Favor and Understanding

Driving home: Mercy in this setting and in the setting in which we traced it out in other passages. Is the Old Testament equivalent to agape. It is that love, that intelligent, purposeful affection which wills and seeks the good of it…

Mercy and truth are described as 'Siamese twins' or 'mutton jet' to emphasize their inseparable nature in Old Testament thinking and God's character.

They are the Siamese twins, the mutton jet of Old Testament thinking. We saw that again and again, mercy and truth are attributed to God himself. They are essential to the very character of God and they mark all of the ways of God. In the Psalms, we read all thy ways, thy paths, the ruts that the chariot of God cuts as it moves through history are mercy.

2:00 - 2:30 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Mercy in this setting and in the setting in which we traced it out in other passages. Is the Old Testament equivalent to agape. It is that love, that intelligent, purposeful affection which wills and seeks the good of it…

God's 'paths, the ruts that the chariot of God cuts as it moves through history' are mercy and truth, illustrating that these attributes mark all of God's dealings.

They are the Siamese twins, the mutton jet of Old Testament thinking. We saw that again and again, mercy and truth are attributed to God himself. They are essential to the very character of God and they mark all of the ways of God. In the Psalms, we read all thy ways, thy paths, the ruts that the chariot of God cuts as it moves through history are mercy.

2:00 - 2:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin defines 'favor' as gracious, loving acceptance, illustrated by Jacob and Joseph, and 'good understanding' as well-becoming insight or prudence, exemplified by Abigail…

Laban's request to Jacob, 'If now I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry,' illustrates 'favor' as gracious, loving acceptance, where one person desires another to comply with a request out of goodwill.

The context is Jacob and his dealings with Laban. We'll pick up the thread of thought at verse 25. And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto my own country, unto my own place, into my own country. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go, for thou knowest my service, wherewith I have served thee.

7:42 - 8:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin defines 'favor' as gracious, loving acceptance, illustrated by Jacob and Joseph, and 'good understanding' as well-becoming insight or prudence, exemplified by Abigail…

God giving Joseph 'favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison' illustrates 'favor' as loving, gracious acceptance that leads to trust and privilege, even in difficult circumstances.

Genesis 39 and verse 21. The setting here is Joseph having been maligned in his character by Potiphar's wife and placed in prison. We read, But the Lord was with Joseph and showed kindness unto him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison, and the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in his prison, and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. What did God give Joseph in the eyes of the prison keeper? He gave him loving, gracious acceptance, which resulted in the fact of Joseph being entrusted with these privileges. Alright, th...

9:15 - 10:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin defines 'favor' as gracious, loving acceptance, illustrated by Jacob and Joseph, and 'good understanding' as well-becoming insight or prudence, exemplified by Abigail…

Abigail, Nabal's wife, is presented as an example of 'good understanding' due to her spiritual sensitivity and sound judgment in placating David's anger, demonstrating practical wisdom.

And we'll only look at this one example. 1 Samuel 25 and verse 3. If I remember correctly, this is the setting of that woman Abigail, wife of that churlish fellow who about lost his neck because he wouldn't show kindness to King David. Or lost his head, not his neck.

11:23 - 11:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Reflect on your dealings with others and confess if you have not been merciful, if mercy has been 'stuffed in your back pocket' rather than adorning your life.

The delight a parent finds in a child's increasing obedience as they develop is used to illustrate how a child grows in the parent's favor, paralleling Jesus' growth in favor with the Father.

Jesus grew advanced in the favor of God. A favor based upon the increased reflection of likeness and also the matter of obedience as a son. What brings greater delight to the heart of a parent than to see a child delighting to obey him? And when that obedience becomes more and more extensive as the child develops and the sphere of responsibility increases, and the sphere of the child's knowledge of what is expected increases, if obedience keeps pace with that increased measure of understanding, what happens to a parent's heart?

18:33 - 19:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Reflect on your dealings with others and confess if you have not been merciful, if mercy has been 'stuffed in your back pocket' rather than adorning your life.

A believer having 'mercy, as it were, stuffed in my back pocket and been sitting upon it' illustrates a failure to outwardly display mercy, showing a lack of adornment in life.

He sees us come to a passage such as we came to last week and we reflect upon it and we say, Lord, in my dealings with so and so, I've not been dealing in mercy. They'd never know that I was wearing mercy around my neck. I've had mercy, as it were, stuffed in my back pocket and been sitting upon it. I haven't been adorning life with mercy and Lord, the reason I haven't is because it's not being written upon the tables of my heart.

21:04 - 21:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God to take away the sin of unkindness and grant you to be kind and merciful, especially if you have nursed grudges or suspicion.

