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.
217
GOD OF ALL GRACE
1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you
I am beginning to see a theme in the last few passages that I have wrote on. The idea of suffering before comfort is granted is a theme that is throughout the Word, and by coincidence, the theme has erupted in the midst of a few passage we have recently toured. (2 Cor 1:3).
Passages such as when Jeremiah in his purchasing of the land in chapter 32, not experiencing the land but a sign for the future in the midst of trial. I will let my reader consider others they may remember!
It is the same in 1 Peter, a letter Peter writes to dispersed believers, believers who may be on the run due to persecution by authorities, persecution by enemies, persecution by friends that have turned on them. Peter speaks of the sufferings they would or were presently enduring. Note the time factor “suffering a little time” added by Peter, giving the believer hope. Again we see the cross before the crown teaching we so often find in the Word.
How long is a little time? Forever, for when suffering comes upon a soul, time creeps by, seemingly creeping by to allow for every sorrow or pain to be experienced fully. Time stretches out to infinitum and as the hope of relief fades, it is common to experience the wearing down of the soul’s inner man, a fragile heart being beaten down, discouraged and depressed.
How is the time element instructive for us as it relates to the name of God we are considering? The God of all grace is the God of yesterdays, today’s and tomorrows needs. He is the God of all grace in the midst of trials and sufferings. He is the God of all grace, able to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish each of us no matter the condition we find ourselves in.
All grace.
He is not the God of partial or just enough grace. Elsewhere, the Word speak of His grace as sufficient to our needs.
Have I not seen grace as being described as abundant?
In this passage, Peter speaks of God as the God of “all” grace. Might he be stretching the truth, or are we the type of people that want to limit our God.
As life may bear down on us, let us seek to rest in the God of all grace, even as some difficult trials come upon us “for a little time”.
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.
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.
David has executed the Amalekite who he understands killed his king and best friend. Now, after completing judgement on the Amalekite. David now turns to mourning, to writing a lament regarding Saul his king, and Jonathon his friend. For this passage I would like to consider the two subjects in separate posts.
This post will consider David and his expression of mourning for Saul, his father in law, his friend, his adversary, and his king. A much more complicated relationship, yet the expression of sorrow from David is an honest and deep expression of David’s respect for Saul, and the throne he occupied. He saw Saul as representing God’s man for the nation of Israel.
Let’s read the lamentation once more, considering David’s relation to Saul.
2 Samuel 1:17-27 17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said: 19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. 21 “You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. 22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. 24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! “Jonathan lies slain on your high places. 26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women. 27 “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”
David’s relationship with Saul, to say the least, was fraught with conflict, tension, confusion, madness and abandonment. No telling of the naked truth would suffice in this funeral dirge for Saul, and as we see David speak of the departure of his king, we see into the heart of David a deep commitment to honor the one man who caused him such terror and trial!
David’s relationship with Saul is expressed in this passage from the point of view of a honorable man, as David sought to honor the king with his accomplishments, and not with the kings efforts as they impacted David. This time of mourning was not about David, but about the first king of Israel, and as a man of character, David would focus on that.
sword of Saul returned not empty
Saul was first and foremost an effective warrior. His sword accomplished that which it set out to perform. This statement, true as it was, honored Saul, and was intended to dull the memory of his body taken from the battle field and shamed by the Philistines.
It is an extension of David’s desire not to have the news of the fall of the mighty ones (Saul and Jonathon) spread through out the Gath and Ashkelon, the land of the Philistines.
Right from the start, Saul knew how to muster his army, how to execute effective combat, and won many battles to the benefit of his kingdom. David remined the nation of this characteristic of their first king.
beloved and lovely
David is being, at least in my opinion, incredibly gracious in this description of Saul, for as we discussed in the previous post, these terms refer to love and agreeableness.
David, in his experience, must have felt betrayed in any love Saul had for him, as he was rejected many times by the king, even in his efforts to bring the king success.
As for agreeableness, this also seems to be difficult to associate with David, for Saul seemed to be against many requests David brought before the king. Many times Saul would not consider any benefit David requested.
As David recounts these characteristics, he may be thinking of Saul in the beginning of his relation with Saul, as he ascended in his kingdom as an effective soldier for Saul, and as a family member eventually. As an example, David won the hand of two of Saul’s daughters. Two of Saul’s daughters? Saul’s eldest daughter Merab was a reward for taking out Goliath. David eventually rescinded the offer due to his humble origins. Yes, Saul finally agreed to the provision of his second daughter to David, but if I recall, it was grudgingly, and with ulterior motives.
After David married Michal, and was forced to begin running from Saul, Saul took Michal from David and married her off to another man, named Paltiel.
Agreeable? David is so gracious! As mentioned in the first post, this funeral dirge, as it related to Saul, is a difficult discussion, yet it shows the heart of David as he relates to the dead, his forgiving spirit, and of his desire to speak well of his departed king.
swifter than eagles, stronger than lions
Again, David refers the the effectiveness Saul exhibited in battle. He was swifter that eagles. David had first hand experience of Saul’s swiftness, as he was often barely ahead of Saul and his army as they pursued him.
Yet we cannot claim this phrase is only for Saul, for David declares this characteristic was of both Saul and Jonathon, that they were swifter than eagles and stronger than lions as a team, in unity on the battlefield.
Both Saul and Jonathon were effective in battle, exercising a swiftness and courage that often overwhelmed the enemy. As a military tactician and strategist, David honored both men in this statement, emphasizing their strength together.
daughters of Israel, weep over Saul
Finally, as a fruit of the military wins over their national enemies, the populace experienced prosperity. During Saul’s reign, in our study on David, we have focused on how Saul impacted David. This obviously was only a part of Saul’s efforts in the throne, and it is apparent that Saul brought much good to the nation. He provided an environment that elevated the living conditions of this upstart monarchy.
All of that is gone now. The nation has been overwhelmed, with the victorious Philistines marauding through the country without a leader to defend it. For some, it may appear the nation was over before it ever had a chance. A one king nation and now it has been vanquished. A flash in the pan, an utter failure of a nation, soon to be absorbed into the surrounding cultures.
Yes it was a very dark day for Israel. Prosperity was gone, along with a potential loss of identity, becoming at best a puppet state for Philistine, or simply to fade away as a people. No other country has experienced the lows that Israel has, and as an early national defeat, the people would mourn, the survivors would mourn, the rebels would mourn.
And God would provide a man who had been through the wringer, who had been under God’s preparatory hand for years.
David would ascend to the throne.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
216
GOD OF ALL FLESH
Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
Jeremiah is living in the midst of the downfall of Jerusalem. As he had been preaching for years, the captivity was upon them. No-one could deny the inevitable catastrophe facing the nation of Israel.
Jeremiah 32
24Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it. 25Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’”
In the midst of this total decimation of God’s people and their country, and most importantly of the Temple, Jeremiah was instructed to buy a plot of land.
25Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans
Utter foolishness, for it would not be long before all the land would be trampled over by the Chaldeans, and the few “lucky” Jewish people left alive would be dragged to Babylonia, a strange land with a strange tongue, strange gods and strange customs.
What good would buying a piece of land do for Jeremiah. If he survived, and he had confidence he would, the land he purchased might simply be taken by the victors.
But that is the very point. Jeremiah is watching his nation go up in smoke, and he invests in it. He invests due to the Word of God instructing him to, to lay a claim that showed other’s, and in a special way himself, that the current circumstances are not final.
Jeremiah’s act of obedience showed that though terrors and trials were surrounding the nation, God was the God of all flesh, that He not only had his hand on Israel, but also Babylonia, for He is the God of all Flesh.
God has His hand on the Babylonians, and the time they have to oppress Israel is limited. Seventy years of captivity is allowed by God, as Jeremiah prophesies in the book. That is the extent of abuse the Babylonians will exert on Israel, and then those who hears God’s voice to return will return. A mere blip on the screen in God’s timetable.
