For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
Thankfulness.
I was sitting with my favorite the other night and began to tell her how thankful I was for the many things she does for me, and for her strength and love. I didn’t let her reciprocate, since it was naturally coming from my heart. It was a very enjoyable chat for me, but after a while I sensed she became a bit uncomfortable.
Many reasons are possible for her discomfort, but I think primarily that she is one who gives without thinking of receiving. Maybe I just haven’t been the thankful husband she deserves.
Either way, it was a bit surprising to me that she became uncomfortable, and it made me think of believers thanking God. I do not think God is ever uncomfortable in receiving thanksgiving, for He truly is the source of all good things.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. It is an enjoyable experience to give thanks!
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 40
13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! 14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! 15 Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”
In our last post, the passage emphasized the trials David experienced, a hopeless that was expressed by outward and inward enemies. Multiple iniquities, more than the hairs of his head, and evils surrounding him.
His heart was failing.
As we consider our passage, verse 13 reflects David’s heartfelt desire to see God active and working, delivering his child from all his enemies. David is not asking for mercy in this request, but that the motivating factor to drive God in delivering his child is God’s own pleasure in saving those who call out to Him. Not only is David appealing to God to take pleasure in delivering the saint, but that the Lord would make haste.
I love doing things that please me. I love writing in this blog, and will get up early in the morning in order to be involved with the text and to ask God for direction. I take pleasure in it! I usually (always?) put off things that I take no pleasure in (weeding the garden for example), in order to do that which pleases me. Of course this is a comparison of earth with heaven, yet that which we are pleased to do, we seek to find time to do.
How about God? Do you see God as a God who takes pleasure in delivering His saints? Is the God you worship a God that is reluctant in delivering the saint? Is He One who is distant and would rather not be bothered?
What is it that God takes no pleasure in? What actions does God prefer not to be involved in (I speak as a man)? A quick search of the Word brings a number of verses for my reader to consider.
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.” – Ezekiel 18:32 ESV
in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. – Hebrews 10:6 ESV
but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” – Hebrew 10:38 ESV
After David appeals to God for deliverance, he speaks of the natural outcome of this deliverance as he understood it. Deliverance for David would mean the doom of his enemies.
He speaks of “those” enemies that he was facing, that they be put to shame, disappointed, turned back, brought to dishonor and appalled.
Let’s remember that David is a man of war, that his perspective was that of victory or defeat against his foes. The entire kingdom of Israel existed through military conquest, and for the nation to continue, it’s physical enemies would need to be held back.
Is it so for us as the body of Christ in the church age? Are we dealing with physical enemies, and should we seek their downfall, that they be put to shame?
Consider the contrast of David’s desire for his enemies with the New Testament teaching provided to the saints.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12 ESV
Is it fair to deduce from this passage that since we do not wrestle against the physical, that we are also not to enter into adversarial attitudes with those who may appear to be “against” us?
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, – Matthew 5:44 ESV
In my opinion, (which is worth less than two pennies) this is the most challenging single verse in the Bible to live out. I am a naturally pessimistic, argumentative and judgmental fella, and find that an attitude of grace and mercy towards those I meet with during my day to day life is impossible without the continual help from God in thinking and behaving properly, under His direction.
Our outlook on life is to be per the Messiah’s teaching and though we often feel as David felt in this passage, we have a higher calling, a calling that will prioritize love over revenge, of forgiveness over bitterness, of prayer over argumentation.
We have a high calling brothers. Let us remember the challenge, and seek to follow the One who loved us when we were enemies!
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. – Romans 5:10
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #204
Description
He will come and save you
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 35:4
Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”
New Testament Fullfillment
Matt 1:21
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Recently I have blogged about conditional security.
During these posts, I have not addressed verses that I used when I defended the “Once Saved Always Saved” (OSAS) teaching.
I suppose it is easy to pick the low hanging fruit of the common conditional security verses to defend this position, but sooner or later I will have to discuss OSAS verses, at least to be honest with myself.
Therefore, I will occasionally post to the blog a verse or passage that seems to support the OSAS position. I say “seems” since I am in the midst of the study of the OSAS passages. I consider it wise to seek to understand the opposing side’s argument without prejudging. I suppose that is why I have had so many adjustments in my thinking in the last 5-10 years. Come to think of it, adjustments are another way of describing repentance – a changing of the mind.
This verse is pregnant with meaning and offers much to discuss, but I will restrain myself to the topic at hand. A key to this verse I believe, in relation to the topic of security, is the word believe. As far as I can tell, believe is a present tense participle which might be translated as – “the continually believing ones” If this is so, then the idea of entering a salvation contract by signing on the dotted line with single past belief seems to be weak.
Initially Considering Conditional Security
One of the verses that made me initially consider the conditional security topic was also in John 3, where the Master states – You must be born again”
I think I understood Him to say “You must become born again”, but that isn’t what He said. You see, to be something is a present condition. To be an engineer is not to simply begin on a career based on a momentary decision, but a lifetime of decisions based on that first decision. To be born again, although dependent on the initial decision to repent and trust, must be maintained on a lifetime of decisions stemming from the initial commitment.
Security in the Person of Christ
Earlier I mentioned that the tense of believing is a key to the verse in understanding the impact on conditional security. Another item of interest in the verse is the concept of eternal life.
Is eternal life dependent on time? (Remember that God created time and He existed prior to the creation, therefore eternality is outside of the realm of time.)
Why all this metaphysical junk?
Sometimes when I would teach on OSAS, I would make the argument that since eternal life was a gift, and by definition it was eternal/forever, it could not be returned.
But I think I missed the bigger picture. Eternal life is in the person of Christ. (1 John 5:11) If I am in Christ, I enjoy the benefits (and responsibilities) of eternal life. If I intentionally depart from the Living One, I remove myself from the eternal life that is in the Son.
Nowadays I consider eternal life to be the quality of life (in the Son) instead of simply a quantity of life (from the Son).
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #203
Description
A Refuge-A man shall be a hiding place
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 32:2
Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
New Testament Fullfillment
Matt 23:37
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.
I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at
Jesus Heals Many Sick at Evening
Matthew 8:16-17
That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
Mark 1:32-34
That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Luke 4:40-41
Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
General Observations
Now, in the previous post, we spoke of Jesus performing the miracle of Peter’s mother-in-law being healed, and how the audience was small, and of the closest friends to the Messiah. We made comment that God is God no matter who is watching, and that His purpose in displaying power over sickness is not always for the masses. He sometimes works in quiet.
If the intent of the previous mighty work was to simply heal his disciples mother, the effect seems to be that attention was drawn to Him no matter!
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
Two categories of people were brought to Jesus at sundown. The sick and the oppressed/possessed of demons. Although this is not be the first time we have come across in the gospels the existence of demons, this particular instance speaks of “many who were oppressed of demons”.
This audience was massive in relation to previous instances of Jesus’ mighty works. Mark 1:33 speaks of the whole city of Capernaum gathered at the door. Obviously not everyone was sick or demon possessed, but the spectacle of a miracle working Rabbi brought everyone out!
And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Mark 1:33
It is estimated that Capernaum had about 1,500 people residing in the city. The wedding at Cana may have had numerous guests (but few witnesses – see Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus #1 – Jesus Turns Water into Wine), but with this mighty work, many in the audience were intimately affected by the Messiah through His healing ministry.
Matthew provides a reason. The healing ministry of the Lord, during the night of mighty works, was to fulfill prophecy.
This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” Matthew 8:17
What prophecy? What prophecy is the apostle directing us to, that Jesus fulfilled on this night of mighty works?
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows – Isaiah 53:4a
For Matthew to assign the night of mighty works performed by the Messiah as to fulfilling this prophecy is totally unexpected. When I read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, I think crucifixion, not a single night in Capernaum. And yet Matthew associates Isaiah 53:4 with physical healing and casting out demons.
Of course, this Old Testament passage is also applied to the crucifixion by Peter in his second epistle
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 2 Peter 2:24
So, if this prophecy is fulfilled during the night of miracles, how is Matthew wanting us to understand this? May I suggest one intent of Matthew was to inform of how the miracles were performed. The passage Matthew quotes here speaks of Jesus taking our illness and baring our diseases.
Notice that both verbs have the general sense of accepting something from someone, of receiving something from someone, of carrying a burden for someone. It is not my understanding that during this night of miracles, the Lord simply deleted demons and illness. In relation to the demons, the passages speak of them being cast out. The healing of the sick is another matter, if only in my understanding.
At this point I am simply riffing, that is, supposing a thought. Was it that the goodness of God, the life resident in the Messiah, would simply overpower the physical sickness of the “patient”? Or was it that the Lord Himself “exchanged” the sickness with His health? Questions of the curious I suppose. No matter, for in the grand scheme of things, Jesus declared His identification with the Messiah found in Isaiah 53, through this night of mighty works in a little city on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus, healed and casted our demons, from residents of a city that would end up faithless towards Him.
And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. – Mathew 11:23
Why did Jesus chose to heal so many in a city that ultimately would reject Him?
What was the message for the original audience?
For the one receiving the miracle
The message was that Jesus was a miracle working rabbi, that healing and casting out of demons was not beyond this One who travelled the area. Each of the recipients of a healing, would have an experience, face to face with the Messiah, an experience that should have drawn them to the Messiah, caused them to have a desire to know His message, to know Him. And yet, I can’t get away from the fact that this city ended up in greater danger of judgement than Sodom and Gomorrah.
