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.
51
BEGINNING OF GOD’S CREATION
Revelation 3:14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
In our last post we considered Jesus as the beginning of the church, as Paul was writing to the Colossians.
In this portion of Scripture, John is describing our Savior as the beginning of God’s creation. Again. let us be careful to not assume Jesus had a beginning (other than as a man) and was not One of the eternal persons in the Trinity.
As the audience is the church of the Laodiceans, I have always considered the creation John refers to here as the church, very much of the same vein of truth as Paul expressed in Colossians 1:18
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
As many who read this blog are believers, to see this verse is to simply accept it at face value. We have accepted it since it is in the Word and not been shocked as the disciples must have been when they first heard it.
Considering the original audience, it is a paradox, and in trying to understand the message as the original hearers, – well – it is a difficult saying!
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 the easiest way to understand this paradox is the throw myself under the bus. It isn’t the saying that is the problem but my false concept that to be great means to accept the world’s definition of greatness. My nature is such that I to want to have power over others, and that power over others somehow is evidence of greatness in my life. To be over someone, to have someone serve me, can be heady, it feeds the pride, makes my self estimation blow up, and allows the self deception of my own importance grow.
So why is it that power over someone makes me think I am of more worth, have greater value, or simply am a “better” person. If we consider some of the most powerful men in history, they have been despots, dictators that have taken their power over others and abused it, causing suffering and death. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Jesus’ truth in this verse, if considered in the opposite, shows the truth of His statement. Those who have had the more “servants” have actually become lesser people, loosing moral guidance and ethical anchors, their very souls to the drive for more power.
Yes, this verse is a paradox, but only due to my upside down thinking of what it takes to be great. As we watch those who have incredible power over others in this age, we must remind ourselves that they have lost everything in order to gain this temporal condition. They are truly to be pitied, for they have fallen for a lie, and will suffer due to their success!
If we seek greatness (an imitation of Christ in us), the only path is through service to others.
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
A Brother
Exodus 4:14 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
Hebrews 2:17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
It is interesting that Aaron is first called out as a brother of Moses. Earlier we met a priest by the name of Melchizedek, which for reasons beyond our topic today, was not chosen to represent the nation of Israel as high priest. Some may think Melchizedek would have passed on by now, but I tend to think differently!
Aaron was a man that had two descriptions the Lord noted for Moses. One that he could speak well, which addresses Moses claim to limit his ability to represent before Pharoah, and that he was a brother. The fact that he was a Levite comes into the equation later for the priesthood!
Aaron was a brother. One who was of the same “stuff” as Moses, coming from the same family, the same time, the same location, the same history. He knew what it meant to be of the population of an oppressed people. He had heard of the promise of a new land.
Jesus is also of the same “stuff” in that He took on a physical body, experienced hunger, anger, frustration and remaining gamut of emotional impacts a man experienced in the first century, under an oppressive ruler, and yet He knew the promise of a new land.
Note that the apostle speaks of Jesus “made like His brothers in every respect”. We can not claim He did not experience what we go through, both internally and externally, or that we undergo trials beyond His understanding.
He is a Brother.
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.
50
BEGINNING
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
He is the beginning.
Some may think this refers to Jesus as being created, and would assign to Him an existence other than the truth of His eternality.
This thinking does not makes sense, for in the very verse we are looking at, Paul is speaking of Him as He relates to the church, not of His nature. He is the beginning of the church, the trailblazer, the Apostle sent to rescue us.
We cannot think of Paul or Peter as the ones who started the church.
He is the beginning.
As a man, He began His earthly existence in a cradle, for He needed a body to sacrifice for our rebellion. In a body, He related to those around Him, led by example, showed His character, and finally offered up the body created for Him.
He is the beginning.
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.
49
BEAUTIFUL AND GLORIOUS
Isaiah 4:2 In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel.
We haven’t spoke of the Branch of the Lord yet, as we are looking at His names in an alphabetical order, but suffice to say, Isaiah is speaking of the Messiah when he speaks of the Branch.
He shall be beautiful and glorious.
Beautiful. This Hebrew term often translated as glorious, or glory in our Old Testament. Using this term, Isaiah is bringing us a varied description of beauty, for this term is very closely associated with the thought of glory.
But what is glory? If I met you on the street, and asked you “What is glory”, could you answer without using the term glory?
Glory. This Hebrew term speaks of glory, honor and abundance, and is used 200 times in the Old Testament.
The term rose from a root meaning of heaviness or weight, and this root meaning may be associated with abundance combined with authority.
