Ben Zornes, Author at Ben Zornes

Wise Master Builder #20 | Out to the Edges

by Ben Zornes · Jun 15, 2026

Introduction

History, myth, and literature are littered with case after case of sibling rivalries run amok. Cain and Abel. Romulus and Remus. Galahad and Mordred. Cambyses II and Bardiya. Thor and Loki. Edmund and Lucy. Sin has grievously torn families apart in all sorts of ugly ways. But that need not be the way things are.

The Text

And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities. And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem. Now these are the chief of the province that dwelt in Jerusalem: but in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in their cities, to wit, Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon’s servants. […]
Nehemiah 11:1ff

Summary of the Text

Having renewed covenant with their God (Neh. 9-10), we see the fruit of that renewal in the ordinary affairs of a city. Jerusalem had been vacant and unwalled for 70 years, the returning exiles (about 50,000 souls) had built themselves nice houses (Hag. 1:4) in towns and villages surrounding Jerusalem, but the holy city had been, as Jeremiah foretold (Cf. Jer. 9:11 & 10:22) left a den for dragons. Think of the tedious lists of this chapter as sheet music for the soundtrack of a movie franchise. If you don’t read music it will just be funny dots and squiggles on a page. But if you attend to the themes you can see that this chapter is a reworking of motifs which we have heard in the prequels.

Moses instructed Joshua to divide Israel by casting lots (Num. 26:55), which he eventually did (Jos. 14:2). In this text, the saints are divided by lot so as to relocate a “tithe” of the people to dwell in the holy city; some willingly volunteer to do so and are blessed by those who didn’t have a keen desire to relocate to Jerusalem (vv1-2). While the majority of the different clans continued to dwell in their ancestral homes (v3) we are told the chief families of Judah and Benjamin which came to dwell in Jerusalem (vv3-9). The priestly families which, quite sensibly, dwelt in Jerusalem are described in military terminology that reminds us of Joshua’s conquest (vv10-14, Cf. Jos. 1:14). This is quite instructive. This project of repopulating Jerusalem is not bureaucratic bustle, it is Kingdom conquest. The next chapter makes this even more plain: the worship of the Lord is the central purpose for our existence. The right worship of the Lord is how He intends the world to be subdued unto Himself. Two hundred eighty-four Levites also dwelt in Jerusalem; remember Ezra tasked them with the work of instructing the people in the law of the Lord (Ez. 8:15-19), so Jerusalem was the headquarters for these Levites to go out from in itinerate teaching ministries (vv15-18). Lastly, the 172 gatekeepers are reckoned as well (v19).

The remainder of the chapter details the distribution of the surrounding towns and suburbs of Jerusalem (vv20-36). A few things here to remark on. First, King Darius had a special interest in supporting the singers (the sons of Asaph) (v23). Second, in listing the towns the language once more hearkens back to the time of Joshua’s conquest and Judah’s specific inheritance: they encamped from Beersheba unto the valley of Hinnom (v30, Cf. Jos. 15:8). Lastly, notice the principle composition of these returning exiles Judahites and Benjamites, with the Levites mingled in (v36).

Where no oxen are, the crib is clean

As God’s people seriously worship Him in true faith, it cannot help but impact the hustle and bustle of life. How we arrange our civic life should be done in light of the covenant grace which God shows to us, and which He renews with us. Jerusalem was rebuilt not to be a marvel of architecture, but to be dwelt in. God made a garden sanctuary in order for Adam and Eve to dwell in it. Psalm 8 leads us to marvel that the exalted Lord has condescended to set man as lord over this earth, and is pleased by the cries of infant praise.

In our architecture, and particularly as technology rapidly develops in new and astonishing ways, we must remember that these things should serve man in his task of subduing this earth and all its creatures to the service of God. Nehemiah has set a remarkable example of organizational prowess. This project wasn’t done sloppily or with a “good enough” attitude. It was excellent and it was organized. Jerusalem was rebuilt to glorify God, but Jerusalem was not intended to be a ghost town. It was to be a picture of Eden restored. Heaven will be populated with resurrected people. The future that awaits us is not disembodied and immaterial. It is a resurrected cosmos that awaits us.

Moms, this should be a particular reminder to you. The goal of housekeeping is not sterility. But neither is it chaos. Jr. will likely track mud onto the floor you just mopped, and you need to remember that the house is for people to dwell in, but this is not an excuse to justify living in a pigsty. Be organized, be diligent, be industrious, but don’t be fussy about the fact that dishes end up in the sink each day or dirty socks end up in a hamper. The goal is a joyful home, full of people in fellowship with each on the basis of the covenant that binds us each to our God and thus to each other.

