We
always hear people claim that the Bible is full of contradictions. If there
seems to be a contradiction, the problem is usually with our understanding.
There are ages and times that God simply does something new. There are people
that get stuck in one time period or another, but the simplicity is that God is
The Creator and he can change things if He chooses to. In fact, God can do new
things daily, sometimes they are simply new to us, and sometimes they are new
to the world. God is always doing new things; the only thing that stays stagnant
is the hardened hearts of men, and that’s when we run into problems. The devil
will always question us regarding what God says or does, just like he did with
Eve in the garden. To build our understanding of changes in procedures, let’s
look at some comparisons, which again some may claim are contradictions of the
new things God has us doing.
Charles Spurgeon said “The Gospel will always be spoken against.
If you know a gospel which is approved by the age and patronized by the
learned, that gospel is a lie!”–1893, Sermon 2293, Spurgeon Gems. We know
we are on the right track, following God, and changing with the new things God
has for us if the devil is whispering ‘did God really say’. If we harden our
hearts to change, we will be left naked, just like Adam and Eve were left
naked. God makes provisions for us along the way; therefore we should not
reject God’s changes. If we do, we may do ourselves more harm than good. Let’s
look first at the subject of food. Everyone has an opinion on how to eat or
what to eat. God provided, and properly changed the rules for us as time went
on.
Gen
1:29-30 And God
said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face
of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding
seed; to you it shall be for meat.30 And to
every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that
creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb
for meat: and it was so.KJV
Some
people look at this and say that we should all be vegetarians or vegans.
However, the provisions changed after the flood. At first, Adam was to eat just
fruits and vegetables. The animals also were to only eat fruits and vegetables.
After the fall some things changed, and by the time of the flood they changed
again.
Gen 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth
shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.KJV
Noah and his family
were now allowed to eat all moving things, all animals. There were no kosher
restrictions at this time so pigs were allowed as well. We know that by the
time of the Exodus people were instructed not to eat certain animals, so there
again things changed. Now Paul writes to Timothy, who was building and
instructing the church, and he says this:
1 Tim
4:1-5 Now the
Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the
faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy;
having their conscience seared with a hot iron;3 Forbidding
to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be
received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.4 For every creature of God is
good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:5 For it is sanctified by the word
of God and prayer.KJV
The
Spirit, the Holy Spirit, says that people will distort several things,
including what to eat. The Holy Spirit says that every creature of God is good
and nothing is to be refused because it is sanctified by the word of God and
prayer. Let’s read that a little differently: it is sanctified by The Word of
God, aka Jesus Christ, and prayer. Jesus’ crucifixion changed the rules
regarding what food could be eaten, that is what the Holy Spirit says. This
means we can eat the things that Leviticus tells us not to eat. Now, that
doesn’t mean our bodies won’t be allergic to certain foods, or we won’t get fat
if we eat too much, it simply means we do not have to limit the types of food
we eat because when Jesus died God did a new thing.
We know
animals were to eat herbs as we saw in Genesis 1:29-30, but man was also to
have dominion over the animals. Animals were not to eat humans.
Gen 9:2 And the fear of you and the dread
of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air,
upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into
your hand are they delivered.KJV
However,
something changed. One story we seldom look at is when Elisha was confirmed as
the new prophet after Elijah went up in a whirlwind. Young boys mocked Elisha,
telling him to go up in a whirlwind. Elisha had command of the animals,
specifically two female bears, and cursed the boys.
2 Kings
2:23-24 He went up from Jericho to Bethel. On the way, young [maturing
and accountable] boys came out of the city and mocked him and said to him, Go up [in a
whirlwind], you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead! 24 And he
turned around and looked at them and called a curse down on them in the name of
the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and ripped up forty-two of
the boys. AMP
Jeremiah
receives the word of the Lord that God will send dogs, birds, and beasts, to
tear and devour humans.
