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
Boaz
Acts of Kindness
Ruth 2:8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Ruth 2:9 Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.”
Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Boaz provided an act of kindness to a new woman in the field and in doing so reflected, in a minor way, the kindness of out God.
But for a bit of background, consider the following.
Boaz was a man who followed the Word of God, instructing landowners to allow those suffering poverty in Israel to glean from the edges and corners of a field reapers had not harvested.
Leviticus 19:9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. Leviticus 19:10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.
The kindness of Boaz is not seen in his obedience to Leviticus 19, for Boaz was a godly man, a God fearing Israelite, who sought to honor God in this act of obedience. In allowing the poor and destitute the opportunity to glean at the edges of the field, that which is left behind by the reapers, provided the poor not only food, but a level of honor in working in gathering sustenance for their family.
But I digress.
Our topic is an act of kindness that Boaz exercised to Ruth.
There was a time when Boaz came to his field to greet his reapers, and he noticed a new woman in the field. Was it merely due to Ruth being a new gleaner, or was it that something stirred in Boaz when he saw her. At this point in the story, it is unknown, but Boaz acted with kindness. Once he understood her circumstances, that she accompanied Naomi back from Moab, and that she had been in the fields most of the day, he determined to find ways to protect and provide for her.
I mentioned an act of kindness, but it is obvious that Boaz acted towards Ruth with kindness in many ways. How might we see these acts of kindness?
She was not to attend to any other field (for Boaz would instruct his reapers to drop extra for her)
She was not to leave the company of the other women in the field.
No man was to touch her!
She was permitted to drink from the men’s water.
As mentioned, Boaz may have had early interest in this foreign lady, this lady committed to Naomi, and for that kindness, she was thankful.
Ruth 2:10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” Ruth 2:13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”
Boaz’s acts of kindness reflects in a small way “the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”
But in reality there is a huge difference, for Boaz was kind to a grateful and faithful lady, whereas the Most High, as He sought us and died for us, provided His lavish kindness to the ungrateful and evil.
His kindness far exceeds our understanding, and for that we are grateful, and desire to follow after Him, being transformed as He lives in us!
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
197
GOD ON HIGH
Micah 6:6 “With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Micah is asking the question of the Israelites? What does God want from us? How can we appease God to avoid His wrath?
Chapter 6 starts out with a complaint from the Lord, an indictment of the Lord, against His people, contending with Israel.
Micah 6:2 Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel.
The Israeli’s are a thankless people, and many scholars think this passage relates to Balak’s discussion with Balaam. You remember Balak, that king of Moab, as described in verse 5. It seems verse 6-7 is recorded by Micah as Balak’s introductory request to Balaam.
To think that Micah is using a heathen king’s question as a response to the Lord’s indictment against Israel is a bit surprising, but the topic of today’s verse is that he referred to God as God on High.
Get that?
The heathen king Balak referred to God as God on High. Now Micah is using this discussion, this question from a heathen God to instruct the people of God, a people who had forgotten God and were thankless to God.
Of course Balak’s request extended to and absurb logic, for he suggested the need for the sacrifice of human flesh to satisfy God on High. How utterly disgusting for those of us who have come to know of our God, and of His saving grace, His holy standards, and His ultimate sacrifice for each of our lives.
How could this God we know accept a disgusting sacrifice as child sacrifice, yet Balak, understanding God as an ultimate God, a God very lofty and on High, logically may require the ultimate, most costly sacrifice.
Logic can take a person to dangerous places!
This is not the God of the Bible, for our God does not require the death of any, for the Word declares He finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked. How much more does He seek safety for the innocent, and for those seeking His face. No – He seeks to save, to restore, to enrich and to guide.
The only death He has required is the death of His Son for the sake of His enemies. How can we understand such a God, a God who sacrifices for His subjects, dies for His creation, suffers for His people. And we forget Him in our actions and attitudes.
In conclusion, what “sacrifice” are we to give to the God on High? Balaam, as I understand, responded accordingly to Balak’s extreme, somewhat logical question in Micah 6:8.
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
When the believer understands the God we worship is the God on High, the lofty, supreme God, and that His desire is that we humbly walk with Him, this truth is life changing.
Has it changed your life?
The God on High requires something from you. Consider.
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.
A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.
As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1 Thessalonians 2:2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.
Last post we spoke of the ongoing attempt of some amongst the Thessalonians regarding the character assassination of Paul, and how this may lead to the weakening, even the loss of faith for those who were so strongly converted and were such a bright light of witness in the region. Paul spoke of his initial entrance into their lives and that his coming was not without results.
In our last post, we considered the recent suffering Paul endured prior to his arrival in town. Paul sought to remind the Thessalonians of his history, as a defense against his detractors who were seeking to spread malicious statements of the apostle, in order to pull church adherents away from his teaching.
In our second post on this verse, let’s move on from Paul’s history of suffering in Philippi, and consider his time amongst the Thessalonians. He has some pointed items to remind them of!
Much Conflict
He speaks of his past suffering, and then has the Thessalonians recall their city’s response. Conflict. Contention. Fighting. Struggle.
The Thessalonian city authorities did not take kindly to Paul and his team entering their city and “upsetting the apple cart”. Thessalonica seems to be of the same general opinion as Philippi, with a similar response of resistance to the gospel that he suffered so recently.
By this time in Paul’s life, he could see the handwriting on the wall. More suffering, upheaval, conflict.
By this time, Paul should have tempered his message, guarding his communication to those most offended by the cross.
Though the Philippi experience was about to erupt in Paul’s face again in this little city, he did not hold back. The fear of suffering did not hold on to Paul’s heart or mind, but he spoke boldly.
Let’s remember that Paul’s detractors, those seeking to pull the Thessalonians from Paul’s teaching, are claiming he has impure motives for the church, that he is a liar and cheat, one who is seeking his own advancement.
Consider this claim of evil deception on the part of Paul, as he speaks of his history with both Philippi and Thessalonica.
Liars lie for self advancement.
What personal advancement did Paul gain, other than broken ribs, lacerations, severe bruising, continual pain, and walking away from public humiliation?
Liars lie to escape suffering.
Again, he endured suffering, even to the point of willing to take the suffering though it was inflicted illegally. Consider Paul’s possible motivation for accepting the beating – See Conditional Security – Philippians 1:3-11
Liars lie to gain a reward.
What reward has Paul received? Where is the gain?
Liars lie out of fear.
Here, we refer to Paul’s manner of speaking in the very passage we are in today. He spoke boldly. Freely. He spoke without considering the past or the possible outcome of his message on his own person.
This witness the Thessalonians heard and saw, for he spoke his message freely and continually though the city rose up against him. The Thessalonians knew this and needed to be reminded of his manner of life.
To speak freely is a rare commodity in today’s world. The atmosphere of restricting speech is choking the church. and I for one admit to succumbing to this environment of fear.
Let us look to the Lord for the boldness we need. A boldness that only comes from the Lord. For Paul clearly states that his boldness was “in our God”.
May God have mercy on our souls for being so timid, and may we ask Him for strength in the midst of our trials that may come!
I would like to thanks all who have subscribed to my scrawling, those who read my muddled thoughts, of those who try to understand the goodness of God with me, and all those who take the time to comment on a post, or send me a question.
This post will be my two thousandth post, and little did I know that by getting the feedback I have received, you (and the mercy of God) have drew me along in this adventure of Considering the Bible.
As I mentioned, my wandering style is cut short today, for I simply and only want to thank those who interact and encourage me in this adventure.
Thankyou.
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.
196
GOD OF OUR FATHERS
Acts 3:13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.
In our most recent posts, we have considered each of the previous names in the verse above on an individual basis, each time relating to one of the patriarchal fathers.
In our post this morning, we find Peter grouping the three names of God associated with the patriarchs of Israel, a common grouping together, and defining this group of names as the God of our Fathers.
This is Peter’s second sermon, and it is the result of the miracle of a healing cripple at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. The people saw him walking, the cripple man that is, and were filled with wonder and amazement.
