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.
222
GOD OF MY RIGHTEOUSNESS
Psalm 4:1 To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
David is in distress in this psalm. As I have been dwelling in David and his writings for a time, it has become evident that David was in distress often, almost constantly it seems.
The distress he is in is often related to the struggle to rise to the throne promised to him by God, and the obstacles to attain the throne seem insurmountable. Obstacles not only physical, regarding his very existence, but the slander and lies that were spread by his enemies that would (humanly speaking) derail any chance of his gaining the throne.
This psalm speaks directly of David undergoing some serious slander. Consider the next two verses for some context.
Psalm 4:2-3
O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.
David’s honor was being turned to shame. The very things that David did in obedience to God were being upended and twisted by the enemy, with many lies being spread to diminish his character.
And David calls upon God. He refers to God as the God of his righteousness, for he is in the midst of a “righteousness reputation” battle, and he knows that it may end up badly for him. Some lies may stick in the population’s perception, some of the slander may remain in the peoples mind’s.
That is the condition we all live in! No matter how desperately we seek the Lord, and how dedicated we are in obeying His will, we should not expect our names to be lifted high amongst our enemies, those who attack the Risen One and His people. This is the fallout of being in a battle with a worldview that accepts the use of lies instead of truth.
But as each of us may go through unjust character assassination, let us remember that our God is the One to look to for our righteousness, that we need to pursue His character and His nature, His desire to be of the truth, and to live in a gracious, forgiving and loving manner to both our brothers and sisters, and our very enemies, those who may be actually tearing us down.
For our God is the God of our Righteousness, even as we may be defamed by the enemy. We need to recognize that the enemy will not advance any description of “rightness” of our lives in following God, for that would be an admission of their own error.
They will not willingly admit their position to be in error, so they must lie about the truth.
But our God is the God of our Righteousness, and He has prevailed in the resurrection, and shall prevail in our lives!
He is the God of our Righteousness!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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
Caleb
Victorious
Numbers 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.
Titus 3:7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
In our past post’s on Caleb we have considered him as a man with a different spirit, a devoted man, an overcomer of others doubts, one who depended on God’s promises, a man of conviction, and a man convinced of his purpose for God.
With our passage this morning, let us draw out a truth about Caleb that is not expressly stated, but is evident in his life throughout his journeys and trials.
He was victorious, and though the comparison with the Lord Jesus is accurate, it is accurate in description, but not in extent, for Caleb “simply” won his mountain, but Jesus won the world. His is victorious over the grave, and because of God’s deliverance, has been openly declared to be the Son of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
He is simply greater than all the pictures we consider in this series.
Caleb was victorious because he followed the Lord, and the Lord provided the success, the victory. This is the walk of faith, that is not to seek victory based on our desires, our will, our wants, but to put the will of God ahead of ours.
Caleb certainly was tested, tried in the fire of adversity, peer pressure, and mob opinion. Yet his decision to trust God’s will when all seemed to be going the wrong way is a testament to his faithfulness, and the reason God provided him the victory.
Now I wont go so far as to think the Lord ever had it easy as He rubbed shoulders with those who plotted his death. For even from the very beginning, the cross overshadowed Him. He spoke amazing truths, claimed an astonishing relationship with the God of the Jews, challenged the powers that be and spoke of the kingdom of God breaking forth even as He was on earth. He did not come asking permission from those in charge. He simply came to us, declared the time had come, and rebuffed every argument those threatened by his pronouncements brought to Him. If Caleb had challenges, (and he did), Jesus faced many more, deeper and stronger temptations to veer from His appointed path.
But Jesus never veered. He only performed the work assigned by the Father, and did not go beyond the will of God, or fail to complete the will of God.
John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
Jesus never veered from the will of God and His victory was such that His closest friends were astonished. Even to this day, the Messiah’s resurrection is doubted by too many. Admittedly, it is an incredible story, but the Man Jesus was incredible in every way. His works and words have no competition, and His victory is completely without comparison.
And by the sheer grace of His compassion for lost souls, He grants us entry into this very victory. A victory over death and the grave.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Caleb was victorious in his life and God provided this victory due to his continuing faith in the midst of difficult times. His victory became his possession and that of his posterity.
For the Lord Jesus, His victory has also been passed to His posterity, and all who seek to find this victory should look no further than the Son of God.
Titus 3:7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
His victory was due to His faithfulness, but our victory is based on relationship with the One who has overcome all obstacles, even the death of the cross!
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.
221
GOD OF MY PRAISE
Psalm 109:1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Be not silent, O God of my praise!
I occasionally attend a church my daughter and her family attend, and it is a growing church, filled with young children, young adults and young families. With such a mix of folks making up the congregation, it is full of energy.
It is a church that I have found to be filled with the Spirit and upon every attendance, during the praise session, I almost invariably shed tears, trying to offer up praise with the congregation. I typically can’t express my emotions during the praise songs, but when they bring out the old hymns, I totally break down.
To hear the old hymns in this day and age of the church is so refreshing, so Christ centered, so historic for my own walk with Him.
It is a church that I have begun to learn to praise the Lord Jesus for all He has done in a outward, emotionally manner that has somewhat taken me aback. To actually try to sing, despite those around me being affected by my out of tune, out of time, out of tone type of singing. (I can hear my voice and trust me – it is awful!) has not been a typical expression of my faith in my four decades as a believer.
