Considering the Bible

Names of God – HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS – 315

2026-09-27

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.

HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS

Psalm 136:4 to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Great wonders. As we read through this psalm, we find that in this verse the Psalmist speaks of great wonders, and then immediately describes the Lord’s great wonders of creation for verses 5 though 9. Verses 10 through 16, the Psalmist speaks of God’s deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt, and then continues through verses 17 through 22, speaking of the Lord’s placing of Israel in the promised land, defeating those who stood in the way.

In all of these great wonders of the Lord, the common refrain of “his steadfast love endures forever” is repeated as the basis of each and every work of God.

In all of these great wonders of the Lord, it is He alone who works these works. No one is guiding Him, helping Him, leading Him or supporting Him. It is HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS, and the Psalmist tells us this in our verse, proceeding to describe the wonders and also to give us the motivation for each of these great wonders, which is so wonderful.

HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS is motivated by His steadfast love, His mercy towards His creation.

The depth of His mercy in our psalm provides us a picture of God who is surprising, unlike any god that religion produces. A God of mercy and love Who is reaching out, but the picture is incomplete in this psalm.

Paul speaks of the mercy of God in Romans, describing God’s actions in the condemnation of all, in order that all may have mercy.

Romans 11:32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS has provided a salvation that reaches all, His mercy that is extended to all. The wonders of our psalm are truly overshadowed by the GREAT WONDER of His resurrection from the tomb. His mercy in providing the Suffering Servant to rescue us out of condemnation is His GREATEST WONDER.

May we walk in that truth, continually remembering HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS performs His wonders out of sheer love and mercy towards us.

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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Let Me Tell You a Story – Blue Skies

2026-09-26

It was 101 degrees in the shade today, as I was grading out the back yard for our future raised bed gardens. It was a lot of back and forth, repetitious work that might drive a fella crazy, but it needed to be done. Back and forth, grading out the earth until I had a semblance of a drainable surface.

Just when I began to see the work take shape, I actually rip up an old power line to the pole barn. Somewhat disappointing!

Recently the days have had some minor disappointments. Nothing compared to those who are under persecution, who are struggling in the face of powerful people who hate the Messiah. I pray for them, asking that the Lord would strengthen them.

In no way am I trying to communicate that my trials are in any way comparable to those who suffer active persecution. May God be working in those saints to bring about the victory they seek.

For myself, this short story is simply recounted to describe mild disappointments in an old saint’s life. Mild disappointments that seem to be piling up.

The last few months have been rough at the office. It is very slow at work, with very few projects available to justify our employment.

My daughter has had some very difficult days lately, and when trials touch one of my children, I tend to be affected, tend to be a bit consumed with concern.

Don’t even ask me about my wife. She had a minor traffic accident a week back, and I just about lost my mind when she called me. Of course I put on a brave front, but when it comes to my wife, that nerve is a raw one!

I think the transmission is going out on our truck.

Invoices for my work are not being paid, leaving us holding a bag of bills.

Recently one of my clients threatened legal action. It was a baseless threat, but the initial impact on my thought life was a bit more than expected.

I could go on, but I fear I am sounding like a whiner.

But I named this post “Blue Skies”, for a reason. As I finished up the grading work this evening, realizing I still had hours of work left, I turned the old beast off and took a moment to sit still.

During my grading, I am constantly looking down at the earth, checking for level, checking the box blade, checking the front bucket. Consumed with looking down.

For that brief moment as I shut the beast down, I looked up. I looked up to blue skies, crystal blue skies, with cumulus clouds scattered about.

The bluest of skies.

And everything drained out of me. All the minor disappointments, those little paper cuts of life that I recounted above, and others that are deeper in my heart, disappeared.

I looked up. And in looking up, I had a few moments when all the stressors of life, all the concerns I dwell in, all the anxiety I allow simply didn’t exist.

The sky was blue, and I sensed it was fathomless, with no deviation of color, and that it had always been above me.

I looked up and experienced an unexpected peacefulness, and in the midst of that peacefulness, sensed the Lord’s presence.

I am truly an unworthy man, blessed by the Lord of Glory, the Crucified One. He suffered and died on an old rugged cross to rescue sinners, giving us a path of reconciliation with the Father of Peace.

Truly the Lord is good.

Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 135:3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!

Psalm 145:9 The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

Look up when life is constantly drawing your attention to the earth. Look up and see that the Lord is good.

He is so good.

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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Psalms for Psome – Ps 77.03

2026-09-25

My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 77:6 I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search:
Psalm 77:7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
Psalm 77:8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time?
Psalm 77:9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

In our last passage, Asaph was describing troubling times, times when the Lord Himself was keeping him awake at niight

As a refresher, let’s look back at verse 2 & 4 to remember Asaph’s confession.

Psalm 77:2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.

Psalm 77:4 You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

Imagine, claiming that the Lord is holding open your eyes, keeping you from sleep, even forcing Asaph to look at something difficult. It is in this condition that Asaph, the man of God begins to question the very nature of God, His favor towards him, His steadfast love, His promises to the nation and His apparent anger, even to the evaporation of His compassion.

How is it that when we are being confronted with difficult information, we default to assuming God’s nature and character has changed? Is He not the eternal One, the One who does not change?

Malachi 3:6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

And yet, this is a common temptation for each of us, as we face trials. We tend to assume the never changing One has changed, and that for the worse. But before we go much further, it is good to remember that though the Lord is constant in His love for us, there are periods when we have brought sorrow or disappointment on Him.

Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

So how should believers relate to the Lord in times of trial, when we may be facing difficult truths in our lives? It is only natural to lash out to the One who loves us most, claiming He has changed, that His love has vanished, that He is “mad at us”.

This is the natural way my friend, and is the path of least resistance. As we rub shoulders with those around us, we witness this reaction to trial constantly. If we are having a difficult time with another, we tend to attack, either through gossip, slander, or defaming their character. When we relate to God in the midst of a trial, we tend to do the same, but if there is any justification in relating with another sinner in this fleshly way, I trust you will agree there is never justification for dragging the name of the Lord through the mud. After all, as Paul upbraided the Corinthians, we are not “mere men”, living as those around us!

But we have a saint that is asking some harsh questions. Questions that in a perfect world should never be asked. But Asaph is asking. As we go through this psalm, we will find that at the end of this struggle in Asaph’s life, he returns to the truth of the Mighty One.

The struggle of faith is very real as we enter difficult times. We do not live in a perfect world, but as we wrestle with circumstances that warp our understanding of God, we have a God who stretched out His hands toward us, even in His death, proving He is a Savior who welcomes us, even as we don’t understand properly.

If you are in the midst of a struggle in your faith, be honest with the Lord and seek Him instead of naturally lashing out at Him. As we will find out in the next portion of the Psalm, as Asaph recalls the Lord’s past deeds and actions, a part of our seeking the Lord is simply remembering the history we have with Him.

It is good to to take time each day to remember the Lord’s goodness toward us in His past actions! He is good.