Peter takes advantage of the situation and starts to teach. He speaks to “men of Israel”, as verse 12 tells us, and proceeds to speak of how they delivered Jesus to the government, denied Jesus in front of Pilate, (though Pilate he sought a way to release Him), and how they killed the Author of Life.
Acts 3:15 and you killed the Author of Life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
They killed Him.
Peter pulls no punches. And to make things worse, (if that is possible), he speaks of how God, the God of their Fathers, regarded this One they killed. The God of their Fathers glorified his Servant Jesus.
They killed Him.
Of course, Peter is referring to the resurrection, for that act alone is the pinnacle of God’s opinion of who Jesus is. But before this declaration of God’s attitude of Jesus, the God of their Fathers spoke audibly to witnesses of His Servant. It is not as though the Men of Israel had not been given witness of God’s opinion of Jesus.
They killed Him.
Not only had God, the God of their Fathers provided verbal witness of His pleasure in Jesus, the many miracles He performed amongst the Men of Israel spoke of His union with the God of their Fathers.
They killed Him.
Jesus gave witness of His union with the God of their Fathers in His teaching, explaining over and over again of how He was One with God, the God of their Fathers, of how He was the chosen One, the Messiah, and of parables providing truths that gave ample witness of the truth of His Person.
They killed Him.
These Men of Israel surely had watched the city in an uproar during the triumphal entry, been part of the whipped up crowd calling for His death, witnessed the crucifixion and then heard rumors of an empty grave. Rumors that could easily have been verified, and that was spreading through the city like wildfire.
These Men of Israel had Fathers who knew this God, patriarchs that knew of the God they spoke of, of the God who was being worshipped even now by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but these Men of Israel did not know God.
They killed Him.
But the God of their Fathers would not give up, and provided opportunity for these Men of Israel to know the God of their Fathers, the God who is the God of the Living and not of the dead. Peter was reminding them that He is the God of resurrection, for when the reference to God as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob is used, it is always associated with resurrection.
Jesus was raised from the dead and was seen by many. His resurrection is the proof of His Messiahship, proof of His saving power, and proof that He is the God of their Fathers.
God provided this witness of the Servant of God, the God of their Fathers, raised up from death, to the Men of Israel who killed Him.
Acts 3:26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
The Men of Israel could know the God of their Fathers. Even though they took part in such a heinous crime, the God of their Fathers was providing them an opportunity to know the God of their Fathers.
To those reading, who come from a family where faith was evident, from parents or grandparents that walked with the Living God, it is incumbent in your own life to know the God who raised up Jesus.
To depend on being related to those who came before you, who knew the Living God themselves, can turn out to be very very dangerous!
Each person on their own has to face God for the sins they have committed and for the sinful stance they take against God. The faith of other people is of no help.
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.
Jesus is the One, the God of their Fathers, the God of our Fathers, the forgiving God, who forgave those who killed Him, who is reaching out even now to you.
Do not depend on other peoples faith. He needs to the the God of our hearts and lives 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.
I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.
Hosea has lived out the drama of a faithless wife in front of the nation, a drama that Israel and God had experienced in their covenant relationship, a relationship that needs to be based on obedience and trust, but fell into drama and pain, due to the treachery of a unfaithful wife, a woman who would not submit to her man.
She was a loose woman before Hosea married her, as was Israel.
She was a faithless wife after Hosea married her, as was Israel.
She suffered due to her decisions, as will Israel.
And yet God says He will heal her.
Honestly, I expected that God would speak of forgiveness toward Israel, especially as the first few verses of Hosea speaks of their need of repentance and return to Him. But He speaks of healing.
If forgiveness was referred to, in my minds eye, I see a Judge who has found a way to righteously release the criminal – as in the gospel message and the crime being paid for by the Guiltless One.
But Hosea doesn’t speak of forgiveness, at least not in this passage referring to apostacy. He speaks of healing. Now when healing is brought into the conversation, it implies a relationship of doctor / patient, and of a diseased condition. That is somewhat shocking, for that implies a condition in which Israel may not be culpable.
No one “blames” me if I have Covid 19. I don’t link a disease with my will or actions stemming from it. Granted some disease may be associated with bad decisions, but the point is that God is in the healing business in this passage.
And to be clear, this disease is not some simple Covid 19, a relatively minor infection that is essentially harmless. This disease is the disease of sin in and through the heart of the victim, a spiritual sickness that leads to death, that is carried by each and every one of us, that pulls us down, that pulls us away, that draws us to the worst and not the best, that harms us and eventually kills us.
God will heal this disease, this apostacy, this sickness rampant through the nation. It will take time, and the death of the Only One, but the healing will and has come. But for those individuals who rejected Hosea’s plea to return to the Lord, it seems that the disease would continue in it’s natural course of destruction.
This passage speaks to me of the many faceted mercies of God, that in His sacrifice for us, He dealt with the willful sin of the rebel, and healed the helpless victim of a killing disease.
Apostacy existed in the Old Testament. The rot of sin had gotten hold of the nation and both Jeremiah and Hosea spoke of this condition as the nation teetered into the chasm of captivity. The reality of apostacy became evident as the pleas for repentance were at first ignored, then rejected, and finally deaf to any message from the Lord.
Don’t reject the call of God on your life, even in those day to day circumstances when God’s Word speaks loudly in the mundane, the ordinary, the “boring” acts of obedience we as the Bride of Christ can do to show our love to Him.
As I have heard often, the closer the walk, the better the life!
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
As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
1 Samuel 30:1-6 1 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. 3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. 5 David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
Let’s remember the situation, the recent history coming up to this raid on Ziklag, David’s city in southern Philistia.
David left Israel, running from King Saul who was hunting him down. He approached Achish, a king of the Philistines and somehow found favor in the kings sight. Eventually Achish gave the town of Ziklag to David and his men to settle in, and as they settled, David and his men began the raids of the southern towns.
Now as we know from recent reading, David did not play gentle with these towns he raided. Killed everyone in sight, so that no one would know of his activities. For Achish, David spoke of raiding the towns of Israel, which surely pleased Achish. Anything to weaken those Israeli’s!
Yet David was raiding, thieving and killing everyone in the southern towns he invaded, towns that were south of Philistia, but not Israeli.
The activities were brutal, relentless, and covered over with the silence of the victims.
Through the Amalekites, the nation that was to be destroyed by the Israeli’s back in Saul’s reign, David suffered the loss of his city, his family and his outpost.
But note the severe mercy of the Lord in verse 2.
(the Amalekites) had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.
Though David also raided towns to the south, when the Amalekites attacked his city, they provided mercy to that city by NOT killing one soul. David killed every soul. For David to enter your town meant certain death. He could not allow his lies to be exposed. He was as an angel of death if he visited your city!
The Amalekites, though the sworn enemy of God, acted more righteously than the future king of Israel. David killed women and children. The Amalekites simply took them all away.
The world is upside down!
Not only had David lost his family, but due to David’s decision to take his army to the Philistine’s area, all of Ziklag was defenseless, and his entire army lost all their loved ones.
The town was lost, families were ripped apart, the army had just travelled 3 long days to get home, only to be shocked with the destruction of their homes, their city and their families. At this time, no one knew of the condition of their families, it is not as though the Amalekites left a note behind telling them all is well with the women and little ones! For all the men of David knew, the families were suffering a fate worse than death, even to the point of death! Not knowing surely was the worst situation to be in.
David was on the very edge! He was facing a mutiny, a rising up of those who had resorted to him, who had suffered much by following him, and had been faithful to him though associated with the enemy of the state.
But now it was time for a stoning! The time of weeping was over, the time for anger was rising up!
Imagine the state of David. He knows he has been out of favor with God, that he has many enemies, and that he is walking a tightrope in relation to the king of the Philistines. Saul is never going to give up, and he has just lost his family, and all of his soldiers families.
Now he was going to die! By the hand of his own! All the promises were to be snuffed out, by the lifting of a stone over his life. And why go on? He has done enough damage, so much has gone wrong.
But he strengthened himself in the Lord!
At his lowest point in life, after all the running and hiding, after joining the enemy of Israel, and then being rejected by them, after seeing his town burnt to the ground. after having his family taken from him, after his own sought to end his life, he had One resource, One person he could turn to.
