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.
67
BUILDER OF THE TEMPLE
Zechariah 6:12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD.
This is our last description of God as a Builder and it is fitting that we end with Him described as the Builder of the Temple.
It appears the Lord is directing Zechariah to fashion a crown of gold to place on the head of Joshua, the High Priest during the reconstruction efforts of the exiles. This passage quickly becomes prophetic, since the crown being placed on the head of the priest, associates royal rule and priestly duties. This was not practiced in the Old Testament for the guidelines for priestly succession was restricted to the line of Levi, and no king came from this tribe. At least not before Jesus.
Beyond the description of this King/Priest being unexpected, the person described in this verse is also called the Branch. This verse points to the Son of God, and His work as the King/Priest reaching beyond (branching out) of His place. He reached beyond the boundaries of Israel, and sought out the Gentiles, eventually reaching out to us. His Temple is worldwide and provides
He is the Builder of the Temple, and every day it increases in size!
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.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
This passage contains one of the most wrongly quoted verses in the Word of God. How often have you heard someone tell you that money is the root of all evil?
This is ludicrous. Money is an inanimate object, a tool for an exchange of services, a method of allowing equitable exchange of talents for goods. Money, as a subject of discussion is not a moral agent. It does not make choices of good or evil, but is simply a tool for moral agents to use in pursuing good or evil. So many in our culture want to assign personal responsibility to inanimate objects. How far have we drifted from common sense!
No, Paul is teaching us that the problem is the constant craving. Even the craving, this desire within us is not necessarily evil, for the term is used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe a craving for a noble office
1 Timothy 3:1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
Elsewhere, an apostle speaks of pilgrims leaving behind the temporal cities of this earth, craving a better country.
Hebrews 11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
So money doesn’t contain a bucket of evil within it, staining every person who touches it. Even the craving for something doesn’t necessarily carry with it a sense of wickedness.
It is the marrying of these two topics that causes concern. And before I forget, this isn’t a rich man’s disease, for the poor man is as susceptible to this trap as the rich man. Paul does not say that the love of lots of money is the root of all evil. No no no.
Love a dime? You got a potential problem! What will you allow in your life in order to gain a nickel? What type of evil will accompany your that craving you succumb to for that nickel?
But back to our topic at hand for the believer. Paul is writing to a young pastor, seeking to guide him into fruitful service for the Master, providing him examples of believers who have caused damage to their faith. For Paul, he describes the outcome of a believer’s love of money as two fold.
Wandered away from the faith.
Notice the definite article, directing Timothy to the truth provided by the Scriptures. The believer who wanders off based on a craving for money, leaves behind the truth of the Scriptures. May I ask my reader if a believer is a believer if he doesn’t believe the message of his belief?
Leaving behind the message of the Scriptures in an effort to satisfy a craving, in this case Paul speaks of money, puts the believer in a dangerous situation!
Pierced themselves with many pangs
When Paul speaks of piercing, he uses a word that means to pierced thoroughly, completely. To fully pierce. The term is only used once in the NT and it is describing the result of following after the craving of loving money, loving an inanimate article that is a tool for good or bad. (Are we not to love the good, not the tool?)
Suffice it to say, the piercing is thorough, and the result is to experience pangs, or as other translators understand, griefs. This term does not necessarily refer to suffering physical torments, but of distress, and I can imagine this may be the result of one who uses people to make money, as opposed to one who uses money to make people. We so often get it all backwards!
It is interesting that Paul prescribes a number of Christian characteristics after this death trap of loving money. One of these characteristics is tithing, giving money away, placing offerings in a plate.
Did you read the passage? It said nothing of the sort. Paul speaks to Timothy, telling him to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
Why does he not tell him to give all his money away? Again, let us remember it is a heart issue. A destitute man can still have an insatiable craving for cash, a longing that will allow for many “allowances” in his Christian life.
Whatever funds, possessions, stocks, bonds, real estate, coins, investments, vehicles, or such that you own, it is your decision to be ready to loose it all for Him. Holding onto the penny, or chasing the nickel will produce pangs of grief eventually, and in the end, it will prove to be temporal. A temporary tool.
Use the possessions you have to make people, to minister to those who need encouragement, to feed those who are in need (in deed) and to provide assistance for those less fortunate. As Paul mentions above, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Seek after these qualities, and when the topic of money comes up, let these qualities direct your goals!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
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
Aaron
Duration
Numbers 35:25 And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
Hebrews 5:6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
This particular passage in Numbers has much to say about Jesus and His saving love, of how He is the City of Refuge for those who realize their guilt before God. During our time in this topic, we will come to see Jesus in geographical places, in types of animals, in historic happenings and in special circumstances within the lives of saint and sinner.
But for now, we want to consider Aaron, the High Priest and how his life (or death) might provide a picture of the Savior we have come to know.
