2 Corinthians 12:21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.
Paul is reaching out to his church in Corinth. As you may remember, Corinth was a church that Paul founded and had spent much time there, discipling the faithful, and exhorting them to continue in the faith. Paul spent 18 months with this church, much longer than most of his plants.
Acts 18:11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
While there, he wasn’t acting in the evangelist mode as much as the Bible teacher, and the Corinthians had the blessing of being under Paul’s teaching for an extended period of time!
If he personally knew a people claiming Christ, it was in Corinth, but as he eventually moved on under the leading of God, he heard rumors, stories of the Corinthians acting like little children, bickering and fighting with one another. Acting unChristian.
The reports of this church’s activities included some sin that even the heathen don’t put up with. And yet he designated them as saints, believers.
1 Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
Paul goes so far as to speak of the Corinthians surety in the faith.
1 Corinthians 1:6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you–
But in our verse this morning, we find Paul speaking of mourning. A requirement of mourning over many of those he has declared to be saints.
Mourning is typically associated with death, with grief over the loss of a loved one. While there is hope, mourning is not the word I think of. For Paul to bring this word into the discussion may breach our topic of conditional security, for he has established these as saints, and is now fearing the mourning required at the death of a loved one.
May this mourning be associated with physical death? We know some in the church were judged because of their sin and were taken home early, as we read in 1 Corinthians 11.
1 Corinthians 11:30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
But when Paul speaks of physical death amongst the believers, it is in the context of judgment, without any reference to mourning, sorrow or grief. It is a matter of judgement.
For our verse here, I suggest Paul may be breaching a far greater death, not simply of a saint being judged and taken home early, though still a believer.
Might Paul be introducing the mourning required in the loss of a believer from the faith? Just a few verses later Paul is asking these folks to check themselves out. They need to examine themselves, test themselves, to see if they pass or fail.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
Now some may be thinking Paul is writing this to a mixed audience, those who are of the faith and those who are simply watching from outside. Some may think that Paul has two audiences in mind, and this testing is for the self-deluded outsider, the professor and not the possessor of the Christian life. This may make sense, except for the fact I don’t recall him addressing any outsiders throughout this letter.
He continues to address believers, bringing to mind the responsibilities and lifestyle requirements of the believer, sometimes rebuking the believer, and speaking to those who have made claims of new life.
How do you understand his reference to mourning in relation to the saints he was about to visit?
Leave me a comment – I am curious of my readers opinions!
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As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. 6 And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of the Arabah all night, 8 and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The LORD has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.
Due to the history of the Beerothites, and the likelihood of these men being mere mercenaries, this action of assassination should not surprise us. These men saw an opportunity, but did not consider David’s history with those killing for his sake and took action. A fatal mistake!
I mentioned the history of the Beerothites in an earlier post, of how this tribe had deceived Joshua and entered into a treaty with the nation of Israel under false pretenses. Now, three centuries later, this tribe provides two mercenaries to perform a treasonous act against their king.
For treason, these two men did not disappoint. Walking into the palace, and stabbing the king in broad daylight is gutsy. To leave the palace with the head of the king is beyond audacious – that is simply foolhardy. Yet they were able to do this act of treason, seemingly without any concern of getting caught. Was it that they were part of the royal guard, or was is that since Abner had been taken out of the picture, they entire security around the king was lax. I will leave that with my reader.
These two game changers, having committed a capital offence head off to the upcoming king, a man they seemingly know little of. Surely they didn’t hear the story of that fellow who presented to David the news of Saul’s death. If that man had killed Saul, as David understood, it could be reasoned it was in war, and bad things happen in war. But that reasoning did not wash with David, for that fellow was put to death for raising his hand against the Lord’s anointed!
These fellows had no excuse. No war, the king was at a weak time, and the army that should protect is the killing machine?
Verse 11 is the key verse, where David lays into these fools.
How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?”
Suffice to say – they died. And David sought to honor Ish-bosheth with entombing him in Abner’s tomb.
Saul had no tomb? What is David doing in laying to rest Ish-bosheth in Abner’s tomb. It is not that Hebron was King Saul’s capital city – that was Gibeah.
If my reader has any possible reasoning for David to provide this specific honor to Ish-bosheth, please let me know in the comments.
Otherwise, this treacherous act of two mercenaries has set the stage for David to rule all of Israel. We will begin to shift in the story of David from watching a man on the run, one who was treated like an enemy by the powers that reigned, to one who ascended to the throne, reigning as God had promised.
Throughout the early years of David, we have seen many instances where David’s life reflected the persecuted life of his Greater Son.
So many similarities to Jesus as He walked among us.
Now as we enter a time where David is enthroned, we will find a man besot with sin, struggling with his own demons, and yet being led by the Father, receiving promises from God and establishing Israel on a path of tremendous world influence, spreading the glory of God throughout the region.
Jesus is also on the throne, ruling over the Kingdom of heaven. His ascension centuries back has become the King of all nations.
Revelation 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!
Jesus’ rule continues throughout eternity, and His righteous reign will lead each of us to greater victories as we follow the One who is our Master.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Cyrus
LOVED BY THE LORD
Isaiah 48:14 “Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans.
John 5:20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.
We are in Isaiah again, with a picture of the Messiah coming through loud and clear.
Isaiah is calling the people together for a message that has not been declared. Now a bit of background may be beneficial. Isaiah is decrying the peoples dependance on dumb idols, their idolatry is rampant, and many of the prophecies regarding Cyrus are provided for a generation of God’s nation many years in the future. No idols can do that! When Isaiah speaks of “Who among them”, he is referring to the dumb idols! No idols could predict a future deliverer of Israel centuries ahead of the time.
Not only will the prophecy regarding the release of the Jews from captivity be astounding, but the instrument of release for the Jews will defeat the Chaldeans and perform God’s purpose on the Babylonians.
And the Lord loves him. This instrument of devastation on the Babylonians is loved by the Lord. This instrument of release from the Babylonians, for the people of God is loved by God.
This instrument of devastation and deliverance is a heathen king, a man who God raises up over a century after this prophecy, and we know of this kings name as Cyrus.
In this series on Cyrus we have seen him as the deliverer, the freedom giver, the man who obeys God’s will and much more. But here in Isaiah, we see Isaiah revealing the heart of God towards a heathen king.
Some may think this declaration of love by the Lord is to be reserved only for the anti-type of Cyrus, that is the Lord Jesus, and there may be merit to that, since the Father loves the Son! Yet even if Isaiah provides a sort of limited love of God for Cyrus, it is an amazing declaration for the people of God to hear.
God’s servant, a stranger outside of their camp, outside of their nation is loved by God! Another description of Jesus from the Old Testament, this time describing the relationship of the Son with the Father, through a stranger to the people of God.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
247
GREAT GOD
Daniel 2:45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
Daniel is beckoned before the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzer, after the king experienced a startling dream. He had watched in his night visions as a massive structure was erected before him, made of various metals.
Now this is the first time Daniel is brought before the king, and the task was daunting. Not only interpret a dream, but determine the dream? Recount the contents of the dream the the king.
Very unexpected!
Daniel and his friends prayed, and in Daniels next appearance, he not only interpreted the dream according to truth, but also was able to provide the contents of the dream to the king.
Daniel spoke of “a great God” in his confession before the king, and as this most likely was the first time before the King, Daniel introduced the King of Kings to the king of Babylon in a somewhat generic way. Daniel would be before the king many times, and would have national/worldwide influence before this king. This initial introduction Daniel was somewhat restrained, for he only revealed the contents of a dream. After all, it was only a message to a king regarding his kingdom’s eventual fall.
An additional passage is found in the Old Testament regarding our Great God.
Nehemiah 8:6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
In this passage, we have another man of God describing our God as great. Ezra was addressing a community of faith, who were ready and willing to hear the Word of God.
The reaction of the people of God was amazing. As Ezra opened the book of the law, the people stood. As he read the book of the law, the people wept. Imagine that! Weeping in the congregation of God’s people, due to the reading of the Book of the Law.
Revival in the congregation was breaking out, for the Word reflected their failure, their sin and their disobedience, yet their hearts were open to the Lord.
One man revealed a dream. One man revived a nation. Both actions were attributed the our Great God.