But he strengthened himself in the Lord!
I had previously noticed this verse a few times, as I read the Old Testament in the past, but never considered the absolute utter lowness of David’s condition at the time of this strengthening. He had lost it all, and was again at the edge of the grave, looking down and waiting for the hammer to fall.
But he strengthened himself in the Lord!
He was strong in himself before, but the humbling actions of the Lord in a believer’s life can be a severe mercy. David was full of himself, the crafty man who could deceive kings, who could lead men, who could destroy whole towns. But the end had come. In the middle of a burned out town, without any of his loved ones and amongst a furious crowd, he was now at his lowpoint.
But he strengthened himself in the Lord!
Why would the Lord consider such a wretch?
He had become of no use, a man who had turned his back on the law of God, who led others to do likewise, and had placed his family in danger.
Why would the Lord consider such a wretch?
Because David was finally at a point where God would become his all in all, where David’s self strength had been worn out, drained, and seen for what it is.
David was ready to become King!
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
Boaz
Redeemer of All
Ruth 4:9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. Ruth 4:10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.”
Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
The last two posts spoke of Boaz as the Kinsmen Redeemer, and we have considered the likeness of Jesus in Boaz as he performed righteous acts to redeem, and secondly, the motivation he was spurred on by to redeem, to redeem that Moabite lady.
For this short post, let us consider those whom Boaz redeemed.
First off, there was Naomi, a pureblood, fully committed Jewish woman. Though she was away from the land for a period, she remained and was recognized as Jewish by blood and by faith.
Secondly, Ruth was a foreigner, a “dirty” Moabitess, a stranger that was outside the covenant of God and behind the wall of ordinances the faithful were privileged to
In Boaz’s actions, he redeemed both a Jew and a Gentile.
In Jesus, we have the One who perfectly brought the two together into one family, both Jew and Gentile throughout the the world. A completely new kingdom including both Jew and Gentile, a new family with Jesus as the Head of the church.
Though this is a very short post, the truth of Jesus bringing two together as He has should remind us that God is in the business of inclusion under His King.
May we as the church live out the joining together of two groups into one family under Him.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
195
GOD OF JACOB
2 Samuel 23:1 Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
David is on his last legs. He is about to take his last breath. At the end of life, it is well known that as a man looks back on his life, he doesn’t waste words or speak of frivolities, of nonsense and of things of no importance.
David describes himself in four ways.
The son of Jesse The man raised on high The anointed of the God of Jacob The sweet psalmist of Israel.
It is the third description that catches me this morning. To associate his anointing with the God of Jacob.
Jacob, the liar and cheat. A man willing to sacrifice family to get ahead. A man who would stop at nothing to take what didn’t belong to him, that would break relationship with his older brother, tearing him away from his parents. He had his eye on the goal and let nothing stop him.
Morally reprehensible.
Jacob, a man who was self willed, never backing down, even as he wrestled with God. In some ways, he was the perfect antithesis of the True Follower of God, The Son of God, by living by the “Not your will but mine” life!
And yet David associates God with Jacob. Granted, this is not the first time God is associated with such a terrible man, but for David, who is the great king of Israel, a prophet of God, and such a clear type of Christ, to refer to himself as the anointed of the God of Jacob, surely implies David’s own sense of wickedness in his own heart.
David identifies with the God of Jacob, the God who accepts “less than perfect” men. As I have read the Word for the last 40 some odd years, I have regarded the general story of David, and of his “Bathsheba” incident as the great sin, the affront against God that David entered into.
Yet as we are going through the life of David in our Wednesday series, we are currently considering David’s backsliding years before the Bathsheba event.
It is simply a terrible condition that David entered into. To be committed to the “arch enemy” of Israel, even willing to go into battle with the Philistines against his own people, just seems so wrong.
Beyond being disloyal to his people, he became a cut throat rebel, killing and stealing, turning into a vicious mercenary, killing every living soul in towns he raided. (See Life of David – 21.03 for more information).
Yes David could relate to Jacob. David was a fallen man, that actually pursued his fallen nature, even to depths that Jacob may have shied away from.
David clung to the God of Jacob, as well we must, for He is a God who redeems the “less than perfect”, who bends down to pick up, who reaches out to help.
Be thankful, my friend, for God has rescued Jacob, and God has rescued David.
And God can rescue us, as we also admit our poverty, our “less than perfect” status before a holy and righteous God!
Less than perfect? Such an understatement!
But the God of Jacob is the God we worship!
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.
A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.
As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1 Thessalonians 2:2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.
Last post we spoke of the ongoing attempt of some amongst the Thessalonians regarding the character assassination of Paul, and how this may lead to the weakening, even the loss of faith for those who were so strongly converted and were such a bright light of witness in the region. Paul spoke of his initial entrance into their lives and that his coming was not without results.
1 Thessalonians 2:1 …our coming to you was not in vain
In chapter two, Paul depends on the memory of these Thessalonians as compared to what others are saying in his absence. Paul’s detractors, in their efforts to draw away converts, had to sow doubt in the Thessalonians mind about who Paul “truly” was.
So, for the Thessalonians sake, and as a defense against the mud being slung, he calls them to remember his actions before them, and of the history of his ministry.
Shamefully Treated
Paul has suffered and been shamefully treated prior to his arrival in Thessalonica. Lets recall what happened 90 miles down the road in a little town called Philippi.
Acts 16:23-24
And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
The “many blows” referred to by Luke is a Roman beating, not the flogging with a whip that many may think is referred to. That doesn’t necessarily make it much better.
To be beaten with rods is to be publicly stripped of their clothing, inflicting humiliation on the victims. But that is merely the beginning. The professional Roman torturers, the lictors, were skilled in both beatings and scourging, but when under Roman authority without Jewish influence, there was no restriction as to the number of beating that could be inflicted. No limit as the “40 less one” rule that dominated the scourging in Israel.
I have not found the specific material used for Paul’s beatings, for the rods used could be from a variety of trees, such as elm, red wood, vine wood, hazel or willow. There is some history that rods were also made of iron or lead.
So with such a variation of materials, we can let our imagination run wild. But there was another form of rod that may have been used. A rod often called a “scorpion” may have been used, a rod that was knotty, even of a prickly structure. These “scorpions” were hardened woods with the added effect of sharp piercings or cutting edges on the rod.
Nevertheless, with no limitations and with such vicious weapons, the humiliation of publicly stripping the victim was simply the beginning.
And what was the intent of this torture? To inflict the will of the authorities on the victim.
And what was this will of the authorities in Paul and Silas’ case? The claim was disturbance of the city, and teaching unlawful customs.
Acts 16:20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. Acts 16:21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”
Paul preached Jesus and the Philippians disguised their hatred with civic concerns. How socially acceptable.
This short study on the beating Paul endured is to remind my reader that Paul suffered under the hand of authorities, with fresh wounds being carried into Thessalonica. He suffered these beatings and kept preaching.
Who does that? Where is the personal gain, the “best life now” attitude that would allow Paul’s detractor a basis to stand on? The Thessalonians were not dependent on simply word of mouth regarding the treatment he succumbed to in Philippi. His beating left marks, and his partners must have recalled the humiliation the apostles endured.
Paul looked to the Thessalonians to remember his past, and the witness of his suffering as he was amongst them.
His witness speak to us today, for he mimicked the Master in providing for us an example of living for others, of suffering and maintaining a life dedicated to others.
There is no effective argument against that type of love for others!
May we exercise this life as we follow the Master.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 71 is a psalm written by an aged saint, a man who had walked with the Lord through many trials and triumphs. Some think this psalm represents David’s thoughts as he approaches the grave, as he ages and finds his life coming to a close.
One thing that is obvious in this psalm, that whoever wrote this psalm had an intimate experience with the Word of God. I have heard the claim that in the 24 verses of this psalm, there are up to 25 references, allusions and hints of other psalms within this reflection of an old saint. He has saturated his life with the Word, to the point that even phrasing of the old book comes through this old man’s message.