For the Jewish leadership
None of the passages speak of the Jewish leadership, but as we will find out as we venture through these mighty works, Jesus’ displays of power over nature were not welcomed by the rulers.
For the disciples
The message for the disciples is not explicitly referred to in the passages, yet I can’t help to assume that this extended concentrated healing ministry of the Lord would have caused more questions than answers.
When will He stop? Why is He taking in so many? How can He do this? Will this healing ministry eventually heal everyone? Is Jesus going to reign over a nation of completely healthy people? (Will doctors be put out of work?)
What is the message for us today?
Hind sight is 20/20. As we watch the Messiah walk His ministry, we find that the miracles were intended to reveal His person, the God-man. Physical healing and the casting out of demons during the Master’s time of earth primarily were works that revealed His arrival, of the Kingdom of God arriving, and that the Greater King David was on the scene.
Can we as believers, by faith, demand healings of multitudes? Will not mass healings exhibit His personhood even today? Of course , this is not the history of the body of Christ. Healings may occur, (through the mercy of God), yet it is often in sickness and grief we sense God’s loving care, and realize that no matter how God deals with us, He is good, He is able and He is wise.
Some may teach that healings of this nature are the natural outcome of being a believer, that is, we also have authority over sickness. This seems to be emphasized in the “ministries” of faith healers, touting their message to the weak and infirmed. Personally, I believe many of the current “healing ministries” I have looked into reek of greed and avarice, and bring much disgrace to the body of Christ
Have you a ministry of healing? Have you, through prayer and fasting, brought health to the sick, or casted out a demon? I would appreciate if you tell your story in the comments below. Although I struggle with healing ministries, I am open to being corrected, through your personal story and the witness of the Word of God.
Thanks again for joining me as we venture through Jesus Mighty Works!
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #202
Description
The wise are confounded by the Word
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 29:14
therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.
New Testament Fullfillment
1 Cor 1:18-31
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
As mentioned earlier, Paul is writing to a church that has planted itself into his own heart, and that he wants to establish in grace and peace. Throughout Paul’s writings, he emphasizes grace and peace to the churches, (and adds mercy when writing to preachers like Timothy and Titus)
Paul’s emphasis on grace and peace would do us well to be remembered, for we may often think of how we disappoint, frustrate or displease the Lord of Glory, while all the time, the grace of God is there to encourage, strengthen and admonish us to be His people, and do better things for Him.
Grace and peace. Grace is unmerited favor, favor of the Lord that we do not deserve, that we cannot earn, and that is dependent on the character of Jesus and not own frail efforts.
I often consider peace to be somewhat equivalent with wholeness, or balance, or restfulness. A sense that God is taking care of those things that are beyond our strength. As we get older and hopefully wiser, we begin to realize that our strength is a weakness, and that God has been in the midst of it all. With this realization, the peace we experience becomes a settled condition.
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 40
11 As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! 12 For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.
In our earlier passage, David declared his “nots”. Just as a reminder, let’s review them
I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.
I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
David is confident that the Lord will not restrain His mercy from him. I find it somewhat interesting that the prophet used the same negative terminology for both the Lord and his own actions, that is, that restraint was not carried out.
Restraint implies a restriction, an unwillingness, a loss of freedom, inhibition. Both David and the Lord are free to exercise their respective actions. David has freedom to share the goodness of God. The Father is free to exercise mercy in David’s experience.
But that brings up a question for my readers.
Is David linking his freedom to share with the congregation, with God finally able to exercise mercy to him?
In other words, is the Lord free to exercise mercy in every and all circumstances? Or is He restricted upon our actions?
Comment below with your thoughts.
Let’s continue. David proceeds into verse 12 with a litany of overwhelming perils. Let’s look them one at a time.
Wickedness surrounding me
David confessed he had enemies all about. Friends, acquaintances or sworn enemies, he realized wickedness was prevalent outside of his own person. We know of this trial in our own lives, as we realize that many in our lives may would seek to take advantage of us, harm us or at the least sideline us to make us of no effect.
Iniquities within me
David was realizing that external forces were not his only problem.
If he lived in a utopian kingdom, where all was love and kindness, no wickedness or evil intent possible, He would still have an enemy. As Pogo, a cartoon character of 50 years ago quipped, “We have met the enemy and he is us”
David realized his own inner wickedness, selfishness, self deceit and weakness. This I find to be the hardest truth for the average Christian to accept (it is for me!) and the most difficult to discuss. We tend to exaggerate either extreme. Some may state that sin is not resident in their lives, thereby experiencing spiritual perfection. I don’t meet many believers of this doctrinal stance, that is sinless perfection, yet I fear there are many that believe they may have attained to it without verbally expressing it!
