Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
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A FEW GOOD MEN
EXO. 18:19-23

INTRODUCTION:

    1.    Most boring man
            a.    Born in Texas
            b.    Served in the Marine Corp.
            c.    Education at Harvard University
            d.    Drives a 4 wheel drive truck
            e.    Belongs to a Southern Baptist Church.
 
 

EXPLANATION

A.    Willing To Receive Counsel.  v 19 a     77 times this is first

            Strong's #3289 ya' ats (yaw-ats'); a primitive root; to advise; reflexively, to deliberate or resolve:
 

 B.    Willing to Be the People's Representative Before God. v 19 b

Strong's #4136 muwl (mool); or mowl (Deuteronomy 1:1) (mole); or mow'l (Nehemiah 12:38) (mool)
Numbers 22:5) (mool); from 4135; properly, by implication, the front; used only adverbially.
58 times this is first, and only time translated God-ward-but it comes from 4136 and 430 together.

Strong's #430 'elohiym (el-u-heem'); plural pf 433' gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus,         especially with the article) of the supreme God;
 

C.    Willing to Bring Disputes to God. v 19 c. 'causes

Strong's #1697 dabar (daw-baw'); from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause.

ILLUSTRATION:
A Western rancher had asked the district superintendent to have a pastor assigned to his community. "How big a man do you want?" asked the superintendent.

"Well, Elder," the wiry, tanned man replied, "we're not overly particular, but when he's on his knees we'd like to have him reach heaven."
 

APPLICATION:

A FEW GOOD MEN INCLUDES . . MINISTERS; CLOSE TO GOD.
 
 

EXPLANATION
"Teach" Strong's #2094 zahar (zaw-har'); a primitive root; to gleam; figuratively, to enlighten (by caution):

2 Chron. 15:1-5    Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded,    2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the \Lord\ is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you fine Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.   :3 "And for many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law.
4 "But in their distress they turned to the \Lord\ God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him.     5 "And in those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands.

A.    Teach The Statutes. . .v 20 a "ordinances"Priest don't drink

Strong's #2706 choq (khoke); from 2710; an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor, or usage):

Strong's #2710 chaqaq (khaw-kak'); a primitive root; properly, to hack, i.e. engrave (Judges 5:14, to be a scribe simply); by implication, to enact (laws being but in stone or metal tablets.

STATUTE, ORDINANCE, VINES
        A. Nouns:
1.    Chog ^2706^, "statute; prescription; rule; law; regulation.:
        This noun is derived from the verb haqaq, "to cut in, determine, decree."
2.    Choq occurs 127 times in biblical Hebrew.
3.    The first usage of hog is in (Gen. 47:22): "Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests
        ad a portion [choq] assigned them of Pharaoh. . ." This word is frequent in Deuteronomy and
        Psalms and rare in the historical books and in the prophets.
4.    The meaning of choq in the first occurrence (Gen. 47:22) differs from the basic meaning of statute."
        It has the sense of something allotted or apportioned. A proverb speaks about "the food that is my
        portion" (Prov. 30:8),
5.    The word choq also signifies "law,:" or "statute." In a general sense it refers to the "laws" of nature
        like rain:
6.    Finally, and most important, the "law: given by God is also referred to as a choq: the meaning of
        "fixed" is similar to the usage of choq, in the sense of the laws of nature: "Thus saith the Lord; If
        my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and
        earth" (Jer. 33:25).
7.    In addition to regularity of nature, the word chuggah signifies regular payment to the priests: "Which
        the Lord commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them,
        by a statute for ever throughout their generations." (Le. 7:36).
8.    The most significant usage of chuggah is God's "law." It is more specific in meaning than choq.
        Whereas choq is a general word for "law,"
9.    Chuggah denotes the "law" of a particular festival or ritual. There is the "law" of the Passover
        (Exo. 12:14), Unleavened Bread (Exod. 12:17),
10.    Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:41), the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29ff.), etc.

        B.    Verb
1.    Chaqaq ^2710^, "to cut in, determine, decree." This root is found in Semitic languages with the
        above meaning or with the sense "to be true" (Arabic), "to be just" (Akkadian). This verb occurs
        less than 20 times in the Old Testament. Chaqaq is used in (Isa. 22:16) with the meaning
        "to cut in":      ". . . that gaveth a habitation for himself in a rock."
 

B.    Teach The Laws. . . .. .v 20 b
2 Chron. 15:3 "And for many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and
                        without law.

Strong's #8451 towrah (to-raw'); or torah (to-raw'); from 3384; a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch: KJV--law (DIC).

Strong's #3364 yarah (yaw-raw'); or (2 Chron. 26:15) yara' (yaw-raw); a primitive root; properly, to flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitively, to lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot); figuratively, to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach: KJV--(+) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach (-ering,--), through. (DIC)

LAW. VINES
        A.    Noun
1.     torah ^8451^, "law; direction; instruction." This noun occurs 220 times in the Hebrew Old Test.
2.     In the wisdom literature, where the noun does not appear with a definite article, torah signifies
        primarily "direction, teaching, instruction," "The law of the wise is a foundation of life, to depart
        from the snares of death" (Prov. 13:14),
3.    The sage was a father to his pupils: "Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son:
4.    The natural father might also instruct his son in wise living, even as a Godfearing woman was an
        example of kind "instruction": she openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of
        kindness" (Prov, 31:26).
5.    The "instruction" given by God to Moses and the Israelites became known as "the law" or "the
        direction" (ha-torah), and quite frequently as "the Law of the Lord":
6.    God had communicated the "law" that Israel might observe and live:
7.    Revival came in Josiah's reign as the "law" (whether the whole Torah, or a book or a part) was
       recovered: "And Hilkiah. . .said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the
        house of the Lord" (2 Chron. 34:15)
8.    Jeremiah prophesied concerning God's law being internalized, "But this shall be the covenant that I
        will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their
        inward parts, and write it in their hears; and will be their God, and they shall be my people"
        (Jer. 31:33)
 

