QaA_XVII

Answer from Polly: Proverbs 27:10 is speaking of a friend and a relative and not "Christian brother". Normally in times of need a brother (relative) is helpful but if the brother lives a great distance away, a neighbor may be far more helpful. Solomon put great value on friendship and was saying not to desert a tried and true friend when the ties of blood family might be less reliable. In other words, the close friend may know more about your trouble than a brother (relative) that has always lived away from you and in whom you have not confided.

Question: I know the bible does not have the word compromise in it, because I have been looking for it and have not been able to find it. My question is, is there scripture that tells us not to compromise with sin? I am asking this question because I had a Christian brother who told me that if our spouse is allowing sinful behavior in our marriage, we would have to compromise the act, because we were married.

Answer from Polly: Compromise is an amicable agreement between parties in controversy. Jesus said; "why is my language not clear to you? You belong to your father the devil. He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God", (John 8:42-47). No compromise there! Adam and Eve tried to compromise with God and made a deal with the devil (Genesis 3:1-19). Even Jesus Christ did not try to compromise with God saying that He did not speak of His own accord, but the Father who sent Him commanded Him what to say and how to say it (John 12:49-50). The final warning comes in Revelation 3:14-16, when Christ is about to spit out of His mouth the ones who are lukewarm (the ones who compromise the Word of God). Your brother might be referring to 1 Corinthians 7:12-16, instructing a spouse to stay with the unbelieving spouse in order that they might be sanctified. Or perhaps Romans 12:18; "if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live in peace with everyone". However, this is speaking of repaying evil for evil to another human and not a compromise with God.

Question: Are there any parallels between Jeremiah (book of Jeremiah) and Ezekiel (book of Ezekiel)?

Answer from Polly: The entire Bible is paralleled with itself. The Old Testament is filled with prophecies that are continuously being fulfilled in the New Testament. Ezekiel, although older than Jeremiah, prophesied in the same time frame as Jeremiah. Ezekiel was in the Babylonian captivity, while Jeremiah remained with the Remnants in Jerusalem but later was taken hostage to Egypt. Both Prophets preached judgment on Judah and the surrounding nations and the promised restoration of Israel. Jeremiah's book was most likely written in Jerusalem and includes prophecies against Judah, the future restoration of Israel, the fall of Jerusalem and her flight to Egypt, prophecies against the foreign nations and the capture and destruction of Jerusalem. Ezekiel's book was probably written while he was in Babylon and includes the judgment on sinful Judah, judgment on the Gentiles, the promised restoration of Israel and the new Temple. As with all the prophets they were looking to the end times and trying to "ready" the people through repentance.

Question: The bible states that GOD IS A SPIRIT and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Can you give me several examples of people who in the bible who worshipped in spirit and in truth....

Can you also give me scritures on those who returned, repented and were renewed. Thank you,

Answer from Polly: With the advent of the Messiah, the time came for a new order of worship. True worshipers are those who realize that Jesus is the Truth of God (John 3:21, 14:6) and the one and only Way to the Father (Acts 4:12). To worship in truth is to worship God through Jesus. To worship in Spirit is to worship in the new realm which God has revealed to people. The Father is seeking true worshipers because He wants people to live in reality and not in falsehood. Everybody is a worshiper (Romans 1:25) but because of sin many are blind and constantly put their trust in worthless objects, in which case God will give them over to their sinful desires (Romans 1:21-24). Examples of people in and out of the Bible that worship in Spirit and in Truth are born again Christians that continuously follow Jesus, because "you yourselves are God's temple and God's Spirit lives in you" (1 Corinthians 3:16).

One of the main characters to deny, return, repent and renew would be Peter; denying Christ three times in the courtyard (Mark 14:66-71); weeping over his denial (Mark 14:72); preaches at Pentecost, heals and continues although challenged by the Sanhedrin (Acts 2, 3:1-10, 3:11-26, 4:1-22); renewed by Jesus and commissioned to "feed His sheep" (John 21:15-17). Everyone should repent and be saved (Luke 13:5, Acts 2:38, John 6:47, 3:5-7); the returning is a separate action from salvation and God says if you will return to Him, He will return to you (Malachi 3:2); renewal is done at the time of salvation through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5) and continued through-out our Christian life by the renewal of one's mind (Romans 12:1-2).

Question: What does Zechariah 14:21 mean? Will the Caananite be allowed to worship in the temple during the kingdom years?

Answer from Polly: The holiness of Judah and Jerusalem during the Messiah's 1000 year reign on earth will characterize Millennial life (Zechariah 8:3), whether it be in public life (bells of the horses), religious life (cooking pots in the Lord's house i.e. the Millennial Temple, Ezekiel 40-43), or private life (every pot in Jerusalem and Judah). Perhaps the general thought is the removal of a division between secular and sacred. In the Old Testament a Canaanite had become symbolic of anything ceremonially unclean and ungodly (the dishonest "merchant" in Hosea 12:7 is literally "the Canaanite"). In the Millennial Temple no such defilement will occur; thus Zechariah's prophetic book which began with a call to repentance (Zechariah 1:2-6) concludes with an affirmation that ALL will be holy to the Lord (Zechariah 14:20-21). Because He is the Lord Almighty and the Holy One, He will establish holiness throughout the glorious Millennium. So in answer to your question, the Canaanite who has repented and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ will worship in the Millennium (Revelation 20:1-6).

Question: What were the main differences between the kings and judges of Israel?

Answer from Polly: A Judge executed justice and relieved the oppressed and judged the people according to the Laws of God. At the end of Judges (21:25); "there was no king and everyone did as he saw fit". In 1st Samuel 8:1-21 the people of Israel were dissatisfied with everything including the Judges and demanded that the Prophet Samuel ask God for a king. He tried to dissuade them, explaining that God was the True King and that by rejecting Samuel and his advice they were actually rejecting God as their King (1 Samuel 8:7). Therefore the Lord told Samuel; "listen to them and give them a king" (1 Samuel 8:22).

As with the Judges, the kings were good, bad and some evil and most of them knew little about the Laws of God. They were to rule the land in accordance with the will of God but as you read through the Old Testament you will find that few did as they were directed by the Prophets of God. Although Psalm 72 speaks of the Millennial Reign of the Messiah, it is an outline of the duties of an earthly king.