Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Absalom
Suspended between heaven and earth
2 Samuel 18:9 And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.
John 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
Back in the fourth installment of the Absalom series, we discussed how Absalom was hung on a tree, being a shadow of the Messiah.
This post will focus on the spatial location of the men as they hung on a tree. To be specific, both men hung between heaven and earth. The significance for Absalom hanging between heaven and earth seems to be somewhat strange. Why would the author bring this phrase into the story line? That is an unknown in my mind, other than for the author to show Absalom’s utter helplessness, that he had no where to find support from, or that he belonged neither on earth or in heaven. Pure conjecture on my part regarding Absalom.
Regarding Jesus, the image of Him suspended between heaven and earth is much more obvious to me. The only support He had was the nails through His body, and His determination to complete His mission while on earth. He was (and is) the perfect God man, representing both earth and heaven. He was (and is) the only One who bridged the gap between heaven and earth for us while on He hung on the bloody cross.
He sacrificed Himself for the likes of Absalom and myself. He is so good and He is calling out to you, even today.
Consider Him, hanging between heaven and earth in order for you to know the true God and His Son Jesus Christ.
May His name be praised today.
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.
80
CHRIST THE LORD
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Here we have the Christ being defined as the Lord.
At first glance we may assume Luke is combining Christ with the primary name of God as LORD, as in Genesis 2:4, using the Tetragrammatron JHVH.
Not so.
If I had been in Luke’s shoes, I would have emphasized the connection of this young baby with the eternal One, the Creator of heaven and earth, the omniscient One who is all powerful.
But we can be thankful that I was not in Luke’s shoes at the time, writing this passage of truth. I would not have done this passage justice.
No.
Luke brings to our ears the message that Christ is the Master. To say that may seem redundant, for as the Jewish nation was awaiting their Anointed King to arrive, it should have been obvious to all that He would be the Leader, the Master, the One who would be obeyed.
That is the expectation of the masses. The Christ was the One who would be the Master, the One to follow after and to go behind as He conquers those who were oppressing the nation, and that they would eventually become the nation above all other nation. What heady expectations!
Yet Luke provided this description of the lowly baby, for He would turn out to be completely beyond the expectation of the crowd, as He would be the Servant of prostitutes, the Teacher of the tax collector, and the self sacrificial Lamb of God.
To understand the Christ as being a servant, a teacher and a martyr, Luke wisely reiterated the Christ as the Master, for without that description no one would understand, no one would bend the knee to such a “disappointment” of their expectations.
He was a totally different type of Master than expected!
As you have walked with the Anointed One, have you morphed in you understanding of who He is as a Master? Do you understand His way of life, his method of conquering His enemies through service, sacrifice and selfless love?
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 wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 61
4 Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah 5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
First, lets remember that I am approaching this psalm as from the hand of David, during a most dangerous time in the reign of the King. Rebellion had broken out and his very son had committed the treason. To make matters worse, it looked very promising for Absolam, and that David may be facing his last days on earth.
In David’s cry to God, he speaks of dwelling forever in the tent of the Lord. At this time in the life of the nation, the Temple had not been constructed, and the tabernacle was still a temporary structure, per the wishes and will of God. So when David uses the term “dwell”, he uses a term that sometimes has the connotation of dwelling for a time, to temporarily dwell. This makes sense if the context of the Psalm is as I have suggested. He may only have a few days left in the land. Things were looking very dark.
But notice that he uses the term dwell, sometimes signifying a temporary sojourn, with a qualifier. He wants to stay forever in the tent. Forever in the tabernacle, that would soon be taken down, for the construction of the Temple.
So what gives here?
David is more than a five year planner, figuring out things that need to be accomplished in a set time frame. He is looking long term here, speaking of his eventual demise and permanent state with the Living God.
We also see that he is not only looking to the Lord for his permanent dwelling, but that he is requesting permission to reside under the Lord’s protection, seeking refuge from danger. With this very next phrase, is David requesting protection from the danger that is on his doorstep, and that may bring him to the gates of his grave?
I cannot imagine the strain he is going through, and the multiple conflicting thoughts racing through his head and heart. Yet in the midst of the confusion, he looks to the Lord for his help, whether it is by life or through death.
At this point, starting in verse 5, David turns a corner and begins to remember his God, and the promises he has received from the hand of God.
The very promise David recalls is the promise that seems to be hanging in the balance with this rebellion. David recalls that God had given him “the heritage of those who fear your name”. He is referring to his rule over the people of God, those who fear God’s name.
