Considering the Bible

Prayers of an ol’ fool – Convictions

2026-05-09

Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

As many who follow may know, I have had the privilege to know the Lord for over 40 years. During those decades, He has proved Himself to be a faithful, kind and loving Savior. And as I have learned to lean on Jesus, He has shown Himself to be a merciful Savior, never wavering, even in some very dark times.

This topical series will try to provide a snapshot of an ol’ fools prayers, the weakness and selfishness of his prayers, and the ever increasing goodness of God in His responses the those prayers.

I hope my witness to the goodness and faithfulness of God will be an encouragement to those reading, and will spur us all on to a deeper, more consistent time of being in the Lord’s presence.

Please visit with me as I tell the story of a faithful God and His care for an ol’ fool. Though David considered himself a poor man, I freely admit, I am just an “ol’ fool” looking to the Lord.

Convictions

We were at a point on our lives, having to leave mission training due to lack of support, where we were unsure where we were to head next. We asked the Lord, and then requested each of the churches we had established relationships with to pray for direction for our little family. Most churches agreed to pray, but one church that we had visited the year before, in Rouyn-Noranda, called us back. Come up to work in the ministry up here. The pastor, Richard, was a brother we knew from our days in London Ontario.

After the initial invitation, we come to understood we would be assisting Richard in building up a protestant church amongst the good people of this Quebecois town. Little did we know that once we were on our way, Richard decided to move south to London Ontario to further his education. This decision caused a full blown hollowing out of the church congregation, for many of those in the church also left once Richard, the pastor, announced his retraining in London.

When our family of four arrived in Rouyn-Noranda, we were directed to a rental home by our pastor friend, and proceeded to unload our stuff from the U-haul we rented. Before he left, Richard told me he would drop by in the morning to help me get set up with the provincial government offices. Government offices? That seemed strange to be a priority, but we had just travelled from south Ontario into northern Quebec, and the trip had us a bit frazzled.

True to his word, he showed up in the morning, and took me down to the provincial offices, setting me up to receive welfare/unemployment.

Ok – bells started ringing off in my head. At this point, I don’t recall if Richard had informed me of his intentions to leave the city, or that the church had shrunk down to one small family and an elderly woman, but to look to the government to support the work of the Lord seemed so foul, so offensive. At that moment in that office, I asked for a rescue, a deliverance from being dependent on the government.

Bad news continued to be provided in the next few days, and the situation we had entered started to become clearer. We were a family of anglaise in the middle of a francophone society, without a church to support us, without a mentor to guide us, without any believers we could confide in.

Most of that first week is a blur in my mind now, other than the continual disappointments we were informed of. I immediately began to look for work, and as the Lord is the great provider, I found two jobs to support the family for the next two years. Yes we had committed to two years in this church and we were determined to keep our word.

Flyer delivery in the mornings, and transport truck unloading after that. Both of these “career choices” allowed me to experience the temperature drops of the city we lived in, falling to -40 F in the winter. But we were able to survive, and we saw our two little boys begin to grow up. We experienced the birth of our third child in Rouyn-Noranda, (which is another answer to prayer for later), but found the work to be very challenging.

Additional prayers the Lord answered in relation to the work in this church will be offered in future installments on this series, but for this post, I want to thank the Lord for providing the support we needed as we sought to serve Him in a strange land amongst a foreign people.

He provided work for a “dirty anglaise” to keep his family fed and warm during our time in the church. He answered our prayers for support, giving me enough work to bring home the bacon! Yes we entered into a difficult situation, yet he protected our little family and provided me an opportunity to work amongst those we lived among.

He is good.

Thanks for joining and Considering The Bible with me. Your thoughts are always welcome, and I look forward to hearing of the faithfulness of God in your lives.

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Names of God – HE MAKES the clouds his chariot – 279

2026-05-08

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.

278

HE MAKES THE CLOUDS HIS CHARIOTS

Psalm 104:3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;

He rides His chariot. This word chariot, is only found in the Word once, in this verse and no where else in the Old Testament. It does come from a root word that speaks of riding, and the implication is that the One on the chariot is riding, even driving the chariot.

The common chariot of the ancient Israeli army was a one man cart, hooked up to a horse, with a front wall to protect the soldier and give him some stability while riding.

It was a form of transportation that warriors used primarily, entering into the battlefield to

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.

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Conditional Security – 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

2026-05-07

2 Corinthians 6

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Let’s remember that Paul birthed this church, ministered in this church longer than in many of the churches he was associated with. If Paul could claim to know those of his churches, the Corinthians would be the top of his list.

He is not writing to believers he had never met. No no no. These were people that he lived amongst, prayed over and struggled spiritually with. His first epistle was basically a letter of shock and correction, as to the issues that the Corinthians allowed in their midst.

Now, in this epistle, he is defending his apostleship from those in the Corinthian church that are defaming him, false apostles that are providing the fleshly Corinthians excuses to indulge in their wants.

Paul pleads with his people, and eventually pulls out the stopper. Get off the fence. The Corinthians can not partner with the enemy and consider themselves right with God. He calls believers the temple of the Living God, not only in this passage but twice in the previous letter.

His first reference to the temple of the Living God is referring to the congregational body as the temple of the Living God.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

His second reference is to the physical body of each believer, being the temple of the Living God.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

The Corinthians were taught of this privilege and in our verse this morning, Paul reminds the Corinthians of this truth, starts to ask some tough questions.

What partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?
What fellowship has light with darkness?
What accord has Christ with Belial?
What portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
What agreement has the temple of God with idols?

Paul is really drawing a line in the sand, and I want to remind my reader of the context this passage is found after.

The previous verse speaks of Paul

2 Corinthians 6

11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open.
12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections.
13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

The Corinthians need to make a decision. Paul is closing his plea to the believers regarding his apostleship, and to whom the believers are to listen to. He has opened his heart to them, speaking things of his suffering and his experiences that have been reluctantly provided for the beleivers to consider.

Now they need to decide. Righteousness or lawlessness. Light or darkness. Christ or Belial. Believer or unbeliever. Temple of the Living God or idols. They, and we, cannot have both.

Considering the context, it appears Paul is not mincing words. The false teachers are the enemy, and to bend the ear to them is to join with them, restricting their affections to the apostle Paul, and his message.

These believers, at least some if not many, having turned to the false apostles, whom Paul called angels of light earlier in the letter, are now on the outskirts of the church, with the invitation from God that if they repent, He will welcome them back.

These believers are being called to reject the false teachers, go out from amongst them, and return to the Living God. They were in a very precarious position before the Lord and Paul needed them to know of the danger!

For us this morning, one truth stands out for me! Let us not be drawn away from the truth of the apostolic teaching the Lord has provided us by listening to fancy pastors, showy personalities, humorus teachers, or lecherous men who make excuses for sin. These agents of the enemy will pull us away!

The written Word, with the enabling of the Spirit of God is sufficient for the believer to remain in the Temple of God. Teachers that seek to draw us away fron the Temple will attack the authority God gave His apostles, and the teaching they left us.

Is the Word and His presense sufficient for you?

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

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Life of David – 39.03

2026-05-06

The Lord’s Covenant with David

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 7

8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.
9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.
10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,
11a from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

The Lord is continuing to speak to Nathan, telling His side of the story after the king and the prophet both assume He wants a massive, impressive temple. It makes sense doesn’t it, for the Lord to want a house that will impress all the nations and the people of Israel.

