Jesus in the Old Testament – Abraham – 07

2024-08-06

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

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

SEEING JESUS IN

ABRAHAM

LEAVING HOME

Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country …
Genesis 12:4 So Abram went…

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

It was necessary for the Lord to leave home, for without His departure from the Father, His work could not be accomplished. In a similar manner, Abraham had to leave his home in order to fulfill his calling of God.

Both had to go through a heart rending time of leaving those they loved for the sake of those they love.

For Abraham, he had to leave his father and mother, brothers and sisters, and all those he grew up with. He left all that he had experienced, all that he had known, for a land promised to him, in a region he had never seen.

True, he was granted the privilege of travelling with a half sister – Sarai, as his wife, and a nephew, by the name of Lot, who was somewhat of a burden, but nevertheless, he wasn’t completely alone. He may have had some of the fathers servants also, but I don’t recall if that is explicitly spoken of. He left his home, but not completely alone.

Jesus was not granted that privilege of having any other to travel with, for He came alone. No one else has ever been so separated from family as He was, and yet He maintained connection with the Father and Spirit continually. This is a mystery in my mind, but His departure from the heavens should not be considered of no burden.

He entered the world of flesh and blood, amongst strangers that were not simply different, but rightly be identified as His enemies. He had no-one to share His heart with, other than the Father Himself, but of those He rubbed shoulders with, they were unable to understand His being, His thoughts, His motivation, His wisdom or His ways. (Much like His disciples today?) Constant confusion, conflict and contradictions by the disciples, seemingly always misunderstanding His message, must have made the isolation Jesus experienced feel even greater.

I have often considered Abraham a fierce hero of the faith, leaving his home to venture out. What a tremendous man of faith, a man of courage, and of patience. He left his home to obey God!

The Savior left His home for us, but how much more of an impact on His being this must have been! We often do not consider the effect this must have had on our Savior. He left His home in order to rescue us, and in the rescuing, He was in a very real sense the loneliest man that ever walked the earth.

Let us be thankful that we have not been called to be alone, for we always have the benefit of those of like faith, and may we be a blessing to those we come in contact with.

Be thankful that He left His home, so we may have a greater home to go to!

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.

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Names of God – DESIRE OF THE BRIDE – 98

2024-08-05

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.

98

DESIRE FOR THE BRIDE

Song of Songs 7:10 I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me.

This is our second of three names that includes the term desire, and though the verse uses the object pronoun “me”, it is clear the intent of the verse is describing the beloved’s desire for the bride.

Understanding that the Song of Songs is a picture of Christ and the church, we have a name of God, though veiled, describes the very motivation of His will and actions towards His people.

As believers, we have been rightly taught of the great love He has, of His mercy, of His faithfulness, and of His longsuffering towards us, but it seems in my mind, to have this modifier of “desire” towards His church adds an aspect of His nature that I seemed to have missed.

The term desire is tᵊšûqâ in the Hebrew, and it speaks of a craving, or longing of a man for a woman. One time in the Old Testament, the term is used of the craving of a beast to devour, as in Genesis 4:7, when God describes the desire of the beast of sin to engulf the first murderer.

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.

The craving is not a simple drive to attain a goal, but would I be right in understanding this desire to be all consuming?

For a beast to devour, or for man towards his wife, or a wife to her husband, each of these desires describe a focus, an all consuming longing that obliterates other desires. The heart of the one desiring is totally concentrated on the object/person desired.

This is the desire the Beloved has for His bride, the church.

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.

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Philippian Bits – 4:16

2024-08-04

For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

4:16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.

Twice while he was in Thessalonica?

Let’s think about this statement.

The church didn’t have UPS in the day, nor the technological wizardry of sending funds instantly through a phone app. To get funds to Paul would require travelling through Neapolis, Amphipolis, and Apollonia. (See graphic below).

The distance from Philippi to Thessalonica was about 100 miles! The average walking velocity is about 3 mph. This trip, if walked would take over 30 hours, if there was no rest stop for the evening.

Let’s say two days to travel!

Ok – Lets consider the time Paul was in Thessalonica. Can anyone remember? Acts 17:2 speaks of three sabbath days of teaching before the Jews starting causing some trouble. Once the uproar started, it seems that Paul was sent away immediately (Acts 17:10)

Given the earlier info, we can suggest Paul may have been in Thessalonica for four weeks, roughly a month. In that time, the Philippians sent his gifts TWICE.

This screams of a church that could not stop reaching out to Paul, that they were anxious to help, looking for ways to help their apostle.

Can you imagine being part of a body that is so connected with a missionary that the gifts are sent out almost machinegun like!

Paul definitely found fertile soil in the city of Philippi for the gospel to root in!

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Psalms for Psome – Ps 62.06

2024-08-03

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 62:11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
Psalm 62:12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.

David continues in this psalm, after considering the futility of trusting in men or money (verse 9 & 10), returning to the person He trusts, the God who has heard his prayers and is still on the throne. David speaks of God as the One who has power, in that power belongs to God. It is His nature and possession.

His will is not frustrated by a lack of ability. The outworking of His will are seen in the actions that are tempered by His wisdom, His mercy, His judgements, and for that we must be thankful. But His will is never restricted by a lack of power, for all power belongs to God.

David continues to verse 12, a verse that brings together the grace, mercy and lovingkindness of God, with reward to man based on his works.

How can we understand both topics? How can we relate these seemingly opposing thoughts? David is in the midst of a troubling time of trial, and as he looks to God for his salvation in this trial, he rightly speaks of God’s power and love toward him, of his trust in God because of God’s ability and desire to save him.

