Truth Magazine

By Tim Thiele

“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience” (Heb 4:11).

It was finally here. After four hundred years of bondage and deliverance from Egypt, the Lord had led his people to the edge of the promised land. With Yahweh on their side, the children of Israel had the opportunity to inherit the land flowing with milk and honey that God promised years ago to their forefathers. God’s chosen could finally enter their rest.

The Lord commanded Moses to send out twelve men to spy out the land, one of those men being Joshua the son of Nun. Forty days later the spies came back and gave their report. The land was all that God had promised. Unfortunately the spies also brought back some bad news. Reports of a strong people living in fortified cities frightened the Israelites. Soon grumbling and cries of unfaithfulness echoed throughout the camp. The children of Israel had forgotten that the Almighty God was on their side and through him they could accomplish anything. Among all the murmuring, Joshua and Caleb stood up and said concerning the conquest, “If the Lord is pleased with us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us  a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey” (Num. 14:8-9a).

Joshua was a man of faith, a man who trusted in God, a man who did as the Lord commanded in order to enter his rest. In Hebrews 3, we read of how the Israelites, who came out of bond-age, were unable to enter their rest due to unbelief. Because they did not trust in God and follow him, God did not allow them to enter the promise land. However, because of his strong faith, Joshua was not only allowed to enter the promise land but God also chose him to lead the second generation of Israelites into their rest.

We can learn a lot from the great men of faith that we read about in the Bible. In Romans 15:4, the Apostle Paul tells us, “For whatever was writ-ten in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.”

The life of Joshua is one from which we can definitely learn. We can gain enormous amounts of patience and encouragement from reading the accounts of the life of Joshua. Often the one verse that we go to first when we consider Joshua is Joshua 24:15 which reads, “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” This verse sums up the life of Joshua. He was a man who, in the midst of a people who did not follow God, served the Lord. However, this is not the only verse that we can receive benefit from concerning the life of Joshua. To gain a better appreciation for Joshua and gain practical application so as to enter our rest, we need to go back to an earlier part of Joshua’s life.

In Exodus 17 we read of a battle where the Amalekites fought against Israel at Rephidim. This story is memorable because the Israelites prevailed while Moses held up his hands, but when he let them down the Amalekites prevailed. Of course we know that Moses needed help holding his hands up and the Israelites won. When considering these facts, one de-tail is left out. In Exodus 17:9-10 we read, “So Moses said to Joshua, Go choose men for us, and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station my-self on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand. And Joshua did as Moses told him and fought against Amalek.” From the beginning we see Joshua obeying the commands of the Lord.

We do not see a lack of faith or a desire to disobey. Joshua had faith in God. He remembered how God struck down the Egyptians and delivered the children of Israel from bondage. He remembered how God had provided manna, quail, and water for the congregation of Israel. When it came time to fight against the Amalekites, his faith did not waver, but he “did as Moses told him” and they won the war.

Later, in Numbers 14, we continue to see this great faith of Joshua being manifested. The children of Israel had finally reached the border of the promised land. God told Moses to send twelve men to spy out the land. When they returned, they had some good news and some bad news. The land was all they had hoped for, but the people who lived in the land were very strong and the cities were large and fortified. At this news, the people became frightened and did not want to attempt to conquer the land. At this point Joshua addressed the congregation, “If the Lord is pleased with us, then he will bring us into this land . . . only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”

These two accounts show us why Joshua made a statement like he did in Joshua 24:15. As far as Joshua was concerned, he could trust in God no matter what. God is almighty and he has proven himself repeatedly. Joshua had great faith in Yahweh and he and his household were going to serve him.

The story of Joshua is in God’s word for a purpose. It is there for us to study and learn to apply. We enjoy knowing the facts of Joshua’s life but if we stop there and do not apply these facts to our lives they are worthless. The Israelites who were led out of bondage could not enter their rest be-cause they had a lack of faith in and would not follow God. On the contrary, Joshua had faith in God and followed his commandments. He remembered what God had done for him and his people so when it came time to trust in God at a difficult moment he made the right choice and followed God. As a result, God re-warded him and allowed him to enter the promise land. If we apply these aspects of Joshua’s life to our lives we too can “enter our rest.”