Even as I say we are looking at Aaron, he is simply a representative of the Aaronic priesthood, which by the nature of the participants, was a terminal priesthood. Each high priest that has ever lived in that order has died. Each death of the high priest typified the death of the priestly order. It’s duration, for the priest and the order, was doomed to the grave.
Death. The grave. Terminal.
Each new high priest would die. Good ones. Bad ones. It didn’t matter. Death haunted them and each succumbed to their inevitable end.
So when Jesus appeared, we can be thankful He was not of the priestly order of Aaron, but of Melchizedek. Such a mysterious figure in the pages of Genesis. So little is said, yet the author of Hebrews makes much of what was given to us. For our time this morning, consider the duration of the Lord’s Melchizedekian priesthood.
No (permanent) death. No (permanent) grave. A non-terminal order of priest, that through death, through the grave has been raised to never face death again.
And due to this characteristic of the Melchizedekian priesthood, only One priest will fill that office.
His name is Jesus. And as our High Priest, He is facing God, pleading for our well being, our growth, our sanctification, our salvation, our pilgrimage and our future life with Him.
He is not a terminal high priest, like Aaron and every high priest of the order of Aaron! For that we can and will be eternally grateful.
Thankyou Jesus for being who you are and loving us.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
66
BUILDER OF ALL THINGS
Hebrews 3:4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
In our last post we considered Jesus as the builder of a house, and compared Him with Moses, who had responsibilities within the house being built.
The apostle writes in this verse an overarching general truth, based on the pervious verse comparing Jesus with Moses. This general truth of the creative work of God is debated nowadays with theory’s and excuses that some feel provides them the freedom to reject God’s authority over them.
But, as the apostle argues so succinctly, it is obvious that every house is build by someone. Some “person” is the creative force behind every house that is designed and constructed.
Why would this obvious truth not apply to all of creation? How is it that logical men and women would not be able to extend this experiential truth to it’s logical end, and find that the Builder of all Things is God?
It is completely beyond me that logical men and women, reject a greater truth, even though they admit to the lesser truth. But professing themselves to be wise, they become fools. A dark heart makes for a blinded mind.
Opinion of man is to be put aside, and we are to worship the Builder of all Things. He is more than simply good, and we are the recipients of His bounteous grace each day.
Praise Him for His mighty works!
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.
65
BUILDER OF A HOUSE
Hebrews 3:3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses–as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.
The overarching theme of Hebrews is “better” Jesus is better than angels, Moses, Joshua, the temple… The author is continually speaking of comparisons.
The description we have this morning is of God being the builder of a house. Our comparison is Jesus with Moses.
So what specifically is the claim associated with Moses? Specifically, Moses is not described as doing anything in this verse, other that possibly being a part of the house itself. Now of course the early reader may associate Moses as the architect of the Temple, but he wasn’t. God provided the plans. Then we could consider Moses as the project manager, but essentially there was no design project that he could manage, since God provided the design. Ok, so then could Moses be considered the construction manager. This may be closest to Moses responsibilities when considering the Tabernacle. The Temple was to come centuries later, and when the Tabernacle was constructed, it took one day to perform the work.
Exodus 40:1-2 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
So let’s recap. In relation to the house, Moses was considered to be a part of the house in this verse. His responsibilities within the “house” (to remain within the theme of the verse) was to oversee the construction of the tabernacle.
Jesus, on the other hand not only provided the plans of a physical Temple and Tabernacle for the Old Testament faithful, but also is the owner/architect/project manager/engineer/construction manager/contractor/operations supervisor/ maintenance supervisor and building inspector for the spiritual temple we belong to.
There really is no comparison.
As Builder of the House, He is greater than Moses. So much greater!
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.
Proverbs 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Proverbs 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
Two verses, back to back, just waiting for some unbeliever to find and mock the truthfulness of the Word. Yes, it appears Solomon brought contradictory (paradoxical?) truths to the reader by starting the first verse with the negative – Answer not a fool … and the second with an affirmative – Answer a fool…
Surely this is proof that the Word has defects, errors and is illogical, for Solomon made such a contradiction in the very next verse!
It just didn’t make sense for me, and, as a paradox is wont to do, it took me outside of my usual way of thinking.
I suppose it is important to remember that the Proverbs were written to provide wisdom to the reader, and that Solomon is providing wisdom in how to respond to a fool.
What does the reader want to accomplish?
When a fool is pratting on about something that is obviously in error, Solomon gives counsel to refrain from responding in order to protect your own reputation, to refrain from joining the fool in his foolishness.
In the next verse, Solomon provides the option to respond to the fool in order to publicly reveal the foolishness of the fool.
Wisdom is needed when we deal with fools, and the proper approach to each situation is dependent on the circumstances, the audience, the topic and the possible reception of the rebuke by the fool.
Some fools are committed fools. No response will provide a good result. It may only provide an opportunity for your reputation to be tarnished.
Some fools are somewhat flexible, somewhat receptive. This is the type of fool that, to the point of his being teachable, is to be answered back to, revealing the foolishness of the fool.