Judah and Benjamin

God is putting people back together. If you skim quickly through this chapter you’ll miss something really remarkable. A theme introduced earlier in Scripture is reworked here with poignant glory. Remember that Israel is twelve tribes that arose because of a heated sibling rivalry between two sisters: Leah and Rachel. Leah was the despised bride, while Rachel was beloved. Leah names her sons with names conveying that grief over being a despised wife. Meanwhile, consider how Jacob doted on Joseph and Benjamin (Rachel’s sons). While Leah’s sons refuse to speak peacefully to Joseph (Gen. 37:4). Judah comes up with the idea to sell Joseph into slavery.

When the sons of Jacob go down to Egypt to buy corn, Joseph (in disguise) sells them corn and then through trickery returns their money, but keeps Simeon as a pledge that they would return with his younger brother of the beloved bride. Jacob, the father, doesn’t want to allow the lone son remaining from his beloved bride to go. Finally, Judah steps up and pledges to take full responsibility for anything that befalls Benjamin. But then, disaster arises when Joseph’s silver cup is found in Benjamin’s bag of corn and he is arrested for it. Judah could have washed his hands of it, but he sticks out his neck to rescue the son of his mother’s rival. While that was a fine gesture, through the centuries Judah and Benjamin failed to be chummy. In fact, there had often been significant tension between the two tribes. The men of Benjamin gang-raped a girl from Judah (Jdg. 19), and all Israel went to war with Benjamin, bringing the tribe to near collapse. Israel’s first king was from Benjamin, but when he proves to be ungodly, a shepherd boy of Judah is anointed to replace him, and Saul the Benjamite tries to kill David the Judahite.

Then, just prior to the events of Nehemiah, the events of Esther took place. Esther and Mordecai were Benjamites, and Haman was plotting the destruction of the Judahites. When Esther utters her famous words, “If I perish, I perish,” she is quoting Jacob’s reluctant words about sending Benjamin with Judah to rescue Simeon. When Haman’s plot is foiled, Esther and Mordecai are in a predicament, their tribe is safe from the authorized violence against the Judahites, for they, as Benjamites, are in King Darius’ good favor. The story of Esther is, in part, the story of a family reconciled to each other through sacrificial love. Esther the girl from Benjamin, risks her life for the Judahites, like Judah had once done for Benjamin. Remember how Leah’s sons couldn’t speak peacefully to Rachel’s sons? The book of Esther ends by describing how Mordecai (a Benjamite) is exalted to Darius’ right hand, and this time, a son of Rachel speaks peace to the sons of Leah (Est. 10:3). Now, as Nehemiah comes to a close we see these two rival tribes living together and working together for the glory of God and the good of each other.

What this tells us is that in the city of God, through the covenant mercies given to us through Christ, we are reconciled both vertically and horizontally. As a citizen of this Kingdom, you must not have the attitude that you can be right with God and at enmity with your brother. There is not to be, amidst the body of Christ, those guys over there and us guys over here. We are to labor to speak peace. This is your duty, because this is what Christ has done for you. A son of Judah came and died in your place that He might speak to you of the peace you now have with God your Father through Him.

Charge and Benediction

If you have been stowing away resentment and bitterness towards a brother or sister in Christ, the charge is to remember that what we’ve done here in our worship is receive from God confirmation that we are reconciled unto Him, and therefore we must also pursue reconciliation with others. That, of course, is not done with just the snap of a finger, but as far as it depends upon you, labor to live at peace with all men.

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21

MORE SERMONS FROM THIS SERIES

The Glory of Sanctification | Pentecost 2026

by Ben Zornes · May 25, 2026

Introduction

If every other nation in the world, and all the states in the union, declared war on the State of Idaho, you would quite suddenly alter all your plans and priorities. That summer vacation would have to wait. Luxuries would be set aside in favor of necessities. Idleness would be replaced with desperate and determined industry. Being in a state of war would change everything. Wouldn’t it?

The Text

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
John 17:17-19

Defining Sanctification

To briefly review, justification is a legal declaration from God about you, which you appropriate by faith, and God decrees you to be not only forgiven but also righteous. Justification recategorizes you from enemy to friend, from saboteur to servant. This change of status doesn’t just come about by accident. Rather, God determined to save you out of allegiance to sin, Satan, and the world, and thus set you apart for service in His campaign of victory. The Ordo Solutis puts justification before sanctification in order to underscore the logical necessity of having your charges of treason overturned before you are handed any weaponry.