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 16-17
April 3, 1997

The Guardian of Truth, in its issues of October 17 and November 7, 1996 ran an article of mine titled “Review of Jim Puterbaugh’s ‘One Covenant.” Jim’s brother, Ben Puterbaugh, of Black Diamond, Washington has “reviewed” my “review” of Jim making these statements:

Bro. McDonald has made some very obvious errors in the tract, both in regards to what the Bible teaches, and as to what Bro. Puterbaugh believes and teaches . . . I have no problem with brethren attacking a person’s teaching when they believe that teaching to be in error, but when we do, honesty demands that we examine their arguments. If you will take the time to view the video of Puterbaugh’s classes on the covenant taught at Issaquah in 1995, you will see that jp’s reasons for his conclusions are completely ignored in the tract . . . Instead McDonald claimed that jp’s position on the covenant is taken because of jp’s position on marriage, divorce, & remarriage. This charge is blatantly false. Neither my position or jp’s are dependent upon the covenant or universal moral law question.

Here are two statements I made that might be con-tested: “The aim of brother Puterbaugh’s ‘Covenant’ teaching is to prove that God has never had but one universal moral law from creation until now. According to brother Puterbaugh, Jesus did not die to give a new law for he taught exactly the same thing in the realm of morals that Moses taught. The thrust of such teaching is to promote his doctrine on `Marriage-Divorce-Remarriage” (GOT, 10/17/96, 646). “Why does brother Puterbaugh have such a problem with polygamy? Why can he not give a forthright, clear answer about polygamy and say, `It is wrong’? He cannot because he knows such a declaration destroys his `covenant doctrine’ and his teaching that there has always been just one moral law with no alteration in it” (GOT, 11/7/96, 680).

I apologize for seeming to impugn Jim’s motives. I wrote in October 17, 1996 (GOT, 646), “It is not my purpose to malign brother Puterbaugh’s character or assign ulterior motives to his actions. I have no animosity toward him.” Such still reflects my desire. In all future publications of the tract, such statements will be expunged.

I must further comment, however, that while I have been charged with error in both what the Scriptures teach and what Jim teaches, no specific item was given in which I misrepresented Jim’s teaching  only that I misrepresented Jim’s purposes in the development of his doctrine. It is (1) neither denied that the “one-covenant” position “agrees with and upholds” Jim’s position on “Marriage-Divorce-Remarriage” nor that (2) Jim uses his “unchanging, universal moral law” concept whether he teaches about the “One Covenant” or “Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage.” When he taught his “One Covenant” he said that when Jesus died on the cross, he “did not die to do away with the law and institute a new law as a last will and testament” (tape on the One Covenant, 1995). When he taught on “Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage,” he said Jesus “did not nail the Ten Commandments to the cross, he taught the ten commandments,” even the Sabbath because Christ is our rest (Matt. 11:27-3) (Tapes on MDR). As to the consequences of an “unchanging moral law” regarding polygamy (while refer-ring to the issue of polygamy as “prejudicial”), Ben Puterbaugh acknowledged: “I am not advocating, nor have I ever done so, that a man have more than one wife. I believe the Bible shows that more than one wife provides the opportunity for jealousy and other problems. But I know of no Bible passage that teaches it is inherently immoral for a man to have two or more wives at the same time. In the US it would violate the law we live under, and we are commanded by God to keep the ordinances of the land (Rom. 13:1-7)” (Covenant, 7). I respect Ben’s candor (although I disagree that there is no Bible passage which teaches that it is inherently immoral for a man to have two wives at the same time; both 1 Corinthians 7:1 and Romans 7:14 teach that which brother Ben does not know). He has the courage to accept the logical consequences of the doctrine of an unchanging eternal moral law.

Still the fact remains that while I neither misrepresented Jim’s teaching nor drew unwarranted conclusions as to what further errors it leads (Sabbath keeping, instrumental music in worship, salvation without baptism, the physical Jew still in a special relationship to God, polygamy, as well as divorce for any reason in which both parties remarry and may remain with their second mate), I have no desire to at-tempt to mad any man’s heart and therefore apologize for any statements of mine which seemed to judge Jim’s motives for the development of his “One Covenant” doctrine.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 5
April 3, 1997

By John Guzzetta

The first chapter of the book of Daniel states that when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah and began deporting its people hundreds of miles into Babylonian slavery, he ordered the chief of his officials to bring in those youths who exhibited the intelligence, wisdom, and good-looks that made them promising candidates for service in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. The king wished to mold their young minds into conformity with Chaldean language and culture, shaping them into loyal personal servants. Befitting the youths’ potential, Nebuchadnezzar appointed for them a daily portion from his own choice food.