How could Absalom frustrate the will of God? It seems this very contradiction is a comfort to David in the midst of his present circumstances. Wherever David was during this trial, he resorted to his past experience with the Lord and looked away from his circumstance that seemed so dark. This is the practice of the saint who has walked with the Lord, has seen His faithfulness, and trusts in the midst of a trial that the Father’s heart has not changed.
He is the faithful One, and as we sojourn through our lives down here, it is wise to consider His faithfulness in the midst of trials that come upon us.
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.
79
CHRIST OUR LIFE
Colossians 3:4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Our life does not consist of hours and minutes, for that is simply a period of time that allows us to serve and self maintain.
Our life does not consist of consuming bread, for that only extends our physical life.
Our life does not consist of labor, for that only enables us to buy the bread we consume.
Our life does not consist of the vanity of pride, which we are caught up in and that distracts us from truth.
Our life does not consist of acquisition of things, such as cars, homes and clothing, for that only provides shelter for us as we live on this globe.
Our life, according to Paul, consists of the Anointed One, the Christ.
Our life is actually invisible to us currently, but there shall come a day when we shall see the centrality of Him, that He is our life.
Until then, we walk by faith, and seek to know Him better, in order that He may consume us, weaning us from those things we so often consider to be our lives.
Let us thank Him for all He is to us, that He is our life, and that we may live in Him, content and finding Him sufficient for all our needs and wants.
He is the Christ, our life.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Absalom
Pierced in the side
2 Samuel 18:14 Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak.
John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. …
Both Absalom and Jesus suffered the piercing of the side to ensure their death.
Both Absalom and Jesus suffered this at the hands of their enemy.
Both men were struck in the heart by a piercing.
It is said that the spear entered Jesus side and pierced the heart, and this can be seen by the blood and water that flowed from His side.
Both men were pierced while helpless to defend themselves. One of them never expected this type of death. One of them fought to undergo this humiliation.
It is truly amazing that we have a Savior that would be so humbled, even to the point of being identified with a man such as Absalom.
Or myself.
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.
78
CHRIST OF GOD
Luke 9:20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
Our name of God this morning is found in the gospel of Luke, and comes as an answer to Jesus direct question to Peter.
Who am I Peter?
This is the question of the ages for everyone to answer. Many confessed willingly, without being challenged, such as the woman at the well in John 4. The woman was clearly taught by the Master that He is the Christ.
John 4:25-26 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
With Peter, Jesus had spent a couple years with the Master and had seen or been a participant in all of the Master’s miracles so far. Not only that, he had been the recipient of his wife’s mothers healing and an amazing amazing catch of fish.
Who am I Peter?
The conversation started out as a simple request from the disciples about the rumor mill amongst the crowds on who Jesus was. Of course as we read the verses prior to Peter’s confession, Jesus was praying alone, and the Lord simply stopped in His prayers, asked a general question about the crowds, and then focused in on Peter.
Who am I Peter?
The Christ of God.
The Anointed of God.
Note the definite article “the”. He is not a Christ of God, one of many. He is the Christ of God, the One anointed by God to fulfill all the promised of God throughout the Old Testament, that would be the deliverer, the King of Israel, and the King of Kings.
Immediately after this confession, Jesus forbid them from speaking of it, and began to tell them of his future sacrifice. How utterly unexpected! I tell you we often do not consider the astounding multiple shocks these disciples underwent to follow after Him. Speaking of death when He should be speaking of reigning. Speaking of silence when they should be shouting from the rooftops.
But He was the Christ, the Anointed One, and His directions were to be followed. Thankfully, the apostles, confused as they were, continued to follow.
And Peter was the one who confessed, after the Christ of God had finished prayer.
I wonder who Jesus was praying for?
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 wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 61:1 To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; Psalm 61:2 from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, Psalm 61:3 for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
It seems no one is sure of when this Psalm was written or even if it was King David. Some suggest this psalm was written during the Babylonian captivity. I tend to look at the psalm from a traditional approach and consider this Psalm to be of David, and the situation he finds himself in is the rebellion of Absalom.
David was on the run, across the river Jordan, and eventually makes it to the city of Mahanaim, where he gathers reinforcements and prepares for the battle of Ephraim, where his son is defeated.
Prior to the battle, David is in the weakest position he has experienced. If this psalm comes from the hand of David, it is at this point where I feel he may have given us his passage. Having crossed the Jordan, he is away from the temple, from his city, from the throne, and essentially running for his life.
He may have felt like he was at the ends of his kingdom, near the extent of his authority, the limits of his national borders, as he travelled away from his capital. When he refers to the end of the earth, the phrase may be translated the ends of the “land” also, and makes better sense, at least in my mind.