As I mentioned earlier, Proverbs is a book providing wisdom for the one who seeks it, and to discern the different situations for each application of these “seeming” contradictions requires wisdom from on high.
And if for some reason, I am the fool, I pray that I am the one that can be rebuked. For we all are at one time or another foolish in our ways, and a great benefit of the family of God is that others may come to correct us. We need to be open though to this correction, walking humbly amongst our brothers and sisters, even pulling a trusted friend aside, seeking honest feedback on our lives.
But before you ask for feedback, seek God and his humility, for the sting of a rebuke may be healing only if we do not reject it. If we fight and argue, even reject the feedback, we may eventually become the first fool.
Trust me – You don’t want to be the first fool and be wise in your own eyes!
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
Aaron
Repetition of Sacrifice
Leviticus 16:34 And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” And Aaron did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Hebrews 7:27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
This picture of the Lord in the Old Testament has multiple shadows of His own sacrifice, but for this particular post, let us dwell on the constant repetition of sacrifice.
Although our Old Testament passage speaks of the yearly sacrifice, as in Leviticus 16, describing the Day of Atonement, daily sacrifices were performed as prescribed throughout the Old Testament. Sacrifices that kept the priests busy within the temple grounds, to the point that there was never to be found a chair to rest in.
My son once tried to read the entire Bible in a couple months, and his remarks after getting through Leviticus was that the priest’s worked like butchers in an abattoir. A never ending slaughter of the living to cover over the sins of a nation and it’s people.
Though as we think of this, we must remember that the very consistency of the sacrifices gives evidence of the inability to take care of the sin problem permanently.
As it stood, the practice of continual sacrifice provided the nation an opportunity to approach to the Living God, and allowed them the privilege of being the only people on earth to hear from Him, to begin to understand Him and to experience His direct intervention in their lives.
Yes the sacrifices were a permanent fixture in the relationship the nation of Israel had with the living God, but when compared to our current standing, it pales in comparison.
One sacrifice to permanently provide access to the Living God, to provide the Spirit of God to those who follow, to understand the full revelation of the Lord through the Son of God.
One Sacrifice, permanently and for forever, to the praise of His name!
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.
64
BRINGER OF LIGHT
1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
As I read this verse, I notice a curiosity that had not occurred to me earlier. There is no mention of the quality of the things hidden in the darkness. I automatically assume that anything hidden in the darkness is evil, wicked and sinful. This assumption if valid for many passages in the Word for the association seems clear.
Yet in this passage, when both the hidden things and the purposes of the heart are disclosed, the believer will receive a commendation. Commendations are reserved for those things that are good, and right, and just, even for those things that are lovely true, honorable, pure, commendable, of any excellence, or worthy of praise. Commendations are not dished out for those times when evil actions or thoughts were committed.
I so often think that at the end, when my time comes and I stand before the Lord – actually bowing with my face down – I will hear of my sin and rebellion, how I was a disappointment or a failure, how I could have done better, or that I lost opportunities, or focused on the wrong things.
Our Master is One who will bring to Light the things hidden! My hidden things and thoughts will include those actions fueled by the Spirit in gratitude for His saving love.
After all, He will bring those things to light, revealing the truth of our existence, clarifying even for ourselves the truth of our time with Him.
I am so thankful that we have such a gracious and loving God who will be the Bringer of Light into my life. Consider the goodness of the Bringer of Light for your own life my friend.
We truly have a life we do not deserve!
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.
63
BRIGHTNESS OF YOUR RISING
Isaiah 60:3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Isaiah 60 is a chapter describing a new day for the nation, in the midst of a depressing and disheartening situation. The nation was had been over run by the nations, and the people of God had just returned from exile.
The temple had been destroyed, along with the capital city. Some passages in the Old Testament speak of jackals roaming the amongst the streets. A rebuilding effort was on the way, yet enemies from without were threatening any progress they made, little lone their existence.
The times – they were difficult, and discouraging. The few of the faithful that did return, fell into sins, lacked any motivation for the temple, and struggled to come together as a nation under God.
Isaiah has the gall to speak of this nation as being a light to the nations, and that kings would come to the Brightness of their Rising.
Not only that, but Isaiah says they are the only light, for the verse prior, he speaks of darkness covering the earth, and thick darkness over the peoples.
How audacious for Isaiah to “taunt” the people, to “tease” them.
You know, some of my brothers may consider this passage as prophetic of a future time, even a time for us that we have not experienced. This may be true, but I seem to recall a time when this passage would have been appropriate to relate it to.
There was a Rabbi who came to the tiny nation of Israel, who claimed to be the Light. He appeared for the nation when the peoples were in great darkness, and by His actions, exhibited the glory of God. The people of God were indeed insignificant at this time, with only a few who believed. Many were the ones who were in darkness, even to a point of hostility to the One who shone upon them.
Yes they crucified Him, but in that act of violence, the glory of God was fully revealed, and the nations have been flocking to Him, with Kings bowing the knee to His reign.
