He had already admonished the saints to be submissive to
government authorities (1 Peter 2:13–17), the slaves to submit to
their masters (1 Peter 2:18–25), and the wives to their husbands (1
Peter 3:1–7). Now he commanded all of the believers to submit to
God and to each other.
The younger believers should submit to the older
believers, not only out of respect for their age, but also out of
respect for their spiritual maturity. Not every “senior saint” is
a mature Christian, of course, because quantity of years is no
guarantee of quality of experience. This is not to suggest that the
older church members “run the church” and never listen to the
younger members! Too often there is a generation war in the church,
with the older people resisting change, and the younger people
resisting the older people!
The solution is twofold: (1) all believers, young and
old, should submit to each other; (2) all should submit to God. “Be
clothed with humility” is the answer to the problem. Just as Jesus
laid aside His outer garments and put on a towel to become a servant,
so each of us should have a servant’s attitude and minister to each
other. True humility is described in Philippians 2:1–11. Humility
is not demeaning ourselves and thinking poorly of ourselves. It is
simply not thinking of ourselves at all!
We can never be submissive to each other until we are
first submissive to God. Peter quoted Proverbs 3:34 to defend his
point, a verse that is also quoted in James 4:6. It takes grace to
submit to another believer, but God can give that grace if we
humble ourselves before Him.
God resists the proud because God hates the sin of pride
(Prov. 6:16–17; 8:13). It was pride that turned Lucifer into Satan
(Isa. 14:12–15). It was pride—a desire to be like God—that
stirred Eve to take the forbidden fruit. “The pride of life” is
an evidence of worldliness (1 John 2:16). The only antidote to pride
is the grace of God, and we receive that grace when we yield
ourselves to Him. The evidence of that grace is that we yield to one
another.
Submission is an act of faith. We are trusting God to
direct in our lives and to work out His purposes in His time. After
all, there is a danger in submitting to others; they might take
advantage of us—but not if we trust God and if we are submitted to
one another! A person who is truly yielded to God, and who wants to
serve his fellow Christians, would not even think of taking advantage
of someone else, saved or unsaved. The “mighty hand of God” that
directs our lives can also direct in the lives of others.
The key, of course, is the phrase “in due time.” God
never exalts anyone until that person is ready for it. First the
cross, then the crown; first the suffering, then the glory. Moses was
under God’s hand for forty years before God sent him to deliver the
Jews from Egypt. Joseph was under God’s hand for at least thirteen
years before God lifted him to the throne. One of the evidences of
our pride is our impatience with God, and one reason for suffering is
that we might learn patience (James 1:1–6). Here Peter was
referring to words he heard the Master say: “For whosoever exalteth
himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be
exalted” (Luke 14:11).
One of the benefits of this kind of relationship with
God is the privilege of letting Him take care of our burdens. Unless
we meet the conditions laid down in 1 Peter 5:5–6, we cannot claim
the wonderful promise of 1 Peter 5:7. The word translated “care”
means “anxiety, the state of being pulled apart.” When
circumstances are difficult, it is easy for us to be anxious and
worried; but if we are, we will miss God’s blessing and become poor
witnesses to the lost. We need His inward peace if we are going to
triumph in the fiery trial and bring glory to His name. Dr. George
Morrison said, “God does not make His children carefree in order
that they be careless.”
According to 1 Peter 5:7, we must once and for all
give all of our cares—past, present, and future—to the Lord. We
must not hand them to Him piecemeal, keeping those cares that we
think we can handle ourselves. If we keep “the little cares” for
ourselves, they will soon become big problems! Each time a new burden
arises, we must by faith remind the Lord (and ourselves) that we have
already turned it over to Him.
If anybody knew from experience that God cares for His
own, it was Peter! When you read the four Gospels, you discover that
Peter shared in some wonderful miracles. Jesus healed Peter’s
mother-in-law (Mark 1:29–31), gave him a great catch of fish (Luke
5:1–11), helped him pay his temple tax (Matt. 17:24–27), helped
him walk on the water (Matt. 14:22–33), repaired the damage he did
to the ear of Malchus (Luke 22:50–51; John 18:10–11), and even
delivered Peter from prison (Acts 12).