As he is on the run, priorities come to his heart, and as his hopes and dreams are seemingly being dashed by his own blood, he calls out to God as was his habit.
Hear my cry. Pay attention to my prayer O Lord. Not only pay attention, but also understand my prayer. This type of boldness of the Psalmist is what I find so refreshing, so challenging. He had been in enough experiences with Almighty God that he could speak to Him in this manner.
I often come to the Lord with a cowering sense of subjugation, a head bowed and a knee bent attitude, which is due His Person, and yet the one who is on the run is looking up to God, standing in front and requesting (demanding?) an audience with the Most Holy.
Is this stance of David one out of pride of association, out of a familiarity of relationship with the Father? David admits his heart is faint. To be faint originally meant to be covered over, or enveloped. He was completely distracted or consumed in heart with the circumstances and out of this weakness looked to the Lord for three requests
Guidance to
David was looking for His Rock, the God who never changes, is solid in His Person and that gushes forth living water when least expected. David sought a higher position, knowing that both in military battles and spiritual safety, being higher is preferred. He was not looking to stay where he was, to wallow in his experience but to seek higher ground, to the Rock who is always higher.
Guidance Away
David sought God in his deepest and weakest experiences. But let us not miss that he seeks a position or place that is higher than him. He is not looking to himself for any direction, and it may be read that he is looking for guidance away from his own wisdom, abilities or strengths.
He is looking for guidance to God away from a dependence on his own, for he knows he is faint, at his end, distracted from his priorities, and without resources.
A Historic Haven
The Refuge, his Strong Tower against his enemy, who turns out to be his own son. How conflicted David must have been, distracted in his decisions and faint of heart. No matter what David looked to accomplish, he would wrestle with his decisions, having contrary desires pulling at him. Restore his kingdom, but loose his son, or loose the kingdom and die a traitor at the hand of his son.
To put it bluntly, David was in the worst of situations and he had no idea what to do. He desperately needed guidance, and he needed to get out of his own headspace, where he found no solution that was acceptable. He needed a place of refuge, and that place of refuge was His God.
It is good to remind ourselves that David is not crying out to God for a first time in this instance. Notice that he refers to God as having been his refuge in times past. His previous trials, though arguably of lighter concerns than the present trial, trained his heart to reach out to the God of Israel. This experience was critical, for now David was drowning in this trial, and he naturally had experience with his God as his refuge, as a strong tower from which he might be protected.
As we go through trials, no matter the size or complexity, run to the Father for your help. Not only will this please the Father, and deepen your dependency on the ever faithful One, but it will prepare you for trials that may be heading your way.
Not matter the trial or temptation, He is the One we need to resort to. He is the One who is our Strong Tower. Don’t refuse the great blessing of God’s guidance and protection as you go about your day today.
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.
77
CHRIST JESUS
Romans 3:24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
When my list of the names of God revealed todays topic, that is the name “Christ Jesus”, I want to be honest with you – I was intimidated with addressing the Master’s name in a proper, accurate respectful and loving manner.
Not that His majesty would be affected by my failure in properly describing Him, for His being cannot truly be tarnished by a lowly believer trying to do his best for Him.
After all, He is the One who can take a cripple and make him walk, or find a mute deaf man and provide communication skills to him. He is the One who is always showing grace, exhibiting His mercy, providing patience and longsuffering to His disciples, bringing them from glory to glory.
He is the Anointed One (Christ), the Savior (Jesus).
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.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Absalom
No Blemish
2 Samuel 14:25 Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
1 Peter 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
No blemish.
This likeness is typical of the way Jesus’ character is sometimes reflected in the Old Testament, by describing what a man may physically see. Absalom was without blemish. Stunning in stature, a handsome hulk, a real attractive he-man!
The word “blemish” in the Old Testament can speak of a spot or defect, either in the physical or the moral. This reference to Absalom is surely speaking of him as having no physical blemish in him since the verse speaks of no blemish from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. The passage speaks of his handsomeness, and to his entire body being without blemish. The author was making a point! He was a looker!
Now, we all know of those amongst us that have that physical quality that draws your eyes to them, that is not only the most handsome man in the room but also has the personality and charisma that draws people to them. Based on appearance and personality. What they look and sound like.
Not so with the Lord. He is described elsewhere in the Word as ordinary, without the appearance of majesty, without beauty and nothing of outward appearance that would draw us to Him.
