Zechariah 11:12
¹² And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

PAUL LONGS TO SEE THEM
1 THESSALONIANS 2:17-20; 3:1-5

But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18 For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. 19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy. (Chapter 3) Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.

Vs. 17 But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. Paul is writing to the Thessalonians Church regarding his departure from them, he is concerned that they may think that after they had been readily persuaded, and won over, he had left off caring for them. The unbelieving Jews had some low life never-do-well create such a ruckus that some of the brethren forced him to leave at night for his own safety, without even a good-bye. So, Paul, Silas, and Timothy traveled on to Berea. Notice, he says we were orphaned by being separated from you, the Greek he uses means children bereaved of their parents and parents bereaved of their children, in other words we felt like we were orphaned by being separated from you even for a short time in our persons, but not in our thoughts of you. Remember the short period of time they had had to preach to the Thessalonians before being forced to leave. Believe me, out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. Our thoughts were of you as we tried to see you again, but when Timothy brought us word about your faithfulness to the Lord, I could not restrain myself, I had to write to you all.

Vs. 18 For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. The three of them, Paul, Silas, and Timothy, wanted to come to the Thessalonians, Paul says I wanted to come again and again and again or several times, but Satan blocked our way. When Paul and his companions left Thessalonica at night to get away from the mob the Jews had gathered together, they went to Berea. From here Paul had desires about returning to strengthen the work they been enabled by the Holy Spirit to start in Thessalonica, but Satan blocked our way. Satan, the personal devil it’s a hinderance to those individual desiring to enter the kingdom of God. The Jews discovered Paul was in Berea, the mob was sent to Berea to keep them from preaching the gospel. Therefore, Paul took a ship from Berea to Athens where he planned to wait on Silas and Timothy. At Athens the Stoics and Epicurean philosophers wanted to hear some new thing regarding Paul’s teaching. Timothy was able to return to Thessalonica and encourage the church.

Vs. 19-20 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Paul is looking forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus and tells the Thessalonians, our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? In1Corinthians 3:18, each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. Since there will be rewards at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul says our hope, our joy, or the crown is you Thessalonians.

20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy. If the apostle repeats what he had just written, the repetition must have something special, either additional or intensive about it. The gaining of souls to God’s kingdom is not a small pillar to support our hope of salvation, and a pledge to us of our glory, so runs the promise that shall turn others to righteousness and shall shine as the stars.

Chapter 3 Vs. 1 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone. It appears that Silas was left in Berea to continue the work recently started and Timothy returned to Thessalonica to cheer and encourage them while Paul is in Athens by himself. The sense is that Paul was no longer able to control his longing to see you without doing something to gratify it when we could no longer endure it; He makes a decision to send Timothy back to Thessalonica to support the church, Silas remains in Berea and Paul gets some peace of mind by observing things taking place in Athens we thought it good to be left in Athens alone which would keep his mind occupied with other thoughts.

Vs. 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith. When Paul left Berea, he went away alone to Athens, but sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, that no one should be shaken by these sudden departures. Paul has much to say about Timothy, he is our brother, a member of God’s family having the same heavenly Father, and a servant (minister), and fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ. He commanded Silas and Timothy to join him later in Athens, but before the return of Silas and Timothy Paul departed Athens and went to Corinth. It was at Corinth that both men joined him, Timothy bearing the good news, Paul was delighted to hear, that triggered the writing of 1 Thessalonians and his returning with the letter.

Vs. 3 that no one should be shaken by the afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. The Thessalonians acquaintances might, as well wishers, delude you with suggestions regarding the ongoing events, but it is my desire that no one should be shaken by the afflictions. I want you all to realize that these afflictions are not accidental, we do not court them or merit them by our actions, but God by His grace has placed us in this position because you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. With God there are no accidents, all events are ordained and have a purpose, Paul, Silas, and Timothy are learning by reverses to trust in God’s providence in all things.

Vs. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. As we told you before this happened that we would suffer tribulation, Paul is writing to them, this is not an unusual event we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. For genuine Christians there are reverses that are in their future. According to God’s purpose, because darkness is opposed to light, the flesh strives against the spirit, but the gospel wins believers. Paul’s words are not flattering speech,
he is saying these reverses must come to pass in our lives, because from an outward event we gain an inward experience—knowing these events were appointed by God. Now the clause when we were with you, we means the apostles, therefore it is applicable to each Christians inward and outward experience. But in this instance, it is meant to comfort the Thessalonians in their afflictions and serve as a reminder to all Christians.

Vs. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain. Paul is writing what he has written earlier for this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I had to know about you so, I sent to know your faith, I wanted to know how it stood, was it staggering through these afflictions or was it firm, was it weak or strong, what was lacking in it, or whether it grew or increased. My concern was that by some means the tempter had tempted you. Satan so called from his constant employ in tempting men to sin having tempted you, with success, and got an advantage over them, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain. None of the saints are free from Satan’s temptations. The tempter’s purpose was obvious, and the apostle was only in doubt as to the results.

What Man Has Lost
Gen. 1:28. And God blessed them…

Original creation was blest by God, “and behold, it was very good.” Mankind began its history in the glorious context of Divine blessing and communion. This blessed state, however, was short lived. Our first parents were seduced from this blessed state of existence in fellowship with God and subsequently the human race was plunged into a state of sin, alienation and Divine condemnation. The instinct of man by nature, however, is to regain a state of blessedness, one of bliss and enjoyment, one of fulfillment and satisfaction. Under the curse, however, every attempt is doomed to failure. It is doomed to failure because it is sought apart from God and his life–giving Word, apart from faith in the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus, which is absolutely necessary to reconciliation with God, and apart from the necessary motive to glory God in all things. All human pleasure and the search for meaning, fulfillment and satisfaction must therefore inevitably fail. Man is simply looking in the wrong place.

Catechism Question 56
Q. What is forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment forbids the worshiping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in His word.

Deuteronomy 4:15
¹⁵ Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: