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Names of God – CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL – 85

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.

85
 
CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL
 
Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
The Consolation of Israel.

Consider Simeon. He was a righteous and devout man, and my assumption has always been that he was a priest, but when I read the passage above there is no indication he was of the priestly line.

He was, I suppose, a simple man who followed the Lord, and was given an opportunity to see his salvation, to hold his salvation, and to speak of his salvation’s mission to the nation of Israel and the gentiles.

But let us not forget that the Gentiles Simeon spoke of included the very people who were oppressing the people of Israel. Simeon’s waiting for Jesus, the Consolation of Israel, was in the midst of living under oppression. And yet Simeon had the foresight to describe Jesus, the Consolation of Israel, as the One would be a light of revelation to the oppressors, those gentiles that dominated the people of God.

Even before Jesus could speak, His life was described by Simeon as the One who would provide for His enemies a light for the Gentiles.

I can’t help but think that Simeon had recently, by the providence of God, read from the scroll of Isaiah, where the Lord speaks of the Servant of the Lord, our Messiah.

Isaiah 49:6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Simeon saw the writing on the wall, and though the physical nation of Israel was under oppression, a new nation would erupt due to the light extending to the nations, and that salvation would reach the ends of the earth.

For God had much bigger dreams for His creation than many had considered, and for that we should be eternally grateful.

We have a Consolation that provides light to those who oppress, to those who are enemies. Are we mimicking the Great Consolation?

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.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Abraham – 01

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
 
Abraham
 
Sojourner
 
Genesis 23:4
“I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
 
Matthew 8:20
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

When Abraham was called out of his native land, he immediately became a sojourner, a temporary inhabitant. As he ventured through the land that would eventually provide his inhabitants nationhood, Abraham considered himself, even at the end of his travels, to be a “newcomer” in the area, one who did not exercise any rights over the land as yet. The promises were sure, but Abraham lived as having no rights.

Upon arriving on this globe, Jesus also lived a life of a temporary inhabitant, though He possessed all things, and would eclipse all authorities and powers through His ministry and sacrifice.

He was a temporary inhabitant, but now the Eternal King! May His name be praised!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF THE LORD – 84

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.

84
 
COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF THE LORD
 
Joshua 5:14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”
Moses assistant became a great leader, leading the infant nation into many battles, finding victory after victory, until he had secured the extent of the national boundaries for the fledgling country. A truly amazing man, but in our verse here, we find one of Joshua’s greatest character reveals.

He was a mighty general, a terror to those who opposed him, because of his relation to the True Commander of the army of the Lord. Joshua had approached this unknown man, and immediately took to determine his stance before the nation of Israel.

Are you for us, or for our adversaries?

The theophany’s answer was amazing. He did not answer Joshua’s direct question, but described Himself as the Commander of the Lord’s army. He would not align Himself simply with either the nation of Israel or their adversaries.

Yes – Israel was the chosen nation to enter the promised land, and yes, God’s will would be to provide success to the armies of the Israelites as they conquered the land.

But here in this verse, the Lord describes Himself, not as the commander of the armies of the nation of Israel, or of any other nation, be they friend or foe, but of the otherworldly forces He led. He is not some national god that is competing with some other national god, warring and fighting to gain prominence.

He is the True God, over all and will not be relegated to a lower position, simply standing by to support the goals of a portion of His creation, against another portion of His creation. How ludicrous to think that of Him.

This concept, that the Lord is above our national interests, and that it up to us to decide to follow Him, and not for Him to align with our current desires, is repeated over and over again throughout the Old and New Testament.

The first time this idea became very clear to me was in Exodus 23:20-22. See The Lord’s Enemy for some additional thoughts on this topic

No matter, when we come to the Lord, we are to consider His will, and not how He is to conform to our wishes or goals. Joshua immediately took the correction, and we would be wise to follow his example.

After all, centuries later, we can hear the Master telling a woman at the well, that He is not a Messiah of the Jews only but of the entire world. She also sought to claim God as her national god, or at least questioned the truth, and Jesus would have nothing of it. He clearly described salvation as not being only for the nation of Israel, but for all who worship Him in spirit and truth.

He is the Commander of the Lord’s Army!

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.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CLUSTER OF HENNA BLOSSOMS – 83

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.