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Proverbial Thoughts on Labor – C

2026-09-24

THOUGHTS ON THE TOPIC OF LABOR FROM THE BOOK OF WISDOM

Many of the proverbs we have considered in this series on labor have provided us a connection with financial success, stability and surety of needs being satisfied. For our verses this morning, I think the passages speak of something far more lasting than coin in the bank.

Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.

Authority

In Proverbs 12:14, we see that diligence will place the worker in positions of authority. This statement proves itself over and over again in my work experience, for those who are continually providing service to the corporation, are continually being elevated to higher levels of authority.

We have all heard of the young worker who starts in the mailroom in the basement, and rises to the president of a business. This upward elevation in authority may be coined the American dream, but it is simply the outworking of this truth. Working diligently will bring respect and authority to one’s life.

Proverbs 12:14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.

Reputation

At first glance, I considered this verse to be describing the diligent man’s efforts and labors as returning upon his life as a good reputation, a man or woman who is known for their quality work ethic.

That is not necessarily true, for the passage simply states that the reputation (good or bad) will come back to him. It is an inescapable judgement one carries of his life, and as time passes, the reputation solidifies. We are constantly leaving behind us history that defines us. In relation to labor, is our reputation that of a diligent worker, one who not only is increasing in authority, but enjoying the reputation of one who cares about their work?

In the Body of Christ, we revel in the grace of God, knowing of the Savior who provided a complete and eternal salvation that cannot be earned. And yet I fear this profound eternal truth may be twisted into a teaching that allows for a laziness about our lives, a freedom to let things slide, to not be “overly” concerned about our responsibilities.

As I am aging to the reward, I am becoming more and more senstive to the opportunities to labor for the Lord. Oh to labor properly in His plan for the remaining time we have!

1 Corinthians 15:58 herefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

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Names of God – HIGHEST OF THE KINGS – 314

2026-09-23

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.

HIGHEST OF THE KINGS

Psalm 89:27 And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

You know the story. A Sunday School teacher was teaching the 3-4 years olds about Noah, and she noticed little Johnny looking a bit left out. Her next question was directed to the little boy, specifically asking Johnny who built the ark, and Johnny’s face lit up with a big ol’ smile.

“Jesus. It was Jesus.”

When I first heard that story as a young believer, I chuckled. How silly for little Johnny to make such a blatant error.

As an older believer, I’m not chuckling. I think Johnny hit on something in that answer that took me decades to comprehend. The Word is chock full of Jesus, in type, image, foreshadowing, prophecies, etc. He is the sum of all the Word and the only true interpretation of the Scriptures.

But when I think of little Johnny, if he were to read this verse this morning, he would be correct in stating – “Jesus. It is Jesus”, for our name of God this morning – HIGHEST OF THE KINGS – is synonymous with the New Testament description of the Messiah as King of Kings.

1 Timothy 6:15 which he will display at the proper time–he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

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

But beyond that observation, consider the term “highest” in our in our verse. This word is the translation of the Hebrew עֶלְיוֹן ʻelyôwn, el-yone, and is typically translated as high, or most high.

But as you look at the transliteration of our term, what does it remind my reader of? Might it not be related to the compound name of God we considered years back in Names of God – EL ELYON (THE MOST HIGH GOD) – 6. Is our psalmist providing more of a hint of the Messiah’s true identity than we first understood.

Jesus – It is Jesus, and He is the HIGHEST OF THE KINGS.

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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Jesus in the Old Testament – Daniel – 19

2026-09-22

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

Angelic Ministry

Daniel 10:18 Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me.
Daniel 10:19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

Luke 22:43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.

A little background. Daniel was in the midst of a three week fast, seeking the Lord, for he had received a vision, a message from the Lord, a message that he understood and that terrified him. This message brought a period of mourning for Daniel, and in the midst of this mourning, he beheld a vision of One who is reminiscent of the One described in Revelation, with eyes of fire, and His words sounding like the sound of a multitude.

This vision completely knocked Daniel down, with his strength gone, face fully to the ground, as if he was dead. He was undone.

He was before the Lord, and he knew he had no merit before the Master. Yet notice that within the verse we are considering, the One having the appearance of a man touched Daniel and strengthened Daniel.

This isn’t the only time Daniel was strengthened by the touch of this One. It seems a recurrent theme through this trial of Daniel that the One who spoke to him also touched him to enable him to respond.

Daniel 10:10 And behold, a hand touched me ….
Daniel 10:16 And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. …..

This is an incredible story of the enabling power of the Lord’s strengthening of His servant, Daniel. Could Daniel have been strengthened in other ways? Surely, yet there is something about the human touch, the encouragement found in a handshake, a pat on the back, even a hug, when appropriate.

The power of the human touch became very evident with my Mother-in-law decades ago. She was not a huggy lady, often seemingly seeking to avoid any contact. Wifey and I decided to buck the status quo and seek her out when ever we visited. Granted the first time we hugged, it was awkward, but we persevered, and very soon, it seemed she sought the hug. She seemed to find a certain joy that wasn’t evident in her life prior to this. She was a great lady and I miss her so.

A bit of a diversion on the human touch, but it seems the Lord’s touch for Daniel was the ministration he needed to continue in service to the Lord.

For the Master, to have His servants minister to Him in His weakness surely must have been awkward also. For an angel who had been assigned to only praise and worship the King and Creator all his existence and then find himself strengthening the Almighty must surely have been an unexpected assignment. And the humility of the Lord in receiving this strengthening from His own created servant. This is one aspect of how far He lowered Himself for our sakes, and to obey the Father’s will.

Personally, I think Daniel met the preincarnate Christ, receiving Him as an angelic messenger. The Master, in a turn about of circumstances, received strength from an angelic figure, as He pushed forward to the cross. Daniel’s experience is a solemn image of the future Messiah receiving strength, a hint of the tremendous suffering He would enter into for all of us.

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 – 4:17

2026-09-21

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 4:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

For those of us who are still walking and talking, and seeking to follow the Messiah, this verse is for us!

We will meet the Lord in the air.

As a dispensationalist a hundred years ago, I read this verse in the following manner.

We who are left will be raptured together with the dead in Christ to join Jesus as we head to heaven for ever. It was a blessed hope, as Titus speaks of, but in my re-education of the Second Coming, I understand that to meet the Lord in the air means more than simply joining Him to head to heaven forever.

The word “meet”, apantesis in the Greek, carried a specific understanding when used. In my research, as I read through Vines Expository Dictionary, I found that this term “is used in the papyri of a newly arriving magistrate. “It seems that the special idea of the word was the official welcome of a newly arrived dignitary” (Moulton, Greek Test. Gram. Vol. I, p. 14).””

This term is also used in Acts 28 where Paul is greeted by the saints of Rome, as they came to meet him and then returned to the City of Rome.

Acts 28:14 There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome.
Acts 28:15 And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
Acts 28:16 And when we came into Rome, ….

These believers went to Paul, they met Paul and they returned from whence they came. In the Greek culture, when a dignitary came to town, it was customary for some of the citizens to leave their city to meet the dignitary as a sign of respect and honor, and then escort the honored person back to the city.