Paul also speaks of our Great God, providing us clear indication of the identity of the One on the cross.
Titus 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Take note that we have went from the indefinite article “a” in describing God with Daniel – (a Great God), through to the definite article “the” in Ezra’s declaration (the Great God) to Paul’s possessive description of God.
He is our Great God.
Lord Jesus – we look to You, our Great God for a time of revival as in Ezra’s day, a period of open hearts in front of the open Book.
Help us have open hearts to Your ways!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.
As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1 Thessalonians 2:18 because we wanted to come to you–I, Paul, again and again–but Satan hindered us.
Last time in our study of Thessalonians, we were breaching the subject of the source of Paul’s separation from his young believers. Yes he had mentioned those who displease God and oppose all mankind! He had become specific in identifying the the human instruments of persecution, even calling out the religious Jews persecuting the new believers in Israel, and the Thessalonian countrymen persecuting this tiny church.
Both experienced a similar suffering. From appearances, the actions of those against believers were so similar that it surely represented a single source of hatred. Those performing the persecution seemed to be motivated and directed by a single source, and Paul is not shy in identifying this source.
Satan, the adversary is the source of the persecution, but in this passage, it seems Paul is directing us to a method of the enemy that is unexpected.
Yes, Satan at times uses brute force (spiritually speaking) for his opposition to the gospel, but for Paul in this passage, he speaks of a different attack, a subtle, indirect method Satan uses in fighting against the gospel.
Hindering. To cut into or impede progress by interruption. The specific term Paul uses here is very relatable for the author, as I have spent my life in the design and construction of modes of transportation, being either roadways or railroads. The term to hinder in this passage was used in the first century of impeding people by the “breaking up the road, or by placing an obstacle sharply in the path; hence, metaphorically, of “detaining” a person unnecessarily”.
Now of course any rebuilding of any road I was involved in was not “unnecessary” so I take exception to this description, and the breaking up of any road was for the purpose of increasing safety of access for the public.
Not so for Satan, for we know he is the enemy of our souls. Paul is graphically describing Satan’s method of slowing us down or impeding us in our seeking after God. Paul, in a similar passage in Galatians, speaks of those Judaizers who were throwing up obstacles and “breaking up the road” believers were travelling in following the Lord Jesus.
Galatians 5:7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
Now before I jump to any conclusions, focusing on Satan and his methods, it would be wise to remember that he is only a created being, a rogue spirit that seeks to topple the King of Kings. He is, even from the very beginning, on a fool’s errand, for who can fight against the King. His ways are of eternity, and though He allows hinderances, delays and “broken up roads” that we need to traverse, He is faithful, and all wise.
In Paul’s case, he did not allow any hindering to stop him, but continued to look for ways to visit with his people in Macedonia. He speaks in 1 Corinthians 1:15-16 of his plans to visit that area, and in Acts 20:1-3, Luke describes his journeys through Macedonia strengthening the churches.
For us today, what hinderances are before you? What portion of the way is broken up before you, making progress harder than expected? It is good to remember that the context of Paul’s concerns was the hinderance of both the spread of the gospel and the fellowship of the saints together. Both are critical for the church.
May we find strength in Him as we travel the way of God.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 73:27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. Psalm 73:28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.
Let’s remember the rollercoaster ride Asaph has spiritually taken. Early in the Psalm, he was paying attention to those in Israel who were finding success financially, who were enjoying a comfortable life, who had acquired image and power in the community. It seemed that these folk, that Asaph called “wicked” were doing just fine!
As a matter of fact, not only were they doing fine, it appeared God was allowing unrighteousness to gain a foothold, for those whom Asaph called “wicked” were snubbing their nose at God, ignoring the covenant they belonged to, without any negative impact.
Everything seemed so backwards for Asaph, and for all appearances, so real, so factual, so true, and so easy. No need for morning prayers, or torah reading. Observance of temple rituals could be ignored, and the required sacrifices were put on hold.
The life of the wicked that Asaph observed was the life to choose.
He wanted it, and was entering into the sin of envy, which was bringing him to the doorstep of idolatry. He freely admitted his conflict, and was experiencing an inner battle that was relentless, with the ultimate victor seeming to be the lifestyle of the wicked, with all the trappings of ease, comfort and possessions.
That is until he entered the sanctuary of God and he finally understood the reality instead of a image he perceived of both the wicked and his own life.
In our short passage this morning, Asaph is concluding his findings, and provides a stark difference of the future of both the wicked and the righteous. Earlier he had mentioned how his efforts had all been in vain, useless efforts for success in life.
Psalm 73:13 – All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.
He sees things completely different now.
Any efforts Asaph performed in being near to God are no longer considered a burden, a vanity or a problem. He sees that the lifestyle and focus of the wicked is taking them farther and farther away from God. The term Asaph uses regarding the actions of the wicked is an adjective describing a removing, a departure, a going away from. The lifestyle and choices of the wicked are not neutral, and God has not provided any allowance for a wicked lifestyle. The judgement of the wicked’s lifestyle is that it takes the worker away from God.
God is still the center of all, and those chasing the life of the wicked are running far from God. They are becoming remote, and as they are moving away from God, the source of all life, it is obvious the end result is perishing.
No life! God will put an end to the unfaithful!
For Asaph, and for all who have any sense, it is good to be near God. He doesn’t speak of his end, or of his destiny as he did regarding the wicked, but of his current condition of seeking God, of his present blessing. For Asaph, his condition is “good”. The term speaks of wealth, prosperity, favor, goodness and of a better condition. All that Asaph was being lured away from God by the appearances of the wicked were supplied by the very nearness of God.
As we make the Lord our God our refuge from the temptations and lurings of the world and the wicked, we will find a life of reality, the best of life and enjoy satisfying blessings in God alone.
May we be full of the goodness of God in our lives such that we also tell of all the works of God with those we rub shoulders with, even boasting of the goodness of God when compared with the frail, unstable and fearful lifestyle of the wicked.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
246
GREAT AND AWESOME GOD
Daniel 9:4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
Daniel was a righteous man.
Of all the men in the Old Testament, Daniel shines as a glowing example of a man committed to the God of Israel. To show the status of Daniel in the mind of God, Ezekiel lumps him in with Noah and Job as men of faith, men whose righteousness could not hold back the judgement on Israel.
Ezekiel 14:20 even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness.
Daniel was a righteous man.
But we find Daniel starting to pray in this verse, and our verse this morning is the beginning of a prayer to God that dwells on confession, describing rebellion, sin, wickedness, transgression, disobedience, unfaithfulness, shame, iniquity, and the departing from the Lord by the nation now in captivity.
Daniel provides for us a prayer of confession unlike any in the Word, for he was in the midst of conditions directly resulting from centuries of sinful choices by the nation. He was righteous, but he also was carried away in the judgement, carried away to Babylon.
In this passage, Daniel is identifying with the rebellious nation, taking his place with the people who rejected the Lord. He is such a great picture of the Lord Jesus, in that though He was completely sinless, He came and identified with us!
And he begins his prayer by speaking of the Lord as the Great and Awesome God. In calling God this, Daniel continues by giving us further explanation as to why the Lord should be called by this name.
Our Great and Awesome God is faithful. Daniel speaks of God’s faithfulness to those who have rejected His covenant. To those who have departed from Him. To those who have rejected God.
Now, if you haven’t reacted to this “slip” in my earlier description of Daniels’s prayer, I want to draw your attention to my heresy. Daniel does not speak of our Great and Awesome God keeping covenant with sinners, but with those who keep the covenant, those who love God and keep (or obey) His commands.
Daniel, after describing the faithfulness of God the covenant keeping people, then goes on and describes the people of Israel, (including himself) as an undeserving, sinful and rebellious people. The covenant is for those who obey (Daniel comes to mind). No covenant is referred to here for those who reject God.
This is no small omission, for without the covenant, there is no “legal” responsibility on God’s part to act. God has a covenant with those who obey.
This is a big problem is God was only and always committed to the Sinai covenant, but even though the covenant is broken, smashed by those who promised to keep it, the Person of God has a heart, a love for the people that goes beyond the covenant.
