Tag Archives: James Montgomery Boice

Preaching from the Old Testament: Boice on Hosea 4

03 Monday Feb 2014

Posted by in Hosea, James Montegomery Boice, Preaching, Romans

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Hosea 4 contains a condemnation of the priests of Israel for failing to instruct the people about the covenant:

Hosea 4:6 (ESV)

            6       My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;

      because you have rejected knowledge,

      I reject you from being a priest to me.

                  And since you have forgotten the law of your God,

      I also will forget your children.

(A minority of commentators take “I reject you from being a priest to me” as a reference to Israel generally. Even if one were to grant that unlikely point, the remainder of the chapter explicitly singles out the priests for condemnation in their work.)

The pastor of a Christian congregation thus faces a challenge with such a text: How can I preach this passage to a contemporary congregation?  The passage cannot be understood and applied exactly on Hosea’s terms, because no one alive today is an Israelite existing in the Northern Kingdom prior to the Assyrian invasion.

Consider the condemnation in general:  The people who claim to be the people of God do not have a proper knowledge of God.  That lack of knowledge has led to a host of sins (detailed by Hosea) which sins invite the covenant curses coming upon the people.

That same principle applies directly to the people of God today. Our lives directly reflect our knowledge of God.  Hosea explicitly states in 4:1 that a lack love is conjoined to a lack of knowledge of God. In 6:6, Hosea says that God desires such love and knowledge. How then does one obtain the knowledge?

The primary way such knowledge is conveyed in both the OT and the NT is through public instruction. Hosea contains a sharp rebuke of priests who fail to perform their function. The Scripture repeatedly condemns those who take the responsibility of instructing and then fail to rightly perform that function.

From that one could draw various applications: 1) The duty of pastors to rightly teach; 2) the obligation of Christians to be taught; 3) the condemnation of those who fail in this task; 4) the responsibility of Christians toward poor teachers (even if they are not “false” teachers); 5) the responsibility to obtain such knowledge.

James Montgomery Boice took a radically different tact in handling this passage.

To apply this passage to his congregation, Boice went through Romans 1:18, et seq.  Boice argues by analogy based upon Paul’s proposition concerning human knowledge of God in Romans 1:18, et seq. (which I have posted in the margin):[1]

 

How pointedly this all comes down to us! Here we think of the first chapter of Romans—indeed, we can hardly fail to think of it—for the argument brought against Israel in Hosea 4 is precisely the argument that Paul brings against the race as a whole in his great doctrinal epistle. We may even go further. The similarity of ideas and even verbal echoes between these two chapters indicate that Paul probably had Hosea’s chapter in mind as he penned his own indictment of the gentile nations….

Paul is saying three important things in these verses. First, God has given a revelation of himself to all people from which, however, all have departed.

James Montgomery Boice, The Minor Prophets, Paperback. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2006), 1:43.

What Boice has done is define the indictment of Hosea 4 in general terms:  Human beings are liable before God for rejecting the knowledge God has given them. That does not mean that the information God has given to humanity generally is the same as the information God gave to Israel in particular:

There is a difference here between Paul’s words to the Gentiles and Hosea words to the Jews, for the Gentiles had less knowledge of God than Israel had. Nevertheless, there is an important similarity, for each has departed from that knowledge, however little or great that knowledge was. In the case of the Gentiles, Paul claims only that there was a knowledge of God’s “eternal power and divine nature.”  That is, the Gentiles knew even without the law of Israel (which they did not possess) that God existed and that he was all-powerful. Israel possessed the bulk of the Old Testament and therefore had great knowledge. She knew God as the holy one of the Law and the faithful one of the covenant. To turn from such knowledge was great sin than the sin of the Gentiles. Nevertheless, the sin was the same in nature and the judgment equally justified. (1:43).

General proposition: Human beings are liable to God for rejecting such knowledge of God as they possess.

Application to all humanity: All human beings have sufficient knowledge to know the existence of a Creator, and thus have a duty to worship their Creator as their Creator.

Application to Israel: Israel possessed the knowledge granted to all humanity and possessed additional knowledge, “the law of your God” (Hosea 4:6).

Note, we cannot argue in the opposite direction: One cannot argue that Israel is responsible for not knowing the law of their God on the ground that God has granted a general revelation of God as Creator to all humanity. Israel is responsible for knowing the terms of the Mosaic Covenant because God specifically and verbally gave Israel the terms of the Covenant. Likewise, Paul does not contend that all people are responsible for knowing the Mosaic Covenant; only that all people are responsible for not responding rightly to such revelation as they have received.

For these reasons, Hosea does not rely upon general revelation to support his charge against the people. Rather, Hosea lays the chief blame upon the priests who did not teach the people the content of the covenant.

Boice then lists out the moral effects upon a people which flow from a rejection of the knowledge of God. Boice does not address the reason which Israel in the context of Hosea rejected knowledge of God, and, therefore, does not answer the question of the priest’s responsibility.

While Boice’s exposition is possible, it seems to have drained the bite out of Hosea’s prophecy, because Boice has place the problem “out there”. Those people outside suffer this moral degradation due to a lack of knowledge. That is true, but Hosea didn’t point at the Assyrians: he pointed to Israelites.

While Boice is an admirable preacher, it seems he failed in part to deliver as pointed as the text requires.