Paul's experiences in jail, shipwreck, or at a wealthy Christian's house are used to show that his constant motivation was to walk in a way that evoked the favor of his Heavenly Father.

What is Paul saying? He's saying wherever I go, down in a jail at Philippi, out in a shipwreck in the midst of the Mediterranean, sitting at the house of some wealthy Christian eating filet mignon when I'm abounding, when I'm abased, he said the thing that drives me, the thing that motivates me is wherever I go, I want to know that I'm so walking as to evoke the favor of my Heavenly Father. He knows that the matter of judicial favor has been earned by the Father and he can add nothing to it. Jesus Christ has earned the judicial favor of God.

23:32 - 24:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But my friend, you can incur the frown of God as a father or you can incur the smile of God as a father and God's smile and frown in the father-son relationship is based upon your conduct. No, it isn't. That's Bible.

The example of people squabbling over eating or not eating (Romans 14) illustrates how preoccupation with externals misses the true essence of the kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Verse 18. Here these people are squabbling and all upset about externals. Human heart doesn't change. You want to get people in a good old debate, you'd get them talking about what they should eat or shouldn't eat.

25:01 - 25:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine your heart: if the knowledge that a course of action will bring the favor of God does not 'turn you on,' it is a sign of spiritual ill-health.

The statement 'even the plowing of the wicked is sin' is used to illustrate that without union with Christ, even seemingly good works do not please God, though they may be 'better than bad bad works'.

That's why the Scripture says even the plowing of the wicked is sin. Now you better go out and plow or you'll be guilty of a greater sin. Your best works are nothing but bad good works. Now they're better than bad bad works.

27:26 - 27:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine your heart: if the knowledge that a course of action will bring the favor of God does not 'turn you on,' it is a sign of spiritual ill-health.

The beauty of a son motivated by the thought of bringing a smile of approval from his father is used to highlight the strong incentive that the favor of God should be for a true Christian.

How beautiful it is to see the son motivated by the thought that what he does will bring the smile of his father's approval. That he'll find favor in the eyes of his father. Now let me ask you a question as you sit here tonight. Is this any kind of a reward to you?

28:47 - 29:05 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Now, you see, men are pragmatists, men of the world. They may have no sympathy for the roots out of which a merciful, truthful man lives and acts, but they sure like the fruits of it.

Paul's willingness to forgo eating meat offered to idols, even if it was a 'bargain,' illustrates virtuous man-pleasing where one accommodates to the weak conscience of others out of love, not fear.

If you get it as a bargain. Remember, Paul was a Jew. He says, that's fine. It's fine.

35:43 - 35:48 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Now, you see, men are pragmatists, men of the world. They may have no sympathy for the roots out of which a merciful, truthful man lives and acts, but they sure like the fruits of it.

Joseph in Potiphar's household and Daniel in Babylon are examples of godly men whose character, though rooted in faith in Jehovah, earned them favor and leadership positions among unbelievers who appreciated the 'fruits' of their godliness.

There's no indication that multitudes in Potiphar's household were brought to faith in Jehovah, but they sure like the way Joseph's faith in Jehovah made him conduct himself so wherever he went, he was brought to a place of leadership and responsibility. Look at Daniel, down in that bastion of heathenism. Babylon, raised to a place of tremendous prominence until he's second only in the whole kingdom. They didn't particularly like the roots out of which that merciful, trustworthy character was formed, but they liked the fruits of it.

37:11 - 37:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of any perspective which courts the favor of men at the expense of the favor of God.

Martin references William Cunningham's analysis of Melanchthon's temperament, describing him as a man who loved peace and sought to keep things quiet, illustrating the danger of prioritizing man's favor (peace) over God's favor (truth).

I've been reading this week in William Cunningham, The Reformers and the Theology of the Reformation, and in his very perceptive essay on Melanchthon and the Church of England, you can see Cunningham with a Christian spirit trying to analyze the mentality and the spirit of Melanchthon, the man who was Luther's right-hand man, but is unlike Luther as night and day. What Melanchthon would have been like if he didn't see Luther's excesses and what Luther would have been like if he didn't have Melanchthon to balance him out, God alone knows what would have happened for good or for evil in both cas...

39:43 - 41:03 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of the perspective which professes to be concerned only with the favor of God and is indifferent to the favor of men, as God has placed you in this world with social responsibilities.

The contemporary attitude of dismissing a marriage license as 'just a piece of paper' illustrates indifference to the favor of men and social responsibilities, which Martin argues is not true biblical godliness.

I quote again from 1 Corinthians 10.33 Even as I seek to please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many. You ever heard this in our day? Look, what's a piece of paper with marriage?

43:03 - 43:24 Read in full sermon