C.    Teach The Way Of The Walk.
        ". . .v 20 c Make Them Know The Way. Do As I Say & Do As I Do . . ."

"Shew" Strong's #3045 yada' (Yaw-dah'); a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) [as follow]:

Most of the time this word 3045 means know

"Way" Strong's #6213 derek (deh'-rek); from 1869; a road (as trodden}' figuratively, a course of life or mode of action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property:

"Do" Strong's #6213 'asah (aw-saw'); a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and wildest application (as follows):
 

ILLUSTRATION
A preacher was invited to this outstanding church in view of a call. They were trying to impress him and they said, "Whatever you want, just ask." He said, "Well, I'd like to visit the Sunday School in the morning."

They said, "Oh, we have the best Sunday School with the finest teachers. The Director of Church Education is well prepared and the students are really into the Word."

The Preacher said, "Well, I'd like to visit around." So they took him to the adult department and he said, "That's fine." Then they went to the youth and to the junior boys and he said, "I'd like to ask a question." "Well, just ask, these students can take care of any question you want to ask." "All right, boys. Who tore down the walls of Jericho?" One bright student said, "I didn't." The preacher said fine.

When they got outside, the trustee said, "Now pastor, I know these boys very well and they all have good parents and if that boy said he didn't tear down that wall. . .See we have basic honesty and integrity in this church and we want you to know that you're coming to a fine church."

So after the sermon, the trustee said, "Now brother, we've just had a meeting and we understand there is a problem about some walls. . .and we don't want you to be burdened. . .and we just voted that whoever tore them down, , ,we voted to build them back."
 

APPLICATION

            A FEW GOOD MEN INCLUDES . . MINISTERS WHO TEACH.
 
 

EXPLANATION

A.    Able men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v. 21 A--CHECK 3201 below

Able Strong's #2428 chayil (khah'-yil); from 2342; probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength:

Strong's #2342 chuwl (khool); or chiyl (kheel); a primitive root; properly, to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (Specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively, to wait, to pervert:
 

B.    Men Who Fear God. . . . . . . . . . . . . .v 21 b

fear Strong's # 3373 yare' (yaw-ray'); from 3372; fearing; morally, reverent: KJV--afraid, fear (-full).

Strong's #3372 yare' (yaw-ray'); a primitive root; to fear; morally, to revere; cause to frighten:
 

C.    Men of Truth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v 21 c

truth Strong's #571 'emeth (eh-meth); contracted from 539; stability; (figuratively) certainty, truth, trustworthiness: Strong's #539 'man (aw-man'); a primitive root; properly, to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; morally to be true of certain; once (Isa. 30:21 ; interchangeable with 541) to go to the right hand.
 

D.    Men Who Hate Dishonest Gain. . . . .v 21 d

hate Strong's #8130 sane' (saw-nay)' a primitive root; to hate (personally):

covetous Strong's #1215 betsa'(beh'-tsah); from 1214; plunder; by extension, gain (usually unjust).

Strong's #1214 batsa' (baw-tsah'); a primitive root to break off, i.e. (usually) plunder; figuratively, to finish, or (intransitively) stop:
 

ILLUSTRATION
There's an old legend about a greedy man and an envious man who were walking along when they were overtaken by a stranger who got to know them. And after a bit he said, as he departed from them, that he would give each of them a gift. Whoever made a wish first would get what he wanted, and the other would get a double portion for himself a portion of what the first had asked for. The greedy man knew what he wanted, but he was afraid to make his wish because he wanted the double portion for himself and didn't want the other to get it. And the envious man felt the same way, and he was also unwilling to wish first.

After a while the stronger of the two grabbed the other by the throat and said he would choke him to death unless he made his wish. And at that the other man said, "very well. I make my wish to be made blind in one eye." Immediately he lost the sight of one eye, and his companion went blind in both. In this coming year, be careful of greed and envy.
 

CONCLUSION

EXO 18:22 "And let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear {the burden} with you.

EXO. 18:23 "If you do this thing and God {so} commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace."
 

RESULT ONE "So it will be easier for you," v 22 c

It Will Be Easier For The Minister

EASIER Strong's #7043 qalal (kaw-lal'); a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) Or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.):
 

RESULT TWO and they will bear {the burden} with you. V 22 d

bear Strong's #5375 nasa; (naw-saw'); or nacah (Psalm 4 6 [7]) (naw-saw'); a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absol. And rel. (As follows):
 

RESULT THREE "you will be able to endure," v 23 b

able Strong's #3201 yakol (yaw-kole'); or (fuller) yakol (yaw-kole'); a primitive root; to be ab`e, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might):

Endure Strong's #5975 'amad (aw-mad'); a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive):
 

RESULT FOUR "and all these people also will go to their place in peace," v 23 c

peace Strong's #7965 shalowm (shaw-lome'); or shalom (shaw-lome'); from 7999; safe, i.e. (Figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace:
 

Conclusion        To Be Cultivated

High atop a mountain between Argentina and Chile stands a massive statue entitled "Christ of the Andes." The statue commemorates the signing of a peach treaty in 1903 which ended a long-smoldering border dispute between the two nations.

The Argentine cannons which had terrorized the Chileans were melted down and reshaped into the statue. Engraved in Spanish at the base of the towering monument are these words: "Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust than Argentines and Chileans break the peace sworn at the foot of Christ the Redeemer."

Commendable as that hope may be, however, we know that military alliances cannot ensure true peace. But in that upper room on his way to the cross, Jesus promised His disciples His peace.