And then he adds “You will render to a man according to his work”.

Do we “get what we deserve” or do we experience a deliverance and salvation from God who sees our plight and forgives us, delivers us, saves us, guides us, comforts us, and finally brings us to Himself.

In the mysteries of God, David has encapsulated both truths into one salient verse that challenges us all to seek Him all the more, for as we seek Him all the more, we will become more like Him in our character, our emotions, our desires and our actions. As we become more like Him, which is our eternal goal, our works may have a beneficial reward, in the wisdom of God.

If we walk away from God, our works will naturally degrade, our hearts will darken, and our souls will shrivel. We will set our lives on a trajectory that is establishing our a character upon which judgement will fall.

John the apostle gave us the following warning.

Revelation 22:11 – Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

Trust in God, for He is good, and He is good all the time, and He alone is good all the time. He is our source of loving kindness, mercy and power, and it is our privilege to seek Him, and to be influenced by Him for our good!

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Names of God – DESIRE OF OUR SOUL – 97

2024-08-02

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.

97

DESIRE OF OUR SOUL

Isaiah 26:8 In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.

For our next three names, each of them declare that God is associated with a “desire”, and the source of the desire is what will produce the difference in our discussion.

For our post this morning, we are considering God as the desire of our soul. The term desire brings with it both the negative uncontrolled lusting after a thing, and the positive longing, craving, even hunger after a thing, person, place or memory. Of course in this instance, the desire is related to the person of God, being the very object of the desire.

And yet this isn’t, from my standpoint, simply a desire that is borne out of an emotional need, or a physical want, but of the soul, of the indefinable, yet very core of each persons existence. The soul represents (and is) the person, for the body decays, and our emotions are but a fleeting experience.

The soul, the core of the person has a desire, a longing, a craving that is continually hunting to find a place of rest, that seeks to find shelter and contentment. The soul knows it is estranged from it’s truth, from it’s place of belonging.

Given this undeniable thirst, the soul is constantly seeking out for it’s place of rest, and yet the distractions of the flesh, deceit of the evil one, and discouragements of the world constantly get the soul off track, off the path to find it’s place of rest.

Isaiah is telling us that the name and remembrance of God is to be our desire, and in our finding, our souls will rest from the search!

He is our Desire, and we are to recognize this truth, abandon the deceit, discouragement and distractions all around us and seek Him with all we have.

Let me rephrase this. Might it be better said that if we seek Him, that in the seeking we will gradually and continually avoid the deceit, discouragement and distractions all around us?

Let me know your thoughts!

He is our Desire, and we bring honor to His name and benefit to our soul as we understand this truth!

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.

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Conditional Security – Philippians 3:7-20-B

2024-08-01

We are continuing in Philippians, considering Philippians 3:7-21 in relation to Conditional Security. There are some very difficult verses within this passage and I make no claim to have come to settled conclusions on any of them.

With this thought, and with trepidation, I would like to offer my thoughts and an opportunity for my readers to comment, correct or condemn my simple thoughts.

Let us continue with Philippians 3:12-16. Paul begins the passage using a banker metaphor, as if there were a ledger on his desk and is describing his transactions of what he owned for what he wanted.

Let’s take a minute to read through this short passage with that in mind.

Philippians 3

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

The great apostle Paul speaking of not attaining. The question that rises in my mind is – What are you seeking to attain here Paul? What is the topic here?

The term in Greek is λαμβάνω lambánō, and it helps me understand Paul’s message, for when I see this word I also understand it indicates “to take to oneself, to appropriate to one’s self” as Strong’s dictionary provides. What Paul is speaking of is that which he is not simply knowing intellectually, but is living out in his life.

That which he is chasing is the Christ and that which he is appropriating to himself is the call of God. He freely admits that he has not appropriated it fully into his life, that he has a way to go, that his failures and disappointments in the past, though real, are simply that – in the past.

As mentioned in the last post, this posture Paul takes is the healthy posture of realizing that though his intent is to be fully committed, he has found he has not attained, nor is he perfect. He is not already perfect. Perfect. Who might think this very thing? If Paul couldn’t think it, could any of us? Yet to be perfect in Paul’s mind not not to be flawless, or without any error or problem. The term perfect is found twice in this short passage. In verse 12, Paul is admitting he is not perfect. τελειόω teleióō, in verse 12, speaks of being brought to the end of a goal, to bring to a close or fulfillment. Paul admits he has a way to go.

And yet, he speaks in verse 15 as being perfect. τέλειος téleios is translated as perfect in 3:15 and is referring to Paul and other Christians as being “perfect”. To be perfect, at least in this passage might be understood to be mature, or brought to it’s purpose.

So let’s recap.

Paul hasn’t arrived to the point where he is satisfied. Note that the only time he speaks of some relative point of maturity is that when he speaks of himself with others. There is a relative arrival for Paul in relation to those in the church who are also chasing after God.

But verse 15 opens the door to the mixed nature of the church. There are those in the church who are mature, and there are those who are not. Those who do not think like Paul, he seeks that they will enter into maturity with him at some point, that God would reveal his point of view to them. The point of view that he has not arrived! That the mature Christian has not arrived!

This mixture within the church brings about a general topic of a spectrum within the body, of those who are hard pressed to know Him and those who might not care less. Of course this brings to the table the presumption that a Christian can grow cold, can fall back, can for a time, turn from following. I think most would admit to this teaching within the Word. My concern is this lapse of following would provide a temptation to quit, to say “no more” to the Savior and to walk away, not to return.

In our next passage, I think Paul may be hinting that the believers in Philippi are witness to this catastrophe of apostacy in their ranks. Till then, may the Lord be very real to you in your day to day lives.

