Assyra, Babylon, Cush, Edom, etc.). In recent times, you have an Adolph Hitler who was a notorious anti-Semite. But the greatest enemy of Israel is yet to be revealed. I’m speaking eschatology now (end times). Daniel 9:27 mentions a person who would make a covenant with Israel for seven-years (tribulation period) but in the middle of the covenant, he will break it. He will proclaim himself to be God (2 Thess. 2:4). He is the anti-Christ himself and he will be the greatest hater of God’s people in history. (Matt.24:15-21;)

Zechariah says Christmas is for this very purpose: to get rid of the miseries of his people caused by their enemies.

The grounds of physical deliverance:
God is faithful to to the covenants he has made in the past.

You must understand that our guest speaker Zechariah is and Old Testament believer. Some concepts we have about Christmas are very true, because as Christians we know the gospel well. We know the truth of the word made flesh who dwelt among us (John 1:14) we know him who was equal with God yet made himself empty—of no reputation and became obedient unto the cross. We know the meaning of Christmas because we have 27 new testament books to expound it to us. But our guest speaker’s bible is the Old Testament. Not even one of the NT books were written during his time.

Yet there are Old Testament concepts of Christmas which are so foreign to us, you won’t find them as themes even in the best Christmas songs. This is where we can glean treasures from Zechariah. He will enrich our understanding of the gospel by showing us unfamiliar Old Testament concepts.

I say again: God’s grounds for sending physical deliverance for his people is because of his faithfulness to the covenants he has made in the past.

The first of these is his faithfulness to the Davidic Covenant. To avoid getting entangled with unnecessary things, let me just simplify that God has promised to King David that the reign of his descendants shall be forever. 2 Sam 7:16: “"Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever" But you know what happened, most of the succeeding kings were disobedient. They did not walk in fear of the Lord, therefore their kingdoms are weak and thy were trampled upon by their enemies.

In faithfulness to his covenant and to rescue his people from misery, God gave us Christmas so he could raise a powerful king from David’s line (Matt.1:1); their usage of the imagery horn in very different from how we us it. Ano ba maiisip ninyo kapag sasabihin kong si Randy ay tinutubuan ng sungay? Masama di ‘ba? But in Hebrew idiom, a horn is a symbol of power. As Moses gives blessing to the tribes of Israel, this is what he said as a blessing to Ephraim & Manasseh: “In majesty he is like a firstborn bull; his horns are the horns of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth.” (Deut. 33:17). Horn is a picture of power—this king that God has raised in Christmas is powerful for the deliverance of people.

The second ground for sending physical deliverance is his faithfulness to the covenant with the patriarch Abraham (1:72-73). Abram was comfortable at Ur when God suddenly made this covenant with him See Gen. 12:1-3.
1. To be made a great nation- a nation is a people with a common ancestor occupying a land; Moab is the father of Moabites; Ben-Ammi is the father of the Ammonites.

Abraham live during th time when nations were young. Let me explain. After the flood there were only eight persons alive: Mr & Mrs. Noah; Mr. & Mrs. Ham; Mr. & Mrs. Shem; Mr. Mrs. Japheth. All the genetic variations we have today (singkit; kulot; unat; puti; itim; matangkad; pandak) are from that four couples.

Only after the tower of Bible were various groups scattered according to their language. The initial nations were recorded in Genesis 10.

Abraham lived when the nations were young. He was comfortable living in his home and hith the nation but God suddenly called him asking him to leave and to occupy a land with a nation descended from him. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob and Jacob begat 12 sons—which now comprises the nation of Israel. Israel therefore is the recipient of promise.
2. To be blessed
3. Protection from enemies- Zechariah’s very concerns
4. To be a channel of blessing

Zechariah is not alone in connecting Christmas with the Abrahamic covenant blessings—even Mary has this concept. When she was pregnant: LK 1:54-55 “He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."