Isaiah 53:2
For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
Two men without blemish. Two men without defect or spot. We understand Absalom was described this way in the physical, and yet we know he had a very large and dark blemish in his character. Nothing spiritually stands out about this man, other than he is not godly, not spiritually appealing, not without spiritual blemish.
But consider Jesus, who is without blemish in His character, without blemish in His relationship with God the Father, without blemish before man, though they seek to find fault! This is simply a reflection of their own darkness, for darkened hearts seek to reject the light.
Yet His unspotted character cannot be denied, and though some try to deny, the Father validated His Son through the physical resurrection.
He is the spotless Son of God, a lamb without blemish, that was sacrificed for our souls! May His name be praised!
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.
76
CHOSEN PORTION
Psalm 16:5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
In our last post, we considered “Chosen One” as a name for God, and spoke of the contrast between the use of the name. Essentially the name “Chosen One” refers to God’s decision to pick the Messiah, that is was an action between God and the Son.
With our name of God in this post, we have a different dynamic being described. As David mentions the LORD as his “Chosen Portion” He is speaking of his choice to prioritize God over all else. The emphasis is on the elevated relationship the believer decides on between him and the Messiah.
In the Old Testament, the portion often referred to an allotment, or part of the family inheritance. That which each son could look forward to due to his being in the family. As I read David, I sense he is prioritizing the LORD over any family inheritance, or even His Kingly estate. All of David’s priorities lies with the LORD, and his future condition depends not on landmass, or status as the king of Israel, but on the LORD alone.
Truly a fantastic declaration from the king of Israel.
How are your priorities today?
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 wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 60:9 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Psalm 60:10 Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies. Psalm 60:11 Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! Psalm 60:12 With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.
Our last portion of Psalm 60. I always love the last portion of a psalm, for the body of the typical psalm provides a struggle, a failure, a disappointment, even a question of faith, and the author is struggling with a topic in each psalm, but when we get to the last portion, I do not recall a psalm yet that ends without a time of encouragement and hope in the Lord.
Psalm 60 is no different!
Yes verse 10 reminds us that the nation is feeling the loss of God’s help, that there is something going on that reminds the people of their state of weakness. They have been rejected in some manner and David reminds the people of this fact, yet he doesn’t sit there. He doesn’t remain in a defeated, woe is me state, for he immediately begins his plea with God for help, for his admission of his utter need of help.
No where is there any help in the efforts of men, for where could he go – God is the strength of the nation.
I can hear echoes of Peter in David’s writing here, of when Peter was asked if he would leave after a period of testing. What was Peter’s response in John 6:68?
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
To whom shall we go? What great reminder for each of us. David spoke of the vanity of the salvation of man. Peter takes the flip side and states the lack of any effective source to rely on other than the Lord.
We have a choice.
With God we shall do valiantly, for in the end, it is He who will tread down our foes!
Seeking help from man will lead us to empty results. No one reading this short post wants empty results!
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.
75
CHOSEN ONE
Luke 23:35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”
It is amazing the amount of truth that came from the rulers mouths during the time of Jesus being on the earth! Yet the truth that came from the rulers mouths, that Jesus was the Chosen One, was filled with contempt and vitriol. The rulers scoffed at Him at His weakest moments, but as the Chosen One He was delivering them from the very hatred they poured forth. For Jesus to be called the Chosen One at this time was not an isolated event. Back in Luke 9:35, as Jesus was transfigured in front of three of His disciples, Jesus was called out as God’s Chosen One.
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
What a stark contrast for those three disciples who saw the transfiguration, where they witnessed the Lord in His glory, and were told of God’s choice of Him as His King.
Now the disciples were witnessing His utter rejection and humiliation. And to hear the rulers use the same title while He hung on a cruel cross!
He is the Chosen One. We have the witness of the Word, and though the rulers rejected Him, the truth stands.
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.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Absalom
Hung on a tree
2 Samuel 18:9 And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.
Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.
Acts 10:39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,
What a humiliating death for the mighty Absalom. After realizing the revolt had failed, Absalom took off through the forest of Ephraim, a heavily wooded forest, on his mule. As he was fleeing, his head caught in the tree, and the mule continued on. He must have experienced at least a concussion, or possibly a broken neck, with his head stuck in some nook of a branch, since it appears he didn’t seek to escape the situation.
Yes he was as good as dead, hanging from the tree. It was just a matter of time before good old Joab came by and thrust him through with 3 javelins. Talk about overkill!
There was a period of time for Absalom to be helpless, without the power to escape and yet realizing what he had sough to do to his own father. What a horrible condition to be in, and to know that it was just a matter of time before one of his father’s soldiers came by to finish him off. Yes – just a matter of time!
