Pastor Joe Sugrue - Grace and Truth Podcast

Title: Judges 17. The first appendix: Some precautionary principles before studying apostasy.

The study of the mindset of apostate Israel emphasizes repeatedly what the right conduct of the child of God should be. It is a repeated presentation of the death certificate of the old man in us. It is a repeated call to the new man that we are to think and conduct ourselves in the manner of our divine nature. The old man is selfish and self-centered while the new creature is selfless and full of divine love.

When we study the failure of Israel, we are not only shown what not to do, but more so we are challenged to be and conduct ourselves as who we are in Christ. This is the most challenging call by far, and a few principles of truth will serve us well before we continue in this sad time in Jewish history.

1Pe 1:13 Therefore, gird your minds for action,...

for full notes: http://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1666

Title: Judges 17. The first appendix: Syncretism in Israel.

The Appendices - 17:1 - 21:25

First: Micah's Levite and the Migration of Dan

The appendices furnish valuable materials for forming a correct idea of the actual character of this portion of the Israeli history. The first appendix is about the migration of the tribe of Dan and the second is about Israel's war with the tribe of Benjamin. We cannot say for certain when these events occurred in the period of the Judges. Evidence points to the first appendix to have occurred after the time of Samson and the second, the war with Benjamin, occurred much earlier in the book.

Jdg 17:1 Now there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah.

Jdg 17:2 And he said to his mother,...

for full notes: http://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1665

Title: Judges 17. The first appendix: Micah's Levite and the migration of Dan depict the character of Israel.

Samson's life was a paradox of good and evil as is the history of Israel. He was not the spiritual hero as the rabbis depicted him who revised the obvious history in the scripture.

This ends the body of the book of Judges.

The Appendices - 17:1 - 21:25

First: Micah's Levite and the Migration of Dan

The appendices furnish valuable materials for forming a correct idea of the actual character of this portion of the Israeli history. The first appendix is about the migration of the tribe of Dan and the second is about Israel's war with the tribe of Benjamin. We cannot say for certain when these events occurred in the period of the Judges....

for full notes: http://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1664

Title: Doctrine of the New Covenant, part 20.

The people of the Indus River Valley reached a peak between 2600 and 1900 BC. Abraham lived near the end of this period. We have no idea what happened to the people of the Indus River Valley. Was there a war, famine, plague? We know almost nothing about them. There were likely about 5 million of them and they built sophisticated cities (Mohenjo-daro). I only mention them for the purpose of illustrating that we know so little about the civilizations of that time and that we know almost nothing of God's dealings with man outside of the revelation of the Bible. Why did God choose Abraham over someone else in Ur or why didn't God choose someone from the Indus?

Rom 9:10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one...

for full notes: http://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1663

Title: Doctrine of the New Covenant, part 19.

Gal 6:12 Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

Sadly, this infers that some Jewish Christians or professing Christians, under the pressure of their fellow Jews put themselves back under the Law of Moses, counting physical circumcision to be a necessary in the work for salvation, so that they could avoid the persecution that their fellow Jews hurled at them. Not content to fall from grace alone, in their cowardice before these bullies, they heartily worked to convince Gentile Christians to do the same in order to make a good showing.

Gal 6:13 For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may...

for full notes: http://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1662

Title: Doctrine of the New Covenant, part 18.

Paul then lists 5 things about the uncircumcised Gentiles.

Eph 2:11 Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands -

Eph 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Uncircumcised Gentiles:

Without Christ (Messiah)

Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel

Strangers from the covenants of "the"...

for full notes: http://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1661

Title: Doctrine of the New Covenant, part 17.

Are Jew and Gentile separate in this age? Jesus has reconciled us both to the full status of sons. The distinction in our age is only in believer and unbeliever. All who believe, Jew or Gentile, are made members of the body of Christ forever.

The mystery is that the Gentiles and the Jews would become beneficiaries of God's greatest blessings. They would become brand new creatures of the church, erasing all ethnic division.

As we have noted, these blessing were prophesied in the New Covenant, all of which are spiritual. We also note that this does not fulfill the covenant. The covenant will be fulfilled in the future Millennial reign of Christ in which all of the spiritual and material blessings will be given to the nation of Israel as promised to Abraham. However, through...

for full notes: http://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1660

Title: Doctrine of the New Covenant, part 16.

So we would conclude that the NC was instituted when Jesus died and His sacrifice finished, while the realization of the benefits of the covenant was future from that point.

By the grace of God, the church was given the spiritual aspects of the covenant, salvation, the forgiveness of sin, the ministry of the Holy Spirit: but the church is never promised physical blessings, such as inheritance in a land, material blessings on the earth, and rest from oppression.

So then the church cannot fulfill the covenant, but it can be sharers in certain aspects of it. For the covenant to be fulfilled, all of it must be realized, and that will occur at the second coming of Christ in which He will give all of its spiritual and physical blessings to...

for full notes: http://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1659

Title: Doctrine of the New Covenant, part 15.

The Mosaic Covenant was only able to cover the sins of Israel, but the NC will take them away.

As we see in the NC, "I will remember their sins no more," and for this to be true there has to be a remission of sins.

Mat 26:27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you;

Mat 26:28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

Mar 14:24

And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many."

Luke and Paul quote Jesus as saying "This is the new covenant in My...

for full notes: http://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1658

Title: Doctrine of the New Covenant, part 14.

We noted last night that in the Millennium all believers will know the Lord, and that during that thousand years the earth will be without lies and deception. It may be that those in the Millennium who know the Lord will look back at our history and its rampant deception, and they will marvel at those who despite our world came to know the Lord.

Heb 8:10 "For this is the covenant that I will make ["covenant that I will covenant" - the noun and the verb are of the same root] with the house of Israel

After those days, says the Lord:

I will put My laws into their minds,

And I will write them upon their hearts.

And I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.

Heb 8:11 "And...

for full notes: http://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=1657