Tuesday, 22 May 2007

1 Peter Chapter 5 – ‘Trouble with the Sheep’

Conclusion to 1 Peter - an overview

We saw how all that Peter would say to those who had a care for the Lords people would be drawn from the pattern of the Chief Shepherd (5:4):

  1. The Shepherds Cross - that is Calvary

  2. The Shepherds Crook - cf. John 21

  3. The Shepherds Crown - cf. the Mount of Transfiguration

3 pictures that were left to Peter of His Saviour

I think that it is very lovely that Peter concludes his epistle as John concludes his gospel, that with a picture of the Shepherd

I can't but help feel that Peter has taken me on a great Journey:

  • Commenced with a 'scattered people' (1:1)

  • Like the nation of Israel of old we were called out of Egypt (1:13) we were girded up as they were in Ex12:11, ready to move out under the blood of the passover lamb: "redeemed not with corruptible things...." (1:18,19)

  • Peter has taught us this, that we are a:

  1. Scattered People
  2. Saved People

  • Saved by His blood, that blood is:

  1. The Blood of my Salvation - out of sin and out of the world

  2. The Blood of my Separation

  • Girded up and moving out

  • Lets never forget that. So many today are keen to grasp the first truth and deny the 2nd - our purpose in this world is not to get on, it is to get through, and the reason lies in the blood of the lamb.

  • Show me a man, show me a woman, a church that appreciates truly the blood of their Salvation, and I will show you a man / a woman who is marked by true separation (1:15-16).

  • Might I say this for peace of mind and of soul and spirit, His blood is the blood of your:

  1. Salvation

  2. Separation

  3. Security

  • That blood is precious

  • Its precious to me - praise the Lord for that, but I don't think that in 1:19 this is the only idea, for when He came and His blood was shed: "we esteemed Him not stricken, smitten of God and afflicted" (Isa 53)

  • Ever before His blood was precious to man it was precious to God.

  • Ever before man appreciated His blood, God appreciated His blood.

  • My mind goes back to Exodus 12 - the the lamb taken and slain and the blood applied, it was precious blood, precious to the first born in the house, that was true, precious to the family, that also was true, but the blood could only be precious to the first born and to the family because the blood was first precious to God, therein lay the power of the blood: "when I see the blood I will passover you" (Ex12:13)

  • Herein lies the foundation of my security!

  • There could be a home in Egypt and the blood was applied in faith, such a home had absolute confidence that everything would work out, but the security of that family did not rest on how much they believed in the blood, nor in how confident they might feel but their security lay in this in what God thought of the blood, in Gods estimation of the blood, "when I see the blood I will passover you" (Ex12:13).


Sanctified People (chp2):

  1. Feeding on Christ (2:2)

  2. Founded upon Christ (2:5)

  3. Fragrance of Christ:

  • Holy Priesthood (2:5) - serving in the house

  • Royal Priesthood (2:9) - taking a fragrance of Christ out to a lost world.

I will know His power in so far as I know His holiness!


Suffering People:

  1. Redemptive Sufferings marked Christ (3:18)

  2. Retributive Sufferings mark the ungodly

  3. Righteous Sufferings mark the believer (2:20;3:14;4:13) - in so doing we learn the mind of Christ (4:1)

Such sufferings:

  • Purge and purify the believers faith (1:7)

  • Mould the believers character - footsteps (2:21) - such a man or woman is now following the path the master went

  • Judges and purges sin in the believers flesh (4:1-2)

We commenced such studies 1 year ago; in that time some of you have know what it is to go through the 'fiery trial' (4:12)

The most remarkable thing is not that the trial has come your way but that you have come through the trial.

It was hardly surprising that Shadrach, Meschech and Abednego would be cast into the fire, that was inevitable the moment they refused to bow to the idol, what was remarkable was not the fact that they went into the furnace but the fact that the came out the other side!

That was because there was 1 in the furnace with them "like unto the Son of God."

How can a man / woman ever be preserved through the trial only by virtue of this, that there would be one with them, like unto the Son of God!