83
 
CLUSTER OF HENNA BLOSSOMS
 
Song of Songs 1:14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi.
In the Song of Songs, Solomon writes of the passion between a farm girl and the mighty King of Israel. Often the love between the two is described in words of beauty and grace, speaking of their unrelenting desire for each other.

In this verse, the farm girl is describing her love as a “cluster of henna blossoms”. At first glance, I thought this may describe a beautiful flower, a flower that provided a scent that was irresistible, a flower that was favored above all other flowers.

All of that may be true, but when I did a bit of research I found the Hebrew word translated as henna blossoms is כֹּפֶר kôpher, ko’-fer, and is primarily describing a cover, and by extension describes a redemption price, a ransom, even a sum of money.

Early in the Old Testament, this term was used to describe the pitch that covered 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.

In our verse today, the farm girl refers to the King as her redemption, the ransom she needs for her life, her protection from danger and as a covering to keep her safe.

So much more than simply a favored flower, but the very protection only the King could provide her, for she speaks of the Kings redemption as for her, that is .. to me He is a cluster of henna blossoms.

This is her estimation of her lover. All the world might think something else of the King, but she knew He was her hope and life.

She represents the ones who have trusted the Messiah for their hope and life. May we constantly be of the same desire as this lowly farm girl.

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.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CLOUD OF THE LORD – 82

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.

82
 
CLOUD OF THE LORD
 
Exodus 40:38 For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.
What blessings can we find in our current name we are looking at today? What truths may we take from this verse that will elevate and honor the name of the Lord?

This verse associates a cloud with the Lord, which was very common in the Old Testament, not only during the exodus and wanderings, but also during the days of Solomon’s temple.

For our verse today, we read that during the day, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle. In many depictions, the cloud appears to be a large, expanding pillar of smoke over the tabernacle, specifically over the holy of holies. Similarly, the fire is depicted as being in the same general configuration.
This may be true but I would like to offer my reader an alternative depiction of the cloud. You see, this particular text says the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle, and the fire was in the tabernacle at night.

In my imagination, which sometimes runs amok, I imagine the cloud was actually enveloping the tabernacle, actually covering the tabernacle. One of the effects of this situation may be the hiding of the tabernacle from view.

Why might I suggest that? Often in the Word, clouds are used to veil something. A passage depicting that action may be found in Exodus 24:15-16

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

Later, when the tabernacle had been constructed, we find that a few verses prior to our verse, the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and that Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting.

Exodus 40:34-35

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Yes, there are descriptions of the cloud being a pillar when the Israelites are being led to a destination, but when the camp had settled in an area, it seems the cloud took on a different “form”, that the cloud covered the tabernacle.

This understanding brings a different perspective for myself, for instead of the cloud simply designating the location of the presence of God, the cloud may actually be revealing the holiness and righteousness of God.

Let me explain.

In Psalm 97, the psalmist speaks of a cloud and thick darkness in the context of how unapproachable God is.

Psalm 97:2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Later in the Psalms, the psalmist speaks of a cloud covering the tabernacle, and fire providing light in the night.

Psalm 105:39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night.

This passage recounts our verse above, and provides two subsequent verses where God provided answers to prayer, or should I say demands of the people. The Lord provides for them according to their desires.

Psalm 105:40-41 They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.

In my understanding, the Cloud of the Lord speaks of His righteousness, His holiness and His justice, even in the midst of His very presence with His people. In the presence of a people who would not conform to His will, and yet He stayed with them, caring and exhibiting His gracious love and mercy to them.

We truly do not deserve our merciful God, and we would do well to remember His “otherness”, how He is not like us, but so much more.

As Paul stated in one of His letters to Timothy, God

…alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

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.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD – 81

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.

81
 
CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD
 
Romans 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is our last description of God, referring primarily to the Christ, His Anointed One, in our list of Names of God. Later on, we shall come across the name “Christ” in additional descriptions of our God, but we will wait until they occur for discussion on them.

For our current consideration, we have “Christ Jesus the Lord”.

This name combines the human name of the Christ, along with the reference of the Lord, designating Jesus as the Master.

We spoke of the use of “Lord” combined with Christ in our last post, and with this post we have the added clarification of who the Christ is.

Jesus, the lowly preacher from Bethlehem, associated with Nazareth, and considered a troublemaker and false prophet, even the illegitimate son of Mary – He it is that is the Christ.