No, not from the Lord’s point of view. The Lord is about to illuminate Nathan in relation to David and the people of Israel. And it is all about the Greater David. But I am getting ahead of myself.

This initial portion of the great prophecy of David’s Greater Son, begins with the work the Lord has performed in David’s life, taking him from humble beginnings and making him a prince over His people. Because of the Lord’s work, enemies fell before David, and Israel’s second king will become a man of renown, famous not only in the major religions of the world, but on the national scale, a historic figure.

Through David, the nation will be secure.

Note that the security promised is not necissarily immediate. When I read this passage, I assume the promise will be within David’s lifetime, or at least within his immediate son’s life. But it is important to understand that a son, in the Wordm may refer to a grandson, or a greatgrandson, or any of his lineage. Solomon was a son. So was Joseph. And so was Jesus.

Why do I belabor this point? The prophecy speaks of the future, and it may be months, it may be years, it may be decades or it may be centuries before the promise is realized.

So when Nathan hears verse 10, where the Lord’s promise includes the appointment of a place for my people Israel and that He will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more, it sounds awsome. The Lord continues with the promise of violent men not afflicting them, as formerly.

This is incredible news for Nathan to communicate to David. The assumption is for the promise to be immediate. Let me remind you that although there was a short period under Solomon that the nation enjoyed a security and peace, it was short lived, and the earthly kingdom split apart. Violence continued through Davids reign, Solomon’s reign, through the Babylonian captivity and past the time of Jesus.

That is for those who were of national Israel. For those of the remnant, the faithful, those who followed after the Lord, the promise was real even if physically the promise seemed to be unrealized. Centuries passed and a Teacher arrived, One who would appoint a place for God’s people, and plant them that they be disturbed no more.

For the One who would effectively complete this promise for the people of God was the very One who became the place of residence and rest for the people of God. He is that place where the believer is planted, and where the believer is no longer afflicted by evil men, without the protection of the Master’s permission.

We will go on in our next passage finding out that the Lord not only reminds Nathan of His work in David’s life and his reign over Israel, but more importantly, declares the line of David to be an eternal dynasty, a house of David that will be reigned over by His Son.

It is truly amazing that the promise given to a king in Israel over 3,000 years ago has developed into the full blown expansion of the Body of Christ, the New Testament church where believers find securty and peace in the Son, and have a place of rest under His reign.

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.

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Daniel – 5

2026-05-05

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

Daniel

Willing Sacrifice

Daniel 6:10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

NT

Daniel knew. He knew his death sentence had been signed, and the the king had been duped into legislating his death by envious men he oversaw.

Remember, Daniel had been elevated to the position of overseer of the wisemen. He had authority over these men and thought the law could not be changed, one option for Daniel was revenge. He could have went to the Kings house, berated King Darius, exposing the evil of those who entrapped him, and caused an uproar within the royal court. He too could provide a law, in like manner, for the king to sign, and to exact some justice upon those evil counsellors.

But he didn’t go to the king’s house. He went home, as was his practice. He went home to enter the very trap these evil, envious men laid for him. He remained faithful in his practice of worship towards Jerusalem, towards his homeland, towards the God who had called and equipped him. And by being faithful, willingly entered the death trap.

How can we not see the Lord Jesus in this act of willingly entering circumstances that would lead to His own death. Envious men had been plotting against the Lord from the start, and the Lord had frustrated their plans numerous times. But on that night when Judas provided assistance in identifying the Master to a group of soldiers, He entered a death trap not unlike Daniel.

One difference though. Daniel was rescued from death, for God secured the lions from touching him. Jesus suffered, bled, was nailed to a cross, and hung to die.

Daniel was pulled from the pit, having never entered a physical death, but providing us a picture of the reality of the Lord’s resurrection.

Daniel was a willing sacrifice, and was rescued from death. Jesus was a willing sacrifice, and was rescued through death.

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.

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Names of God – HE MAKES HIS MINISTERS A FLAMING FIRE – 277

2026-05-04

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.

277

HE MAKES HIS MINISTERS A FLAMING FIRE

Psalm 104:4 he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.

Our last post sat on the previous verse, and I took the opportunity in that verse to consider the type of writing we encounter in the Psalms. Picturesque, image producing word phrasing that appeals to our imagination.

The psalmist spoke of beams on the water, and hearkened to the image of a great chamber of God’s finding it’s foundation on the water.

Here, we find that the created beings called angels, are at His beck and call, being His angels and His ministers. Those that when we encounter, tend to continually tell us to “fear not” since they are so incredible, so intimidating and so otherworldly, in their original state.

And yet they are His servants, His ministers, waiting to be of service to Him.

Coupled with the previous verse, we find the Lord in His upper chamber, in a place of solitude and calmness, established on the waters, His created world, overseeing those He created and ready with servants to provide Him service.

Is it that He needs help in the management of all things? Absolutely not, for He is the Almighty God, eternal and all knowing. The servants, His ministers speak of His Royal Court, of His authority within His creation, of His otherness, that He is above even those that are beyond our own imagination!

The psalmist saw a majestic vision of the glory of the Lord, of the residence of the Lord on the waters, and of His servants, His created angels at the ready to perform to His pleasure.

Hundreds of years later, a man wrote a letter to the people of the Hebrews, and provided them (and us) some clarity on this verse. He specifically defined who the Lord was in this picture.

Hebrews 1:7-8 Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

As the Psalmist describes the One in the chamber, the One who is on the waters, the One who has His servants ready to do His bidding, whether as flames of fire or mighty winds, we find that the author identifies this One who rules amongst us.

The entire book of Hebrews is a treatise on the superiority of Jesus. Chapter 1 speaks of His ruling over the angels, of Him not being of the angels (as some may propose) but of Him ruling over them from His throne, ruling over His created angels from an eternal throne!

The author of Hebrews reveals to us the Psalmist’s God.

His name is Jesus and He makes His ministers a flaming fire..

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.

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1 Thessalonian Bits – 4:1

2026-05-03

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 4:1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

Consider the humility of the apostle Paul. He has been singularly appointed to be the apostle to the gentiles, to release the gospel of Jesus on the masses, while the original apostles work amongst those who should know better.

Paul, a man who was a force to be reckoned with, that led the charge to kill and stomp out that false religion sprouting up amongst the followers of that false prophet. This man was a go getter, and when he was arrested by the Lord on that road to Damascus, everything changed. Was he still strong willed, a force to be reckoned with? Yes of course, but now under the reign of the Patient One, Pauls metamorphosis is evident as we see him interact with those he ministers to.

He asks them to walk properly and please God. But watch out. Now he is getting forceful with his adherents. He urges them!

What happened to that force that took the bull be the horns and caused things to happen? Where is that man that force his will on others, even his will of death on others?

He asks. He urges. Come on Paul. Crack the whip!

But such is the servants life. A life of seeking the best for others, of appealing to the heart and not the mind, of reaching out in love as opposed to forcing by fear.

I realize I may have mentioned this passage before in previous writings, but consider 1 Corinthians 16:12

1 Corinthians 16:12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.

Here Paul goes out on a limb “strongly urging” Apollos to do his will in visiting the Corinthians. Yet Apollos walked. WHAT? Was not Paul the Apostle of the Freaking Apostles? Apollos should have bent the knee immediately to Paul’s wishes, but he had the freedom to choose otherwise. And Paul allowed this to take place.

Amazing! This freedom amongst the apostle is hard to fathom.