It is truly a witness of the wisdom to engage in an early and consistent immersion into the Word of God for every saint.
Let’s take a moment to consider.
Psalm 71:4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. Psalm 71:5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. Psalm 71:6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
Our psalmist continues with his pleas in the next few verses of our psalm, specifically referring to the history he has with God. He opens this short portion of the psalm with a plea to rescue him from the wicked man, and then reminds the Lord of the trust he has had even from the womb.
As mentioned in an earlier post on this Psalm, the author is saturated in the Word, specifically the Psalms, and as we read Psalm 71, we find echoes of other Psalms in his writings. Verse 5 & 6 of Psalm 71 may be one of these echoes, for the same general thoughts are expressed in Psalm 22:9-11.
Psalm 22:9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. Psalm 22:10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Psalm 22:11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
Note that in chapter 71 the Psalmist speaks of God as the One he leaned from from before his birth.
verse 6 …I have leaned from before my birth
Even in the womb, (before his birth!) the Psalmist confesses to his utter dependence on God.
Which raises a question.
Was there a sense of consciousness in the womb? By that I mean, was the Psalmist self aware, was his personality developing even in the womb? Was he exercising a faith before he could breathe fresh air?
Though I have never met anyone who has a memory of this time in their lives, this does not remove the possibility. Personally, as my wife and I entered into our parenting life with the birth of our five children, we notice a definite difference with each little life as my wife carried them.
One little child was very passive, moved very little and when found a position of comfort, stayed there. One little child was not. That particular child moved and shoved and kicked and squirmed and poked and never gave up! That little child wanted to exercise his will! One little one impacted my wife in her diet, in ways that were different than the others.
Each acted somewhat differently in the womb, and in a way, their activity in the womb somewhat mimics their general personality. That one child that moved and shoved and kicked and squirmed and poked is a very very strong willed child. The one who seemed passive in the womb is the peacemaker, the passive one who seeks to find solutions to differences.
All of that to say, if personality of some type is present in the womb, does that imply a self consciousness, even a God consciousness?
I know of no Scripture that might prove this, other than a passage such as we are looking at that may hint at it. Nevertheless, to think that from the very inception of life that God has been present and known to be with us is a great comfort, for though we don’t recall the time of utter dependence, out Father was there, and possibly in a conscience relationship with us.
It is truly humbling to realize that the little that I do know of God and His creation is becoming increasingly less and less by the day. Realizing the many things we do not know has one effect (of many) on my thinking. My increasing ignorance of this glorious creation only elevates the One who knows all, who is full of wisdom and has provided such a great salvation for us to grow into.
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.
194
GOD OF ISAAC
Exodus 3:6 ESV – And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
In our last post we considered the name “God of Abraham”, and how Isaac was encouraged as a man of peace by the Lord.
Centuries later. a young man who would become the lawgiver of Israel was addressed in the wilderness by God. Moses was simply out tending his sheep, when a strange sight caught his attention.
As Moses decided to turn aside to see this great sight, the Lord took notice of his interest, for verse 4 speaks of the Lord seeing Moses turning to the burning bush.
Exodus 3:4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Moses decided to turn to see this sight, and that decision triggered a series of events that has changed the world, created nations, produced a renown leader, and furthered the plan of God for the salvation of the world.
After Moses turned to the bush, the Lord identified Himself as the “God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob”. Moses knew this was the God of the fathers, and hid his face. Eventually Moses became a man who could talk to God face to face.
Exodus 33:11 …the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
For now, in this passage, Moses hid his face.
Nowhere in the Word is the God of Isaac referred to without his father and son being included. For God to be referred to as the God of Isaac, we always find Abraham and Jacob included.
As we consider our next name, related to Jacob alone (the God of Jacob), it becomes almost a standard name to refer to when discussing Israel’s existence and standing, but with Isaac, his association in the names of God is always with his father and son. He is a part, or portion of the description of who God is.
His name is added to the description of God to show continuity, to provide to Moses that God is the God of the patriarchs, and of the promises provided to these men as they learned and walked with God.
Moses needed to be reminded that this sight he saw, this voice he heard, was not some trick of the mind or new message, but was related to the same God that spoke to the patriarchs. Not one of the patriarchs, but all three.
This surely provided Moses the background and history of God’s relationship with the patriarchs, giving Moses information on who God is, what God is like, and the future of the people of God. Little did he know that the future of the people of God would become his driving motivation for the last 40 years of his life.
Moses was called into service as God identified himself thus, and many centuries later, another great teacher brought this name to the attention of His hearers.
Jesus spoke of “the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” as He rebuked the Sadducees about their denial of the resurrection. After the Sadducees provide a question that supposedly supported their position of no resurrection, Jesus laid them flat. He spoke of resurrection as a fact and corrected these “teachers of Israel” in front of the entire audience.
Matthew 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”
For Jesus to pull out the truth of the resurrection from the use of the present tense first person singular of “be” is amazing.
For Moses to hear the name of God we are looking at not only identified God as the historical God associated with the patriarchs, but since the patriarchs are now long in the grave, and God speaks of being (not was) the God of these men, speaks of these men as being alive also!
Thought they are in the grave, God is their God, centuries after their death, even as Moses heard the message, and even much later as Jesus addresses the Sadducee’s heresy.
An amazing truth pulled from the name we are considering this morning.
When we think on the name of the God of Isaac, we can be reminded of the historicity of our God, that is, that He made a historical continuous contact with multiple men in the past, and that this relationship with these men continues even to this day, for it also speaks of the resurrection!
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 the LORD will bring you back in ships to Egypt, a journey that I promised that you should never make again; and there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer.”
As a Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS) believer, for most of my life of faith, I would appeal to the teaching that if God promised eternal life, and if it turned out to not be eternal, then God is a LIAR! Therefore OSAS must be true, and don’t even consider any other teaching – it will only confuse you.
That is so logical, it kept me at bay for decades.
This passage somewhat addresses this approach of locking in a promise, without the possibility of provided.
Note that God “.. promised that you should never make again” a trip back to Egypt in ships, even as He speaks of bringing the people of Israel back to Egypt.
What type of double speak is going on here? Might it be that due to continual and obstinate sin against the Lord, other factors need to be considered?
Although I started this post trying to explain in heavenly thoughts, it is a situation that may have a parrallel experience my wife and I are going through even this week.
Story time
My wife and I are building an addition to our home and my wife loves a patio. So we hired a contractor a friend sugessted to put a steel roof on the patio. We came up with a scope of work for him to complete, and negotiated an agreed upon price, and let him know we are looking for completion in the next couple weeks.
That was eight weeks ago, and after multiple excuses, (family troubles, brother getting out of jail, too wet out, too hot, sick, doctors appointments, more family troubles), construction errors (he is not that great of a builder it seems), and his faithful avoidance to pick up the phone or communicate, it seems that though I promised him a sum of money, I have the right to refrain from a final payment.
It seems reasonable to consider the option to cut our losses and move on to another contractor. We have provided him funds for materials that have not shown up on site, and by his actions understand that he is not serious about fulfilling his promise to complete my wife’s roof.
Yes, I promised him a certain amount, but in that promise, there were certain conditions. Build my wife a roof for her patio.
So my question, or at least my resolution to our passage’s assumed double speak when it comes to the promise of God is to check if there are conditions both parties are required to keep.
For the people of Israel, it is obvious in Deuteronomy that if they did not keep the covenant they entered into at Sinai, judgement would fall, and they would “be sent back to Egypt”.
But consider the patience and loving mercy of the Lord, in that at the very moment when the law was given, the new nation immediately broke it, and though at times Israel made a valiant effort to keep the law, it was, at the best of times tainted with sin and set up for failure. After all, we but dust, prone to wander and willing to depart.
Yet the Lord is patient and shows each of us tremendous mercy. But the option to cut His losses seems to be a right He has.
I think I’m going try to work with this contractor a bit more!
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As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
1 Samuel 29:6-11
6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the LORD lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. 7 So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” 8 And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9 And Achish answered David and said, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light.” 11 So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
Ok I’m confused again.
