The fact that the Bible describes the Christian life as the good “fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) reveals that the believer’s warfare is spiritual and never fleshly. In like manner, the enemy lives within the spiritual realm and this battle cannot be seen with the eyes of flesh. The enemy does not simply reside in a country on the other side of the world. In fact, it is no person or people group on this earth. Believers are told that they do not wrestle “against flesh and blood.” Ultimately, the saints’ enemy is the Devil, but his minions include principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. This means that the saints should never look to flesh and blood (mere mortals) for the source of their frustrations or victories. The fight is one of faith; the enemy, the Devil and the Lord our spiritual Captain (Hebrews 2:10).
At first glance, this passage appears to be less expressive than many others which cover a wider range of study. After all, a single reading of our passage proves that nakedness is the opposite of being clothed or covered. This truth is confirmed by other similar passages as well (Leviticus 18:6; Job 24:7; Isaiah 58:7). However, this subject is much more complicated than merely whether someone is covered or not. It is important to understand the full context. For example, is nakedness the failure to cover every part of the body or are there parts of the body considered secret or private (Isaiah 3:17)? Though there are certainly other secret or private parts, the Lord plainly declared that uncovering the legs and thighs was nakedness (Isaiah 47:1-3). For this reason, the priests were told to wear breeches to cover these parts under their priestly attire (Exodus 28:42).
A leader who has no followers is no leader. The disciples were given some explicit instructions from the Lord. Like each of us, they had a responsibility to do God’s work, yet Simon Peter chose instead to go fishing. His decision influenced others to move in the same direction away from the will of God. The disciples blindly followed his lead. The Lord had admonished Peter to strengthen his brethren (Luke 22:32), but under Peter’s leadership, the disciples became weak through disobedience. Perhaps Peter never desired to be a leader. He may have been satisfied to simply follow others, but God knew what was best for Peter and the other apostles. When Peter made the wrong decisions, he had others that he negatively affected. Every leader must consider that the direction he chooses will lead others in his footsteps.
On the surface, today’s passage does not offer a specific definition for the word hospitality, yet we are not left without clues. First of all, hospitality is something that is done “one to another.” This means that it is an action that should be done to other believers. It should also be done “without grudging.” Additional insight can be gleaned by considering hospitality’s root word, hospital. A basic definition for the word hospital involves a shelter for the needy or a place where the sick can recover. Thus, hospitality involves taking others in, even for a short time, to strengthen them in some area of need. Hospitality can be as simple as sharing a meal together or it may require more effort and time.
Most people never experience the joy of willingly and cheerfully giving to the Lord and His work. The Old Testament set precedence for how much man would give to the Lord. This standard was not the maximum offering but simply the minimum. The Bible repeatedly identifies the amount in scripture as a tithe, which means a tenth (Leviticus 27:32). Failure to give the tithe to the Lord was deemed robbery by God (Malachi 3:8). Simply put, the tithe belonged to God. The tithe, however, was not to be considered the peak of what man gave back to God. It never was intended to be so, nor ever should it be. Those who truly love the Lord will not use the tithe as a maximum amount to give. Instead, they realize that this portion already belongs to the Lord and it serves as the bare minimum of what they should give to Him. Those who pride themselves on tithing, pride themselves on giving God the least.
The modern description of fellowship has been weakened extensively from its original intent. Earlier usage of fellowship always inferred a partnership. The word fellow was used to signify a coworker in Exodus 2:13 and each of the various combinations designated something that people did together (i.e., fellowservants, fellowhelpers, fellowlabours, etc.). Therefore, it is important to realize that fellowship is not merely two people or a group of people coming together in the name of fun. Fellowship involves two or more people uniting together to accomplish a task. Fellowship always suggests a foundational unity of purpose and motive (Amos 3:3). This is why, as we will learn, it is so important that we have the proper biblical fellowship with like-minded believers.
Many things have changed since Old Testament times. For instance, the Lord visited His people in the temple or tabernacle in the Old Testament by dwelling between the cherubims on the ark of God (Psalm 80:1). This ended especially with the onset of the New Testament and the permanent indwelling of God's Spirit within believers. The Lord stressed, “. . . that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (1 Corinthians 3:16). For this reason, the New Testament does not place as much emphasis on reverence in the physical house of God. Regardless, the Lord is not silent concerning our behaviour in His house. We should behave ourselves both respectfully and properly (1 Timothy 3:15). Of all people, Bible believers should demonstrate reverence in the house of God so that others get a sense for our awe of God and His goodness.
From the Old Testament to the New Testament, many things change; however, some themes remain constant. One such theme involves the Lord's desire to use pure things and pure people. God commanded His people in the Old Testament to make sure the things used in the tabernacle were purified (Leviticus 8:15). He also commanded that His servants be purified (Ezra 6:20). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul confirmed the continuation of this theme by saying that “pureness” approved him as a minister of God (2 Corinthians 6:4-6). God still requires those who serve to strive to live pure and holy lives. Impurities hinder the Lord’s effectiveness in our lives though we may not be aware of the hindrance.