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Life of David – 10.02

2024-07-31

Jonathan Warns David

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 20:5-11

5 David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening.
6 If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the clan.’
7 If he says, ‘Good!’ it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that harm is determined by him.
8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”
9 And Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! If I knew that it was determined by my father that harm should come to you, would I not tell you?”
10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”
11 And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So they both went out into the field.

In our previous post David needed to test Jonathon’s friendship, even calling in the threat of his own life from the hand of Jonathon’s father. David needed Jonathon to realize the seriousness of the situation, and that Jonathon needed to understand that Saul may not be providing all the facts to Jonathon based on his friendship with David.

So a test was proposed. A situation that would expose Saul’s intentions, and provide guidance for David’s next decisions. It is good to note that though David may have been experiencing great fear for his life, he was willing to give Saul an opportunity, although unknowingly, of his attitude toward him.

It seems David was the one who kept hoping against hope!

Jonathon was prepared and ready to execute the test on his father, but the results would be useless if David doesn’t get the message. David needs to know how Saul reacted to this “anomaly” of being away from the royal circle. Of course, being with family gave opportunity for Saul to excuse him if there was no underlying motive. If the answer was positive, no stealth would be needed to inform David. All would be well. If the answer is negative, which it appears David is assuming, the information had to be transferred in a clandestine manner. Jonathon needed to keep his allegiance to David under wraps to be effective for his friend, and this included the use of an open environment. A field that would cause no suspicion if Jonathon was practicing his archery, which may be a required practice for those in the army. Perfect.

Jonathon would stay in the royal circle, available for David as needed. He would continue to maintain the covenant friendship they had entered into, living within a family that was purposed to kill his best friend. Definitely a house divided, and surely a difficult time for Jonathon, walking as it were on eggshells around the royal family.

What friends will do for each other!

Luke 12

52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.

53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Even to the unenviable loss of physical family ties!

It seems this is a common refrain within the believers life, that certain family members are lost to the believer for a time. Prayer and caring for them is the only solution, along with exercising patience and humility.

They may say cruel and hurtful things, but be strong my friend, for our David is worth the pain, and He has been known to answer our prayers in relation to those we naturally care for!

God is good and He is good all the time!

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.

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Abraham – 06

2024-07-30

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

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

SEEING JESUS IN

Abraham

Promises made by God

Genesis 15:5
And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Galatians 3:16
Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

Paul makes much hay out of the singular noun in Genesis 15:5, where the Lord spoke of the seed / offspring of Abraham. (See graphic of Hebrew noun parsing below, from Blue Letter Bible website)

Of course we can interpret it, as I often have when I read this verse, as “all the offspring” or “descendants” (as the NASB translates it) of Abrahams lineage, the millions of men and women who have come into existence due to Abraham’s existence. The seed of Abraham, in this context may be understood, from Abraham’s point of view, as all the children brought into this world through both Hagar and Sarah.

Yet Paul speaks of one Seed, one Person that will be of the promise. The promise is of the Savior, and though Abraham truly is the father of many nations, this blessing pales in comparison to the blessing of his lineage, the Seed that was in focus here in the Lord’s promise to him.

Jesus Christ is the Seed, the singular Seed that is truly the source of all, for He is the Alpha and Omega, the start and the finish, the One who will have a family greater in number than the stars of the heavens!

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.

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Names of God – DESIGNER AND BUILDER – 96

2024-07-29

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.

96

DESIGNER AND BUILDER

Hebrews 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

This morning, we have two descriptors of our God, and should rightly have two separate posts for each, yet they are a couplet that deserves to be together in my mind, since my background is heavily influenced by these descriptors.

You see, if you are just beginning to follow my blog, my background is engineering, and for the greater part of my professional life, I have performed design work and then worked with builders to complete the project.

In the handing off of a design to a contractor/builder, I provide him plans that are to communicate the design intended. Out of those plans, the contractor interprets them in largely the same way as intended, if the plans are complete.

But even when the plans produced are complete, questions arise, items that were not considered or anticipated are discussed, and various additional decisions have to be made to maintain standards and yet complete the project.

In all of this explanation, one thing stands out in the development of a project from design to construction. The dangers of communication breakdown.

Not so within the Godhead, for their is no confusion or misunderstanding between the designer and the builder. The project will be completed as imagined, planned and designed, for He has anticipated all concerns, planned for all possibilities and does not have any supply chain issues that would impact his schedule.

He is the designer/builder of the city Abraham was looking for, a city that is exactly as God wishes.

Given this truth, He invites us into this process, accepting our stumbling ways, able to continue the work, even as He trains us in the work.

2 Corinthians 6:1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

It is an amazing fact that God is in control, and as we consider all the facets of this existence, we can only wonder at His abilities to manage His creation and our lives, not only for His glory, but also for our good.

He is an amazing Project Manager!

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.

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Philippian Bits – 4:15

2024-07-28

For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

4:15 And you yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.

Paul began this book with a thankful attitude, beginning in verse 5, speaking of the Philippians partnership with him in the gospel from the very start!

1:5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

As I mentioned in an earlier post in discussing a different matter, a cursory review of the times the Philippians assisted Paul in his journeys, or in his trials, could be detailed as follows

When he left the Philippian church the first time
Twice while he was in Thessalonica (see next verse)
At least once in Corinth
At least once in prison (the core reason for writing the Philippians)

But note the strength of Paul’s resolve in his mission work.

From a purely theoretical perspective, when Paul entered a new area and started a church, providing the life giving message to the lost, it would seem obvious that gifts would flow to Paul to encourage him on in spreading the gospel. Yet the only church that entered into this was a small church that began near a river with some womenfolk!