In my thoughts, for someone to be glorious in ancient times, meant he had abundance, for he was most likely a ruler of some kind, and he suffered no loss of want. He had weight, not only as a man who had physical abundance, but moral and or authoritarian influence. To be glorious may have had a visual aspect to it, but if we consider the root meaning of the word to have continued in its usage, the term likely meant the weight of authority the owner was able to wield.
In all of this conjecture, it makes sense to this believer that when I hear of glory, I think of authority, and not necessarily beaming rays of light.
Our Savior has all authority; His influence has no limits and He has no competitor in His beauty(glory) and glory(authority).
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.
and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Introduction to the paradox and my difficulty with the verse or set of verses
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.
Ambassador in chains?
Maybe the cultural soup I live in is making me struggle with this phrase, but if I listen to the famous preachers on the one eyed bandit, I come away from their message thinking we are only blessed in the physical realm, that as believers in the crucified One, we are kings and queens, ruling over all else, exercising dominion and taking all material wealth simply by claiming it as a right for the child of God.
When Paul describes himself as an ambassador, I relate it to the modern equivalent, one who is protected by the government he or she represents. No harm is to be effected on an ambassador for fear of retaliation from the sending government. There is nothing the ambassador can be charged with in the land he or she was sent to, having diplomatic immunity provided by the host country.
This may be the source of my paradox, for with the modern rights afforded the ambassador, and the influence of the modern preacher telling me I have rights as a child of God to earthly wealth health and prosperity, I come away from this verse with a big ol’ bowl of confusion.
But wait – maybe the confusion lies more in me than the text. If I reject the modern preacher’s cloak of maliciousness, and understand that my view of an ambassador is relatively modern, we may dispense with this paradox swiftly.
Paul uses the term πρεσβεύωpresbeúō,, and its base meaning is to be a senior. With a little imagination, my reader may guess this word is related to presbýteros, and speaks of elders within a church body, (or even lends its term to a denomination – Presbyterian).
Paul is referring primarily to his age in this verse and as the aged Paul, he has represented Christ through his journey, which is what an ambassador does. To think of Paul the aged as being chained up in a cold dungeon like jail, as he represents the King of all Creation still hearkens to a paradox, for if those who locked him up understood who he represented, they would realize they are actually locking up the King.
To chain an ambassador, the King’s representative, is to do do harm to the King. In such instances, the host county would be in danger of retaliation from the King.
Jesus had his retaliation upon the Roman government, for He eventually conquered that nation, converting vast swaths of Romans to submission to God.
Maybe the paradox is in our modern understanding of how a believer relates to this old world we travel in!
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.
48
BAPTIZER
Luke 3:16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. John 1:32-34 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
I imagine John the Baptist was a bit of a fiery preacher, calling the Pharisees a brood of vipers and speaking of wrath to come. So when John described the One coming as the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, I was somewhat surprised to hear of what (or Who) He will baptize with.
First, He will baptize with the Holy Spirit. No one but God Almighty has the authority to baptize with the Holy Spirit. It is not as if the Holy Spirit was to come upon someone in order to provide authority or power for a certain task, as in the Old Testament. This is the next level, where God would create a new humanity on the day of Pentecost.
Secondly, He will baptize with fire. Now some think this refers to the tongues of fire in Acts 2, which it might, but the audience at the time had just experienced John’s teaching of wrath. The message those in attendance heard was likely a continuation of wrath-speak. If fire refers to judgement, the audience heard of the One who had the power of judgement over their lives, and of the One who was able to administer wrath.
Both of these modes of baptism speaks of the authority and power of our God, of our Savior who came down to make us a new person and to rescue us from the very fire He’ has the power to administer.
Think on Him today. Listen to Him and as He speaks to you, honor His name by following His lead.
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.
47
BANNER OF LOVE
Song of Songs 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
In our last post, we saw that a banner was some signal or indicator for rallying about, and was in the context of battles.
As the King is wooing His love in this chapter of the Song of Solomon, we find the author speaking of a banner over her, a banner that is above the young woman, giving out a message to rally about. As mentioned, this rallying point of a banner is not in the context of war, but of love.
This banner was to draw this young woman into His arms, to declare His commitment to her, to entice her to be His.
Is it not the very same for us, who have come to enter His banqueting house, who have come into His church, that we see the Banner as one that provides the message of love?
His banner over us is Love, and He has won us to Himself by His self sacrificial love. Let us remember that as we are in His banqueting Hall, His message hasn’t changed.
His banner over us is Love, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the Banner we are to look to, to rally about, and to understand the message for His Bride, is that He is Love
1 John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. Matthew 24:13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
As I was growing up in the church, as many of you may know, I fell in with a teaching that caused me to read this as a paradox, a set of verses that introduced confusion in my mind. I understood Matthew 24 to be describing the end of days for the Bodyof Christ on the earth, just before the pretribulation rapture.