Is it possible that we who are alive, along with the dead in Christ, meet the Lord in the air, only to return to the earth? Is that what is being described here in this verse? Can you imagine the reaction of those who thought they were going to heaven, actually turn about and head back to earth? Slight surprise?

No matter, for whether heaven or earth, we will be forever with the Lord. And that is the only thing that matters!

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Pay for Pew – Deuteronomy 12:17

2026-09-20

As believers, we are called by God to follow after Jesus in all our actions and attitudes. How we relate to money in included in our following after Him.

As mentioned in my introduction to this series, my family and I have been impacted a number of times in our church attendance by what appears to be the pull of money on church leadership. During our Christian pilgrimage, a number of churches, through thier leadership, have made decisions that directly impacted our status within the body of believers.

Some of these instances provided us reason to dig into the Word, to find correction in our own personal relationship to money, to try to understand the wisdom of a church leader’s decision, and in the end to apply God’s will for our own finances.

Little did we know the tremendously corrosive power the love of money has over our own hearts, and by extrapolation, the church as a whole. This should not surprise the believer for Paul provided a harsh truth on this topic.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Alternately, the writer of Hebrews also provided no better command, (and for some believer’s no harder command) than found in Hebrews 13.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Many of our experiences have included the topic of tithing in the church. Personally, our denominational background considers tithing to be Biblically mandated on the New Testament believer. I understand many denominations consider tithing to be an important commmittment of the believers relationship to the church body.

Let’s take a look at this topic, and consider each passage that contains a reference to tithing.

This post will consider Deuteronomy 12:17

Deuteronomy 12:17 – You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present,

Whoa whoa whoa. Stop the presses!

What is this about eating the tithe? Surely this refers to the Levitical priesthood receiving the tithe from the faithful Israelite

We are being introduced to a teaching in this verse that stumped me when I first considered it. To eat of the tithe by the family bringing the tithe was so unexpected.

As we continue in this study, we will find that to tithe for the faithful Israelite was to include this second tithe. We have already considered the first tithe, or the tithe that the Levites received in Numbers 18:28. This tithe is the tithe that is provided to the Levites for their consumption, and support. What we are being introduced to, and which shall be later developed in Deuteronomy 14:22-29, is that beyond the Levitical tithe, a second tithe is required. (Hold on to your hats my friend, there will be a third tithe also required.)

This second and separate tithe of the faithful Israelite to the Lord was to be consumed by the family and our verse prohibits the eating of this tithe at home.

As we have considered a number of verses in Deuteronomy 12 in relation to the tithe, let’s remember the chapter repeatedly refers to “the place that the LORD your God will choose”, where the tithe was to be presented before the Lord. A quick search reveals that this phrase turns up 4 times in Deuteronomy 12 alone. (See verses 5, 11, 18 & 21). The chapter gives specific direction as to the faithful Israelite bringing a tithe, one that he would eat with the rest of the faithful to a future location, where ever that might be.

This second tithe was NOT to be presented to the Lord in the city they resided in, as in the first tithe.

This second tithe was NOT to be given to the Levite, as in the first tithe.

This second tithe was to be eaten by the ones providing the tithe, and was to be eaten with all the faithful, away from their home, and before the Lord.

This is such a fantastic teaching, not only that it renewed my mind regarding tithing, but more so, that this tithe speaks of the type of God we serve, that He seeks to have His people interacting with each other, developing community and enjoying each other and the Lord in group.

Not only does our God direct the faithful to a community life, He also gives commands that directly benefit us. These Israelites consumed the tithe that God required of them.

For the New Testament believer, the Lord also seeks for us to come together in community, and enjoy a meal. In my mind, this second tithe speaks of the Lords Supper in two ways. The community the Lord’s Supper is to encourage, and a shared meal with the community before the Lord.

As Paul berates the Corinthians about abusing the Lord’s Supper, he speaks of drunkenness, and their rudeness of eating before community is gathered.

1 Corinthians 11:21-22 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

It appears that the Lord’s Supper was an actual meal, a gathering where everyone joined in, where (I assume) many brought food to a central home for sharing with others. Note that Paul mentions drunkenness, indicating there was enough wine at the meal that drunkenness was a problem. The meal was more than a cracker and a tiny cup. It was a supper, possibly a multi course meal, where the saints gathered to break bread, share stories and speak of the glories of the Master.

There is something special about sharing a meal with the saints. It has been to long for me!

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 – HIGH YOUR RIGHT HAND – 313

2026-09-19

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.

HIGH YOUR RIGHT HAND

Psalm 89:13 You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand.

When I work out, speicifically in a gym, my first exercise is the curl. You know, that exercise when you take a 2 lb weight in both hands, anchor your elbows near your hips and lift the weight to your upper chest. I have been known to do up to 5 curls at a time before I need a wipe down from all the effort expended!

My point is that even in our modern culture, as it was in old days, the physical strength of a man is often indicated by the biceps, the arm of the fella. I have a son in law whose arm is the size of my leg. Thankfully he likes me!

As we read this psalm, the psalmist is speaking of the strength of the Lord, by relating all His acts in creation in relation to arm strength, in order to communicate to his fellow Israelites a picture of the Lord in His might!

Yet this last phrase in the verse

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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Proverbial Thoughts on Labor – B

2026-09-18

THOUGHTS ON THE TOPIC OF LABOR FROM THE BOOK OF WISDOM

In my last posting on the topic of labor, I spoke of a fella that is a talker. He could talk an Eskimo into buying ice! Talk talk talk. For our verses this morning, there is a slightly different slant to the topic of labor that I would like to discuss.

Proverbs 13:11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

That topic is the “get rich quick” scheme, and the bright shiny promises that entice some to chase after this dream. I would suggest that those who seek the get rich quick dream are fundamentally those who fear a consistent and determined effort in life. To work seems to be a curse for us who look to schemes to rescue us financially.

This is a perversion of a good understanding of work/labor as described in the first chapters of Genesis, for it is good to note that the Lord instructed Adam in the work of the garden prior to the fall.

Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

Remember, the fall didn’t occur until Genesis 3. Work is not a part of the curse! Of course, the curse brought upon us pain, sweat and toil in the work, (which I have personally experienced in the Texas sun of August this year), but to work is a part of the original creation!

But as I mentioned, there are some who seek an easier, quicker way, and there seems to be some temporary success in these schemes. But as Proverbs 13:11 reminds us, that riches quickly acquired dwindles away, for as we intuitively know, money is simply a tool to represent our labors in life.

If we put little labor into the acquisition of this money, the value of the money becomes less, and our management of the easily gotten funds falls victim to the same attitude of laziness. Note that when the Lord spoke of Adam working the garden, he spoke of working and keeping (or guarding) the garden.

To recieve funds quickly, or easily, implies the effort applied to the management of the funds will also be less than appropriate. This scenario is often found in the victims of lottery winners. How often have we seen those who have been provided a large winning, only to be poverty stricken within a few years again?

What is it my momma used to say. Easy come, easy go?

Proverbs 12:11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.

Proverbs 12:11 provides the balance we need. The writer speaks of “pleanty of bread”, not plenty of wine, and milk, and honey, and bacon, and steaks! Forget that bacon thing – this is the Old Testament!