The heart of God is a heart of mercy, of forgiveness, and exemplifies the GREAT AND AWESOME GOD we recognize in the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world–the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life–is not from the Father but is from the world. 1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
I used to spend hours every night delivering newspapers to over 400 homes in the city of London Ontario. Yes, I was an adult newspaper “boy” and it was a great job for a young married man to have. It provided sufficient funds to care for my young wife, provided ample time to spend with my beautiful wife, and I was readily available as we waited for our first born to enter the world, for I worked for less than four hours each morning! And in those nightly four hours, walking the streets of London, mindlessly following a path that rarely changed, I began a habit of Bible memorization that has been of tremendous benefit to my own spiritual life. To those reading, I encourage this discipline in your walk with the Master, for He often calls to mind a passage from my memory to provide guidance, encouragement and often correction!
All that to say that this mornings passage was one of the first passages I memorized as a multiple verse challenge.
Early in my faith, I understood that John wrote his epistle to believers in order to encourage them in the agreement they entered into upon initial faith in the Messiah. This agreement was a static, “set in stone” promise of a believers destiny based on an initial faith at a point in time in the past.
Nowadays, I am of the understanding that this salvation we are privileged to enter into is not dependent on a contract of sorts, but on a continuing living faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
For those interested in my findings, I published a series of posts beginning with 1 John – Testing to Know – Introduction. In summary, I am of the opinion John was providing tests for the believer, as the believer seeks to follow the Lord, some tests to check his life against in order to know if he has the Son, which is to have eternal life.
My faith has shifted from depending on a night in February of 1981, when I initially confessed my sin and asked for His salvation. Now, the issue I need to address is my life reflecting the character of Jesus, growing, yet admittedly never attaining the perfection He calls us to. Again, it is not that any believer attains, but that all believers rely on the Son and not on an agreement. We are to trust in the Lord, not an agreement, or covenant, fantastic as it is!
The Lord is full of mercy and plenteous in forgiveness. This re-understanding of salvation magnifies the grace of God towards the one following the Master. Many times I have wandered and His faithful ministry in my life has pulled me back to Him over and over again. The great challenge for the believer is to continue to follow, to be faithful, to continue to believe, to continue to rely on the Savior, to do that which He commands in the midst of trials, temptations disappointments and victories.
As we follow, we slowly, and incrementally become more like Him, which is the point. We are called Christians, for the term actually means little Christs, and was given to us as a derogatory name given by the world to each follower of Christ.
So when we come to our topic verses, this revised understanding presents a challenge that is much more complex than I first thought.
Let me do a real quick study through the verses.
Love
John refers to love three times in verse 15. All three words are of the root word for agape. When referring to the believers relation to the world, the word agapáō a present active imperative, speaking of a continual, ongoing love for the world. This is the verbal form of “agape love”
When referring to the love of the Father, the word is revised to agápē , the same word only this time in the noun form.
It is somewhat surprising that John used the same word relating to both the world and God. After studying the term agape, I have come to understand it as the word that describes a sacrificial love that is bestowed on something or someone out of the character of the giver and not based on the recipient’s actions or efforts.
After a brief review, this use of agape for the world is quite appropriate, for the world certainly does not deserve our love, and if we bestow this sacrificial love onto the world, the sacrifice of our lives, time and talent is just that – sacrificed to a non – worthy recipient.
World
John uses this word bunches! Twenty three times in this short 5 chapters. The kicker is that the word “world” has a broad meaning, for even a cursory review of the passages in John reveal this. Consider.
“World” speaks of the inhabitants of His creation. People.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
“World” speaks of the creation itself – matter space and time.
John 9:32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.
“World” speaks of the mission field for those who are sent by Jesus.
John 17:18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
“World” speaks of followers present with Jesus at the time, and as Jesus prepared for death, He was about to depart from them. It is a temporary location!
John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
And of course our present verses in 1 John, which speak of something believers are not to love.
Now to think. Might John be speaking of people in our passage? No that makes no sense. When he speaks of the world, is he speaking of creation? This doesn’t fit the logic of the passage. Ok, might he be referring to the mission field in our passage? That is silly, for He has sent us out into it.
I think John 13:1 may bring the some clarity to the discussion, for it speaks of a temporary condition, and John goes on to speak of the believer living forever in verse 17.
All of that is good, and helpful (I hope) but is there something more, something a bit more concrete to this reference to the world in John’s thinking?
The term κόσμοςkósmos, translated as world, may also describe an ordered arrangement, an order or government, even a decoration or adornment, an aggregate of goods, pleasures, riches and goods that distract, that appeal, that seduce the believer from God.
In my mind, it speaks of any temptations presented to the believer to pull them away from the Christ, the Son of God. John goes on to describe all that is in the world – fleshly desires, visual desires and a life of pride, as being not from the Father, and by inference, is a competing force in the believers life.
Ok, all that to say the world is temporal, enticing and not of God. How does this relate to the series topic of conditional security? Let’s read John’s summary one more time.
1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Note John uses the word “but”. “But” is a term that speaks of exclusion or of difference. The world is passing away. The desires for / of the world is passing away. These are temporal.
The one doing the will of God lives forever, an statement of eternality. John relates this to obedience, but John is the apostle who continually speaks of faith in his writings.
Here he speaks of ποιέωpoiéō, doing. And for those interested in the tense of poiéō? It also is a present active verb, speaking on continuity, continuing, constancy.
My understanding of depending on a contract entered into with God in February of 1981 for my salvation has taken a hit with studies like this. Now no matter how some may consider my findings, the message of the Word is consistent.
Trust God today. Do what He commands today. Look to Jesus for guidance, strength, direction, knowledge, wisdom today.
Look to Jesus for life today!
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As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
4 Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
Saul’s kingdom was falling, and his son Ish-bosheth would soon be dethroned, even executed. The end was near for the family of Saul, and the northern tribes knew that the recent death of Abner, their only real hope, indicated King David was in the ascendency. Not only was the political situation fragile for the northern tribes, with a king who was frozen in fear, those of the lineage of Saul understood the downfall meant their necks were on the line, and any direct descendent of Saul, a potential king in the line of Saul, would surely be a threat to the incoming power found in the throne of David.
Even a five year old boy presented a potential threat to an incoming power, and this nurse, upon hearing of the death of both Saul and Jonathon, this little boys father, had the foresight to understand the danger Jonathon’s boy was in. Her flight though, fueled by good intentions, was unwarranted, for the King coming was already under a covenant with this boy’s father, a covenant that would provide for Jonathon’s child, protect him and show the type of king David was.
Yet through the concern and fear of the nurse, young Mephibosheth would live his life as a cripple, restricted in his ability to serve in any army, to serve as a strong leader, and become a picture of the regal line of Saul in the future. He was somewhat helpless, due to an accident outside of his control, and we shall see in future passages of the covenant keeping character of the new and coming King of Israel.
David would not only show mercy to Mephibosheth in sparing his life, but also provide him his grandfathers lands, and treat him as a son of the king, inviting him to continually eat at the kings table.
2 Samuel 9:13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
What type of King brings a potential enemy to his table?
What type of King invites a potential threat to live in the very capital city of the nation, the center of political power?
What type of King provides for a cripple, one who is unable to serve, even one who would be considered a burden to take care of?
2 Samuel 9:7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”
What type of King would return a lost inheritance to a former enemy? David returned to Mephibosheth the lands of his grandfather, a sizable estate, and a house that he had no right to other than through a covenant David made with his father.
David sought to follow the Lord in his kingdom, and in this quick character review of Mephibosheth, a crippled heir of Saul, we see a coming King who was not typical, was not as expected, and who sought to reign in truth and under covenant.
What a King!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Cyrus
Man of God’s Counsel
Isaiah 46:11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.
NT Passage
Isaiah is in the middle of a passage that is comparing the idols of Babylon with the One True God. He is providing a prophecy of future events, so that when the prophecy is fulfilled in 150 years, the Jewish nation will have another example of the superiority of their God over any and all idols. The people that would see this prophecy come to reality would be the nation in captivity, a people under the thumb of Babylon, seeing the salvation of God coming from a Gentile king.
To understand the verse we are considering this morning, we need to include the previous verse.
Isaiah 46:10-11
declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.
God has a purpose for the nation, and His purpose, or counsel, per verse 10 shall be accomplished. God will accomplish His will for the nation, and He becomes very specific in the manner He will do it!