Jer
15:1-4 Then said
the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before
me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and
let them go forth.2 And it
shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou
shalt tell them, Thus saith the Lord
; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword;
and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the
captivity, to the captivity.3 And I
will appoint over them four kinds, saith the Lord
: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the
beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.4 And I
will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of
Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in
Jerusalem.KJV
Paul was
thrown to the lions at Ephesus, but being that he fought and survived, animals
were surely eating humans by this time.
1 Cor
15:31 If after
the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me,
if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.KJV
At the
time of the seals being opened, after the catching away of the church, the four
horsemen will ride, and one of their powers will be toward the animals to
inspire them to kill men.
Rev 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale
horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And
power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with
sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.KJV
Obviously,
God did a new thing among the animals and will do another new thing in the
tribulation times. This brings us to humans killing humans. What was first
stated to Noah has changed a few times.
Gen 9:5-6 And surely your blood of your
lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the
hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by
man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.KJV
If men
were killed by animals, God required the animals’ blood. If man killed man, God
required the killers’ blood because man was created in the image of God. Deuteronomy
5 says not to kill.
Deut 5:17 Thou shalt not kill.KJV
However,
by Deuteronomy 13 we have a new thing. We are told to kill false prophets or
dreamers who lead people astray.
Deut
13:4-5 Ye shall
walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his
commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.5 And that prophet, or that dreamer
of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from
the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of
Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the
way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt
thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.KJV
That
seems like a contradiction to the unlearned, but again, provision had to be
made as times changed. The issue is always time. Time passes, and that is what
we have to understand. At the time Moses wrote Deuteronomy 5, the people who
just left Egypt were hearing God’s rules for the first time. Then, later, as
time went on, there were people who started to lead the Exodus people astray.
Changes in the times lead to changes in the rules.
The
Jewish leaders had no problem killing Jesus. Since the day of Pentecost, we are
not told to kill false prophets. In fact, we are told to love people, live in
peace, pray for enemies, and pray for political leaders. We are not told to
kill anyone, yet in the time period of the book of Acts, stoning was still
going on. While we are told in the Old Testament to stone some people for
various offences, by the time Jesus walked the earth, people weren’t stoning
gluttons for example.
Deut
21:20-21 And they
shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious,
he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.21 And all the men of his city shall
stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you;
and all Israel shall hear, and fear.KJV
That
seems harsh, to stone your own child for being a lazy glutton. Jesus was
falsely accused of gluttony.
Matt
11:18-19 For
John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.19 The Son of man came eating and
drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of
publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.KJV
If people truly feel they need to adhere to
the law, they should be doing all they can under the law; and stoning gluttons
would be something they would adhere to (not suggesting they do). While there
is no temple, sacrifices cannot be made and people’s sins cannot be atoned for;
the very least that the law keepers should do is keep the parts they can keep.
Today, we see a rationalization towards the laws of Moses, and people are not
stoning gluttons today. What changed? Did the attitude of the people change, or
did God do something different? Both; the attitude of people changed, along
with culture, and God sent His Son, Jesus, to create a new way to live.
As Charles Spurgeon says: “There are, in truth, but two
denominations upon this earth: the Church and the world—those who are justified
in Christ Jesus and those who are condemned in their sins.”–1887, Sermon
1987 Spurgeon Gems. As we previously
studied, the Jews of today have no atonement, they are well aware of their sins
and yet they can’t do anything about them. When the Holy Spirit came as Jesus
told everyone he would, a new dispensation or administration came. If we erase dispensations
from the Bible, as some like to do, we cannot make sense of God making changes.