But I have gotten distracted from the core of this verse a bit. Note that Paul is admitting the Thessalonians are walking well, but he is seeking greater love, more compliance to the will of God, greater pleasure for the Father with His children.

And to consider the very idea that our walk may be pleasing to God. That very concept blows me away. That our frail efforts, broken intentions, weak obedience and soft desire for His will actually may please the eternal One.

My friends – this should cause us great amazement if we consider this response of God. The God who has provided us all things, provided us His very Son, and yet finds pleasure in us.

But alas – before the head expands to bursting, it is good to remember that the Father finds pleasure in His children as they reflect the Greater Son, the Lord Jesus. Our efforts are as nothing to the Father if we are off the vine, away from the life of God.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

My friends – please God. Follow Jesus!

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Names of God – HE LAYS THE BEAMS OF HIS CHAMBERS ON THE WATERS – 276

2026-05-02

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.

276

HE LAYS THE BEAMS OF HIS CHAMBERS ON THE WATERS

Psalm 104:3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;

This is ridiculous. Didn’t the psalmist understand basic physics. The concept of loading and bearing capacity, of distributed loading to allow for structural stability.

Water, unless restricted within a form, or completely enveloped in a leak proof container, is the most unstable, unreliable material to construct a chamber on. To make matters worse, as the Psalmist was describing this chamber, he used a word that often referenced an upper chamber, a roof chamber, a secluded area for reflection and solitude. We may describe it as a loft.

Ok, so to continue on with the absurdity, if the structure was constructed on water, having the room elevated above the foundation only makes this “chamber” more unstable. One good wave and over the structure falls!

And great will be the fall of it.

That is if we think literally, woodenly and without the influence of the poetry that is so rife within the Word. Passages such as this one was completely out of my understanding when I refused to consider some (much?) of the message as figurative, messages that produce pictures in the mind and imagination. Now, don’t start thinking that I am suggesting the Word is only figurative, that passages can be interpreted willy nilly, or by any standard. I am still of the opinion that the Word interprets itself beautifully, and this passage is a fine example.

The psalmist is describing the lofty chambers the Lord resides in in the heavens, chambers that can not be touched by mankind, chambers that are not restricted by our physical laws, by forces such as gravity or actions such as waves or wind.

But Carl, he speaks of the chambers “on the waters” How should we consider this reference? Is it a reference to the water we experience in a lake or the ocean. I say yes, for this very mixture of the non physical beams of His chamber supported by our physical environment (the waters) speaks of His omnipresence, His very closeness with those He created.

His is a chamber of solitude, a restful place for His person, yet He is on the waters, in our surroundings, amongst those who, for the most part, do not realize or appreciate His company.

Yes our God is He who lays the beams of his chambers on the waters, He is One who chooses to be in His loft amongst us, and not afar off, distant and away.

He is near, even beside us, in His chamber. And He has provided a way into His chamber, through a curtain, by the blood of His Son.

Hebrews 10:20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,

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.

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Considering Your Curiosity

2026-05-01

Don’t let the title fool ya. This is your friendly neighborhood blog “Considering the Bible”, but for this morning I am going to ask for a wee bit of feedback from those who follow this blog, from those who read occasionally, or even from those who merely trip into this blog by providence.

You see, I have been writing this blog for 76 months, or 334 weeks, or 2,345 days. Wanna know how many hours? Don’t ask! Remember I am a numbers guy!

Nevertheless, I am truly enjoying my journey’s through the Bible, and was curious if my readers would offer me their feedback.

Currently, I am enjoying two book studies (Psalms and 1 Thessalonians) one life study (Life of David) three topical studies (Names of God, Conditional Security and Jesus in the Old Testament) and one personal prayer series, testifying of how good the Lord is to an ol fool like me.

Let me know if one or more of these series have been of benefit to you in your walk with Him.

Thanks again for following, reading and being a part of “Considering the Bible”

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Conditional Security – Matthew 13:38-43

2026-04-30

Matthew 13:38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
Matthew 13:39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
Matthew 13:40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,
Matthew 13:42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

I sometimes fear, as my thoughts wander around in that hollow space above my neck, that some may read this series and understand each post as an effort to induce a fear of loss, or to communicate a risk in the walk of faith, or to produce an uncertainty in the heart of the believer. After all, to speak of the conditionality of our security in Christ it may be understood that our relationship implies some weakness in our God, some inability in our Father’s work, or some lack in His planning.

If this is your understanding, please be reassured the love of the Father, and the salvation of the Lord Jesus is as secure as the breath we breathe, stronger than the grave and greater than all our enemies.

The message to be understood is the challenge before us as weak, blind and beggarly people to continue to seek Him, to look to Him for our strength, to keep our eyes on Him, to trust Him and to rest in Him. He is all and everything we need, and to walk away from that is to put ourselves in dangerous territory. His mercy extends beyond our understanding, and His kindness continually reaches out to our hardened hearts. But we do have the option to jump from His care, to apostacize from His loving call, and to abandon all hope in running from the hound of heaven.

The passage we breach this morning is a tough one, a passage where some in “his kingdom” will be gathered out and thrown into the fiery furnace.

Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,

Jesus is speaking a parable in this instance, and I am of the opinion, as if that matters, that He is directly speaking of the theocratic kingdom of Israel as He presents this parable. Some in the kingdom (national Israel) will not be spared.

Although there are very many questions I would love to delve into regarding what “his kingdom” refers to, what the fiery furnace is speaking of, and a discussion on “weeping and gnashing of teeth”, I will refrain for later posts. (And after I have thought, prayed and studied much more!)

But for now, it is the general message that some in the kingdom will be removed that has alerted me and is why this passage is associated with the topic of conditional security in my mind.

There were some that the Lord may have been speaking to during this parable that were sure of their kingdom status, their belonging to rule of God, and yet the Lord has the nerve to say they will be yanked out, and tortured in fire!

Note that the passage refers to some in the kingdom as weeds, son’s of the evil one in verse 37. Yet in verse 41, the Lord simply refers to “all causes of sin and all law-breakers”. Now obviously the weeds are included in this judgement, but this last phrase possibly allows for more than just the weeds.

Possibility of more than just the weeds. Yes this is not explicitly stated, yet there is a possibility that those who feel safe may not be.

As I am thinking through this passage and all the implications, all the unknowns and all the questions rising in my mind, I cannot help but resort to one passage in Hebrews that provides a comfort, a place of security that each believer can rest in.

Hebrews 12:14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Seek the Lord in your life. Hear His voice and strive to do His will. Run from any “cause of sin” in your life, from any law breaker that seeks to influence you.

Be the righteous that will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father, that will reflect the glory of the Lord in the daily grind of life, being kind as the Father is kind, being merciful as the Father is merciful, being patient as the Father is patient.

Jesus summed it up so well, for the life of the righteous is not a life of a false security, but of an active life of love towards our enemies, being kind to the ungrateful and and the evil!

Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

The Message is a paraphrase I especially like to listen to, as it turns a phrase often and it catches something in my mind, like a spur under a saddle. Luke 6:35, 36 is such a passage in the Message.

35-36 “I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

Simple and direct. Our Father is kind. You be kind.

Replace “kind” with any characteristic you rejoice in, that our Father has expressed through the crucifixion of His Son, and be that.