Shadrach, Meschech and Abednigo, appreciated this that there was only 1 way through the fiery furnace and that was when, "Christ led them through"

There are maybe some today that now, having been led through the fire of affliction they:

  1. Walk a little more like Christ - footsteps

  2. Talk a little more like Christ

  3. Faith has brought us a little closer to Christ

  4. Life is a little more like Christ - flesh

Purged a little more!

How is it that a:

Scattered People has become a Saved People and a Sanctified People

and that by way of being a Suffering People.

Is it not by virtue of this that we are a Shepherded People?

Has He not, "fed his flock like a shepherd, gathered the lambs with his arm, and carried [them] in his bosom, [and] gently led those that are with young." (Isa40:11)

How interesting that the Scattered People of Chp1, the Saved People of Chp1, the Sanctified People of Chp2, The Suffering People of Chps 3+4 become the Shepherded People of Chp5.

"I have a Shepherd one I love so well, that He has loved me tongue can never tell, on the Cross He suffered, shed His blood and died..."

The Shepherd has made of one, out of a scattered people, "one fold and one Shepherd" (Jo10:16)

It would be wise, bearing in mind all that we have learned to pay careful head to the closing admonitions of 1 Peter Chp5:

  1. Pattern of the Shepherd

  2. Problems with the Sheep

  1. The Shepherds Cross (v1)

  2. The Shepherds Crook (v2,3)

  3. The Shepherds Crown (v4)

  1. Purpose of Satan

Problems with the Sheep

The sheep are in danger but they don't realise it!

  1. Self willed Sheep (v5)

  2. Sleeping Sheep (v8)

  3. Straying Sheep (v8)


Self willed Sheep (v5)

Isa 53: "all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way"

Matt 26:33,35: some of us won't be told anything, don't have a teachable spirit, there is a price to pay for that!

The solution to this lies in 1 Peter 5:6.

Sleeping Sheep (v8)

"be vigilant" = "be awake"

A state of spiritual slumber afflicts the sheep

"can ye not watch with me one hour?" (Matt26:40)

Straying Sheep (v8)

Matt26:31 - "smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered"

Matt26:56 - "All the disciples forsook Him and fled"

Matt26:58 - "Peter followed afar off" - does the worlds view of Christ, the unpopularity of Christ, cause us to follow afar off?

Beware: such a self willed sheep (v5), sleeping sheep (v8), straying sheep (v8) can so easily become a swallowed sheep (v8).

It is our "adversary the devil" - "devil" - diabolos - false accuser / slanderer (2:1;3:9)

Wherever the man of God is working the lion won't be afar off: Daniel 6; Ps22; 1Samuel 17.

Posted by JS Gillespie at 22:04 0 comments
Tuesday, 15 May 2007

1 Peter Chapter5 Vs1 to 4 – ‘The Cross, The Crook, The Crown’


  1. The Cross (v1)

  2. The Crook (v2,3)

  3. The Crown (v4)

In so many ways the OT scriptures would prepare me for the advent of Christ:

  1. In Prophecy

  2. In Picture (or type)

  3. In Pattern

I don't know what the Jew made of it at times as they saw so many of these patterns emerging: of salvation, something inexplicably to do with a lamb:


  1. A Lamb for an Individual: Genesis 22
  2. A Lamb for a household: Exodus 12
  3. A Lamb for a Nation, in the evening and morning sacrifice: Numbers 28;
  4. A Lamb for many nations: Isaiah chp 52 & 53
  5. A Lamb for the whole world: John1:29
  6. A Lamb for all of history: 1 Peter1:20
  7. A Lamb for a whole Universe, seated on the throne which governs from heaven: Rev5:6
  8. A Lamb for all of eternity: Revelation chp 21 & 22.


Consider also the fascinating Old Testament pattern of the oak tree as we trace it through the scriptures:

The Oak Tree:

  1. Allonbachuth - the place of weeping - Deborah buried there (Gen35)

  2. Jacob would leave his false Gods there (Gen35)

  3. The first King of Israel, Saul would be buried there (1Sam31:13)

  4. It would be the place where Davids first son to be called King (Absalom) would hang

  5. Goliath of Gath would be defeated there (1Samuel 17)

  6. God would appear to Gideon under the oak tree.


Another pattern that could hardly be missed by the observant Jew was the predominance of Shepherds in their midst:


  1. God was a Shepherd God (Isa 40)

  2. When God chose a King He chose a Shepherd King - David

  3. When God chose a prophet He chose a Shepherd prophet - Moses

  4. When God set up / established a priesthood, He consecrated a shepherd priesthood


Shepherd Priesthood:

Ministering in the Tabernacle:

1 - Table of Shewbread - He would in symbol feed his people, 12 loaves for 12 tribes.