He was not the typical teacher. Many would listen and walk away befuddled, or challenged by the message like they had not been challenged before. Even when describing Him amongst His peers, those who were rabbi’s and teachers of the law, He did not fit into any conventional party line.

As a matter of fact, His teaching often offended those steeped in the laws and teachings of the ancients, and caused many times of heated questions being thrown at Him by his fellow rabbis.

But that is just the point. They were not fellow rabbis, for He was (and is) Christ Jesus, the Anointed One, the One chosen of God to provide grace and truth to those most in need. They were not His peers, but His students, yet they knew it not, and would not submit to the Christ, since God’s choice was Jesus.

But Jesus was not their choice!

Yet the truth stands and God’s choice, His Anointed is Jesus. The Master. The teacher and instructor for those who will recognize Him.

Christ Jesus 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.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Absalom 7

Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

SEEING JESUS IN
 
Absalom
 
Suspended between heaven and earth
 
2 Samuel 18:9
And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.
 
John 8:28
So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.

Back in the fourth installment of the Absalom series, we discussed how Absalom was hung on a tree, being a shadow of the Messiah.

This post will focus on the spatial location of the men as they hung on a tree. To be specific, both men hung between heaven and earth. The significance for Absalom hanging between heaven and earth seems to be somewhat strange. Why would the author bring this phrase into the story line? That is an unknown in my mind, other than for the author to show Absalom’s utter helplessness, that he had no where to find support from, or that he belonged neither on earth or in heaven. Pure conjecture on my part regarding Absalom.

Regarding Jesus, the image of Him suspended between heaven and earth is much more obvious to me. The only support He had was the nails through His body, and His determination to complete His mission while on earth. He was (and is) the perfect God man, representing both earth and heaven. He was (and is) the only One who bridged the gap between heaven and earth for us while on He hung on the bloody cross.

He sacrificed Himself for the likes of Absalom and myself. He is so good and He is calling out to you, even today.

Consider Him, hanging between heaven and earth in order for you to know the true God and His Son Jesus Christ.

May His name be praised today.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CHRIST THE LORD – 80

My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

80
 
CHRIST THE LORD
 
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Here we have the Christ being defined as the Lord.

At first glance we may assume Luke is combining Christ with the primary name of God as LORD, as in Genesis 2:4, using the Tetragrammatron JHVH.

Not so.

If I had been in Luke’s shoes, I would have emphasized the connection of this young baby with the eternal One, the Creator of heaven and earth, the omniscient One who is all powerful.

But we can be thankful that I was not in Luke’s shoes at the time, writing this passage of truth. I would not have done this passage justice.

No.

Luke brings to our ears the message that Christ is the Master. To say that may seem redundant, for as the Jewish nation was awaiting their Anointed King to arrive, it should have been obvious to all that He would be the Leader, the Master, the One who would be obeyed.

That is the expectation of the masses. The Christ was the One who would be the Master, the One to follow after and to go behind as He conquers those who were oppressing the nation, and that they would eventually become the nation above all other nation. What heady expectations!

Yet Luke provided this description of the lowly baby, for He would turn out to be completely beyond the expectation of the crowd, as He would be the Servant of prostitutes, the Teacher of the tax collector, and the self sacrificial Lamb of God.

To understand the Christ as being a servant, a teacher and a martyr, Luke wisely reiterated the Christ as the Master, for without that description no one would understand, no one would bend the knee to such a “disappointment” of their expectations.

He was a totally different type of Master than expected!

As you have walked with the Anointed One, have you morphed in you understanding of who He is as a Master? Do you understand His way of life, his method of conquering His enemies through service, sacrifice and selfless love?

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CHRIST OUR LIFE – 79

My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

79
 
CHRIST OUR LIFE
 
Colossians 3:4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Our life does not consist of hours and minutes, for that is simply a period of time that allows us to serve and self maintain.

Our life does not consist of consuming bread, for that only extends our physical life.

Our life does not consist of labor, for that only enables us to buy the bread we consume.

Our life does not consist of the vanity of pride, which we are caught up in and that distracts us from truth.

Our life does not consist of acquisition of things, such as cars, homes and clothing, for that only provides shelter for us as we live on this globe.

Our life, according to Paul, consists of the Anointed One, the Christ.

Our life is actually invisible to us currently, but there shall come a day when we shall see the centrality of Him, that He is our life.