He has become more than ever the God of my praise, and yet as we read this passage, David doesn’t relate this name to the times of rejoicing amongst the faithful, of singing songs to the Lord to the point of tears, but is facing enemies that are overwhelming him.
David begins this psalm with an expression, a confession of his faith regarding who his God is and how he relates to Him. God is the God of his praise, the only one who receives the praise he offers up. But this psalm speaks of difficulties, of threatenings, of dire possible consequences on David’s life if God doesn’t show up. David is on the edge, but no matter, he is not about to forget that God is still in control, that God is worthy, no matter the circumstances he finds himself in.
Is he expressing the same emotion and heart felt praise I mentioned above? Possibly, but I think David may be praising God out of his will as opposed to the emotion I experience in church on Sundays.
And there is a difference I fear, for when a believer comes to a time of difficulty in his or her life, is God still worthy of praise? Note that I refrain from asking if it feels good to praise God in difficult times, for I think that a poor motivator. There are times when it hurts to praise God, when things are falling apart, and it seems many enemies are surrounding us, and there may seem to be no escape.
Is He the God of my praise then? When lies are spread about your character, do you look to Him and praise His name? When struggles come, and pile up in your life, is He still worthy of your expression of praise, your commitment to praise His name, even in a whisper to Him, a prayer asking for help?
Don’t get me wrong. I love to go to my daughters church, for it is a time with her and her family, and a time I can express my faith openly in the midst of the congregation. Good times and a good life, and I am so thankful for what the Lord has done in my family.
The challenge though, as hard times may be around the corner, is will I continue to praise His name, even though struggling with serious challenges, disappointments and discouragements?
This is the backdrop of David’s expression in our psalm today, and I pray for this type of will in our soul to conquer over difficult times with praise to the God of my praise.
May He gives us strength to be the men and women that praise Him at all times, and in all circumstances.
We truly need Him.
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.
220
GOD OF LOVE AND PEACE
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you
I was born before the hippy movement, and I will admit it – I wore bell bottom blue jeans in my high school years. I listened to the music, took part in the rejection of a stiff conservative culture and experimented with mind altering drugs. Even to this day, the music catches me and takes me back to “good” intentions and a carefree attitude.
The cultural revolution was breaking forth on the western world and it’s impact on our society has been catastrophic.
One example will suffice, for I do not want to delve too deep in the problem and not consider our Lord in this post. Back in the day there was a popular song about the sharing of land.
Maybe I’ll be there to share the land That they’ll be givin’ away When we all live together, we’re talkin’ ’bout together, now
As a teenager, who could argue of the merits of such a culture, where all are sharing and there is togetherness, love and peace?
I listened to this song a while back, and realized it was normalizing a socialist / communist condition, describing it as full of togetherness, with peace and love. A culture that provides love and peace without God.
What I was experiencing was a relentless barrage of this message, along with a complete twisting of what true love and peace really is. Lust was called love, and forced pacifism (by the end of a gun) was named peace.
This is not the message of the Word, and it certainly does violence to the name of God we are considering if these twisted messages are considered when we read of the God of love and peace.
The God of love represents the very opposite of lust, of the unbridled release of the wants and desires of a sin sick heart, of a self satisfying seeking of all things no matter the damage causes. The God of love provides motivation and strength to live a life of constraint, of be self controlled, to consider others instead of being a slave to our needs and wants.
The God of peace provides the believer a calm in the midst of a storm, a freedom of the soul in the midst of trials, a release of concern over those circumstances that are beyond our control.
The world tried to convince me of the benefits of its definition of love and peace. It only took a few years of following after that elusive promise that I realized it was an empty, hollowed out promise that provided disappointment, despair and eventually death.
And then one day, a young lady asked if I would like to sit with her on a bus ride to Toronto. As we spoke, she testified of Jesus, and of His saving actions in her life. She had recently been in a car crash that should have taken her life, but the God of love and peace preserved her. The God of love and peace kept her so she could introduce me to this same God, the God of love and peace that shattered my understanding of love and peace.
No longer did the message of lust and pretend peace have control over my thoughts, and my outlook on life took a complete turnaround.
Do you understand God as a God who allows lust and provides a pretend peace? Consider who the God of love and peace is, for He is a self sacrificing God, a God who considers others first, who came to serve and to give His life for others.
To understand the gospel is to be shocked at the difference between the message of the world and the message of the Messiah, for He is the very embodiment of who the God of love and peace is.
And the world crucified Him as they sought their “love and peace”.
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 attended a new Sunday School a wee back, as we were away from home. The people were very friendly, and the class was very relaxed. Welcome cards were provided, with the proverbial contact information requested, and study books were handed out to the strangers.
It was a well established class, with mature believers discussing what the church offers while some stragglers came through the door.
Eventually, we prayed and the study guide was opened. We were in Numbers this morning, discussing the rebellion of the Israelites prior to entering the land. Some of the guide was read to us, with the occasional discussion pursued.
As a little background, I have promised my wife that if we attend a new group, that I will not offer up questions concerning the Word until we know the people and become part of the group. It has too often occurred that I ask a question, especially if I have been studying an epistle or topic, a “discussion” ensues. That is a polite way of saying that the question I throw into the middle of the room may upset the faith of some of the attendants, or simply not comply with the particular churches standing on a certain teaching.