2 - The people were upon "His Heart" - the breastplate of judgment (Ex28:29) - the 12 tribes of Israel utterly secure, bound above by chains of gold, below with cords of blue; "that the breastplate be not loosed from the Ephod." Just in case anyone decided to tackle the high priest, sell the breastplate with its 12 stones on ebay - try and rip the breastplate off - the high priest would come with it. The breastplate was 4 square:

4 Items In the Scripture that are 4 Square:

  1. Breastplate - A Heart for everyone

  2. Altar of Incense - Help for everyone

  3. Brazen Altar - Hope for everyone

  4. New Jerusalem - Home for everyone

3 - The high priest would lead his people - in the breastplate you would find the Urim + Thummim (Ezra 2:63) - if there arose a need for guidance or a need for direction in the nation, guidance could be found from this man.

Psalm 78:72 - The Shepherd character of David: the true Shepherd would feed and lead, he would lead from the heart and would lead that he might feed

The Pattern was Clear:

  1. God is a Shepherd God

  2. When God chose a King He chose a Shepherd King

  3. When God chose a prophet He chose a Shepherd prophet

  4. When God consecrated a priesthood, He consecrated a Shepherd priesthood

Such a pattern we find fulfilled in Christ

"These are they which testify of me"

So we find all fulfilled in Christ: A Prophet, A Priest, A King and He is a Shepherd:

  1. Chief Shepherd (1Peter5:4) - think of His Character which is to mark the elders too.

  2. Good Shepherd (John10) - think of His Care for the Sheep:

Brings Salvation (Jo10:11,28)

Brings Sustenance (Jo10:9)

Brings Security (Jo10:27ff)


There is a sad little doctrine that some hold to: that I can be saved one day and lost the another

There are various ways to answer this:

  1. Doctrinally - from election (Eph1)

Simplest way I can answer this, to the satisfaction of my soul is from the character of the Good Shepherd; He is the Good Shepherd who "gave His life for the sheep" He rescued me from the jaws of the lion and the paw of the bear. Do I really think that He who gave Himself for me and who rescued me from the jaw of the lion and the paw of the bear is somehow going to pick me up and feed me back to the lion? (1 Peter5:8) - not for a minute!

  1. The Great Shepherd (Heb13:20)

The completeness of His work:

"through His blood" (v20)

"from the dead" (v20)

"in the believer" (v21)


Christ has begun a good work in me and He will also perform it unto the Day of Jesus Christ.

It is to the same Shepherd that Peter directs me in 1 Peter chp5, he will speak of:

  1. A Cross (v1)

  2. A Crook (v2-3)

  3. A Crown (v4)

It is of course:

  1. A Shepherds Cross (v1)

  2. A Shepherds Crook (v2-3): -

  1. He will feed (v2),

  2. He will care (v2)

  3. He will lead by example (v3)


  1. A Shepherds Crown (v4)

Peter takes us to 3 glimpses, 3 experiences he has had of the Shepherd, an experience of:

The Shepherds Cross (v1)

Peter knows all about that: "sufferings of Christ"

He was with the Lord in the upper room as the Saviour deliberately took bread and brook it: "take eat this is my body" (Matt26:26); "this is my blood" (Matt26:28)

He was with the Shepherd in the garden of Gethsemane: Matt 26:37 "took with Him Peter and the 2 sons of Zebedee and begun to be sorrowfull and very heavy."

"my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death" (Matt26:38)

When all the disciples forsook Him and fled still Peter "followed, afar off" to the Palace of Caiaphas the High Priest.

May be today you are following but "afar off" - saved but at a distance, maybe the Lord would call you close as only a Shepherd can.

I can't shout you closer, but maybe He can call you closer, for you know His voice: "my sheep hear my voice and they follow me..."

