The people of Israel during the era of the judges largely failed, and they failed because they refused to seek God with their whole heart. They did not destroy their idols and the pagan nations around them, so they would have mild success during the lives of strong leaders and then immediately fall back into their idolatry over and over again. But Christ has come to call His people to true repentance.

The Text: “And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?...” (Judges 2:1-23)

King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.

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In God’s world, words and names matter. Your words are either echoing God’s Word and naming in faith and taking dominion, or else they are defying God’s Word, naming in unbelief, fear, and setting up trouble for yourself and your children.

The tribes of Israel learned this the hard way. The lesson was clear: sin must be completely destroyed or it will eventually destroy you.

The Text: “And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them. And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)…” (Judges 1:22-36)

King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.

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Judges opens with the death of Joshua, and Israel calling on the Lord. The book of Judges is all about the radical difference between the Lord being with you and the Lord not being with you: the difference between God being your king and having no king and doing whatever is right in your own eyes.

During the lifetime of Joshua, the Lord was with Israel and gave them victories over their enemies, but Judges will contrast that blessing with a declining cycle of God saving Israel, Israel forgetting God, not seeking God, and being oppressed by their enemies.

But the story opens with a warm reminder of the blessing that is possible for those who seek Him.

The Text: “Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand…” (Judges 1:1-20)

King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.

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It has been said that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. Ecclesiastes says, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us” (Eccl. 1:9-10).

The repeated refrain of Solomon is that all is vanity or “vapor” and “vexation of spirit” or “striving after wind.” A better translation would be “shepherding the wind.” Ecclesiastes teaches that there is a kind of cyclical nature to time and yet there is a beginning and an end: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end” (Eccl. 3:1, 11). The Christian view of history is more spiral.

We live in days of crisis and turmoil. It remains to be seen what kind of stability will emerge, whether it will be favorable to Christianity or not. Regardless, we are called to be “men of Issachar,” who have “understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chron. 12:32).

The Text: “For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow…” (Ps. 90:9-17)

King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.

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Matthew’s quotation of Hosea’s prophecy has often confused Christians. How is this faithful exegesis? But what we find in what might seem like almost a casual reference in passing is something that underlines even more of the glory of Christmas.

The Text: “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt” (Hos. 11:1).

King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.

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When the wise men from the east asked where the King of the Jews was to be born, Herod gathered all the priests and scribes and ask them where the Messiah was supposed to be born. They cited Mi-cah’s prophecy that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.

It’s remarkable that the Jews knew this prophesy, knew that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and still many refused (and still refuse) to believe in Him.

The Text: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yetout of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth” (Mic. 5:2-4).

King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.

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This great Christmas verse should be understood as connected to the prophecy of the virgin birth and helps to confirm the New Testament’s insistence that Jesus is the child who was born of virgin to save us and our pitiful world.

But this is no mere spiritual reality; it is the ground of our confidence that Christ’s government and peace will increase until all of His enemies have been put beneath His feet. The One who was born in Bethlehem is the King of this world.

The Text: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Is. 9:6-7).

King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.

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The doctrine of the virgin birth is one of the key doctrines of the Christian faith. Chesterton says that the Creed is like a key that unlocks the world, and as with any key, every ridge and angle matters. The virgin birth is not merely “another cool miracle,” like the healings of blind men or walking on water. The virgin birth is central to our salvation.

The Text: “…Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us…” (Mt. 1:18-25)

King's Cross Church is a member congregation of the CREC in Moscow, ID. Visit our website at https://kingscrossmoscow.com.

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