The Brightness of His Rising is the light of God for all to see.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.
11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.
12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.
13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.
14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
To be led away.
What is the apostle speaking of when he makes this remark
Well let’s consider the context of this passage.
First off, I do not want to appear to ignore a passage that would speak against conditional security! You see, the once saved always saved (OSAS) adherent would appeal to verse 5 in their defense, and I will be the first to agree with them in the faithfulness of the Lord. He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Yet this is not spoken out of a vacuum, for the reason the apostle speaks thus is to challenge the Master’s followers to be likewise, to not forsake the Master, to never leave the ways of the Master. The verse speaks of the great faithfulness of the Lord as an encouragement to His followers to be likewise faithful.
This thought continues through verse 7, speaking of the Lord’s faithfulness, and now includes our previous faithful leaders.
Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
The Great Example of faithfulness is the Lord Jesus Christ, and the apostle summarizes his though in verse 8.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!
Out of this context, the apostle begins a warning for his readers. Granted this is not one of the major warning sections most scholars consider to be hubs in the argument of the book (see below for list of 5 warning passages), yet we know the tenor of the book – that is the Lord is better than any religious competition – and the repercussions for the believer to this truth is to remain faithful. And why would the believer not remain faithful to Him? His is the best!
So let us consider the passage we are looking at today.
The apostle speaks of diverse and strange teachings the Hebrew believers may be tempted to go after. But the apostle speaks somewhat stronger than the believers simply going after them.
The believers, it seems to me, have the potential of being carried away by these teachings. To be diverted from the good path we have been granted, that is of being strengthened by grace. It is of interest that the apostle speaks of the “foods” not benefitting those devoted to them. For the Hebrew believer this must have brought to mind those who were committed to the diet of the religious Jew.
Now I am of the opinion that this book was written just prior to 70 AD, just prior to the time when the Romans would come in and completely destroy the nation of Israel, the city of Jerusalem and the Temple of God.
Yes – those devoted to these strange and diverse teachings surely did not benefit from them. Destruction awaited them as the course of history has testified.
My friends, this passage speaks of our need to separate from teachings that will drag us off in the wrong direction, to a path that misses the altar we have been provided. To follow after strange and diverse teachings allows us to stay in the camp, “safe” amongst those who also adhere to them.
But that is not our call, for we are to go outside the camp, escaping this city of destruction, and head to the city that is to come (verse 14).
My friends, to follow after strange and diverse teachings, teachings that are not founded on the rock of the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the teachings of His apostles, is to abandon the way. To seek other teachings is to allow yourself to be carried away from the truth of Jesus and His Word. And strange and diverse teachings will surely carry us away from Him!
Seek the Lord Jesus, and discover Him in the Word. The Word is truly abundant in teachings of grace for the believer and contains a wealth of blessing we abandon at our own risk.
As mentioned above, find the five warnings of Hebrews below.
Five Warning Passages of Hebrews
Hebrews 2:1-4
Hebrews 4:12-13
Hebrews 6:4-8
Hebrews 10:26-31
Hebrews 12:25-29
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
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
Aaron
Dealing with Sins
Leviticus 16:34 And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” And Aaron did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Whereas Aaron was to make atonement for the people of God, the gospel tells us that we have been provided purification of sins. The general picture of a high priest dealing with the sin problem of the people he represents is the point in this post, yet the differences are worth pointing out in their effectiveness.
To make atonement is to cover over, to pacify. A great physical picture of this term is that the same word was used of the pitch covering the gopher wood in the ark.
Genesis 6:14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.
A bit later in Genesis, this same term was used to describe Jacob’s hopes in meeting with his brother.
Genesis 32:20 And you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”
Of course once the term was used in the sense of sacrifice before God, it took on a far greater importance, but it never lost the idea of covering over.
The sins in the Old Testament, through the sacrificial temple system, were covered over.
Consider the difference when Hebrews 1:3 states that the sins were purified! This term speaks of washing off, a cleansing. This is a totally different response to and result of His sacrifice in dealing with sin!
According to the book of Hebrews, our sins are no longer simply covered over, someday to be revealed again, (as the Hebrew nation expected every 365 days) but the sins Jesus dealt with have been purified!
I can hardly grasp this concept, that our sins have been washed away, and not simply covered over.
Consider the difference and thank the Lord who suffered for you and I, in order to clean and purify us!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
62
BRIGHTNESS OF THE GLORY OF THE LORD
Ezekiel 10:4 And the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.
Ezekiel had the gut wrenching experience of witnessing God leaving His temple in Jerusalem. For a priest to witness this must have been additionally heartbreaking.
My impression is that previous to this exiting, the glory of the Lord, the Shekinah was limited, or somewhat subdued when between the cherub over the mercy seat of the ark. I am in no way diminishing the presence of God, but as Ezekiel continues to write, it seems he describes the court as being filled with the glory of the Lord.