Peter certainly witnessed the sufferings of Christ - but are they the sufferings of a Shepherd?

Ringing in his ear, his last words to Christ: "though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended." (Matt26:33)

Why did Peter say that?

In response to the Lords quotation of Zech13:7 "I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered" (Matt26:31)

These are the sufferings of the Shepherd

These were the words Peter could never forget:

The Lord said - Zech 13:7.

Peter said - Matt 26:33

and Luke records Lk22:61; having denied the Lords the 3rd time: "The Lord turned and looked upon Peter," and "Peter went out and wept bitterly" (22:62)

For Peter the sufferings of Christ would always be the sufferings of the smitten Shepherd, sufferings he had said wouldn't happen, that he would stop.

All of 1 Peter will follow the same pattern as that of Zechariah, almost an exposition of Zech 13:7:

  1. Scattered People

  2. Sacred Dwelling

  3. Sanctified Priesthood: A Royal Priesthood, A Holy Priesthood

  4. Suffering Shepherd


The Shepherds Crook (vs2-3)

On resurrection ground the smitten Shepherd would return (John21) with a most interesting commission for Peter

To feed my lambs and feed my sheep

The one who had denied the Shepherd is commissioned to care for the flock, such is the Grace of God! He is “the God of all Grace” (1Peter5:10).

Peter is uniquely qualified, he has learned the greatest lesson in the care of the flock; that care for the flock will and must flow from, devotion to the Shepherd.

That was a painful lesson to learn

I would judge that Peter learned it early that morning as the cock crowed and he went out and wept bitterly.

The Shepherds Crown (v4)

Vision of the coming Christ

Mount of transfiguration (Lk9;Matt17) where he had the experience of / the anticipation of the Glory of Christ.

It will be a Shepherd who will lead us into Glory; He will finish the work He has begun: “from the dead”, “through blood” and “in the believer” – the Great Shepherd (Heb13:20-21).

The chief Shepherd will reward all other Shepherds (5:4) and the Chief Shepherd will return for His flock.


Posted by JS Gillespie at 22:01 0 comments
Tuesday, 10 April 2007

1 Peter Chp4 Vs1-11; Luke4:1-30 – ‘Death in the Flesh and Life in the Spirit’

Notes on 1 Peter from a message preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Vs1-6 – Deal with Death

Vs7-11 – Deal with Life

Vs12-19 – Deal with Suffering


More Particularly:


Vs 1-6 – We see Death in the Flesh

Vs 7-11 – We see Life in the Spirit

Vs 12-19 – We see Suffering in Christ


It is of course quite inevitable that if I come to know what it is to experience:


Death in the Flesh:

  1. I give up the old sins (v1)

  2. I give up the old desires (v2)

  3. I give up the old relationships (v3)

& Life in the Spirit

Then it will not be long before I learn what it is to know suffering in Christ.


Death in the Flesh (4:1-6)

End to the old sin (v1)

End to the old desires (v2)

End to the old friendships (v3-4)

There are 3 things that bring about the death in the flesh:

  1. The Cross of Christ (v1)

  2. The Court of God (v5)

  3. The Crown of Life (v6)

The Cross of Christ (v1)

From common human experience there are perhaps 4 reasons why I might stop sinning:

  1. The Condemnation of Law: “The soul that sinneth it shall die” (Ezek18:20)

  2. The Removal of Opportunity – incarceration

  3. The Conviction of Conscience – by the Holy Spirit as a believer

  4. The Suffering of Consequences

This is where Peter has brought us to in 4:1 – The Suffering of Consequences

Christ has done the suffering – now you do the ceasing.

Can I see the consequences of my sin?

These sins put my Lord on the tree, they put Gods Son through the suffering of Calvary!

Can I not see the seriousness of them? Can I not taste the bitterness of these sins?

  1. Can I not taste the anguish of a father as he leads a son up Mt. Moriah?

  2. Of the cry of David for Absalom: “And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2Sam18:33).

  3. Of the cry of the Son in Psalm22:1.

  4. Of the sorrow of Christ in Lamentations (Lam1:12-13)

Why? “Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh”

Sin is a serious thing

Sin, lusts, the world is a doomed thing – can God permit it to continue? Calvary is an end of sin, the world and the lusts of the flesh.