Did I not mention this series was intended to be a challenge. This passage is a challenge that is beyond our strength, and as we look to Him, seek Him, striving for peace and holiness, you will shine in his 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 would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below

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Song Squawk – Think Twice

2026-04-29

In the mid nineties, I had a little red Buick and a big ol’ bass box in the trunk, and would listen to “Christian Rock”, cranked to 11.

(What did you say? Huh? Can you say that again, I didn’t hear you….)

I have gotten away from that genre for many reasons, the least of which may be a loss of hearing, but some songs have stuck with me over the decades.

The artist’s I listened to sought to reflect Scriptural teaching for the most part. They ranged from “preaching” pop culture religion to significant theological teaching. As I listened to the lyrics, I found some to be quite challenging.

To be honest, I listened because I could justify the rock beat with “sanctified lyrics”.

Occassionaly I will post a song, supply the lyrics and make a comment or two. If you decide to listen to the tune, turn the speaker down unless you are already deaf. Some of the songs tend to have a certain “volume” about them!

This post will consider the song

Think Twice – by Petra

It is amazing that I have missed providing the original Christian rock group – at least in my mind – until now. Petra was cutting edge in the contemporary Christian market and was world wide known for their faith based songs.

This particular song was based on 2 Timothy 2:2

You can think of times
When you had the right chance
You could make a choice
When nobody could see
You could think of ways
Of defending your deeds
Justify the way
That you wanted to be

Wait just a minute
Wait just a minute

Hey, did you ever think twice
Something inside says stay away
Hey, did you ever think twice
When there’s still time
You can go the other way
Hey, did you ever think twice
If you don’t bother
Gonna pay the price
Hey, did you ever think twice

You can think of things
That you wanted to try
You can think of things
That you wish you could see
You could go a way
That would seem so right
Thinking of a place
That you wish you could be

Wait just a minute
Wait just a minute

Hey, did you ever think twice
Something inside says stay away
Hey, did you ever think twice
When there’s still time
You can go the other way
Hey, did you ever think twice
If you don’t bother
Gonna pay the price
Hey, did you ever think twice

Face to face with sin
You better think again
You better think again
Take another look
For a second time
And give a second thought
To where you draw the line

Wait just a minute
Wait just a minute

Hey, did you ever think twice
Something inside says stay away
Hey, did you ever think twice
When there’s still time
You can go the other way
Hey, did you ever think twice
If you don’t bother
Gonna pay the price
Hey, did you ever think twice

Hey, did you ever think twice
If you don’t bother
Gonna pay the price

Hey, did you ever think twice

Take a listen!

Let me know what you think of the lyrics, and of the tunes!

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

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Daniel – 4

2026-04-28

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

Daniel

Chief Governor

Daniel 2:48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

Revelation 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

I have chosen to title this post “Chief Governor”, even though the ESV translates it as Chief Prefect, mostly due to my ignorance. I had to verify what a “prefect” was. I find out it is simple a synonym for governor, and though I am sure the ESV had good reason to translate it as prefect, I think we can work with governor for this post.

Daniel, as one of the many wise men chosen amongst the foreigners brought into Babylon, takes on the impossible challenge on not simply interpreting a kings dream, but of determining the content of a dream, and to interpret the dream

Daniel 2:5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins.

The king was setting out a challenge to determine if any of the so-called wise men had any connection with a higher power, a revealing spirit, or a message from on high. The wise men before the king, though able to rise in ranks due to administrative talents or of knowing the right people, certainly had not faced a challenge such as this.

They knew they were in trouble! It was impossible. They admitted the challenge was too great, and the only way to determine the dream was through the “gods”.

Daniel 2:11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

These wise men were setting up the stage for Daniel to enter the scene. The wise men reiterated the impossibility of a mere man to provide the information, but the king was resolute. Give me the information or die!

Daniel 2:12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed.

So the stage was set for Daniel to enter the scene, and the motivation of saving their own skin was provided. They had to search far and wide to find a wise man, – anyone – to get the data, and meaning of the dream for the king.

We know the story, and Daniel stepped up. Not only to save his skin, but to reveal the God of Heaven.

This incident, this miraculous provision of God to four young Hebrew men set Daniel on course to high office within the Babylonian empire. Daniel was the man of the hour, and he made sure the king knew of the source of his wisdom.

Daniel 2:27-28 Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries…

Upon Daniels success, glory rained down on him, becoming not only a governor, but a chief governor, or as some may call him a chief prefect.

Above and beyond Daniels wisdom, a Rabbi hundreds of years later also provided information from on high, and was honored, at least for a time, by those who heard Him. A fickle honor was provided to Him for a short time, as was for Daniel. Like Daniel, He was granted a position of honor. For Jesus, the honor bestowed in His ascension was to the throne of God, a position, not of simply becoming a chief governor of a regional kingdom for a short period of time, but the King of all of creation, for all of eternity.

Chief Governor? Yes but much more, as He is the King of Kings.

Jesus is 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.

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Names of God – HE GIVES RAIN ON THE EARTH – 275

2026-04-27

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.

275

HE GIVES RAIN ON THE EARTH

Job 5:10 he gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields;

No matter where you look in the Word, God continually shows up as a giving God. From the “natural” giving of rain, to the supernatural provision of the Son of God for our life, God is a giving God, a God of provision, of grace, of abundance and of life.

For those souls who ignore the Word, or may just believe what others say of it, or assume the message of the Lord is only one of demands, commands and requirements, I would encourage them to crack the Book and find the Father of Giving. To be of a different opinion regarding the Father is to exist in a life of denial, and lies.

The Lord, as He entered our world and taught us simple truths, reminds us that God is an indiscriminate giver, the God who cares not for who receives the gift, but gives both the sun and the rain to both the evil and the good.

Matthew 5:45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

He is One who pulls from His storehouse and provides for all, for those who ignore Him, for those who deny Him, for those who defame Him and for those who call for His crucifixion. He gives rain to all, and though Job (and the Lord) refers to the general grace of physical rain falling on the earth to provide sustenance for us, the Word also uses it as a metaphor for His work amongst us and in our lives.

Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

God’s Word is as rain falling on the earth, with a purpose of providing for those in need. Isaiah is not listing all the religious requirements for those who hear the Word, but of provision of life, of the Word’s accomplishments in our lives, and of the Words success in our hearts.

I spoke of those who have ignored the message of the Word earlier, and of the need to crack the Book, to find the Father and to live in the love of the Father. For those who may think of God as a demanding ogre, a killjoy, an authoritarian of oppression, you need to consider the truth of our passage this morning.

God gives rain on the earth. It is a simple truth, an obvious truth, but in considering this simple provision, the honest soul will come to the conclusion that God is a giving God, One whose nature is to provide.

God is a Giver of Rain. If this is a difficult truth to accept for you, the continual and abundant giving nature of our God, I submit you are listening to the lies of the taker.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The one who steals, kills and destroys will only defame the Great Giver, distract us from His goodness and direct our eyes from this truth.

Crack the Book, find the Giver of Rain. Sit before Him. Understand His nature of giving and let Him provide life to your thirsty soul. Humble yourself before Him and receive from the One who Gives Rain on the Earth!

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.

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1 Thessalonian Bits – 3:13

2026-04-26

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 3:13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

In our last verse, we hear Paul praying that the Lord would increase the love of the Thessalonians for both the saints and sinners they lived amongst. Truly Paul is seeking a noble end for the Thessalonians, a righteous life before God. The Scriptures are clear, for to love is to fulfill the law of God.