The other extreme is complete and utter evil only lurking in the heart of man. This seems to have much Scriptural backing, and my calvinist brothers would claim it is the reason for their gospel message. (Without this key lynch pin holding their theology together, the logical system they have built crashes to the ground).
Although I spent decades in this thinking, I have come to understand that wickedness resides in me alongside a desire to know God, a desire to seek him and know him. As an experiential knowledge of my own heart, I understand that my own witness is not to be trusted. Therefore, I would appreciate my readers to comment on this topic – the heart of man and it’s condition.
It is instructive though, that David states “my iniquities have overtaken me.” He does not say that his entire being is only sinful, iniquitous, evil, hateful and dastardly. Of course I am being extreme here, but I hope you get my point. (I have always wanted to use the word dastardly in my blog – now I have!)
No vision to guide me out
David claims blindness. He cannot see. Of course we are not to take this literally. He is speaking of his trials, his situation. He is looking for a way out, but with external and internal enemies, there is no escape, no where to run for safety. His back is up against a wall, and he is realizing the wall is also a foe.
Nope, As my momma used to say “He is up the crik without a paddle stick!”
Sins uncountable
How many hair reside on your head? Innumerable, uncountable. Why count them when there are so many. This is the sense I get as David describes his sins to God. It is hopeless!
As we have mentioned in our blog earlier, the Hebrew poets would repeat a thought in the next stansa, using this devise to explain or amplify the previous thought. David is dwelling on his internal iniquities when speaking of the innumerable sins he is recounting.
No strength
His heart fails. No hope, no escape, no relief, no release, nothing that would give encouragement for the future. That is, if we did not have the foundation of God’s promise in the verse above.
As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!
The foundation of God’s mercy, steadfast love and faithfulness is what David finds hope in. He will venture into this great hope in our next blog, dealing with verses 13 – 15.
I hope you can join me as a hopeless situation finds light shone on it! And hopefully, we can see our own situations in like manner, where the Lord Jesus will bring light to our situation and provide deliverance and help in time of need.
Thanks for joining me in this venture through the Psalms. I rarely express my gratitude for your attention to my ruminations. Thanks again, and I look forward to your comments.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #201
Description
He indicated hypocritical obedience to His Word
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 29:13
And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
New Testament Fullfillment
Matt 15:7-9
You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel,
9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!
10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful–for he cannot deny himself.
The security of the believer is a topic I seem to find popping up in daily conversations with other believers. I have spent the greater part of my Christian life teaching and defending the eternal security of the believer, (sometimes called the “once saved always saved” teaching), but after considering some of the “difficult verses” in the Word, I think I have to reconsider this position.
Conditional Security
One passage that has “difficult verses” that needs consideration is 2 Timothy 2:8-13. And wouldn’t you know it, but we were in Sunday School a while back and the topic of eternal security popped up again. We began to look at 2 Timothy 2:8-13, and the context was security, suffering, denial and commitment.
Verse 10 speaks of the elect, out of which they may obtain the salvation…
Notice that Paul says that he endures all things for the elects sake, that they may obtain the salvation. I do not think this is the same as ….for the elects sake, that they shall obtain the salvation…
In my thinking this allows for two interpretations.
Out of the group of elect, a subgroup of those who actually obtain salvation exists, based on the choices made by those within the group of the elect. This implies that there are some of the elect that never obtain salvation.If there are some in the elect that never obtain salvation, why are they called the elect? I suppose the simplest explanation would be that Paul is referring to the nation of Israel as the elect, but this isn’t a very satisfying explanation. I don’t see him mentioning Israel within the letter and he is speaking to a gentile convert concerning a gentile church.
Out of the group of the elect there are some that do not remain in the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. The context seems to lean, in my opinion, towards this interpretation. Paul’s immediate context is endurance. Paul is speaking of suffering, commitment and denial within the Christian church, and specifically to Timothy, a Christian. He reminds Timothy, in verse 12, of the faithful saying, if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall deny him, he also will deny us.
A fine Christian man within the Sunday School class made a valiant effort at defending the eternal security position. Even after class, we chatted about the benefits of open discussion between believers, and we assured each other that Christianity needs to allow for this openness.
As an adherent of eternal security, I use to struggle to explain this verse. I no longer am so sure of the eternal security teaching and as I open myself up to the possibility that our salvation is conditional, I find that throughout the Word, choices made by believers have had eternal consequences.
Let me know what you think. I am hopeful that your comments and questions will stir up some good discussion!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #200
Description
The Sure Foundation
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 28:16
therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
New Testament Fullfillment
1 Cor 3:11
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Matt 16:18
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
My favorite and I flew to Montana a few weeks back to spend some time with our eldest son and his lovely family. While we were there, we camped out at a KOA camp, sat by the fire at night, ate hotdogs and burgers off the grill and played a bunch of rummy.