We know another who hung between heaven and earth, and the time he spent hanging there must have been horrific. Absalom hung between heaven and earth by a fluke accident, a situation he would most surely have wanted to avoid, to continue his battle against his father.
Jesus fought to get on the tree, for He knew this was His Father’s will. Jesus, in order to please His Father, fought to hang between heaven and earth.
Again, we see a glimmer of Jesus, at least by accident, in Absalom’s story, and yet when we compare the shadow with the reality, there really is no comparison.
Jesus on the tree was the gateway for His resurrection and our salvation. Absalom was simply an evil man who died alone.
May we consider Jesus act of sacrifice this day as we go about our business, as we seek to represent such a loving, giving and caring God.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
74
CHOSEN OF GOD
1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
There have been men chosen of God for special callings, such as Moses, or Samson, David or Samuel. Each man chosen of God for a specific purpose. Moses as the lawgiver. David as the King. Samuel as a prophet.
Yes they were all chosen by God.
Jesus was chosen of God as a living stone in this verse, and we shall get to this description of our Savior in due course. But for this post, let us consider the description of our Lord as the chosen of God.
We often here of being chosen as a unilateral act of the chooser (God) on the basis of nothing other than the chooser’s choice. More commonly, when “chosen of God” is spoken of in our theological circles the idea of unconditional election rises to the top of our minds. Calvinism teaches that God’s election, or choice, is based solely on His sovereign will, and it (God’s choice) is not dependent on any merit or worthiness on the part of the individual being chosen.
Can we understand this teaching in relation to the One who was chosen to fulfill the greatest mission ever assigned, and to occupy the highest honor in God’s Kingdom?
Certainly we cannot assume that Jesus was chosen after having entered the human story through His miraculous birth. His choosing was prior to the foundation of the ages, in eternity past, amongst the Godhead. Yet each of the persons of the Godhead is perfection. Pure holiness. Without any defect or deficiency.
One of the Godhead was chosen, prior to creation, to provide salvation to a people who would reject Him.
The concept that Calvinism seeks to provide seems to fit the situation with the Son being chosen. Yet in the midst of this choosing, each of the Godhead realized the tremendous cost it would take from them all.
But He was chosen, sent to bear our sins, break the Father’s heart and provide a Helper that is too often ignored, or frustrated.
May we spend the time we have left on earth honoring our Savior, pleasing our Father and agreeing with the Spirit.
That is our choice. Give us strength O Lord!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 60:6 God has spoken in his holiness: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth. Psalm 60:7 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter. Psalm 60:8 Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
After assuring his reader in the last portion of Psalm 60 that there is a place of refuge to run to; that God is a banner for those who seek Him, David then goes on to state God’s actions.
David was a big picture guy, having his eye on the future of God’s plan and did not let the current set back hold him back. This is a difficult lesson, for as we are pressing forward, we will always have setbacks, disappointments, discouragements, and delays. In our battles, we should not be surprised by difficult times entering our lives, even understanding that the Lord Himself is allowing these difficulties. During those times of difficulties, we must be big picture people, looking to the end game, the purpose for which He has brought us into the game.
The regions David refers to in our verses start in the northern portion of Israel, with each region zigzagging back and forth over the Jordan as the author moves his finger south down the map of Israel.
Each of these regions are described as God’s possessions. This fact that David reminds us of is instructive for it reminds us that we are not the owners, but only stewards, and that as the Owner, God will have his way of working His plan with those people in the regions He speaks of.
It is God’s land. Military setbacks are inevitable, but by remembering the land is the Lord’s and the big picture of God’s victory, David finds solace and relief to continue another day. Please understand – David’s current struggle is not being minimized, but in relation to the goal of God, David has found the perspective He needs.
Are you going through a valley, a difficult time, where it appears you have lost major gains in the Christian walk? Consider the big picture, and understand that God has an end purpose for our lives.
Love God and His Son, be patient, look to the big picture and hang on!
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.
73
CHOSEN CORNERSTONE
1 Peter 2:6-7 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
Throughout the Word, Jesus is described as the Chosen One, Chosen of God and even a believers Chosen Portion, but for our study this morning, let us consider that Peter refers to the Master as the Chosen Cornerstone.
To be chosen speaks of a decision outside of the intended chosen ones influence. It is to be picked, or to be elected by someone to an office, to a position or to a responsibility. To be chosen also speaks of selection and or an appointment to a situation.