This land purchase of Jeremiah represented God’s faithfulness to the remnant, and personally of Jeremiah’s trust in God. He made a tangible exchange of funds (which might be of much greater value during a time of famine) for a piece of land he may never experience.
But Jeremiah trusted that God’s people would return, that God would have the remnant come back. And that because God was the God of all Flesh, God would not be frustrated with the decisions or acts of Israel or Babylon.
God id the God of all Flesh, and even today, as the world seems to be burning, God is the God of all Flesh! And we can rejoice in His guiding hand as we seek to follow such a good and powerful God.
Praise His Name.
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.
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.
David has executed the Amalekite who he understands killed his king and best friend. Now, after completing judgement on the Amalekite. David now turns to mourning, to writing a lament regarding Saul his king, and Jonathon his friend. For this passage I would like to consider the two subjects in separate posts.
For this post, lets consider David and his expression of mourning for his best friend Jonathon. I wanted to discuss Jonathon, for his feeling toward Jonathon definitely seem less complicated.
2 Samuel 1:17-18 17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said:
David wrote out his heart, and intended the entire nation to be taught of his feelings of the downfall of the ruling family of Israel. He was not seeking to sling mud, create division or push some agenda on the nation. He spoke of them as mighty ones, Israel’s glory, beloved and lovely, united in death. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s read the passage.
2 Samuel 1:19-27 19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. 21 “You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. 22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. 24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! “Jonathan lies slain on your high places. 26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women. 27 “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”
David refers to Jonathon specifically in verse 22, 23 and 26. Now of course, as David speaks of the mighty ones having fallen, he is including Jonathon, but for the sake of this post, let us consider David’s specific references to Jonathon
bow turned not back
David starts out with the bravery of Jonathon. Any reader of the Old Testament, and of the exploits of Jonathon can readily recall when he took on a battalion of Philistines with his sheild bearer. And he attacked based on outside circumstances, believing God could direct. Amazing courage.
Also, to be in the kings house and yet to be faithful to David, the rightful king, must have strained at Jonathon’s senses of right and wrong, but we must consider the courage it took to be faithful to one in the house of his very enemy.
This condition should be easily recognized by the believer in Jesus, for as we believers walk this earth, we are essentially in the house of the enemy of our King. As Jonathon, we also are to realize our allegiance is with the King not in the land, and that a rebel king is seeking our obedience.
May we be faithful in walking with the only True King!
beloved and lovely
Beloved – simply expressing love for family, a neighbor or for God. David knew his friend and that he was of the right spirit, not vengeful, but with the right spirit.
This word is used of Saul in the same passage, and it will be mush harder to understand when we discuss David speaking thus of him!
Lovely – to be pleasant, agreeable. Sometimes this term refers to singing. This is the spirit of seeking unity, to be at peace. This should not be confused with the spirit of giving up, or of appeasement, for they are two different spirits. To be agreeable is to seek a way for finding similar ground to stand on with those you differ.
Truly, to be agreeable is as much an attitude as an action, and in the attitude of being agreeable, much can be accomplished. To be flexible in finding righteousness is a skill that comes from the Lord, and exhibits a gracious character, a character that draws people to us.
lies slain on your high places
David did not shy away from hard truths. Jonathon had been massacred on the hills, even on the high places.
High places sometimes refers to areas of cultic worship. For our passage this morning, it is likely David is referring to the battlefield of Mount Gilboa. Even as Israel had the advantage in location, for the word speaks of the Philistines chasing the Israelites on Mount Gilboa, Jonathon was slain.
love was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women
This is a magnet verse for a certain group within the church that carry an agenda. It is as if the term “love” (אַהֲבָה ʼahăbâh) describes love in a restricted physical sense only.
When coupled with the following verse, this group within the established church claim David and Jonathon were lovers sexually.
1 Samuel 20:17 And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
Regarding the term “love”, it is true that the term is used once in reference to sexual desire.
2 Samuel 13:15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!”
And it may be understood to speak of the sexual act between a man and woman, but many times, even in the most sexually active book of the Bible (the book of Songs), the term may also speak of the emotional spiritual desire and not only that which is of the physical act. I have added a few verses to consider for my reader.
Song 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
Song 2:5 Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.
Song 5:8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love.
Song 8:6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.
Song 8:7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house,
Proverbs has a reference that leans towards the sexual act between a man and a woman
Proverbs 5:19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. he would be utterly despised.
The point is that the term does not have to identify sexual activity, and may refer to love generically, that is in the sense of care, bonding and commitment.
My goodness, this term is also used in God’s care towards His people.
Hosea 11:4 I led them with cords of kindness,with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.
Jeremiah 31:3 the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you
So what is David speaking of in this verse then?
I would suggest we remember David’s experience with women, even at the time these passages were written.
David entered into multiple marriages, and at times, his wives tried to shame him, or were used to provide advantage for king Saul.
As he was not faithful to one woman, it can be understood that this reflected into his own opinion of women and their importance in a man’s life.
David had found a soul he could trust, that his soul had bonded with and that he related to deep in his heart. His attachment to Jonathon was soulish, of the inner man and related to the higher ideals of friendship, trust and honor between men.
For those men in my audience, think back to your closest male friend, and honestly consider your feelings toward him. A close friend, a trusting relationship, a bonding of experiences between men, does not require the introduction of any sexual act between them. But there are some in the established church with an agenda.
For the believer, the man or woman who has a living experience with the Risen Savior, it is wise to consider those introducing this heinous picture of David and Jonathon as worthy of rejection. David had enough sin on his plate. We need not consider his relation with Jonathon to also be sinful!
Leave a comment to discuss!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
215
FATHER OF MERCIES
2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
We recently considered this verse, speaking of the name God of all comfort, and found this passage to be couched in the middle of an extended discussion on affliction.
I will not repeat the discussion on that funny sounded word used in the Greek, describing the affliction, for many who read this blog certainly have a remembrance. For those who have tripped over this post without this background, consider Names of God – GOD OF ALL COMFORT – 214
For the sake of this post, I want to share a realization of a difficult time experienced in our family. For the sake of those still reeling from this event, I will not describe it other than to say it was a life and death event. Nothing more serious could have been experienced by all.
As my wife and I were travelling to be with family, to be of help of some sort, any sort, I began to realize that every soul touched by this tragedy was hurting. Now that may seem obvious to many, but it became crystal clear that night.
The hurt was multi-layered, with each soul affected deeply and differently. I was convinced that each soul would be ministered to by the Father of Mercies, in very different manners and methods. It was good to remember that though I was hurting, God calls believers to heal the hurt, to provide a balm for the pain and to acknowledge the various types of suffering each soul was going through.
And in all of this, a story came to me of Steven Curtis Chapman, and the accidental death of his 5 year old daughter. She passed away because Steven’s teenage son did not see her as he backed the family SUV over her. A tragic event!
As I heard Steven tell the story, he made a point of yelling out of the window as he took his daughter to the hospital, of yelling out the window to the son who struck the little girl, of yelling out that he loved his son. Steven openly ministered to the pain of the son, in the midst of his own heartbreak.
This is the heart of the Father of Mercies, where the Father of Mercies calls out to his children as they accidentally (or intentionally) inflict pain on each other.
In the midst of suffering affliction, let us be more like the Father of Mercies, seeking to minister to those we are in pain with.
Active love is like that. Remember, it isn’t all about us, for every soul in hurting, and if we know the Lord, we have His Spirit to guide us, His Spirit to provide the strength and His Spirit to direct us in the way to minister to the hurting.
Let us think of others instead of ourselves.
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.
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.
