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.
Before we begin this psalm that refers of the true king, pictures the Messiah, and describes the ultimate kingdom, it may be good to mention there is some discussion on the author. Per the ESV, verse 1 seems to speak of this psalm as originating (humanly) from Solomon, David’s son. There is an argument that the psalm was written by David himself (see the last verse) and he wrote it “of Solomon” in his reign, as David looked into the future potential of his son.
Although I am of the opinion David wrote this psalm, no matter how you see this topic, let us delve into this psalm that speaks over and over again of the greater Son of David, the true King of all.
Psalm 72:8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! Psalm 72:9 May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust! Psalm 72:10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! Psalm 72:11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!
As mentioned previously, this psalm may have been intended to describe Solomon’s kingdom as David was in the Spirit, but for goodness sake, even David knew the seeds of destruction were resident in the kingdom he had built under God.
Speaking of sea to sea, David may have meant from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. But David had already bequeathed that region to his son Solomon. What pray tell may he have truly anticipated? What else may be implied by this phrase?
I assume this is the very implication we discussed in the previous post on Mark 12. David meant all the seas throughout creation, and that seems obvious with the next phrase he interjects into his plea to God. From the River to the ends of the earth.
It is no coincidence (is it?) that the True King of Israel, the Greater David, used this same terminology when He commissioned His subjects to spread His Kingdom to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
His enemies would lick dust, reminiscent of the words of the curse, and the beginning of the end for the accuser of the brethren. As an enemy would approach a victorious king, they would typically kiss the earth in a show of humility before thier conqueror. Those who approached the True King would not only kiss the earth, they would lick the dust. A true sign of complete domination.
David speaks of His Son as the One whom all would fall before, even those distant from the promised land, no matter their standing, even kings of other nations. To mention Sheba and Seba, Tarshish and the isles, represented some of the farthest countries from Israel, and this implied total dominion over the known world.
All nations shall serve Him. This is the truth, for the Resurrected One is reigning even now, and though not all have bowed the knee, it is only the patience and loving kindness of God that is providing time for repentance to erupt, for each one to realize the truth of the Person of Jesus.
He is the King. It is best we acknowledge this truth, love the King and serve Him with our heart mind and soul.
May He be praised in all our lives, and throughout His everlasting reign!
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.
226
GOD OF THE LIVING
Mark 12:27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”
What a coincidence.
I hadn’t looked ahead on the topic for this mornings post, and as I was travelling to work this morning, I just so happened to be in the Gospel of Mark.
Now as the heretic that I am, I was listening to what many consider a paraphrase of the Word, as it often brings up shades of meaning that I pursue in studies later on. Yes – I was listening to the Message, and have found it to be a refreshing take on truths I think I am familiar with.
This time, my familiarity of the passage was way, way off base!
Let’s read the short response of the Lord in the Message.
Mark 12:24-27 (MSG) Jesus said, “You’re way off base, and here’s why: One, you don’t know what God said; two, you don’t know how God works. After the dead are raised up, we’re past the marriage business. As it is with angels now, all our ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. And regarding the dead, whether or not they are raised, don’t you ever read the Bible? How God at the bush said to Moses, ‘I am—not was—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? The living God is God of the living, not the dead. You’re way, way off base.”
Can you imagine any respected Bible teacher in a debate, using this type of language? Even more so, to think the Lord Jesus may have used this type of non-formal response to the “highly respected” Sadducees only makes Him to be more of a hero to me.
He is awesome in His response, and spoke the truth.
They were way, way off.
1. They Just Don’t Know Gods Word
He told them they don’t know God’s Word.
These religious practitioners boasted about their understanding of the Word, and though they disbelieved much of it, they certainly had knowledge of the words in the Book.
So how can Jesus make such a claim?
It is because of their approach to the Book, looking for “outs”, trying to find a way to fit the Word into their lives and culture, instead of fitting their lives and culture to the Written Word.
2. They Just Don’t Know God’s Works
They knew the facts, but they didn’t know the facts. I know it seems confusing and I have tried to explain this difference in a previous blog (Inherit the Kingdom? Who Knew?)
It is the difference between experiencing God’s works and simply knowing facts about His works. There is a massive difference, and I am speaking to those who experientially know the work of God in their lives, even on a daily basis as He proves Himself over and over again, for He is the God of the Living.
The Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection), coming to the Scriptures with that bias, completely miss the fantastic implication of the burning bush Moses faced. For God spoke of being the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Not that He was their God, but that He is their God, even at the time Moses was before the burning bush, hundreds of years after the Patriarchs passed.
Don’t they ever read the Bible?
Someone with a bias against resurrection truth would be blind to this implication. They would be way way off.
So sad. So blind. So unnecessary!
Imagine being way, way off base!