I was able to teach my grandson the game and he took to it, to the point he wanted to play and play and play. He won a few times, which only fueled his confidence, but that is another story.
This story is about my son and I trying our hand at fly fishing.
We purchased the rods, flies, licenses and even some boots to wade into the river with. Our first day out was a Monday, and we had no cell service – which was glorious in it’s own way. Our trek took us upstream to a sand bar on the Boulder River, where we could get some practice in our casting skills, which admittedly were pre-beginner status.
A bit of testing and trying, and pretty soon I felt like I knew what I was doing. Note that it is a feeling – I didn’t know what I was doing, but as my momma used to say “Ignorance is bliss”. We fished for a few hours, pulled our flies out of the trees, untangled our line numerous time and generally appeared completely out of our realm.
By 2 pm, we were ready to head home, realizing the fish were not gonna cooperate. Dang fish!
The point of this story is not to describe the frustration with our efforts, or to whine about our lack of success, or to complain about the heat of the day.
No, there was absolutely no reason to be negative. I was in the middle of some of the pertiest nature I had ever experienced.
As I was trekking away from the Boulder River, looking back at the clear blue pristine river, the bright green hillside, with a rustic brown escarpment, up against a crystal clear sky, that just for a moment, a fleeting moment, I was flooded with praise to the One who created such beauty and grandeur. (I would describe my reaction with greater detail, but I fear I would be giving up my man-card.)
Of course, as a city dweller, I never experience this in the concrete jungle. Grey concrete structures and steel pan bridges do not ignite the inner wonder of God’s creation I experienced that afternoon. For many, if I were to paste a photo of this area, would simply bypass it, thinking it was a “dime a dozen” view, nothing to get excited about, and well it may be.
But that afternoon, under the sun and with God, I experienced something that will not escape my memory for many many years. It was indescribable, and I will quit trying to do the impossible.
My point is – Get out of the city and experience nature as soon as you have opportunity. Thankfully, God is with us always and everywhere, that is the gospel truth. Yet, it may be that out in a wide open field, with a cold bubbling river beside you, (and uncooperative fish teasing you) you may get a new perspective that will light you up!
God is 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 would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #199
Description
The Messiah is the precious corner stone
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 28:16
therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid[a] as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
New Testament Fullfillment
Acts 4:11-12
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
Paul loved this church and knew each of the founding members, along with those who joined as the church grew and he visited. He was there in the beginning, like so many of the churches he writes to in the New Testament, and I dare say, this may have been the church that settled in his heart the deepest.
He sends this letter of joy to the saints in Christ Jesus, along with the church leadership. I find this challenging, since my background would expect a church planter and apostle to send directions directly to the leadership, and allow them to disseminate the instructions to the laity.
It seems this structure is not at play in Paul’s mind.
Should a hierarchy be accepted in our mind? What thinkest thou?
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 40
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. 10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
In our previous post we found it spoke directly of David’s prophetic ability to delve into the text beyond the surface reading of Old Testament commands. But more importantly, Psalm 40:6-8 speaks of the life purpose of the Messiah, that is the Messiah’s desire, ‘to do thy will”.
The passage also speaks of the desire of God in both the arenas of sacrifice and of obedience, of how the sacrifices were never the end goal, but the complete obedience of the Lord Jesus to the Father’s will as being the great story, the end goal, the purpose of it all.
Our passage before us speaks of the telling, preaching, sharing, and declaring of the message to the great congregation, to those who need to hear of the Messiah and of His heart for God.
David spoke freely to the congregation, to those who assembled together. He did not hide the message within his heart, but freely spoke the good news of the God of creation. David has spoken of hiding the word in his heart in another Psalm, in order to not sin against God, but in this Psalm he is not restrained in voicing the glad news.
Although the Psalm speaks of David proclaiming the God of all creation to the congregation, the passage should be recognized as describing the Lord Jesus (and His followers) as the preachers of the salvation provided.
If we consider the congregation David shared with as His own nation, or possibly to the faithful within his own nation (the remnant of faithful), we should not understand that as applicable to the times of the Lord. His congregation was those He came across, the adulterous Samaritan woman, the legalistic Pharisee, the blind beggar at the well, and a dead man in a cave. He was not restricted as David may have been in preaching or sharing of the great salvation He was to provide, in the good news of the kingdom of God arriving. His congregation was all of creation, and as a believer, I need to be reminded that He is the Lord of all, that all of creation is His congregation, His assembly.
To the Ones who know Him currently, He is to be declared. To the ones who have yet to understand, He is to be declared. To the ones who have never heard of Him, He is to be declared. To those who despitefully hate Him, He is to be declared.