I refrain from this practice since it can seem divisive, and upset some. It also fed my pride, for I thought I was smart! I though I would let everyone know about Carl.
Again with the elevation of self! Somewhat disgusting!
But I digress. This class was going along well, with light discussion and occasional reference to the study guide, when all of a sudden someone pulled a “Carl”.
Let’s call him Joe. I don’t know Joe of course, having visited this class only once, but to say the least he is an interesting fellow.
As you may recall, we were discussing Israel entering the land, and Joe mentioned the Israeli / Palestinian conflict, and his estimation of the tumult in the Middle East. It seems he had great respect for the leader of the Jewish nation, speaking of how he had every right to do as God leads.
This took me aback, since the immediate context of his message was how Israel was treating the Palestinians, even those who live within the West Bank and Gaza strip. Now I want to be careful in recounting what he said, but his message seemed to be that whatever the Israeli leader did to expand the land of Israel was in obedience to God.
Alarm bells stared ringing off in my head. How could a believer say that? Now before we go any further, I want to provide full disclosure. Thirty years ago I would have sided with this fellow, for I was of the opinion that national Israel was destined to reclaim their land. I was strongly within the pre-tribulation dispensational camp, thinking that God was picking up in 1947 where He left off with national Israel in 70 AD.
Not so anymore, and one of the main reasons is my understanding of the righteousness of God, the gospel of God.
Romans 3:22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
Paul speaks of the righteousness of God as having no distinction, that it is available for all. How is it that I considered God to be working in two people groups, the Body of Christ, AND a geopolitical nation? How is it that any geopolitical group of people could claim God’s blessing, little lone the nation God specifically stated would be “vomited” out of the land if continuing to sin.
Leviticus 20:22 You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.
My understanding is that the land vomited Israel out of the land through the captivity of Babylon, and though God showed mercy, the nation was once again, and finally dismantled upon the Roman siege of 70 AD.
Hebrews 8:13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
We have discussed this teaching previously, and considered the impact of the dissolution of the old covenant. With no land, no priestly line and no temple, Israel were a people without an identity. To be of the original Jewish faith was impossible, for the sacrificial system and the practice of the priesthood was gone. A Better had arrived and those in the nation who recognized the majesty of the Crucified One understood God’s greater promise, His holy “nation” of the Body of Christ.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
God has one people, the Church, and all are welcome to enter into it. Canadians, Russians, Japanese and Jews are all allowed to enter, and many have. Even Palestinians have joined the Messiah, becoming one with the Body of Christ.
And this is where the idea of God having two people groups becomes difficult to understand simply from a practical standpoint.
If national Israel is performing the righteousness of God in their goal to expand their geopolitical influence through the west bank and Gaza strip, along with expanding their borders eastward, how can this be accepted as the righteousness of God by the believer?
If national Israel is a people group directed by God, we find ourselves in a sticky wicket. For national Israel has been in war mode, having placed the West bank and Gaza Strip under a military occupation since 1967. A military occupation for almost 60 years!
Are God’s “two” peoples enjoying the love and peace admonished by the apostle?
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Palestinians and Israeli’s are dying at each others hands due to this aggression. How can we represent the God of peace and love when God’s “two” people groups are in conflict. What is worse, is that national Israel is killing Palestian believers.
Is God divided? Having shown His people His self sacrificing love for others in the giving of His Son, are we now to understand that God want’s one of His people groups to kill His other people group?
We left this Sunday School somewhat conflicted. I was a good boy in not bringing up questions that may cause confusion, but if we attend on an ongoing basis, I hope to get to know the people, understand their needs, care for their circumstances, pray for them and possibly discuss this conflict.
In all of this, it is important to remember what it is to be righteous. To be righteous is to be consistent in all the attributes of God, to exercise each of the characteristics of our God without conflict. To be righteous is to follow after the Christ, for He alone is our righteousness.
1 Corinthians 1:30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
To be of a certain blood line, or to claim to be of a certain physical lineage has no influence with God. For there is no distinction.
Romans 3:22 …For there is no distinction:
There is one Body, and it is open to all.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call–
God has killed the hostility between national peoples through the gospel. Those who enter into the Body of Christ find there is no basis for hostility with each other.
Ephesians 2:16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
Let’s live as though there is a real peace within the people of God, and exhibit the righteousness of God as the Messiah has demonstrated.
Ephesians 3:17-19 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
As believers, we are to have our eyes on the Messiah, not a patch of land in the Middle East. And let us remember those who seek to fight, even against the Body of Christ are without the Messiah, having no hope and without God in this world.
Ephesians 2:12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
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
Caleb
Purpose of God
Joshua 14:10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.
John 18:37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world–to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
God had a promise and a purpose for Caleb. His faithful spirit attained to a promise from God, that God would keep him through the times of the rebellion in the wilderness, into the promised land, through the battles to take the land and now, after God’s will has been accomplished, the promise is to be realized for Caleb. Yes he is 85 years old, an aged man no matter how we look at it. But even as his age was creeping up on him, he did not consider the promise of God to be less attainable. It was the promise of God, not some self promise, some vow that depended on his stamina or strength! It was the promise of God! Caleb held the promise and it was his purpose to attain this promise!