213
GOD OF ALL THE CLANS OF ISRAEL
Jeremiah 31:1 “At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”
Jeremiah is speaking of an astounding prophecy here, but we need to get into Jeremiah’s head for a tiny bit.
He is experiencing the coming decimation of Israel, of the Israel he lived in, but the Assyrians had come down and taken care of the ten northern tribes years back.
The ten northern tribes, had fallen back in 722 BC to the Assyrians. The Word speaks of the Assyrians attacking Jerusalem, but our King Hezekiah, with a starving city were rescued by the angle of the Lord. An amazing rescue of the southern kingdom, including the death of 185,000 Assyrians. The Assyria leader whimpered back to Ninevah.
Israel seemed to be invincible!
But Israel only seemed to be invincible, for Jeremiah, close to 125 years later, saw the Babylonian conquest of the remaining nation of Israel on the horizon. In reality, by the year 597 BC, the Babylonians had overtaken the City of Jerusalem, with the occupants either starved to death, taken down by pestilence and disease, killed in military skirmishes or defensive efforts, or finally taken away to a strange land and a strange people, away from their sacred temple which the Lord had abandoned until many centuries later.
The northern tribes were gone. Who ever may have survived has entered into the general populace, loosing the identifying character of God’s chosen people.
The southern tribes were conquered, with a majority having died in the conquest, and the few left carried off to a strange land for 70 years. Even after the 70 years, only a portion of those who had settled in Babylon returned to Israel.
And Jeremiah has the gall to claim that the God who is bringing this destruction on His people will become the God of all the clams of Israel.
“I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people”
Those who belonged to the northern clans have no available lineage to trace from, and since the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, no other Jew may claim direct lineage to the national population. No records. None.
So why is God so specific here, defining that He will be the God of all the clans, or all the families of Israel?
Jeremiah, in verse 5 & 6, goes so far as to speak of Samaria (northern kingdom) as the place to plant vineyards, and defines Ephraim (northern kingdom) as being invited to Zion, to worship.
Jeremiah 31:5 Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit. Jeremiah 31:6 For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.’”
But that is not all.
This recall of the northern tribes, of the remnant of Israel from the north country, will return, for God is the father to Israel, and Ephraim is His first born.
Jeremiah 31:9 ESV – With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
In all of this, the intent of all of this rescuing of a sinful nation, of calling all the tribes back is two fold.
First, to show the grace of God towards those who have walked away, to be a God who is the God of the wayward as well as the faithful.
He is the God of ALL the clans of Israel.
Secondly, (and I am partial to this truth), verse 10 – 11 speaks of the return of Israel to cast out the word of God to the nations, even to far off lands covered in snow.
Jeremiah 31:10 “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’ Jeremiah 31:11 For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
God’s ways with Israel have a purpose for those who came after. Those in the nations, such as I was born into, a nation covered in snow, heard the Word of the Lord and saw the faithfulness of God’s patience with a wayward nation.
God brought the remnant back to the land, for a Special Man was to be born there, with a lineage and a purpose that was beyond our imagination. He was born there, established in His lineage, and was crucified for our sins.
He is now not only the God of all the Clans of Israel, but the King of all kings, and the God of ALL the nations.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Thankyou Jesus for your saving life. May we represent you properly, with patience, kindness and love to our neighbor.
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.
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.
214
GOD OF ALL COMFORT
2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
We will discuss the Father of Mercies in our next blog but for this post, lets take a minute to consider the God of all Comfort. It is instructive to understand that Paul calls our God the God of all Comfort in the midst of a passage that speaks of affliction.
Affliction.
When I think of affliction, (the Greek term is thlipsis – refer to Patience – Associated with Suffering, and a second post Love Like Jesus – Enduring all Things) – I think of crushing, of squeezing, of unrelenting pressure. It is in the context of pain and stress, pressure and trial, that Paul describes our God as the God of all Comfort.
For us in the modern world, we also experience stress and pressure. Do we experience it differently than Paul and his team? I think it may depend on the reason we are experiencing the pressure.
Is it a pressure that is gained because of a burden God has placed on your life? Is it a resistance to be faced from those who are against God, and because your are His child, against you? Paul faced this pressure, even to the point of death as he mentions in v10.
2 Corinthians 1:10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.
Or is it a pressure that is caused because a need isn’t being met? Or even worse, is it pressure created out of a desire to get ahead, to make a deal work, to orchestrate an outcome?
May I suggest this is a different animal altogether.
Yet Paul says God is the the God of all Comfort. I don’t think there is a qualifier embedded in the “all” in this instance. Now of course, the comfort in this instance of self afflicted stress comes from the hand of God in the midst of failure, regret and disappointment, but He is the God of all Comfort.
It is His nature to care, to comfort those who are in trials.
2 Corinthians 1:6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.
There is one additional caveat, in that the comfort comes through patiently enduring. This tells me the comfort is not immediate, but that the trial may be an extended suffering, an extended trial with God seemingly absent in the trial.
This is the patience of the saints.
For Paul, in all his trials for the gospel, he found comfort from the hand of God, even from the God of all Comfort.
We can rest in the loving hand of God, knowing that His heart is to comfort the afflicted, that though it may seemingly delay, we can rest assured His gentle care and comforting guidance will be provided at the right time and in the right way.
For our God is the God of all Comfort.
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.
Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me
John was a zealous follower of Jesus, and as one of His inner circle, may have acquired a bit of the “I’m special” disease, thinking if your not with his group, following Jesus physically with the group, you were not following Jesus.
This disease is common among believers, for we often reject those who are in the family of God because they may understand Jesus differently than us, go to a different denomination, observe rituals we may not, yet they are manifesting the Spirit of Christ.
The “I’m special” disease is alive and well, but for this post I want to consider the impact of a small phrase Jesus mentioned when John came to Him, trying to control the movement of the Spirit amongst others.
Jesus stated that “no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me”
Soon afterward?
First off, let’s establish that if the man is expelling demons, He is doing that by the Spirit of God. Consider Jesus arguement when the Pharisees argued of His source of authority /power as He expelled demons.
Mark 3:22-27
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
Although Jesus is arguing that the Pharisee’s complaint is fallacious, it may also be applied to this situation in order to establish this follower as being in the faith.
Yet Jesus says that “soon after” phrase and it got me thinking. Yes He speaks of reward in the passage, and as a believer who was once a committed OSAS adherent, I would have claimed this demon casting man would have lost a reward but not his salvation.
But consider
1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
Speak evil of Jesus. Jesus is accursed. Personally, I don’t see a difference, and it appears Paul is setting a standard that argues against my previous “loss of reward” understanding.
In summary, I might suggest that as Jesus speaks of “not soon after” in our topic verse, He is referring to the repudiation of Life in the Son, and not just rewards.
But on second thought, let us consider who Jesus is referring to in this verse. Let’s review the context for a moment.
Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Mark 9:40 For the one who is not against us is for us. Mark 9:41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
The term “reward” speaks of payment or of wages. μισθός misthós
Is Jesus speaking of rewards in relation to the one who was casting out demons (verse 39), and then speaking evil, showing that he has walked away from Life in the Son. Or might He be speaking of those who are in the Body, faithfully serving, even a glass of water. Note that there is a verse in between where Jesus speaks of the unity of the family of God.
Jesus mentions a glass of water being given to those who belong to Christ. This glass of water represents any good that is offered to those in the Body of Christ, and that the one who does good in serving will receive a reward. Note that there is no mention of loosing the reward. The one speaking evil has walked away. Casting out demons is definitely a sign of a good work being performed. But this follower seems to have departed, speaking evil of Jesus as he departs.
I might suggest that the one who provides blessing will not loose his reward. Does this apply to the one who speaks evil of the Savior?
Consider how this small phrase actually speaks of the importance of faithfulness in the believers life, of seeking to maintain a love for the Savior, and not slipping into the Spirit of the age, where it is common to speak evil of the One who rescued us from the evil one.
