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Sermon5-8-16PastorRayLorthioir

TrinityLutheranChurchW.Hempstead,NY

PraiseGodforMothersRighteousnessisabitlikelightning.Youneverknowwhenandwhereitwill

strike.Youneverknowwhowillbeused.Itcouldbeyou.Itcouldbeme.Onethingwedoknow.Evilandunrighteousnessarethenorm.Liesand

falsehoodsoppressoneveryside.ButrighteousnessisfromtheLord.Soisdeliverancefromoppression.

AndthismakesmethinkofaladynamedDeborah.WelearnfromJudgeschapter4thatshewasoneinasuccessionofIsraelileadersinthecenturiesbetweenthedeathofJoshuaandthecoronationofIsrael’sfirstking.TheseleaderswereknownastheJudges.

InthetimeoftheJudgesIsraelwasalooselyorganizedconfederationofclansandtribes.LocallyIsraelhadgovernance,buttherewerenotrulynationalleadersunlessYahwehraisedoneup.WhenYahwehdidso,thatpersonwasrecognizedasoneuponwhomHisHolySpiritrestedinpower.

ApersonuponwhomYahweh’sSpiritrestedwasenabledbytheSpirittomakeenlightenedjudgmentsconcerningdisputesbetweenIsraelites.Thus,theywerecalledJudges.Ifacasewastoohardforlocalleaderstohandle,itcouldbetakentoIsrael’sJudge.

ButLordHolySpiritalsomadetheJudgesvaliantpoliticalandmilitaryleaders.Yahweh’sSpiritwouldworkthroughtheJudgetogiveIsraeldeliverancefromherenemies.

Finally,theJudgeswerespiritualleaders.DuringthetimeoftheJudges,theTabernaclethattheLordhadinstructedMosestobuildwasstillthecenterofYahwehworshipinIsrael.ItspriesthoodwashereditarytothefamilyofAaron,Moses’brother.BytheirceremonialactionsandteachingthepriestsweresupposedtobringthepeopletoYahwehandYahwehtothepeople.ButthebookofJudgestellsusthatIsraeloftenstrayedfromtheworshipofYahwehtotheworshipofmanyfalsegodsandgoddesses.

WhenthishappenedYahwehturnedIsraelovertoherenemies.Afteryearsofoppression,theIsraeliteswouldfinallycryouttoYahwehandHewouldraiseupanewJudgetoleadthepeople.Therefore,aJudgealwaysledthepeoplebacktotheworshipofYahweh,theonetrueGod.

TheJudgeswerenotroyalty.Therewasnosuccessionfromfathertoson.Theyweremorelikepresidents.WhenaJudgedied,therewasnoleaderuntilYahwehraisedupanewJudge.So,thecyclewouldstartover–Israelfallingawayintoidolatry,undergoingjudgmentandoppressionasaresult,finallycryingouttoYahwehfordeliveranceandYahwehsendinganewJudgetobringdeliverance.

InhertimeDeborahwasanointedwithYahweh’sHolySpirit.GodevenusedherastheorganizerofamilitaryexpeditiontorelieveIsraeloftheoppressioncausedby

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aneighboringCanaaniteking.ThevictoriousgeneralthatledIsrael’stroopswasnamedBarak.Therefore,whenthewarwasoverDeborahandBarakcelebratedthevictorywithasongfoundinJudgeschapter5.

ThesonggivesalltheglorytoYahweh.ButitspeaksoftheoppressionoftheCanaanitekingthiswayinJudges5:6-7,“6‘InthedaysofShamgarsonofAnath,inthedaysofJael,theroadswereabandoned;travelerstooktowindingpaths.7VillagelifeinIsraelceased,ceaseduntilI,Deborah,arose,aroseamotherinIsrael.’”

Thatisanamazingphrase–amotherinIsrael.YahwehusedDeborahtogivelifetothousandsinIsraelasaresultofhervictory.ThisissimilartowhatDavidhasjusttoldusaboutIrenaSendler.OnlyIrenawasaPolishChristiangentilewomanwhoineffectbecameamotherinIsrael,saving2,500childrenfromtheNaziholocaust.PraiseGodformothers.

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There’saninterestingphenomenonreportedthisweekbytheU.K.’sTelegraph.ScientistsatNorthwesternUniversity,Chicagodiscoveredthatanexplosionoftinysparkseruptsfromahumaneggatthemomentoffertilization.ProfessorTeresaWoodruffatNorthwesternwasquotedassaying,“Wediscoveredthezincsparkjustfiveyearsagointhemouse,andtoseethezincradiateoutinaburstfromeachhumaneggwasbreathtaking.”

WhenGodcreatedHisuniverseHebeganitwithanincredibleburstoflight.Therefore,it’smostinterestingthathumanlifealsobeginswithaburstoflight,eventhoughit’ssotinythatamicroscopemustbeusedtoseeit.Bothmyyoungdaughter-in-laws’havegivenbirthandarenursingchildrenintheirfirstyearoflife.PraiseGodformothers.