~ We who are in Christ are recipients of this blessing too (Galatians 3:14)
~ But there is a problem. God’s promises of blessing in the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants were given for a purpose. Luke 1:74-75—“to enable them to serve without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.”
~ People are not ready for that. Even if God grants all the physical blessings provided in the Abrahamic promises, they will not serve God in holiness and righteousness. Unregenerate men cannot do that.
~ So God will not rescue us from physical miseries apart from another form of misery—and that’s spiritual misery. That’s our second point.

2. Christmas is an act of kindness and redemption for a people under spiritual miseries (Luke 1:77-80)
~ Zechariah addresses his baby about his role in God’s redemptive plan… that is to deal with sin.
God wants to deliver his people from physical miseries, freedom from foreign power yet they are in bondage to another power. In Paul’s lingo, he calls it in bondage to sin. All the miseries in the word are a product of sin. Before sin came, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Gen.1;31). You have a different picture of the creation when you come to chapter 3 when man fall into sin. “Cursed is the ground because of you” (Gen.3:17)… “"It will produce thorns and thistles for you" (Gen.3:18)… “'from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." (3:19). .. Sa tuwing may batang nauulila; sa tuwing may babaeng nagiging balo, sa tuwing mayroon tayong matalik na kaibigan o mahal sa buhay na namatay na o kahit nandun pa lamang sa ICU at binabantaan ng kamatayan, maraming tao ang nagdadalamhati, marami ang tumatangis, sino ang dapat na sisihin sa ganitong mga pighati: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5;12). Sin has brought nothing into the world but misery. It never gave men to happiness; and all it offers is affliction.

In a sense, I am also a prosperity preacher. I believe God’s will for his people is perfect health and prosperity. Yes God will grant us perfect heath and perfect prosperity after sin is totally eradicated. The other side however (those prosperity preachers you see on TV) says that God’s will is health and prosperity now.. now… now. And if you are not, there is something wrong with your faith.

A Christmas message must therefore face the issue of sin for he came to save us from our sins (Matt. 1:21). When I was a radio listener of John Macarthur, one of the most unforgettable messages I heard is titled “The Ugliness of Christmas”. It was an unusual title for a Christmas message. Not the title alone but even the message itself is unlike other Christmas message I heard before. It was heavy hamartiology—an exposition of what sin is. He justifies it by saying: “the real beauty of Christmas is to understand the ugliness that it cures” .

I can name two misconceptions during Zechariah’s time:
1. Being biologically descended from Abraham guarantees covenant blessings; It is the very error John the Baptist (our speaker’s son) addressed during his ministry: Luke 3:8-9 “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

Jesus says: “"If you were Abraham's children, then you would do the things Abraham did.”

2. Mosaic Sacrifices settles the issue of sin.—(Heb. 10:3-4); The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. And so Christ came to sacrifice himself (Heb.10:8-11). There is a body that must be offered so that’s why there is incarnation. So when John the Baptist saw Jesus, he shouted "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1;29)

If you will go on reading, you will arrive at the discussion of the New Covenant which will accomplish two things. First, transformation (v.16) and forgiveness (v.17). sin is therefore dealt with with the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus. By dealing with sin, he also prepares us for the physical blessings. We are now able to serve God in holiness and righteousness all our days.

As Zechariah ends his song, he presents a metaphor about this new age in redemptive history. He describes is as “dayspring; a dawning; rising of the sun”. It indicates that the previous age is characterize by darkness. Our lives, our deeds, our ways are thoughts, our beliefs are darkness. (Eph. 4:18) We were all walking in the wrong way, we were following the wrong path, but because of God’s tender mercies, God sent forth his son to give us light. “"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12);

That’s the story of Christmas: God saw our miseries, both physical and spiritual, so he gave his Son so he can deliver us from all of our afflictions.
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Ang LEON: Mabangis at Mapagmahal

Hosea 5:14-6:1 (NIV)
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces and go away;
I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.

Then I will go back to my place
until they admit their guilt.
And they will seek my face;
in their misery they will earnestly seek me."

"Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.