 

 

[1] , which reads as follows:

Romans 1:18–32 (ESV)

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

The Word in Acts.2 (Courage)

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in 1 Peter, 2 Corinthians, Acts, Ben Witherington III, Ecclesiology, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Prayer, Preaching

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In Acts 3, Peter and John come to the Temple. At the gate called Beautiful, they meet a lame beggar. Peter speaks to the man and commands the beggar in the name of Jesus to stand and walk (Acts 3:6). The miraculous healing draws a large, to which Peter preaches (Acts 3:11, et seq).

Acts 4 records that the authorities seek to stop the work of the apostles by arresting Peter and John, however, the Word has already begun to work:

1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. Acts 4:1–4 (ESV)

The authorities were angry because “they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead”. The authorities were seeking to squelch the word. Witherington notes the irony:

Here and elsewhere Luke will emphasize that measures, including the use of force, taken against the followers of Jesus are not effective; indeed, they often backfire and lead to further growth of the Christian group. Thus, in v. 4 we hear that in spite of what was said in the previous verse many heard and believed the word of Peter, and we are told they numbered about five thousand.

Ben Witherington, III, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998), 190.  While the authorities sought to stop the power by arresting the Apostles, they failed to realize the true source of their power:

The force on the side of God’s people is the Holy Spirit. It says that when Peter began to speak he was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (v. 8). When we were looking at the account of Pentecost I pointed out that in Acts, on every single occasion, what follows specific mention of a person being filled with the Holy Spirit is strong verbal testimony to Jesus Christ. When people are filled with the Holy Spirit they always speak about Jesus. That is how you can know whether you are filled with the Holy Spirit.

James Montgomery Boice, Acts, An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997), 76.

The Word of God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, has a power which supersedes and runs independently of human control. While the Apostles were officially and publicly discredited and attacked, the Word of God brought men and women to salvation. When the Apostles were in custody and vulnerable to physical pain and loss, the Word of God broke out and Peter spoke:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, Acts 4:8 (ESV)

Not only does Peter speak, but he starts right in one exactly the point which got him into trouble in the first place:

10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10–12 (ESV)

With 5,000 followers, Peter could have at least caused some sort of physical grief for his captors. But he makes no such play. Rather, Peter continues with words:

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3–6 (ESV)

When Peter and John were released they are returned to the congregation and there they pray. They do not pray for any ease of persecution, or privilege or security. Instead, they pray specifically for courage to continue to proclaim the Word despite their circumstance. They rehearse the persecution and perseverance of Jesus, and then seek the same boldness in their own lives:

29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:29–31 (ESV)

The operation of the Spirit and the Word of God brought them to a new and living hope: they were no longer frightened of death and thus could speak with absolute courage:

The Holy Spirit takes from us the fear of death and the grave. The end of unbelievers is certain; the enemy is already doomed; he is living on a lease, as it were. He received that mortal wound when Christ died on the cross, and his time is limited. That is why he is raging. But Christ will come, and with the breath of His mouth He will destroy that arch liar, the enemy of God and of humanity, and send him to everlasting destruction. Do not forget that when the devil plies you with his lies.

Look at the boldness of the apostles as they defied the authorities. They were no longer afraid of death. The early martyrs and confessors went gladly to the lions in the arena, praising God and thanking Him that at last He had accounted them worthy to suffer for the name of their blessed and dear Lord. “They died well,” as John Wesley put it. Why? Because they had a hope of glory; they could see that this is only a transient world. This is not the world of reality; this is the world of appearances. But there is a world that remains.

             There is a land of pure delight

             Where saints immortal reign.

                  Isaac Watts

 

There is a glory yet to be revealed, a day coming when the glory of the sons of God shall be made manifest. A crowning day is coming, a day of ultimate victory and of triumph, when Jesus shall reign from pole to pole. In the light of that day these men and women lived the lives they did and had a joy that persisted even in the midst of tribulations.

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, vol. 2, Courageous Christianity, 1st U.S. ed., Studies in the Book of Acts (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 284-85. In his letter to the churches, Peter notes that the operation of the Spirit and the Word of God is set one’s hope and life upon an undying foundation. It is to be born again of a seed which cannot fail:

23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:23–25 (ESV)

Thus, the Word of God by the operation of the Spirit begets an undying, unfading life – which moves one into realms the world cannot touch.

Boice on Prayer

22 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in Acts, Discipleship, Jim Rosscup, Prayer

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In his sermon on Acts 12:1-19, James Montgomery Boice made the following observations about the prayer of the disciples as Peter lay in prison:

First, they were praying to God. This may sound trivial until one considers that much prayer is more spoken to the air than truly brought to God.  Prayer is not merely speaking, it is “actually a meeting with God.” Thus, rather than consider how long have I prayed, we would better ask how long we have been God.

Second, they were praying together. Now, it is not the volume of prayer which matters:

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:7–8 (ESV)

The belief that God can hear better if we speak more is simply pagan. Boice rightly notes, “The value of united prayer is that the minds and hearts of God’s people are being brought together on that matter.”

Third, the Christians were praying earnestly. “Those who study revivals tells us that there has never been a great revival that has not been preceded by strong, fervent, united prayer by Christians people.”  On this, I would recommend Jonathan Edward’s A Call to United Extraordinary Prayer.

Fourth, the Christians were praying specifically. Dr. Rosscup has said that if we do not pray specifically, we will never know when God has answered our prayer.