Is it not so, but even more so, in relation to the promise and purpose of God in the life of our Savior. As a matter, Paul speaks of Jesus as the One in whom all promise is fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
The purpose of the Savior was to be elevated to king, as He spoke to Pilate. He is King having completed His eternal purpose and having sat down on the right hand of God the Father!
Though Caleb provides a likeness of Jesus in his desire to attain the promise and fulfill his purpose, we must admit that there is a substantial difference.
God kept Caleb alive for 85 years to provide him the ability to attain the promise given him. For Jesus, the promise was attained by God crushing Him!
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Caleb provides us a glimmer of the One who is the promise of God, and of His heart to go through trials, temptations and eventually scourging and a horrific death to complete His purpose before God.
Let us not frustrate our King by forgetting the extent of suffering He experienced in order to become the King of all Kings. He is the King who provides a benevolent righteous reign over those who follow after Him.
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.
219
GOD OF KNOWLEDGE
1 Samuel 2:3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
As we venture through the Names of God, it should become obvious of how great and awesome our God is, of His multifaceted, unfathomable depth of character, of His ability to address every one of our needs, concerns and questions.
Each time we consider a certain characteristic of the Lord, we by necessity exclude other characteristics of His Person simply because we cannot plunge the depth of His goodness, grace, justice and love.
Out of each of these short studies, I tend to come away thinking of Him in a slightly different way, and find my understanding of Him to somehow expand. He is really beyond our imagination.
One additional outcome of these short posts is that the God we learn about in each study is also teaching us of our own condition, our weakness, our inabilities and our sin. We are not God, and every time we consider the greatness of our God, we consider our own “not greatness”. We are not God!
In our passage this morning, a woman has suffered years of provocation, sadness, distress
1 Samuel 1:7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.
1 Samuel 1:8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
1 Samuel 1:10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.
Hannah suffered for years, being taunted and without child, praying at the temple with such deep emotion that the priest assumed she was drunk.
1 Samuel 1:13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.
Hannah received answers to her pleadings before the Lord, and a son was born to her that would grow to be one of the greatest prophets Israel has known. After the arrival and weaning of the child, Hannah gave back to the Lord that which she prayed for. A tremendous sign of self sacrifice for the Lord’s sake. She gave her only child up to be dedicated to the Lord, being separated from him for most of his life.
1 Samuel 1:28 Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.
After all of this, Hannah prays again, and we find she describes the Lord as the God of Knowledge. After all her struggles before the Lord, she brings up the topic of arrogance and pride in relation to our God. Now I know it is easy to relate this statement to Peninnah, her husbands other wife, and likely this is the aim of the claim, for she speaks of her mouth deriding her enemy.
1 Samuel 2:1 And Hannah prayed and said, …My mouth derides my enemies…
She provides counsel for the arrogant and the proud, a rebuke to those who speak great pompous words.
But Hannah speaks of God as a God of Knowledge. Now it may be said that Hannah is not referring to God’s ability to perform calculus, or His knowledge of number of stars in the sky. No – she is speaking of God’s knowledge of a souls actions, even of His knowing of our reasonings, motivations and desires that produce our actions.
Now there are often times when I have thoughts or desires to perform some action, but after consideration (or by distraction), I do not complete those actions. Truly Jesus knows my heart, but Hannah speaks of His knowledge as it pertains to our actions, our work. That which I do, not what I think.
Now there is no denying that what and how I think is critical in my life to perform works that may be judged positively, but for our verse this morning, Hannah is not considering only motivations or secret thoughts, but actions that are evident to all. Nothing is hid.
Jesus spoke of the eventual revelation of our actions while He was walking amongst us.
Mark 4:22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.
Luke 12:2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
The proud and arrogant are to recognize this truth, but as the proud and arrogant, they reject our God of Knowledge, sometimes with great violence, and pursue selfish goals.
But no matter our reaction, whether by violent rejection or in a peaceful acceptance, He is the God of Knowledge. He knows our lives, our works, our actions, and it is the wise one who recognizes the God of Knowledge in a spirit of humility.
To know the God of Knowledge, to walk with Him, demands a humility before Him. We need to recognize Him as much greater that us, as the One who knows and who judges our actions.
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.
218
GOD OF GODS
Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.
Moses is speaking to the nation, describing the tremendous privilege and benefit they possess being the people God has called out from the heathen, from those whom Abraham, Isaac and Jacob rubbed shoulders with.
God needs the nation to know what is required of them to maintain this blessedness, to experience the goodness of God in their national experience. He is not asking them to swear allegiance to some tribal god who rules over a patch of land, or some family spirit that favors only those of the bloodline of Abraham, or to bow to a god who controls the weather or the flood of a river.
Moses understood that this ragtag group of whiners and complainers had been extracted from the land of bondage, a land they had become accustomed to, a culture they naturally relate to, including gods who have some power, some authority, some seeming control over circumstances. They lived in this culture all their lives in Egypt, and understood, not just theoretically but in experience the worship of many gods strewn through the land of the Egyptians.