Until then, we walk by faith, and seek to know Him better, in order that He may consume us, weaning us from those things we so often consider to be our lives.

Let us thank Him for all He is to us, that He is our life, and that we may live in Him, content and finding Him sufficient for all our needs and wants.

He is the Christ, our life.

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Absalom 6

Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

SEEING JESUS IN
 
Absalom
 
Pierced in the side
 
2 Samuel 18:14
Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak.
 
John 19:34
But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. …

Both Absalom and Jesus suffered the piercing of the side to ensure their death.

Both Absalom and Jesus suffered this at the hands of their enemy.

Both men were struck in the heart by a piercing.

It is said that the spear entered Jesus side and pierced the heart, and this can be seen by the blood and water that flowed from His side.

Both men were pierced while helpless to defend themselves. One of them never expected this type of death. One of them fought to undergo this humiliation.

It is truly amazing that we have a Savior that would be so humbled, even to the point of being identified with a man such as Absalom.

Or myself.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CHRIST OF GOD – 78

My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

78
 
CHRIST OF GOD
 
Luke 9:20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
Our name of God this morning is found in the gospel of Luke, and comes as an answer to Jesus direct question to Peter.

Who am I Peter?

This is the question of the ages for everyone to answer. Many confessed willingly, without being challenged, such as the woman at the well in John 4. The woman was clearly taught by the Master that He is the Christ.

John 4:25-26
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

With Peter, Jesus had spent a couple years with the Master and had seen or been a participant in all of the Master’s miracles so far. Not only that, he had been the recipient of his wife’s mothers healing and an amazing amazing catch of fish.

Who am I Peter?

The conversation started out as a simple request from the disciples about the rumor mill amongst the crowds on who Jesus was. Of course as we read the verses prior to Peter’s confession, Jesus was praying alone, and the Lord simply stopped in His prayers, asked a general question about the crowds, and then focused in on Peter.

Who am I Peter?

The Christ of God.

The Anointed of God.

Note the definite article “the”. He is not a Christ of God, one of many. He is the Christ of God, the One anointed by God to fulfill all the promised of God throughout the Old Testament, that would be the deliverer, the King of Israel, and the King of Kings.

Immediately after this confession, Jesus forbid them from speaking of it, and began to tell them of his future sacrifice. How utterly unexpected! I tell you we often do not consider the astounding multiple shocks these disciples underwent to follow after Him. Speaking of death when He should be speaking of reigning. Speaking of silence when they should be shouting from the rooftops.

But He was the Christ, the Anointed One, and His directions were to be followed. Thankfully, the apostles, confused as they were, continued to follow.

And Peter was the one who confessed, after the Christ of God had finished prayer.

I wonder who Jesus was praying for?

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CHRIST JESUS – 77

My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

77
 
CHRIST JESUS
 
Romans 3:24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
When my list of the names of God revealed todays topic, that is the name “Christ Jesus”, I want to be honest with you – I was intimidated with addressing the Master’s name in a proper, accurate respectful and loving manner.

Not that His majesty would be affected by my failure in properly describing Him, for His being cannot truly be tarnished by a lowly believer trying to do his best for Him.

After all, He is the One who can take a cripple and make him walk, or find a mute deaf man and provide communication skills to him. He is the One who is always showing grace, exhibiting His mercy, providing patience and longsuffering to His disciples, bringing them from glory to glory.

He is the Anointed One (Christ), the Savior (Jesus).

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Absalom 5

Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

SEEING JESUS IN
 
Absalom
 
No Blemish
 
2 Samuel 14:25
Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
 
1 Peter 1:19
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

No blemish.

This likeness is typical of the way Jesus’ character is sometimes reflected in the Old Testament, by describing what a man may physically see. Absalom was without blemish. Stunning in stature, a handsome hulk, a real  attractive he-man!

The word “blemish” in the Old Testament can speak of a spot or defect, either in the physical or the moral. This reference to Absalom is surely speaking of him as having no physical blemish in him since the verse speaks of no blemish from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. The passage speaks of his handsomeness, and to his entire body being without blemish. The author was making a point! He was a looker!

Now, we all know of those amongst us that have that physical quality that draws your eyes to them, that is not only the most handsome man in the room but also has the personality and charisma that draws people to them. Based on appearance and personality. What they look and sound like.