Achish, after the lords of the Philistines had rejected David from joining the battle against Israel, is incredibly apologetic to his once greatest enemy, the Israeli soldier who had killed Goliath.
He apologizes to David that he could not participation in the killing of Israeli soldiers in battle, referring to the Lord as his witness.
Get this picture in your mind. A heathen king claiming the name of God, not some generic name of God, but the personal name of God (Jehovah). He claims the name of God in his declarations to a backslidden Israeli, a future king of Israel, claiming David is the victim of his Philistine lords mistaken judgement. Achish claims David is innocent of any of the slurs of the lords of the Philistines.
It is amazing how far the perception of Achish is from the truth.
And where does Achish get off in using the name of the Lord in his apology? Why does he not swear by his god, that fish headed god called Dagon? Has he converted over, or is he simply playing politics, seeking to keep David in his good favor?
No matter, for we don’t know the motives of the man who has been so deeply deceived by the future king of Israel. David’s subterfuge, though putting him in a very difficult position, has completely duped this uncircumcised king.
But the pressure of the lords of the Philistines has provided David an out.
Even as he is provided an out from fighting his own countrymen, people God has promised he would rule over some day, David pushes back.
“But what have I done?” David asks.
He pushes the point even as the king has given him the out. David continues to force Achish to speak of his commitment to the Philistine king.
So what is going on? A possible understanding is that David is weighing his options. There is no guarantee that the Philistines will loose the battle, so I suppose David is simply covering his bases. I suppose David may be thinking of two outcomes for the battle ahead.
Israel wins the battle
If the Israeli army triumph’s Saul will have the option to continue looking for David. David still needs protection. Hopefully Achish survives!
Philistines win the battle
But if the Philistines win, David can maintain status quo. No changes needed, keep on deceiving the king and killing the people of the south. Except for one factor. There is a wrinkle if the Philistines win though. Saul may be dead, and there will be a power vacuum. Might David be showing some reluctance to take on the greatest responsibility God calls a man too, considering the sinful, deceiving, killing lifestyle he has adopted?
One person is loosing the battle
In our passage this morning, we find David is backsliding, wanting to conform to the world, seemingly wanting to be on “Team Philistine”. He still has farther to fall, but for this period in David’s life, the Lord is setting a stage that will provide David an opportunity he mustn’t miss.
Very soon, David will come to the end of his rope. Not yet, but very soon.
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
Boaz
The Kinsmen Redeemer
Ruth 3:13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”
Galatians 4:4,5 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
I know that the last post was to address Boaz as the Kinsmen Redeemer, but I fell into the discussion on Boaz as the obedient Jew and couldn’t help pursuing that topic.
For this post, let’s consider Boaz as the Kinsmen Redeemer in relation to Ruth.
For you see, the legal hoops Boaz jumped through to perform that which was right was not merely a wealthy man seeking to expand his holdings, to amass wealth and increase his portfolio. This seems obvious for thoughout the book of Ruth, it seems he had a thing for that “worthy” girl, an eye on her that he couldn’t resist.
Yes she was not a Jewish woman, but she was a righteous lady, one who wanted join the faithful, those who trusted in the true God. And her actions showed that, (as it is with all believers) for she followed after Naomi into a strange land, accepting a lifestyle of servanthood for her mother-in-laws sake. That alone is an incredible statement of her character.
Ruth 2:11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before.
And Boaz saw this in Ruth, saw her character, her humility, her desire to serve Naomi, her willingness to glean the fields, a task left to the poorest of the poor.
Boaz, as the obedient Jew, performed all the righteous acts he needed to pave the way to getting to Ruth. He was obedient, but let us never forget the motivation spurring Boaz on.
Ruth 2:13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”
Love.
A love that would not let hurdles remain in his path. A love that required he buy the land of Naomi and out of that action, the hand of Ruth. He sought to fulfill the law of perpetuating the lineage of the family with a lady he favored, a lady named Ruth.
Ruth 4:9, 10 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.”
Boaz married Ruth.
We too have a Kinsmen Redeemer, motivated by love for those unworthy, those who were poverty stricken, living the life of the poorest of the poor. He completed the task, but beyond mere obedience, His actions were motivated by a love that was resident in Him, a self sacrificing love that finds its’s source in the heart of God.
His love motivated Him to become our Kinsmen Redeemer.
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.
193
GOD OF ABRAHAM
Genesis 26:24 And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”
For the next few posts, we will be seeing our God as the God of specific people. Abraham and his offspring have the honor of being associated with the Almighty God in His naming, and it may be beneficial for a moment to consider the reason each of these names were used.
For our name this morning, we have God speaking to Isaac, peaceful Isaac after he had given up another well to his neighbors.
A little history may help.
Upon Abrahams death, Isaac ventured on his own in the land of Abimilech, and after a period of time, sowed on the land, and reaped 100 fold.
What a return on investment!
But jealousy got hold of Abimilech, and Isaac was pushed him off the land.
He then settled in the valley of Gerar. His servants unplugged the wells his father Abraham had dug, while his sojourn through the area. Not only did Isaac unplug old wells, he and his servants dug new wells, finding plenty of water.
Again, his success brought out the worst in those around him. The inhabitants of the valley of Gerar, herdsmen by trade, quarreled with him, speaking of the water as it belonged to them. Twice. Isaacs men dug two new wells, and the neighbors demanded the use of both of them.
Just before Isaac recieved this message from God, he claimed that by leaving the wells behind, and digging a third well, it was God’s way of making room for them in the land.
Now let’s get this straight. He gave up his fathers wells, he gave up the two new wells his servants had dug, and now he is saying God has made room for them.
What an attitude!
At first, I am thinking what a wimp, what a weak kneed fellow to not stand up for his possessions. But he is looking for peace, and in the effort to get peace, he is willing to give “things” up.
And then I “stumbled” on this passage in the New Testament.
1 Corinthians 6:5-8 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud–even your own brothers!
Strict parrallels might not be evident, for some may think, as I do, that Paul is speaking of quarrels in the church, and Isaac is looking for peace amongst those without faith.
Yet the desire for peace, as Paul speaks of, should be of greater priority than things.
Again, I stumbled onto a New Testament teaching that speaks somewhat in similar manner.
Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Isaac wasn’t weak kneed or lilly livered, but strong in the desire to live at peace with everybody.
Isaac sought to live peaceably with all. This may cost him some inner peace, for it opens him up to abuse, possibly that the neighbors may think of him as an easy target, a soft touch.
The Lord, I think, addresses this very concern when He comes to Isaac.
“I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”
No rebuke, but only an encouragement, a statement that God is with him for Abraham’s sake, and that his life will be blessed. Isaac is going to have many offspring.
And Isaac has met the God of Abraham, even as he lives the believers life of self sacrifice for the sake of others. God will bless that life, and multiply that life, even as that type of life provides for some to take advantage. But God tells Isaac not to fear.
Thought there seems to be reason for fear from those around, God is with him. Isaac sought to be peaceful, and in that effort found his father’s 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.
A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.
As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.
1 Thessalonians 2:1 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain.
We have completed the first chapter and discussed the faith of the Thessalonians, and the impact the apostle Paul and his team had on the small Jewish community.
They entered the city, preached for three Saturdays in the synagogue, caused a riot, got ran out of town and left behind a small group of people who trusted the message and had little personal witness other than seeing their apostle stand up to the crowds and not back down for the sake of giving up the truth.
Really quite the perfect storm, in a good way, for a small group of believers to have a short period of time with the apostle, and then to be thrust into the faith, essentially on their own. With no one to tell them they are doing it wrong. With no one telling them it has never been done that way.
In a very real sense, this group had the freedom to follow Jesus without any other influence. Without the Second Baptist Church of Thessalonica down the road acting as a competitive influence, or seeking to draw others into a second group.
That first few weeks/months/years must have been awesome for this small group of believers, knowing the basics and having the recollection of such a bold and brave apostle!
Chapter 2 starts out with Paul speaking of his coming amongst them, of his (or better yet God’s) success in bringing them to a truthful confession of faith.