Could it be that God was making a point, that His presence was somehow larger, brighter, greater than previously witnessed? That in His leaving, He was exhibiting in the clearest possible terms, the loss that the nation would experience?
This departure, based on the rejection of the nation, was a precursor to another fatal rejection by the nation of Israel. I would suggest the reader compare Ezekiel’s description of the glory of God’s departure with the rejection of Jesus, leaving the Temple the last time and heading to the cross.
Similarities abound and the greater glory was seen as He left the second time. His compassion for the people, His willingness to suffer for their rebellion, His patient endurance through the mockery.
When you consider Who Jesus Christ is, and the utter ridiculous and hateful treatment of the Son of God by His own creation, it isn’t difficult to see that He is the Brightness of the Glory of the Lord.
He is the Brightness, the Shining, the Light of the Glory of the Lord
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My 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.
61
BRIGHT MORNING STAR
Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Jesus, in His last communication to the ones who follow Him, speaks of the Bright Morning Star. Many scholars and Bible teachers link this description with Venus, as the planet appears in the morning, prior to the full sunrise. As Venus rises on the horizon, it indicates that the night is soon past and the full light of the sun will arrive next.
Yet the Bright Morning Star is present in the early morning hours, while it is still dark. Let us not loose hold of this truth, for as the Lord gave His last message to his people, His message not only contained hope, for the star does proceed the full light of day, but the star also provides a point of focus. We are to consider Jesus as the focal point of our lives as we wander in this darkness of our pilgrimage on earth.
One last note. Jesus does not say He will be the Bright Morning Star, but that He is the Bright Morning Star. In this world of darkness, His light may be seen if you search for it. Yes the sky is immense, and there are many other stars, acting as distractions, but the Bright and Morning Star is shining for all to recognize
He is our Bright Morning Star!
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.
Proverbs 11:24 ESV – One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Y’all know I’m an engineer by trade and that I deal with “mathy” things all the time. 2+2=4 type of stuff.
So when my eyes crawl over this verse, the little red lights start to go off in my head.
It just didn’t make sense for me, and, as a paradox is wont to do, it took me outside of my usual way of thinking.
As mentioned in an earlier post on Paradoxical Passages (Paradoxical Passages – 2 Corinthians 8:9) this verse is an example of mixing two topics in the same thought.
My initial problem was that I was equating the giving and the wealth (or the hoarding and the poverty) with the same medium. How could I not gain riches by hoarding cash or securities or real estate or things things things!
You see, that is the problem. Solomon, as Paul describes centuries later, speaks of giving away that which is merely physical to gain that with is non physical.
A good real life example is that of a friend of mine when I first stated going to church. His name was Tommy Devine, a small elderly man with one old suit to wear to church, who lived in a tiny apartment on a tiny government allowance. He constantly shared what little he had with others, usually with teenagers that made fun of him. He loved sharing the love of Christ with those in his neighborhood and looked for opportunities to help anyone he could.
I do not recall one time when he wasn’t the happiest man I had ever come across. When I would sit with him, and ask him how he was, he would always respond – “Fine as frogs hair!”
He was a wealthy man in my eyes, with nary a care and always expressing a thankful heart.
He gave freely, yet grew all the richer. He truly is a great example to look back on. He loved the Lord and reflected the grace of his Savior.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion
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
Aaron
Ordination/Appointment
Exodus 29:44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests.
Hebrews 5:4-6 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
In Exodus 29, God defines the many ways and reasons the priests were to offer up sacrifices for themselves and for the people they represented. As a summary of the chapter, verse 44 speaks of God’s consecration of the priests for service in His tent of meeting.
Let’s remember that this is the tent of meeting, a humble edifice that is meant as a place to represent God. Aaron, at least should be a humble example of the people he represents. Nothing in this picture speaks of worthiness, or being qualified, of being good enough for the position.
God spent a full chapter speaking of how the priests were to undergo a consecration, dealing with their condition before a holy God.
In no text of the Old Testament can I find any mention of Aaron seeking this position. Of course, once he had been appointed to the position of high priest, he forgot his humble beginnings and sided with his sister in seeking more privilege, but that is for another time!
No, Aaron did not seek this position – It was granted by the choice of God, not dependent on the actions of the one chosen. His consecration (or ordination) spoke of his need to be fit for the work. He didn’t seek this position since it seemed obvious he was not capable of fulfilling the job description!
Jesus on the other hand, was fully qualified (and yet maintained humility!) to perform the position of High Priest, and His ordination, though of a different priestly order, was granted through the resurrection of His body.
He is of the eternal order of the Melchizedekian priesthood. Notice that the Word states that Jesus was appointed by God, who said to Him
“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”
We all know that this verse speaks of the resurrection. His appointment to the Melchizedekian priest hood was through the grave, never again requiring another consecration.