Not so with the Lord. He is described elsewhere in the Word as ordinary, without the appearance of majesty, without beauty and nothing of outward appearance that would draw us to Him.

Isaiah 53:2

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

Two men without blemish. Two men without defect or spot. We understand Absalom was described this way in the physical, and yet we know he had a very large and dark blemish in his character. Nothing spiritually stands out about this man, other than he is not godly, not spiritually appealing, not without spiritual blemish.

But consider Jesus, who is without blemish in His character, without blemish in His relationship with God the Father, without blemish before man, though they seek to find fault! This is simply a reflection of their own darkness, for darkened hearts seek to reject the light.

Yet His unspotted character cannot be denied, and though some try to deny, the Father validated His Son through the physical resurrection.

He is the spotless Son of God, a lamb without blemish, that was sacrificed for our souls! May His name be praised!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CHOSEN PORTION – 76

My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

76
 
CHOSEN PORTION
 
Psalm 16:5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
In our last post, we considered “Chosen One” as a name for God, and spoke of the contrast between the use of the name. Essentially the name “Chosen One” refers to God’s decision to pick the Messiah, that is was an action between God and the Son.

With our name of God in this post, we have a different dynamic being described. As David mentions the LORD as his “Chosen Portion” He is speaking of his choice to prioritize God over all else. The emphasis is on the elevated relationship the believer decides on between him and the Messiah.

In the Old Testament, the portion often referred to an allotment, or part of the family inheritance. That which each son could look forward to due to his being in the family. As I read David, I sense he is prioritizing the LORD over any family inheritance, or even His Kingly estate. All of David’s priorities lies with the LORD, and his future condition depends not on landmass, or status as the king of Israel, but on the LORD alone.

Truly a fantastic declaration from the king of Israel.

How are your priorities today?

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CHOSEN ONE – 75

My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

75
 
CHOSEN ONE
 
Luke 23:35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”
It is amazing the amount of truth that came from the rulers mouths during the time of Jesus being on the earth!
Yet the truth that came from the rulers mouths, that Jesus was the Chosen One, was filled with contempt and vitriol. The rulers scoffed at Him at His weakest moments, but as the Chosen One He was delivering them from the very hatred they poured forth.
For Jesus to be called the Chosen One at this time was not an isolated event. Back in Luke 9:35, as Jesus was transfigured in front of three of His disciples, Jesus was called out as God’s Chosen One.

And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”

What a stark contrast for those three disciples who saw the transfiguration, where they witnessed the Lord in His glory, and were told of God’s choice of Him as His King.

Now the disciples were witnessing His utter rejection and humiliation. And to hear the rulers use the same title while He hung on a cruel cross!

He is the Chosen One. We have the witness of the Word, and though the rulers rejected Him, the truth stands.

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Absalom 4

Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

SEEING JESUS IN
 
Absalom
 
Hung on a tree
 
2 Samuel 18:9
And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.
 
Acts 5:30
The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

Acts 10:39
And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,

What a humiliating death for the mighty Absalom. After realizing the revolt had failed, Absalom took off through the forest of Ephraim, a heavily wooded forest, on his mule. As he was fleeing, his head caught in the tree, and the mule continued on. He must have experienced at least a concussion, or possibly a broken neck, with his head stuck in some nook of a branch, since it appears he didn’t seek to escape the situation.

Yes he was as good as dead, hanging from the tree. It was just a matter of time before good old Joab came by and thrust him through with 3 javelins. Talk about overkill!

There was a period of time for Absalom to be helpless, without the power to escape and yet realizing what he had sough to do to his own father. What a horrible condition to be in, and to know that it was just a matter of time before one of his father’s soldiers came by to finish him off. Yes – just a matter of time!

We know another who hung between heaven and earth, and the time he spent hanging there must have been horrific. Absalom hung between heaven and earth by a fluke accident, a situation he would most surely have wanted to avoid, to continue his battle against his father.

Jesus fought to get on the tree, for He knew this was His Father’s will. Jesus, in order to please His Father, fought to hang between heaven and earth.

Again, we see a glimmer of Jesus, at least by accident, in Absalom’s story, and yet when we compare the shadow with the reality, there really is no comparison.

Jesus on the tree was the gateway for His resurrection and our salvation. Absalom was simply an evil man who died alone.