But my point is that a diligent worker will continue to find he has the basics of life, As a amatter of fact, the verse speaks of him having plenty of the basics. One additional observation is that if we consider the last fella of the verse as a contrast to the first fella, we can note that he who works his land has plenty of bread and sense!

Does that make sense?

To labor is a blessing, and to labor for the Lord is the calling of all of His creation!

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Song Squawk – Cleansed by Fire

2026-09-17

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 Cleansed by Fire, by Alice Cooper.

I was chatting with a peer at work yesterday, speaking of the trememdous advances in the life sciences. I had heard that some discoveries were promising a reversal of the aging process, and as a theoretical discussion, asked him if he would ever consider living for a thousand years. After all, this is what the science is promising.

After a somewhat surprising discussion, especially regarding the potential fallout of such a discovery, I mentioned that as I walk through the last half of my journey on this planet, I have found that the promises of technology, even of this old world, seem hollow and full of disapointment.

Alice seems to be discovering the same in this song, and the subject of the sang is fighting against the promises of the world.

Consider the second stanza, for it rings of the very topic my work peer and I were discussing.

Cleansed by Fire – by Alice Cooper

I don’t know but I’ve been told the streets of hell are paved with gold
Crazy, crazy
You told me that nothing’s free except my own insanity
Crazy, maybe
Wake me, shake me
Wake me, shake me

You offer me the world and all its wealth
All for myself
You promised me a life eternally
And drink to my health
I may seem only half-glued but I can see right through you

Burn it up, burn it down
Burn this sucker to the ground
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Going, going, going, gone
There’s a party going on
And on, and on, and on

Do you think I don’t know who you are
A fallen star
When I feel my soul scream out at night
I know you’re not far
You need a better disguise, this one won’t win any prize

Burn it up, burn it down
Burn this sucker to the ground
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Going, going, going, gone
There’s a party going on
And on, and on, and on

Cleansed by fire
Cleansed by fire
I may seem only half-glued but I can see right through you

What about dark, what about light?
What about wrong, what about right?
What about death, what about sin?
What about the web you’re trying to spin?
What about truth? What about life?
What about glory? What about Christ?
What about peace? What about love?
What about faith in God above?
What about war? What about Hell?
What if I stumble? What if I fell?
What about blood? What about greed?
And all of these things you’re offering me

Yeah, what about me
Little me
You lose
And I win
You couldn’t suck me in
It’s over
You have no power
You’re lost
And I’m found
And I’m Heaven bound
Go back to where you belong
To where you fell
Go to hell, no

What think thee?

Have you found the promises of the world fulfilling, or are you feeling empty, aimless and without purpose? The one promising cannot fulfill, for the Savior is the truth, and the life and the way. He is the One we can trust, and that will complete all the promises He has spoken! He is the Lord!

Take a listen to the song.

Let me know what you think, eh?

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Let Me Tell You a Story – Preconcieved Ideas

2026-09-16

Preconcieved ideas rob us of opportunities and blessings.

It was a week or so ago when my wife and I, on our way home from a work weekend, slipped by my son’s home for supper. It was an invitation we couldn’t resist, for we hadn’t seen him and his family for a few weeks, we needed time with family, and he was cooking BBQ. Oh man – his barbeque is perty dang good, and when he does it up, he invites friends and family over for a good ol’ feed.

This time was the same, for he invited extended family and co-workers over, and everyone was enjoying satifying thier tastebuds.

As I mentioned, he sometimes invites co-workers and this specific night a fella from the islands came over by the name of Kyle. To my shame, I had forgotten if I had ever met him before. It turns out, I had enjoyed a meal with Kyle a number of times previously at my son’s home, and had simply not paid attention.

After a bit of awkwardness, we started speaking of general topics in the news, and eventually landed on a topic of social change in our culture. I was anticipating one word type responses, for my preconceptions of Kyle that he was a man who stayed within his own world, not concerned with culture or world happenings.

Again, to my shame, I sat surprised as this bright young man discussed social paradoxes and troubling trends in the world with those in the room. He spoke of how those in the developed world worry about non-essentials and that in so doing, create a destructive environment, a society that is eating itself from the inside out.

He articulated his argument, spoke of concerns, and provided opportunity for responses. Again to my shame, I had assumed much too little of this young man.

And then he mentioned the name of Jesus. He broke the glass wall and the subject matter changed from temporary things to things eternal.

It turns out he had been involved in a church on the island, and after a period of time, questions arose in his mind that he needed answers to. Questions involving certain teachings that seemed prominent in the church. The response he got from the church leadership was one of dismissiveness. No effort was made to enter into a discussion, or to consider his questions seriously.

This appeared to have soured Kyle regarding formal church attendance and membership. He seemed to come away from this experience understanding that each church is to be content to stay in it’s own thinking, and not to be challenged with questions or concerns.

Eventually He spoke of believers approaching him, telling him that “God told me to tell you…” This rubbed him the wrong way, and I heartily agreed. It seems self proclaimed prophets and seers are everywhere, pushing hobby teachings that they feel the need to add God’s authority to, and to spread it to others to whom God has not yet talked to.

But something started to bother me. I understand that for the believer, if thier ears are open, God can and does speak to them, through the Word, through loved ones, through fellow believers or even through folks you meet when you are having BBQ with your son.

But does not the Word speak of believers declaring the need for repentance?

Luke 24:47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Do we not have the authority of God in declaring the resurrected Son, and that repentance and faith is to be exercised?

Acts 26:20 … they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.

Attaching the authority of God to pet teachings seems to be missing the boat. Is it not the resurrected Son who is to be the focus, topic and Person that we declare to others by the authority of God?

Kyle seemed to connect with this message, and I hope we can have many more visits together in the future.

I entered my son’s home that afternoon tired, sore and hungry, looking forward to a feast of BBQ. I left renewed in my spirit, preconcieved ideas corrected, and with a challenge from a man who I will not forget.

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 – HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS – 312

2026-09-15

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.

HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS

Hebrews 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)

We have considered Jesus as our HIgh Priest, in Hebrews 3:1, specifically in relation to His apostleship. When the Hebrews author spoke of this Name of God, he directed our thoughts to the dual mission of Jesus, that of being sent out as an apostle to mankind, and of the priestly ministry of facing God the Father for mankind. Two missions wrapped up in one glorious Messiah.

But the author of Hebrews spoke of the faithfulness of the Messiah in his dual missions, and used this description in comparision with Moses, a servant of God who was faithful to God.

In our verse this morning, we find the author speaking of another characteristic of Jesus in His priestly role before the Father. He speaks of God as the HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS.

The author is directing our attention, or should I say the original readers attention to the High Priest of the good things that have come. For the original readers of this letter, the author spoke of present realities. This is where I, in my initial glimpe of the verse, fell down, for my mind authomatically though of end times, of our eventual entering into His presense at the end of our days.

But if we read this passage slowly, this is not the timeframe he is referrring to.