This logical flow needs to be reiterated before moving on to discuss sanctification because you cannot be sanctified without also being justified, for that would be like expecting the residents of the local cemetery to weed our gardens. Follow me closely here, dead people do nothing. Thus, while justification deals with our legal standing before God (once dead in sins, now alive unto righteousness), the logical follow up question is, “What do I do now?” Sanctification is the answer to that question.

Sanctification can be laid out into three sequential aspects. First, you are sanctified by God’s electing grace where He calls unto you effectually and regenerates you, begetting new life in you. We refer to this as initial sanctification. This is what Paul describes when he says, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1Co 6:11).” This is a large part of what our baptism signifies: the washing that cleanses us and marks us out for future service to God. The word sacrament even carries military connotations of being enlisted and swearing oaths of service to a particular General. Consider what David also says, “The LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself (Ps. 4:3a).” He’s not godly and thus the Lord sets him apart, it is by the Lord’s foreordination that brings about both positional and practical godliness in the saint.

This then, is why the WCF says, “They who are effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified.” God gives you a new heart, by faith you apprehend all the promises that are held forth to you in justification, and then follows a further sanctification. You are not made immediately perfect, but there is a progression of sanctification through your earthly life. This is what we most commonly think of when we discuss sanctification.

Third, there is a future sanctification that awaits you. Your end state is to serve God without any taint of sin in your service. “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever (Rev. 22:3-5).”

Further Sanctified

Let’s look more closely at how the WCF tells us we are to be further sanctified: “They who are effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified, really and personally, through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified, and they more and more quickened and strengthened, in all saving graces, to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (WCF XIII, Sec. 1).

So, what does this further sanctification entail? The prepositions here are really important. You are further sanctified really and personally through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, by His Word & Spirit dwelling in you. Christ made your sanctification possible by His death & resurrection, but it is effected by His Word & Spirit dwelling in you. Again, military imagery is useful here. You were an enslaved mercenary, and by Christ’s redeeming work you have been liberated from that enslavement (that’s through), and then by the Word and Spirit dwelling in you by faith, you are made a useful soldier of the cross.

The result of that reality is threefold. First, sin no longer has dominion over you. Second, wherever sin still lingers in you it grows weaker, like bacteria in the presence of antibiotics. Lastly, sanctification is not like chemo which is a race to kill all the cancer before the chemo kills the patient. In other words, we often focus our efforts on killing sin, but sanctification is actually the process where the soldier rids himself of that which will weigh him down, and trains for that which is absolutely necessary.

Inward & Outward Means

We often get bogged down and discouraged in seeing how far away we are from godliness and how often we are “prone to wander.” How can you become more like Jesus? We need not blaze a new trail here, there are old paths which we can follow. If we want to grow in godliness, there are inward and outwards means of doing so. The inward means, quite simply, is faith in Christ. There are four outward means of sanctification: the Word, the sacraments, prayer, and God’s paternal discipline of us (conviction & church discipline).

Becoming More Like Jesus

Consider Jesus’ prayer which we began with. Jesus prayed that the Father would sanctify His disciples by the Truth. Then He grounds your sanctification in terms of your union with His sanctification. He was sent by the Father to bind Satan and take his kingdom, and now Jesus sends us out to preach the tidings of His conquest to a world that thought it could kill God.

Now, what did God set you apart for? You were set apart to be kings and priests of God. In Deuteronomy 23, the army of Israel is given very similar instructions regarding their conduct while at war as the priests were in their temple service. The church is in the midst of a holy warfare, and thus the conduct of the individual soldier is to live accordingly.

Think of what this implies about your own battle with remaining corruption. If you have trusted in Christ by faith, you are fighting a victorious battle. You are not simply trying to modify your behavior. One Bible teacher used to ask, “When is a liar no longer a liar?” Many of us would say, “When he stops lying.” But that is not the whole picture. He’s no longer a liar when he both ceases to tell lies and then becomes truth teller. In other words, it isn’t just quitting the sin, but it is living in the new desires which arise from the new birth which God has brought about in you through Christ’s work and the work of the indwelling Word & Spirit.

You are living as what Christ prayed you would be and what by faith you are and what by grace you will be: perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Thus, since you are by grace a soldier of Christ, look at your salvation as the extraordinary free and undeserved gift that it is, look at your sin like a sniper with license to kill, and look in faith to what awaits you when you shall serve the Lord without any deficiency.