Let us be thankful for the opportunity to be believers, that we may , in the name of Jesus, do good and speak blessing on those we meet.
As the Master has said, the reward is for servants serving the Body of Christ, even in the smallest of ways.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
2 Samuel 1:11-16
11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’”
First off, let’s consider the extent of impact the news this Amalekite provided had on David. But not only did it affect David, but all that were with him. At first I assumed it would be all his soldiers, but that is not stated, simply that all who were with him took hold of their clothes and ripped them.
When I read “all who were with him”, I thought of the army, then considered those men who were within earshot of the Amalekite as he spoke the news that brought him his death. After a second read though, I am inclined to think the text may not only be speaking of geographical nearness to David, but of the spirit of the men that heard the news. They had the same spirit of allegiance to King Saul, and to the nation that rejected them that David had.
The power of influence on our friends and acquaintances is inferred in this passage, for the spirit of David, his heart for God and his desire for the best for Saul lasted to the end, and when all hope was extinguished, sorrow came. Such was the spirit of David and of those who were with him.
No celebration, no rejoicing, no seeking an opportunity for the future king, no planning meetings or strategy sessions. Mourning and sorrow was the natural (spiritual?) reaction to the death of Israel’s first monarch.
As for the Amelakite, that was a different story. Thinking he would acquire rewards in removing David’s (assumed) enemy, he stepped into an environment that brought his own demise. How often have we sought to gain advantage, only to recieve defeat, to not only be disappointed, but to take a serious hit in life, a correction.
Thankfully, as believers, even as we slip into the attitude of gaining advantage over another, (and let’s be honest – we to often do), we have a loving Father that will teach us and instruct us (if we are open to Him) even during the discipline that needs to be experienced.
For the Amalekite, he fell by the sword. He killed by the sword (per David’s perception) and he died by the sword.
A fatal judgement, quickly executed fell on this Amalekite due to his act of lying. He killed no man, yet suffered the death penalty.
In this instance, the passage in James speaks loudly to me.
James 2:10-11
10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
Don’t get me wrong in thinking this Amalekite was a believer, and that as James spoke to believers in this passage, I am assuming this man as a believer. No no no. The passage is offered to remind us that sin is sin, and the category of sin we fall into does not provide us any safety.
That is, I may be a liar, and think I don’t deserve death, much like this Amalekite, but the Word says I am mistaken. It is in our rebellion against the person of God, against the character of God found in the law of God, whether by “white” lie or murderous actions that we fall. The law perfectly reflects the character of God, and any deviation from the law proves us the rebel.
There is One who perfectly represented God, fulfilled the righteousness of God and suffered a rebels death for those He loved.
Even for that Amalekite, He died.
And for me.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
212
GOD MY MAKER
Job 35:10 But none says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,
In the book of Job we have three comforters counselling Job in his suffering. By the time we get to chapter 35, they have all had a chance to correct poor Job, and in this verse we hear Elihu giving his wisdom to Job.
Elihu is seeking to counsel Job that the proud are insincere in their searching for God, even in the midst of suffering. Elihu claims that the proud, (in this instance Job) though in times of suffering, do not seek God in sincerity, confessing God as their Maker!
Just a few verses later, Elihu reveals his thinking, even as he sees his friend suffering in a pile of ash, covered in boils.
Job 35:13 Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it.
Job 35:16 Job opens his mouth in empty talk; he multiplies words without knowledge.”
As an aside, it is interesting that the term “Maker” is in the plural, possibly revealing even the most ancient of men to consider the Godhead as a trinity. But that is a side issue, for we are looking at the name “God my Maker”, and considering the source of this name, as he seeks to counsel his friend.
This is instructive for my heart and mind, as I sometimes have the opportunity to be with a believer who is in the midst of a trial, and my first response is usually to speak a harshness, a truth that needs to be considered, that needs to be addressed by the one suffering. I am pretty good at this style of “comforting” the suffering.
After all, they need to get right, whatever that might mean in my mind, and I see myself as the avenging angel delivering the message that will magically turn the tides and produce righteousness in the suffering soul’s heart and mind.
But as I have performed this “ministry” – can you hear my sarcasm – I have to admit two things.
1. I fear the very same “counsel” if I was in a trial. 2. I would most likely rebuff “counsel” given in this spirit of haughtiness if I was in a trial.
My mind thinks of the passage where the Lord Himself spoke of not breaking a bruised reed, as He described His own ministry amongst those who are bruised.
Matthew 12:20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;
I may have wandered a bit in this little post, as I am wont to do occasionally, but as I think of Elihu, speaking to the suffering Job, I find I easily identify with him. I understand the desire to simply say something, even a true thing, in order not to be involved in the suffering.
I simply don’t want to touch, see, hear or feel the suffering of the saint, so I would rather rebuke and exhort, and walk away, thinking I have done the Lord’s work.
But “God my Maker” does not break a bruised reed, nor will He quench a smoldering wick. Both of these represent items of the weakest sort, and yet He seeks to bring justice, implying the healing of those downtrodden, suffering and in trial.
God my Maker is so different!
May we enter into the other’s pain, instead of simply judging and speaking down to them in their pain.
May we also be different, in the way that please God our Maker.
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.
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.
211
GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
2 Corinthians 11:31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
Paul has spent much time in this letter to the Corinthians speaking of his apostolic authority, defending against those who would defame him, who would vilify him, and seek to negate his impact on this church.
The Corinthian church was a difficult church that Paul spent much time with. Not only the 18 months when he originally evangelized, but then again on his second missionary journey. This painful visit he spoke of in 2 Corinthians 2:1 was followed by his second letter, of which we read today. Even after this second epistle, he visited again. Three trips by the apostle, with extended stays associated with the visits.
Even in his writing, 1 & 2 Corinthians are two of the longest letters written by Paul to his churches.
All of this history is to give context to the name we have for today. During all of his stay with the Corinthians, and for the majority of the second epistle, Paul has been defending himself, generally to the claim that he is a liar. That there are those who claim he is not an apostle, yet he says that he is.
After a period of time, of defending his position and reputation, of teaching and preaching, of writing to these believers, Paul resorts to the bedrock of his own stability.
God knows he is not lying!
As I sit here and consider the strength of that claim, the inner peace that claim provided, of the defense made against his detractors in the realm of reality! Awesome.
To possess the truth and then to state that God also knows this truth is unassailable. Paul appeals to the very God and Father of the Lord Jesus. Now whether you consider this phrase a description of the trinity, (with God representing the Holy Spirit), or that God the Father is described with two different names is for others to debate.
Paul is hauling God Himself into the courtroom of church opinion, before these Corinthians who are judging Paul to be a liar. What a witness for Paul to call, for the Corinthians claim to know God, His ways and thoughts!
I find it amazing that Paul calls on the God and Father of the Lord Jesus, especially after he speaks of his own weakness, and the shame associated with the escape from Damascus.
The Corinthians seem to not have solidly grasped the self sacrificial life of the believer, and would rather listen to those who may glamourize Christianity into something it is not.
But Paul knew. And the God and Father of our Lord Jesus knew Paul, and the truth of his claims.
As moderns, we also need to be reminded of the truth of Paul’s claims, and reject those who whisper in our ears that he is a liar. He represented the God and Father of the Lord Jesus with his words and life, of which we have the privilege to share.
May the name of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus be praised today in our lives
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.
Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.
In our last few posts on this topic, we have considered the message of Zechariah (a post exilic prophet, a man that prophesied after the Jew returned from captivity in Babylon), the message of Moses as he provided a warning in Deuteronomy 29 to the newly formed nation and Ezra (who many think wrote 1 Chronicles) as he documented King David’s warning to his son.