Each declaration of the Lord Jesus is to be from the heart, as the psalmist describes that he had not concealed or hidden His deliverance within his heart. It is to be a life message, based on the Living Word having passed through our lives and into our neighbor. Each person we meet, we must have wisdom to know the best manner of sharing His deliverance, the love to open ourselves up to unwanted responses, and the courage and boldness to share the truth and react in love.
Earlier I spoke of the Living Word passing though our lives and into others. Without experiencing an ongoing active relationship with the God of our salvation through the Word of God and prayer, the message of God’s love may simply become cold, lifeless, factual, exact, documental, even story like.
This is a great challenge to myself as I need to be awakened to the great news of His deliverance, of my heart being opened to the Living truth, of a refreshing, a revival of glimpsing His great love, not only for myself, but for the entire congregation.
No matter how passionate you feel you are in preaching the good news to His congregation, there is currently no restriction for the believer to grow in this privilege. There is always a greater depth to plunge in the knowledge of God, and out of that experiential relationship, a greater desire to share will be the natural outcome. The desire will naturally pour out of our lives, our speech and to the ones we meet. Each of the verses we have looked at above speak of David telling good news, not restraining his lips, not hiding God’s deliverance, speaking of God’s faithfulness, and finally not concealing His steadfast love.
Wherever you may judge yourself in exercising this privilege, dig into the Living Word, (please do not simply look for facts!) look to the Father for boldness, passion and wisdom, and witness a change as you share with those who are in His congregation.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #198
Description
His power of Resurrection predicted
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 26:19
Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.
New Testament Fullfillment
Matt 27:50-54
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,
and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
A while back, a preacher chose the book of James to speak on, and it set me thinking. That particular week, we were discussing James 1:12 in Sunday School class and questions on eternal security came to mind again.
Questions like
When will temptation stop?
We had looked at the verses in the beginning of the book (verses 1-4) and it seemed obvious that the “trying of our faith” could stop any time I chose. If I was sick and tired of resisting sin, or of the mockery from my peers, or decided to live a life focused on my wants, all I had to do was to choose to live that life. I could find relief from any faith-based trial simply by giving up my faith.
What is the purpose of being tried?
Again, the first few verses of the chapter indicates that the trial produces patience in the saint.
Patience is a rare commodity in this fast paced society. Patience is that tool that God uses to bring about the mature man, the man who is considered complete, lacking nothing. (vs 4). In short, trials produce maturity (if we endure!)
What is the crown of life?
We didn’t get to discuss this question, but it seems to be the critical issue in the conditional security / eternal security debate.
If the crown of life is a reward to Christians who endure, do those Christians who do not endure simply receive no crown?
If so, might the crown of life be more aptly named the crown of endurance? or the crown of patience?
But if the crown of life is synonymous with eternal life, James is describing something much more important.
Security Problems
The last question is a problem.
What if a believer simply gives up and chases the temptation instead of enduring?
No big deal, right.
The crown of life is simply a reward for faithfulness. At least I get to go to heaven when I die.
Maybe even meet up with Demas.
Somehow I fear this thinking may be producing a shallow, complacent “believer”.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #197
Description
The Resurrection predicted
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.
New Testament Fullfillment
1 Cor 15:54
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
After my series on the parables, I found I was drawn to look into the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. I have never studies the mighty works of Jesus as a focused effort before and am looking forward to finding nuggets of truth that we can be encouraged by.
I have provided a general introduction, with an opportunity to download two files for your reference in my initial post Signs and Mighty Works of Jesus – Introduction. I found that the format I used for the parable posts were useful to keep me on track, and will continue to use them for this series, with some minor tweaks. With that said, let’s take a look at
Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law
Matthew 8:14-15
And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.
Mark 1:29-31
And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
Luke 4:38-39
And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.
General Observations
Peter’s mother-in-law was sick, and I find it interesting that, as is commonly accepted, Mark is the gospel that Peter influenced. With that knowledge, although each of the passages above are of equal value and supplies much of the same information, I would like to dwell on Mark’s passage since it has a “personal” connection with Peter’s mother-in-law.
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
The audience was a restricted group for what I can tell. Simon of course, possibly his wife, his brother Andrew, along with James and John. Oh, and the mother-in-law of course!
The passage speaks of the disciples telling Jesus of the sickness. Luke does mention that the disciples appealed to the Lord for a healing, but it is interesting that “Peter’s” gospel doesn’t mention this. Mark states they simply told Him.
No matter the inflection of the statement, the Lord thought nothing of going to the sick lady, taking her of the hand, and lifting her up. No concern of an infectious disease. No concern for His own welfare. We will see this general attitude as we venture through the gospels, that He did not refrain from reaching out to the hurting, the diseased, the poor and destitute. This concept of “no fear” speaks of His power and authority, but I will not venture down that road yet.
Let us simply take away from this passage that He did not fear those we sometimes look away from.