May we consider Jesus act of sacrifice this day as we go about our business, as we seek to represent such a loving, giving and caring God.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CHOSEN OF GOD – 74

My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

74
 
CHOSEN OF GOD
 
1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
There have been men chosen of God for special callings, such as Moses, or Samson, David or Samuel. Each man chosen of God for a specific purpose. Moses as the lawgiver. David as the King. Samuel as a prophet.

Yes they were all chosen by God.

Jesus was chosen of God as a living stone in this verse, and we shall get to this description of our Savior in due course. But for this post, let us consider the description of our Lord as the chosen of God.

We often here of being chosen as a unilateral act of the chooser (God) on the basis of nothing other than the chooser’s choice. More commonly, when “chosen of God” is spoken of in our theological circles the idea of unconditional election rises to the top of our minds. Calvinism teaches that God’s election, or choice, is based solely on His sovereign will, and it (God’s choice) is not dependent on any merit or worthiness on the part of the individual being chosen. 

Can we understand this teaching in relation to the One who was chosen to fulfill the greatest mission ever assigned, and to occupy the highest honor in God’s Kingdom?

Certainly we cannot assume that Jesus was chosen after having entered the human story through His miraculous birth. His choosing was prior to the foundation of the ages, in eternity past, amongst the Godhead. Yet each of the persons of the Godhead is perfection. Pure holiness. Without any defect or deficiency.

One of the Godhead was chosen, prior to creation, to provide salvation to a people who would reject Him.

The concept that Calvinism seeks to provide seems to fit the situation with the Son being chosen. Yet in the midst of this choosing, each of the Godhead realized the tremendous cost it would take from them all.

But He was chosen, sent to bear our sins, break the Father’s heart and provide a Helper that is too often ignored, or frustrated.

May we spend the time we have left on earth honoring our Savior, pleasing our Father and agreeing with the Spirit.

That is our choice. Give us strength O Lord!

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CHOSEN CORNERSTONE – 73

My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

73
 
CHOSEN CORNERSTONE
 
1 Peter 2:6-7 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”  So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
Throughout the Word, Jesus is described as the Chosen One, Chosen of God and even a believers Chosen Portion, but for our study this morning, let us consider that Peter refers to the Master as the Chosen Cornerstone.

To be chosen speaks of a decision outside of the intended chosen ones influence. It is to be picked, or to be elected by someone to an office, to a position or to a responsibility. To be chosen also speaks of selection and or an appointment to a situation.

Peter speaks of Jesus as the Chosen Cornerstone. The Cornerstone, upon which all other development, or construction refers to and is based upon. Of course Peter is not referring to the physical buildings we think of when we speak of when we mention “church”. Nothing so crass and insignificant in relation to the truth Peter is getting at. Peter is speaking of the Cornerstone upon which the entire Christian church, of all the ages, and throughout the entire globe is built upon. This Chosen Cornerstone is the lynchpin, the foundation, the Builder and Maker of the church.

Without the cornerstone, there is no building, there is no church, no body, no fellowship, no life, no salvation, no hope, no future.

He is the only reason the church exists in the world today, and as the Chosen Cornerstone, He is to be elevated as the only One to whom we look to.

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Absalom 3

Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

SEEING JESUS IN
 
Absalom
 
Son longing to come home
 
2 Samuel 14:32 32 Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent word to you, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.'”
 
John 20:17 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'”

Absalom had killed his brother Amnon, based on a convenient moral rage that he hid behind to gain advantage (I believe) to ascend to the throne of Israel. Yes Amnon performed a vile act of rape on his sister, and yes he should suffer the consequences of that wicked decision. But the judgement was not to be performed by his brother Absalom. But as we reviewed in our last post in this series, that is exactly what happened.

David’s third son killed David’s first son, heir apparent to the throne. It appears the children were watching when David took Bathsheba! David’s attitude toward women filtered down into Amnon, and began the dissolution of David’s family.

Yet, when in the darkness, as David must surely have been during these difficult days, a ray of hope is usually grasped without too much discernment. Such is the case here, when the self exiled Absalom calls unto Joab to request a return to the City of David, even to be presented before the King.

How audacious of a man this Absalom must be. Yet his very desire, though the evil intent may be cloaked with the appearance of family loyalty, indicates a normal healthy relationship between son and father. It is normal, yes even worth much for the relationship to be maintained.