Paul had no real support! Paul sought it not – I am getting ahead of myself here – , but as is evident in this letter, the gifts were more than a simple transaction of assets, a transfer of funding, a contractual obligation that was being kept! These gifts were evidence of a love for Paul that was active, and of fruit being produced within the church.

One other note that I find most interesting. Paul speaks of the church “entering into partnership” with him in giving and receiving. Does it make sense that the church initiated this act of love? Do you see the apostle Paul preach, (as many in the church nowadays preach,) of the obligation to support the full time worker, of the need to cough up the cash?

I am of the opinion that Paul allowed this gifting, even being surprised that the church initiated this act of partnership. I have no evidence to suggest that any other church prior to this letter entered into this type of care for the apostle.

Truly, Paul had found fertile soil for the gospel to flourish in.

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Psalms for Psome – Ps 62.05

2024-07-27

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 62:9 Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.
Psalm 62:10 Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

Let’s remember David’s theme of trust only in the Lord, at all times. He has, even as he has been in himself, considered his situation and active trust before God, and come to a resolved standing before God.

Even as we read this psalm, David’s ability to stand firm has increased. Back in verse 2, he states he “shall not be greatly shaken”, and only 4 verses later, using the exact same words describing our God, he speaks even more assuredly when he states “I shall not be shaken”.

We enter into two verses in our post this morning where David is considering the trustworthiness of men, both ordinary men and the great rulers and champions of the day. His description of them brings us to reality, for we often think our ourselves in terms of granduer and importance, even irreplaceable. David speaks a truth that puts us in our place, a place that reminds us we are but less than a breath.

Think back in your family. If you can remember you grandparents, you are rare. That is two generations. What about your great grandparents? Three generations. Sixty to eighty years.

We truly are but a breath in time. David, in his description of the man of low estate is kind, not relating them to a moral failure. Not so with those who have “made it” in this life. The successful man, the man of high degree is associated with lies and delusion.

Forgive me for being an arithmetic geek, but when combined, both the men of low and high estate are less than the man of low estate, for David describes them when combined as “lighter than breath”! The man of high estate is actually less than nothing in this comparison! Incredible.

If we only consider this thought, it is easy to become disillusioned, fall into despair and depression. What is the use of our lives, if in the end we are “but a breath”. Let us not forget the theme of this psalm, for David is writing of the theme of trusting God.

Though this description of created man is accurate, it is not the intent of David to simply provide this fact for us to wallow in, to be self absorbed into, but to again consider the greatness of God, the importance of shifting our trust from man to God.

Trust in man, who is at best but a fleeting breath makes no sense. This trust is futile and empty, destined for disappointment. Those of power that we trust are liars, full of deception and of themselves, leading us all to the wrong solutions.

Similarly, David exhorts us to refrain from trusting in riches, no matter how attained. Of course if ill gotten, the riches will fly away, leaving your trust disappointed. If riches are possessed through diligence, hard work, and the blessing of God, they still represent a danger, an object that does not deserve our trust, nor will reward the trust we place in them.

Difficult verses to face for the modern believer, for some may look to men for solutions to the mess we find ourselves in as a nation, or as a church, or even as a family.

Men and money are impotent in their ability to bring any salvation to our lives, any permanence, any real value or weight to our existence.

Men and money, when compared to our God, are not worthy of any trust, cannot reward our trust, and actually may become a temptation and snare, a trap that actually destroys instead of delivers.

These short two verses, when considered alone, present a dire situation for those reading them.

As we ponder a passage such as this, we must keep our eyes on the Lord, as He alone has the power to redeem this breath of life from futility.

He is good and He is good all the time!

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Names of God – DELIVERER – 95

2024-07-26

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.

95

DELIVERER

Romans 11:26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

The Deliverer, Jesus is the One who initiates the deliverance, the rescue, the salvation out of our pitiful existence. And yet He has come out of Zion, which originally meant “a parched place”.

Of course, Zion had come to mean the City of David, Jerusalem or even the Temple constructed by Solomon, which was called the dwelling place of God.

Out of a parched place, glory rose. This picture reminds me of another time when Isaiah develops the Saviors arrival in the midst of unexpected times and circumstances.

Isa 11:1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

Jesus appeared on time, in location and per direction in the most unlikely manner, out of a parched circumstances, and from a stump the remains of a now dead family tree.

The Deliverer has come out of Zion, a parched place that showed no promise of life. And yet He came, not only to provide life for all, but to banish ungodliness, which is the very definition of life for those who understand the Life He has given us.

To consider to be delivered and yet to wallow in ungodliness is to be self deceived. Consider the purpose of the Deliverer as we consider the Deliverer today.

For He has rose from the grave, the dust of a parched place to provide life and godliness for all who seek Him.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

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.

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Conditional Security – Philippians 3:7-20-A

2024-07-25

We are about to embark on a lengthy passage in Philippians, considering Philippians 3:7-21 in relation to Conditional Security. There are some very difficult verses within this passage and I make no claim to have come to settled conclusions on any of them. With a passage that speaks of gaining Christ through giving something up, to the great apostle Paul “not attaining”, the passage is fraught with opportunities to cause division, confusion or even heresy.

With this thought, and with trepidation, I would like to offer my thoughts and an opportunity for my readers to comment, correct or condemn my simple thoughts.

Let us begin with Philippians 3:7-11. Paul begins the passage using a banker metaphor, as if there were a ledger on his desk and is describing his transactions of what he owned for what he wanted.