Romans 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Having reminded us of the prayers in the previous verse, we enter verse 13 with two words.

“So that.”

Paul, by starting this verse, (or at least continuing his prayer) using “so that”, is indicating a purpose in the call of God to increase in love towards saint and sinner! You see, God’s life of love is not simply a quality of life, great as it is, or the attainment of a goal in life to please both God and man, but also a means to an end for our own souls.

A life of increasing love toward saint and sinner establishes our hearts blameless in holiness. Paul is seeking a state of being for the believers before God, and the method is through love.

Now, we have considered the concept of blamelessness in this blog a number of times, but for brevities sake, blamelessness does not imply sinlessness. Nor perfection. A blameless man is one who has corrected mistakes, sought forgiveness, lived properly amongst others, and when he falls, repairs any damage to those impacted.

As we walk with the Savior, we will naturally become more sensitive to any relationships with those we come in contact with, willing to give not only the tunic but the cloak also.

Matthew 5:40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

In giving though a self sacrificial love for others, our own lives will be established in holiness. This fruit of the love we exercise towards others grows within us as we seek to serve both God and man through the Lord Jesus and His leading. Integrity of the soul becomes a gift back to the Lord, a treasure we can experience and a characteristic we will guard in our lives. Blamelessness in holiness becomes a desire that develops a constant review of our lives, seeking to keep short accounts with both the Lord and those we know.

Paul had high goals for the Thessalonians, and his prayers showed not only his love for them, but the expectations of the apostle regarding his people.

He loved them.

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Prayers of an ol’ fool – Daily Bread

2026-04-25

Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

As many who follow may know, I have had the privilege to know the Lord for over 40 years. During those decades, He has proved Himself to be a faithful, kind and loving Savior. And as I have learned to lean on Jesus, He has shown Himself to be a merciful Savior, never wavering, even in some very dark times.

This topical series will try to provide a snapshot of an ol’ fools prayers, the weakness and selfishness of his prayers, and the ever increasing goodness of God in His responses the those prayers.

I hope my witness to the goodness and faithfulness of God will be an encouragement to those reading, and will spur us all on to a deeper, more consistent time of being in the Lord’s presence.

Please visit with me as I tell the story of a faithful God and His care for an ol’ fool. Though David considered himself a poor man, I freely admit, I am just an “ol’ fool” looking to the Lord.

Daily Bread

We were living in Rouyn-Noranda, just a few feet south of the Arctic circle (I jest), trying to discern our next steps in following the Lord. We had been invited to this small city to help in a church, but I will relent from discussing some of the many prayers the Lord answered in those years in this post.

Except for one.

For some, this answered prayer may seen insignificant, even coincidental, but when I got the call, all I could do was thank the Father in heaven for watching out for a young family that was in a bit of a bind.

We had finished our commitment to the church in Rouyn, and had decided to pursue a career in Civil Engineering at a college in Kirkland Lake. Paperwork had been filed, student loans had been secured and my first day would be within a week if I recall.

The problem we were living under was that my last pay at Transport Rapide, a truck terminal I had worked at during our time with the church, had dwindled away, and the student loans would not be available for a week or so. My sweet wife reminded me that the food stock was dropping, and would soon be depleted.

Very soon Carl. What to do?

It seemed obvious to me that no one was going to hire me, given I had was heading off to school in the very near future. The church we had ministered in was not able to assist.

Our boys were growing, and their hunger was never satiated, and for that I am thankful! Yet the challenge was provision, and I set out walking the streets, going in any business asking for work. As I visited each business, my “anglais” roots were clearly evident, for though I had gained in my ability to communicate with the French, I was not by any stretch of the imagination fluent!

So as I walked that road, I prayed. I am sure my dear wife was also praying. Praying that the Lord would provide as He did in the Old Testament, and as He had when we ventured south for our training. He was, and is a faithful God, and we prayed.

Miles up the road from our apartment, as I trudged along, I entered Manitoulin Transport, a company that unloaded trucks just like my former employer Transport Rapide. If I recall, I entered the business and asked for the manager, informing him I was on my way to school but was in need of a day or two of work until I started my new path as a student.

He took my number, as had some of the previous businesses, and sent me on my way. I got home before dark. We had a small supper, read our Bible story with the boys and went to bed.

I seem to remember that I fasted the next day, but I can’t claim it was with pure motives. I was trying to minimize the impact on the food stores that remained. The morning was quiet, but as the boys woke, I got a call from the truck company I had visited with earlier.

“If you can make it down this morning we got work for you.”

Some may see this as the natural outcome of a fellow seeking work. Some may see it that way.

I don’t. I see the hand of God in all of the circumstances involved in providing a dependent family with enough to continue on.

What was it that timed this companies need for one day of labor from an “anglaise”? I may never know, but that morning was a good morning as I kissed my favorite before heading off to my new task. And later that day, as they paid me my cash, I went home, knowing my wifey would be dragging her wagon to the grocery store to stock up for the next few days.

He is an Almighty God, but He is also the God of the details, the small stuff, and of the poor and needy.

He is good!

Thanks for joining and Considering The Bible with me. Your thoughts are always welcome, and I look forward to hearing of the faithfulness of God in your lives.

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Names of God – HATER OF INIQUITY – 274

2026-04-24

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.

274

HATER OF WICKEDNESS

Hebrews 1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

Wickedness.

Some Bibles translate wickedness (Gk ἀνομία anomía) as iniquity, lawlessness and sometimes evil. Note the letter “a” at the start of the word anomía. When we find this condition in the ancient texts, it is usually the same as we would use “non” in front of an English word.

The base of the word, “nomos” simply means law, and combining these two thoughts, we come up with understanding anomía as meaning “without law”, or “no law”.

Now when we read the verse, with this understanding, we could come to the conclusion the author is speaking of one of two cases. Possibly, those without law may refer to those who are ignorant of the law, that are without the law. Of course, a more natural understanding in my mind is that anomía is referring to those who violate a system or rule of law.

I find it at least interesting that this epistle is written to the Hebrews, those who have been given the law, the greatest set of moral guidelines ever provided. And it is true that without the law, transgression is not attributed

Romans 4:15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

Now before I go down a rabbit hole that I din not intend for this post, I want to return to the general truth of our God being One who is the Hater of Wickedness. My first thought is that it is good to recognize the author did not say God is a hater of wicked people, but of wickedness. It is still amazing to think that God loves the sinner, the ungodly, the weak and unrighteous soul.

No – God is a hater of that characteristic in a person that isolates them from Him. He is the Hater of Wickedness, and it is seen in the extent of His efforts to separate us from wickedness, to provide us the opportunity to live righteous lives before Him in the Son.

Not only should we see that God is a Hater of Wickedness due to the effect of wickedness on the soul of His people, but even more so, that God is a Hater of Wickedness as it reflects His character.

He is holy, innocent, unstained and separated from sinners, One who provides the eternal priesthood that established righteousness, conforming to all the glories constantly and without fault within the Godhead.

He Hates Wickedness, not only for our sake, but also since it is a complete afront to His character, a complete negation of His order, eternal principles and being.

When I first considered this name of God, I automatically fell into a negative mind set, thinking this name was associated with judgement, fear, condemnation and the such. There are such names of our God that include these truths, and should not be avoided, yet as I considered this name, I come away thinking this name of our God provided very very good news.