Moses needs them to understand the God they are required to serve as the God over all these other gods, and rightly so, for during the plagues, God showed Himself over the Egyptian gods in each plague, and during the escape He showed Himself dominant over nature with a fiery column leading them, a pillar of smoke directing them, provision of food from heaven, and the splitting of the sea for their safe passage, even with the nation witnessing the collapse of the Red Sea on their enemy.
God is the God of gods, and for those Moses spoke to, they had ample proof, ample evidence of the superiority of Jehovah Elohim over the paltry powers of their previous masters.
God is the God of gods, and He is proving that to us as we see His power working through the world, frustrating the powers that be, bringing life through the gospel and healing to the nations.
God is the God of gods. And due to His elevated position over all gods, Moses calls upon them to do the bare minimum.
Deut 10:12-13 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?
As indicative of the love of God, note that all the requirements prescribed to the nation are not necessarily for God’s benefit. He is God of all gods and requires nothing from us for His benefit. No, these requirements of obedience bring us into the experience of God He wants for us, and that we desperately crave 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.
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
Caleb
Devoted
Joshua 14:8 But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. Joshua 14:9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’
John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
We considered this set of verses out of Joshua 1 in our previous post as it related to Caleb in his dependence on God’s promises. As we consider this same passage this morning, I would like my reader to consider the devotion Caleb expressed to God during the 45 years of wandering and suffering due to his neighbors unbelief. We noted that he came out the 45 years of delay, depending on the promises, exhibiting a faithful spirit.
May I suggest, this dependence on the promise of God was possible only because he was devoted to God. He followed the Lord, and the term “followed” found in the Old Testament passages speaking of Caleb speak of being behind, of being in the rear, after the one being followed. Now even as I write that, I can hear some saying – Carl that is so obvious!
Well for myself, it is not that obvious in my own devotion to God, for I often seek to get off the path with distractions, or get ahead of God, being the impatient one that I am. Caleb knew his place, and that was behind God, and was willing to stay behind, following as God led.
Did he argue with God when told they would not be allowed to enter the promised land? Where was Caleb when the nationes leaders decided to go ahead and take the land even though God restricted them?
Amazing that the Israelites thought they could go ahead of God, even in rebellion against his prophets direction.
Numbers 14:39-45
When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 40 And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned.” 41 But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed? 42 Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. 43 For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.” 44 But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.
I will lay my last dollar down (if I was a betting man!) that Caleb stayed behind, devoted to the will of God. He knew his place of following God, and in knowing that, he was successful!
Jesus also was the servant of the Most High, devoted to God, obeying the will of God, even to the point of death. He did not get ahead of the will of God, nor seek to perform any acts other than directed by the Father.
John 5:19
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
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.
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.
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
Caleb
Overcome Doubt of Others (Negativity)
Joshua 14:8 But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God.
Matthew 14:31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
For Caleb, he fought through the doubters, and without a doubt, sought to convince those he travelled with as they carried back such a damming report. Joshua records Caleb’s claim of how his own peers, as they reported on what they had seen in Canaan land, was a message of doubt, a message of defeat and that had caused the melting of the young nations heart.
This passage doesn’t address how Caleb sought to convince those bringing back such a deadly doubt-filled message, but surely a man who was committed to the work of God, he sought to convince them before they delivered the poisonous message. This is my assumption. Joshua simply states the fact that Caleb wholly followed the Lord in the midst of doubters. Now I am not knocking Caleb in this instance. No not at all, for it is no small task to believe the Word of God when the world is yelling that you are wrong, but Caleb held tight. He held tight!
While on earth. the Messiah also had close associates that were infected with the doubt disease, a disease that we all suffer from. Numerous times, He spoke to those of little faith, asking them of their doubt.
Now I used to think this was Jesus way to get a dig in, to mentally slap his apostles around, but as I understand the person of Christ more, I don’t see Him like that anymore. What I was actually doing was mirroring my heart onto the Messiah in these interactions with the apostles, for I tend to cut those who need encouragement. I want to assume failure instead of success. I naturally think the worst rather than the best.
Jesus’ heart is wholly different from my heart, and I safely will assume different from your heart, unless of course you have deceived yourself.
Jesus was (and is) in the midst of doubtful friends, surrounded by saints that struggle with faith, and working on believers who just don’t understand. This is the fact of the church and is in my mind a huge mystery of how He gets anything done working with men and women who sometimes just don’t get it. But then I forget who I am dealing with!
He remains faithful to the will of God, as Caleb did, and yet He also successfully pulls us out of the depths of doubt to prove His care and guidance.
We need to look to Him for our strength, for I doubt we have any!
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.
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
Caleb
Man of Conviction
Joshua 14:7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Caleb and Moses each had life changing events in their fortieth year. Both men went through extended times of waiting, of being drawn out and tested, of seemingly not being used by God.
For Moses, it was 40 years before he was in front of the Pharaoh, demanding the release of his people.
For Caleb, it was 45 years before he found the opportunity to realize the promise given him by Moses. He may have been greatly encouraged by the life of Moses, the fact that the man of God was “put aside” for 40 years, but was then used by God like no other!
Caleb was a man of conviction, a man that delivered to Moses the message “as it was in his heart”.
The term referred to here in relation to Caleb’s heart is לֵבָב lêbâb, and speaks of the inner man, the will, his heart. It does not refer to fluffy feelings, nebulous ideas or soft thinking, but represents the conviction he had after considering the land he visited, in light of the command of God to conquer.