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WhileJesuswasteachingandworkingmiraclesaneventhappenedthatwereadofinLuke11:27-28,“27…awomaninthecrowdcalledout,‘Blessedisthemotherwhogaveyoubirthandnursedyou.’28He[Jesus]replied,‘BlessedratherarethosewhohearthewordofGodandobeyit.’”

ThisanonymouswomanwassoimpressedwithJesusthatshecalledMary,themotherofJesus,blessedtohavesuchawonderfulSon.ItmayhavebeenthattheanonymouswomanbelievedthatJesuswastheMessiah.Tothisday,manydevoutJewishwomenhopethatoneoftheirsonswillbeMessiah.Therefore,tosaythatMarywasblessedwasawayofsayingthatJesusistheMessiah.

However,Jesustookthestatementandgreatlyenlargedit.EventhoughMarywasprivilegedtobearMessiahshewasnomoreblessedbyHimthananyoneelse.ShewasnotmoreintimatewithJesusthanalltherestofhumanity.JesusdeclaredthatanyonecouldhearHim,theWordofGod.Tothisday,ifanyonetakesJesus,theWordofGod,tohearttheywillbeblessedbeyondcomprehension.TheywillenterintointimacywithHim.ThisiswhatJesusproclaimedaboutHimself.

Still,wepraiseGodforthevirginfromNazarethwhowhengiventhechoicetobeartheSonofGodsaid,“Yes.”PraiseGodformothers.

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Thenthereisthemotherofallmothers,theChurch,thebrideofChrist.ThroughtheWordandSacramentwithwhichshehasbeenentrusted,theChurchbringstofulltermallthosewhomtheSpiritisbirthingintotheKingdomofGod.

TheideaoftheChurchasamotherinIsraelcomesmorefromtheOldTestamentthantheNew,asfarasIcansee.Forinstance,wereadinIsaiah66:10-11,“10‘RejoicewithJerusalemandbegladforher,allyouwholoveher;rejoicegreatlywithher,allyouwhomournoverher.11Foryouwillnurseandbesatisfiedathercomfortingbreasts;youwilldrinkdeeplyanddelightinheroverflowingabundance.’”NoticethatJerusalemisspokenofinthefeminine.Also,thereisamarvelouspromisethatshewillnurturelikeamother.It’smarvelousbecauseinotherOldTestamentpassagesJerusalemisdescribedasabrazenfallenwoman.So,ifJerusalemisafallenwomanhowwillthisbe?

TheanswerisfoundintheNewTestament.Here’swhatwereadinEphesians5:25-27,“25…Christlovedthechurchandgavehimselfupforher26tomakeherholy,cleansingherbythewashingwithwaterthroughtheword,27andtopresenthertohimselfasaradiantchurch,withoutstainorwrinkleoranyotherblemish,butholyandblameless.”

JesusgaveHimselfforHisChurch.Why?BecauseHesearchedforagorgeouspurebrideandallHecouldfindwasabrazenbrokendownabusedwomanofthenight.ByHisownbloodHehealedandtransformedherintoHisownpureandgorgeousbride.

Andthisiswhoweare.Defiledbysin,weareyetjustifiedbeforetheJudgmentseatofGodasanultra-expensivefreegiftbyourLordJesusChrist.AllwhorepentandcometoJesusastheirSavior,RedeemerandKingaredestinedfortheNewJerusalemthemotherofalltheredeemed.AllwillbecomfortedinherbytheirLordandSavior.Evennow,JesuscomfortsthroughWordandSacramentallwhocometoHiminHisChurchinthispresentage.That’swhatwe’reherefor.PraiseGodformothers.

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TwoweeksagowereadinRevelation21:2,“IsawtheHolyCity,thenewJerusalem,comingdownoutofheavenfromGod,preparedasabridebeautifullydressedforherhusband.”TodaywesawinRevelation22:1-3,“1Thentheangelshowedmetheriverofthewateroflife,asclearascrystal,flowingfromthethroneofGodandoftheLamb2downthemiddleofthegreatstreetofthecity.Oneachsideoftheriverstoodthetreeoflife,bearingtwelvecropsoffruit,yieldingitsfruiteverymonth.Andtheleavesofthetreeareforthehealingofthenations.3Nolongerwilltherebeanycurse.”ThisistheNewTestamentpromiseofthelifethatwillbeforallwhoarebornagaininJesusChrist.NoticethatinthesepassagesthenewJerusalemisinthefeminine.Shewillnotonlynurture.Shewillhavehealingandeternallifeinher.Againthisiswhoweare.Thisiswhatwe’reherefor.PraiseGodformothersinIsrael.PraiseGodformotherchurchesamongeverytribe,language,peopleandnation.Amen.

AllBiblequotationsarefromtheNIV.