Note that his audience, being Hebrews, were inextricably linked to the earthly temple, and as the author takes these Hebrews through this letter, he is constantly comparing thier sources of religious comfort and security with the Greater One. He has compared Jesus with angels, Moses, Joshua, Aaron, the Levitical priesthood, the sabbath and now the Temple.

The precious temple every faithful Jew could boast of, cling to, rely on and glory in. He spends 10 verses, prior to our passage, describing the temple/tabernacle, along with the priest who performed thier earthly ministries only to make little of it in comparison with the current tent/tabernacle Jesus has brought to the faithful.

When the Lord is described as the HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS, the author is speaking directly to the faithful Jew who was placing thier trust in an earthly temple, along with the ritual duties of the priests. He is the HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS that have come through the flesh of Jesus, through His incarnation. Jesus is our temple, and He is the HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS each believer has access to every minute of the day.

The author is reminding the faithful Jew, the believer in Jesus, that as the HIGH PRIEST, no further sacrifice is required, the existing temple is no longer required and that Jesus, through His own body (the perfect tent/tabernacle), provided our redemption. He is the Temple. He is the Sacrifice. He is the HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS. He is everything for the believer.

The author is also reminding the faithful Jew, that in previous times prior to the Savior’s appearance, the high priest could not enter the holy place without blood. This provided a symbolism Jesus has fully accomplished in His shedding of His own blood. In His entering once for all the Holy Place of the eternal temple with His own blood, He abolished any efficacy of the earthly temple, the earthly priesthood and the earthly sacrificial rituals.

For the faithful Jew, and the modern Christian, we have in Jesus that which the earthly temple, priesthood and scarifices merely pointed to.

For we have Jesus, the HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS now!

How could I have thought this verse was speaking of times to come, when the very passage speaks of all we need having come!

For Jesus is our HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS.

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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Proverbial Thoughts on Labor – A

2026-09-14

THOUGHTS ON THE TOPIC OF LABOR FROM THE BOOK OF WISDOM

My wife and I have entered a time of “industry”. By that I mean we have a few irons in the fire, and one of those irons includes developing a property to retire to. A few years back, we picked up a piece of land with a cabin on it, and have been in the process of building the site into a working homestead.

I would like to emphasize the term working, for this property, with all the dreams we have for it, has become a work project my wife and I have gladly taken on.

Whether it be 116 degree heat index while working outside – yes when my wifey told me that, we went inside immediately, or the continual battling with completing sub projects on the weekends, I have come to cling to a few verses in Proverbs that speak of the importance of labor.

I suppose my favorite Proverb in relation to our project is Proverbs 14:23

Proverbs 14:23 In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

You know, I met a fella lately that talks talks talks. He repeats a message multiple times (in the same discussion), as if we didn’t hear or understand the first three times he spoke of it.

He is a young fella, and I have just met him, so my estimation may be completely unjustified, but he is a talker. Now when I say he is a talker, I am speaking of my first impression, the dominant impression that I come away with when I visit with him. He is a talker. Talk talk talk.

I suppose this desire to talk talk talk may be a sign of insecurity, or a nervousness of “being in the quiet”, or a need to own a running monologue, control the discussion, hear his own voice. I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter in this discussion other than his life, from what I have observed, is tending to poverty.

I want the best for him, and hope I am wrong in my estimations, yet there tends to be a pattern, a trend that seems to be evident. A poverty, and I am not necessarily speaking only of financial assets, but of a general poverty in his life and relations.

And the Scripture speaks of the poverty of the talker! We would do well to consider.

One additional verse that motivates me in the midst of all the projects at our home is that many of the projects are in varying degrees of progress. The work site sometimes appears unsightly or unorganized. If it wasn’t for my wife continually helping in managing the site, it would appear catastrophic.

But a clean worksite, completely orderly and without some “mess” is not a producing worksite.

Proverbs 14:4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

I am not advocating for a unsafe worksite – don’t get me wrong – but for projects to get done, there has to be a messy manger!

This passage also should hang over my desk at work. It does become a “massy manger” at times.

Let me ask you a question. How important is labor in your Christian life? Do you see any benefits of taking on projects to gain a tenacity in life, to take on challenges that are beyond you, knowing you have a Father in heaven who provides health and strength for the work?

Thoughts to consider. But I gotta leave now, for I have some drain pipe to bury on the site!

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Prayers of an ol’ fool – Miles

2026-09-13

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.

Miles

When I speak of Miles, I am not speaking of a unit of measure but of a neighbor next door. I introduced my reader to this neighbor back in Psalms for Psome – Ps 7, in describing how the intents of a evil man backfires, as they lay traps for others and yet fall in them themselves.

At first Miles was a neighborly fellow, waving as we walked by, nodding occasionally, even stopping us on the sidewalk to take a peak at our littlest one, and speak of how cute our little “wabbit” girl was.

It was – for a short time – an ideal situation, and the neighborhood seemed to be at peace.

Until my wife called me at work and asked me to come home. The police were in our back yard with Miles, and there was some sort of trouble!

Let me take you back to the weekend previously. My sweet wife asked for a clothes line and I thought a twelve foot pole would be sufficient for the task. And since we lived in Canada at the time, the hole needed to be at least 4′ 6″ deep to avoid the frost line. So for the better part of the Saturday, yours truly dug that hole for my wifey, wasting the spoils near the hole.

Some of the soil from the hole fell onto public land behind our home.

Once Miles saw this travesty, he set off to correct this criminal action. He resolutely entered our yard, filled in the hole, and called the police. By the time I got there, it seemed things had calmed down, and that Miles was satisfied with the result. I still had to redig the hole, so I wasn’t all that happy, but this was the beginning of 3 years of incredible activity by a man that I can only assume was a paranoid schizoid.

He placed barbwire in the small fir trees behind his yard – on the public property – knowing my kids played out there. He strung barbed wire along the fence line between our homes. He wrote disgusting letters, trying to break up families in the neighborhood, signing my name to the letters. We were in court 3 times with him. primarily due to him accusing my sweet wife of threatening him.

I could go on and on about this poor man.

To make matters worse, I was in the midst of furthering my education, and would be away from home for extended times six days of the week, and my sweet wife, with our five kiddos, lived under the shadow of Miles.

Make no bones about it, my wife was intimidated continuously, either by his truck facing the master bedroom in the home, with his high beams on, or by kicking the hedge as my wife was doing her gardening. I could go on and on.

Ok Carl – this post is supposed to be about answered prayer, not a whine fest about a lousy neighbor.

That be true, and as we asked for protection from the Lord above, and sought to pray for Miles instead of seeking revenge, we found the Lord ever present in His care for us.

As a matter of fact, through the years of oppression under Miles, we found many instances where we saw the humor of God shine through, relieving the stress of our situation.

But more importantly, in all our interactions with this man, we found the Lord’s protection to be a continual answer to prayer.

To this day, when I think of that period in our family’s life, I am so thankful for the Lord’s mercies over such an extended period of time and from a man who was clearly unbalanced.

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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Pay for Pew – Deuteronomy 12:11

2026-09-12

As believers, we are called by God to follow after Jesus in all our actions and attitudes. How we relate to money in included in our following after Him.