He was a man of faith, and was convinced (convicted) of the truth of the promise God had provided, and saw the resistance in Canaan for what it was, and not an insurmountable obstacle that was not to be attempted. He was convinced God was bigger, that the land was obtainable, and that he wanted it.
As a matter of fact, in time it came about that he wanted a specific piece of that land, and was given the opportunity to continue in his convictions in routing those in the land out! It was his land, and he was going to take it!
There was Another Man that was determined to complete the will of God for His life, and as the day came closer, we read that Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem.
Luke 9:51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
To “set” his face is the term στηρίζω stērízō. To set his face was to be confirmed, to strengthen, to render constant (in an effort), to make firm.
May I ask you my friend, How many times have you made a decision to perform a task, only to be distracted, deterred from the goal, and wandered off into some other task? My hand is up, I can tell you! This is to be without conviction in a task!
In the Gospel of Luke, this word speaks of Jesus conviction to get to Jerusalem, to get to the goal of the Passion Week, the pain, the suffering, the crucifixion and finally to His final breath. His conviction took Him to the last day, and distractions were helpless against Him.
Both Caleb and Jesus were men of conviction, but in light of the goals each man sought to reach, we see the conviction of Jesus as so much greater, deeper, stronger and wholly different, for this conviction carried him to His death!
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 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.
Before we begin this psalm that refers of the true king, pictures the Messiah, and describes the ultimate kingdom, it may be good to mention there is some discussion on the author. Per the ESV, verse 1 seems to speak of this psalm as originating (humanly) from Solomon, David’s son. There is an argument that the psalm was written by David himself (see the last verse) and he wrote it “of Solomon” in his reign, as David looked into the future potential of his son.
Although I am of the opinion David wrote this psalm, no matter how you see this topic, let us delve into this psalm that speaks over and over again of the greater Son of David, the true King of all.
Psalm 72:1 Of Solomon. Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! Psalm 72:2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! Psalm 72:3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! Psalm 72:4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!
David opens this psalm with one overarching topic, a topic that is of top priority in any government. This topic, if found in the government will provide the foundation for a lasting kingdom, providing security and prosperity to the people.
The topic is righteousness, and David uses multiple terms to describe this characteristic of the kingdom he foresees
72:1 – 0 Give the king your justice
justice (מִשְׁפָּט mishpâṭ, H4941) This term speaks of the act of judging, an action that rightly belongs to God Himself, who can judge properly and correctly at all times, for He alone is able to know all things affecting the decision, and to weigh the intangible aspects of the act (motivations and intent) being judged. David knows of the challenge this is for the King, and understands the critical need for God to provide!
72:1 – righteousness to the royal son
righteousness (צְדָקָה tsᵉdâqâh, H6666) Can you see the root of one of God’s name in this Hebrew word? JEHOVAH TSIDKENU In that earlier post we spoke of how there may be two righteousness’s in a culture or kingdom, one based on lies and violence and one based on peace and love. Of course, we live in a world where the claim of righteousness is based on lies and violence, but for David, he sought that righteousness that was not logical, not common, not familiar, but of God.
David is asking that the royal son be different than those kingdoms that surround him, that the son would listen to God for instruction in righteousness and not the neighbor kingdoms. And that God would grant him this righteousness!
72:2 – May he judge your people
judge (דִּין dîyn, H1777). This Hebrew word speaks of contending, or of pleading a cause. Might David be hinting to the act of directing the people, or a singular person, prior a decision to be made? Of course as a human king, David must be considering this for Solomon in relation to his inner court, for how could he anticipate all the judgements of his people.
And yet, this may be observed in Solomons judgement to cut the baby in half to bring to the truth the identity of the living child. In his “harsh” judgement, he plead the emotions of the true mother, and found the truth!
72:2 – he judge your people with righteousness,
righteousness (צֶדֶק tsedeq, H6664) This term is of the same root word as in verse 1, and as is obvious, connected with the description of God as righteousness.
72:2 – poor with justice!
righteousness (מִשְׁפָּט mishpâṭ). David speaks the same term here as in verse 1. He reiterates the need of the King to have God provide the correct understanding of each act needing a decision from the king, and produce the desired effect on the kingdom.
Note that he associates the poor (or afflicted) with the kings declaration of justice. It is too often the poor’s only defense against the powerful that the judgement of the government can be called upon. Thus the emphasis on the poor, for the powerful take whatever they want!
72:3 mountains bear prosperity … in righteousness!
Any government worth it’s salt is to provide a condition within the kingdom that provides the ability of it’s subjects to prosper. The environment needed for any within the kingdom to prosper is
72:4 May he defend the cause of the poor
Defend (שָׁפַט shâphaṭ, H8199). David continues his cry for the king to exercise righteousness, in the act of defending the afflicted. He has referred to the connection between righteousness and the poor in verse 2, and speaks again of the responsibility to judge rightly, or to govern in righteousness for the sake of the powerless, the poor and afflicted.
Some passages translate this term as “vindicate”. Is David speaking of not only a defensive position, but a proactive attitude, of not merely rescuing the afflicted, but fighting for them in righteousness? That seems obvious in theory, but David seeks it to be in practice for his royal son.