Charge and Benediction

Think of whatever sin you struggle with the most––whether it be anger, lust, sloth, or envy––you have permission to kill that sin. Not only that, but the Spirit dwells in you to adequately light things up in you, so that you can take clear aim.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14

Your Woman Jezebel

by Ben Zornes · May 21, 2026

Revelation 2:20 is a good example of how there can be significant exegetical differences between the Majority and Minority text. Whereas the minority text (and most translations, even the KJV) render the phrase in question as “that woman Jezebel”, the Majority text has a second person singular possessive: “your woman Jezebel.” This Jezebel (obviously a symbolic name), then is the wife of the “angel” of the church of Thyatira. To put it in terms closer to our vernacular: the wife of the presiding minister of presbytery was a hot mess and the entire presbytery was content to do nothing about it.

Thyatira was home to the grave of Apollo, the sun god. His myth was that of battling Python (the serpent) but in defeating her he takes her place (the Oracle at Delphi) thus reveals himself to be the duplicate of his enemy. Light is dark. Day is night. Good is evil. Rushdoony points out that this cult put forward the notion of radical continuity. In other words, everything will continue on as ever it has done and whether you do good or evil doesn’t matter all that much. We might call this the end game of moral relativism.

But this wife of the angel/pastor of Thyatira was styling herself and was being received by God’s people as a prophetess. She was teaching them to commit fornication which likely included literal sexual immorality, but the other sin she led folks into was to eat food sacrificed to idols. Both these things were in direct rebellion to the Jerusalem council. The Apostles had decreed that the union of Jews and Gentiles in Christ required the Gentiles to refrain from participation in the idolatrous practice of ceremonially eating meat sacrificed to idols. Paul, of course, later argues that it was ok to buy that meat in the markets for ordinary use, but the prohibition was on syncretism. This was because both Jewish and Gentile Christians were separated together from the world. This pastor’s wife was teaching God’s people to blur the lines between the righteous and the ungodly. She was a worldly woman and was teaching others to adopt worldliness.

This is really striking for a number of reasons. First, pastors and elders must love their wives enough to guard them from giving themselves over to worldliness. We see that the LGBT cause has been furthered in the church principally by hijacking the nurturing instinct of women and especially women in leadership capacities within evangelicalism. Second, while this Jezebel really was a problem, the bigger problem was that her husband and the other pastors had just put up with her advancement of moral relativism were content to do nothing about it. Remember, Ahab just let Jezebel do her thing because he didn’t have the courage to stand up to her and lead her out of her compromise and error. Faithful pastors must protect their wives and children from worldliness in order to protect the flock from worldliness. We are to be a holy people, after all, and this starts with elders, their wives, and their families.

The Glory of Final Justification

by Ben Zornes · May 18, 2026

Introduction

After a long hike on a hot and dusty trail, few things are quite so nice as soaking your sore & blistered feet in the cool waters of a mountain stream. David once described a version of this image but with a startling twist. He foretold that there would come a day when the righteous would be refreshed by washing their feet in the blood of the wicked (Ps. 58:10-11).

The Text

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 10:32-33

Defining Justification

When you begin to teach on the doctrines related to our salvation, you need to hang a big neon sign out front that reads “lest any man should boast.” The salvation which Christ bought for you is given to you graciously. Every aspect of it. God electing, calling, justifying, sanctifying, and glorifying you is graciously done.

Think of those beautiful gems on display at a natural history museum. You can only view it from the side that the curators decided to put in the front. However, this means that there are certain angles left unappreciated. The doctrine of justification has been curated in such a way to emphasize the front side of this truth, but there is another angle which is just as glorious and which we must not overlook. But remember the first rule of theology: no boasting. This includes how we’ve chosen to display certain doctrines.

Now, let’s briefly define justification. Which is like saying let’s quickly hike Kilimanjaro. Justification is how God solves the riddle of how He as a perfectly just God can simultaneously judge evil and yet still show mercy. It is a legal action where God declares two things about you. First, your sins are pardoned, not because of any merit on your part but “for Christ’s sake alone (WCF Ch. XI, Sec. 1).” Secondly, He also declares that you are no longer guilty. These glorious truths are like a peaches in a can, and faith is the can opener which God also gives you. Remember our rule: no boasting.

