Title: Korah and Peter
Text: Luke 22: 61, 62
Date: August 1, 2010
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Salvation is by the will of God. God willed whom he would save, how he would save them and God's will is never changed or frustrated. Christ Jesus the Son of God came, not to do his own will, but the will of the Father. He accomplished the work in completely reconciling all the children which the Father gave unto him. Each of those children, though dead in trespasses and in sins, are made alive by the irresistible will of God and each of those children are made willing to trust Christ by Christ in the day of his power. God receives all the glory. Those who desire for salvation to be ultimately due to their will put trust in the most foolish, fickle, feeble, faltering thing there is: man's will.
Numbers 16: 1-5. Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: 2: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: 3: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD? 4: And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: 5: And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him….
Through Moses the LORD commanded Korah, Dathan and Abiram, along with the 250 princes to come up with 250 censers full of incense, and stand there with Aaron (whom God had chosen).
Numbers 16: 28: And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. 29: If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. 30: But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD. 31: And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: 32: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33: They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. 34: And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. 35: And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
Turn to Luke 22: 19. The night the Lord Jesus gave commandment concerning the his table we read:
Luke 22: 19: And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20: Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. 21: But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. 22: And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! 23: And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. 24: And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest (hold your place here and turn to Matthew 26: 31.)
Matthew 26: 31: Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32: But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 33: Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34: Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35: Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
Luke 22: 31: And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 33: And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34: And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
After the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus delivered himself to the soldiers.
Luke 22: 54: Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. 55: And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56: But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57: And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58: And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59: And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60: And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61: And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62: And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
I. KORAH AND PETER, LIKEWISE, SINNED AGAINST GOD.
A. They both were given the word by the LORD.
Moses delivered the word to Korah that Aaron was the high priest. The Lord himself taught Peter and the disciples his word.
Matthew 26: 31: Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32: But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
B. They both spoke against the word of the Lord.
Korah withstood the LORD's messenger, Moses, murmuring against God's word that God had chosen Aaron to be the high priest, but in reality Korah withstood the LORD. Moses told Korah…
Numbers 16: 11:…thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?
Peter spoke face-to-face to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God himself.
Matthew 26: 33: Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
Luke 22: 33: And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
Matthew 26: 35: Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
C. Both were striving for preeminence.
Korah was striving for preeminence over Moses and Aaron.
Numbers 16: 3: Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?
What did the disciples began to strive about?
Luke 22: 24: And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest
Application: In both Korah and Peter we see the evil pride of our sinful flesh.
Proverbs 6: 16: These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17: A proud look,…
Proverbs 16:18: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Korah was an unregenerate, religious sinner. Peter was a regenerated child of God. But we see here the old deceitful sinful flesh wherein the born again child of God yet resides. In the fall of Adam every sinner fell into total captivity to the bondage of sin. Pride will not allow the sinner to submit to God, confess his sin and glory only in another--the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 17:9: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
This sin of the flesh is yet with the born again believer so that we yet have no power in our fleshly will to deliver ourselves from the captivity of our sinful flesh.
Romans 7: 18: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19: For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20: Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21: I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22: For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24: O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25: I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
II. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO MEN.
Both these men had been taught. Both these men had made a profession. Both these men sinned against God. Wherein did these men differ? The ONLY THING THAT MADE THESE TWO MEN TO DIFFER WAS THE GRACE OF GOD.
1 Corinthians 4: 7: For who maketh thee to differ from another? [distinguishes thee from another] and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
Note: David's article in the bulletin
A. Electing Grace.
The difference for Peter, and for every child of God, was that before the world began God chose his children in Christ, based on nothing but God's own purpose to save whom he will.
Think on this: If God's choice to save was based on some foreseen merit in you and I, or on our will at any point in our lives, or even on our faithfulness, do you see how that all would have been lost for Peter?
Malachi 3:6: For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Romans 9: 11: (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12: It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14: What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15: For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16: So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
B. Redeeming Grace.
The difference for Peter--and every child of God--is that Christ Jesus accomplished all things necessary to make us accepted with God.
Christ was his Surety--lamb slain from the foundation of the world--the Savior was about to endure the wrath of God in Peter's place therefore Peter was not consumed. The Savior purged not only this sin but all Peter's sin. From the foundation of the world, the Savior presented Peter faultless before the throne of holy God Christ fully accomplished Peter's redemption--he was God's purchased possession. It was only because of Christ Jesus the Son of God that God's love for Peter was not changed one iota when he denied the Lord three times.
C. Regenerating, Calling, Keeping Grace.
Some might say, but Peter repented, that made the difference. Where did Peter's faith and repentance come from in the first place?
Ephesians 2: 4: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)…8, By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, 9: not of works, lest any man should boast.
Psalm 110: 3: Thy people shall be willing the day of thy power…
In the first hour of his power and every hour. It was by the same power and wisdom of God that called Peter to repentance and faith in the first place, that made Peter repent from himself and trust Christ in this hour. We saw how many times, Peter said, "I will, I will not, I will never, I am ready!" But what mortified Peter's self-will and made him go out in bitter repentance? The Lord turned and looked upon Peter.
Luke 22: 60:…while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61: And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord,…62: And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
2 Timothy 2:25…if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26: And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him [by God's permission.]
What made it so Peter's faith failed not? The Lord said, "I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not."
Lamentations 3:22: It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed , because his compassions fail not.
We behold the perfection of God's strength when he makes us to behold the totality of our weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Application: Scripture says,
I Corinthians 8: 1: Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
Peter had been regenerated and given faith to believe on Christ Jesus, been taught much knowledge of the Lord. The doctrine--the knowledge--God teaches the believer through this gospel is that: salvation is of the Lord, God alone is our strength and salvation, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, our sufficiency is not of ourselves but God's grace is all our sufficiency.
In his own mind, Peter's intentions were to honor the Lord, but Satan flattered his flesh, flattered him so that he was puffed up in his knowledge in sinful pride into thinking he could stand on his own. That is what God has to save us from the first hour and every hour thereafter.
Knowledge alone, doctrine alone, without the power of God's love working in the heart and in the experience of our daily lives will only make our natural darkness greater darkness--self-righteous, religious darkness is the worst kind!
I Corinthians 8: 1: Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
But God not only teaches us this knowledge through sound doctrine, through his Spirit, but in his everlasting, unchangeable love, God is sovereign to edifiy his children with his love for us, by working all things in our lives to bring us to experience that it is Christ that careth for us, continually. Through these painful trials, this painful chastening, we behold the sovereign unchangeable love of our heavenly Father. And he brings his children down from being puffed up in knowledge and increases love in our hearts for Him.
Unchangeable Love of God
After his body was laid in a tomb, after Peter and the disciples had denied him and fled, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James came to the tomb.
Mark 16: 5: And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 6: And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7: But go your way, tell his disciples AND PETER that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
Christ not only sent the word to Peter, Christ came to Peter also, three times. He waited until the third time then he asked Peter a question three times and gave him the same charge three time. When Peter asked about John, the Lord summed up the lesson for us by commanding Peter to "Follow thou me!"
John 21: 15: So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16: He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17: He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 18: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19: This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. 20: Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21: Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22: Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
The apostle Peter's word to you and I, believer, is this:
I Peter 5: 6: Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Amen!