The Court of God (v5)

“ready” to judge – just waiting – how much longer?


The Crown of Life (v6)


Life in the Spirit (4:7-11)


3 Features of life in the Spirit:


  1. Man Communicating with God – Prayer (v7)

  2. Man Communicating with Man – Love (v8-10)

  3. God Communicating with Man – Preaching (v11)


The life of the Spirit in the Life of the believer

Be careful not to cut off any one of these 3

All 3 needed for life in the Spirit


  1. Man Communicating with God – Prayer (v7)


The necessity of prayer, dependance upon God

Consider evangelism – men “dead in trespasses in sin” (Eph2:1), “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day,” (Jo6:44)

Without a movement of the Spirit of God nothing will happen


  1. Man Communicating with Man – Love (v8-10)



  1. God Communicating with Man – Preaching (v11)


God communicating with man – not man with man! Be very careful here!!

Have you notice how Christ spoke at the Synogogue in Nazareth in Luke 4?

On each of these 3 occasions Christ brings the message of God

There is a difference between the message of God and the truth of God

When Christ brings a message He brings it in the power of the Spirit: 4:1,14,18.

There would have been no point in bringing the acceptable year of the Lord to the Devil!


  1. Lk4:1-13: Christ speaks from Deuteronomy

  2. Lk4:16-22: Christ speaks from Isaiah

  3. Lk4:25-27: Christ speaks concerning Elijah + Elisha


Is this the truth of God? But each is also the message of God!

Isaiah 61 had been the truth of God for 700 years but now: “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21)– Gods message for right now, today, right here!

Notice when Christ speaks as the oracles of God He:



  1. Rebukes the Enemy of God (4:13)

Engages in a spiritual battle with the enemy – this is more than a nice wee meeting with a few nice wee thoughts – this is engaging Satan in a spiritual battle to spiritual victory!

Wins against a spiritual foe


  1. Reveals the Mind of God

“This day is this scripture…”

Isaiah 61 had been the truth of God for 700 years but now: “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” – Gods message for right now, today, right here!

“They wondered” (4:22) – this message was relevant – ‘living’ and ‘powerful’ and ‘penetrating’.


  1. Provokes a Reaction in the House of God

Any reaction is better than none!

They take Him to the brow of the hill! This is often the reaction!

The Lord would Glorify His Son (4:15):


  1. By Gods Means – not by Satans (4:1-13)

  2. In Gods Time (4:19-22)

  3. In a place of Gods choosing (4:25-27)


God chooses how, when, who and where!



Posted by JS Gillespie at 21:24 0 comments
Tuesday, 3 April 2007

‘Gods Verdict is Final’ 1 Peter 3:15-22; Gen5:32-6:9; 7:12,13,16; Col1:15-17; Eph1:20-21; Jude1:6

From a message preached on 1 Peter Chapter 3 Verses 15 to 22 by Dr J Stewart Gillespie

A difficult section but 3 threads of truth we will follow through the section which will help us to understand it.

There is present in this section 3 principles, by which God administers the universe.

The Principle of:

  1. The Power of Christs Resurrection

  2. The Patience of Gods Judgement

  3. The Pre-eminence of Gods Son

  1. The Power of Christs Resurrection

    1. Power to Sanctify (v15)

“Sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts”

The resurrected Christ is the sole object of affection and reason for the hope

The reality of resurrection that allows relationship (2:1-2) and brings hope (3:15)

    1. Power to Subdue (v19)

    2. Power to Save (v21)


  1. The Patience of Gods Judgement

Very important principle, what do I mean? God doesn’t judge today, what I do today!

God waits patiently – He may judge tomorrow what I do today, it may take 3 days for Gods verdict to be passed (v18), it may take 100 yrs for God to judge what I do (v20), it may take 2000 yrs (v19) – but God judges. He is not in a rush.

When God judges, His judgement is final!

In every sphere His judgement is final:

    1. Over Christ (v18)

    2. Over the world (v20)

    3. Over the angels (v19)

    4. Over me (v16) – I await Gods Judgement, I await Gods verdict.

It is a thought Peter will take up later on in 4:17.