Let’s take a minute to read through this short passage with that in mind.

Philippians 3

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

It seems Paul has been at the ledger table for many years, for as we see in verse 7, he refers to the original meeting with Jesus in Damascus, in his face to face with the Savior and his estimation of all his religious efforts and confidence in relation to this One who confronts him. Yes – Paul counted (in the past) all things loss, and then in our very next verse, speaks of his present suffering and loss of all things, counting (present tense) them as rubbish. As an aside, the term rubbish is more colorful than a simple bag of garbage as the term rubbish may imply. The term is σκύβαλον skýbalon, and refers to refuse, such as the excrement of animals, offscouring, rubbish, dregs, anything that is worthless or detestable.

Is there a progression in Paul’s balance sheets? At the beginning, his part of the “trade” was simply “a loss”. This term is a simple description of damage or loss. Not too graphic.

Later he speaks of his part of the trade as excrement, dung, feces. I don’t know about you but I’m seeing a progression here, an estimation of Paul’s part of the trade as being worse than originally estimated.

Does this not exhibit a progression of relationship, in that Paul continues to estimate his “part of the trade” with with the Savior, that he is, less than his first judgement of value to the Master.

Paul was chasing after the Christ, and as he chased, he had to face his own sinfulness. This is not an enjoyable experience, finding that in all his efforts, he became (in his estimation) less and less of value to Him. In summary, I think it is safe to assume that Paul, as he sought Christ, found that in his estimation of his part of the “trade” to become less and less appealing.

Have you found this to be true?

As you have ventured into the Christian life, have you found that sin erupts when least expected, hardness of heart is ever with you, and a disappointment in your faithfulness is somewhat continual? This is a common experience for the one who is seeking after the Lord, for light exposes shadows and darkness. It is difficult to face the truth of our own existence before Him.

Two take aways on this conclusion

As I try to walk this life with the Savior, I find I am easily tripped, often distracted, sometimes discouraged, redirected by lies or simply without the heart to continue. This is a very dangerous place to reside, and I fear there are some who simply give up in a personal dedication to the One who calls us. This condition can easily slip, I would imagine, into not just ignoring the Lord, but eventually rejecting Him.

Although overly simplistic, I fear those who ignore Him, ignore the very heart of the gospel. Distracted or deceived, those who ignore Him have forgotten one simple truth.

He still loves me, even though I see my part of the transaction as less and less valuable in the offering. Yes He still loves me, and that is what will draw us forward through the disappointments and discouragements.

He still loves you.

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Life of David – 10.01

2024-07-24

Jonathan Warns David

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 20:1-4
1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”
2 And he said to him, “Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so.”
3 But David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”
4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”

In our last passage, Saul had sent three companies of messengers to Naioth in Ramah, where David had fled to be with Samuel. All three companies had been frustrated in their mission, to the point that Saul decided to go himself.

Even as the king approached the city that harbored David and Samuel, the king fell under the power of God and was restrained from accomplishing his will for a full day and night. With this occurrence, David fled.

Consider David’s situation. His arch enemy, the king of Israel has made four concerted efforts to restrain him, and each time God had restricted them. There comes a time when it becomes obvious to relocate, and with Saul flailing about under the trance, David chose to flee to the kings house! He fled to see his friend and ally Jonathon, and it is assumed this meeting took place in the very home of David’s enemy.

David confronted Jonathon, as only the closest of friends can, with piercing questions.

What have I done?
What is my iniquity?
What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?

Note that David’s three questions are not necessarily to the same the, for only the third question refers to the king. Is David checking on Jonathon’s attitude regarding himself, that possibly the king has infected Jonathon with malice towards his friend? After all, Jonathon was loosing out on the chance of a life, to become the next king of Israel. Beyond that, Jonathon would fall into the non-enviable position of a challenger to the throne after the transition. David understood this and needed to be reassured of Jonathon’s commitment to him.

Essentially, in the first two questions, he is asking Jonathon of his attitude toward himself, if there is anything that he has done that has turned the friendship sour.

The third question is the tripping point, for David realized that Saul may hide his intentions from Jonathon due to their obvious friendship, but David pushes nonetheless! He had not been warned of Saul’s attempt in Ramah, and now David may be considering Jonathon to have less than full disclosure from the king of his plans. What else does Jonathon not know, or hasn’t been forthright to David about.

David states the obvious to Jonathon, in that he is nearer to death at the hand of Saul than ever before. One wrong step and he would be eliminated.

But hold on here. David just experienced four deliverances of the Lord from the evil king, and had been supernaturally protected. Is David forgetting this conveniently to make a point with Jonathon? Possibly!

Or it may be that David understood far better than I that he was to make every effort to preserve his life for the sake of the name of God, and to leave the impossible to God. He was not to presume upon the deliverance of God, to fall into an assumption that God would “do all the work”.

In David’s ascension to the throne, David was an integral partner in the work of God to this goal. Of course self preservation was kicking in, and David was seeking to make a point with his friend Jonathon, but the balance between God’s providence and mans responsibility seems to be exhibited in this story line.

Nevertheless, Jonathon reassures David of his commitment to his purpose and flatly, without conditions, states that what David wishes, he will do.

Jonathon’s commitment was stable and continual, providing David the means to understand the royal court’s intention towards him.

In our next passage, David lays out a plan to test Saul’s attitude toward him. This will be the test that finally determines the next six years of David’s life as a fugitive. (See Introduction for dating used for this study)

In summary, David’s life is about to be upended even more than the confusing period he has experienced with the king, since his victory over the giant. As my momma used to say, he is about to go from the fry pan into the fire, and this next six years would produce some of the most stunning acts of loyalty and grace exhibited in the Old Testament, apart from God’s continual faithfulness to His people.