Here is how Calvin defines it, and pay close attention to how he relates justification to the good works which follow: “Justification, moreover, we thus define: The sinner being admitted into communion with Christ is, for his sake, reconciled to God; when purged by his blood he obtains the remission of sins, and clothed with righteousness, just as if it were his own, stands secure before the judgment-seat of heaven. Forgiveness of sins being previously given, the good works which follow have a value different from their merit, because whatever is imperfect in them is covered by the perfection of Christ, and all their blemishes and pollutions are wiped away by his purity, so as never to come under the cognizance of the divine tribunal. The guilt of all transgressions, by which men are prevented from offering God an acceptable service, being thus effaced, and the imperfection which is wont to sully even good works being buried, the good works which are done by believers are deemed righteous, or; which is the same thing, are imputed for righteousness.”
John Calvin (Book 3, Chapter XVII, Sec. 8)

A Devastating Error

Remember, we want to walk around and admire the full beauty of this doctrine. But there will be some tour guides (with funny pointy hats) offering you their specially designed sunglasses that they claim will help you see the crystal more clearly. Their glasses actually make it harder to see clearly, but they make it easier to boast about your own righteousness. The Roman Catholic view of this doctrine must be refuted before we attempt to go on to describe what is commonly termed “final justification”.

For the Roman Catholic, salvation is like riding a bicycle up to the top of the holy hill of Zion; if you successfully arrive at the top God will reward you with a justification trophy. Your only problem is that your bike is missing a chain. You could do it if only you had that chain. God just so happens to have a spare chain which He (to use the RC term) infuses to your bike. Voila! you can now pedal your way up.

This misses a key component which the Scriptures teach. Your main problem isn’t that you would if you could, it’s that you can’t because you’re dead. Man is dead in his trespasses and sins. To come back to the earlier metaphor, the bike is just fine, it’s you that’s the problem.

Justification is not a process of going from the bottom of the hill to the top. Rather, when by faith you receive and rest on the righteousness of Christ, God reckons you justified then and there. Justification is a one time event. However, so is planting a seed.

Final Justification?

Now, we can actually turn our attention to what we call final, future, or declarative justification. By faith you are justified in God’s sight, and you aren’t waiting with bated breath to figure out if God will forgive your sins. At the same time, as the Christian rests by faith in our justification, we are beset with all sorts of trials, temptations, and tests of that faith.

The obvious example is persecution. You confess Christ as Lord, and wicked men conspire to rob, torture, and kill you for that confession. The wicked often are in prosperity while the righteous scrape by. Evil men murder and malign the saints, and seem to get away with it. Or a different example, say you unexpectedly receive a check for $500. As you begin to think how to use it someone else facing real financial hardship comes to mind. You determine to sneak that money to them. You are doing a real act of charity in keeping with Christ’s instructions to give such gifts as discreetly as possible. But at the moment, you have no certainty whether that act of faith did any good.

As you walk by faith, the saint is tempted to doubt whether God sees the persecutions we endure, and those small acts of faith and trust. Is walking by faith worth it? This brings us at last to the text we began with. Jesus tells us that at the final judgement He will return to render unto every man according to his works (Mt. 16:27). As part of this judgement Jesus says that He will confess to His Father those who confessed Him, but will deny them that denied Him.

This is where the seed and fruit analogy is quite helpful, after all that is the image the Scripture frequently uses (often referred to in theological terms as the already and not yet). The living and abiding Word is seed, and that seed bears the fruit of the Spirit which works in us. You are reckoned as justified in God’s sight at the moment when Christ’s righteousness is imputed to you which you appropriate by faith (that’s the seed). But there will come a day when the veracity of that punctiliar moment is held forth for all to see, and declared for all to hear (that’s the fruit). Jesus Himself will hold forth your confession. He it is who will confess you before his Father and to the angels.

The term “final justification” can be traced back to the Puritan Richard Baxter, “Justification is not a single act, begun, and ended immediately upon our Believing; but a continued act, which, though it be in its kind complete from the first, yet is it still in doing, till the final Justification at the Judgment Day (Aphorisms of Justification, Proposition XXXIV).”

Thomas Goodwin makes a similar point, “And in relation to this outward judgment at the latter day, our sentence of salvation is termed expressly a justification; and this very thing is asserted by Christ himself: Mat. xii. 36, 37, ‘I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment; for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (The works of Thomas Goodwin Vol 7, Ch. 2, Sec. 4).’”