There is a certain theme that may be observed in many of these Old Testament texts. Although King David’s message to his son doesn’t apply, the theme I speak of is that these Old Testament passages may be aimed at sending out a plea for a national response, addressing the national backsliding of Israel, and calling for a national repentance.
Some may think the application of a conditional security may not be found in these calls to the nation of Israel to repent. Yet, nations are made up of individuals, and the application of this truth of a conditional security seems to be readily transferred to the individuals who hear this message.
Our passage today is not addressed to the nation, but to the very prophet of God, the weeping prophet who had been calling the nation to repentance for many years. He had stood firm as God’s spokesman in front of the people, but at this point in his ministry, he was in deep sorrow, confused with the bitter response he had been receiving, and the seemingly obvious failure he was becoming in bringing the nation to it’s knees.
A bit of context may help.
Jeremiah is in prayer to God, speaking of his experience of the Word of God being a joy and delight, and of Jeremiah’s willingness to separate himself from the “revellers”, much like the Psalmist spoke of in Psalm 1:1.
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:17 I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation. Jeremiah 15:18 Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?
But Jeremiah reveals his condition in verse 18. He has stood with God, but has unceasing pain, as if a wound unhealable. He has stood with God, but has received trials.
What is worse, is that Jeremiah speaks of God as a deceitful brook. The quiet part came out and Jeremiah is on the edge of loosing his trust in God, speaking of Him as waters that fail.
Did not Jeremiah speak of waters earlier on in his ministry, as he sought to describe the people he had been sent to minister to?
Jeremiah 2:13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
It seems obvious that Jeremiah is tasting of his own rebellious heart, and may I ask, how many of my readers can relate to this pain as Jeremiah describes it? Such a low point, so low that he is actually mimicking those who he declared judgement on rather than being the prophet he has been called to be.
In a word, Jeremiah is in deep trouble in his soul, for as he is coming clean to God, he speaks of how he struggles with the situation he finds himself in, and confesses his doubts to the God who called him into this life of hardness.
Does this not speak of Jeremiah’s honesty before the Lord, and how the communication between God and his prophet was open and available. Jeremiah must have known that God was willing to hear of the truth in his soul. Jeremiah was not looking to simply cover it up with regulatory actions, with religious observance. Jeremiah was utterly raw with the Lord, and as we may have expected, God judged him, condemned him and removed him from the office of prophet.
My friend, this is not the God we know of, for though Jeremiah was on the precipice of loosing his faith, God sought his prophet to return , (meaning Jeremiah had left God in some manner), and He promised to restore his prophet.
Jeremiah would stand before the Lord again, if he returned.
One evidence of this return would be that which Jeremiah would utter. If Jeremiah returned, he would stand before the Lord, and if He uttered what was precious, Jeremiah would be His prophet.
Jeremiah’s open and frank admission before the Lord must have been very difficult for this prophet, for he knew of the judgement of God on those who walked away, yet he spoke truthfully to God, and God replied with a hopeful, yet specific message for Jeremiah.
It is a blessing to see that the God we serve, or at times the God we struggle with, is the God who listens to our complaints, our concerns, our lack of understanding and understands our lack of strength. After all, He is the Almighty, the All Knowing and the Ever Living God who is never surprised with the pain, struggles and doubts we experience.
He is the God who seeks us even as we are in the midst of falling from Him. He is good, and He is good all the time!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
2 Samuel 1:1-10 1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”
In this passage, we have a story of an Amalekite telling a story. A fabrication to ingratiate himself to the future king of Israel.
So many questions.
Was this one of the Amalekites that escaped from David’s attack, when David came to rescue those taken from Ziklag?
If so, this poor Amalekite escaped from David to simply fall into the hands of Saul, just as he was being defeated. What luck!
Much more likely, this Amalekite was not of the armies that David decimated, but simply a prisoner of war that was being held by the camp of Israel.
Earlier on in 1 Samuel, the text tells us that Saul died before the armor bearer committed suicide.
How did this Amalekite kill Saul without mentioning the killing of the armor bearer, who was sworn to defend the king against all threats?
It is interesting that this Amalekite mentions Saul and his son Jonathon, but not the other sons.
Might he have known of the bond David had with Jonathon?
Why would Saul call to his arch enemy, an Amalekite, to kill him? He had plenty of Philistines surrounding him if Saul sought death.
I could go on, but suffice to say, this Amalekite, in the aftermath of the battle, may have tripped over the body of king Saul, and simply took the crown and armlet of the king. Simply taking advantage of the death of soldiers in the battle field. Kind of a sad picture in my mind, that a foreigner was just waiting to pick from the dead, but somehow it may fit with this fellow. Not of the highest moral fiber, as he is obviously a liar. A liar and a story-teller!
As for David, let’s remember he just got back from a battle, rescuing his family from the Amalekites, and on the third day, was told information that would propel him into the position of king! Saul was the only man who stood in his way, and God had promised him this position. It was David’s time to rise to the throne!
But unlike this Amalekite, he refrained from looking first to his advantage, but sought news of his nation’s state of affairs, and of King Saul.
Here was a man who had nearly entered into battle against his own people, allying himself with the Philistines. David had a busy time this last few days, seeing God consistently working in his life. He had seen the hand of God rescue him from a very sticky situation with the Philistines. He had seen the hand of God deliver him from his own army moving to mutiny him as they entered the plundered Ziklag. He had seen the hand of God provide guidance to the Amalekites camp. He had seen the hand of God provide victory over the Amalekites. He had seen the hand of God in protecting his loved ones, recovering every kidnapped victim of Ziklag.
Now the hand of God was providing news of David’s opportunity to claim the kingdom as promised, and he asked about Saul and Jonathon. The kingdom could wait, for David was of a different spirit than this Amalekite.
Whereas the Amalekite would weave a story to get something, David would put off advantage for the sake of information. He knew the importance of data over dollars!
Much can be gleaned from this passage, but for this writer, these two men reveal a difference that is stark, that is important and for the believer, should be heeded. We, as believers should prioritize facts, data, information, knowledge and the wisdom of God as He works amongst us.
And He is working! Even when a liar comes to tell you a story! God is at work, if you have eyes to see!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
210
GOD AND FATHER OF ALL
Ephesians 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Though our name in this post is found in Ephesians 4:6, it is important to include the context of the passage at this time.
Ephesians 4:3-6 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call– 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Paul is eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit. Much could be said about the fact that Paul stated for the church to “maintain unity” as opposed exhorting the church to “work towards unity”
This unity within the church is a gift given the church by God. Paul provides the basis of this truth of unity by describing the oneness of, not only the unity within the Godhead, but also of the unity extending into the church due to the nature of those in union with the Savior.
There are some who may see our name we are considering in this post and claim that God is the Father of all of creation, of every living soul on earth. That is a true statement, if we understand a Father as one who is the source of life, the one who provides, guides and sustains those who He has created. This understanding of fatherhood in relation to every living soul on earth has to include the fact that those who He has given life to, that He provides for, that He guides and sustains, are those who have turned their back to Him.
Those who have turned their back, or better said, are maintaining a heart of rebellion against Him, He cares for, He loves and seeks.
Is that the Father Paul is describing? Maybe.
I suspect Paul is speaking of a Father that is relating to His children because they have turned to Him, repented of their rebellion, and entered into a communion with the Father.
Two different Fathers, and yet our God finds Himself in both positions, with two different peoples, one in rebellion and one in faith, and obedience.
He seeks one people. He seeks that all people would be in the second group, the relating group, the faithful group.
As we walk about our day today, let us consider those who may be of the first group, in rebellion and not knowing the Living God, the relating God, the sacrificing God.
Inviting them to know the Father would be Christlike.
Inviting them to know the Father would not only show us to be in union with the Spirit, for that is the Father’s heart, but also provide that soul to become one with us.
God is the GOD AND FATHER OF ALL.
Do all know of the Father as we know of the Father?