In hating wickedness, He protects and maintains His righteousness, refusing any hint of lawlessness. Beyond that, He has suffered under His own hatred of wickedness to deliver us from it’s judgement, providing us the privilege and power, in following Him, to live a life of righteousness.

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.

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Conditional Security – Matthew 12:33-37

2026-04-23

Matthew 12:33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.
Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.
Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
Matthew 12:37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Last post, we considered the unpardonable sin in relation to conditional security and I suggested the next portion of the passage may support my initial suggestions. So lets get back to this difficult passage.

Note the first word in verse 33! Either. A term providing a choice between two thoughts or concepts. When I see this word, I think of a decision to be made!

In relation to this passage, Jesus is calling out the Pharisees to make the tree good or make the tree bad. Might the Lord be referring to the Pharisees estimation of His power when speaking of these “trees” and it’s fruit being good or bad?

It is simple logic. Good fruit means a good tree. Bad fruit means a bad tree. The Pharisees have just witnessed an exorcism of a demon possessed man, a man who was blind and mute. Don’t miss the enormity of this miracle, and the resulting fruit! This demon possessed man, who was blind and mute, spoke and saw!

Matthew 12:22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.

But lets remember who the Lord is speaking to? The men He is telling to make a decision are the very ones who are claiming He is in league with the devil! Although an aside, to consider the Master maintaining a logical argument for the sake of these Pharisees in the middle of such a defaming claim is so appealing, so evident of truth, and of such a peaceful stance, it make Him all the more amazing.

Back to this “either” command of the Lord towards the Pharisees, (and any listening) in verse 33. He is laying out the logic that this good result of healing the demoniac (a good fruit) must be from a good source, (a good tree). The Pharisees logic of the power Jesus resorting to diabolical forces to perform this miracle forces the resulting healing into the bad fruit category, and that simply makes no sense.

Even as the Pharisees spread a slurring accusation against the Lord of mercy, He is still reaching out to them, proving His truth, His identity, His mission to them.

And yet He continues with the logic a tree being known by it’s fruit in relation to the Pharisees themselves, stating that their very illogical claim must be evil, since they are evil! He has publicly called the most visibly religious men amongst God’s God’s chosen people evil!

Ok Carl, all your argument follows the text (hopefully) but what has that to do with the topic of conditional security? I am glad you asked, for I want to return to the first word again.

Either. Jesus, after having been defamed by the most powerful men in Israel, places a challenge before them. It is not as though it is too late to revise their estimation of this Rabbi. Yes, they are of the chosen people, and yes they are under a covenant with God. Personal relationship with the most High has always been dependent on faith in God, and not performance of religion, but these men may have some flicker of faith still resident in them. They may, under all the religiosity of their life, have a dim, smoldering faith of some type that the Lord is reaching out to.

Make a decision based on logic, and understand Who is standing before them. Either call Jesus good or call Jesus bad, but their decision will either justify or condemn them.

Matthew 12:37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Jesus is the Messiah, the full expression of the truth, evidenced by logic, by miracles, by the Spirit and by His message. Those who may have some faith in the Living God are dangerously close to condemning themselves by their illogical claims.

A dangerous position to be in, and yet the Lord reaches out to those who have openly and publicly expressed an obviously outrageous claim of His abilities. He is kind, and in His kindness, is very blunt with these men, seeking their repentance and acceptance of Him as the “Good Tree”!

I like to think some in the crowd took heart and rekindled their faith in the Living God of Israel and His Messiah, Jesus. I am hoping someone reading may also rekindle their faith in the Risen One. He has provided all the proof we need, in order to know who He is, the greatness of His love and His completed mission for lost, blind and mute sinners such as us!

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Life of David – 39.02

2026-04-22

The Lord’s Covenant with David

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 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,
5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?
6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.
7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”‘

In our last post on this passage, we spoke of how illogical God’s will may appear to us. Some things are so obviously right to do in our thinking that prayer and seeking God’s will seems to be unnecessary. I can’t tell you how often I have fallen into this erroneous thinking.

Our passage this morning speak of how David and Nathan, both men of God, never considered God’s silence in His desire for a “great house” to reside in. Although a difficult topic to enter into, (for one can sometimes prove anything out of a vacumm), it may be good to consider the silence of God regarding His “residence amongst men”

Now, for a little background chronology, the Lord refers to the time between bringing the people up out of Egypt up to David’s day, and per many timelines, we are looking at at least 4 centuries. The Lord had four hundred years to provide notification, and instructions on building a permanent structure in Jerusalem for His house. Not to labor the point too much but that is approximately 15,000 days to provide instructions.

Moses was never instructed. The Judges were never instructed. Prophets were never instructed. Priest’s were never instructed. Up till the peace of David’s kingdom, no one considered this possibility. David was never instructed. Nathan was never instructed. No one was told to build God a temple, a fixed building in a certain location.

But Moses was instructed that to make an altar of hewn stone was to have a polluted altar.

Exodus 20:25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it.

As an aside, how many hewn stones would be required for Solomon’s temple in the future?

Aside from that, David’s good intentions were corrected, and as we will see in the next segment of this passage, God provided a covenant with David that spoke of the kingdom of God, and David’s place in this Kingdom. His Son would be King forever, and though David may have understood that to be Solomon, we know better.

But for our passage this morning, let us remember that the silence of God may be instructive for our lives also. We sometimes want to add religiosity to our lives that has never been commanded upon us from on high.

To consider the silence of God for our own lives demands a maturity and a commitment to the will of God prior to addressing this topic. Coming to a clear understanding of the impact the silence of God has on our lives may surely be difficult, time consuming and spiritually dangerous, for you see, it may easily be abused for selfish and fleshly reasons. And yet the Lord reminds these two men of His silence and what that was to mean to them.

In relation to this very passage, where might the silence of God be found helpful in relation to our own methods of worship, congregating and living the community of Christ in our culture?

Questions concerning the silence of God relating to His current desire for His Temple that may come to mind may include.

Instructions regarding the need of dedicated buildings for church
Instructions for the order of church services
Instructions for the extent of church employment
Instructions for provisions within the church body
Instructions to support it’s leadership

There may be more silence regarding the church that I have not touched on, and there may be various ways to address this silence. Yet, as we seek to honor the Lord, we should consider the silence of God as a viable method of understanding God’s priorities for His people.

The Lord reminded David and Nathan of His silence, and even in this silence, God redirected His king to the future reign of the greatest King, the One who is ruling even now!

May we listen to all He say’s (and doesn’t say!)

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.

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Daniel – 3

2026-04-21

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

Daniel

Two Kingdoms

Daniel 6:28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
Matthew 26:29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Our verse this morning refers to two kings. Darius is the final king of Babylon, an older man that attained to the throne of Babylon for a mere two years. Cyrus, as we have previously looked at as a type of our Messiah, was a king Daniel served under in the Medo-Persian kingdom after the fall of Babylon.

Daniel, by the will of God, was placed into the Babylonian kingdom, lived a perfect life, passed through a death event in the lions den, and entered a new, arguably better kingdom soon after.

Consider this narrative in relating to the two kingdoms Jesus lived within.

He was born under the law, a servant to the Most High God, revealing the true nature of the law to all who watched. He suffered the blows and judgement of the law unjustly, passed through death into new life and is reigning in a far better kingdom, His Fathers Kingdom.

Our passage this morning, though an overview of the chronology of Daniel’s experience in serving God, also provides a general typology of the life of our Lord as He came down to a new land, lived under a rule of law, died and entered a new kingdom.