  1. The Pre-eminence of Gods Son

  1. To my heart (v15)

  2. Over a lost world (v18) – mans verdict and Gods verdict

  3. Over rebellious angles (v19)

  4. Over all things (v22)


These 3 principles we must always bear in mind, in dealing with the difficulties of the Christian path.

We might forget for example:


The principle of the Patience of Gods Judgement


When we are up against evil (v9), railing (v9), suffering (v13), false accusation (v16)

There we are living for God, yet things go against us!

We despair! But we have forgotten that God does not always judge today what is done today?

As they nailed the Saviour to the cross at Calvary it seemed as though man had the upper hand and that all was lost, but as Christ suffered for sins (v18) a work was being finished, a work that was: expiatory, substitutionary, reconciliatory, sacrificial, victorious!

With God it was not over till it was over and then God gave His verdict!

It is not the first time that this principle had been forgotten.

It had been forgotten in the days of Noah, “longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah” (v20).

Interesting word “waited” = expectant waiting, cf. Jo5:3 “waiting for the moving of the water” – same word, the people were not sitting back on a deck chair by the pool of Bethesda, on the off chance something might happen but awaiting with real anticipation, waiting with expectancy.

God was waiting in the days of Noah, on what?

On a man finishing an ark – a man building, on a man gathering a people, and then God finally closing the door. Once the ark was built and the people gathered, the door was shut! The wrath of God was poured out on this world.

Not often that God waited upon a man – but He did in the days of Noah, He did too in the days of Joshua (Joshua 10:14), God waits too in this day of Grace.


Upon what does God wait? He is waiting on a man:

  1. Building – Peter has already told us this (2:4-5), as the Saviour told Peter; “I will build my church…”

  2. Gathering – a people for Himself, “a peculiar people” (2:9), a people “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,” (Rev5:9).

  3. Shutting a Door – the one whose words we love to remember, and whose words I love to preach: “I will open a door and no man will shut it” and who also said words which we very rarely preach: “and shutteth, and no man openeth.” Peter will perhaps touch upon that in 4:17.

God waits you see , waits with anticipation, waits with expectation, “for the ark that was preparing.”

As God waited in those days, instead of men taking it as an opportunity for repentance they took it as time for license (Gen6:5) – they forgot that principle, what principle:


The principle of the Patience of Gods Judgement


Not only did man forget the principle but the angels forgot it too, in the midst of all of that sin, the angels looked down, not only did they look down, but according to Gen 6 some of them came down.

They entertained that little suspicion that perhaps God had lost control! Maybe God had gone soft on sin! Maybe God could not or would not judge the man whom He had uniquely created in His image, I don’t know what the argument went like, but you can imagine it! They took the attitude, if you can’t beat them join them! So they did. Joined them in sin, joined them in judgement!

The one who is pre-eminent above and over all angels, He suffered rebellion in heaven (Col1:15-16) from angels, some who decided to leave their first estate (Jude1:6), they forgot:

The principle of the Patience of Gods Judgement.

God had not forgotten His principles upon which He administers the universe:


  1. The Power of Christs Resurrection

  2. The Patience of Gods Judgement

  3. The Pre-eminence of Gods Son

So it is to these angels now held in bondage to whom Christ appears having been raised again from the dead (v19).

This is the one whose headship they had rebelled against but God has raised Him from the dead far above all principality and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named (Eph1:21).

v21 – Noahs passage in the ark is “the like figure whereunto baptism doth also now save us”

Whatever we might take from this verse, note Peter is careful to point out where the power does not lie; namely in the water, “not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,” and where the power does lie: “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

The “like figure” – in other words, the ark is to Noahs salvation what baptism is to mine.

When was Noah saved? When he got into the ark?

Let me ask why did God wait for 100 years on Noah finishing the ark? Just a coincidence the ark was finished and the last soul was in and the door was shut when the floods came? Not at all!

Gen5:32; 6:8-9 – at least 100 years before Noah got in the ark, Noah was saved, that’s why God waited in Noah finishing the ark!

It wasn’t the ark that saved Noah, anymore than it was the ark that brought the flood

It would have been a very strange thing if he hadn’t have got into the ark!