Peter speaks of Jesus as the Chosen Cornerstone. The Cornerstone, upon which all other development, or construction refers to and is based upon. Of course Peter is not referring to the physical buildings we think of when we speak of when we mention “church”. Nothing so crass and insignificant in relation to the truth Peter is getting at. Peter is speaking of the Cornerstone upon which the entire Christian church, of all the ages, and throughout the entire globe is built upon. This Chosen Cornerstone is the lynchpin, the foundation, the Builder and Maker of the church.
Without the cornerstone, there is no building, there is no church, no body, no fellowship, no life, no salvation, no hope, no future.
He is the only reason the church exists in the world today, and as the Chosen Cornerstone, He is to be elevated as the only One to whom we look to.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Absalom
Son longing to come home
2 Samuel 14:32 32 Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent word to you, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.’”
John 20:17 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Absalom had killed his brother Amnon, based on a convenient moral rage that he hid behind to gain advantage (I believe) to ascend to the throne of Israel. Yes Amnon performed a vile act of rape on his sister, and yes he should suffer the consequences of that wicked decision. But the judgement was not to be performed by his brother Absalom. But as we reviewed in our last post in this series, that is exactly what happened.
David’s third son killed David’s first son, heir apparent to the throne. It appears the children were watching when David took Bathsheba! David’s attitude toward women filtered down into Amnon, and began the dissolution of David’s family.
Yet, when in the darkness, as David must surely have been during these difficult days, a ray of hope is usually grasped without too much discernment. Such is the case here, when the self exiled Absalom calls unto Joab to request a return to the City of David, even to be presented before the King.
How audacious of a man this Absalom must be. Yet his very desire, though the evil intent may be cloaked with the appearance of family loyalty, indicates a normal healthy relationship between son and father. It is normal, yes even worth much for the relationship to be maintained.
For Absalom, he stated he would chance death for the opportunity to return to the King’s palace. Surely he must have been hedging his bets, but on the surface this statement is informative.
For our Lord, His desire was without mixed motives, for He left behind an eternal connection with the Father, a continual, deep, interactive and consistent relationship of holiness, love, peace and joy. At no time was there a point of friction, a discussion of differing opinions, a misunderstanding or a loss of connectedness between the Father and the Son.
Even while walking amongst us, the connection with the Father was never broken, never strained, never diminished. That is until that day when spike were driven into His hands and feet, and a sword was shoved into His chest. There was a time when the Father looked away. When Jesus was alone, all alone.
At that time, the desire to go home must have been heart crushing. Although Absalom spoke of this desire, Jesus experienced this longing like no one else.
May we be a thankful people, for a Savior such as He!
Jesus is such a Savior!
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.
72
CHILD FROM THE HOLY GHOST
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
Matthew speaks of our Lord as a child from the Holy Spirit. We do not have much in the bible record of Jesus as a child but Matthew does supply a few tidbits of information.
After providing Jesus genealogy, Matthew cuts to the chase and informs his readers that this One was not merely a King of the line of David, but from the Holy Spirit. Of course this phrase may simply speak of His origin and not His very nature of God.
Joseph, two verses later, was also informed that this baby was from the Holy Spirit, in order to calm Joseph’s fears and suspicions. Matthew further reminds us that all that was occurring with Joseph and Mary was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken in Isaiah, identifying this unborn baby as a boy, and that He will be “God with us”.
Jesus was from the Holy Spirit, and is God with us. From the womb!
There may be some who may think He attained the status of God through His obedience in His ministry to the Father, or that He received His identity by the baptism He underwent. Matthew would argue against any effort to reduce the person of Christ from being God to becoming God, right from the start of his gospel.
We might be wise to do the same, for He is the Child from the Holy Ghost, the very nature of 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 wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 60:4 You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah Psalm 60:5 That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer us!
David is recounting the goodness of God and it is instructive to recognize, that he was experiencing setbacks militarily. Not only military setbacks, but he calls out God in the earlier passage, stating God had been very harsh, making the land quake, tearing it open, making the nation stagger with what they had experienced. Let’s read the previous verses once more and consider what David was going through. Remember – he was claiming God was the One who brought about the following difficulties.
Psalm 60:2-3 You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters. You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.
David was definitely in a low point, a struggle that was not merely a military issue, but a God issue.
A difficult passage to understand, yet as David ponders the goodness of God, I sense he is speaking of a remnant that will look to God, that a banner has been set up for, for those who fear God and will flee to. Yes the nation (physical) has experienced great trial here, but in the midst of this trial, those who fear God recognize the banner set out in front of them, that they can appeal to, that they can flee to, and hide under the Shadow of the Almighty.