His first declaration is that He will call a bird from the east. Now it is not uncommon throughout the Old Testament for a king to be referred to as a bird of prey, but for Cyrus this picture is very appropriate. Not only was Cyrus and his armies known for their swiftness of attack, the standard presented by the armies of Persia before military campaigns was also the golden eagle with outstretched wings, mounted on a long spear. Cyrus literally was depicted as a bird of fowl.
But for the term we refer to in our topic this morning, Cyrus was a man of God’s Counsel, a man who would execute God’s will.
Let us not think that God was in counsel with Cyrus, debating the will of God, even considering the manner of execution of His will with the king. No – Cyrus was not a man of God’s counsel in that manner.
God is describing a king who would be God’s instrument in executing His will, a man that would deliver a salvation to the people of God in the midst of their captivity under the Babylonians.
This passage is an amazing prophecy describing God’s will to be accomplished by a Gentile king for a captive people 150 years before it was to be realized. Once Cyrus released the Jews, protected and provided for them as some went back to Jerusalem and the Temple, presents a vivid shadow of the greater Cyrus, the Lord Jesus.
Was Jesus not a man of God’s counsel, and so much more? He was intimately involved in the plans and deliberations for the release, not only of the Jewish people, but for all mankind from the bondage and captivity of sin and death. He was also described for centuries before His arrival, with multiple prophecies describing our Savior, giving us a full and complete picture of the Messiah, so we might not only understand, but marvel at the way the prophecies combined into a multi faceted picture of the Suffering Servant / Reigning King.
He perfectly fulfilled the will of God, executing the Word of God even as it was communicated to Him moment by moment in His communion with the Father .
He is God’s Counsel for us, the Man who far exceeds the shadow provided for us in Cyrus!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
245
GREAT AND AWESOME NAME
Psalm 99:3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!
We find our verse this morning in a Psalm that highlights the holiness of God, and for a brief moment, before I opened the full psalm, I assumed the “them” in this verse, referred to the nation of Israel, for they were God’s people and they had been privileged to know of His holiness, His “otherness”, His separated status.
I rattle on about this for it was many years that I understood holiness to be principally referring to the sinlessness of God. Now, I do not want to imply that sinlessness is not included in the term “holy”. I just want to confess that I think it describes a much greater concept than simply a negative about God, that He has no sin.
He is without sin, sinless and apart from sin. But for God to be called holy is to describe God as being different, other than what we understand, righteous in a way we may not fully understand, unless we dwell on Jesus, and the manner in which He lived among us.
Jesus was holy, separated from sinners, as the apostle tells us, but we know He lived amongst the worst of sinners, the “dregs” of society, a friend of sinners.
Hebrews 7:26 ESV – For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
The contrast between our understanding of holiness and how He lived out His holy life often astounds me.
I often think of sin as the Old Testament describes it. If I touch it, it defiles me, and my responsibility is to stay away from all contamination. Haggai describes my understanding in his second chapter
Haggai 2:12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.” Haggai 2:13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.”
Non Transferable Holiness does not transfer to items. Any item that is holy is alone holy. Whatever it meant to be holy, to be separate, to be consecrated to the temple, or to the priest, or to God, alone was holy.
Isolated Holiness was to be protected by isolation. If a sinful person or item touched a holy item, it became unclean.
For many years, I understood that to be holy was to stay away from sin, and by inference, away from sinners, seeking to keep my life pure by isolation. Fat chance at success with this, for it produced a believer that was ineffective, lonely, self righteous and somewhat angry.
But then I started noticing that Jesus drank with sinners, went to parties, touched lepers and forgave adulterous women, raising them up by their unclean, sinful hand. How could He do that, and remain holy, separate from sinners, as Hebrew speaks?
As a follower, does this example of Jesus’ holy life amongst sinners allow me to go out drinking and partying? For some believers, this may be allowed, but due to my past, my running from God in my youth, my teenage alcoholism and previous drug habits, I knew I had to refrain from certain activities to avoid temptation. Eventually my thinking morphed and I thought my abstinence from those who partook was my holiness. How little I understood!
Everything turned upside down when Jesus arrived, for when a sinful person touched Him, power was transferred from Him to the sinful person. Forgiveness and healing, illumination and understanding flowed from Him. His was a life of non-isolation, of being in the midst of all who welcomed Him, and even amongst those who hated Him. He was simply put – unbelievable!
I realize I have focused on the holiness of God in this post, but so many thoughts were flooding my mind of how Great and Awesome Jesus, in His life amongst us, actually was. His holiness, His “otherness” is so foreign to my standard thinking of God that when I am caught in the conflict between my thinking and His message, I tend to blurt out the praise I have for Him, weak as it is.
May we praise the Great and Awesome name of Jesus, for He is Holy. He is so different from us and He calls us to a holy life, a different life than we are living. A life of change and growth, a life of holiness amongst the hurting and the sinful.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.
As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1 Thessalonians 2:17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face,
Paul, ever the missionary, speaks of his heart for his fellow saints, those who he had been “torn away” from. As you may remember, he did not want to depart, but was forced from their fellowship by those who displease God and oppose all mankind!
Paul uses an interesting term when he speaks of being torn away from his brothers in Christ. It is only used once in the New Testament, but in writings of the same era, it is used in describing the “bereaving of a parent or parents”, or to “be orphaned”. The root meaning is complete separation, to bereave wholly, especially in the sense of the child parent relationships.
Leave it to Paul to tell us in one word the depth of the separation he experienced in relation to these young believers.
This provides us with a startling truth. With the enlivening of the Holy Spirit, complete strangers become as close as natural born brothers, achieve, or better yet have been given, a deep family relationship with those of like faith in the Son. Time is not necessarily required to foster this depth of relationship, for Paul only had at most three weeks with these saints, and he openly speaks as a father to his children.
He had been torn away, and he wants his brothers to know the impact this has had on him, and in our next verse, he designates the source of this pain. But we will wait for the next post to delve into that topic.
For now, Paul has opened his heart regarding the separation they are experiencing, and of his desire and efforts to visit his young church. He let’s them know of his efforts departing and of his eagerness, and great desire to see them again. Surely the young church was beginning to wonder where their missionary was. Was he ever going to return? Heaven forbid, but was he just a fly by night preacher? Suspicions might be running rampant within the small body of believers and Paul wanted to at least inform them of his heart, of his efforts and of the one who was hindering!
For this verse, he speaks of his great desire, his heart to return, but more than simply his emotions, but his efforts to return. He had not simply experienced an emotional drain, but he speaks of an effort, an exertion he has put forth in returning.
You know, it is one thing to say nice things, to speak of emotional longing, to bemoan a separation and speak of a longing, but without making an effort to correct the painful situation, it is but smoke and mirrors, an empty claim that dulls and disappoints the recipients heart. Paul did not want to hurt his children in the faith, by providing nice words, but wanted them to know he had given diligence in returning, that he was laboring to return. This is the message he was speaking when he wrote of his endeavoring to see them. To endeavor is to give diligence, to work at getting something done, to exert effort to attain a goal.
His heart was broken for them, and his love for them prodded him to find a way back. He was eager to see them face to face.
But someone was producing a similar effort in the opposing direction. Someone was resisting his diligence to return to Thessalonica, to a small, persecuted and very young church. Someone wanted them to be separated!
I can’t tell you who, for that is for our next post. Will you return to find out?
Of course you can crack the Word open and find out – as a matter of fact, I would encourage you to!
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 73:23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. Psalm 73:24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Asaph has been through a struggle. From temptation through inner trials and finally to a final triumph through a realization of the glories of God and his own sinfulness. He has finally settled in a good place. A place of rest, of peace before the Lord, and a deeper understanding his place before God.
Four areas of blessing are realized by this man of faith.
Security
While Asaph was in his struggle, watching the rich get richer, the wealthy dodge judgement, the prosperous avoiding discomfort and pain, Asaph was struggling to keep his heart pure. At times, I imagine his heart was not quite hitting the mark, slightly less pure than the desired goal! A bit impure, a bit jealous of the lost, a bit envious. And we know the seriousness of envy. It is the precursor to full blown idolatry.