What was the message for the original audience?
The passage does not directly speak of the reason for the healing, or of a message that the audience was to receive, so my imagination may run amuck here!
When a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound? Jesus is God no matter who sees it, who the audience is or who is paying attention. Moments before, the Lord was in the synagogue, healing the demoniac, and the result was that His fame spread everywhere. Everywhere!
With this miracle, it was limited to the house of Peter. A very small number of witnesses. They had already begun to see miracles by now, and this one would be overshadowed by many others in the future. Lazarus, for instance!
Now I am not trying to say this miracle did not exhibit the glory of our Leader, or the might of the Sovereign One. No – not at all. But there is something about Jesus performing a miracle, in a small itty bitty house, with few people around. It is an exhibition of His humility in a sense, how He is One who does not seek fanfare for the sake of fanfare.
He is reaching for hearts, not seeking clapping hands!
What is the message for us today?
In the book of Matthew, the Lord spoke of a city on a hill, of a lamp not being put under a basket, and so often my mind wanders to the concept of many people seeing the city, of multitudes receiving the light from the lamp. This may be the intended effect the Lord tried to communicate, and yet this does not restrict the quiet deeds of a heart that seeks to please God.
The lamp sheds light no matter the recipients, whether few or many.
Many believers may feel inadequate to be a central figure, one who is on display. There may come a time for the shy and withdrawn to take a public stand, or to rise publicly to their convictions. This is a great challenge and may be a specific calling at some time in their lives.
Yet I would like to draw your attention to a passage in Matthew that may somewhat shed some light on my muddled thoughts I am pursuing.
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:2-4
Jesus did this mighty work in relative obscurity. Very few people witnessed this healing. The passage in Matthew above speaks of alms, that I understand. Yet there is a place in the believers life, that he (or she) are to go about quietly doing good to others, without fanfare or acknowledgement. Not as a showy, attention grabbing televangelist, seeking honor and glory for his own ministry, but quietly doing good to others, because it is their nature to do good to others.
Jesus did (does) good all the time. In front of friends and enemies, many and few, rich and poor, healthy and sick. He is good, it is His very nature! Out of His nature, His holy and loving character, flows acts of mercy and kindness that we are recipients of.
Do you recognize this in our Savior? Is He One who turns up in quiet areas of your life, performing good deeds quietly, seeking to minister in ways that few may not see or notice?
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #196
Description
The One given all authority to govern
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 22:22
And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
New Testament Fullfillment
Rev 3:7
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
Let’s get to work and jump into this verse immediately. I am looking forward to a mental exercise, a good work out, trying to understand Paul’s command to the believers in Thessalonian 2,000 years ago and to us today.
Let’s hope we can provide something of benefit to those dear readers who spend a few moments with me.
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. – 2 Thessalonians 2:15
Traditions, we learn from this short passage are taught. Taught by communication, that is through talking or reading/writing. Traditions are not instinctual, or merely a result of some internal thought process. Traditions are handed down, and this is actually one of the defining actions that produces a tradition.
Paul doesn’t directly speak of specific traditions he had handed down to this church in this passage. He does bring up the topic in 3:6. A definite link with 2:5! Ok Paul, thanks for the clarification, but this creates a bit of a confusion. When was the last time you thought of a tradition within the Christian church as a “willingness to work”.
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.
Idleness is against the tradition Paul provided to this church, and a good work ethic, if I am reading this passage correctly, is a Christian tradition/practice. This tradition is seemingly so sensitive to wrong influence, that Paul commands those with a work ethic to keep away from idle brothers. This is truly shocking to my mind, since I don’t usually consider idleness as a reason to avoid a brother.
But let us think on this for a moment. Does not the Word teach us to “not covet”? Idleness produces a spirit of covetousness, for an idle man is usually in need. Now I need to be careful to note that the command does not refer to those who cannot work, but to those who will not work. To those who are incapacitated, truly without the ability to perform some type of task to add to the community, the believer is to come along side and provide encouragement, financial assistance and support. To the one who refuses to work though able, Paul commands – STAY AWAY!
This is not, for the believer, a requirement to determine another persons motivations, intentions or desires, but his or her abilities. A man or woman who wants to produce, though incapacitated in some form, may find many hurdles to be productive, but may produce and find purpose. A man or woman who is able and makes excuses – Paul commands – STAY AWAY.
For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
2 Thessalonians 3:6, 10
But Paul – that is so unloving, so uncompassionate, that is, to let a brother or sister to go hungry. How heartless! Are you actually commanding believers to allow others to go hungry? Are believers to refuse to feed an idle brother?
In my opinion (careful dear reader – this is opinion!) to provide funds or gifts for those who will not work is foolish, since the limited funds we have in order to help truly needful souls is being misdirected. The idle able person receiving the funds could be a positive influence in the community, but is allowed to remain useless. No one wants to be useless, unless they are content with simply being a leach.