Christ was vindicated by His resurrection, and of course you are joined to His resurrection and this is the ground of your forensic justification, but at the final resurrection the saints will receive their vindication (again notice the already and not yet aspect of this). The final judgement is the revelation of God’s mercy unto the elect and justice upon the wicked. The Christian life is from first to last undertaken by faith alone in Christ who justifies. But the final judgement will be the judgement upon the entirety of our life, our thoughts, words, and actions. The righteous (or justified) walk by faith. Thus, this final justification will principally be a vindication of the good works, born of faith which work by love (Cf. WCF Ch. XI, Sec. II).

The final judgement, often called a justification, will reveal that the sacrifice and obedience of the saints really were worth it. Such deeds, done by faith, are vindicated by Christ, that those acts of faith were the righteous thing to do. Such good works are not the ground of your justification. They will, however, be vindicated when Christ the judge declares you to be, by His grace alone, justified and He rewards you openly.

This Same Jesus

When Christ ascended to the Father’s right hand He did so with a promise of returning in like manner––in the clouds of glory, accompanied by angel armies (Acts 1:11). The angels comforted the disciples that it would be “this same Jesus” who would return for this glorious final vindication of all His disciples and His judgement upon all His and our enemies.

Thus, the doctrine of final justification should bring three things home for you. First, you really should rest in the peace which is found in being justified freely by His grace. If you have trusted in Christ alone, not looking to amass enough good deeds to please God, God beams with delight upon you. Second, this forensic justification should spur you to put to death carnal desires and gladly strive to honor God in all things because, third, you should look to this doctrine like that hiker looks forward to the cool streams at the end of the hike. Christ will vindicate the faithful, because and only because the just live by the faith Christ gives them. This is what David said would happen. The righteous would be refreshed at last when God judges the wicked and rewards the righteous, and men will say, “verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth (Ps. 58:11b).”

“The sentence shall be pronounced on the righteous and the wicked. Christ, the glorious Judge, shall pass that blessed sentence on the church at his right hand, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” This sentence shall be pronounced with infinite love, and the voice will cause every heart to flow with joy. Thus Christ shall pronounce a sentence of justification on millions, who before had a sentence of condemnation passed upon them by their persecuting rulers. He will thus put honour upon those who have been before despised: he will own them for his, and will put a crown of glory upon their heads before the world; and then shall they shine forth as the sun with Jesus Christ in glory and joy, in the sight of all their enemies.”
Jonathan Edwards (The History of the Work of Redemption, Part IX)

Charge and Benediction

Paul said that whatever is not of faith is sin, which means that in all we do, we are to do so by trusting God. So, the charge is very simple: walk by faith.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
Jude 1:24-25

The Stars in Multitude

by Ben Zornes · May 11, 2026

The Apostle Paul quotes Psalm 19 in a curious way. He argues that the Gentiles must have the Gospel proclaimed unto them. The Gospel isn’t an “in-house” thing for the Jews. But, he asks rhetorically, “How will they hear?” It is in this context that Paul quotes the Psalmist, “But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world (Rom. 10:18).” Remember that Psalm is about the heavens declaring the glory of God.

But consider what God’s promise to Abraham was. His descendants would be as numerous as the stars in multitude. As the Gospel went forth into all the world, the saints essentially took over the role which the heavenly hosts once had, the task of being messengers of the glory of God. But now, our message is that of the reconciling grace that God has extended to mankind through Christ. These covenant children, by coming through the waters of baptism, join this starry host of covenant messengers proclaiming to all the world that in Christ is salvation, forgiveness, cleansing, and eternal life. Baptism is like adding points of starry light to the heavenly constellation of Gospel proclamation.

So welcome our brothers to Jesus Christ…

Wise Master Builder #19 | Covenant Renewal

by Ben Zornes · May 11, 2026

Introduction

Modern machinery has produced great marvels of strength. But none compares to a toddler who grasps something they shouldn’t! All too often we are found grasping things, even good things, too tightly. God invites us to loosen our grip on all those trifles in order to lay hold of an everlasting treasure.

The Text

Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah, […] And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding; They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes […]
Nehemiah 10:1, 28ff

Summary of the Text

The prayer of confession (Cf. Neh. 9) concluded with an appeal to the Lord to remember His covenant mercies and a commitment from the people to bind themselves once more to a sure covenant with Him (9:38). The family heads that signed the covenant are listed in vv1-27. As the kingly figure, Nehemiah is listed first, along with Zidkijah, both were civic rulers (v1). Then follows the priestly families, Ezra’s family is listed first: Seraiah (vv2-8); then the Levitical households (vv9-13); lastly, the principle families, matching the earlier lists (vv14-27, Ezr. 2, Neh. 7). This list of covenant participants is quite comprehensive: priests, Levites, temple servants, all those who had separated themselves from the people of the land along with their wives and sons and daughters.