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.
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.
209
GOD WHO WORKS WONDERS
Psalm 77:14 You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.
The psalmist in this passage is in the middle of speaking of the greatness of God, and one of his statements to describe God as being great is that He works wonders!
He is not simply a God who sits on His throne and give orders, demanding compliance and expecting submission. The God this psalmist knows is a God who works, performs, does and accomplishes wonders. He is not an idle King that waits for those to serve Him, that is dependent on His servants for His needs. No, this psalmist’s God is active and involved in His Kingdom, working wonders.
It is interesting, at least in my mind, that according to my research, the term “wonders”, is associated with things that are hard to understand, things that are extraordinary!
I can’t help but consider the time Moses described God as a God who does wonders. Moses specifically is referring to the redemption of the nation, the plagues, the Passover seder, the leading of the nation by fire and smoke. and the splitting of the Red Sea, along with the collapse of of the Sea upon their enemies!
Exodus 15:11“Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
Was God active? Yes He was “over the top” active in the birthing of His people out of Egypt. He had a “job” to do, and He accomplished it!
But consider – the Psalmist, in our passage, does not use the past tense for the activity of God he is describing. The Psalmist speaks of God as an active God in our midst, working out His will in many diverse and mysterious ways.
At least for me, I tend to be blind to His many orchestrations of people/leaders/nations to further His will, but with a verse such as this, I am reminded that God is at work, even today.
Consider how God is at work in your life, even today, for He is a God who works wonders!
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.
Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.
Zechariah is a difficult book, one that I haven’t visited for years and years, to my detriment, for the book is rich with encouraging visions, complex prophecies and providing messages that still haunt us to this day.
But for our time in this book today, I would like to consider the initial plea Zechariah started the book with, his desire to see the nation return to God.
But Zechariah, the nation has returned to God, by leaving behind Babylon and venturing back to the promised land. The portion of Israelites that did not stay in Babylon would be considered the faithful, the remnant, the ones who sought the Temple and the promises!
So what gives Zechariah? Why can’t you be happy with what is going on?
Yes this remnant was in the land, as were their fathers before them. But that is a very low bar to judge themselves by. For their fathers were in the land, but had refused to return to God, and were vomited our of the land. It seems this remnant were their fathers children, in that they too had walked away from the covenant. The covenant each Jew entered into under God, in the keeping of the law and following God’s ways.
It seems that though they were in the land, and that they had returned from Babylon, God expected more. He seemed to want this remnant to return from their evil ways and evil deeds!
Zechariah 1:4 Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD.
Some may see this passage as an initial call to salvation, and not necessarily a call back from a backsliden condition. Well and enough it may be, yet the passage speaks of “returning to God”, not coming to God in the first place. To return is to come back to the source or place one originally existing in.
Some may say that the returning was directed to the nation and not individuals. Well and enough it may also be, but this call to return, speaks of the condition of back sliddenness, whether it be for a nation, or as I suspect for an individual.
My friends, it was decades ago when I searched out the Scriptures concerning the teaching of repentance, and found that a majority of time repentance is called for in the New Testament, it is for the saved, the covenant people of God. There are a number of times that it is clearly intended for those who have never known the Lord, but that is in the minority. A little study that may be of interest to the wondering soul may be found in an old blog post I wrote in 2020 – Repent of Your Sins – Introduction
Nevertheless, however you understand Zechariah’s call to return, there is within that call to return, a plea for God’s people to stop their evil ways and doings. We are to be a people that want to do righteous acts (per God’s righteousness) think properly (according to God’s will), and live a life of deep love for those who know and don’t know the Living 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
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.
For this post, we will not see David, but it will focus of his father-in-law, his king, and his arch enemy describes a turning point in David’s life, and his future as the king.
Lets consider the outfall of Saul’s death.
1 Samuel 31:8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 1 Samuel 31:9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 1 Samuel 31:10 They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 1 Samuel 31:11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 1 Samuel 31:12 all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 1 Samuel 31:13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
The Philistines won the battle, and on the very next day, they came back to the battle ground, after all the Israelites had run away, to strip off the fallen. Spoils of war!
This is a common act of the victorious, for the winning soldiers would often come back to pick the dead clean. Now of course, this act of recovering goods from dead soldiers sometimes brought our the worst in the soldiers. There were some who could not resist humiliating King Saul, along with the entire nation of Israel, in the decapitation of the defeated king, and the exhibition of his headless corpse on the wall at Beth-shan. Why at Beth Shan? It was deep in the defeated regions of Israel, where the Philistines could shame the king and his people. Perfect psychological warfare, even after the killing was over!
For a body to be hung on the city walls was a great shame, an insult to those of his family. This act of defilement was more than a show of victory over the nation, it was an exhibition of gloating by the Philistines, and heaped disgrace on the royal family, and nation of Israel.
Early on in King Saul’s reign, the town of Jabesh Gilead was the sighting of Saul’s first challenge in defending his people. An Ammonite army descended on Jabesh, placed the town under siege, and then forced the citizen’s of Jabesh into an agreement prior to attacking. The Ammonites would kill them by sword, or have their right eyes gouged out. What a choice!
But for some reason, the Ammonites allowed them to reach out for help, giving them seven days to bring reinforcements. Were they hoping to find more success by defeating greater numbers of Israelites? Or simply heaping additional shame on this town when no-one came?
But the newly crowned King Saul did come, and he was large and in charge. He rallied an army, though through threatening, and marched onto Jabesh. With his army, he defeated the Ammonites fully, and it became a fantastic victory for this newly ascended king.
The people of Jabesh did not forget, and they made efforts to retrieve the kings body. For reasons unknown, the people of Jabesh burned the body of King Saul. This was not common practice in the days of Israel. Possibly they burned the bodies due to the extent of dismemberment, or the deterioration from the daily heat. Personally, I think the Jabesh people sought to give Saul peace from being dug up again and put on display, continuing the shameful treatment of their first king.
Either way, the people of Jabesh, those valiant men, provided King Saul relief from the shame of defeat, the shame of exposure and the shame of defilement. They honored their king, their rescuing hero in a way only they could.
This was a very sad day for the nation, for their first king had been conquered. Depending on your point of view, he had been conquered much earlier than his physical death, but nevertheless, he had been conquered, and the valiant men of Jabesh Gilead went into enemy territory to retrieve what was left of their king.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
208
GOD WHO SEES
Genesis 16:13 So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”
Two people are seeing in this verse! But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s think about who is speaking, and why this person is speaking this way.
This lady’s name is Hagar, an Egyptian servant of Sarai, Abrams wife. Hagar, an Egyptian slave that Sarai gave to Abram to lie with, to be a surrogate mother for Sarai.
Hagar had been Sarai’s slave for a number of years, and had witnessed the faith of both Abram and Sarai. She was a lady that had possibly been yanked from her home, poverty stricken slave stock, and now travelling with a group where the leader had heard from a “new” God.
Her mistress gave her to her husband for procreation.
Her mistress wanted a child by hook or crook, even though the word was out that this “new” God was going to provide a child for Sarai. But her mistress couldn’t wait, and Hagar eventually conceived Abram’s child, whom Sarai could take for her own.
But during the pregnancy, her mistress seemed to be kinda touchy. A bit too sensitive? It turns out that in the course of this experience, Hagar may have looked on Sarai “with contempt”. Was Hagar continually and in an ever increasing way, looking down on Sarai? Was she boasting over Sarai, walking through the camp, shaming Sarai, and speaking of how great she was? I don’t see that in the text.
The text states that Sarai complained to Abram thus.
….May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt.
Hagar may have been contempible towards Sarai, but might Sarai have been a bit sensitive to the success of Hagar in providing the child she wanted? Might Sarai be experiencing a bit of jealousy, envy, frustration, and even fear in her reactions to the success of this venture to provide her a child?