Two aspects of the royal menu would have challenged a follower of Mosaic law. First, much of the table probably would have been set with meat from animals God had declared unclean (Deut. 14:8) or with foods that had been improperly prepared (Lev. 17:10). Second, (and impossible to avoid simply by selecting only particular dishes) the food would have been sacrificed to Babylonian idols before being placed before the king, making partaking of the food equivalent to accepting the Babylonian idols (1 Cor. 10:27).

Daniel made up his mind “that he would not defile him-self with the king’s choice food,” exhibiting a deep devotion to God. Daniel asked the commander in charge of the exiled boys to permit him to abstain. Initially the commander re-fused, worried that he would lose his head for allowing the boys to eat inferior food and grow weak. Daniel pressed the point, however, and was able to convince the commander to feed him and his three friends vegetables and water for a trial period, and test whether they remained robust. The trial worked. “At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables” (Dan. 1:15).

An aspect of this passage often overlooked is that at the time Daniel overcame this challenge, he was a young teen-ager. Most commentators agree that he was between 14 and 18 years old. For such a young man, Daniel mustered extremely mature resolve.

Young Daniel’s steadfastness proves extraordinary for a believer of any age when we take into account the extenuating circumstances which Daniel could have seized upon and used to rationalize eating the unclean food. First, Nebuchadnezzar had appointed the food for them, not merely offered it as a suggestion. Severe punishment existed for failing to eat it, as evidenced by the commander’s fear in 1:10 and the furnace of blazing fire which awaited those who refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s image in chapter 3. Daniel must have feared punishment for resisting the king’s command, but remained firm in allegiance to his heavenly Lord.

Second, the king’s choice food was succulent, while other captives’ food was probably unappetizing at best. Daniel could have easily felt thankful for his lot and refused to jeopardize his good fortune, especially when he compared it to the lots of the captives who were toiling in the fields and choking down gruel. The only alternative food that Daniel could eat and be sure was clean was bland vegetables and plain water, hardly a comparison to the mouth-watering fare offered to him. Daniel did not let his good position or his appetite get in the way of his faith; he gave up the appetizing meals for meals acceptable to God.

Third, it appeared that God had turned away from Daniel, allowing him to be wrenched from his family and carried into foreign exile. Daniel must have been strongly tempted to slip into depression, accuse God of abandoning him to misfortune, and therefore to ignore God’s ordinances. In-stead, Daniel clung to his faith and realized that though his predicament was not one he expected or thought he deserved, God had not abandoned his faithful remnant and still demanded obedience to him. The prophet Ezekiel said that a man like Daniel can deliver himself by his righteousness even while severe judgments are being passed onto every-one else (Ezek. 14:12). Furthermore, Ezekiel said that the conduct and actions of the righteous are comforting to other faithful ones who observe them (14:23). Daniel realized both that God would remain his loving Lord as long as he remained faithful and obedient, and that God could use him even in this unlikely situation. The remainder of Daniel’s life in the Babylonian court  interpreting the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, being promoted, being saved from the lions’ den, and so on  bears out God’s care and provision for his faithful servant Daniel.

Fourth, the majority of Judean youths in Nebuchadnezzar’s court had given in and accepted the unclean food (v. 15). Daniel had to resist the pressure to follow the crowd, and stand firm in his personal convictions.

Finally, and possibly most challenging to overcome, the authority figures that had been present throughout Daniel’s life were suddenly absent. Daniel’s parents were completely out of the picture, unable to communicate with him. So were the other role models, the older men, the relatives, and the teachers. Daniel and the other boys found themselves completely on their own, forced to determine their actions for themselves without parental guidance or support. Babylonian exile was a perfect opportunity for Daniel to forget his past and do whatever he pleased since mom and dad would have never found out. Daniel, however, knew that even if his parents were absent God was ever-present. He remembered divine guidance and remained a faithful teen.