As the passage progresses into verse thirteen, the end is spoken of and if the believer endures to the end, he will be saved. But back in verse 9, believers are being put to death.
If they didn’t make it to the end, will they not be saved?
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 some of my confusion was self inflicted, in that I associated the end with the rapture, which thought I have come to abandon.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not abandoning the teaching of a rapture, but simply understand it differently than before.
The one who endures to the end will be saved. Two discussion points are needed when we hear that phrase.
What is the end? And what did the Lord mean when he spoke of being saved?
Since He was talking to His disciples the message they heard was one which was directly applicable to them in their future ministry.
They would be delivered up to tribulation (trials)
They were put to death
They would be hated by all nations for His name sake
Many would fall away from the faith
Many would betray and hate one another
Many false prophets would raise up as these disciples preached the gospel and planted churches.
In the midst of all this turmoil and persecution, all the lawlessness, betrayal, hatred, disappointment, all the struggle, pain and opposition, these preachers are being challenged to stay the course, to endure. To “endure” does not allow for a specific time period to be inserted into our thinking. To endure simply means to continually be faithful, to be faithful in every circumstance until there is no more opportunity to be faithful.
When will there be no more opportunity to endure?
The end.
That last day when endurance in this life for Him has been completed and we see Him face to face.
The message was general to these men for there was much to be learned for these preachers. Many of them at this time were still anticipating a time when Jesus would overthrow the Romans physically in battle, not in the manner they would learn of later, through the conversion of individual hearts into a new and living way, into the Kingdom of God.
The message was hard, but it is a general gospel truth that must be applied to each of our lives. It is not to be pigeon holed into a tiny part of history that may happen in the next few hours or days or weeks or months or years or decades or even centuries.
We know not when He will appear to take us home, but we have opportunity to be faithful today. Let us not forget that, and that the “end” for both you and I will be in His time, and at His pleasure, and may be much earlier than the future day of the rapture.
Be faithful today, endure to the end, and love the Lord. He is good!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you 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
Day of Consecration
Exodus 29:4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.
Luke 3:21-22 21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
To enter into God’s presence, Moses was to wash the priest in front of the tent, prior to their entering. Before their ministry before the Lord would start, the priest had to be cleansed.
Now as we know, much of the Old Testament included pictures and themes would be shadows representing the Lord Jesus when He appeared on the earth. I am confident that my readers can see the parallel of how this worked out 2000 years ago in the Lord’s life.
Of course the cleansing was personally unnecessary for the Lord in that He was clean before the Father prior to entering into ministry. His baptism was the public outworking of this Old Testament image for those who were present and for us who read the Word.
Prior to His formal entrance into ministry before His Father, the Lord Jesus associated Himself with us, and with this image of the first priests, undergoing the outward expression of cleansing before the Father.
After this cleansing, Jesus was to embark on a most remarkable ministry as the ultimate High Priest in the presence of the Father, even to the point of offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice.
He is the Consecrated One and has been formally introduced to His creation as the Priest to be before the Holy One, bring One acceptable sacrifice – Himself – before the throne of God.
He is the Consecrated One.
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.
46
BANNER OF ISRAEL
Psalm 60:4 You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah
The background to this psalm is the victory over Edom in the wars described in 2 Samuel 8:3-14. It seems that while Israel was fighting to the north and east, they were flanked by three nations (Edom, Philistia and Moab) to the south, coming in from the rear, with Israel suffering serious losses and falling into confusion.
David speaks of a banner being lifted up, for those who fear God – the true Israel – to rally about.
When under fire all around, those who fear God will realize the banner has been lifted up for us also.
The Banner of Israel was lifted up to defeat the enemy, and to show the way for battle.
The Banner of Israel is our rallying point, for when we are overwhelmed, we need to return to the simple message of the One who hung on the cross, for all to see.
The Banner of Israel is naturally the focus of those who fear God, and as we focus on Him, we come to find strength in Him and encouragement from fellow soldiers to continue the battle.
Look to the Banner of Israel as you live your day for 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.
45
BALM OF GILEAD
Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?
What in tarnation is balm? And is there something special about Gilead?
The background to the question Jeremiah asks is the utter upcoming destruction of the nation of Israel. The nation created by God, and sustained by God through many trials and terrors is now on edge of captivity. God’s mercies through the ages have been many, and they have been rescued by the Father many many times.
Yet Jeremiah fears the worst, for he is calling out to the nation to seek out the balm of Gilead, a medicinal oil that was well known for it’s healing properties in the nation of Israel.