Yes – Asaph was dancing with dangerous partners when he envied the ways of the rich. Even in his wanderings, Asaph confesses that the Lord was his security, his faithful God, his only hope through the dark, the hand that was ever present in his life.
Guidance
Asaph may have been breaching this topic in our previous verse when he speaks of God holding his right hand. He comes out and clearly states the guiding ability and performance of God in his life, specifically speaking of God’s counsel.
Counsel is another word for advice, and the Scriptures give abundant testimony to the wisdom of receiving counsel.
In Asaph’s specific case, I lean to understanding his referencing the inner counsel that he eventually became attuned to as he entered the sanctuary of God. To my fellow believers, we know that in the still quietness, if we are willing to hear, the Lord will provide guidance in alignment with his revealed Word.
As an aside to this topic, it is wise for the believer to consider the importance of counsel from other believers. I have for too long sought only the inner counsel, without allowing for believers to give guidance. Proverbs addresses this truth numerous times.
Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 24:6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
One note of clarity. The word speaks of a multitude of counsellors. Having one counsellor may be the equivalent of having an echo chamber. Not wise at all. Be wise and get bunches of counsel!
Sufficiency
What is it for something to be sufficient? Does it imply that for something or someone to be sufficient is the availability of everything you could imagine? Is it a way to denote that all things are good, or is it that nothing bad, or evil will enter my experience?
For something, or in Asaph’s case, for someone to be sufficient, simply means that God is enough. It is not referring to the limitless abilities of God to perform, provide or produce for His saint. For God to be sufficient for Asaph means that God is enough.
We humans are a temporal, time and space based creature. We are limited in every possible manner. We can’t even understand what it means to be limitlessness, to be eternal, to possess all powerful or all knowledge. We are limited creatures and have limited needs, though they may seem great to us as we live in our bubble.
God is bigger than our bubble!
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
Though Paul speaks of God as being able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, for Asaph, his personal faith findings are that God is enough.
Paul spoke of the abilities of God, and they are truly limitless, but for sufficiency’s to be considered speaks the language of satisfaction, not abilities. Satisfaction of the saint’s deepest needs fulfilled in Christ. As for the wants of the believer, they may be ignored since they are but distractions, but that for which the saint was made for, satisfaction is found in God Himself. He satisfies the saint in areas he may not even understand!
There is a difference, and may I suggest that realizing the sufficiency, the “enoughness” of God in our hearts is a tremendous blessing for the believer to enter into.
Strength
My heart is ticking away. It has been ticking away for over 67 years. 2,817,995,627 beats, give or take. Close to three billion beats. That is crazy, and thankfully that ol’ ticker has never missed or skipped a beat!
That particular physical truth astounds me, and except for this past couple minutes, I have been blissfully ignorant of this exceptional display of the keeping power of God over my physical life.
How much more am I unaware of the strength God provides in the midst of trials and blessings, sickness and weakness, struggles and victories. One day, I will find out my incredible ignorance of God’s strength being provided to my insignificant life, the continual faithful infusion of His mighty hand, and His power provided despite my pride and arrogance.
To think I am the source and strength of all my blessings! Poppycock! (Of course, I blame Him for any and all my failures, but even in this, it shows my darkness of mind!)
He is my strength, especially in my weakness, in my realization that I have no real ability, no real strength, no real wisdom, knowledge or discernment. I could go on with what I am not, but to what profit?
He is our strength.
For Asaph, as he fought his way through this Psalm, and provides for us the wisdom he accrued through it, he can honestly say his head is screwed on straight now.
He is in a good place, seeing God for who God is, and Asaph for who Asaph is.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
244
GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL
2 Chronicles 30:9 For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”
Our passage this morning is found in the middle of King Hezekiah’s preparation for the first Passover the nation would enter since Joshua. Shocking, for even King David did not celebrate the Passover.
Nevertheless, this Passover was marked by a number of special situations.
First off, King Hezekiah, in his desire to celebrate the Passover, allowed this celebration to be performed a month late. The Temple had just been cleansed and the priests were in need to be sanctified. The people of the north were invited and time was required for cleansing and travel to occur.
This was an allowance provided in the law found in Numbers 9:6-11.
Secondly, the temple had been closed by Hezekiah’s father, King Ahaz for 16 years. This about face by Hezekiah was a bold stance of faith for this young king, for he may have been as young as twenty-five years old as he ascended the throne of Judah.
Thirdly, Hezekiah invites the northern tribes. This is an astounding request, for the northern tribes had been conquered years before Hezekiah ascended the throne. To invite the northern tribes could have been interpreted by the reigning Assyrians as an effort to reconsolidate the nation of Israel as the original twelve tribes.
Definitely a risky move, but one that showed Hezekiah’s desire to celebrate the Passover properly!
And this is the context of our verse. Hezekiah is calling out to the northern tribes, pleading with them to return to the Lord, to celebrate the Passover and to recommit to the covenant they had abandoned. Though they had been overtaken by foreigners, a proof that they had abandoned the Lord according to Deuteronomy 28:25 passage, mercy and grace was available to them, for the Lord their God is a gracious and merciful God.
Did they return? A few did, but sadly, the majority of the northern tribes remained conquered.
It is interesting that the message spoke of both mercy and grace. Both terms are used exclusively of God, and are combined a few times in the Old Testament, revealing the character of our God as we know Him in the Lord Jesus.
He truly is gracious and merciful to His people and as we recognize His grace and mercy towards us, we will be drawn to honor Him in our lives, returning to Him as we wander, and seeking to celebrate His goodness in our lives.
He is our gracious and merciful God.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Luke 9:23, 26 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Months back, we journeyed into a passage regarding Jesus’ denial of the believer before the Father in heaven. For a review for those interested, I am supplying a link for your convenience. Conditional Security – Matthew 10:32-33.
At first glance, our Luke 9 appears to be the parallel passage to Matthew 10 message from the Lord. Such is not the case, for the parallel is in Luke 12:8,9.
It is not exactly the same topic, for in the Matthew verses, Jesus is speaking of how He will respond before the Father based on our relation with Him. Verse 23 is a simple statement of qualification that precedes a passage that is somewhat similar to Matthew 10:32-33 and Luke 12:8,9
A quick table will provide a comparison.
Now before we proceed, it may be wise to consider some differences. In Matthew 10 and Luke 12, the warning is of denial before the Father. Might this occur even daily in our lives, that as we walk with Him and fall into a denial of some type, Jesus may also reflect this denial before the Father in heaven.
Before we go any further, I need to ask – Is all denial of eternal consequence? Of course not, for we simply need to consider Peter. Some denial is not permanent.
For the passage this morning, it appears to be specifically describing an experience of shame Jesus will go through when He appears in glory.
The first two passages resulted in a denial of our person before the Father. This morning’s passage centers on the shame Jesus will experience at His great revealing.
Shame we experience regarding the Word of God, either the written declaration we possess in our hands or of the Living Son of God, which resides with us in our bodies, may trigger a shame based emotion in Jesus at His coming.
In a believers life, periods of weakness, doubt and shame may occur. Is this a desirable situation? Of course not. Can God work in these periods of dryness, periods of pain and doubt, periods where we are confused, possibly questioning His Word, and pursuing wrong solutions? Of course He can, and thankfully He does.
Yet if we continue to lay the cross down, continue to seek our ways and not His, there is a danger of bringing shame on the Lord at His coming.
For those who may be experiencing difficult times, please be encouraged in that God is still there for you, that He is working in and around you for His glory and your benefit. The charge for us as we struggle in down times is that we do not abandon in the struggle the very strength of God found in His Word and in His Son. None of us wants Jesus to experience any shame on His day, but in our struggles we need to continue in depending on His Word and His Way. It is upside down from what the world teaches, and we desperately need to be reminded of His will and way we are to pursue daily.
Don’t lay down the cross! It is a daily choice that produces life in each of us, as we die to our old desires.
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As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
2 Samuel 4:1-12 1 When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth (for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; 3 the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).
David’s kingdom was shaken by the murder of Abner, with David taking charge, openly declaring a curse on Joab, openly mourning over Abner’s death, and personally fasting over the circumstances that caused this injustice. In all his actions, the Word speaks of the people of Hebron, nay, all the people and all Israel recognizing the actions of the king, and being pleased.
2 Samuel 3:36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. 2 Samuel 3:37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s will to put to death Abner the son of Ner.