Incredible Savior!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
60
BRIDEGROOM
Luke 5:34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
Was not Jesus a single man? For Him to speak of a bridegroom must have been somewhat surprising for those who heard Him. Some may not have connected Him as the bridegroom, but they surely refused to connect any importance to this Rabbi, for it seems obvious that He is referring to Himself.
So a single man refers to Himself as a bridegroom. One more time where the Master teacher shocks our sensibilities, our expectations, our assumptions.
To be a bridegroom brought with it a number of assumptions that the Jewish culture accepted.
A bridegroom would provide a gift to initiate a betrothal for His bride. Well, that is not quite accurate. The Father of the Bridegroom would provide this gift, called a mohar in the Old Testament, for the bride. Once this transaction occurred, the betrothal was entered into, and a wedding was planned for. This time period between betrothal and the formal wedding was as binding as the formal wedding, but lacked in the intimacy the formal wedding would allow.
An example of this expectation of the betrothal is the Lord’s earthly mother and father. When Joseph was informed of Mary’s pregnancy, he considered divorce, since they were “merely” betrothed, and she could not be having his child as they had not been intimate yet.
Since the Bridegrooms family paid for the bride, it was understood that the newly founded family would live with the Bridegroom’s father/family.
One other interesting tidbit regarding this practice was the negotiating between families for the betrothal. The future bride had very little, if any input in the negotiations. The betrothal was a period of time where the bride would become acquainted with the Bridegroom
Can we see the Father and the Son working out the picture of the betrothal and wedding for His bride? Did not the Father provide a gift to the bride in the sacrifice of the Son? Is not our current time of knowing the Lord reminiscent of this betrothal period? Finally, when the marriage occurs, as the bride we will be taken to the Father’s house.
How often the disciples must have marveled at the teaching of Jesus, possibly confused at first, maybe somewhat frustrated, but they continued to seek truth. When this picture of the betrothal and wedding was understood spiritually, it must have been a tremendous blessing to those disciples.
He is our Bridegroom, and He has bought us. Take time getting “acquainted” with 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.
59
BREAST PLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
As believers, we of all people should realize we have no absolute righteousness within our nature. We are a people that leans to evil, have tendencies to seek wrong, desire the unholy and look for trouble. It is deep within us to be selfish, self centered and concerned with our own comfort and interests.
We understand that the extent to which He was sacrificed has in some way defined the depth of our sickness, our brokenness, our bent to things not of God. His crucifixion is the proof of His sacrificial love for those who are through and through of the wrong stuff.
Oh Carl – You are exaggerating the human condition to make a point. That may be, but I would challenge you to prove your righteousness instead of simply claiming your righteousness.
Obey every command delivered to us through the Word. Do not allow yourself any leeway, but commit wholeheartedly to continually obeying every command God has given us. You can choose either the Old Testament Law – the decalogue – or the New Testament teaching from Christ. Decide on either the easy one (decalogue) or the tough one (NT teaching). But once decided, commit to continually obeying every principle with 100% precision and commitment.
I would suggest two outcomes are possible if you take on this discipline.
One – You will convince yourself that you continually obey every command the Lord has spoken, and from that inner knowledge, a huge shadow of pride and arrogance will dominate every action, emotion and interaction with your peers, family and friends.
Two – You realize there is no hope, that you don’t have the strength to obey, or the ability, or even the desire to follow after the Lord with every strength possible, and you become disheartened.
Both of these results are not acceptable, and not intended by the Word, other than to show us our desperate need to look to our only Righteousness.
Paul provides the truth of the breastplate of righteousness, the righteousness as a breastplate protecting our heart. Our own heart, though redeemed, is continually bombarded with temptations, and if we look to our own heart for righteousness, we will loose heart. The Breastplate of Righteousness is a protection for our lives, protecting the most vulnerable part of our life.
He is the Breastplate of Righteousness, since the truth of His sacrifice is beyond our own understanding or experience. His sacrifice is a fact we can lean on, where our hearts find solace, comfort, encouragement and strength.
As we continually look to Jesus as our Breastplate of Righteousness, we will eventually learn what it means to walk properly, to think correctly, to understand humility and grace, and to mimic Him (in some small way) in His acts of Righteousness. Realizing our heart has been protected by His never changing righteousness, will also create a heart trained to righteousness. This heart will eventually produce a likeness to His Spirit in your day to day activities.
One more thing if I may be so blunt – My understanding of His Righteousness has totally morphed from my first days as a believer. It is much deeper, much stronger, much more subtle (at times), so dependent on the Spirit, rooted in the thought life, and full of mercy.
He is our Breastplate of Righteousness. Is He covering your life? Is he protecting your own heart, no matter it’s condition?
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.
16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.
Stability. Quite the concept for the Apostle Peter to bring up, and yet it is fitting, for he is writing as one who had obtained a faith of equal standing with those to whom he wrote. He was intimately knowledgeable of instability, of how the Lord had brought him back from having denied his Master.
As Peter is closing his last epistle to his brethren, he describes the patience of the Lord, and commends Paul’s writings, that were hard to understand. Even for Peter?