Jesus death, burial and resurrection is everywhere. He is 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.

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Names of God – HAND OF THE LORD – 273

2026-04-20

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.

273

HAND OF THE LORD

Joshua 4:24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

Anthropomorphism. What a word!

It’s a fancy word that describing a deity with human characteristics. It is a very common method of describing our God in the Word.

God is sometimes described as having
– eyes (Amos 9:4),
– ears (2 Kings 19:16),
– feet (Isaiah 66:1),
– a mouth (Jeremiah 9:12),
– and a back (Exodus 33:23),

Sometimes His actions are as if He is a man, as though He
– walks in the garden (Genesis 3:8),
– smells a pleasing aroma (Genesis 8:21),
– comes down to see the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:5).

In our passage this morning, we find He is described as the hand of the Lord. We find this thought also in Exodus 7:5

The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”

In both of these instances, it is good to note that in the description of the hand of the Lord, both are in reference to dominating or overpowering an adversary or abuser.

Though this term is often used in relation to warfare, it is also used to describe the enabling of a man by his God.

1 Kings 18:46a And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah…
Ezra 7:6 this Ezra went up from Babylonia….for the hand of the LORD his God was on him.

Though these men were enabled in their ministry by the Hand of the Lord, it is John the Baptist that experienced the Hand of the Lord even at his birth.

Luke 1:66 ESV – and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

John had the Hand of the Lord on him from birth. Can you imagine? Surely, he was, as the Lord described, the greatest of the prophets!

Two other times this term is used in the book of Acts describe either the power of God on the saints, or a judgement on a magician in Cyprus.

Acts 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

Acts 13:11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.

The Hand of the Lord defeats an enemy and empowers the faithful.

Is this not a great picture of the One who is King?

He is the One who has defeated His (an our) enemies, even through His own death, and leads His people to victory, empowering us as we seek to follow Him.

Jesus is the Hand of the Lord!

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.

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1 Thessalonian Bits – 3:12

2026-04-19

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 3:12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,

We are in the middle of Paul’s middle prayer for the Thessalonians. As you may remember, Paul opened up his letter the the Thessalonians with a prayer found in verses 1 & 2.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will close his letter to this church in Chapter 5, with

1 Thessalonians 5:23 -24 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

For now we are in the heart of Paul’s prayer thoughts for the Thessalonians and since this is a very short prayer of only 3 verses, this verse represents the very middle, dare I say the heart of Paul’s desire and prayer for the Thessalonians.

So after such a long introduction, what is it that Paul has reserved for the focus of his desires before God for these folks?

One topic, with one verb!

And the topic is….

LOVE

Paul was, as we all should be, consumed with the life of love. This love each of us have found in the Lord Jesus, – if we are true believers – is to be dispersed, spread and experienced with all in the body of Christ.

As I read this passage and considered the plea to God, I find that Paul is not concerned with only those in the Body, that the love is to only be extended to the saints, but he adds the short phrase “and for all“

He seeks to see the church care for each other, but he does not allow them to simply grow into a cocoon of Christians, but that they live a life of love to all around, even those outside of the church.

Notice that Paul’s prayer is for thier love is to be spread throughout the body, and extend outside of the small community of faith, into the lives of “all” each believer meets with, interacts with and struggles with.

Even that boss that is a micromanager, or that peer in the office that is constantly challenging decisions that need to be made. It seems we are not provided an exception to this call of love for all. He is not setting any limits on who we are to share the love of Christ with.

Ok, so Paul want’s us to include everyone in this life of love we are called to. Yet, he does not allow us to be satisfied in simply the extent of love being dispersed by the believer, that is to both the saint and the sinner, but he also is looking for increased depth of love towards both those in and out of the church.

Consider how Paul describes the action of this love.

GROW

As Paul speaks of two groups that are to recieve the love of Jesus, he also speaks of two actions associated with the love within the Thessalonian church.

Increase

πλεονάζω pleonázō. Paul is beginning to describe a condition that has no lack, that is always more than enough for the condition it finds itself in. Consider Paul’s usage of this term in 2 Corinthians 8:15. I am using the NASB in this passage for clarity sake

as it is written: “THE ONE WHO HAD GATHERED MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND THE ONE WHO HAD GATHERED LITTLE DID NOT HAVE TOO LITTLE.”

This passage translates our term as “too much”. Although Paul negates it in 2 Corinthians, the idea is clear. In Paul’s mind, to increase is to have “too much” and he is good with “too much” sacrificial love

Abound

περισσεύω perisseúō. This term speaks of exceeding a fixed number, and is used in passages that describe a superabunance, such as the overflow of bread recovered from the feedin gof the five thousand

Matthew 14:20And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

Paul is looking for a love that extends to both saint and sinner, that is meets the needs of those around, and goes beyond the basic need, being surprizing, superabundant and over the top.

Quite the challenge for a small church. Turns out this little church got on task, even as they recieved this challenge. It was just a short time later, as Paul was writing his second epistle, that He speaks of the Thessalonians in relation to this very desire and prayer of his.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

Paul’s absense from the church was distressing for both the apostle and the faithful. But the saints were faithful, and were chasing after the Lord, living out thier faith and love even as Paul was away from his people. Pretty amazing!

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Let Me Tell You a Story – Judgin’ Attitude

2026-04-18

Chatting with my wife the other night and we were considering an acquaintance of hers that seemed to continually pick and complain about those who work for her. She is new at her position (some what) and has bore down with a critical attitude on those that perform the work that needs to get done. It just seems so anti-productive!

Now my wife knows a bit of this ladies history and that she has had a sort of a rough life, making life decisions early on that have not worked out for her. Lifestyle habits were picked up early in life, that she carries with her even now. She may not even realize what she is communicating to others.

As we chatted, there seemed to be a connection going on in my head that may simply be the delusions of a fellow who is always trying to “connect the dots”, find solutions, and seek patterns. It may be delusional, but I think not. For I see this connection with my own bad habits, connecting with my willingness to judge others who do the same!

As we chatted, a number of verses came flooding into my thoughts, somewhat surprisingly.

Romans 2:3 Do you suppose, O man–you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself–that you will escape the judgment of God?

Note that Paul connects the judging with the doing. I had always understood this phrase to be confusing. Why judge the very thing I am doing? Why self condemn? The motivation is not something I want to delve into this morning, other than it being self destructive. The item that seemed to become evident to me was that past (or even present) sins create a desire to condemn others.

We have all heard the most vocal preacher condemning certain lifestyles, a fiery preacher, full of emotion and so passionate. Such a leader in the fight against sin, until it is found out that he is guilty of the same sin he condemned! Even as he is preaching condemnation, he is practicing the very sin he focuses on.

So I wonder, is it fair to come to a conclusion in estimating another’s life that a continual judging and condemning of others in certain areas may be revealing more than anticipated?

Is that a fair conclusion to arrive at?

If it is fair, I want to go one step further. Is it good to make this estimation in another’s life? Though this discernment may be accurate, is it proper, reasonable, loving and edifying? Is it a worthy thought to carry about in my day to day life, or does it color my estimation of another without benefit.

I find that as I may make this judgement of another’s life, I am slipping into the role of a judge, as opposed to the calling of a servant. Yes, some actions reveal our hearts more than we may want, and when I fall into a judgy, condemning attitude, I find it is the very sin I allow in my own life that I judge harshest in others.

What to do?

