Paul didn’t want the Philippian Christians to end up like the warped, crooked generation of Israel.
[An 8 min. discussion of Paul’s reference to Deut. 32:5]
Philippians: Shine Like Stars – DAY 45
Family Discussions for a New School Year
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DAY 45/TUESDAY
Philippians 2:14-16
A Warped & Crooked Generation
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16as you hold firmly to the word of life.”
Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV)
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Q & A
Q: What is Paul’s command?
A: “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.”
Q: Why?
A: “So that you may become blameless & pure”
Q: What will be the result?
A: Shining among a “warped & crooked generation” like stars in the sky
Q: The Philippian believers will “shine like stars” as they do what?
A: “Hold firmly to the word of life”
- On DAY 41, DAY 42, & DAY 43, we looked at grumbling.
- The DAY 44 discussion dealt with arguing.
- DAY 15 addressed being pure & blameless for Christ.
- Today, we’re starting with that interesting reference Paul dropped in v.15: “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”
A Warped & Crooked Generation
Paul was referring to Deuteronomy 32:5, part of a song of Moses. In Deuteronomy 31:19-22, we read what the Lord said about this song He told Moses to write.
“‘Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them. 20When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their ancestors, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting Me and breaking My covenant. 21And when many disasters and calamities come on them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.’ 22So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.”
Deuteronomy 31:19-22 (NIV)
God had Moses write down this song just before Moses died and the Lord had Joshua lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. God knew that once Israel prospered — had success, comfort, & excess — they would reject Him & break His covenant, turning to other gods to worship them instead of Him. Isn’t that human nature? In suffering, turning to God for help, but in prosperity, turning to other things?
Did you notice the detail in v.21, “it will not be forgotten by their descendants”? Paul, who is referencing the song here in his letter to the Philippians, and also in Romans 10:19, is one of their descendants who has certainly not forgotten it!
The whole song is 43 verses long, so for now we’ll just look at the section about “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation” from Philippians 2:15.
The Last Song of Moses
“Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;
hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.
2Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants.3I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
4He is the Rock, His works are perfect,
and all His ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is He.5They are corrupt and not His children;
Deuteronomy 32:1-6 (NIV)
to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.
6Is this the way you repay the Lord,
you foolish and unwise people?
Is He not your Father, your Creator,
who made you and formed you?”
Let’s take a closer look at the words used to describe the generation in Moses’ song: warped & crooked, foolish & unwise, & corrupt.
warped: used especially of timbers or boards; bent out of shape usually by moisture
crooked: having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned; “We also use crooked metaphorically to talk about being bent out of moral shape.”
God their Father, their Creator, made Israel & formed them, yet now they are bent out of shape and not aligned with His will.
foolish: devoid of good sense or judgment; having or revealing stupidity
unwise: showing or resulting from lack of judgment or wisdom
They can no longer judge what is good or bad, so they confuse the two.
Children Given to Corruption
corrupt: “If someone or something is corrupt, they’re broken morally or in some other way. Corrupt people perform immoral or illegal acts for personal gain, without apology.”
not His children: Isaiah, a prophet during the time of the kings of Israel, long after Moses’ song is first written, sees a vision concerning Judah & Jerusalem:
“Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!
For the Lord has spoken:
‘I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against Me.
3The ox knows its master,
the donkey its owner’s manger,
but Israel does not know,
My people do not understand.’4Woe to the sinful nation,
Isaiah 1:2-4 (NIV)
a people whose guilt is great,
a brood of evildoers,
children given to corruption!
They have forsaken the Lord;
they have spurned the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on Him.”
The Lord “brought up” Israel as His children, but they rebelled against their heavenly Father. They have become sinful guilty evildoers given to corruption. Yikes. They have turned their backs on the Holy One who raised them.
This leads us to Paul’s reference to Deuteronomy 32 in his epistle (letter) to the Romans.
Israel Made Envious
“But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ (Isaiah 53:1). 17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
‘Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world’ (Psalm 19:4).19Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
‘I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding,’ (Deuteronomy 32:21).20And Isaiah boldly says,
‘I was found by those who did not seek Me;
I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me,’ (Isaiah 65:1).21But concerning Israel he says,
‘All day long I have held out My hands
Romans 10:16-21 (NIV)
to a disobedient and obstinate people,’ (Isaiah 65:2).
Israelites are also known as Hebrews or the Jewish people. They are descendants of Abraham.
The Gentiles are everyone else, which includes me, most of you, and the Philippian Christians, as well as the Roman believers.
God made Israel the nation through which Messiah, Jesus our Savior, would come. But Jesus is not just Savior for Israel — He is Savior for the whole world.
Also in Isaiah, the Lord said to His Servant, the Messiah,
“It is too small a thing for You to be My Servant
Isaiah 49:6 (NIV)
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make You a light for the Gentiles,
that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
Let’s look at Romans 11 to see Paul’s point in all of this.
Riches for the Gentiles
“Again I ask: Did they (the Israelites) stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!”
Romans 11:11-12 (NIV)
Since most of Israel rejected Jesus & His Gospel, the Good News spread to the Gentiles, including the Romans & Philippians — “their loss means riches for the Gentiles” (v.12).
Is that the end of the story for Israel? Paul says, “Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.” When Israel becomes envious of the salvation of the Gentiles, they will want to be included in the salvation of the Lord — “how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!” (v.12).
At this point you may be thinking, “You’re losing me, Alicia.” Let’s go back to our verses in Philippians and see if we can tie all this together.
Children of God without Fault
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16as you hold firmly to the word of life.”
Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV)
As we have seen this week, the children of Israel grumbled & argued, were not blameless and not pure — they were warped, crooked versions of who God had created them to be. This is not what Paul wanted for the Philippians! Paul wanted them to “shine among them like stars in the sky.” What’s the kicker? They will shine as they hold firmly to the word of life… and the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), Jesus Christ the Lord.
DAY 45/TUESDAY Prayer
Father God,
Thank You for Your Word.
Help us learn to do everything without grumbling or arguing so we may become blameless & pure, “children of God without fault in a warped & crooked generation.”
We want to shine like stars for You as we hold firmly to the word of life, Your Holy Word.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
DAY 45: Paul didn't want the Philippian Christians to end up like the warped, crooked generation of Israel.