As a study in contrasts, the writer of 2 Samuel provides Ish-bosheth’s mighty acts of leading his people. Doh – not so mighty, for Ish-bosheth crawled up into a fetal position (metaphorically speaking of course!) and waited.
Now I don’t suppose I would venture a guess as to what he was waiting for, but in times of numbing fear, it is fair to say that nothing else enters the mind. Fear is a controlling, all powerful emotion that consumes the one living in it.
Ish-bosheth waited. And his people were dismayed, even terrified at the outcomes of his leadership, at the condition of their nation. Meanwhile, these same subjects of Ish-bosheth were looking south. That David sure was a leader!
Ish-bosheth’s days were numbered, for David will surely come into his decapitated, weak nation, take it militarily and rid the united nation of Israel of any future threat of the lineage of king Saul. Ish-bosheth would have to die!
Enter Rachab and Baanah, two brothers that had a past. During the conquest of Canaan, under the leadership of Joshua, those of Beeroth, along with three other Hivite towns deceived Joshua with a ruse, entered into a treaty with Israel that caused dissension in the ranks of the Israeli army, and was a blot on Joshua’s leadership. Read about this deception and the result of it in Joshua 9
They were a people that were to be conquered, not assimilated into the covenant nation!
Joshua made sure that this deception would be noted in the annals of Israel’s history, for he pronounced a curse on them, stating they would be restricted to areas of service to the nation of Israel only.
Joshua 9:23 Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.”
Over three centuries later, the Beerothites were still a presence in the nation, with these two men serving as men leading raiding bands for Saul, and Saul’s son.
The term for “raiding bands” has a wide definition, ranging from a formal division of an army, to describing a marauding band of robbers, effectively mercenaries, guns for hire, men who had no allegiance but to the mighty buck!
Yes Ish-bosheth’s days were numbered, but not from the armies of David, but of his own, from treachery within his own ranks.
Ish-bosheth was a man used by Abner, who trusted Abner, obeyed Abner and was abandoned by Abner. Is it any wonder that the Word constantly instructs us to trust the Lord and not man?
Trust Him today for whatever challenges you may be facing. He is good to those of a pure heart and a humble spirit.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Cyrus
Loved of God
Isaiah 48:14 “Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans.
John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
I had never considered the subject of this passage prior to considering the Cyrus the King of Media Persia. Who is the Lord referring to when He calls the nation of Israel to assemble and to listen. The context of the following verses speaks of this one as being against the Chaldeans, and that he will do His pleasure on Babylon. Though it is without a doubt God Himself that will bring about the downfall of Babylon, He has an instrument on the earth that will fulfill His will.
In this case, Isaiah speaks of Cyrus, 150 years in the future, who will march on Babylon, conquer Babylon, free the Israelites and provide safety and allowance for provisions to enable the reconstruction of the Temple.
Isaiah could simply describe Cyrus as a tool in the hand of God, a device of destruction on the Chaldeans, an instrument on earth to direct and use! After all is said and done, the Lord is over all, and he controls the heart of the king.
Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.
Remember that Isaiah is referring to a king, a Gentile king, a king that will conquer nations, consolidating an empire.
But Isaiah speaks of the Lord loving him. Now I am not convinced this love refers to any response of the Lord to the actions of war that Cyrus lead, various idolatries he entered into, or of Cyrus’ moral perfections.
Isaiah simply states “The Lord loves him”.
In my mind, weak as it is, this speaks of the uncaused love of God toward each of us, it is a shadow of the universal love of God for all mankind. It is the love of God described for a man centuries prior to his being on earth.
Of course, it is easy to see this reference to the love of God for Cyrus as a shadow of the love of God for the Greater Cyrus, the Lord Jesus and of His fulfilling the will of God while He was on earth.
Jesus was loved of God, without hesitation and without disturbance, without any break in deep fellowship between the Father and the Son.
Except when the love of God was taken from Jesus in order for the love of God to be opened fully to us mere humans, fallen creatures that had no hope. The love of God has been proven to each of us by the cross and the resurrection. He went without the Father while on the cross so that we need never be without the love of God.
May we rest in that truth, and forever understand the extent of the love of God!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
243
GRACIOUS GOD
Jonah 4:2 And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
Our God is a Gracious God. He is the same God Jonah knew, but for one experience. Jonah did not quite know the depth of grace we as believers may experience by living after the appearance of Jesus.
But the human heart hasn’t changed, for as Jonah confessed the truth of the very character of our Gracious God, we also teach, sing and confess of the graciousness of our God.
As Jonah knew of the Graciousness of God and feared the results, we too know of His Graciousness and fear the potential result.
How often have I halted, hesitated or avoided speaking to my neighbor or an acquaintance due to the same reason Jonah expressed here.
Fear of persecution?
Is it fear of persecution? I dare say this is not Jonah’s complaint, for he doesn’t address the recipients reaction to the message.
Upset of Normality
Is it a desire to maintain a status quo? I think that may be some of the concern Jonah has, since he was a part of the inner group, and he was sent to a group that was outside. Many the infusion of acceptance of the outer group would dilute the specialness of the inner group? Evan as I write that, it seems to be foolish, but how often have I witnessed this?
As my wife and I attended a well established church years ago we had a few friends come visit the service. They were energetic, unconventional and to say the least unorthodox due to the newness of their association with church. The church was small, and as I mentioned, well established. If I remember right, they actually sat in someone’s pew seat! (Don’t they understand Jesus died for that saint to sit in that pew seat?).
To say the least, the friends, after a few visits, decided not to return. And status quo was maintained!
Injustice
Is it a sense of injustice? Ta-daaa! That is the ringer folks, for as we glory in the forgiveness we have been freely granted, we tend to want to see justice fall on others.
We sometimes dress this thinking up with terms like righteousness and holiness, with our desire to express the need for justice to be inflicted on “our enemies”, but somehow that defeats the very word of the Master when He challenged us to live as He did.
Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
For grace to be realized in life, a sense of injustice has to first be accepted in our own lives, but then we also have to allow this to be offered and experienced in the lives of others.
As an aside, as I have considered the idea of universal salvation (through Jesus alone, for He is the only Savior), I have had many in the church rebut me with the very argument of injustice. That would be unfair they say. I have heard believers state that “they deserve” to burn in hell. So loving!
Why do we as believers in our Gracious God hesitate to consider the Graciousness of God from beyond our own understanding?
As a thought experiment, consider the days prior to the Lord’s appearance. Many, if not all in Israel never anticipated such an explosion of faith when He appeared, or the rapid spread of the the church outside the boundaries of the land of Israel, beyond the bloodline of Abraham. Many sought to restrict the growth, keep it within the inner group, and maintain a status quo. But the real stumbling block was the open, graciously free invitation to all. That was simply unacceptable. The graciousness of God was too much!
He is the same Gracious God, who surprised the Jews of Jesus day. May He surprise us in our daily lives, and may we be open to the work of God, rejecting our self centered desire for justice, and reveling in the Gracious God we love and honor!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.
As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1 Thessalonians 2:16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved–so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!
In our last post we ended with Paul declaring that the enemies of the gospel “displease God and oppose all mankind”. In this verse, he fleshes out the specific actions of those who displease God and oppose all mankind.
In Paul’s day, the specific ones displeasing God and opposing all mankind were Jewish religious zealots. They would not accept Jesus as the Messiah, and out of a supposed loyalty to God, sought to block the progress of the church. This first century condition of Jewish persecution of the church was not consistent through the ages, for I understand after the destruction of the temple, the primary force against the church became the Roman Empire.
I mention this only to emphasize that the religious Jew is no different, no greater, and no more guilty of persecuting the church than any other group or society that persecutes the church. Sometimes this portion of 1 Thessalonians is used to justify antisemitism, and this is wrong.
Even if a Jewish society restricts Christian proselytizing, (and it currently does), it is no justification for treating them, or any society or people group as enemies. Though they may set themselves up as enemies of the gospel, “displeasing God and opposing all mankind”, we as believers are to love our enemies and pray for them.
Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Nevertheless, in Paul’s day, it was the Jewish religious zealots who hindered Paul and his message, and he minces no words in his denunciation.