Will all seek out the banner of God? David does not answer this, yet in the midst of difficult time, even times brought about by the Father, He is still our cover, our refuge, our banner to gather about.
Let us remember that in no difficulty or trial, God is not there for us.
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.
71
CHIEF SHEPHERD
1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Peter is addressing the elders of the church. For brevities sake, I shall not enter into a discussion on my understanding of leadership in the New Testament church, suffice it to say that it comprises of two types of men. One of these type of men are called elders, and we can safely state that an elder is one of many primary spiritual leaders in the local body.
Peter provides one command for these men.
Shepherd the flock they know. There are defining phrases that describe this command that follows, but this is the principle truth Peter wants to communicate to the elders. Shepherd the flock of God that they know.
How to do this?
Exercise oversight. Watch your flock. I understand this to include some discretion in the watching, for I sense Peter is not looking for an elder to be involved in every member’s decision making process, or to directly and constantly seek to influence each member to their way of thinking.
In this oversight, the desire of the elder is positive. It is not to be a drudgery attending to the members business, but a joy to assist the member as required, to have the patience to stand still for the member to reach out.
In this oversight, money is not to be a motivator. Peter has spoken of the elders willingness previously, and here he speaks of an eagerness.
Now you may think I am describing an elder to be stand offish, out of touch, or without the ability to create and maintain relationships with their flock. Please do not read me that way. Yet the next phrase in Peters description of the proper elder is that they are not to be domineering.
This is the kick in the gut, for how many have been in a body where the “accepted elder” is the one with the most education, the highest paycheck, the most demanding of his people and yet rarely allows those of his flock to see him with his family, with the struggles he experiences. He feels he has to be the perfect one as an example, and yet I would suggest this is an act of pride and domination.
The shepherd is to be one who is visibly in need of God’s grace, humbled by his failures and faithful in allowing his flock to experience his life, warts and all.
A shepherd is to be fully human, dependent upon the Lord, in humility providing a hand to those who feel comfortable to approach him.
I may have been off topic a bit, but this is the one who is the true leader, the one who understands his weakness, allows others to see their weakness and their need for God, and that is approachable, a servant to those who need to see Jesus.
For was it not characteristic of the Chief Shepherd to self humble, to come down, to be a friend of sinners and prostitutes, to be approachable (unless you were a bit too religious!). This is the character of Christ, and per the self humbling, He has become the highest of all, and the Chief Shepherd.
Our Chief Shepherd!
And when Jesus appears, these men of service and humility will gain a crown of glory, due to their not seeking it while on earth.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Absalom
Judge
2 Samuel 13:32 But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar.
Acts 10:42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead..
Absalom commanded judgement upon his brother Amnon for a dastardly deed he performed years earlier. Amnon had deceived his sister Tamar into providing a meal in his room, forcing her sexually and then rejecting her after having raped her.
Absalom had no right to exercise this execution but for the sake of his seeming sense of justice, or his love for his sister, or for his desire for the kingdom, – for whatever motivation that drove Absalom – he planned, prepared and with premeditation, had his brother murdered at his command.
Absalom judged his brother. Absalom, at this point in his life appeared to be taking vengeance on Amnon for his sister Tamar. What follows in the story of Absalom is a tale of deceit and rebellion that may provide the motivation of Absalom in the murder, for Amnon was next in line for the kingdom, and though what Amnon did to Tamar was vile and wicked, I see Absalom as an opportunist. This evil of Amnon provided Absalom an opportunity to rid the family of a contender for the throne! All under the guise of justice!
Absalom took the position of judge in this early part of the story, looking all pious and righteous in defending his sister, yet the true Absalom shone through later on.
With Jesus, there is a complete contrast, for are not his intentions purer than Absalom’s, in that His motivations were of love, and the hurt was self inflicted. Yes – Jesus is the Judge of all living and the dead, and we can be confident his judgement will be true, right and proper.
And remember – with Jesus we can be confident that His motivations are pure, true, right and proper.
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.
70
CARPENTER’S SON
Matthew 13:55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
Jesus was a carpenter. Jesus was the son of a carpenter. He followed in the footsteps of his earthly father, choosing the very occupation his father worked in.
Jesus was also recognizable as the carpenter’s son. Even his enemies referred to Him as the carpenter’s son. He learned His trade from His father, and pursued gainful employment as a carpenter.
The local townsfolk knew Joseph and recognized Jesus as Joseph’s son. He was influenced by Joseph greatly as He grew up, learned a trade, watched His father, and increased in skill and ability with physical tools and materials.