Of course Jeremiah was not referring to the literal balm (or oil) of Gilead, for he is speaking of the sickness within the nation of Israel. This sickness, which would bring about the captivity of Israel, was not simply skin deep, but a matter of the heart. The literal balm of Gilead was known to treat surface cuts, heal burns, and relieve pain by soothing the hurt areas on the body. Jeremiah is somewhat sarcastic in this verse, referring to the balm as if that would be the minimum effort for healing on the part of the nation. Yet as we know, no literal balm of Gilead could have healed the nation, but our Balm of Gilead, our Great Physician is able to heal, and He is the One Jeremiah is pointing to in our verse.
A little later in Jeremiahs ministry in chapter 46:11, he calls on the nation to retrieve this balm from Gilead.
Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you have used many medicines; there is no healing for you.
In our day and age, the balm of gilead may be purchased online. Whether it is the actual balm referred to in our verse, I will leave that to my gentle reader. No matter, for we all need to seek out our Balm of Gilead, the Great Physician, the One who heals hearts and not simply relieves pain on a surface.
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.
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Paul is amazing in his instruction, for as some of my dear brothers may suggest, to follow after the Christ is to give up all possessions, to sell your stuff and leave it all behind. For some this is the appropriate call on their lives, and to those so called, it is a high calling.
Yet Paul does not leave the rest of us without a responsibility in relation to the riches in this present age. To be rich in this present age – a phrase that speaks of the source or foundation of the riches, as opposed to the time we experience the riches. He is instructing Timothy to admonish those who have accumulated “things of this world”, material wealth, goods and investments with the following instruction . As we consider this passage, we can see that Paul is speaking of two worlds that the believer lives in, the material and the spiritual.
If a believer is not called upon to physically leave behind his goods to follow the Master (which also has a trap of producing a prideful attitude), the saint is then challenged with the requirement to prioritize his goods to a much lower level in the believers life.
Note what it is that Paul focuses on. Two “don’ts” and three “do’s”.
Don’t be haughty
A large (or medium, even a small bank account) is no reason to consider yourself better than a brother in the Lord. As I speak to my brothers in my blog, we tend to measure our success in life with the toys we have.
This is a mindset that needs to be rejected.
Paul is speaking of our current attitude toward others in this verse, based on the riches of this present age.
Don’t hope in material goods
Paul then breaches our faith, or our hope for the future, based on the riches we have accumulated. This is tantamount to opposing our faith in God. Each of us who have material goods needs to wash our minds and hearts of any detrimental hope we may have in our savings.
Wisdom dictates we store up for the future, that we do what we can to prepare for the future, yet our hope is not on the material goods we accumulate, but on the God who gives us the strength each day to work, love and care for others.
Do good
Paul speaks of our actions to enter into as one who may have trusted in his goods. Do good. Simple. He simply speaks of doing good, and leaves it up to the believer to find opportunities to “do” good.
Be generous
The next two “do’s” are better described as who we are to become, and not exactly specific (or even general) actions or works we are to enter into.
It is a state of being, to “be” generous. When an opportunity arises that can be taken care of, a generous man will do what he can to relieve it. It will be an automatic response, not necessarily a calculated response.
Be ready
Not only are we to be generous, but we are to be ready. This speaks of continuing in the attitude of generosity.
In all of this charge to the rich of this world, Paul instructs Timothy to inform the rich that this life will produce a “good foundation” for the future” in order that the rich maytake hold of life.
May take hold of life?
Isn’t he speaking to believers? Do they not have in their possession the life of God by faith in the Messiah? What is all this talk of a foundation for the future, of them leading lives that produce conditions to take hold of life?
Am I suggesting that providing generous gifts to charities and churches will get you to heaven? Not so! There is only one way and we all know it isn’t by our actions.
And yet, it is our actions that prove we have the life.
How are your actions and attitudes lately? Have you considered the life you are living in relation to Paul’s exhortation to Timothy?
Do good – Paul did not put any limits on this command, and be generous as the Lord directs.
Grab the life in this life. Paul gives us the instructions on how to do it!!!
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
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.
44
AWESOME GOD
Nehemiah 1:5 And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
In our society these days, to hear the term “awesome” brings to mind something that is amazing, that tickles the mind, that entertains or provides a momentary thrill. Sometimes it simply refers to that which is simply eye candy, something that our senses consume but has no lasting beneficial effect.
The term used to carry the meaning of terror, or fear. It would never be associated with light matters such as the taste of a doughnut or the sound of a country song, the appearance of a special effect in a movie or TV show.