Nevertheless, Peter describes Paul’s writings as Scripture, and that there are some ignorant and unstable readers twist the scripture to their destruction.
Twist or distort. The term “twist” has the connotation of to be tortured, to twist or pervert. In my thoughts (which are worth less than the wind), I imagine these ignorant and unstable readers taking a truth from Paul’s writings and forcing it to say something it never was meant to convey. Can you imagine the picture Peter is trying to form in his readers mind. A truth provided by an apostle being tortured until a different message is understood!
This speaks of the willingness of our hearts to accept what the text says, after comparing with other texts within the Word. Is there something in the Word that you have to explain away in order to feel comfortable? Can you hear the text being tortured?
It is good to remember that the text is sometimes offensive, difficult to understand, upsetting to our sensibilities, even disturbing at times.
Peter is careful to describe those ignorant and unstable as twisting the text to their own destruction. Now I can hear many say that these ignorant and unstable are not believers, for their end is destruction, and I would have nothing to argue with you on this point.
The issue is that Peter is warning his people, believers who had obtained a faith of equal standing with Peter (verse 1) of the message the ignorant and unstable were providing, the error of the lawless people. The message they tortured out of the text was bringing about their destruction. Is Peter warning his people of their own destruction? He certainly is warning them of staying away from the wrong message and thereby avoiding the same end the ignorant and unstable will experience.
And what is the cure, what is Peter’s last message for the church?
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Instead of listening to those who torture the text, or to your thoughts when they are wanting to hear something instead of the truth, seek after the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to increase in His knowledge and grace, to come to understand who He is and what He has done.
Focus on Him and the truth provided through the Word. Stay away from the ignorant and unstable, for they produce a destroying message! (Note that the ignorant and unstable will often make glorious claims of deep or new understandings in order to “justify” their tortured message!)
Just let the Word speak without torture!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
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
Aaron
One who Offers Sacrifice
Numbers 15:25 And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the people of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, because it was a mistake, and they have brought their offering, a food offering to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD for their mistake.
Hebrews 5:1-2 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.
Seeing Jesus as the High Priest pictured in Aaron has some fantastic similarities. Yes, Jesus is not of the Aaronic priesthood, but for that we must be thankful, for His priesthood is a never ending priesthood based on an unending life.
Yet He was chosen from amongst men to offer sacrifice to God for men. A priest that was not of “another creation”, but one who could relate to the condition of the people he represented before God.
Aaron, as High Priest chosen from amongst men, offered sacrifices for the congregation, of which he was a part. True – he offered a sacrifice that belonged to someone else. And his sacrifice had limited effectiveness. But the sacrifice was presented unto God, and Aaron (or his descendants) represented a nation who needed mercy and forgiveness for an immediate sinful action. Whether it was for a specific sin or the collective blot of disobedience the nation incurred for the entire year, Aaron (or his descendants) offered up a sacrifice to represent the nation in front of God.
It is the act of offering up a sacrifice that draws our attention to the Lord this morning. Both Aaron and Jesus, offered up sacrifices unto God for a people they represented.
Yet how much greater is the Lord in His offering for the people, not only in the effectiveness of the offering, but also in the duration of the satisfaction the offering provided to the God of all creation. His offering was not from someone else’s flock, or that belonged to a neighbor, but was of His own life, a spotless life that He offered unto God.
Consider the offering of Jesus, and be thankful.
He was chosen to be the sacrifice, and in that choice, He brought to reality the picture of Aaron slaying a sacrifice for the people He sought to represent before a holy God.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
58
BREAD OF GOD
John 6:33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
In our last post we spoke of Jesus as the Bread from Heaven, and His self description in John 6:32. The very next verse, Jesus continues the description of the Bread, speaking of the nature of the Bread here, and not simply it’s origination. Jesus is giving those who hear tremendous truth as to the One who is speaking to them!
When Jesus speaks of the Bread of Heaven, He speaks of the location of the Bread’s origination, or where the Bread came from. For Jesus to speak of the Bread of God is revealing the nature of the Bread, the identity of the Bread. It is not a physical bread, but it is of God.
To refer to the Bread as being from Heaven may leave His listeners thinking He is an angel, or a spiritual being. In this verse He clarifies who He is (not His point of origin). He does not speak of Himself as being Bread from God, which would allow others to default to the angel understanding, but the Bread of God.
He came down from Heaven to provide us the Bread of God, Himself and that as the Bread of God was broken, we have the privilege of finding our life in Him.
He speaks of even greater life giving capabilities than simply providing life to a simple believer sitting at his desk typing this morning, but of providing life for the world. The world!
How audacious!
How like the One who spoke truth though our understanding is far from complete. He spoke the truth though hard for us to comprehend. He spoke truth for us not to struggle with, but to accept and to believe.
Do you believe?
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.
57
BREAD FROM HEAVEN
John 6:32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
Our next two descriptions of God are related to bread.