I will let the reader consider, but in every relationship conflict, there are two sides to the story. Nevertheless, Sarai couldn’t handle this, and went to Abram. Abram gave Sarai the right to “do what you want”.
It isn’t until chapter 21 that Sarah kicks her out, sending her away. At this time, Sarai simply deals harshly. She afflicts Hagar, the mother of her son.
It is a sad commentary on where envy will take a person. Envy is the emotion that rises up in each of us as we look at someone or some situation, and want what they have. Sarai wanted to have a child. Hagar was having Abram’s child. Sarai may have experienced some contempt from Hagar, but I suggest that whatever wrong Hagar may have done, this envy resident in Sarai multiplied the offence, and fed Sarai’s boiling heart to the point she afflicted Hagar, to the point where Hagar left the encampment, fleeing from Sarai.
Remember, we are in the middle of a desert during this conflict. Hagar left security, safety(?) and sustenance for the barren desert. The affliction must have been severe!
So given that Hagar is running from a woman who is associated with the Living God, and is afflicting her in some severe manner, it is amazing that at the appearance of the angel of the Lord, she simply answered His questions, and did as He said!
I can imagine some may think Hagar would have some questions for God. That Hagar may want to demand some answers, as our moderns sometimes say. How dare that believer Sarai treat me so roughly. How dare that believer Abram abdicate his leadership over me? How dare all these bad things happen to me through believers.
But for Hagar, an Egyptian slave that was treated unfairly by a Hebrew “believer”, she simply answers the Lord’s questions!
Oh – and she names God!
She named Him the “God Who Sees”, the God who saw Hagar, who looked after her. Hagar had finally saw the God who saw her, who protected her, who looked out for her.
A great lesson from this passage is that when we see the Lord, truly see the protective hand of God in our lives, conflicts with those on earth become secondary. God told Hagar to go back to Sarai, to go back to the affliction even to submit to Sarai.
In the midst of envy and contempt, God can interrupt the conflict, and give confidence to the one who knows God is watching to go back to a bad situation. For now she knows who is looking out for her, watching over her!
It is wonderful to know that our God is the God Who Sees!
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.
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.
207
GOD WHO JUDGES ON EARTH
Psalm 58:11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.”
Two sureties are expressed in this verse.
1. There is a reward for the righteous 2. There is a God who judges on earth
It is the second surety that appeals to me in this post. It is “God who judges on earth”.
I don’t recall ever dwelling on this phrase before, and my intent is not to dull the truth that a judgment day is coming, and that the judge will be God Almighty for every soul on this old globe.
Yet, in my nitpicky way of looking at a passage, I don’t see the psalmist stating there is a God who judges the earth, or there is a God who judges those on the earth. Of course, since I am not a Hebrew scholar, or even close to understanding the nuances of this ancient language, or the structure of the message, I ask those reading to understand my limitations, and my possible error.
Yet I can’t help but think of this passage describing God as judging on earth. What does that mean?
Some translations are somewhat different for the translation reads of God judging in the earth.
…God who judges in the earth NKJV …God who judges in the earth NET …God judging in the earth YLT …God that judgeth in the earth ASV
…God who judges justly here on earth NLT …God who judges on earth CST …God who judges on the earth NASB …God who judges on earth LSB …God who judges on earth RSV …God who is judge on the earth BBE …God who judges on the earth AMP
All of that is provided to support the general truth of God judging, with the added information that the locale of the judgement will be on, or in the earth. For some reason, I have had the opinion that judgement would occur in the heavens. And that may be the truth, for this verse may not be contradictory, but complementary to that truth, or be speaking of a different type of judgement.
But as I said, this verse directs me to a day a long time ago, over two millennium ago, when God did judge on the earth, in a small back water nation, on a hill called Calvary, with judgment poured upon the One who walked this earth, spoke righteousness and loved to the very death.
Our God is the GOD WHO JUDGES ON EARTH, and the most fierce some judgement is that which His own Son experienced on earth, for all men to see.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As I consider passages throughout the Word, and stumble (or am guided) to particular passages, I find various degrees of clarity in the passages on out topic.
Some clearly define the truth of a conditional relationship with the Living God, and the danger of letting that relationship sour, becoming such that eventually the soul determines to walk away, and thereby enters into the realm of death.
This is a difficult truth, and though it is a difficult truth, it seems I am consistently looking at the negative aspacts of the cold heart, of the soul that may die. I suppose that is the nature of the topic, and may be unavoidable.
But there is the positive aspect for the heart that endures, for the soul that clings, for the mind that seeks to remain faithful.
Psalm 125:1 caught my sight this evening, and the description of “those who trust”, stuck in my craw. The psalmist does not refer to those who trusted, or those who may trust, but of the present trusting soul seeking God. It is a simple truth, speaking of the trusting one’s stability in life, how the saint who is currently (and by implication, constantly) trusting in the Lord cannot be moved.
Of course, the passage lends itself to imply that those who do not trust do not have this stability, this immovableness, but for our time together today, let’s think of the positive truth provided by this psalmist. Let’s dwell on the blessing of stability God provides to the one who in trusting in the saving work of the Savior, the love of God the Father, and the faithful ministry of the Spirit of God.
He is good, and worthy of our trust.
Hebrews 12:28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
For our next couple of posts, we will not see David directly, but will consider his father-in-law, his king, and his arch enemy. The following recounting of Saul’s last days describes a turning point in David’s life, and his future as the king.
Lets consider Saul’s last day.
1 Samuel 31:1 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 1 Samuel 31:2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 1 Samuel 31:3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 1 Samuel 31:4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 1 Samuel 31:5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 1 Samuel 31:6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. 1 Samuel 31:7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.
We have the death of Saul in this passage, along with the complete collapse of the Israeli army.
First, let’s consider the general situation prior to thinking about Saul. His army, as noted previously was far outnumbered and his reaction when he realized the size of the Philistine encampment was that of utter fear.
1 Samuel 28:4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa.
In this fear, Saul ventured off to a medium, who only reinforced every fear he had and informed Saul of his death the next day. That day came quickly, and the Philistines were brutal, in that the Philistines entered into the base camp of Israeli army at Gilboa, decimating their forces and killing Saul’s three sons. Although Abinadab and Malchi-shua were possible hires to the throne, it would have been Jonathon that would most likely have reigned in Saul’s place in the event of Saul’s passing.
This possibility would have caused a testing of the friendship between David and Jonathon, for who should reign if Jonathon would ascend to the throne. Not only a testing their freindship, but a testing of the very covenant Jonathon made with David.
1 Samuel 20:16 And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD take vengeance on David’s enemies.”
Would he abide by his word of being faithful to David? Could Jonathon justify his ascension in light of this curse? Might he seek the throne as David’s “friend”, and thus avert the very curse he uttered?
My friends, I want to think the best of Jonathon, yet we all know that power can corrupt. Even if there was such a situation that Jonathon could reign without incurring this curse, the nation would not be blessed, for God had determined David to reign.
In a very harsh way, Jonathon’s death was necessary, and in his death, he found honor in staying beside his king, defending his nation and fighting for God till the very end.
This potential competitor for the throne fell to one of Saul’s other son’s, but we will consider the wisdom of God’s plan in allowing that in future installments. For now, a complicated situation has been removed from David’s future.
Let us not forget that this solution brought great pain to David. Some of the Lord’s best plans allow for great pain in our lives. Jonathon and David were the closest of allies and the best of friends, exhibiting a loyalty that continued beyond Jonathon’s life. Yet Jonathon passed on the battlefield.
Saul also passed on the battlefield. But let me ask my reader – Did he die due to the battle? He was certainly wounded by the archers of the Philistines, but the fatal blow did not come from the Philistines. Saul sought his own armor bearer to kill him, in order to avoid the humiliation of capture and mistreatment by the Philistines.