Generation Exile

Daniel’s faithful obedience out of proportion to his youth demands application to the world today. Parents and role models must consider whether or not they should expect this kind of maturity and resolve from the faith of Christian teenagers. If Daniel had given in to the challenges that he faced, many twentieth-century readers would find it easy to excuse him for his youth. Often, adult Christians excuse teenagers as a group by virtue of their age from the moral responsibility they have to overcome the challenges they face in the world today. Daniel’s example suggests that teens are not too young to handle crucial moral pressures.

Without a doubt, today’s teens are faced with situations demanding morally mature decision-making. Nebuchadnezzar and his efforts to entice the youths of Judah strike one as eerily symbolic of the situation in twentieth-century America. Though the text of Daniel chapter one does not go into detailed specifics about Nebuchadnezzar’s means and reasons, one can assume the purpose of his tactics. He tried to discredit the boys’ Jewish upbringing and conform them to Chaldean ways. He offered them tantalizing food and preferential treatment to entice them to give up their allegiance to their parents and place their allegiance in him. He insidiously attempted to erase the influence of their Israelite lessons and heroes and re-place them with Chaldean religion and ethics, and threatened punishment for those who resisted. Nebuchadnezzar’s generation exile resembles our own. Nebuchadnezzar and his efforts to reprogram these children in the absence of their parents symbolizes the efforts of the popular culture to exile modern children and re-program them.

Modem teens live in a state of forced exile. Society has forced young people to grow up much faster than their places in the home and in the church suggest. This world offers violence as the solution to frustrations. Wealth is aggrandized. Pornography is thrust in their faces, and flesh greets them at every turn of the head. Their schoolmates experiment with sex and drugs. The media hawk acceptance of “alternative lifestyles.” These temptations wash over teens for long stretches of time without the immediate intervention or advice of parents. In some sense, every day teens go out the front door, they have been taken away from their parents and mighty forces conspire to destroy their faith. The home, a place of nurturing and supervision, is a temporary shield, where the usual teen spends very few of his waking hours.

This exile dominates teens’ lives from a very early age and into young adulthood. It begins as early as the middle school years. It intensifies when the kids enter high school and when they or their friends get the keys to a car and new independence. It especially intensifies when they go off to college and are gone for weeks or even months. (Incidentally, the challenges to teens’ faith are as present at a religious institution as anywhere else. Too often religious institutions are expected to produce the faithful attitudes that parents have neglected to instill.)

Parents and role models need to equip teens with the faith that will see them through the moral quandaries they will face without immediate direction. Teens must learn them-selves to “remember their Creator in the days of their youth” (Eccl. 12:1). We can expect that kind of faithful behavior because Daniel exhibited it under the worst of circumstances.

Also, the text leaves open the possibility that Daniel was just being sure, since it doesn’t come right out and explain exactly why the meat was defiling. Was Daniel sure it was defiling, or was he just making sure? Makes him seem extra faithful  he was sure from v. 8. Since the text doesn’t explain why it could have been defiling, it at least introduces the possibility that Daniel was being sure. He could have been going beyond a careless sort of caution, just to be sure. Certainly an extremely mature attitude.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 24-25
April 3, 1997

By Jonathan Brown

When one thinks of the great men of faith from the Bible one tends to think of Abraham, Noah, or Moses. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews, which many have referred to as the “Great Hall of Faith,” includes these men and many others like them. Surprisingly, however, this list also includes the Old Testament judge, Samson. Hebrews 11:32 reads: “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.” One may ask, “Why is Samson included in this list of faithful men?” This is the same Samson who decided he wanted an evil Philistine woman, rather than a godly Israelite woman, for a wife (Judg. 14:1-3). This is the same man who, because he lost a bet with thirty men, killed and robbed thirty other men to pay-off his debt (14:12-19). He is the same judge of God’s people who went in unto a harlot in Gaza (16:1, 2). This is the same Israelite that fell in love with a Philistine woman that tricked him into breaking his Nazarite vow (14:12-19). On the surface, it appears that he deserves to be on the list of “God’s most unfaithful servants,” rather than Hebrew’s “great men of faith.”

However, the Hebrew writer continues in Hebrews 11:33-34 to explain that the men mentioned in v. 32, including Samson, were men “who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, be-came mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” This passage teaches that, despite his failings, Samson was a faithful man of God. A closer look at some of Samson’s faithful acts reveals why the Holy Spirit included him in this list.