Nang mga panahong malinaw pa ang RPN sa aming telebisyon, nakapanood ako ng mga programang isiningit nila mula sa National Geographic. Sa isang programa, ganito ang aking natunghayan:

May isang pangkat ng mga zebra ang payapang kumakain at naglalaro sa may damuhan. Pagkaganda-ganda ng mga stripes sa kanilang mga katawan. Wala silang kamalay-malay na sa may kalayuan, may isang leon ang sumisilip sa kanila. Noong una'y dahan-dahan ang kilos ng leon sa likod ng mga matataas na talahid. Ngunit nang lumaon ay bigla na lang kumaripas ng takbo ang leon papalapit sa mga zebra.

Nang namalayan ng mga zebra na sila ay sinasalakay, sila rin naman ay tumakbo papalayo. Ngunit huli na ang lahat. Lubhang mabilis ang leon. Isang zebra ang kanyang sinakmal. Pumapalag-palag pa ang zebra ngunit hindi tinigilan ng leon ang kanyang paglapa. Tuluyan na ngang naubusan ng lakas ang zebra dahil sa mga pinsalang kanyang natamo. Ang leon naman ay tuwang-tuwa sa kanyang masarap na almusal.

Sa Hosea 5:14-6:1, Inihalintulad ng Panginoon ang kanyang sarili bilang isang leon na sumalakay sa mga bansang Israel at Judah:

For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,

like a great lion to Judah.

I will tear them to pieces and go away;

I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.
(Hosea 5:14)

Ang makapangyarihang si YHWH ang sumalakay sa Israel at Judah, kaya naman sila ay lubhang nasugatan at nasaktan. Subalit salungat sa kalagayan ng inosenteng zebra, sila ay karapat-dapat sa parusa ng Diyos. Punong-puno sila ng immoralidad, pagsamba sa mga diyus-diyosan, at kawalang katarungan sa lipunan. Sila ay nagtaksil sa Panginoon. Nararapat lamang na sila ay parusahan ni YHWH; nararapat lamang na sila ay lapain ng mabangis na leon.

Subalit may kakaibang katangian ang leon na ito. Ang karaniwang leon ay hindi titigil sa paglapa sa kanyang biktima hanggang sa ito mamatay. Hinding-hindi na niya bibigyan pa ng pagkakataon ang biktima na mabuhay pa. Ngunit ibahin ninyo ang leon na ito:

Then I will go back to my place

(Hosea 5:15a)

"Then I will return again to my lair" (NET Bible; see also Duane Garret, New American Commentary)

Kapag naibigay na niya ang sapat na sugat at pasakit, ang leon na ito ay babalik sa kanyang lungga. Wala siyang intensyong tapusin ang Israel at Judah. Hindi niya nais patayin ang kanyang bayan. Siya ay babalik sa kanyang lungga sa dahilang:

Then I will go back to my place

until they admit their guilt.

And they will seek my face;

in their misery they will earnestly seek me

(Hosea 5:15)

Siya ay babalik sa kanyang lungga upang abangan ang pagbabalik-loob ng bayang kanyang sinaktan. Sapat ang mga sugat na idinulot niya upang magsisi at manumbalik ang kanyang bayan.

Nang makabalik na ang leon sa kanyang lungga, nag-usap-usap ang kanayang bayan. Ganito ang kanilang usapan:

"Come, let us return to the LORD.

He has torn us to pieces

but he will heal us;

he has injured us

but he will bind up our wounds."

(Hosea 6:1)

Magbabalik-loob nga ang Israel at Judah dahil sa mga sugat na iniwan sa kanila ng leon. Ang nakakatuwa, ang leon din ang magsisilbing manggagamot nila. Ang leon mismo ang magbibigay-lunas sa kanilang mga sugat.

Samakatuwid, ang mabangis na leon na ito ay mapagmahal rin naman. Ang mga sugat na dulot niya ay hindi para sa ating kapahamakan. Ito ay bahagi ng kanyang paraan upang tayo ay makapanumbalik sa kanya at sa tamang landas.

photo credit: http://standardrgb.com

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