He introduces the topic of vanity in this verse. My first impression when I think of this word is of makeup and fashion, of image and status, of representation and not reality. It may be a bit more harsh than that! If my understanding is correct, vanity in this verse speaks of an emptiness, a hollowed out condition, of a destitute existence, without any lasting fruit.
Maybe I am not so far off in my thinking. After all, is not makeup and fashion, image and status simply a statement of vanity, not reflecting the inner man, but a covering over, creating an appearance that is not true, focusing on the outer and not the inner. Character is not elevated if coverings and deception run rampant in the life.
But I digress. Forgive me my rant!
Paul, when he speaks of vanity, he is speaking of the effect his preaching had on these folks. They appeared committed to the message.
Vanity
Paul speaks of vanity in relation to a number of other congregations. He speaks of the emptiness of the Corinthian’s faith if the resurrection is not true.
Why have faith if He didn’t rise from the dead? The whole message Paul preached, that these folks claimed to believe is empty if based on a lie. The faith is void and
1 Corinthians 15:2 ESV – and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you–unless you believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:14 ESV – And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
In the book of Galatians, he speaks as though the continuance of their faith in his message would show that his efforts were not in vain. He sought that he had a lasting effect on those who initially trusted in the true message of the Messiah.
Galatians 2:2 ESV – I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. Galatians 4:11 ESV – I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.
He speaks to a church that is sliding into legalism as though they were apostatizing. My friends, he is speaking to those who were accepting the alternate message, the message of the Judaizers, that in following their message, the gospel faith they initially entered would be abandoned. His work would have been in vain.
Finally, he brings up the topic of vanity with his church in Phillippi.
Philippians 2:16 ESV – holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
To speak to his church in Philippi as he does in this verse must have been exhilarating, realizing his work was effective in their lives, that the faith was evident in their holding fast to the truth of the gospel. Continuance. Faithfulness. Consistency. If the believers life is focused in the life in the Messiah, it will be fully evident. Rules, regulations, social influence, financial gain, power, intimidation or any other idol is constantly fought off, by a commitment to the Messiah and His message.
I am afraid he may be thinking this success may not last if these believers in Thessalonica continue to listen to those who would seek to pull them away. A little further on in our letter, we find Paul referring to his labor possibly being in vain, that all his efforts and sacrifice would be for nothing.
1 Thessalonians 3:5 ESV – For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.
In our subject verse, verse 1, we see Paul was appealing to their very own memory when he speaks of his initial visit, and of the apparent impact he had on them. He is beginning to bring to their thinking the history these folks have experienced in the faith, and with their apostle.
But hold up now. All of chapter one spoke of the success of Paul’s ministry amongst them, how they were the talk of the region, how they were faithful and growing. How can Paul be saying of their faith being in vain when he just spoke so highly of them?
I have been assuming that Paul was speaking of their faith as a result of his initial efforts, but it seems evident that as we venture into this second chapter, Paul feels he has to defend his character, that he needs to remind the Thessalonians not of his initial impact, which he did in the first chapter, but of the importance of his character for the sake of their continuing in the faith.
A very popular way for the enemy to attack the faith is to attack the one who delivered the message. Character assassination is very effective in quelling the fruit of the message. Paul understands this and is writing this next portion of the book as a reminder of his character in order for their faith to be strong. He is not naïve in the enemies methods of destruction.
Two final thoughts.
Defend the character of those who evangelize. Do not openly defame a believer’s character, but seek to protect, to assist, to encourage those who serve in the ministry of evangelizing the lost. Don’t fall into character assassination through gossip or complaining, grumbling and whining about the character of those who serve the Master. In doing so, we may fall into a category of people we would not normally associate with.
Also as believers, who share the gospel with others, our lives matter in the quiet times, where our own character is being forged, when we are in front of the Master and no one is around.
This is a great challenge. May we look to Him for strength!
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.
192
GOD OF PEACE
Romans 15:33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen
Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
In our last post on this name, I left for my readers an opportunity to suggest the reason Paul used this name of God when speaking of CRUSHING Satan
Why didn’t Paul speak of God as the God of Warfare, or the God of Battles, or the God of Domination, when he speaks of God soon crushing Satan?
Crushing in the New Testament is a word used 7 times, and is related to complete crushing, breaking, treading down, being broken in pieces, to be conquered and trampled on. This term is not associated with peace.
Given that concept of crushing, I still have the image of blood and guts, broken bones, humiliation of the enemy, domination and defeat. I may be providing differing images in that last list that may not be intended in Paul’s mind.
Defeat of Satan. Yes that seems obvious.
Conquering of Satan. Yes that seems obvious.
Humiliation of Satan. Yes, but through the wisdom of God, and not by exercising a competitive spirit that usually fuels a humiliation of an enemy.
Ok – Now we may be starting to see that the means of crushing may be my point of confusion. When I think of crushing, I think violence, force, physical warfare.
When Jesus finally conquers a man, it is not by threat, or by impending judgement, by through logical dominance – all of which may play a part in some conversions – but the hinge upon which every true conversion swings is the love of God, the self sacrificial life and death of the suffering Servant.
His methods of conquering include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. This is the nature of His person, the very Spirit we have been granted.
To consider the crushing of Satan to include violence and domination as I think of it in this world, twists the very character of our Savior. Am I saying Jesus loves Satan and that Satan will be conquered by the love of God? That is a hill far away, and though the love of God may extend there, I certainly cannot claim I know of it.
That is not for me to know. One truth is for me to know.
It is the means of God to conform to His very nature and to provide victory as the King of all, is that through peace, through love, through joy.
Jesus is the God of peace. In the working out His will, the way of peace will be the means and goal, even in the defeat of Satan.
May we also be conquered daily by the God of Peace.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My 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.
192
GOD OF PEACE
Romans 15:33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen
Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
We have been in Romans 15 for the last 3 names of God, and though the chapters are man made, the 15th chapter has one more jewel of a name for us to consider.
Granted, it appears that Paul’s final appeal to the God of peace for these Romans shows up in the last verse of chapter 15, he returns to this name again in Romans 16. This is where I would like to settle for this post.
So let’s consider that out of all the names Paul had opportunity to use in this context, he choose the “God of Peace”.
A name that brings to mind gentle flowing waters, scenes of quietness, contentment and harmony, a state of security and safety where there are no threats, no quarrels or disturbances. Peace, in the Hebrew mind, included the concept of wholeness, wellness balance and health.
We know of this term for even today as we hear some speaking of “Shalom”.
So let me ask my readers a silly question.
Why didn’t Paul speak of God in this context as the God of Warfare, or the God of Battles, or the God of Domination, when he speaks of God soon crushing Satan?
That just seems a bit odd in my mind.
So my mind needs to be taught! That is the proper result of finding an apparent confusion in the Word. I am to conform my thinking to the message provided.
My thinking is to be continually challenged by the Word and dang it all, I think we found something here to do just that!
Now, before I provide a possible solution to this conundrum, (and to provide me a bit of time to think, meditate and ask God for help), I am going to open this post to my readers to comment, to provide a suggested solution, or to supply direction for my thinking.
I shall return to this topic shortly. Hope to hear from you!
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.
James 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. James 5:8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
Patience. It is a primary characteristic of the believer.
There are two primary words used in the New Testament to describe patience. Considering the Bible has provided a number of short studies on the topic of patience for those who may be interested. Find listing of studies below.
For our passage this morning, in the fifth chapter of James, the author resorts to using the Greek term μακροθυμέω, transliterated as makrothyméō. The term speaks of a long temper, (makros = long, and thumos = temper), and speaks of patient endurance.
James is exhorting the borthers to be patient, to wait with expectation. As a matter of fact, James introduces a related concept when he speaks of the farmer “waits” for the precious fruit. This waiting is not the simple idea of letting time pass without any internal desires being associated with it. It is not the type of waiting I do as grass grows, or as paint dries. That type of waiting is far removed from James intent here. The waiting of the farmer has expectation associated with it, a certain internal connection with the outcome. The farmer, due to his previous experience as a farmer is waiting, but with an expectation of a good harvest, a harvest of precious fruit.
The simile for believers, in James message is the coming of the Lord. It is likened to precious fruit. A good expectation. A wonderful expectation.