R.A. Torry in speaking about the Holy Spirit
says this:”Here will is ascribed to the
Spirit and we are taught that the Holy Spirit is not a power that we get hold
of and use according to our will but a Person of sovereign majesty, who uses us
according to His will. This distinction is of
fundamental importance in our getting into right relations with the Holy
Spirit. It is at this very point that many honest seekers after power and
efficiency in service go astray. They are reaching out after and struggling to
get possession of some mysterious and mighty power that they can make use of in
their work according to their own will. They will never get possession of the
power they seek until they come to recognize that there is not some Divine
power for them to get hold of and use in their blindness and ignorance but
there is a Person, infinitely wise, as well as infinitely mighty, who is
willing to take possession of them and use them according to His own perfect
will. When we stop to think of it, we must rejoice that there is no Divine
power that beings so ignorant as we are, so liable to err, to get hold of and
use.” RA Torrey The Person and Work of the Holy
Spirit. I think R.A. Torry sums that up pretty well. God did a new thing on the
day of Pentecost; Jesus told us all about the Holy Spirits coming after he was
to be crucified.
Luke
11:13 If ye
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more
shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? KJV
Charles Spurgeon says this: “All the
good that is ever done in the world is worked by the Holy Spirit and, as the
Holy Spirit honors Jesus Christ, so Christ puts great honor upon the Holy
Spirit. If you and I try, either as a Church or as individuals, to do without
the Holy Spirit, God will soon do without us. Unless we reverently worship Him
and believingly trust in Him, we shall find that we shall be like Samson when
his locks were shorn. He shook himself as he had done before, but when the
Philistines were upon him, he could do nothing against them. Our prayer must
always be, ‘Holy Spirit, dwell with me! Holy Spirit, dwell with Your servants!’
” Spurgeon Gems. Let’s take
note of what Jesus said when quoting Isaiah.
Luke
4:18-19 The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel
to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance
to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them
that are bruised,19 To
preach the acceptable year of the Lord.KJV
Jesus
said that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, not in him, but upon him. The
Holy Spirit was upon righteous people throughout the Old Testament times, but
not “in” people. And just like Samson, the Spirit would depart if one did
something wrong; like David lamented in Psalm 51:11, “take not your Holy Spirit
from me”. God did a new thing on Pentecost, and the Spirit now dwells inside of
people, even when they make mistakes.
Acts
2:1-4 And when
the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one
place.2 And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting.3 And there
appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of
them.4 And they were all filled with the
Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance.KJV
Well that
caused quite a stir. Peter had to explain.
Acts
2:15-18 For these
are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.16 But this is that which was spoken
by the prophet Joel;17 And it
shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit
upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young
men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:18 And on my servants and on my
handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall
prophesy:KJV
Peter
says in the last days he would pour out the Spirit upon all flesh, we must be
living in the last days as the Holy Spirit is still poured out today. No one at
the time of Pentecost could believe God was doing a new thing, but He did. So
what does the devil say to us today? “Did God really say…” and by questioning and
putting doubt in people’s minds, some refuse the gift of the Holy Spirit. Some
people even go so far as to say there are no dispensations, or time periods.
How can that be? Before Pentecost the Holy Spirit could only be upon the
righteous, and then after Pentecost the Holy Spirit is poured out on all who
believe, no matter how “good” they are. In Acts we see the Spirit telling
Philip to talk to the Eunuch.
Acts 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip,
Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.KJV
Now God
is doing a new thing again, he is getting an Ethiopian man, a non-Jew, saved
and baptized. While we don’t know about the Eunuch’s travels after his salvation,
we do know he probably taught all the people he knew about Jesus.
Acts 8:39 And when they were come up out of
the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him
no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.KJV
The
Spirit speaks to Peter, and yet again another new thing; non-Jews, the nations,
received the Holy Ghost.
Acts
10:19While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three
men seek thee. Acts 10:44-46 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost
fell on all them which heard the word.45 And they of the circumcision which
believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the
Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.46 For they heard them
speak with tongues, and magnify God.KJV
Paul
tells us some things about the new way that God has established for us.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.KJV
Rom
8:16-17 The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:17 And if children, then heirs;
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him,
that we may be also glorified together.KJV
Rom
8:26-27 Likewise
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray
for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered.27 And he
that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he
maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.KJV
Jesus
said that if he didn’t leave, the Comforter would not come. The new thing God
did in this time period hasn’t changed, we are still to be led by the Spirit,
we are joint-heirs as attested to by the Spirit, and the Spirit intercedes for
and with us. The power of the Holy Spirit residing inside a believer was new at
the time period of Acts, and Paul reminds the Corinthians he came with the
Spirit and power.
1 Cor 2:4 And my speech and my preaching
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit
and of power:KJV
Paul
didn’t receive the Holy Spirit by his own abilities and neither do we. Paul
reminds the Galatians.
Gal 3:1-7 O foolish Galatians, who hath
bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus
Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?2 This only would I learn of you,
Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?3 Are ye so foolish? having begun
in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?4 Have ye
suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.5 He therefore that ministereth to
you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the
law, or by the hearing of faith?6 Even as
Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.7 Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.KJV
Are we so foolish to believe
that we began in the Spirit, but now are made perfect by the flesh? It’s a good
question. God moved beyond the time period of the law. Paul uses Abraham as an
example; Abraham was not under the law as there was no law during his time. We
are comparable to Abraham (as the Spirit was upon Abraham) in that neither of
us was under the law, but instead we walk by faith. The Amplified and the
Message say it like this:
Gal 3:3 Are you so
foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually]
with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the
flesh? AMP
Gal 3:3
Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think
they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't
smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect
it? (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H.
Peterson. All rights reserved.)
We cannot
perfect anything in or by our flesh. Yet the Holy Spirit residing in us ushered
in a new freedom, the law of liberty.
James 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they
that shall be judged by the law of liberty.KJV
If we
want to see the new things God is doing, we cannot keep a veil over our heads.
We have to understand that we have liberty, and that sometimes what we think
should be happening is not the plan of the Holy Spirit.
2 Cor
3:15-18 But even
unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.16 Nevertheless when it shall turn
to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.17 Now the Lord
is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.18 But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.KJV
God made
us free under this new time frame, and circumcision is not required. In other
words, circumcision won’t get you in or keep you out of heaven.
Gal 5:1-2 Stand fast therefore in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the
yoke of bondage.2 Behold, I
Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you
nothing.KJV
Many
times when something new takes place there is resistance, yet Paul uses some
very strong words to those who are resistant to God’s change in circumcision.
Gal
5:12-16 I wish those who unsettle and confuse you would [go all the way and]
cut themselves off! 13 For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only
[do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or
excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another. 14 For
the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is complied with in the one
precept, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. [Lev 19:18.] 15 But
if you bite and devour one another [in partisan strife], be careful that you
[and your whole fellowship] are not consumed by one another. 16 But I say, walk
and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and
guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and
desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). AMP
Said
another way:
Gal 5:12
Why don't these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the
way and castrate themselves! (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary
Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Even today, God does new things, and just like in the garden the
devil says “did God really say…?” Lately I see a lot of articles about worship
in our churches; some are quite contentious over smoke machines, and lights.
I’m not sure why, as this was by the leading of the Holy Spirit. It was for a
season. There was a group of people, both young and old, who would respond to a
worship service in this way. The Holy Spirit inspires people to do new things
to evangelize. Years before the smoke and lights in worship services, hymns
were sung, sometimes without a piano or organ. Can I tell you that the answer
doesn’t lie in going back to those times, but in going forward to the new thing
the Holy Spirit would like to do. It is alright to feel unsettled about our
time, because it is not up to us to decide, or to plan, or to invent the next
new thing. It’s up to God, and the Holy Spirit will inspire the next new thing
for a particular place, city, country, or the world. God wants to do new things;
God likes to do new things. May we never get stuck in a rut with a veil over
our heads, claiming our way is the only way; but rather, may we always be ready
for the next new thing the Holy Spirit wants to accomplish. May our hearts
never harden or stagnate, and may we never listen to the devil casting doubt so
that we end up naked, but instead may we flow freely in the law of liberty
being led by the Holy Spirit.