We are to discern the actions of others as we walk the Christian life, in order to make wise decisions. There truly are “dogs” amongst us, and we need to understand who they are. This takes discernment, or a form of judging – not condemnation – but judging.

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

In the midst of determining who the dogs are though, let us not forget that we are not to judge – condemn – others.

Matthew 7:1-2 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

The lady my wife and I spoke of needs a friend, someone that can give her guidance and encouragement even as she is “exposing” her judgy side.

That is a challenge that is larger than I want to admit to!

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

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Names of God – Guarantor of a Better Covenant – 272

2026-04-17

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.

272

Guarantor of a Better Covenant

Hebrews 7:22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

Better. A most common word in the book of Hebrews. It pops up so many times, I thought it wise to provide a list for our review prior to focusing in on our verse this morning.

• Better revelation (Heb 1:3)
• Better name (Heb 1:4)
• Better things (Heb 6:9)
• Better blessing (Heb 7:7)
• Better hope (Heb 7:19)
• Better covenant (Heb 7:22)
• Better promises (Heb 8:6)
• Better sacrifices (Heb 9:23)
• Better possession (Heb 10:34)
• Better country (Heb 11:16)
• Better resurrection (Heb 11:35)
• Better provisions (Heb 11:40)
• Better word (Heb 12:24)

Regarding our verse for this morning, it is good to get a bit of context for our understanding. The author of Hebrews is taking his audience through all the “betters” of Jesus, and in chapter 7 is addressing the priesthood. Jesus is described as of the Melchizedekian priesthood and not of the Levitical priesthood, linking Jesus with the eternal office of priest through the promise found in Psalms 110,

Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

This isn’t the first time our author refers to this passage, as he has mentioned it in Hebrews 5:6 and Hebrews 7:17. He really wants to communicated the eternal priesthood of our Savior.

So let us be thankful, since our Savior is not one that will ever die again, and that because of his eternal life, He also has an eternal ministry.

But that is not the only aspect of this passage that is making Jesus better in relationship to His priestly duties and office. For that nugget to be understood, it is necessary to consider the two previous verses.

Hebrews 7:20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath,
Hebrews 7:21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’”

The issue in our passage is not simply that Jesus is our eternal priest, never to pass from His ministry for and to us, but for those in the Old Testament economy, to compare the basis of the preisthoods.

For a Levitical priest to serve in the Temple, his lineage was critical, for no priest was able to continue in his service. The priest needed replacements, because of this thing called death. They kept dying. Since the replacements were of the tribal lineage, there was never any oath or promise associated with the installment of a priest into his position. Born a Levite, be a priest.

With Jesus, His placement as priest is not only based on His eternal life, but on an oath. An oath taken by God almighty, in which God swore in giving the oath, and added that nothing would change His mind.

This is an incredible statement, for it was an oath given from the Father to the Son.

Jesus is a priest forever! This is a promise, an oath from the Father to the Son. Not only a positive oath, but also a statement declaring God would never recant.

To be a guarantor is to be the One who is responsible in an agreement, in a covenant.

So let’s recap.

Jesus is a better priest than the Levitical priest due to His eternal state, living forever, always in the priestly position and office, and that the Father has promised His right to Priesthood in an oath that is of the strongest language. On top of all of that, Jesus is the Guarantor, the One who is responsible for the Covenant, the New Covenant that is in His blood. The Levite was simply a religious butcher, cutting an animal provided by someone else.

When the author makes this statement of Jesus being better, there is so much more than a simple comparison with a Levite. He is the One who is in charge, Who is our Priest, Who will never be replaced, Who needs not provide and additional sacrifice and Who has been made perfect forever!

My oh my – Jesus is better!

As believers I think we know deep down that He is better, but it is so good to take a moment sometimes to remember how much better He is!

And He truly is so much better.

Thank you Lord! You are the Guarantor of a Better Covenant!

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.

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Conditional Security – Matthew 12:31-32

2026-04-16

Matthew 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Matthew 12:32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

This is a difficult passage and to consider it under the topic of conditional security may at first be difficult to justify. Let me give you my thoughts on why this passage may be addressing this topic.

I am of the opinion that this particular passage is very specific to the time frame in which it was spoken. Consider the audience and the hingepoint of history we find it spoken in.

Jesus, The Messiah, the Gift of God to all mankind is again discussing God’s truth with those Pharisees. By the time we get to this morning’s interaction with the Pharisees, Jesus has dealt with them a number of times.

Interaction with the money changers – John 2:12-25
Interaction with Nicodemus (a Pharisee) – John 3:1-21
Interaction, rejection and attempt to murder Jesus in Nazareth – Luke 4:16-30
Interaction and rejection of Jesus claims of equality with God -John 5:16-47
Interaction on Sabbath importance – Matthew 12:1-8
Interaction concerning John the Baptist – Matthew 11:2-24
Interaction based on the Pharisees claiming His power is from the devil – Matthew 12:22-32

We are seeing from this brief list that things are getting very tense from the standpoint of the Pharisees. To pull out the non-logical argument that this Rabbi is depending on Satan to perform His life giving, healing ministry is a stretch by any account.

And Jesus does not mince words.

He openly confesses that every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven. Did you get that? Will be forgiven, not may be forgiven! He is telling these religious men that all sins will be forgiven. That must have tied their knickers in a knot!

He did place a caveat though as he addressed these men who would deny the obvious work of God through this Rabbi. If you will defame and lie against the work of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit in God’s Messiah, there is no hope for you. You see, He continues in his address to these men, declaring the sin of speaking against the Holy Spirit as being applicable in two ages. This age, or in the age to come.

I have often wondered what the “age to come” refers to, for it is not necessarily the next age, though it may be. I do not struggle when the Lord mentions “this age”. He is referring to the time in which he was living and breathing, talking to the men who opposed Him.

So here is how I understand this passage. Jesus is seeing the Pharisees becoming more and more desperate in denying His rightful place as Messiah, going to the incredible extreme of associating Him with Satan! As the people of God during the age of Moses, (prior to the resurrection and the wide spread explosive dispersion of the Spirit amongst the Gentiles) these Pharisee’s knew the truth of the Messiah, and understood that Jesus fit many, many of the required prophecies regarding the coming Savior.

As a matter of fact, there have been many studies revealing that the generation Jesus appeared in was the last generation a Messiah could appear to the people of Israel.

One specific prophecy that the Pharisees surely studied was that found in Daniel 9. A very detained and definite prophecy of the Messiah’s appearance within a certain time frame based on the captivity of the Jewish nation. Jesus was right on time. The Pharisees would not have it. He wasn’t working with them on their plans and objectives!

Nevertheless, the Pharisees knew Jesus was the Messiah, but out of envy and a refusal to submit to truth, refused Him and the witness of the Spirit!

Now as I mentioned earlier, these men were amongst the people of God, but at this point, it appears that all privilege assigned to the faithful Jew, though rejecting the message of the Spirit, would not receive forgiveness! In a word, privilege would be revoked from those who would not submit to truth!

Prior to this interaction, where did the Pharisees stand with God? Classed as of the Jewish nation, and as such, in the age of Moses, these men were in covenant with the God of Israel. Yet in this age, these men would be cast out, even as spoken of in numerous parables later in Jesus ministry!

Matthew 22:13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Matthew 25:30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

In our next post, Jesus continues with His message to the Pharisees, speaking of fruit and trees, hopefully understanding the message we find in Matthew 12.

Let me know your thoughts.

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