Then he drops the bomb – Don’t grumble. Don’t grumble against your brothers!
Now the expectation is of judgement. Behold the Judge is standing at the door!
Wow.
Talk about a sudden shift in images. Precious Fruit – anticipation, expectation, a sense of longing for. The very next verse James brings the picture of a Judge at the door.
Now earlier on, we have looked at the topic of judgement in this blog and considered the various meanings of the English term “judge”, which ranges from the discernment of right from wrong all the way to the idea of condemnation.
Our word here, both the action of being judged and the person who is the Judge, is related to the Greek word κρίνω krínō. It alone has a range of meanings, but according to those much (much) more able in understanding the languages, this verse carries with it the intent of condemning, and decreeing or inflicting a penalty. It is not merely the discernment of good from bad, or truth from a lie, and therefore to move on. There is action to be performed on that which is judged!
It is the same term translated as condemned in John 3:18
John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
So let’s review. Two ways for a Christian to live.
Patience – Anticipation – Precious Fruit
Grumbling – Judge at the door – Judged
I could take a few minutes and venture into a short study on grumbling and complaining, of having a grudging attitude, full of periods of groaning, but if my readers are anything like myself, I think that is unnecessary. I understand grumbling, for it is my nature!
Two ways to live the Christian life. A joyful anticipating patience. Or a grumbling, complaining wait for judgement.
What is your choice today?
Eight short studies on patience. Take your time considering.
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
As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
1 Samuel 29:1-5 1 Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. 2 As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish, 3 the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him to this day.” 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? 5 Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
In this passage we return to David, though it was critical, as we shall find out later, that we understood the condition and future of Saul in his last days.
Saul had been rejected by God. God had actually become the enemy of King Saul.
We find in this passage David is rejected by the Philistines.
It seems the world was completely out of order, but within 24 hours, all would be straightened out. Saul would be violently taken from the throne, and the rightful king would be on his way to the kingdom.
But before we get there, let’s take a few minutes to consider David’s situation. Thinking back, we find David has visited Achish, king of the Philistines, was able to wrangle a city from the hands of Achish for his family and men to live in, and been performing some “complete” raiding of areas south of the nation of Philistia. Complete, I say, as when he raided an area, he decimated it, killing every living soul.
Now we may ask ourselves how David was able to ingratiate himself into the favor of King Achish. It seems it was only a matter of deception, for when Achish would ask what David had been up to, he merely lied, telling Achish that he had been raiding the nation of Israel. Of course the deception was just the tip of the iceberg, for David had become a bit of a cut throat rebel, killing every soul he entered for the sake of bounty and secrecy. (Life of David – 21.03)
Achish was in the palm of David’s hand, having found in David a man that seemingly turned on his people, and now was a committed Philistine. He had been completely hoodwinked, for he was using David and his men for the Philistines last defense, the ring around the king that would make the last stand if Israel broke though.
It seems this last minute review of the forces by the commanders of the Philistines prior to the battle, even as they are on the battlefield, provided the deliverance David sought to get out of this bind.
Although the turn of events favored David’s eventual return to the nation of Israel, what might have happened if David and his men had entered battle with the Philistines? It seems obvious, that he and his men would turn on Achish, supporting Saul in his battle. After all he was to be, by the promise of God, the future king of Israel. He couldn’t fight against his own people. But if Saul were to win, possibly due to David’s forces, David lost, for he may be captured by Saul and killed, or have no place to escape to, having turned on Achish, his Philistine benefactor.
David was in a very difficult situation!
The commanders of the Philistines provided the solution. They were, in this story, the only ones who were truly for the Philistines, who were critical thinkers, and had not been drawn into David’s story telling! Of course, with David’s storytelling to Achish, he also provided the goods of the latest attack. Might that be the reason Achish was so ready to take David’s side? Or was David simply that good of a liar?
Nevertheless, David and his men were rejected from entering battle against the tribes of Israel. He will be sent back to the city of Ziklag. The conflict for David had been resolved by his own enemies.
And the last logical argument that the commanders of the Philistines provided Achish is the gossip of some Israeli women, that early on in David’s career with King Saul, created the very condition he had been running from for years.
1 Samuel 29:5 Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
This comparison, elevating David above his king, had been offered by some women after David had struck down that giant called Goliath, a soldier of the Philistines. It was a ditty that stuck, that hung on, that became international, at least between Israel and Philistia.
David had been running from what was intended to praise him for years. Saul had been chasing him, intent on taking out the competition. The saying became so popular, so associated with the prowess and ability of David, that the Philistines had kept record.
The Philistines had remembered that fateful day when an snotty nosed little upstart teenager killed their champion. For the Philistine commanders to know he resided in their country must have been hard for them to swallow, but to allow that man into the heart of their battle troops was unacceptable.
In the midst of all this back and forth, David was rescued from a situation where he couldn’t win. Even as David had backslidden in deception and violence, he was taken care of by the hand of God, through personalities and situations he had no influence over. He was simply a passive receiver of the power and influence of God in the enemy camp.
Saul had been rejected by God. His disobedience to God though given the highest privilege in the nation by God, drove him to finally seek out an ungodly medium. He was informed of his past and future. He was doomed and God was no where to be found.
David had been rejected by the Philistines. He too had been promised the throne of Israel by God, and had sought to live amongst the ungodly in an effort to stay alive. His lying, thieving and murderous ways were a low point in his life, but there was one difference for David. Though backslidden, and far from the life he may have expected as a follower of God, God was still looking out for Him, still coordinating circumstances and situations that favored the warrior king.
The difference for these two men was access to God. Both men had proven to be willing to lie, thieve and murder for their own purposes, but God was keeping His promise to both men. He promised to take the kingdom from Saul, and to give it to David.
He was actively keeping his Word.
God is continuing to keep His Word, and all His promises to His Warrior King, the One who lived amongst the ungodly, amongst liars, thieves and murderers, yet was unstained of sin. His access to the throne of Israel, like David, was through suffering, yet there was a difference. Whereas David was rescued while in sin, the sinless Jesus was not rescued from the penalty of sin. Death took Him violently and the apparent defeat lasted for days.
Though Jesus was not saved from the cruel death of the cross, His deliverance from the grave, His resurrection gives each of us hope, providing each of us access to God.
Romans 5:2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Trust Him Follow after Him. He is our only Hope.
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
Boaz
The Obedient Jew
Ruth 3:13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
How many, when you read the first post on Boaz, expected a discussion on his being a kinsman redeemer? It is the obvious, common typology we see when we look for Jesus in the Old Testament.
I just couldn’t help considering the description of Boaz (and Ruth) as those described as worthy, and seeing Jesus as the greatest descendent of two worthy believers, producing One who is the most worthy.
But for our discussion this morning, let’s consider Boaz as he is described in the Book of Ruth, as an obedient Jew, making him the kinsmen redeemer of Naomi.
Yes you thought I would refer to Ruth as the one redeemed. Let me explain, and we will see Boaz redeeming Ruth shortly.
The Obedient Boaz
Boaz is an obedient servant to the law of God. He is a worthy man, a man who seeks to perform righteously, in accordance with God’s will. So when Ruth comes to him at his threshing floor, as he awakes, he is shocked by her appearance and asks her identity.
Ruth 3:9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”
Now of course Boaz had met her previously in the fields as she was gleaning, so he had conversed with her, favored her and provided protection for her. At this point, she explains how she is related to his family, that he is a redeemer of the land Naomi had left behind, that he has a right to obtain the land Naomi had lost when the family ventured off to Moab.
Ruth 2:20 ….Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”
Note that Naomi declared He was one of their redeemers, Naomi including herself in the redemption process. A note on the redemption of the land in Israel.
Land in Israel could not be purchased by strangers but only to those of the same tribe, and those closest to the owner had first “dibs” on the land. In Boaz’s case, he was second in line. One kinsmen had rights to the land before Boaz could exercise his option to purchase the land.
He needed to ensure he was legally clear to obtain the parcel of land Naomi was selling. And he takes care of this hurdle, purchases the land, establishing the legal rights of the land under his family name, and redeeming Naomi from a life of poverty and servitude.