The ark was the evidence of his salvation, the outward demonstration of Gods protection, the power of salvation was Gods!



Posted by JS Gillespie at 21:22 0 comments
Tuesday, 27 March 2007

1Peter 3:8-15; Gen26 – ‘3 Wells of Water’

Isaac in Genesis Chp 26:

  1. The Lessons that he learned

  2. The Wells that he dug

  3. The battles that he fought

  1. The Lessons that he learned

First notice that the whole chapter takes me back to Abraham in Genesis chp 12 compare Genesis 26:1.

The Spirit of God is at pains to draw a parallel between the life of Abraham in Genesis 12 and of Isaac in Genesis 26.

Parallel with Abraham in Genesis 12:

    1. Same conditions prevail – famine (v1)

    2. Same covenant given (v3) – all of Abrahamic covenant promises now given to Isaac.

    3. Same wells and the same names (v18)

    4. Same lack of confidence (v7) – “she is my sister”

Some could make a whole meeting out of that but just take 1 simple point: here is a man who is retreading the path his father took.

During a visit sometime ago to South Africa I came across a 2nd hand shop and there amongst all the usual things you might expect to find was a coffin propped up against the wall! Some things are quite acceptable second hand but some things are no use at all: a second hand faith!

A second hand faith is no use to anybody, 2nd hand experience of God no use to anybody.

Doesn’y matter how great an experience our fathers had of Christ, not sufficient for me, I’ll need to get to know God for myself, me personally!

Isaac had a great teacher mind you: Abraham! The father of the faithful, the friend of God, he of the covenant, but that wasn’t enough!

I think today too much second hand faith!

We know the facts, know how to do things, but that vital inspiration for all true service is missing!

The reality of that relationship with Him is absent!

  1. Paul – “that I might know Him”
  2. Christ – “That they might know thee” (Jo17:2-3)

You know all about Christ! All about the promises of God! All about the prophets and the types, but what about that vital link?

When was the last time He spoke to you and when was the last time you spoke to Him?

2nd hand experiences of God are no good to anyone!

The lessons Isaac learned – no shortcuts, he had to learn them himself!

Abraham couldn’t say – just you take this in board!

I know there are many difficulties amongst us:

  • evangelism
  • declining numbers
  • carnality
  • materialism
  • poor quality of ministry
but these are merely symptomatic of the disease rather than the disease itself!

The disease – disrupted communion with Christ!

How we need to relearn the lessons learned by Abraham:


  1. Obedience (v2) – He obeys

Simple lesson, but a great lesson

Lord gives you a simple thing to do – you do it!

You’ll get nothing greater to do till you are obedient in the simple thing:

Saul: 1Sam15 – given to destroy Amalek and Agag, “hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord” (15:22).


  1. Trust (v3) – To take God at His word (v3)

“I will bless thee” (v3) cf. v13 – He did bless Isaac

Recall such simple statements as: “Let us go over” (Lk8:22) and “They arrived” (Lk8:26)

Simple lesson!

Matt 14:29 – 1 word the Lord utters “come” – Peter has total trust in that 1 word, and he comes and he walks on the water!

Simple lesson but what power there is in it!


  1. To Continue (v22)

Despite discouragement!

Greatness of Joshua and Caleb (Num14:24) “he hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land which he went and his seed shall possess it!”


Having learned these lessons the Lord will move him on.

God instructs him in the days of famine (v1) to “sojourn in this land” (v3)

He gets comfortable, only meant to be there to see the famine out, begins to feel at home there!

The Spirit comments “when he had been there a long time” (v8). He had been there too long! God moves him out of his comfort zone!

Are we in by-pass meadow, sheltering out of the road of the traffic? God has greater things for Isaac; for sowing and reaping, for digging and drinking. Not to be settled with the ungodly, all of a sudden God moves and takes him out of his comfort zone, God has better things than this for Isaac!

Consider too a Lot taken out of Sodom, the disciples casting their nets and mending their nets, called by Christ – Christ has better things than this for them!

Suddenly everything in life changes and he is thrust out, an experience undesired and unexpected but God has something better for Isaac.


  1. The Wells that he dug

God has seed for him to sow (v12) and God has wells for Isaac to dig!