Consider
In all of this discussion on righteousness, David is setting the stage for the establishment of a kingdom that will endure.
Although we are directed to think of this psalm as being “of Solomon”, or describing the hopes David has for his direct son, in reality, this psalm speaks to the Son of David, the Messiah. Throughout this psalm David speaks of this king’s reign “to the ends of the earth”, that his name “enduring forever”, that “all kings fall down before him”, that his fame “continue as long as the sun” and that “all nations serve him”.
As we venture through this psalm, we will continually bump into statements that bring the Lord Jesus to mind, of the kingdom Jesus will (has) established.
For our passage this morning, note the basis upon Jesus’ governance will be established. He is the Righteous King, and has been granted this right not only through the fact He is God, but that He has suffered and bled for us, leading His kingdom through love, peace and self sacrifice.
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.
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
Caleb
Depended on God’s Promises
Joshua 14 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me … to spy out the land. 9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you … 10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses…
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
We all know the story of Joshua and Caleb, along with the other ten spies, (who have remained nameless) being sent into the wilderness, finding enough resistance (or intimidation) in the land for ten of the spies to come back an cower before Moses. But Joshua and Caleb gave good reports, reports that took into account the promise of God in providing this nation a land to call home.
Flash forward 45 years, a period of time that if it had been my experience, I would feel cheated and angry! If I saw an opportunity and my neighbors and countrymen fouled it up, furious would I be! The best years of my life up in smoke, and all due to a faithless generation.
Of course we have little to go on for those 45 years in reference to Caleb’s life. Did he simply wander around the desert with his nation, suffering the judgement of unbelief, continually facing disappointment due to his neighbors denial of God’s ability and goodness?
No matter, for when push came to shove and the occupation of the land was completed, Caleb continued. He was no longer shackled with the unbelieving generation, having outlived them through the judgement years, and now he was ready to take the land Moses promised him 45 years ago.
He depended on God’s promise through His prophet, and had kept his eye on the goal.
You know, I mentioned we have little to go on regarding Caleb’s life in those intervening years, and as I mentioned, if it had been me, I would have ended us a miserly old sod, angry at the nation, but really just angry at God. But Caleb didn’t come out of those years angry and sullen, but was still depending on the promise of God, specifically that promise Moses gave him over 4 decades earlier.
Caleb depended on the promise of God in the midst of much discouragement.
Jesus also faced much discouragement, even from His own 12 disciples. How often do we hear him speak of them having so little faith, or of having no faith, or of how they just don’t understand.
In the big picture, Jesus had the promise of life after death provided to Him from God, but specifically in relation to Caleb and his disappointing neighbors, Jesus had 12 disciples that looked doomed to failure, giving little evidence of ever comprehending the fantastic truth of who Jesus was.
Caleb depended on God’s promises amongst those who were disappointments.
Jesus depended on God’s promises amongst those who were disappointments.
Each of us have those who we consider “disappointments”. First off, this is an attitude of judgement and it be wise if we express love towards them instead of judgement. That may be the wisest thing to do.
But nevertheless, if we live amongst some that do not share the faith, it is not a reason to give up on the promise of God for our lives. His promise is based on His character and not our neighbors acceptance of it.
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 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.
Before we begin this psalm that refers of the true king, pictures the Messiah, and describes the ultimate kingdom, it may be good to mention there is some discussion on the author. Per the ESV, verse 1 seems to speak of this psalm as originating (humanly) from Solomon, David’s son. There is an argument that the psalm was written by David himself (see the last verse) and he wrote it “of Solomon” in his reign, as David looked into the future potential of his son.
Although I am of the opinion David wrote this psalm, no matter how you see this topic, let us delve into this psalm that speaks over and over again of the greater Son of David, the true King of all.
Psalm 72:1 Of Solomon. Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! Psalm 72:2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! Psalm 72:3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! Psalm 72:4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!
David opens this psalm with one overarching topic, a topic that is of top priority in any government. This topic, if found in the government will provide the foundation for a lasting kingdom, providing security and prosperity to the people.
That topic is righteousness, and David uses multiple terms to describe this characteristic of the kingdom he foresees.
72:1 – 0 Give the king your justice
justice (מִשְׁפָּט mishpâṭ, H4941) This term speaks of the act of judging, an action that rightly belongs to God Himself, who can judge properly and correctly at all times, for He alone is able to know all things affecting the decision, and to weigh the intangible aspects of the act (motivations and intent) being judged. David knows of the challenge this is for the King, and understands the critical need for God to provide!
72:1 – righteousness to the royal son
righteousness (צְדָקָה tsᵉdâqâh, H6666) Can you see the root of one of God’s name in this Hebrew word? JEHOVAH TSIDKENU In that earlier post we spoke of how there may be two righteousness’s in a culture or kingdom, one based on lies and violence and one based on peace and love. Of course, we live in a world where the claim of righteousness is based on lies and violence, but for David, he sought that righteousness that was not logical, not common, not familiar, but of God.
David is asking that the royal son be different than those kingdoms that surround him, that the son would listen to God for instruction in righteousness and not the neighbor kingdoms. And that God would grant him this righteousness!
72:2 – May he judge your people
judge (דִּין dîyn, H1777). This Hebrew word speaks of contending, or of pleading a cause. Might David be hinting to the act of directing the people, or a singular person, prior a decision to be made? Of course as a human king, David must be considering this for Solomon in relation to his inner court, for how could he anticipate all the judgements of his people.