For Nehemiah to describe God as an awesome God would illicit thoughts of dread, of reverence in the most holy sense. Nehemiah was not placing our God in the same category as a hamburger, or a new car, something we may consider as awesome today.
A majority of times, this term translated as awesome in our verse is translated as either fear or to be afraid.
To terrify.
A sense of fear that constricts the stomach, weakens the knees, troubles the mind, produces a cold clammy sweat, and encompasses the entire attention of the “victim”. A mind consumed with one source of fear, without any worthy distractions able to wrest it from that source of fear.
This “Awesome” God is the God who Nehemiah describes as the One who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments.
Steadfast love from the very source of fear inducing numbness. How can we ever understand our God? But alas – it isn’t for us to understand our God – but to simply love Him and keep His commandments.
Selah
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.
43
AUTHOR OF LIFE
Acts 3:15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
The Spirit has fallen on the church, and Peter has preached his first sermon with thousands coming to faith. In chapter 3, Peter takes part in the healing of a crippled man, similar to the good works Jesus had performed as He walked amongst them. This miracle continues the wake up call to the people of Israel, grabbing their attention in the very heart of their religious life at the temple.
Peter had their attention, and he had an opportunity to preach, and preach he did.
Can you imagine Peter’s opportunity here to threaten or coerce those who did not believe in the previous sermon. But let us not consider Peter’s motivation to be such, for although he spoke harsh truth, his message was cushioned with an admission of ignorance on the part of those hearing.
As I mentioned, Peter spoke harsh words to those who were present, revealing the contradiction of actions they were committed to just a few months back when they killed the Author of Life. Some translations speak of the Lord’s name as Prince of Life and there may be justification for this, yet to hear Peter describe Jesus as the Author of Life rings true for me.
He had just described the audiences earlier desire to have one who ended life, a murderer, to be released, and now Peter describes Jesus as the One who is the Author of Life, speaking of Him as the originator of Life, the One who created life. As if He created life only to be denied life by those He “authored”.
The Greek term for author (ἀρχηγός archēgós) in this verse speaks of One who goes ahead, is a chief leader, One who leads by example.
In all this contradiction, the Author of Life can’t help but to continue to offer life to those who are ignorant, to those who seek death and reject life.
He is the Author of Life, no matter what we think or do. He is seeking you and will not give up, for He not only has life to share, but is the very Author of Life.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
The faith we live is the victory we are granted to walk in and I understand the victory to be a daily occurrence, a battle with the influences of this old world.
A personal story may help me explain my thoughts.
My wife and I were recently out for a meal with some folks and a lady requested if I had seed a recent movie. I understood this movie had an agenda, and I mentioned this to her. Now before we go any further, let me confess this lady is a believer, she attends a conservative church, does many charitable works and confesses the Lord. Yet she found my understanding of the movie to be offensive.
I made a comment to the effect that the movie appealed to her since it fit her worldview. It did not “fit” my worldview as it was peddling what I considered a radically progressive worldview, seeking to normalize an offensive lifestyle unto the populace.
We are both believers, but I would suggest that if my estimation of “the world” is correct, she may not be overcoming “the world” in this area. Now before someone think I am judging harshly, I readily admit my own worldview, or how I perceive truth, is not any better, for I have blind spots and opinions that are in opposition to the faith I confess.
With this being said, I would suggest the faith we have is to be in opposition to the world, that as believers we are to be a counterculture, a people that tests the thoughts being offered to us, filter those thoughts through the Word, and reject all that do not line up with the general teaching of the Word.
But let us not reject out of a position of pride, but handle the position we take out of humble spirit, always seeking to provide a loving answer, a solid response and to act in grace with mercy to those who oppose.
In my study of this verse, I tripped over a Matthew Henry quote that seems to capture many of my suspected thoughts on this verse.
Self-denial is required, but true Christians have a principle which carries them above all hindrances. Though the conflict often is sharp, and the regenerate may be cast down, yet he will rise up and renew his combat with resolution. But all, except believers in Christ, are enslaved in some respect or other, to the customs, opinions, or interests of the world. Faith is the cause of victory, the means, the instrument, the spiritual armor by which we overcome. In and by faith we cleave to Christ, in contempt of, and in opposition to the world. Faith sanctifies the heart, and purifies it from those sensual lusts by which the world obtains sway and dominion over souls. It has the indwelling Spirit of grace, which is greater than he who dwells in the world. The real Christian overcomes the world by faith; he sees, in and by the life and conduct of the Lord Jesus on earth, that this world is to be renounced and overcome. He cannot be satisfied with this world, but looks beyond it, and is still tending, striving, and pressing toward heaven. We must all, after Christ’s example, overcome the world, or it will overcome us to our ruin.