As mentioned in my introduction to this series, my family and I have been impacted a number of times in our church attendance by what appears to be the pull of money on church leadership. During our Christian pilgrimage, a number of churches, through thier leadership, have made decisions that directly impacted our status within the body of believers.

Some of these instances provided us reason to dig into the Word, to find correction in our own personal relationship to money, to try to understand the wisdom of a church leader’s decision, and in the end to apply God’s will for our own finances.

Little did we know the tremendously corrosive power the love of money has over our own hearts, and by extrapolation, the church as a whole. This should not surprise the believer for Paul provided a harsh truth on this topic.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Alternately, the writer of Hebrews also provided no better command, (and for some believer’s no harder command) than found in Hebrews 13.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Many of our experiences have included the topic of tithing in the church. Personally, our denominational background considers tithing to be Biblically mandated on the New Testament believer. I understand many denominations consider tithing to be an important commmittment of the believers relationship to the church body.

Let’s take a look at this topic, and consider each passage that contains a reference to tithing.

This post will consider Deuteronomy 12:11

Deuteronomy 12:11 – then to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the LORD.

We have spoke of the location to bring tithes to the the Lord in a previous post. (See Pay for Pew – Deuteronomy 12:6) The passage was intended to direct the faithful Isrealite on a future location for the offering of his tithe.

Moses continues in this chapter regarding this location as being the place faithful Israelites were to bring the tithe. But there is a slightly minor adjustment with this passage that may be of interest.

Deuteronomy 12:6 – and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

Did you see the difference?

Our passage is lacking in the last three offerings to be brought to this place the Lord will reveal. Of course, both lists include tithes, for that is the topic of our study.

But notice the company tithing keeps. It is associated with burnt offerings, sacrifices, contributions, offerings (vow and freewill) and the firstborn of your flock and herds.

As we consider tithing for the New Testament church, and it’s relevance for the New Testament believer, I have some questions. After all this verse does not provide much additional information regarding tithing other that the place to bring the tithe.

But I am curious, if tithing is to be practiced in the New Testament church, as to why we do not also have burnt offerings behind the pulpit. A sacrifice – remember we are speaking of animal sacrifice here most likely – in front of the pulpit might be a nice add on to the service! Surely the Lord will accept the firstborn of our pets, for since we are no longer an agrarian society, where most of the the society raise herds and flocks, we need to have something living to sacrifice.

Ok – that pet thing was a bit of a stretch! But was it really, for to introduce a burnt offering into the Christian life and worship, is to slap the Lord Jesus in the face. To replace the real with a shadow is nothing less than an insult, a blasphemy, an abomination.

Hebrews 10:12, 14 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

We have rejected the animal sacrifice rightly so, for our Savior is the ultimate and only one time sacrifice that atones for the souls of His people. Yet stuck in the middle of these two verses in Deuteronomy is the topic of tithing, and the modern church seems to cling to it for some reason. (Guess what that reason is and you win a cupie doll!)

Let us reconsider the place of tithing in the church.

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 – HIGH PRIEST – 311

2026-09-11

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.

HIGH PRIEST

Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,

We have considered this verse before, when we looked at Jesus as the Apostle of our confession. That was over two years ago, and as a refresher, I have provided a link for your convenience. Names of God – APOSTLE – 36.

Short of that, let us remember that to be an apostle is to be sent out, and with Jesus, that meant from heaven above to earth below. It was a massive “sending out”, from the pure to the impure, from the holy to the unholy, from a place of ultimate peace to a war stricken world full of enemies.

Let us remember His being sent to sinners when we consider Him as our HIGH PRIEST, that as HIGH PRIEST, this speaks of His representation before God on our behalf. As the apostle, He was sent from God to us. As the HIGH PRIEST, He is ever and always before the Father, pleading for us in His ministry to God.

One more aspect that warms my heart is that to be the HIGH PRIEST we confess, it is His very Apostleship that qualifies Him to be such before the Father

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

The Lord God is our Savior, our Apostle, our HIGH PRIEST. He is all in all to us who could do absolutely nothing to gain favor before the Holy One.

Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

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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Jesus in the Old Testament – Daniel – 18

2026-09-10

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

A FRUSTRATED STONE

Daniel 6:17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

Matthew 27:60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.

There are invisible fingers orchestrating the details of the Lord Jesus’ life and death, the smaller things that no one could orchestrate other than the One over all.

Some who dismiss the multitudinous prophecies of the Lord found in the Word decry that He knew of the prophecies and then, in order to deceive His followers, simply performed some slight of hand or trick of the eyes to satisfy a prophecy.

It is a ludicrous claim for the most simple of deniers to make, but the small detail we find in Daniel here, though not specifically claiming to be prophetic of the Lord’s burial, speaks of a coincidence, one of many, that points to the ultimate One.

A great stone was to seal both men in their respective tombs, and a great stone was moved to allow for the unheard of. Hundreds of years before Jesus, Daniel was lifted out of a lions den after a full night with them. The stone was placed there to seal him in, to allow no escape, yet the stone was moved.

As for Jesus, the stone was also placed on His tomb to allow no escape, , to seal Him in, allowing no retrieval of His body by His disciples. Yet the stone that was placed there was moved.

Alright you caught me. It wasn’t moved to allow Him out, but to let us in. As the resurrected Savior, mere stones were of no impediment to Him in His resurrected body.

We needed to see where He lay, and to see that He was gone, that He was not there, that He is risen.

Both men were sealed in a tomb by a great stone. It turns out both men frustrated that stone!

As for those deniers, how could either of these men orchestrate the sealing of their tomb with a stone? There are truly invisible fingers working in the background, always pointing to Jesus.

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 – 4:16 – B

2026-09-09

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 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Our last post spoke of the Lord Himself coming to retrieve His people, of the noise that will be accompanied this event. Let’s take a moment to consider.

cry of command

In the old KJV, which I used for decades, the term is translated shout, and as such, I understood it as a generic loud voice, possibly of an announcement, but was somewhat generic. The term in the New Testament is κέλευσμα, κελεύσματος, and is only used once in the New Testament.

There is a Proverb, translated into the Greek (the Septuagint) that uses this term and it is somewhat enlightening.

Proverbs 30:27 The locusts have no king, and yet march orderly at one command.

The term speaks of a command or an order. Strong’s dictionary, along with Thayer’s Greek Lexicon both speak of this term as a stimulating cry, an order that rouses up animals to move, or even a signal given to the rowers of a ship or of soldier to obey.

It is not simply a shout as I understood previously, but a noise that communicates the need for an arousal from sleep, or a command to be obeyed, as if in a war, or battle. It is more specific than I first imagined.

voice of an archangel

There is one question I have for this phrase. Is Paul emphasizing the one who is making the announcement, the archangel, or the voice of the announcement? Does he want us to understand that Jesus is using the voice, as if from an archangel, or that some unidentified archangel is making this announcement?

There are fine believers that are in both camps, but I tend to think the voice is coming from an archangel, much like in the nativity, when an angel of the Lord announced to the shepherds, (quietly albeit) to the of the coming of the Messiah.