Our first passage hears Jesus speaking of the life giving food of the Bread from Heaven.
Notice that He speaks in the past when referring to Moses and the physical bread the Israeli’s received from the heavens for close to 40 years. They received the bread from heaven, but as Jesus is speaking to those hearing, He is referring to the present, the time He was on earth. He clarifies that the Bread they have access to is the Bread from Heaven, and delegating the manna of old as a simple physical symbol of things to come.
The Bread from heaven is a life giving sustenance that is to be consumed daily, to receive strength for the battles of the day, to have power to perform the tasks at hand and to be a blessing to others.
The Bread from Heaven speaks of Its (His) origin and therefore also implies that the strength, power and blessing is not of a physical source but of a heavenly source.
Are you finding daily sustenance for your Christian life in the Bread from Heaven?
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.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Through His poverty to our wealth? Dat don’t make no sense!
It just didn’t make sense for me, and, as a paradox is wont to do, it took me outside of my usual way of thinking.
When I think of riches, automatically I resort to the number of greenbacks I possess or to the value of my estate. Such a poverty driven way of thinking of riches!
When Paul is teaching the Corinthians, he is speaking to a congregation that surely had the same problem. Paul uses this settled mindset and twists it back to correct thinking. He is the excellent teacher, taking his students from where they currently think to a better place, a better focus, a better understanding of reality.
This is the intent of many of the paradoxes we see in the Word, for as the Lord or His apostle provides a paradox, it first off, at least for me, arrests my thinking and causes me to consider what the message is really intended to be.
We must remember that our thoughts are not necessarily correct in our current condition, even if we have been walking with the Lord for decades.
For this paradox, Paul is comparing the original state of Jesus prior to the incarnation, in that He was rich. To say that simply is somewhat of an understatement. Yes – He was rich for He was of the Godhead, creator and owner of everything. Yes – He was rich, but as my first reaction to assign things to this “richness”, this may have been the very intent Paul had to grab the Corinthians attention.
Paul uses this to return to the gospel, to explain that the riches were not merely physical things, but spiritual things.
Many in the modern church use this verse to adulterate the blessings God has provided through the Savior, denigrating them to merely gold and houses. The richness Jesus willingly gave up was far greater.
He accepted a sinner’s death, so we might have the Savior’s life. He accepted a criminals fate so we might have a righteous standing. He suffered through complete isolation from the Father so we might have Him with us always.
His richness that He gave up has nothing to do with physical wealth. As believers, we are rich, but not in the worldly sense. No our richness is in knowing the True God and His Son Jesus Christ.
Does knowing the Lord satisfy you? Is this verse still a paradox? Reconsider what true richness is!
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
Aaron
Chosen
Exodus 40:13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest.
Hebrews 5:1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
Moses was instructed to bring Aaron to the entrance of the tent of meeting in order to display before the nation His choice of Aaron as His High Priest. Aaron was to receive the holy garments, not due to a successful political campaign, or to some bribe that provided him this privilege, but due to the choice of God for his life.
Jesus, in His arrival and life, pleased the Father and was described as the One chosen by the Father.
Luke 9:35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
Both Aaron and Jesus had the privilege of being chosen for a priesthood. Of course the Son was chosen for the highest priesthood, and will remain in the priesthood forever, always serving as priest. As Hebrews 5:1 reminds us, His Priesthood before the Father is on our behalf in relation to God. He is our High Priest before God and provides His people the privilege of being in the presence of the Father, having become our sacrifice for sin.
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.
56
BRANCH
Zechariah 6:12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD.
The Word refers to “the Branch” a number of times and I struggled with which verse to use for our post this morning.
Isaiah 11:1 identifies the Branch as from Jesse’s family, and in chapter 4:2, the prophet refers to the Branch of the Lord, identifying the Branch as from the Lord.
Zechariah mentions the Branch prior to our verse above in chapter 3:8-9.
Each of these texts are fantastic verses to dwell on for the believer, but for this post, let us consider Zechariah 6:12, for Zechariah speaks of the Branches activities, or actions.
First off He will branch out from His place. Some scholars speak of this clause as describing the Branch’s growth as being from Itself, not dependent upon His conditions or environment. His growth is not expected, or of a natural result.
Secondly, the Branch shall build the temple. As Zechariah is preaching this message, the physical temple is being built in Jerusalem. Joshua, the High Priest, who is initially being referred to here, is associated with the physical temple, and many in the audience may have understood this declaration as being directly for him and the immediate circumstances.
Yet, if any Israeli worshipper knew his Old Testament, when Zechariah used the term “Branch”, they knew he meant much more than the immediate priest named Joshua. This was the Messiah being referred to in this passage, and that this Messiah would branch out, spread His influence/authority/knowledge throughout the land.
For the New Testament believer, this passage speaks of the Messiah’s influence/authority/knowledge spreading farther than the small nation of Israel, but throughout the earth.
The temple of the Lord is being built by the Branch, and may His name be praised!
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 