Are you overcoming the world, or is it overcoming you?
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
Anointed with Water & Oil
Exodus 29:4, 7 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.
Acts 4:26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed–
Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Aaron (and his sons) were to be washed with the water prior to taking on their priestly robes and the office God called him to. This was one of the actions to be performed on Aaron in their consecration to the Lord. A washing with water, not simply to take the dust off from the day of milling about the camp, but to represent the cleanliness required for the minister if they were to be accepted before God.
A time of dressing the priest, with robes, breastplates, turbans and the ephod prior to the second “anointing”, this time with oil. The oil was to be applied to the head, and we don’t know exactly how much oil was applied. I often think of the oil as coming from a small vessel, possibly only a few ounces, but that is conjecture at best.
One reference in the Psalms speaks of the oil being applied to Aaron’s head and it running down the beard. The Psalmist likens this to unity amongst brethren, but we will leave that discussion for a later time
Psalm 133:2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!
No matter, for the picture of Aaron receiving the water and the oil typifies our Greater Aaron, who took a baptism to identify with His people, and was immediately anointed by the Father with the Holy Spirit, for the ministry He would enter into for the souls of men and women.
His consecration with water was not required to cleanse Him of any filthiness, but to associate with those He came to save. The oil from heaven, the Spirit of God lighting on the Son of Man, signified the power He would minister in, providing proofs of His amazing claims.
He is the Greater Aaron and truly a High Priest, beyond our imagination!
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.
42
ARM OF THE LORD
Isaiah 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon?
In our last post on the Names of God, we considered “Arm of Redemption”, with the psalmist referring back to the deliverance of the nation from Israel
In our current verse, Isaiah cries out to the Arm of the Lord, and in his cry, refers back to the days of old, and the generations long ago, who experienced that same deliverance from Egypt.
Instead of the psalmist referring to the capability of the arm, Isaiah speaks to who the Arm is. It is no angelic arm, though God has angels that are more than capable to cut down entire armies, such as the Assyrian army in the days of Hezekiah. This Arm is OF the Lord. and Isaiah is the only one in the Old Testament who uses this phrase.
The only other place in Isaiah that this name comes up is in the most famous of his chapters, describing our Messiah.
Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Isaiah’s question as to whom the Arm of the Lord has been revealed is answered for us today, for all believers have had the revelation of the Messiah, and may I suggest, the Arm of the Lord has been revealed to all who know the story of the resurrection.
True, believing the message brings tremendous benefits – nay – it brings life and light. Those who have heard the message of the resurrection and rejected it – to them the Arm of the Lord has also been revealed, and it is to their harm and destruction that they reject.
But He has been revealed
It is a question for us all, for the Arm of the Lord in Isaiah’s mind and his message is the Messiah, and He has been revealed.
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.
41
ARM OF REDEMPTION
Psalm 77:15 You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
The psalmist is speaking of the deliverance of the nation of Israel from the Egyptian bondage they suffered under for four centuries.
It was not simply God who performed a few miracles to deliver them from the furnace of Egypt, but it was God with His arm.
Seems like a strange description of how the people of Israel were delivered, and I would like to suggest a few possible understandings of this passage.
First off, I made the assumption that the arm referred to the Messiah, and that it was a connection of the Messiah with God in the deliverance of Israel. This may be valid.
My second consideration was that the arm represented strength and as such, it was the strength of God that provided Israel deliverance from Egypt. This may be valid, but I would like to suggest one additional perspective.
Could the Psalmist be describing the deliverance as something that God performed without even breaking a sweat. Hear me out my friend, for it is only the arm of God that is referred to. Could the psalmist be saying something like – You only needed to flex your arm in providing deliverance for the nation.
Did God stand up to deliver Israel? Did He put his back into the effort? I speak as a fool in describing these actions as if God had a back, or even an arm, but as the Psalmist gets specific, it tends to make me ask some silly questions.
Nevertheless, when it comes to the strength, or the power of God, the deliverance of Israel, mighty as it was, is dwarfed when compared with the deliverance supplied through the Messiah, His sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension.
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.
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
Become a fool? To become wise? Something just didn’t add up at first glance,
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.
Early in my faith, when I came across a passage such as we are considering today, I would read it, “believe it” and move on. After all, as believers we are to trust the Lord and the message He has provided. It was my desire to believe it, for the Word has the message of eternal life, the story of the Christ who died and rose again.
How could I not believe the Word?
Yet, as I tried to understand faith, I always was a bit nebulous about my approach of to the message reading and “believing”. Years passed and I accumulated head knowledge, and the Lord was kind to his child. And then I heard a fellow speak of what faith was. And it blew me away – which speaks volumes of my ignorance, but so be it!
Faith is reading the Word, understanding the Word and then finding application of the message for my situation. For this verse, when it came to the added step of understanding the Word, this is where this verses paradox came to fruition.
Become a fool to be wise? What is Paul saying there? Remember I am one of those analytical goofs, always seeking to use a logical framework for my understanding. Things have to add up for me to feel like I understand something.
The Lord was also teaching me at the time about the kingdom spoken of by the Messiah, and of His apostles. So much relearning of what the gospel was communicating, but for this verse, the critical piece of information was that we exist in the middle of two kingdoms. The kingdom of the world, which is fading, and about to be rolled up, and the eternal kingdom, which has secure foundations, never to decay.
And we, as believers are in a transition, from the decaying world order into the glorious kingdom of His dear Son! In this transition, we are required to give up (or per Paul’s language – put off) the old worlds thoughts, attitudes, and actions that we lived in. No longer lie. No longer cheat, or steal or covet, or hate. In positive terms, to live in the Spirit as He transforms us to the people we are to be.
This is the framework Paul is speaking from when he speaks of becoming a fool. A fool to the ways we lived in prior to knowing the Messiah. We are to become ignorant of the old ways, abandon the conventional wisdom, consider old thoughts suspect, even dangerous to our soul.
To become a fool to the old ways is to replace that wisdom with the wisdom that is available from God, the wisdom found in the Messiah, in His ways, in His humility, grace, servanthood and sacrificial life style.
As you read of the life we are called to, a life of forgiveness and love, and if you consider it outdated or not applicable, please realize this may indicate which kingdom you consider worth pursuing. For where your treasure is, there will be your heart!
In what kingdom are you wise?
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
High Priest
Exodus 40:13 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest.
Hebrews 4:14-15 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Although Aaron is never specifically called the high priest, he is the one chosen by God after the fiasco of the rebellion of Korah. His confirmation of the office of priest was provided through the budding of Levi’s staff, as opposed to any other tribes staff. Aaron was the first confirmed priest to minister before the Lord for the nation of Israel.
As we all know, Aaron experienced a number of faux pas events in his life. The golden calf comes to mind, along with his teaming up with his sister Miriam, in their complaining of Moses and his wife, and of their importance. Did Aaron and Miriam not speak as if they were equal with Moses? Surely God has spoken through Aaron and Miriam also! Pride and competition in ministry. How vulgar as we think of it, and yet we all, if we have served in any manner of ministry, have experienced the very same attitude.
Yet there is One who has not entered into this pride, though as we read He has been tempted as we have been. As we consider Him, He is the One through whom we hear the Word of God clearest, for He is the spoken Word walking amongst us, living as a simple rabbi, teaching and ministering to others. He could rightly speak of His greatness in comparison with others, and many times He did, yet without sin. Without any attitude of competition, or pride or one upmanship. Truly amazing that He exercised humility as He informed others of His true identity as the Messiah. The temptation to speak out of pride must have be immense!
He spoke the truth in humility and in the message gave us the opportunity to either agree or dismiss. He is the High Priest of our confession, having experienced the worst and come through it with honor and perfection. May His life be an example for us to follow, and that humility would be a mark of His people.
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.
40
AQUAINTED WITH GRIEF
Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
As I contemplated this verse, giving some thought to the experience of grief, and the willingness of our Savior to accept this lot in His life, I found myself being pulled to the absolute unfairness of it all.
He is only good and righteous, full of joy and is the author of peace. At no time, prior to creation, was grief or sorrow a portion of His. Only at the fall was grief possibly entered into by the Godhead.
Then, as creation continued to course down the path to destruction, I imagine grief continued to be present in some way within the Godhead. I say imagined, for I am thinking as a parent, and translating my experience to the Godhead.
How unfair, how unjust for grief to be resident within the Godhead, and yet Isaiah is drawing us to the Messiah, focusing our thoughts on the human Jesus, the Savior who would live His life acquainted with grief.
To be acquainted with something is to know that experience, to enter into the experience and to understand, not theoretically but practically, actually sensing the grief. Jesus entered into grief, and this picture we have of the Messiah is supported many times in the Gospels.
What is surprising is that the word “grief” spoken of by Isaiah refers to sickness or afflictions within the body, and not only an emotional condition. Surely the grief we often think of within this verse was a very real experience of the Master, but Isaiah may be trying to draw our attention to one of the reasons for this sorrow.
Is Isaiah speaking of a sickness within the Master’s body, an ailment that He experienced? No where in the gospels can I recall where this is mentioned. His acquaintance with grief (sickness) is with the sickness of others, the pain and suffering others lived in while He was with us. The very next verse speaks of His bearing our griefs (sickness), and surely Isaiah is speaking of the spiritual sickness of those He rubbed shoulders with.
Some may suggest he is speaking of physical sickness here, yet in my understanding, this has always cheapened the cross, that His suffering was for some temporal benefit, for physical relief of pain. Don’t get me wrong, for our God is a merciful God who very often provides physical relief of us in our pain. For that we should be very thankful, but I do not see that as the emphasis of this name we are considering.
He has bore our sins, and became acquainted with our spiritual sickness in His ministry, On the cross He bore that spiritual sickness, experiencing the result of our sin in front of the Father.
He was surely acquainted with grief! How unfair! How unjust!
How like our Savior to take on the repercussions of our sin!
May His name be praised as we think on His life!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
39
APPOINTED JUDGE
Acts 10:42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
Our last post we saw that Jesus is the appointed heir of all things, and we are now presented with Jesus as the One named the appointed Judge of the living and the dead.
Yet this appointed position, if I understand correctly, is the position the Son of God shared with the Father in His preincarnate state. Was He not the One who spoke to the people of Israel previous to Bethlehem? Was He not actively involved in determining the actions of the Godhead in bringing judgements upon the nation as they fell into sin over and over again.
I would suggest that the Son of God, from creation to the cradle has been judge.
The difference in this passage, where Peter preaches to the Gentiles of the good news, is that the Gentiles did not clearly understand the truth of the eternal God as judge. An even greater mystery now being declared by Peter was that the eternal God has now taken flesh, and through His death and resurrection, has been provided the sole responsibility of performing judgement upon both the living and the dead.
No longer do we have to wonder about the character of our Judge, for He is the One who was crucified for us, who not only was buried, but was raised again to take on the judgement of the world.
The term appointed also describes the limits, or boundaries of the “office” He has attained to. He is the judge of both the living and the dead.
It is one thing to judge a situation theoretically, but we can not claim this is the manner in which Jesus judges the living and the dead, for He has entered our life condition, and passed through the experience of death.
Peter was declaring to the Gentiles the single Judge they would have to come before, and that this lone Judge was One who had experienced both life and death. Judgement for both the living and the dead must be entered into, and while we are alive and breathing, we have the opportunity to come before the Judge to seek His mercy, experience His correction and find understanding and direction for our lives.
He is our appointed Judge, and we should thank the Lord every day for such a compassionate and loving Savior. We have come before the Judge of all and the Mediator of the New Covenant.
Listen to Him.
Hebrews 12:22-25a But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking.
Listen to Him. He is the appointed Judge.
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!
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Matthew 18:7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
Is Jesus telling us that it is necessary that temptations come, but then the responsibility for the temptation, and associated judgement (woe), is assigned to the one who brought the temptation? Is Jesus telling us that there are some who will be required to provide temptations and then will be responsible for the damage the temptation causes?
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.
You know that this type of paradox had tripped me up for years, and though I can not claim to have resolved it entirely, I do approach this type of statement with a different perspective than some of my Calvinist brothers.
As we read this verse, Jesus doesn’t seem to designate any particular person with the temptations being provided. He is simply stating an obvious fact, something everyone has experienced while walking amongst our own kind. We are those who, at best, unintentionally bring temptations to sin into others lives, and dare I say, in our worst moments, actually lay traps of temptation for those we know, and even care about.
As believers we know this is sin. We are to walk in the Spirit, depending on His guiding love to keep us from exercising that which shames us, and hurts others.
Yet, if we provide temptations, will woe be pronounced upon us, even as we confess Christ as our Savior? We need to keep short accounts with the Lord, and confess our sin before Him to keep our relationship healthy with Him. There are those who may bring temptation simply because they have yet to know the Lord, or do not understand the importance of avoiding the act of bringing temptations to others. They, like us, are in a period of maturity and with that, confession before Him will cover the sin, and avoid some, if not all of the repercussions of this act of sin.
Those who know not the Lord, they only pile woe upon woe in their lives, as they offend and reject the Savior, the only One who can deliver them from the sin they live in and the consequences of their acts.
I don’t see Jesus telling His disciples that specific people are required by God to cause temptations to others, and suffer for that. In other words, that specific people are destined to bring temptations into the world and for that they will incur (without exception) the wrath of God for those actions they are destined to perform.
We are all guilty of this act of offense and it is our calling to mature into adult believers, to understand the importance of relationship with others, to avoid providing even the appearance of temptation for others and to gently guide those who may not understand the Lord’s desire for His people in this regard.
Let us not be those who trip others up, but that we would help each other walk properly.
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