Luke 2:9 – 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Yes there is a difference, in that this is the archangel’s’ voice, and the announcement of his first coming was an angle of the Lord. Yet if I understand the coming of the Lord for His church, it is as the King is returning from a victorious battle to His people. It was common for a herald to come before the Great King, announcing his victory.

And a victory it is for those who are asleep!

sound of the trumpet of God

Remember, this verse is specifically speaking of the resurrection of those who are asleep already. It is kind of a silly thought that the trumpet will be needed to wake those in the graves! That is a ludicrous thought. Just ignore it!

As for the trumpet of God, a passage in Exodus 19:16-17 may provide some light in understanding the intent of Paul’s reference to the Trumpet of God.

Exodus 19:16-17 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.

Notice that upon the loud trumpet blast, the first act of Moses was to bring the people of God to meet God. Now please remember that this was a terrible, frightening day for the Israelites, with thunders, lightening’s and a thick cloud on the mountain. Not a natural storm to say the least!

To gather together may have been the last thing on the Israelites minds. But gather they did, and they met God!

The dead in Christ will meet God, the Almighty One, the One who is over all, who answers to no-one and He will judge the living and the dead!

Acts 10:42 ….he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
2 Timothy 4:1 …Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
1 Peter 4:5 … him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

He will wake those who have died in Christ, rouse them from any slumber they are in, announce His victories, and will finally meet their Savior and Judge.

It will be a day like no other! The next verse will consider the ones who are still walking and talking.

May we be found in Him, ready for His return!

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Psalms for Psome – Ps 77.02

2026-09-08

My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 77:4 You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
Psalm 77:5 I consider the days of old, the years long ago.

Asaph, in our last post, spoke of his seeking out answers, of being irreconcilable until he hears from God. He is not going to accept any comfort until he gets to the truth.

What a passion for answers, a man who seeks to know at all costs, as opposed to a man who seeks to find comfort. Or is this passage describing a desperate man, one who is struggling to simply believe, feeling he is slipping and is becoming desperate.

However we may see this passage, he is suffering and seeking, and this is a man to be honored, for he is seeking God, (and not simply an escape) in the midst of trial.

Our verses this morning are somewhat shocking in my mind, for Asaph is charging God with keeping him awake, of inducing insomnia.

Surely the insomnia is not merely a restlessness, a time of simple wakefulness, but a time of facing trouble and trial, a time when he remembers the past, and those times seem distant, almost forgotten.

And the Lord is “holding his eyelids open”, keeping him awake. What fuels my surprise is that the term “hold” in the Hebrew (אָחַז ʼâchaz) may be translated as seize, or took hold of.

Exodus 15:14 The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. (italics mine)

The example of this term in Judges implies a forced taking hold of, of acting against another’s will.

Judges 20:6 So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel.

Is this Asaph’s intended message? Is Asaph speaking of God as the One who will not let go, not allow Asaph to ignore some issue or problem? This seizing of Asaph’s eyelids is associated with such trouble in Asaph’s life that he cannot speak!

Asaph is under the grip of the Almighty. Both parties in this battle are actively taking their stand. Asaph is crying out to God for answers, and God is “waking” him to issues of trouble and trial.

Our God is a comforting, loving God, but as my friends who may be reading may have already experienced, there comes times when issues in our lives can not be turned away from. Constant reminders, or “nagging” memories haunt us of better times with the Lord. The Lord seeks those times, and yet we may need to face some trouble.

And in the midst of facing trouble, a danger exists, a danger of thinking of the the Lord incorrectly. As we continue in our psalm, we will find that Asaph considers some of these dangers, considering difficult questions and frightening outcomes.

For now, let us consider that some nights of insomnia, with troubled thoughts, may be times of the Lord waking us to difficult decisions. Let us remember in those times the faithfulness of the Lord, and His goodness to those who deserve none of it!

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Names of God – HIGH AND LIFTED UP – 310

2026-09-07

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.

HIGH AND LIFTED UP

Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah is speaking of the One who is HIGH AND LIFTED UP.

To be high is to be in a position above, or over others. It is usually a relative term, but I would argue that this “high” is an absolute, a highness that cannot be disputed or challenged.

To be lifted up has the idea of bearing up, of endurance, even of the act of carrying.

But Isaiah speaks of this One who is both HIGH AND LIFTED UP multiple times in his book and he is the only one in the Old Testament that uses this phrase.

A quick review of those three occurrences are in order. The first time he speaks of the Lord is in his call to ministry amongst the Israelites.

Isaiah 6:1 ESV – In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. (italics mine)

Isaiah was strongly influenced by this first vision of the Lord. This vision provides the image of extreme loftiness, absolute authority and otherworldly existence.

The second time Isaiah uses this phrase is in Isa 52:13, at the very beginning of his description of the Suffering Servant, the Lord Jesus.

Isaiah 52:13 ESV – Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. (italics mine)

It becomes obvious, especially in the hind sight we have in the church age, that to be lifted up in this sense was to be lifted up, bearing the cross, carrying our sins. In incredible act of sacrifice, being lifted up on the cross, His suffering and humiliation became the focal point of the greatest glory of God exhibited in all of time.

His crucifixion, in His being lifted up, was displaying His greatness, His character of sacrifice, and His motive of extreme love towards those who rebel and reject.

Then consider our verse this morning. He is the One who is HIGH AND LIFTED UP, yet in this highness, in this lifted up position He is comfortable with those who is of a contrite and lowly spirit.

He who is HIGH AND LIFTED UP bends down to the lowly. He who is HIGH AND LIFTED UP joins the contrite and lowly in spirit. He who is HIGH AND LIFTED UP seeks to revive the spirit of the lowly. He who is HIGH AND LIFTED UP looks to revive the heart of the contrite.

He who is HIGH AND LIFTED UP is the One who spoke of being gentle (meek) and lowly in heart

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

We do not understand the HIGH AND LIFTED UP One we serve. He is much to much to understand, to comprehend. The mysteries of our Lord are very real, and His constant care, His deep sacrificial acts and the proof of His person is beyond question.

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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Life of David – 43.02

2026-09-06

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

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 9:9-13

9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson.
10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons.
12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants.
13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

How big of an estate are we talking about here? Is this “estate” a nice little three bed two bath on a quarter acre corner lot on John Street, in one of the better neighborhoods?

Let’s consider Saul’s family condition before he was called to reign. He was the son of a man who the Word defines as wealthy.

1 Samuel 9:1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth.

Saul’s father was a wealthy man of lineage, one who was important in the nation, and whose son was destined to be king. Based on his background, Saul was a man set for life before he rose to power.

Upon Saul’s rise to power, it appears, he remained near Gibeah, in the tribal land of Benjamin. An archeological dig has identified his estate, and it has been called Tell el-Ful (translated as “Hill of Beans.) It is located on a prominent hill in the area, and provided a vast view of the surrounding areas.

It appears Saul had delusions of real estate grandeur during his reign, for at a time when David was ascending in influence, he began to speak of offering to the people of Benjamin fields for all.

1 Samuel 22:7 And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds,

Whatever his real estate holdings, it was a sizable estate, and most likely, it was completely assumed by David at the fall of King Saul’s house.