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

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Let Me Tell You a Story – Jeremiah 12:5

2024-07-23

Jeremiah 12:5

If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?

Years back I was called upon to provide a eulogy for my father in law at his funeral.

As you may know if you have read my testimony, my father passed when I was a young boy, thereby growing up without a strong father figure in my life. When I met my wifey, I naturally sought her father’s approval, not only to best my chances at snagging his pretty daughter, but also since he was a man willing to take on this mess of a fella, a young man who needed some guidance from one who had went before.

So as I entered into my wife’s family, I found my attachment to Pop became stronger and stronger, seeking him out every time we visited, looking for chances to have coffee with him, or maybe go on a call with him. Pop was a man who serviced furnaces in a small town north of Toronto, and his winters were busy!

Nevertheless, as I grew closer to him, I found I thought of him as a father, and not just a man who provided me a wonderful wife. So, when he passed, I was struck. And as was obvious to all, many in the family saw my connection with Pop and asked me to share a story or two of his impact on my life at his funeral.

To my shame, I could not control my emotions. I stood there, crying like a little boy, uncontrolled and of no use to those Pop left behind, of no benefit to his memory. They all knew I loved him, but my tears didn’t add anything to his memory for their sakes.

I hadn’t thought of this incident until recently, when I again was in a position where my emotions may steal away an opportunity to be of use to the Lord and to one of His.

A dear lady, who has been experiencing great pain due to witnessing her husband suffer the onslaught of cancer for over 4 years, has now been informed there is nothing the medical profession can do to provide hope. As I watch this young lady live her life, I am amazed at her faith, at her resiliency, at her willingness to be faithful and suffer pain for the one she loves. I have known her for many years, and as I consider her many trials, I stand back and am thankful for knowing her.

It was only a night or so back when I had the opportunity to pray with her, and when we held hands to pray, the emotion welled up in my heart and I fell apart.

At this point of weakness, I thought of Pops, and of the verse I began this post with. Though the Lord can hear our heartbreak, this young lady needed to hear more than an old man weeping.

You know, when things are good, it is easy to keep up, to say the right things, to be the one who appears to be in control. It is when things are tough, when we are competing against things greater than us, that we need to stand up and be counted, to control our lives in order to be a blessing to those about us, to forget about ourselves.

I think back on Pops, and realize I was consumed in my own grief, and my own memories and my own thoughts. It was about me at that time. Me me me.

My goodness, may the Lord rescue me from my self absorbed life and help me run with the horses when the times come.

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

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Names of God – CROWN OF GLORY – 94

2024-07-22

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.

94

CROWN OF GLORY

Isaiah 28:5 In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,

What is it to be a crown? Is it simply a mass of costly metal, fashioned in a ring to fit on a head, with multiple rare stones dispersed on it?

That is my first thought, but is that the picture intended by the prophet?

So my question should be – What is the message Isaiah is communicating to us by calling the LORD of hosts a crown of glory?

The first thing to notice in the development of this passage is in the previous verses, Isaiah is delivers a woe to the drunkards of Ephraim, and describes them as the crown of pride.

A crown is a statement, representing splendor, dignity, authority and honor. For Isaiah to describe the northern kingdom (Ephraim) in this manner brought shame to the nation. A crown of pride is not to be the outcome of receiving splendor, dignity, authority and honor, as the nation of Israel had centuries before. To be degraded to drunkards is a statement of the utter failure of the northern kingdom, and of their willingness to enter into a shameful existence. They had fallen, and were about to be conquered.

After describing the northern kingdom, Isaiah turns to Judah, and reminds them where their splendor, dignity, authority and honor may be found.

To consider the beginning of Isaiah’s discussion of crowns as discussing the shame of the northern kingdom, and then to describe the Lord using the same term – “crown” speaks volumes.

He is diametrically different than our typical experience, an experience of falling into vices and sin. He is the polar opposite, One who is an ultimate crown, and is described not only as a crown, but a crown of glory. He is a crown that not only represents splendor, dignity, authority and honor, but in Himself is splendor, dignity, authority and honor.

He is our crown of glory, an indescribable blessing for those who seek Him out. He rescues us from shame and provides splendor, dignity, authority and honor.

He is good!

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.

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Philippian Bits – 4:14

2024-07-21

For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

4:14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.

Paul continues in this heartfelt letter to his church in Philippi, speaking of this gift they had provided. And yet Paul settled on the thought of sharing in his trouble.

He emphasized their sharing of his trouble, of their taking upon themselves a burden to be borne with Paul. He did not phrase this as simply a financial transaction, much like some of the gifts I may have given in the past, or of an obligation that was fulfilled due to some promise made, or commitment to be fulfilled.

This phrase screams of two things in my mind.

Proactive

I hope I am not reading into the passage, but the love this church had for Paul was expressed in a willingness to help, that when a “trouble” became known, the church did not wait for a plea from the apostle, for a request for assistance. They were proactive, looking for ways to be of assistance.

It seems they were on the lookout for the apostle, keeping their eyes and ears open for an opportunity to join with him in his mission.

Team Culture

A team culture. What might be a better description of what I am trying to communicate? Yes – a better description might be that the church was a family, and that Paul was a brother who was away.

When one in a healthy family is hurting, the rest of the family comes around them to protect, to provide, to encourage, to support and to forgive.

As my own family has went through trials, I have seen my children huddle together to protect the hurting, “conspire” to find ways of helping their brother or sister, and generally be sensitive to the needs of those who are on the edge. I am truly thankful for the family the Lord has given my wife and I.