First, he likens the Jewish religious zealot to Amorites! Yes, for I believe Paul reaches back to Genesis 15, where God was speaking to Abraham of receiving the promised land. The holdup for Abraham’s descendants to enter the land was the sinfulness of the Amorites.
Genesis 15:16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
Consider for a moment that God was allowing time for the Amorites to repent! He has always been about the whole world hasn’t He?
This phrase Paul uses, referring back to Abraham’s time, make the Jewish religious zealots to be equal with the Amorites a people group opposed to the people of God. Now, those very people who claimed the bloodline of Abraham have become the first century Amorite!
Paul was not the only one who referred to the Jewish religious leaders as Amorites. In Matthew 23:31-32, Jesus makes reference of “filling up” and “measuring” that the Jewish religious scholars of the Old Testament must surely have recognized.
Matthew 23:31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Matthew 23:32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
The sin specifically that Paul calls out on these that are filling up the measure of sin?
Hindering
Hindering the spread of the gospel. Being a resistance to speaking to the Gentiles. Now of course, they resisted the spread of the gospel to the national Jew and now restricting the rest of mankind from the grace of God! The cup of wrath is surely filling up! The gospel is for all, and any restrictions from sharing with anyone should be understood as displeasing God and opposing all mankind.
Consider those in Palestine even at this present time. I have heard (just recently) of some Christians considering them the enemy, and should be treated so. Any restrictions (passive or active) in supporting those reaching out to them, in my mind would liken them to those persecuting the missionaries to the gentiles 2 millennial ago.
I have a friend ministering in the Middle East even as I write this, and she is speaks of the tremendous hunger for the Word in the region. I am so thankful that she has not found justification for any political, national, or religious barriers to be erected in her mind against those in the region.
Of course much more is going on with the nation of Israel in the first century than could be attributed to any nation today, for Israel was ripe for judgement, soon to be completely removed forever from the land, with any shred of covenant removed. Having had their hand in the very death of our Savior, it seems their judgement was sealed. The cup of wrath was near to spill over.
You see, Paul informs us that judgement for Israel is near, and judgement for Israel would be complete. The amplified translation brings out the nuance of Paul’s message regarding the future of Israel.
1 Thessalonians 2:16 AMP – forbidding us from speaking to the Gentiles (non-Jews) so that they may be saved. So, as always, they fill up [to the brim] the measure of their sins [allotted to them by God]. But [God’s] wrath has come upon them at last [completely and forever].
The wrath of God is complete and forever. Paul informs us that the nation of Israel would cease to exist, never to be restored. The Old covenant would vanish away, making way for the New Covenant.
Hebrews 8:13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
No excuse or confusion. The church is the only expression of the body of Christ on earth and in God’s plan. The shadow would vanish.
For us today, let us pray for those missionaries that are in the Middle East, who are ministering to those desperate for the gospel. For my friends security, I refrain from mentioning her name, but if you think of her in your prayers it would be appreciated!
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 73:16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, Psalm 73:17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Psalm 73:18 Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. Psalm 73:19 How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! Psalm 73:20 Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. Psalm 73:21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, Psalm 73:22 I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.
Asaph, prior to our passage this morning, and after the last fifteen verses describing the perceived benefits of living as the wicked live, is in the middle of a inner battle I believe all believers must go through.
Psalm 73:14 For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. Psalm 73:15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
He speaks of being stricken and rebuked, over and over again, every morning. He knows once he speaks his heart, damage will fall on the faithful, but the evidence is so obvious. There just seems to be so much “proof” provided that it creates an inner conflict for the believer.
Psalm 73:16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
Asaph was being worn down, confessing that the situation he was considering was a wearisome task. The inner battle was wearing on him, and it seemed he was in a position of eventual defeat.
That is until. Until he entered the sanctuary of God. The solution for Asaph actually was available throughout his struggles. His perspective on life had been infected by the perceived and temporary ease of the wicked one’s life, without considering the actual and long term impact of the person of God.
Asaph as he entered the sanctuary of God, became aware of two truths.
Ruination of the wicked
Asaph understood no longer the perceived ease of the wicked, but the eventual, long term ruination of the wicked. Not only the ruination, but the very footing they consider to be stable, is a slippery place. One mistake, one happening, one uncontrollable incident, and everything they count on falls apart! There seemed to be a perceived future, but that was all smoke and mirrors, for Asaph say there was no actual future for the wicked. The ruination was certain, for he states that God Himself set them in slippery places, and God Himself makes them fall to ruin.
Sinfulness of the Saint
Being away from the Lord, for the saint is a very dangerous situation. After entering the sanctuary of God, Asaph faces his own heart as he looks to the Lord. He admits to his own sinfulness before God, how brutish he had become!
As he uses the term brutish, I think of violence, as in brutality, but the term speaks of foolishness, even stupidity. The term is used in Psalms two additional times.
Psalm 49:10 For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. Psalm 92:6 The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this:
He further defines him life before God as a beast, and this term usually refers to cattle or livestock. The Hebrew word for beast carries with it the idea of a mute animal, a silent beast. Might he be possibly referring to the wicked’s lifestyle as impacting his freedom of speech before the Lord and His people? He has mentioned earlier his reluctance to speak of his finding’s and this is to his credit!
But he was restricted in his communication to the people of God. Thankfully he restrained from speaking of his logical findings, but this also may have brought a hesitation of speaking of the goodness of God before the people.
He was silent, conflicted and strickened. What a sad, (and for myself, a familiar) place to be!
Asaph needed to enter the sanctuary of God. When he did, all the perceived benefits of the wicked disappeared!
For modern believers in the Messiah, what does it mean to enter the sanctuary of God? Many may consider that constant attendance to a church building is the equivalent for the saint today. This may be so, but I am hesitant to state this is a perfect application, for there are many church buildings that have been constructed in order to provide a sense of security, a sense of power and influence that may distract from the very person of God. Never mind the variable of the teaching disbursed from the pulpit. Many – not all thankfully – in today’s modern church have a teaching that is suspect, with a dependance on the Word being weak, and sometimes completely absent, or worse yet hostile to the Word.
With all of that said, to enter the sanctuary of God for the believer today is to draw near to the throne of God.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
For the New Testament believer, the sanctuary of God is present and available at all times and in every location, for the sanctuary of God is the Lord Jesus, His holy Spirit and the Father Himself. As we approach the throne of God in our formal and informal prayers, our thoughts are lifted away from the untoward methods and mealy, meager goals of the wicked, and to higher, loftier and eternal matters that can only be recognized as we dwell on the many glories of our God.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
242
GRACE OF GOD
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
It may not be the most accurate of understandings, but as I grew in the Lord, and read this passage, I found that I couldn’t help but replace “grace of God” in this verse with Jesus.
After all, He has appeared, in all His glory and grace, exhibiting the beauty of holiness as He rubbed shoulders with sinners, and the righteousness of the Law as He knelt down before that woman’s accusers.
He is in all ways, and from every standpoint, the grace of God, having appeared to a small group of people for a short time, but due to His victory over sin and death, having walked out of the grave, has been with us forever through His Spirit.
I am so thankful that the grace of God is bringing salvation to most people, and that His victory will have some effect on His creation.
Of course I am being somewhat sarcastic, for the passage speaks of bringing salvation for all people. Many within the church would state that the intent of the passage is that Jesus made salvation possible, but for salvation to be realized, the faith of the hearer has to be exercised!
Amen and amen. This is the message of the grace of God, and yet if I understand the teaching of a universal salvation, all will come to Jesus at some point, either prior to death, or in the fires of judgement.
We seek the prior to death option!
Paul may have been concerned that those who interpreted this statement of “bringing salvation to all men” in the universal sense may have concluded that there was no need to fight against sin and ungodliness! This was unacceptable in Paul’s mind, for it produced an understanding of the grace of God as simply a license to sin.
Unacceptable.
The grace of God, understood properly as per Paul’s teaching has much to say regarding training and waiting under the tutelage of Jesus, the Grace of God Himself.
Titus 2:12-13 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Paul may have taught of salvation brought for all, but this teaching does not provide an opportunity for license to sin, but is the greater motivation to live soberly, upright and godly lives, for we shall see Him, the Grace of God, our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
However you understand this topic, may God bless you, and keep you and continue to reveal the Grace of God, Jesus Christ in your life!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Romans 8:6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Passages within the Word that speak of this topic may be abused by those who promote an understanding of conditional security. I would like to be as honest with the text as I can be, and want to inform those reading that there are arguments that justify thinking Paul is applying these verses to the unregenerate.
