Chapter # 11 Paragraph # 1 Study # 8
December 16, 2018
Humble, Texas
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Thesis: Once beyond the decision regarding "the table", those who are "hardened" are subject to the consequences of that decision.
Introduction: In our study last time, we considered Paul's use of David's words to establish his thesis that "the rest were hardened". At issue is not the timing of the "hardening" (indicated by "it stands written" in 11:8, by "until this present day" at the end of the same verse, by "David is still saying" in 11:9, and by "through all [time]" at the end of 11:10. It is, rather, the reality of "hardness" that has been brought into creation by God's "Just" reaction to The Sin. In this reality, there are degrees of hardness as evidenced by genuine disciples who continued to be "hardened" in spite of their faith in Jesus (Mark 6:52 and 8:17), and by obstinate, obstructionist and argumentative, rebels against the truth as evidenced by Romans 10:21. Paul's base line argument is that it takes a grace-based, divine, decision to interfere with the progression of "hardness" in the lives of individuals in order for those individuals to escape the initial divine-justice reaction to The Sin. That it is entirely grace-based (11:6) means two inevitable things: first, that "Law", as a divine, Justice driven, decision must be, first, satisfied and then, second, set aside, or there will be no flesh saved; and that, second, "Grace" inevitably results in what Paul called "The Elect" since God, obviously, must make the individual decisions about those for whom He interferes. Even the degree of interference is determined by God as Jesus testified, "...shall bear fruit, some thirty fold, some sixty, and some one hundred..." (Mark 4:20).
Thus, we will now turn from the issues of David being Paul's choice for words that "prove" his point, to those words themselves.
- I. David's Words Are An Appeal For God to Refrain From Interfering in Certain Cases.
- A. Psalm 69 is said, by Ryrie, to be "one of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament" and is, indisputably, "Messianic" as 69:9a, 69:21, and 69:26 (by way of Isaiah 53:4) are all quoted in reference to Jesus' identity and work.
- B. Psalm 69 is also, however, an appeal by a sinner (69:5-6) for "grace".
- C. Thus, we conclude that "sinners" can appeal to God for a certain kind of "grace" (the kind that seeks deliverance), but those same "sinners" can appeal to God to abstain from "grace" when it concerns a certain "type" of "sinner".
- II. What Kind of Reality Is to be Met by "Grace-less" Justice on God's Part?
- A. "Grace-less Justice" means, simply, a refusal to interfere with the "hardening" that is "on-going".
- B. David's definition of the type of hardness that is to be allowed to pursue its course.
- 1. The "allowance" of hardness to pursue its course is identified by four "intention" clauses.
- a. The first "intention" clause is a "table...unto a snare".
- 1) The request is for "their table to ensnare them".
- 2) The sense of the "snare" is that of a bird that is suddenly "ensnared" by a subtle trap set by a fowler (a hunter of birds).
- 3) The issue is not the snare, itself, but what will happen to the bird after the hunter takes it from his snare.
- b. The second "intention" clause is a "table...unto a trap".
- 1) The request is for "their table to trap them".
- 2) The sense of the "trap" is revealed by the Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains to be any kind of trap except that used for birds.
- 3) And, again, the issue is not the trap, itself, but what happens once those who have set the trap take their prey to fulfill their appetites.
- c. The third "intention" clause is a "table...unto a stumblingblock".
- 1) The request is for "their table to trip them into disaster".
- 2) The sense of the "stumblingstone" is that of a person who does not see what will trip him/her into disaster until it has.
- 3) Consistently, it is not the "tripping" that is at point; it is the disaster that follows.
- d. The fourth "intention" clause is a "table...unto a recompense to them".
- 1) The request is for "their table to impose upon them what they deserve"
- 2) This request is for the maintaining of Justice so that Grace does not interfere.
- 3) And, finally, it is "so that the consequences of evil done will be visited upon the evil one" that the request is made.
- 2. Then, follows how David sees these requests being fulfilled.
- a. He wants "their eyes to be darkened" so that they cannot see the "snare", the "trap", and the "stumblingstone", or what their choice to pursue evil is going to bring upon them.
- 1) The "darkening" is used in the New Testament to refer to the lessening of "light" so that what is before those who walk cannot be seen.
- 2) This seems to clearly indicate that David had a "workable method" for his earlier requests.
- b. He wants "their back to be completely bent down through all time".
- 1) The imagery here is of someone whose load is so severe that he/she can just barely carry it with much grievous effort.
- 2) The phrase "through all" strongly implies "time", but not the time of "blindness"; rather, the time of "recompense" after the evil has been done.
- 3. But, David's "definition" of the kind of hardness is only identified by his phrase: their table.
- a. In the New Testament "tables" always refer to "tables" that are used to hold items of great interest to those sitting at them.
- b. In the New Testament specific examples of "tables that hold great interest" are given that are highly instructive.
- 1) There are the "tables" that hold the food for those who "eat to live", making the "food" a serious matter for investigation.
- 2) There are the "tables" Jesus overturned in the "den of thieves", making the "money" a serious matter for investigation.
- 3) There are the "tables" which are used for "worship", making the "God" a serious matter for investigation.
- 4) And there is the "table" of the shewbread in the sanctuary that testifies of Jesus as the Bread of Life so that any who refuse to "eat His flesh" will end up in total death.
- c. When we put these all together, what we end up with is a major Life-decision about what will actually produce "Life" (every person makes this decision unto an irrevocable end).
- 1) In terms of physical food, bread "alone" cannot produce life and is not to be a matter of significant concern in terms of whether, or not, one can get enough of it.
- 2) In terms of "money", it is the anti-god, but it is merely a hapless idol that cannot actually accomplish anything.
- 3) In terms of "worship", neither "bread", nor "money", nor "demons" can produce "Life".
- 4) And, in terms of Jesus as the Bread of Life, all who reject Him will be subject to David's requests: their hardness will be allowed to continue until the final end.
- III. Thus, We Conclude That "Hardness" Both Exists and Will Be Allowed to Develop Except By God's Grace-Interference so that The Elect obtain Life and The Hardened do not.