Shut the Mouths of Lions (Neb. 11:33)

In v. 32, the Hebrew writer states that the people he listed “shut the mouths of lions” by faith. This could apply to Samson. When he was on his way to Timnah to find a Philistine, “a young lion came roaring toward him” (Judg. 14:5). With the Spirit of the Lord, Samson tore the lion “as one tears a kid” (v. 6) with his bare hands. Samson could not have expected this event. If Samson had known a lion was going to attack him on this path, he would have chosen another one. Yet, he was ready. Similarly, we must also arm ourselves in the Lord so that we will be ready for the unexpected spiritual trials that frequent our path.

Samson did not overcome the lion by his own strength, but by the “Spirit of the Lord.” As strong as he was, he could only do great things with the strength of God. This may be the one redeeming quality of Samson’s character. He allowed God to help him to do that which he could not do alone. Because the Spirit of the Lord came during Samson’s greatest need, Samson needed no other weapon.

Being much weaker in strength than Samson, we are foolish when we try to take on the unexpected dangers that occur in our lives without the help of the Lord. We can do “all things through Christ who strengthens” us (Phil. 4:13). He is there to help us in our times of greatest need. We must have faith in God, as Samson did, to overcome spiritual dangers. When we have overcome these dangers, we will have strength and endurance in us that we may be “complete and lacking in nothing” (Jas. 1:2-4).

Performed Acts of Righteousness (Heb. 11:33)

We also see Samson’s faithful dependence on God at the end of chapter 15. After defeating a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey, Samson became very thirsty. Samson realized that God was the sustainer of his life and asked God to quench his thirst, confidently knowing that God could. At first, Samson’s prayer seems disrespectful and out of anger toward God. Samson, however, also acknowledged that he should glorify God because it was by his power that he killed 1,000 men. Furthermore, Samson did not want God’s glorious victory to be diminished by the surrendering of one of God’s servants to his enemies. Viewed in that light, his prayer was the furthest thing from being disrespectful. Because of his sincere prayer, God sent water to revive Samson. As James writes, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (Jas. 5:16). Certainly, it was “by faith” that Samson “performed” this act of righteousness.

Became Mighty in War, Put Foreign Armies to Flight (Heb. 11:34)

As a judge, one of Samson’s responsibilities was to de-liver God’s people from oppressors (Judg. 2:18). Samson was faithful to God by carrying out God’s purpose for him. The Scriptures tell us that Samson sought “an occasion against the Philistines” (14:4). Samson found two separate occasions to afflict the Philistines in chapter 15. The first was “a great slaughter” (v. 8). The second was the occasion where Samson killed a thousand men with a jawbone of a donkey (v. 5). Samson certainly became “mighty in war” and “put foreign armies to flight” for the sake of God and his people.

God has given us a purpose as well. Paul said that we were “created for good works, which God prepared before-hand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Like Samson, we must be faithful to God by carrying out his purpose for us. We must constantly seek occasions to do good works for God and men. Only then may we be “mighty in war” in God’s army.

Mockings . . . Chains and Imprisonment

… Afflicted, Ill-treated (Heb. 11:36, 37)

As a result of Delilah’s trickery, Samson lost his strength and the Philistines put him in chains. According to Hebrews 11:36-37, the Philistines afflicted him by gouging out his eyes and taking him to a pagan ceremony where they mocked him in front of 3,000 spectators. Samson realized that his sin had caused all these worldly people to mock both him and God. Faithfully, Samson did not give up on God and prayed for deliverance. God granted him strength again. Samson used this God-given strength to carry out God’s will and deliver God’s people from their enemies. While this cost Samson his life, it allowed him to kill “more than those whom he killed in his life” (Judg. 16:30). Samson died faithfully.

There might be some public sin in our lives at times that may cause the God whom we claim to serve and the brethren with whom we have fellowship to be mocked and tortured. In this situation we must repent and faithfully pray to God to give us strength. In repenting, we must turn away from sin and try to correct our lives in the area in which we were wrong. We must use the newly found strength to over-come God’s enemies with abstinence from sin. In doing so, we will live faithfully.

Conclusion

We live in a world in which we look at most things from a pessimistic point of view. I have always tended to do this with the life of Samson. It is remarkable to consider that de-spite all the evil things he did in his life, he was able to turn back to God and God then considered him faithful. It gives us courage to know that we can turn from our many failures and faithfully do the things God has planned for us to do.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 20-21
April 3, 1997