It is sad that the same people who recognized Jesus as Joseph’s son did not know the Father in Heaven, for if they did, they would have recognized Jesus as His Father’s Son. Though His earthly father provided physical skills and abilities, the Son gained spiritual skills and abilities through His watching His Father in Heaven.
John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
The Father worked and the Son worked. Jesus was dependent on the Father for the works that He did, and in watching His Father, He performed works that reflected His Father.
Jesus earthly father trained Jesus in the physical. Jesus Heavenly Father trained Jesus in the spiritual.
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 wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 60:1 To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.
O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us. Psalm 60:2 You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters. Psalm 60:3 You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.
Many place this psalm in the early years of King David’s reign. 2 Samuel 8:1-8, 2 Samuel 10:1-19 and 1 Chronicles 18:11-13 describe many of the battles referred to in the first verse, and how David and his army conquered vast areas of geography and multiple kingdoms in the area.
And yet, this psalm speaks of rejection, of God’s anger with His people, of the lands quaking and the people seeing hard things. How can this be? Was not King David’s battles against the neighboring nations successful during his early days? Militarily, he dominated the region, expanding the kingdom to the boundaries never experienced by the nation before.
And yet we have this psalm, where it appears God is angry with the nation, that there are setbacks to the victory march. The first verse speaks of their defenses being broken. Defenses? David was on the march, acting offensively in battles. For his defenses to be broken, speaks of loss in battle, of a set back.
The people of God have been made to see hard things, they are staggering about, as if a drunken stupor. And in all this description, David is assigning blame to none else but God. Over and over again in this first three verses, David assigns the actions his military are experiencing to God.
For God is angry. The reason for His anger is not clear but David is in trouble and is begging for restoration.
We sometimes succumb to the thought that the fight of faith is a walk in the park. That we go from victory to victory, with nary a scratch being suffered.
This Psalm reminds us that though the arc of the believers life is of victory, and we may be assured that the church wins in the end, during our pilgrimage, we must be prepared for setbacks, disappointments and losses. There will be times of intense battles, where we not only do not gain ground, but actually are set back on our heels, losing ground, becoming disillusioned, disappointed, and discouraged.
These are times of vulnerability, where we need to be prepared, steeled against the emotional blast of failure. Fellowship with faithful brothers is a strength that we have been provided and we need to take advantage of, not only for ourselves, but to provide to those we know and love.
Yet, there are times when we are alone with God, when it is a battle with Him, seeking to find His will, His desire and to bend the knee to His direction. This time of isolated struggle with God, even as pictured by Jacob in his wrestling with God, brings us out of it, possibly crippled but stronger.
Are you experiencing a wrestling match with God? A time of apparent defeat in your relation with the Master? Does it seem God is angry and you are confused with the reaction of God to your decisions and life choices?
The only thing I can suggest is that you do not let go. Do not walk away from the One who is challenging you, pruning you, wrestling with you. He is expanding your relationship with Him, extending your impact and preparing you for bigger battles. Ensure your approach to Him is without any known sin in your life (You know if there is sin going on!) and keep chasing in the midst of confusion
He truly is good, and if there is some doubt, hang on, until the clouds disperse!
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.
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CARPENTER
Mark 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
The Carpenter. A lowly position in the social strata.
This name is assigned to the Lord by those who would smear His name, by those who would desire to see His influence diminish. The very ones who reminded the audience of the Lord’s skill set for bringing in funds for His family, are revealing the very problem that will cause their stumbling.
These men who sought to defame the Master do so out of “offence”. The very idea that a prophet of God could be a mere carpenter was beyond their comprehension. (How soon they forget their history of God’s call on the “regular” man for greater service?) Surely they thought they were deserving of a Savior with greater status in this world, with greater “name recognition”?
But alas, with this very assumption, or expectation, they missed the boat. They were in the presence of the builder of all things and assigned the very name of carpenter to Him, revealing their proud heart, yet assigning an appropriate name for Him nonetheless.
You see, to be called “the carpenter” is so appropriate, for He is the builder of all things, and while on earth, though He knew how to join beams with columns, and columns with rafters, He had greater things in mind. He was building, that is for sure, but He was not building a physical enclosure that would remain for a short period of time, but a spiritual house, with living souls as the material to build the house, to remain for ever.
1 Peter 2:5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Yes those who first called Him a carpenter were taking offence at His position in life, but now that we see He truly is a carpenter, a builder, we can stand back and praise Him for His skill at bringing together a people who are not worthy, who had enmity with God and with each other, who were of no account until He found us.
Praise the name of the Carpenter, for He is truly worthy!
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.
Considering the Bible 