Next the substance of this covenant renewal is laid out. While this covenant is a renewal of the duties that already rested upon them as God’s covenant people, they renew their vow, on pain of a curse, to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord (v29). There are three particular areas where the people are conscientious of their own negligence. First, is the vow to refrain from mixed marriages (v30). Second, is to not find sabbath loopholes by allowing the heathen to do the heavy lifting (v31). Third, was to better organize themselves to support the worship of God (v32).

This renewed zeal for the house of the Lord took shape in some practical ways. An annual temple tax (v32) to support all the logistics of the service of God in the temple (v33). They made a schedule for who was responsible to chop the wood each month (v34). Then they recommit themselves to dutifully bring their firstfruits offerings to the Lord (vv35-39). The crowning jewel of this covenant is really the pinnacle of the book of Ezra and Nehemiah: we will not forsake the house of our God (v39). All the construction projects, all the moral reforms, and all the resistance to their enemies was done out of a zeal for the house of God.

How God Covenants

How does the Uncreated God make Himself known to His creation? Scripture answers that God deals with mankind via covenant. God’s covenant making was the rebar that held together the prayer of confession in Nehemiah 9. A covenant is a solemn oath between two or more parties, with accompanying blessings for faithfulness and curses for breaking the covenant. Jeffrey Meyers has wonderfully traced the five-fold pattern of God’s covenant making in Scripture:

God draws near and lays hold by His Word.
God cuts (or separates) from the old order.
God speaks the terms of the new order.
God prepares a covenant feast.
God makes provision for the succession of the new covenant order.

These elements are also found here. God laid hold of His people through the Word reading ceremony (Neh. 8:1). The seed of Israel is separated from the strangers (Neh. 9:2, 10:28). The prayer goes over the history of Israel’s failures to keep the covenant and God’s mercy towards them despite their unfaithfulness; the prayer concluded with a plea for God to deliver them from the current distress in order that they might serve Him in the land out from under the yoke and capriciousness of pagan rulers. This prayer then leads to an oath-taking ceremony with terms for the new covenant order (10:29). The merry feast (8:12), the weeklong Feast of Booths (8:16-18), along with the renewed commitment to furnish the temple with all the firstfruits offerings reminds us that the whole sacrificial system was an indication of God inviting His people to break bread in loving fellowship with Him. Lastly, we see God preparing His people for renewed service to Him and devotion to His house (10:30-39). If we peek ahead into chapter 11 this revived spiritual energy takes the shape of organizing the community around the priority of worship and faithfulness to the Law of the Lord.

Was any of this deserved? Of course not. Everything from Cyrus’ decree to this moment has been kindness after kindness from God to a people that had not honored Him as they ought. The kindness of God is plainly displayed in how He raised up capable men to spur God’s people on in this work, to rebuke them in their sin, and to encourage them in persevering in the glory of serving God. This chapter really crowns the whole project. The confession, along with the renewed covenant, set the people to action. But not just any action, action in conformity to God’s Law. True reformation is not found in lip-service but in actual obedience.

The Law & Life

Ezra’s prayer quoted a line from Leviticus 18:5 regarding obeying the commandments of God, “Which if a man do, he shall live in them (Neh. 9:29).” Ezekiel quotes this as well (Eze 20:11). When a shrewd lawyer asked Jesus what one must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus quotes Leviticus as well (Luk 10:28). Paul quotes it twice (Rom 10:5, Gal 3:12), to underscore that obedience to the law leads to life. However, it must be a perfect obedience. Since this is not the case with any of us, it means that the just must live by faith in the One who did keep the Law perfectly in our stead. But this faith in Christ’s perfect righteousness also so works in us as to lead us to order our lives, by His Spirit, according to the Word of God.

Under Ezra’s eagle-eyed oversight this covenant was drawn from good exegesis of the Torah. Ezra puts His faith in God’s Word, then bears the fruit of obedience by applying that Word to fresh circumstances. What Ezra & Nehemiah are doing here is what can be called the general equity of the Law. Which can be briefly defined as “the application of God’s Law to new circumstances.” One example of this exegetical application to new circumstances is seen in the temple tax. Moses required a half-shekel every time there was a census (Ex. 30:11-16), Ezra and Nehemiah here require a third of a shekel annually (Neh. 10:32). This was not a deviation from the Law, but an application of it to new circumstances (the infrequency and logistical difficulty of the census-taking, the possible difference in shekel value, etc.).