For David to willingly give this estate up to Saul’s grandson was a grand statement of generosity. Beyond that, for David to provide this land to Saul’s grandson, and with it the memory of King Saul, was the act of a king seemingly not considering a potential threat. Yes, Mephibosheth was crippled, and yes he was humble before David, but tables often turn, and this story is not the last we hear of Mephibosheth and his new servant Ziba in the life of David.

For this passage, we find Ziba being directed by King David to manage all the land of Saul for Mephibosheth, even while Mephibosheth sat at the kings table. Ziba became the servant of Mephibosheth, along with his sons and their servants, and Mephibosheth became a wealthy man by the word of King David.

Now catch that! Mephibosheth did not gain riches by his talent, or by his wisdom, or by his personality or appearance. Nothing of Mephibosheth – other than the fact that he was born into the family of Jonathon – was of any value to the King of Israel.

It was all about relationship. And Mephibosheth was a child of Jonathon, a man that David made promises to.

God made promises in Jesus. As a matter of fact, ALL God’s promises are in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

For us to benefit, we have to assume the same place as Mephibosheth. We need to be related to the Greater Jonathon, in whom all God’s promises are found.

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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Pay for Pew – Deuteronomy 12:6

2026-09-05

As believers, we are called by God to follow after Jesus in all our actions and attitudes. How we relate to money in included in our following after Him.

As mentioned in my introduction to this series, my family and I have been impacted a number of times in our church attendance by what appears to be the pull of money on church leadership. During our Christian pilgrimage, a number of churches, through thier leadership, have made decisions that directly impacted our status within the body of believers.

Some of these instances provided us reason to dig into the Word, to find correction in our own personal relationship to money, to try to understand the wisdom of a church leader’s decision, and in the end to apply God’s will for our own finances.

Little did we know the tremendously corrosive power the love of money has over our own hearts, and by extrapolation, the church as a whole. This should not surprise the believer for Paul provided a harsh truth on this topic.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Alternately, the writer of Hebrews also provided no better command, (and for some believer’s no harder command) than found in Hebrews 13.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Many of our experiences have included the topic of tithing in the church. Personally, our denominational background considers tithing to be Biblically mandated on the New Testament believer. I understand many denominations consider tithing to be an important commmittment of the believers relationship to the church body.

Let’s take a look at this topic, and consider each passage that contains a reference to tithing.

This post will consider Deuteronomy 12:6

Deuteronomy 12:6 – and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

Deuteronomy 12 speaks of the Lord’s chosen place of worship, the manner in which the faithful Israelite was to worship, and the rules and statutes which are to be observed in order for worship to be acceptable before the Lord.

We will see in the 12th chapter, the reference to tithing three times, with this one being the first one.

Moses is introducing to the people of God as to where the tithe was to be brought. Now at the time of Moses, the location for a permanent temple had not be revealed.

Deuteronomy 12:5 But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go,

The nation would need to seek out the location from the Lord, that location where the Lord would dwell amongst the tribes, and that all the tribes would be required to bring thier tithes to. For the nation at the time of this message, the tabernacle was the location of the Lord’s presence. Yet there seems to be a future permanent (?) location that is intended in this message.

Now you may wonder why I question the permanent state of the Lords dwelling (habitation in our verse). As I have been studying in the life of David, I have found that as David sought a permanent structure for the Lord, the Lord seemed to be reluctant to accept “putting down roots” in a manner of speaking.

A bit of a side bar for a moment.

When David sought to honor the Lord in the building of a temple, the Lord instructed Nathan to disuade David.

2 Samuel 7:5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?
2 Samuel 7:6 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.
2 Samuel 7:7 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 1 Chronicles, the Lord is quite direct with his king.

1 Chronicles 17:4 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in. (italics mine)

A temple is promised in Deuteronomy. A little later, in the life of David, the Lord promises that David’s offspring shall build a house for the Lord’s name.

2 Samuel 7:12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
2 Samuel 7:13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

So David previously assumed he was to build a temple, surely based on an Old Testament passage such as Dt 12:5 but he was rebuffed by the Lord. Then both David and Solomon assumed Solomon was the offspring to do this task of building a temple.

Was that a good assumption?

My question is meant to lead the believer to see that the offspring of David referred to in this passage is blatantly Jesus Christ, for David’s throne has been established forever through Him.

2 Samuel 7:16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

In all of this quick discussion on the habitation of the Lord that the nation was to bring the tithes to, much depends on some assumptions on future locations for His habitation.

So what are we to make of this passage? To be honest, there is little instruction regarding tithing in this passage other than it’s inclusion in the worship of the faithful Israelite at the temple.

No matter how you look at the place where the Lord’s habitation was to be for the nation, whether it be a temporary (moving) tabernacle, or a permanent (static) temple, this verse speaks of the tithe to be brought before the Lord.

The point of the passage isn’t really a discussion on the tithe, but on the location it was to be presented before the Lord at. Up until this passage, Moses, had provided guidance on the tithe for the faithful Israelite as we have seen in passages considered previously. He taught them well, and he could safely assume they understood.

As we continue in this series, I pray we will understand the place of the tithe in the plan of God. Hopefully, in our next verse within Deuteronomy, we will be provided additional instruction on our topic.

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 – HERALD OF GOOD NEWS – 309

2026-09-04

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.

HERALD OF GOOD NEWS

Isaiah 41:27 I was the first to say to Zion, “Behold, here they are!” and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news.

In the 41st chapter of his book, Isaiah is declaring the “I wills” of God, and by the time we get to verse 27, he has provided numerous promises of the future actions of God to the nation of Israel to be comforted by.

For our verse this morning, the “I will” of God is no longer a future promise but a present action, in that God gives to the nation, by using the capital city as it’s descriptor, a herald of good news.

The context demands this is Cyrus, the king of the Medo-Persians that would conquer Babylon, release the captives and assist those who sought to go home to the promised land.

Good news indeed!

Many of the captives took advantage of this great turn of events, yet not all. Some provided support for those leaving the Babylonian/Medo-Persian lands. Some stayed behind, continuing to live in the land they were taken captive to.

But all were provided the good news as Cyrus entered the vanquished city and eventually granted all the Jewish captives freedom.

Now I realize this series is on the Names of God, but the typology of Cyrus is ridiculous. He is in many ways become – for the time being – one of my favorite types in the Old Testament, providing a picture of the Lord Jesus. For some typological discussions on Cyrus, check out the 13 posts regarding Cyrus in the Jesus in the Old Testament series on this blog. We started with Jesus in the Old Testament – Cyrus – 01

Isaiah spoke of the HERALD OF GOOD NEWS, and the immediate reference was Cyrus, but we know in hindsight that Jesus is the greatest HERALD OF GOOD NEWS, and not only did He HERALD/PREACH the good news, He is the good news.

He is the HERALD OF GOOD NEWS.

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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Authority

Reputation

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SEEING JESUS IN

Daniel

Angelic Ministry

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A FRUSTRATED STONE

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cry of command

voice of an archangel

sound of the trumpet of God

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