And yet, this may be observed in Solomons judgement to cut the baby in half to bring to the truth the identity of the living child. In his “harsh” judgement, he plead the emotions of the true mother, and found the truth!
72:2 – he judge your people with righteousness,
righteousness (צֶדֶק tsedeq, H6664) This term is of the same root word as in verse 1, and as is obvious, connected with the description of God as righteousness.
72:2 – poor with justice!
righteousness (מִשְׁפָּט mishpâṭ). David speaks the same term here as in verse 1. He reiterates the need of the King to have God provide the correct understanding of each act needing a decision from the king, and produce the desired effect on the kingdom.
Note that he associates the poor (or afflicted) with the kings declaration of justice. It is too often the poor’s only defense against the powerful that the judgement of the government can be called upon. Thus the emphasis on the poor, for the powerful take whatever they want!
72:3 mountains bear prosperity … in righteousness!
Any government worth it’s salt is to provide a condition within the kingdom that provides the ability of it’s subjects to prosper. The environment needed for any within the kingdom to prosper is
72:4 May he defend the cause of the poor
Defend (שָׁפַט shâphaṭ, H8199). David continues his cry for the king to exercise righteousness, in the act of defending the afflicted. He has referred to the connection between righteousness and the poor in verse 2, and speaks again of the responsibility to judge rightly, or to govern in righteousness for the sake of the powerless, the poor and afflicted.
Some passages translate this term as “vindicate”. Is David speaking of not only a defensive position, but a proactive attitude, of not merely rescuing the afflicted, but fighting for them in righteousness? That seems obvious in theory, but David seeks it to be in practice for his royal son.
Consider
In all of this discussion on righteousness, David is setting the stage for the establishment of a kingdom that will endure.
Although we are directed to think of this psalm as being “of Solomon”, or describing the hopes David has for his direct son, in reality, this psalm speaks to the Son of David, the Messiah. Throughout this psalm David speaks of this king’s reign “to the ends of the earth”, that his name “enduring forever”, that “all kings fall down before him”, that his fame “continue as long as the sun” and that “all nations serve him”.
As we venture through this psalm, we will continually bump into statements that bring the Lord Jesus to mind, of the kingdom Jesus will (has) established.
For our passage this morning, note the basis upon Jesus governance will be established. He is the Righteous King, and has been granted this right not only through the fact He is God, but that He has suffered and bled for us, leading His kingdom through love, peace and self sacrifice.
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 71 is a psalm written by an aged saint, a man who had walked with the Lord through many trials and triumphs. Some think this psalm represents David’s thoughts as he approaches the grave, as he ages and finds his life coming to a close.
One thing that is obvious in this psalm, that whoever wrote this psalm had an intimate experience with the Word of God. I have heard the claim that in the 24 verses of this psalm, there are up to 25 references, allusions and hints of other psalms within this reflection of an old saint. He has saturated his life with the Word, to the point that even phrasing of the old book comes through this old man’s message.
It is truly a witness of the wise to engage in an early and consistent immersion into the Word of God for every saint.
Let’s take a moment to consider
Psalm 71:22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. Psalm 71:23 My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. Psalm 71:24 And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.
In our last post, we reviewed the hope of this ol’ saint, the hope of resurrection, of being raised from the depths of the earth. In verse 23, he continues describing the works of God in his soul’s redemption.
God is elevated in His many works by this ol’ saint and not in the simple ways, but in resurrection and redemption. He speaks of God’s “righteous help all the day long”, and in that, it show’s the ol’ saint is watching for the work of God, that he expects and looks for the work of God in his life. He seeks the help, anticipates the help, observes the help and is thankful for the help.
As a matter of fact, the emphasis in this verse is on the righteousness of the help, specifically in this case of the shame and disappointment falling on his adversaries, who wanted to hurt the ol’ saint.
It is good to recognize the help of God as He works righteous acts in and through our lives.
But there is a concern I sometimes trip over as I seek to thank Him for all things. There have been too many times I have praised the Lord for something that favors my lot, yet may not exactly be righteous. Yes we are to give thanks in all circumstances, as 1 Thessalonians directs us.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
You see there is a difference between thanking Him for all things, and thanking Him in all circumstances.
Some things that occur in the believers life may be terrible, and may cause much heartache, disappointment and even despair. These things may even be the righteous acts of our loving Father, and in the pain, the believer may have to submit, but to be thankful for the pain is a difficult concept for me to understand. Yet as 1 Thessalonians speaks, it doesn’t address the believer to be thankful for the pain, but that in the circumstances, God is in the middle of it, and that is the focus of the thanks. It is looking to the source of the circumstance, the hand of God, and not the result of the righteous act, which may be causing great pain.
It is to look to the Savior, to be thankful He is with us, that though we may find pain and trial, to know that the hand of God is with us, that He has led the way and been faithful, that is what we can give thanks for.
This ol’ saint was thankful for the righteous acts of God in his life, and the way God rescued him from his very enemies. He is a saving God, a God who may bring struggles, but as we come to know Him as the loving God He has proven Himself to be, we can go through the trial with a thankful heart.
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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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.
Considering the Bible 