Now consider the armor bearer’s conundrum. He was to protect the king, as this honor was not passed to one lightly, for it was a great responsibility, and carried with it great status. Not only was Saul asking this armor bearer to sacrifice the very person he lived to protect, but also to bring shame upon his own name and family, in killing the very anointed king of Israel.
Saul was fully consumed with his own needs at this time, and I get it, that he is on the very precipice of his grave, looking down into the pit. What else was the king to do? He had lost all honor and status, his kingdom was being run over and he knew he was to die that day. His only choice was how he would fall in battle, and he would not wait for God’s will in even that!
As we know, the armor bearer refused, and Saul fell on his own sword, capping off the self destructive behavior of a man seeking his own will throughout his life.
How sad. A day of tremendous loss for the nation. They lost much of the western territory to the enemy. They lost their army on the hills of Mount Gilboa. They lost their king. They lost the best hope of a successor king in Jonathon’s death. They lost cities to the Philistines due to abandonment. They lost national reputation in the sight of their neighboring countries.
What a terrible defeat. Israel was in tatters. But the shame of the defeat was to be worse as we will find in the next portion of the Word.
For now, let us be thankful for the opportunity to give up our own self will for the Lord’s will, to accept pain and sorrow as it comes from the hand of the Lord, and know that in everything that occurs in our lives, the Lord is in control, the Lord is a merciful God, and that God is good.
Yes, cling to the fact that God is good, even when things might seem very bad. He is on the throne, and He will never be removed from it, for His reign is is forever and ever.
Hebrews 1:8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
206
GOD WHO HAS MERCY
Romans 9:16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
Warning warning warning!
We are in a passage that is full of controversy, that fuels a theology that, in my opinion, locks a person away into a fatalistic future, either elevating them to a special status, or condemning them to a hopeless destiny.
This controversy is not to be considered in this post. (But Carl – you just did!)
Let both sides of the discussion put down their arguments, their opinions – yes – even the opinion expressed above is to be put down, to be put aside in the attempt to think of our merciful God.
Again, to be clear, our name here speaks of God owning a characteristic. He has mercy.
But Carl – He is the King, the rightful ruler who has no competition, no equal. He is all powerful, and is able to do whatever His will allows. He is the Judge of all of creation, and in this position, has no one to effectively attack His decisions. No one could mount an effective argument over what ever He decides.
We all agree that He is above and beyond all our reach, that we have no defense against His decisions, that we are without any argument in His acting out of His will.
Paul – why are you bringing up this mercy thing? Not that God knows of mercy, or that He may exercise mercy, or that He thinks mercy is good, but that He has mercy.
Mercy is of God’s character. In relation to judgement, God makes judgements. He determines justice. Out of the perfections of His character, God makes determinations. These decisions are based on His character, but are not of the unchangeable character of our God. Let us not forget that mercy is an integral part of the perfections of His character.
Consider.
God is love. 1 John 4:8 God has mercy (our verse today) God is true. John 3:33 God is faithful 1 Corinthians 1:9 God is light 1 John 1:5 God is righteous Daniel 9:14 God is just Deuteronomy 32:4 God is a consuming fire Hebrews 12:29
My friend, I cannot find in the Bible a like description of God’s character being that of condemnation. Granted Psalm 50:6 contains the phrase “God is judge”, yet I am not convinced this speaks of a condemning heart. Simply that He makes determinations or judgements! God is described as just, or righteous, and for that we can be thankful. He seeks not to judge, in the manner of condemning.
It isn’t in His heart, yet because God is righteous, and we rebel, judgement (condemnation) proceeds from the throne based on His character, as a result of our rejection.
But judgement (condemnation) is a just reaction to our rebellion, not the core of His nature!
Do you see God as being primarily a condemning judge, One who actually seeks to condemn, that His very nature is to reject that which is not pure?
Consider Jesus, for in Him, we have witnessed the heart of God, the nature of God, the character of God. He took condemnation so we may find God, so we may find mercy.
Our God has mercy. Seek Him while He may be found, for He is a merciful God!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
205
GOD WHO HAS BEEN MY SHEPHERD
Genesis 48:15 And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
Let’s remember who is speaking in this verse.
It is that rapscallion Israel, the one who lied and cheated through out his life, causing strife and turmoil in the family, breaking his mother’s heart in having to run for his life, tearing apart his connection with his brother, creating division within his own family by favoring Rachel, deceiving his father, conning his Uncle Laban, and unwilling to let Benjamin go to Egypt to acquire food for those of his family.
Israel has the nerve to speak of God as being his Shepherd all his life. Yet this should not surprise us, for we know of the mercies of the Lord, of his gracious leadings, and of how he bends down to us, reaching out to us in our state of sin and pulling us out of misery.
But there is one thing to note in Israel’s statement regarding God as his Shepherd. He doesn’t declare himself as a particularly good sheep, or of any type of sheep.
No this statement doesn’t take into account the goodness of the sheep, but only the faithfulness of the Shepherd, the Shepherd who is faithful to His sheep.
God who has been my Shepherd.
To think that Israel considered God and not himself at his final moments on earth speaks volumes, for he had come to a place where he recognized the goodness of God in spite of his own actions, and that was worth focusing on!
It is wise to focus on the God who has been our Shepherd!
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.
18 Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, 19 one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. 20 The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.
Moses, in declaring God’s message for the nation warns them of those whose hearts are turning away from the Lord. Be it man or woman, clan or tribe, the warning is given in order to preserve the nation from apostacy.
He warns the nation of this one who is turning away from the covenant, even as this soul convinces himself of his security. Note in particular verse 19, where the soul who is becoming a “root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit” is convincing himself of his own security.
What is even more difficult to stomach is that this one who is becoming a “root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit” is convincing himself, blessing himself, as he hears the words of this sworn covenant, the very covenant that God graciously provided to the nation through the prophet Moses. He isn’t merely convincing himself out of a vacuum, or when he is with his friends at a bar or bowling alley, but as he hears the very words of the covenant that he refuses to submit to.
Excuse me for this leap of logic, but I can’t help but find a parallel with our current conditions, where believers may be in church, hearing the Word, and yet possibly be on the edge of turning from Him.
Even worse, to think that some teachers of the Word provide no warnings of “heart turning”, or deny this possibility of becoming a “root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit”. Or worse yet, some may teach that it is impossible to turn from the Lord, saying that a prayer at an altar will forever seal your fate.
Thankfully we may identify those who have turned from the Lord, in that they are a source (root) of poison and bitterness. Let’s consider both those terms.
Poisonous
רֹאשׁ rôʼsh is found in the Old Testament and refers to a poisonous plant or the poison of a serpent. Obviously associated with death!
Bitterness
The Hebrew word translated as bitterness in this verse is לַעֲנָה laʻănâh. We find it translated as wormwood also, and it speaks of a noxious and poisonous root. It has the connotation of cursing, and is also associated with death.
Now what?
Moses provides a warning at the start of this passage for the nation in his day, and the church in our day, to identify those who may become a “root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit” To identify those the Lord warns us of in the passage above, we require discernment to see the fruits of their lives. Moses warns us of the one who is confident in his profession of faith, and yet, from the root of his life, in his very heart, death ensues.
For death is this soul’s denial of the Lord Jesus, whether it be active denial or passive denial. Of course it is easy to identify the actively denying soul, the one who rants and raves against the person of Jesus, and it is wise to understand our relationship to that soul.
The soul that is difficult to discern is the one who is still in the passive denial of truth, that is the soul convincing himself of his security, yet seemingly proceeding down a path of death. As believers, we would be wise to heed the apostles advise when addressing those who may be slipping away, for we are also a weak and fragile people.
Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
May we have roots found in the Lord Jesus, full of life and the sweetness of His character!
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