A family is a picture of a healthy church, and I have been privileged to be a part of a church like this at different times in my life. If you are currently in a church that is a proactive family, give thanks to God. Give thanks to God and keep a look out for those who may be in trouble.

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Psalms for Psome – Ps 62.04

2024-07-20

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 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

Let’s remember that David is in himself during this psalm, that he is ruminating on the goodness of God in a very difficult situation. He is all prayed out, made his requests known to God, struggled with his thoughts and concerns, and is now in a settled stage of waiting on the Lord.

Trust in him at all times.

As I consider the ramifications of this phrase, I want to consider an alternative frame of reference in a relationship with God. For you see, I have spent a good portion of my life in utter fear of God, not the type defined by respect and acknowledgement of His greatness, but paralyzed by fear, struck down by the sheer concept of the All Powerful.

In that fear, I had no freedom to ask a question, no rights of privilege before Him, no ability to please Him, for I could not perform all the requirements on my own, and I “knew” I couldn’t ask Him for help. The fear was paralyzing, but it is an experience that has taught me the blessings of trust.

Trust is a freedom to look to Him for decisions to be made, for outcomes to be controlled, to understand my weakness and failure, to consider Him as a loving Father, and not as a terror inducing All Mighty Person who only seeks to dominate and control.

Please do not misunderstand me. I am not seeking to relegate the Lord to a minor god, a weak kneed deity that has been cast aside by man.

He is the Almighty.

He has no challengers.

He is the Creator of all, and the mighty Redeemer.

Yet we are to trust Him, as David exhorts us, and that implies a relationship of son and Father, of friend and friend. He is approachable due to the blood He has shed, He is One that has an open door policy due to His heart of love.

O people; pour out your heart before him

Out of this trusting relationship, David exhorts the people of God to pour out their hearts to Him. I don’t know about you, but I do not pour out my heart to my boss, or to any authoritarian figure in my life. Rare as it is, this exercise of shedding my cares onto someone is shared with only the closest of family. It is a connection that provides safety and no condemnation, no fear of rejection, and the hope of solutions to be offered.

Do you see God in this way? Is He a Master over you, needing obedience of the law to be able to accept you, or a Father waiting for a deeper relationship, approachable and willing to hear of my fears failures and frustrations.

God is a refuge for us.

My friends, do not abandon God as a refuge by not opening up to Him. The image of a refuge is often used to describe God and most assuredly it is in the midst of trials that the people of faith are experiencing. As a refuge, He is there to protect, and to guard against the enemy, be they physical, emotional or spiritual.

He has experienced torture and an excruciating death to prove His desire to be with us. Consider His love for you. Trust will be a natural response to such great love.

Trust in him at all times

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Names of God – CREATOR OF THE ENDS OF THE EARTH – 92

2024-07-19

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.

92

CREATOR OF THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

Isaiah 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

We have before us our third name of God that describes our Father as a Creator, the Creator of the ends of the earth. We have been introduced to God as the Creator, and as the Creator of Israel, but in this description we find He is speaking to Israel regarding that which they cannot see. The ends of the earth are the furthest distance from Israel, that part of creation that they have never seen, experienced or interacted with.

Yet God has created the ends of the earth, and as such, has a heart for those who have not been seen, experienced or interacted with.

As believers, we tend to be concerned only with our own “world”, our own circle of family, friends and foes, but God is looking to far greater concerns than simply our concerns, valid as they are. His heart is not only for the individual believer, for the body of Christ as an organism and family, but also He is looking to the ends of the earth for their redemption and He will accomplish it.

Psalm 22:27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.

God has created the ends of the earth, so that they along with us, may worship Him together with us.

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.

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Conditional Security – 1 Timothy 2:11-15 B

2024-07-18

1 Timothy 2:11-15

11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.
12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing–if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

In our last post on this passage I asked if those reading think of this passage as a tough passage? I assumed everyone would agree.

I mentioned that for the purpose of the last post, I wanted to delve into the conditional security topic this particular passage speaks to and that I would not address the difficult phrase of “saved through childbearing” in the previous post

This is a new post and I would like to offer a few thoughts and maybe a possible solution to this difficult passage.

The phrase that sticks in my throat every time I read it is “she will be saved through childbearing”. How to understand this phrase spins my head in loops, for it seems to say that only mothers have the opportunity for salvation, but this is obviously incorrect, for the apostles themselves were believers and not one of them had given birth.

Of course Paul may be speaking only to women in this passage – check the context – but that still knocks out all women who have never given birth. How does that jive?

In my reading about this passage I found that the Greek word for childbearing has the definite article associated with it. That is, it may be referring to “the child” borne into this world. Could Paul be referring to a specific child, the God – man Jesus, that though born through a fallen woman, may provide salvation to not only specific women, but off to all women no matter their condition.

One additional aspect of this phrase that seemed to help me swallow some of this passage is that some translations translate the term saved, as preserved, and may refer to not only to specific women, but also to the preservation of the dignity and character womankind began with.

Hopefully I have not caused any deeper confusion, but in my looking at this passage last week, I found myself digging, and wanted to provide some of my preliminary thoughts.

Your thoughts (preliminary or other) are always welcomed.

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Life of David – 9.04

2024-07-17

Saul Tries to Kill David

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.

In chapter 19, we see King Saul working out his previous decision, that Saul would be “David’s enemy continually” (18:29b). Let’s see how that works out for the King.