Even verse 9, where Paul informs those who are his audience that they are not in the flesh.
Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Note however, he did not specifically define them as not having the mind of the flesh, but only that they are not in the flesh. Could Paul be speaking of two different conditions – that of being in the flesh, and of having a mind set on the flesh? Is this his intent? I will leave that to my reader to consider!
Paul summarizes some spiritual facts for believers.
Verse 5 – those who live according to the flesh set their mind on the flesh.
Verse 6 – to set their mind on the flesh is death
Verse 7 – a mind set on the flesh is hostile to God
Verse 7 – a mind set on the flesh does not (cannot) submit to God’s law
Verse 8 – Those in the flesh cannot please God
Verse 9 -Believers are not in the flesh
Ok, so this summary seems to direct us to the conclusion that verses 5 – 9 do not apply to believers, and would negate this chapter as being applicable to the topic at hand. That is, if Paul had finished his teaching at this point! But Paul digs in and keeps challenging believers. To minimize repeating myself, I have written on verses 12-14 previously – See Conditional Security – Romans 8:12-14
To summarize though, Paul makes a point of our obligations to the flesh in the following verses, specifically in verse 12, and with the inclusion of the conditional word “if” of verse 13, it seems to be a decision that is incumbent on the believer.
In our passage this morning, Paul provides us some introductory spiritual facts and guidance for our everyday life.
Paul provides, in my humble opinion, characteristics of those whose mind dwells upon or is “set” on the flesh, as having a certain outcome resulting in death. He also provides characteristics of those whose mind dwells upon and is “set” on the things of the Spirit.
What does that mean in our day to day life? What helps me is to compare the characteristics of the Spirit with my own life, with my thinking, with the focus of my mind and consider the resultant fruit/work that is produced.
Those whose mind is set on the flesh will experience the following works of the flesh in their lives.
Galatians 5:19 – 21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Those whose mind is set on the Spirit will experience the following fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
Galatians 5:22 – 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Where is your mind set?
Our lives are the result of our decisions, and those decisions are based on the information that is available. Paul is blunt. If we constantly focus on the things of the flesh death will be the result.
Let us set our minds on the things of the Spirit, for as we do, He will develop the abundant life in us and continue to bring His fruit through us and to others.
And a key for us in this struggle? Where is our mind set?
You got to admit – it’s a no brainer!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
2 Samuel 3:31-39 31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier. 32 They buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And the king lamented for Abner, saying, “Should Abner die as a fool dies? 34 Your hands were not bound; your feet were not fettered; as one falls before the wicked you have fallen.” And all the people wept again over him. 35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!” 36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. 37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s will to put to death Abner the son of Ner. 38 And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39 And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The LORD repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!”
Joab was a loose cannon, and because of Joab’s tendency to allow his desires to overtake any wisdom he may have entertained, this act of murder left a big mess on the doorstep of King David.
Remember, David had at this point only been crowned king of Judah, and was reigning in Hebron. Abner, at least to many of David’s people was considered of the enemy camp. Many may not have known of the back office type of discussions being had between Abner and David in seeking to return the kingdom to one king!
So when Joab killed Abner, it may have been perceived by many of David’s citizens that he gave the order.
For many kings in ancient times, this may have been an appropriate order to give, effectively taking an enemies key military leader out of contention, weakening the opponents and their king. Dominance by force would be much easier by taking advantage of this action!
David would not pursue this action. As a matter of fact, he has indicated multiple times and in multiple ways that his kingdom was not involved in this death.
1. A declaration
Initially David provided a declaration of the kingdoms innocence in this murder.
2 Samuel 3:28 Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD for the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
2. A Cursing
Secondly, he openly placed a curse on his own general! A public curse on Joab was pronounced, and not only on Joab, but on the family of Joab’s father, Zeruiah.
2 Samuel 3:29 May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!”
3. Mourning imposed on Joab
David requires the murderer to mourn over Abner. David calls on all the people to mourn over Abner, but the one to note is Joab, for he is the one who is known to be the murderer, and now is ordered to take part in the mourning ceremony for the man he hated enough to murder.
4. Lamenting for Abner
David participates in the mourning for his enemies general, and leads the time of mourning with a lament for a man struck down by his own general.
He speaks of the injustice acted upon Abner, the shameful death he experienced, all of this reflecting on his own general Joab. David goes so far as to say Abner’s death was as one who fall before the wicked. Of course, the association of the wicked with Joab is obvious.
The tension in the air must have been thick enough to cut with a knife!
5. Personal fasting
In all of this public expressions of distaste for this action, David was acting upon this murder in a personal way. His fasting was only found out when the people came to provide food for him. Up until then, David’s decision to fast had been a personal matter, a decision he had made quietly and before the Lord.
This is a great indication that David was no mere politician, putting on a show for those watching. This death of Abner was a personal blow to David, and in the mind of David represented the wrong way of establishing a righteous throne.
Of course this very personal decision, once exposed, only caused a greater admiration of the people for their future king.
6. Personal communication to his servants
Even after his interactions with the “people and all Israel”, in that they understood David as guiltless in this murder, David makes two further statements to his servants, emphasizing his godly approach in reigning over the Lord’s people.
One positive statement regarding his enemies general, a man that had hunted him under King Saul’s authority. David declared Abner “a prince and a great man”!
Was Abner a saint? No, not by a long shot, but David sought to honor the man in truth and found characteristics in Abner’s life that were positive and relatable to the people.
One negative statement regarding his own general, and his family. These men, the sons of Zeruiah (Joab and his brother Abishai) were more severe than David.
To be severe is to be stubborn, obstinate, stiff necked. As an application for our own lives, it is instructive that stubbornness is not the way of the one born of the spirit, for we are to be a teachable people, a people that are compliant to the Lord’s direction.
To be faithful is not the equivalent of stubbornness.
This last statement of David to his servants reveals a key indication to those in service to David that the king was not going to follow the accepted ways of the neighboring kings. He will seek to make judgements on actions, not personality or celebrity. He will condemn unrighteous acts. Yes, it is true that if he were to condemn this murder per the Law, Joab would be dead. (See Life of David – 31.07, for a discussion on David’s decision regarding Joab)
Nevertheless, David was departing from the accepted methods of gaining power, and seeking to establish a kingdom that was not only different, but that followed after the God who had called them into existence.
A fantastic effort and attitude on David’s part, and one that typifies the unexpected reactions from one who follows God.
May we be of the same spirit, finding even towards our enemies a gracious attitude that will draw them into the kingdom, unite the kingdom and serve the kingdom.
It is the way of the kingdom!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Cyrus
Undefeatable
Isaiah 41:2 Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step? He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow. Isaiah 41:25 I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.
Luke 9:51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
This passage in Isaiah 42 is generally accepted as referring to Cyrus, though it seems per the verses supplied, there were two subjects “stirred” up. One from the north and one from the east.
Many explanations have been provided, with Cyrus birth being from the east, and his approach toward Israel being from the north. Even within the second verse, his origin speaks of the east, in that he has come from the rising sun.
Besides this minor discussion on the subject of who is being stirred up, it is apparent that once he is stirred up, nothing will stop him. Isaiah belabors the point that this one who is advancing on Babylon has left all other countries conquered. He continues in verse 25, on the topic of this victorious one who shall “shall upon my name”.
Though Cyrus is being referred to here, and though his victories consisted of physical domination, the picture we look back on is of one who is undefeatable, unstoppable, and without equal in his day.
Is this not the same vision of the One who could not be stopped in bringing the kingdom of God to His people? Even to those who had openly rejected His teaching, and His person, He would not retreat from His mission
Luke 9:51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
Nothing stood in His way, and having entered the valley of death that day, He continued to His expected end, with dominion over His enemies being completely secured as the stone rolled away.
Cyrus, great warrior and king that he was, was simply a reflection, a faint shadow of the One who was unstoppable in His pursuit to defeat the evil one, the world order and our own stubbornness.
May His name be lifted up!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Considering the Bible 