What happens if we sometimes find ourselves wondering the same things about God and His Law and the Gospel as do those who do not believe? Does God mind if we ask “the hard questions” concerning faith and it’s practices and applications? Or should we just learn to keep it to ourselves? In our lesson today, our pastor / teacher Landis Fisher provides some interesting insight into these questions and more in a lesson from our ongoing study through the gospel of Mark that he calls: “Getting Back to Child-like Faith” So, open your bibles and listen in, as we pray along with our teacher.
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Malachi 2:10 – 17 (KJV)
Mal 2:10 “Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? Mal 2:11 “Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. Mal 2:12 “As for the man who does this, may the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who presents an offering to the LORD of hosts. Mal 2:13 “And this is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. Mal 2:14 “Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Mal 2:15 “But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then, to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. Mal 2:16 “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the LORD of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.” Mal 2:17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”
New Testament Scripture Reading: Mark 10:5 – 16 (KJV)
Mark 10:5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. Mark 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; Mark 10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. Mark 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Mark 10:10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. Mark 10:11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. Mark 10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Mark 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. Mark 10:16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Transforming Power Statements:
#1) On many occasions when the Pharisees or some other antagonist would show up interjecting some controversial issue for the purpose of “tempting” Jesus, His very own disciples many times did not understand the profound answers Jesus would give in providing a solution which generally provoked Jesus to amplify His doctrine to them for their personal clarification. {and ours!} (Romans 8:28, Gen 50:20)
#2) The covenant of marriage is holy, therefore God never intended that it should become subject to frivolous dissolution, although proper provision was allowed in consideration of the aftermath of the fall and the curse, to allow the God-fearing a way to be released from the covenant in extreme cases only, such as fornication, abandonment, or death.
#3) Jesus loved small children greatly and used their innocence as an apt illustration of how we must learn to be child-like in our faith toward God by setting aside the by product of our fallen nature which is “rebellion” which is exacerbated by the pride of this world and promoted by the devil and his hosts as routine.