How does God show His love and care for us when we give
our cares to Him? I believe that He performs four wonderful
ministries on our behalf. (1) He gives us the courage to face our
cares honestly and not run away (Isa. 41:10). (2) He gives us the
wisdom to understand the situation (James 1:5). (3) He gives us the
strength to do what we must do (Phil. 4:13). And (4) He gives us the
faith to trust Him to do the rest (Ps. 37:5).
Some
people give God their burdens and expect Him to do everything! It is
important that we let Him work in
us as well as work for
us, so that we will be prepared when the answer comes. “Cast thy
burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee” (Ps. 55:22).1
Casting
all your care.
Humility means that we do not have to bear our anxieties; we are told
to “toss them over to him” (casting
is a participle of attendant circumstance which assumes the
imperative character of the main verb here). The two words for “care”
in verse 7 must be distinguished: the first means anxieties, the
second refers to the meticulous, personal concern God has about us.
He is interested in
us and willing to carry all our anxieties if we are willing to do
what He wants us to do2\
The
Greek word epirrhihipto,
translated “casting,” is interesting because it means to roll
something that will most likely roll back upon you. Have you found
that after casting your care on the Lord, you feel okay for a day or
two, but then the burden rolls right back on you? If so, know that’s
the way of the Lord. Why? He wants us to stay in close touch with
Him, and if we cast our care upon Him never to feel the pressure, the
anxiety, the tension, the worry again, we would not be people who
pray.
You see, the Father wants to do something bigger than
merely taking our burdens from us. He wants to develop a relationship
with us. Thus, the burdens and struggles that repeatedly roll upon us
cause us to become linked to Him in continual prayer. That’s
infinitely more important than the solution to the burden for which
we were praying in the first place. So cast your care upon Him—and
keep doing it over and over and over again, knowing how deeply He
cares for you.3
II. The apostle, knowing that these Christians were
already under very hard circumstances, rightly supposes that what he
had foretold of greater hardships yet a coming might excite in them
abundance of care and fear about the event of these difficulties,
what the issue of them would be to themselves, their families, and
the church of God; foreseeing this anxious care would be a heavy
burden, and a sore temptation, he gives them the best advice, and
supports it with a strong argument. His advice is to cast all
their care, or all care of themselves, upon God. “Throw
your cares, which are so cutting and distracting, which wound your
souls and pierce your hearts, upon the wise and gracious providence
of God; trust in him with a firm composed mind, for he careth for
you. He is willing to release you of your care, and take the care
of you upon himself. He will either avert what you fear, or support
you under it. He will order all events to you so as shall convince
you of his paternal love and tenderness towards you; and all shall be
so ordered that no hurt, but good, shall come unto you,” Mt. 6:25;
Ps. 84:11; Rom. 8:28. Learn, 1. The best of Christians are apt to
labour under the burden of anxious and excessive care; the apostle
calls it, all your care, intimating that the cares of
Christians are various and of more sorts than one: personal cares,
family cares, cares for the present, cares for the future, cares for
themselves, for others, and for the church. 2. The cares even of good
people are very burdensome, and too often very sinful; when they
arise from unbelief and diffidence, when they torture and distract
the mind, unfit us for the duties of our place and hinder our
delightful service of God, they are very criminal. 3. The best remedy
against immoderate care is to cast our care upon God, and
resign every event to the wise and gracious determination. A firm
belief of the rectitude of the divine will and counsels calms the
spirit of man. We ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done,
Acts 21:14.4
Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true;
I would tell you how He changed my life completely,
He did something that no other friend could do.
No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There's no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.
All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me,
All my heart was full of misery and woe;
Jesus placed His strong and loving arms about me,
And He led me in the way I ought to go.
No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There's no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.
Ev'ry day He comes to me with new assurance,
More and more I understand His words of love;
But I'll never know just why He came to save me,
Till some day I see His blessed face above.
No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There's no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.
1
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol.
2, pp. 431–432). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
2
Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible
Commentary (p. 2617). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
3
Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson’s Application Commentary
(p. 1577). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
4
Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole
Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2433). Peabody:
Hendrickson.
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