For Absalom, he stated he would chance death for the opportunity to return to the King’s palace. Surely he must have been hedging his bets, but on the surface this statement is informative.

For our Lord, His desire was without mixed motives, for He left behind an eternal connection with the Father, a continual, deep, interactive and consistent relationship of holiness, love, peace and joy. At no time was there a point of friction, a discussion of differing opinions, a misunderstanding or a loss of connectedness between the Father and the Son.

Even while walking amongst us, the connection with the Father was never broken, never strained, never diminished. That is until that day when spike were driven into His hands and feet, and a sword was shoved into His chest. There was a time when the Father looked away. When Jesus was alone, all alone.

At that time, the desire to go home must have been heart crushing. Although Absalom spoke of this desire, Jesus experienced this longing like no one else.

May we be a thankful people, for a Savior such as He!

Jesus is such a Savior!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CHILD FROM THE HOLY GHOST – 72

My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

72
 
CHILD FROM THE HOLY GHOST
 
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
Matthew speaks of our Lord as a child from the Holy Spirit. We do not have much in the bible record of Jesus as a child but Matthew does supply a few tidbits of information.

After providing Jesus genealogy, Matthew cuts to the chase and informs his readers that this One was not merely a King of the line of David, but from the Holy Spirit. Of course this phrase may simply speak of His origin and not His very nature of God.

Joseph, two verses later, was also informed that this baby was from the Holy Spirit, in order to calm Joseph’s fears and suspicions. Matthew further reminds us that all that was occurring with Joseph and Mary was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken in Isaiah, identifying this unborn baby as a boy, and that He will be “God with us”.

Jesus was from the Holy Spirit, and is God with us. From the womb!

There may be some who may think He attained the status of God through His obedience in His ministry to the Father, or that He received His identity by the baptism He underwent. Matthew would argue against any effort to reduce the person of Christ from being God to becoming God, right from the start of his gospel.

We might be wise to do the same, for He is the Child from the Holy Ghost, the very nature of God!

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CHIEF SHEPHERD – 71

My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

71
 
CHIEF SHEPHERD
 
1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Peter is addressing the elders of the church. For brevities sake, I shall not enter into a discussion on my understanding of leadership in the New Testament church, suffice it to say that it comprises of two types of men. One of these type of men are called elders, and we can safely state that an elder is one of many primary spiritual leaders in the local body.

Peter provides one command for these men.

Shepherd the flock they know. There are defining phrases that describe this command that follows, but this is the principle truth Peter wants to communicate to the elders. Shepherd the flock of God that they know.

How to do this?

Exercise oversight. Watch your flock. I understand this to include some discretion in the watching, for I sense Peter is not looking for an elder to be involved in every member’s decision making process, or to directly and constantly seek to influence each member to their way of thinking.

In this oversight, the desire of the elder is positive. It is not to be a drudgery attending to the members business, but a joy to assist the member as required, to have the patience to stand still for the member to reach out.

In this oversight, money is not to be a motivator. Peter has spoken of the elders willingness previously, and here he speaks of an eagerness.

Now you may think I am describing an elder to be stand offish, out of touch, or without the ability to create and maintain relationships with their flock. Please do not read me that way. Yet the next phrase in Peters description of the proper elder is that they are not to be domineering.

This is the kick in the gut, for how many have been in a body where the “accepted elder” is the one with the most education, the highest paycheck, the most demanding of his people and yet rarely allows those of his flock to see him with his family, with the struggles he experiences. He feels he has to be the perfect one as an example, and yet I would suggest this is an act of pride and domination.

The shepherd is to be one who is visibly in need of God’s grace, humbled by his failures and faithful in allowing his flock to experience his life, warts and all.

A shepherd is to be fully human, dependent upon the Lord, in humility providing a hand to those who feel comfortable to approach him.

I may have been off topic a bit, but this is the one who is the true leader, the one who understands his weakness, allows others to see their weakness and their need for God, and that is approachable, a servant to those who need to see Jesus.

For was it not characteristic of the Chief Shepherd to self humble, to come down, to be a friend of sinners and prostitutes, to be approachable (unless you were a bit too religious!). This is the character of Christ, and per the self humbling, He has become the highest of all, and the Chief Shepherd.

Our Chief Shepherd!

And when Jesus appears, these men of service and humility will gain a crown of glory, due to their not seeking it while on earth.

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Absalom 2

Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

SEEING JESUS IN
 
Absalom
 
Judge
 
2 Samuel 13:32
But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar.
 
Acts 10:42
And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead..

Absalom commanded judgement upon his brother Amnon for a dastardly deed he performed years earlier. Amnon had deceived his sister Tamar into providing a meal in his room, forcing her sexually and then rejecting her after having raped her.

Absalom had no right to exercise this execution but for the sake of his seeming sense of justice, or his love for his sister, or for his desire for the kingdom, – for whatever motivation that drove Absalom – he planned, prepared and with premeditation, had his brother murdered at his command.

Absalom judged his brother. Absalom, at this point in his life appeared to be taking vengeance on Amnon for his sister Tamar. What follows in the story of Absalom is a tale of deceit and rebellion that may provide the motivation of Absalom in the murder, for Amnon was next in line for the kingdom, and though what Amnon did to Tamar was vile and wicked, I see Absalom as an opportunist. This evil of Amnon provided Absalom an opportunity to rid the family of a contender for the throne! All under the guise of justice!

Absalom took the position of judge in this early part of the story, looking all pious and righteous in defending his sister, yet the true Absalom shone through later on.

With Jesus, there is a complete contrast, for are not his intentions purer than Absalom’s, in that His motivations were of love, and the hurt was self inflicted. Yes – Jesus is the Judge of all living and the dead, and we can be confident his judgement will be true, right and proper.

And remember – with Jesus we can be confident that His motivations are pure, true, right and proper.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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Names of God – CARPENTER’S SON – 70

My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

70
 
CARPENTER’S SON
 
Matthew 13:55
Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
Jesus was a carpenter. Jesus was the son of a carpenter. He followed in the footsteps of his earthly father, choosing the very occupation his father worked in.

Jesus was also recognizable as the carpenter’s son. Even his enemies referred to Him as the carpenter’s son. He learned His trade from His father, and pursued gainful employment as a carpenter.

The local townsfolk knew Joseph and recognized Jesus as Joseph’s son. He was influenced by Joseph greatly as He grew up, learned a trade, watched His father, and increased in skill and ability with physical tools and materials.

It is sad that the same people who recognized Jesus as Joseph’s son did not know the Father in Heaven, for if they did, they would have recognized Jesus as His Father’s Son. Though His earthly father provided physical skills and abilities, the Son gained spiritual skills and abilities through His watching His Father in Heaven.

John 14:10
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

The Father worked and the Son worked. Jesus was dependent on the Father for the works that He did, and in watching His Father, He performed works that reflected His Father.

Jesus earthly father trained Jesus in the physical.
Jesus Heavenly Father trained Jesus in the spiritual.

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

Posted on by consideringthebibletogether · 6 Comments

Names of God – CARPENTER – 69

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.

69
 
CARPENTER
 
Mark 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
The Carpenter. A lowly position in the social strata.

This name is assigned to the Lord by those who would smear His name, by those who would desire to see His influence diminish. The very ones who reminded the audience of the Lord’s skill set for bringing in funds for His family, are revealing the very problem that will cause their stumbling.

These men who sought to defame the Master do so out of “offence”. The very idea that a prophet of God could be a mere carpenter was beyond their comprehension. (How soon they forget their history of God’s call on the “regular” man for greater service?) Surely they thought they were deserving of a Savior with greater status in this world, with greater “name recognition”?

But alas, with this very assumption, or expectation, they missed the boat. They were in the presence of the builder of all things and assigned the very name of carpenter to Him, revealing their proud heart, yet assigning an appropriate name for Him nonetheless.

You see, to be called “the carpenter” is so appropriate, for He is the builder of all things, and while on earth, though He knew how to join beams with columns, and columns with rafters, He had greater things in mind. He was building, that is for sure, but He was not building a physical enclosure that would remain for a short period of time, but a spiritual house, with living souls as the material to build the house, to remain for ever.

1 Peter 2:5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Yes those who first called Him a carpenter were taking offence at His position in life, but now that we see He truly is a carpenter, a builder, we can stand back and praise Him for His skill at bringing together a people who are not worthy, who had enmity with God and with each other, who were of no account until He found us.

Praise the name of the Carpenter, for He is truly worthy!

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible