Observers are becoming concerned about the effects of the Internet and social media on truth.

Judge Righteous Judgment--God’s promise is that, when His people thus live in justice, according to all His Word, as faithfully taught and judged by the rulers of each community, they will know the fullness of His covenant blessings.

In the Gates--Rulers meet in the gates of the city, for both practical and symbolic reasons. Meeting in the gates symbolized their guardianship over what came into the community.

Honor Rulers--Parents, prophets, and rulers: these are the primary authorities God has established to bring order and blessing to the community of His people.

Expose False Teaching--As for those who assay to speak the Lord’s Word in His Name, the warning is even more dire.

The Lord Will Require It--The Lord promises to “require” it of those who will not listen to His spokesmen.

The Duty of Listening--For their part, the people of God must listen to the Lord’s spokesmen.

God’s Prophets--But in these words of Moses a tradition of God speaking through prophets is established, a tradition which continues through to this day.

6 November 2010

It would be a mistake, I think, to understand "astonished" in Matthew 7.28, 29 as meaning "delighted." Probably something like "shocked" or "astounded" is what the apostle intended.

Jesus did not teach like the scribes, who sought only to keep order and maintain the traditions of the community. He taught with authority. He held out bold promises, elevated people's view of themselves, made big demands, exposed shallow religion and false teaching, put their lives in an eternal context, and made the Law and Word of God deeply personal, spiritual, and relevant. The people were astonished because no one had ever spoken to them like that. Some rejoiced to hear His teaching; others plotted His destruction.

When we remember that the Word of God, in the hands of God's Spirit, is alive, powerful, penetrating, convicting, and transforming, it should bring us to repentance and more earnest longing for the anointing of God if our teaching does not, from time to time, astonish the people we serve. We will be teaching with authority when our teaching is more like that of our Lord Jesus.

T. M. Moore