Particular Sins

Whenever God revives His people there are obvious similarities, but there will also be differences due to what sin has prevailed amongst God’s people. Consider the sins that seem to have been most deeply felt in Nehemiah’s day: first, the marriages with idolaters, second, the concoction of Sabbath loopholes, and third, the neglect of God’s house (Cf. Hag. 1).

When the truth of God takes hold of you it compels you to live differently. These saints, renewed by the truth of the Word, turn to alter their way of life. So then, this leaves us with a few uncomfortable questions.

First, what are you doing to ensure your children and grandchildren walk faithfully in the truth of God’s word? The perpetual sin of the Israelite sin this regard was tolerating idolatry. We see this in more ancient times as they offered their children to Molech, but in Ezra’s time it looked like the marriages to idolatrous peoples, who would then offer their (often unwanted) children to temple prostitution. Two ways modern Christians have allowed idolatry to infect our child-rearing is through travel sports, where we sacrifice worship of the Living God for potential scholarships at godless universities. A more subtle way, however, is by adopting a view of our children that turns them into badges of our own vanity. Posting perfectly posed pictures & stories online to present an image of your family that flatters your own vanity. This often turns your children into an accessory to your own self-idolatry. Your kids will one day see and read everything you post about them online and you want to make sure they don’t call your bluff.

Second, are there any ways that you’ve cheated on God, either by neglecting to obey His good commands, or by inventing loopholes to accommodate my sin? Here in Nehemiah the issue was that of allowing the heathen to come set up markets on the Sabbath day and the Jews could continue their commerce but through an intermediary. You should ask yourself whether your Lord’s Day observation really is devoted first and foremost to the restful worship and renewing meditation on the things of the Lord. Don’t be the sort of Christian who is always looking for loopholes to allow you to technically obey God’s Word in letter, but not in Spirit. That attitude is what the movement which Ezra began turned into by the time of Christ: tithing mint and cumin, but disregarding the weightier matters of the Law.

Third, have you been withholding something from God? The people here in Nehemiah’s time commit themselves to joyful sacrifice, giving the best of their wealth in service to the Lord. Audit your time, energy, and material wealth and ask yourself whether you really are giving of the firstfruits to God, or is He an afterthought. Are you smashing the snooze button and so missing time in the Word each morning? Are you staying up late on Saturday and arriving to church frenzied, disheveled, and sleepy? If we looked at your budget would it reveal a priority of generosity, frugality, wisdom, and charity?

Consumed with Zeal

When Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple, John records that the disciples were reminded of Psalm 69:9, “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.” All the rebuilding and reformation under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah anticipates the zeal which Christ would have for the house of God.

How do these moral reforms and building reconstructions pertain to you? If you are a Christian you are compelled to be zealous for the house of the Lord. Which is simply to say, “Look to Christ alone.” Christ’s body was the temple torn down and rebuilt for your salvation from sin. Christ is the true temple, priest, and sacrifice whereby you might serve God in righteousness. Christ is the true city of God, and so you can be assured that by grace you dwell as an adopted citizen in that city of peace. Christ is the head of the body, which means that along with all the saints you are a member of that body.

So, what’s that in your hand that you’re grasping so tightly? Give it to Him.

Charge and Benediction

Remember the words of the Apostle James, don’t be a hearer of the Word only, but a doer of it. You’ve heard the Word proclaimed, now find at least one practical way to make a change to how you live in order to walk in closer obedience to the Word.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessings of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon, and remain with you always.
Amen

MORE SERMONS FROM THIS SERIES

The Potter at the Wheel

by Ben Zornes · May 4, 2026

A potter at the wheel skillfully shapes the clay. It goes from a nondescript lump to slowly transforming into something resembling a vessel. But just as you think it is taking its final shape, the potter often surprisingly presses or squishes or squeezes the clay. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what the correct term is! But what looked one way a moment ago suddenly becomes something entirely different.

The Bible tells us story after story of God laying hold of the way things are, tearing it apart, and making something new. The word translated as covenant literally means “to cut.” God grasps us in our baptism in order to tear us away from the old man which we were covenantally joined to in Adam, making us a new creature in Christ by means of a new and gracious covenant. God took a fistful of dirt and turned it into our first father. In baptism God takes the dead children of Adam, and reshapes them into a new creation. This is entirely a gracious act by our God, which we are to receive the only way we can: by faith alone.

So welcome our sister to Jesus Christ…