My wife and I speak of this compassion as “enabling” a sinful life. We have become somewhat “heartless”, in some peoples thinking, but have found folks that were idle (relatively) to become solid workers, building a work ethic that is positive financially, emotionally and physically.
What brings a person to a level of idleness? For the Thessalonians, it was a misunderstanding of the coming of the Lord. Some thought that since He may appear in a few weeks or months, working at a “9 to 5” was foolish. Why work when you can literally just wait? Bad theology creates wrong living!
What can bring a person out of this condition? Man shall not live by bread alone, but dag nab it, he certainly needs bread to live! Without bread, the motivation to work overcomes the desire to be idle, and the brother may become a positive influence for the community.
My friends, if you see a brother being idle, consider Paul’s command. Others may provide for the idle man or woman, enabling their life of ease and causing unnecessary suffering for those who truly have a need. To the extent you have in exercising your decisions, do not encourage a life of idleness.
It is not traditional!
Thanks for joining me in this short series on traditions. Much more may be spoken of on this topic but hopefully the few thoughts shared have produced some trigger to further read the Word and figger it out. A little work in the word would not cause any complaint from the Father, for He loves one who digs and seeks the truth. But it will require some work, and we know now that work is NOT a dirty word when it comes to the will of God!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
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 40
6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
As believers, we have come to live in the sacrifice our Lord has provided, and understand the concept (at least intellectually) of self sacrificing love. Try to remember a time when, as a Christian, you did not consider love greater than law, self sacrifice stronger than sanctified image.
Our psalm above starts off with a statement of God not desiring sacrifice and offering. How can David say this, when entire books of the Old Testament, such as Leviticus, spend a majority of time detailing the requirements of sacrifices to and for God?
How is it David is speaking of God not wanting sacrifice?
David, in my opinion, is speaking on two levels.
Level One
The first level, as a prophet, “scratches the surface” of understanding the nature and character of our God, of the core element of the goodness and mercy of God. He is not speaking of a relationship based on animal sacrifices and burnt offering, but reflecting on the nature of God.
I was taught once that the nature of a person (and God is a person), that a persons nature will exude from their inner person to their actions and appearance. Given this, David reflected (I suppose), on the nature of sacrifice described by the God of all creation, and understood that the very nature of the God of the universe was of sacrifice, of giving to others, of supplying needs, of loving those who are unlovely, and of being “otherwise”, when compared with us mere mortals.
To say God has not required burnt offerings and sin offerings, – well that seems to fly in the face of many of the commands of Scripture. And yet, David continues with a seeming “alternative” message.
But let us consider a thought. It may be important to consider that David isn’t providing an “alternative” message, but a deeper message, a fuller message, a message that is as a blooming flower compared to the seedling it once was. Same plant, far different appearance. The standard Old Testament saint, the “ordinary, average” believer in the ancient days may have understood that the physical sacrifices of bulls and goats were what God wanted, and with that understanding, he would be in obedient and in good standing. But David dove deeper!
How about us? Do we understand the shoulders we are standing on? The insight of David, as a prophet of God is light-years ahead of my thoughts and musings. He saw the sacrifices and considered the nature of God. This is instructive to me, as when I read a command or declaration of God in the word, I automatically think of me, how I can do something, how a Scripture statement reflects on mememe.
David was beyond this. As I have been taught previously, David is sometimes described as a New Testament believer in this psalm, one who had grasped the difficult concept of moving from a life depending on the sacrifice of a bull or goat, to a life that understood God’s true nature, and finally to the life of self-sacrifice.
Level Two
The second level is as the Lord Jesus Himself, the Messiah, and of His full understanding of the nature of God, and of a true relationship with His Father.
This second level is clear when we consider the book of Hebrews, and the apostle’s interpretation of the Old Testament passage David provided us. Let’s notice the commentary the apostle has inserted into our text, fleshing out the psalm to provide a full understanding of it – that is the full revelation of David’s text, about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 40:6-8
In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
Hebrews 10:5-10
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
Notice Hebrews 10, where the apostle adds “a body have you prepared for me”, speaking of the humanity of the God-man Jesus Christ, and check out the “minor edit” the apostle provides in the next verse. He not simply delights to do God’s will, as David expressed in the psalm, but that our Lord Jesus Christ did the will of God!
When we slow down enough to consider who our Great High Priest is, He truly is beyond our wildest imagination. When we speak of Him, although He is still mocked and spit on to this present day, let us remember that He is the Risen King.
Let us keep our eyes on Him for God is good, all the time.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #195
Description
Called Jesus-Yeshua
Old Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 12:2
“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God[a] is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
New Testament Fullfillment
Matt 1:21
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
Considering the Bible 