We too left the garden and and lived in “Moab”, as Naomi had for many years. Let us remember that our Redeemer is One who ensured the redemption He would provide was legal, proper, and airtight.
Boaz made sure no one could claim Naomi’s land after he purchased it, that no one could effectively challenge the redemption of the land he purchased. He did the leg work and completed all the requirements of the law to ensure his redemption of the land was secure.
Jesus followed the will of God, performed all the righteous commands required. He was, and is, the penultimate Obedient One to the will of God. Even to the accepting of the suffering and judgement we deserved. He is the truly Obedient Jew.
There is no loophole or exception in His redemption, for He completed all the righteous requirements put before Him. Then, to shine forth the glory of His love for us, He gave up the credit of His perfect life, taking the beating and punishment, a death on a cross, that He did not deserve.
He accepted the unrighteousness of the horrible judgement He suffered for our sakes. He is the Obedient One who prepared our redemption and purchased us back.
Take a moment and consider our Redeemer in all His actions for us.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
191
GOD OF HOPE
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Hope is mentioned twice in this verse. Once in referring to God as the God of Hope and then of the experience of abounding in hope.
Surely the connection is obvious. But wait. Hope doesn’t come directly from God, at least according to Paul in this verse.
Paul does not write to the believers in this verse…
May the God of hope provide abounding hope to you believers.
A little background may be helpful, at least for me to develop what I think is going on here.
The church at Rome was a multicultural church, a church of Gentiles and Jews, and though the book of Romans is one of the richest theological letters ever written, the purpose seems to include addressing the division between these two groups.
A high level review of the last half of the book for my reader.
in chapters 9-11, Paul discusses the Jewish question, entering chapter 12 with an appeal to self sacrifice in the Christian life (12:1-2) speaks of humility (12:3) then unity in the body (12:4-5), opportunities to serve others in the church (12:6-8), and then continues with various exhortations on how to live with others, in the church and outside of the church.
Standard fare is it not? But let us see if there is a continuing thread of thought.
Although he provides a portion of chapter 13 on the believers responsibility to worldly government, he just can’t help but return the the believers obligation to love others (13:8-10), and the calling to walk in the light (13:11-14)
Chapter 14 continues the thought of walking in the light under the topic of receiving a weaker brother. This chapter speaks of dietary laws, and the foolishness of judging our brother. A whole chapter on the topic of relating to a brother of different opinions.
A whole chapter my friends!
This letter was written to confront a division that seemed to be growing within the church at Rome, a division between the Jewish and the Gentile believer.
Chapter 15 begins with the call to care for those who are weak, and that we are not to please ourselves. We are to edify our brother, which is just a classy term for saying we are to build up our brother in the faith.
Now why would Paul feel it is important to spend so much time on relationships between believers, between believers of different opinions, if it were not for the fact that things were getting stressed in the church. Things in the church might have been unravelling!
Enter verse 13, and the God of hope.
As mentioned earlier, I don’t see Paul offering these believers an abundance of hope merely because God is the God of hope. There is a process, a “system” if you will.
Paul’s looks to the God of hope to fill them with joy and peace in believing. What two elements are sorely absent in a church that is split? A church that is in tension, a church that has “groups”, a church that contains friction, judgement and attitudes of superiority surely does not enjoy joy and peace.
A long time ago, in a world far away (yes I am referring to Canada), a brother once coined the phrase “the divine human cooperative”, and it shocked me. He explained that through obedience to (or believing in) the commands and will of God, God can perform great things in and by the believer. If the believer decides not to cooperate, so be it.
For many of my readers, this is not a radical idea, for it permeates the Word, but for a young believer with even more wrong ideas about God than he currently has, it was eye opening!
For hope to abound in these believers, peace and joy had to be evident in these believers lives. They were to be filled with joy and peace, through the obedience to love, not judge. Love that is realized by receiving the brother that is of a different opinion. Love that determines not to please ourselves but to build up our brother and sister, instead of tearing them down.
Given the expectations of Paul, and the opportunity of the believers to come together, joy and peace was a very real potential experience for these believers.
If the potential was realized, if each believer loved their brother and sister, and by doing so experienced the joy and peace of God in their congregation and personal lives, hope would grow. Expectation would increase. An anticipation of God working in others would increase, and the atmosphere would be permeated with a positive confidence of God’s presence with them. These brothers and sisters would eventually abound in hope, having given the Holy Spirit the freedom to provide hope.
Church division, or in other words, holding onto a personal offense is such a killer of joy, peace and hope.
If you have a brother or sister that you would not give something up so they may be built up, consider your ways. The seeds of division comes in many colors and shapes. We are called to a higher calling, a calling of forgiveness and love towards others and not of judgement, of an attitude of tearing down or of a life of pride.
Consider.
Jesus is the God of Hope, and His mighty prayer of unity is certainly worth remembering as we walk our day out 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.
Thoughts on the topic of sluggards from the book of wisdom
Before we venture into this topic, let’s be clears on the meaning of the term. There may be some readers who are not familiar with the term “sluggard”. Personally, I love the word. Not the meaning, and especially not the application or reality of it in my own life, but the sound, the noise it makes as it rolls from the throat.
I got a thing for sounds!
To be a sluggard is to be a deadbeat, a couch potato, a loafer, a slouch, an idler, a good for nothing lazy bag of bones. To be a sluggard is to be a professional, highly motivated procrastinator, a shirker of responsibility and an avoider of tasks!
For our time in the proverbs, we will find there is much to be challenged by. A number of truths occur over and over in the passages we will consider. Truths that describe the sluggard as having nothing to show for his life, that he will go hungry, that he is a disappointment to others. He is a “victim” and that he is a great story teller.
Our last proverb study we found the sluggard is wiser than they all, even though only in his own mind. And to what benefit does this self delusion bring to the sluggard?
In this post, let’s consider the end result of the sluggard. What should the sluggard expect for the many mornings he sleeps in, the excuses he makes and the pride he exhibits?
Proverbs 13:4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
The sluggard is one who is craving and yet is not satisfied, not because he prefers different food. It isn’t that he has that luxury, but that he has nothing to choose from. He gets nothing.
Proverbs 12:27 Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.
It appears Solomon grants that the sluggard actually extended some effort in hunting down some game, but then lets it rot for the sake of rest. He will not roast his game!
Proverbs 19:15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.
Solomon continues in his description of the sluggard in that he will suffer hunger. It appears there is plenty of opportunity for the sluggard to find sustenance, for Solomon speaks of his gaining some game, yet he suffers hunger for the sake of not completing a task.
Proverbs 20:4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
The sluggard is not proactive. The harvest is coming, it comes every year, and yet with this abundant evidence of opportunity, the sluggard puts off the plowing of the field. Note that the plowing is described as being in the autumn, after the years harvest, after bringing in the fruit of the field.
How often have I went to the 99% completion of a task, only to drop the final step! Plowing in the autumn allows the field to be prepared for the next sowing.
Proverbs 18:9 Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.
Earlier the proverbs mentioned that the sluggard let his game rot, that he would not roast it. Although destruction is often associated with vile intent, it also is linked with slackness, with those who do not finish a task.
The future of the sluggard is a fearful looking to of destitution, poverty and hunger in their later years. By then, the habit of self justifying of the avoidance of tasks, and the self convincing that the sluggards ways are best, usually provide little chance of change in the sluggards thinking and actions.
Or do they?
I have known sluggards who have realized the foolishness of their ways and sought change in their lives. Thankfully, the Lord is able to rescue even the sluggard from foolish thinking and behavior, even if it might be through poverty, hunger and desire.
Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.
A final word to those who may be characterized by the addiction of “workaholicism” (Is that a word?)
Though “sluggardism” (again Carl – you gotta quit making up words!) may not characterize your life, it is important to find balance in our lives, that the tasks of life do not delegate relationships to a back burner. We are to be about the Lord’s business, and that is always in relation to people and not tasks. Let not the “thing” or “task” take away from relating to the person He loves, that person who may be right beside you, even now.
Considering the Bible 