Its not being thrust out of the land that gets him digging wells, something else!

Necessity (v14) – Isaac had flocks, herds and servants - he needed to dig wells!

Isaac is burdened with a desire to dig deep because he now sees that the need is greater than anything he can provide in himself.

Do you ever feel your need for something deeper? A desire to dig deep? Are you overwhelmed by the demands placed upon you? That is not a bad place to be!

Perhaps the Lord has asked you to do a work, you’ve made the discovery that there is not enough in you, sufficient for that work, the Lord is drawing you to dig deep wells and drink deep of the person of Christ.

A crisis that promotes growth! Lord I can’t do this by myself, Lord I need help!

Crises has often been used in the life of the people of God to promote growth:

Samson: Judges 16 – The first time Samson's name is linked with the word 'pray'! Was it the first time he prayed? Surely a Nazarite would pray often? Maybe the first prayer the Lord heard?? What brings Samson to this point? A deep sense of his need: “Lord strengthen me only this once” – his eyes taken out and his hair shaved off, shekels of brass about his ankles, he knows his need, maybe for the very first time he feels his need, turning in faith and dependence to his God he draws deeper from that well than he has ever done before!

Isaac sees the need outstrips what he can supply!

Here is a poverty that brings power! “When I am weak then am I strong” (2Co12:10).

He turns to dig wells again.

Why does he have to dig them? Why does he not just take the flocks to them?

They have been stopped (v15), notice how, not with wood, not stone and not brick – “filled with earth”

  1. Demas: Fellow labourer Philemon (v24); faithful with Paul in the prison (Col4:14); where is he in 2Tim4:10 – “loved this present world” – the well is stopped with earth!

  2. Rich Young Ruler: Luke 18 ‘what shall I do to inherit eternal life’ – “sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poor” – “he was very sorrowful for he was very rich” – the earth has just stopped the well, and that before it has even been opened!

  3. Samson: So often stopped with earth? A woman in Timnath, harlot in Gaza and Delilah the Philistine?


The battles that he fought:

A word of encouragement, if you’re determined to go digging wells for God what will I encounter?

Floods and floods of blessing?

No – “strife” (v20)

If you decide to keep digging wells for God what will I find?

Loads and loads and loads of blessing?

No! More strife (v21) – in fact the situation got worse “hatred.”

Ah but listen, if you keep going (v22) ‘Rehoboth’ – that means ‘room’ – blessing!

One thing puzzled me – why did he keep going? You say he was a great man of God. He was, but great men of God can get discouraged too!

He kept going because of what he found: a well of “springing water” (v19) – that’s an interpretation of the Hebrew rather than a direct translation, the Heb. word “springing” is actually the word “living.”

He kept going because he found living water!

You see once you have a taste of that living water you have to keep going! There’s nothing else like it! So the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 having found the living water and goes back to the town, “come see a man that told me all things that ever I did.”

There was a time when there were those who left the Lord (Jo6:66) “will ye also go away?”, “to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.”

So precious is this water that the place of the will becomes the place of the altar and the place of the tent (v25).


In Gen 26 – we have a picture of the truth

In 1Peter3 – we see the reality of the truth

But the same pilgrims seeking the same well, they’re wanting to take the caps off the well! This section is the conclusion to a theme begun in 2:1, chp 2 began with a quotation from Ps34:8 (1Peter2:3) and this section now finishes with the rest of Psalm 34:


3:10 – Ps34:12,13

3:11 – Ps34:14

3:12 – Ps34:15,16


Peter takes our minds back to how he begun this section (2:3) these believers want to taste and see that the Lord is Gracious, they want to go deeper into spiritual things, they want the cap off of the wells, what will they find?

Opposition (v10)

But if they persevere, they will find:

Peace (v11)

Blessing (v10)

Life (v10)

Place of the Altar (v12) – communion with heaven

Was that not just the same character as Isaacs well?

A Well of Blessing (v24)

A Well of Life (v19)

A Well of Communion (v25) – the place of the altar

The climax to Gen 26 and the climax to 1 Peter 3:8-15 is the same – the setting up of the altar, communion between heaven and earth.
Posted by JS Gillespie at 21:18 0 comments
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