1 Samuel 19:18-24

18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth.
19 And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”
20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.
22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.”
23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

In our last post, I didn’t mention the “messengers” King Saul sent on the night David escaped, those men who Michal noticed and warned David of. This passage continues with the use of this term, and it typically refers to those who are messengers, a man (or men) who are dispatched as a deputy. Many times the term is used to describe an angel from God, but when I see it attached to the description of men sent by King Saul to find his enemy David, I fear the term takes on a different connotation.

These messengers are not simply bringing David information, but they are under orders to take David. Three times in our last passage and now Saul is frustrated three more times with his “messengers” in this passage. Three different companies of messengers, each of them struck by God, and ending up prophesying.

Get that picture in your mind now. Hit men sent out by the evil king, closing in on the enemy, and when within striking distance, falling under the Spirit of God. These murderous men actually prophesying, being out of themselves, without control of their facilities!

Enough! Saul was going to take care of this himself. Notice that even after 3 trips by different companies of messengers, David and Samuel had not begun to run and hide. They were in Naioth in Ramah when the first messengers sought them out, and they were in Naioth in Ramah when Saul finally sought them out himself.

David and Samuel were not running. They were standing, and watching the Lord protect them. Why run?

Nevertheless, Saul made it to the refuge of Samuel, and even as he ventured to the camp, he fell under the Spirit of God.

The last spirit that Saul was controlled by was a harmful spirit, back in an earlier passage. Now he is prophesying under the Spirit of God, incapable of resisting the power of God, restricted from his wishes and sprawled out on the ground all night and all day.

The king of Israel being halted by God from his murderous intentions, and yet we know that in his next breath, he will continue in his murderous intentions. Even though God has personally guarded David in this instance.

How illogical is the one without faith. A man controlled by his baser character, his frustrations fueling further and further ridiculous efforts, straining to find a solution outside of God’s will.

Saul is a man to be much pitied!

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Abraham – 05

2024-07-16

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

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

SEEING JESUS IN

Abraham

Father of Many Nations

Genesis 17:5
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

Ephesians 4:6
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Abram began his walk with God in obedience to the call of God, given the promise of being a blessing, and eventually being provided the promise of a land for his children. He would become a great nation, but as it is with the Lord, Abraham would not simply be the father of a nation, but the father of many nations.

It is commonly thought, that Abraham has lineage in many of the eastern nations surrounding Israel, but even greater is his status of being the father of three of the largest religions in the world.

Of course he is a founder of the Jewish faith, and by extension a father in the Christian faith. Many in the faith of Islam consider Abraham a father of their faith, though through Ishmael.

Gen 17:5 speaks of Abraham as being the father of many nations, and that can be understood in various ways, whether it be through geopolitical nations, or groups of people that are of a nation without land, but by faith.

Abraham was a father of many nations! Our God is the Father of all, no distinction of differences, no “us and them”. He is not the Father is all the nations, although is a sense He is, but in our thoughts for today, He is the Father of all.

Of all.

I don’t understand it, but that is alright, for He is the One in charge and not I.

May His name be praised, ab all who have breath.

Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

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Names of God – CREATOR OF THE HEAVENS – 93

2024-07-15

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.

93

CREATOR OF THE HEAVENS

Isaiah 42:5 Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:

This name of God is our last name for us to consider that includes the concept of creation. Earlier we have considered “Creator”, “Creator of Israel” and “Creator of the ends of the earth”.

With this name, we find we are hearkening back to the first concept, that of creating out of nothing. He is the Creator of the heavens, that which was described in the very first verse of Genesis.

The heavens. What most modern believers may think of as space, with all the galaxies, planets and stars flung into it. For the ancient Hebrews, their concept of the heavens may have been that of the firmament, the sky with the clouds. How they considered the sun and stars relative to the sky is an unknown for myself.

Nevertheless, God created all that is above us, an expanse that neither the Hebrew nor we can understand. It is not only physically above us, but it is greater than our imaginations, unfathomable in our understanding.

Yet He created it, a reflection of His eternality, His all mighty power, His unknowable wisdom and His abundant “over the top” provision for His people.

He is the Creator of the heavens, and they speak of His glory.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

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

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Philippian Bits – 4:13

2024-07-14

For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

A few years ago, a sports figure began to display this verse on his clothing, and the implication was that nothing could stop him on the field/court. He could do all things because God was continually providing him the strength to perform on the field/court.

Does that make sense? Does that offend you? Is that a correct understanding of God’s working in our lives, that He provides not only skills, but the energy, ambition and drive to succeed. He is the One who provides our very breath, so in a sense, He does provide much of what I have described.

Yet is this what Paul is speaking of? Did Paul see a sports figure claiming God was in the middle of his experience in playing a sport, when he wrote this famous verse?

Since this is a blog that works through this book in a verse by verse method, let’s remember what we found out last time in verse 12. What was the topic? Sport related abilities to win championships?

Or might it be something much more important, much more valuable in the eyes of God.

Contentment. The context is contentment, and Paul is speaking how he can find this contentment in all things, in all situations, in all areas of life. Not that the believer is to find contentment passively, but to learn from experiences and situations in order to attain this contentment.

Two ways of interpreting this verse.

One way may be described that God is our servant, providing the needs to succeed in a vocation, to gain more and more victories, higher salaries, bigger houses, larger egos(?). More and more and more.

Or possibly, just possibly, that God would like us to be satisfied in Him, living a life in communion with Him, finding time for Him.

One practical suggestion in gaining this life of contentment is to minimize our exposure to the deadly advertising industry prevalent in our lives. Remember, to advertise is to make us desire what we don’t have, to make us uncontented.

And what are you going to do if you reduce your time spent under the influence of advertising?

I can think of a couple things that might please God, through Him who strengthens me.

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