Thankfully, for those of us who have experienced the work of God in our lives, and seek to follow after Him in a daily walk, we are privileged to find these implications everywhere!
It is wonderful to travel the Word and trip over these implications as we seek Him.
I would love to hear from some of my readers of their experiences in the Word and how their eyes lit up when they discovered an implication they had not experienced before.
For He is the God of the Living, even on this very day, and all who worship Him, either living or having passed from our view, have experienced the wonder of His Word and Works.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Joel 2:12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
Another plea to return. Another reaching out to His people in the voice of a prophet. Another petition to a people that were walking away, or should I say had walked away.
For chapter 2 of Joel, this prophet describes the Day of the Lord. The first 11 verses of this chapter provides some of the most fearful imagery of destruction being poured out. Not on Egypt. Not on Assyria, though that would come eventually. Not on Philistia. Not even on Amon or Moab.
This judgement was to fall on the people of God, the nation of Israel. for Joel begins this chapter with
Joel 2:1 Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near, (bold italics mine)
Joel clearly refers the the land of Israel, giving ample identification of who he is addressing, warning those with the following passage as to what was to befall them. Horrible images of fire devouring ahead of an army, ready to pounce on them, of darkness and gloom, of the victims being in anguish and the earth quaking as the armies approach.
The final verse prior to our plea to return clearly indicates it is the Lord Himself that is leading this army. It is the Lord who guides and directs this Assyrian killing force, known as one of the most merciless fighting forces in the ancient world.
Joel 2:11 The LORD utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it?(bold italics mine)
Joel ends this sobering passage, asking who can endure it? Truly who could endure this frightening death? On the brink of total destruction, it seems there is no hope, no rescue and no escape.
This is a loosing situation for the people of God, with no option but to face an enemy that will destroy them. Having departed from God, they have nothing to depend on. They are empty, without strength and without hope.
At this hopeless point, the Lord opens His hands, providing a glimmer of hope, a plea to return, an offer of His relenting over the coming disaster.
Joel 2:12 “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; Joel 2:13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
The offer is conditional, for the people must tear themselves down before the King, show a deep repentance the the One they rejected, on the hope of God possibly turning from this judgement.
Joel 2:14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?
Upon true repentance, God is offering the opportunity for Him to offer forgiveness. When Joel asks his audience “Who knows whether He will not turn and relent”, this turn of phrase speaks of either one of two things in my mind.
Ignorance
The absolute ignorance of the people of God as to who their God is. Is it not true that our God is a God who is gracious and merciful slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love? Joel teaches his people this truth, but they are without understanding. They don’t have the assurance that the God of Mercy will exercise mercy, for it is His heartbeat to rescue.
Limits of Patience
The other option is that continual rebellion and rejection of God by the nation God rescued, guided and protected has brought about their own abandonment. Continual rebellion against our God puts the rebel outside of the reach of God, a God known for His gracious and merciful acts. The rebel who walks away from such a kind and loving God, walks directly (if not immediately) towards destruction.
God does not change, for as we listen and strive to know Him, we are covered with the blood, and have the freedom to know His grace and mercy. Do we not know of the continual mercy shown us as we confess our weakness and sin, and look to the Savior?
For those who walk away from God, they begin to loose security, the peace and joy so precious for the saint. Eventually, as these poor souls in Israel experienced, the judgement was ready to fall on them. They had set their hearts to face away from the only Hope they had.
And yet He reached out, seeking them in their sin and rebellion. Our God is just like that, then and now. He is reaching out, with His own blood on His hands.
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.
2 Samuel 2:29 – 32
29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim. 30 Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men. 32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.
Two generals having fought and come to a truce, trudge back to their respective bases. One of the generals, Abner, was “limping home” due to a massive relative loss of soldiers. Compared to Joab’s forces, the loss was an 18:1 casualty rate.
For every man Joab lost, Abner lost 18.
No wonder Abner took to flight. He couldn’t stay in the fight with this type of attrition, so off he retreats, only to be defeated by Joab’s brother Asahel. Yes I know, the defeat was not immediate, but the seeds had been sown for Abner’s death as he plunged the spear into Asahel. It was just a matter of time.
For Joab, his turning from the fight is somewhat difficult for me to understand, since he had such a dominant situation. I understand the motivation for David’s army was high, especially after the killing of Asahel, but his men had been in the fight too long. Pulling back would provide a chance for his army to recover. It would also provide an opportunity to mourn his brothers death, provide him a time of burial, and a time for him to plan out the revenge brewing in his heart. Abner had to die!
This battle spoke of the eventuality of the nation becoming the united kingdom under King David, of a time when all 12 tribes would experience a golden age of ascendency for this nation.
The unifying of the nation would take years, for Ish boseth (read Abner) would not give up without a fight. Eventually it came down to a power hungry general, wanting more than the king would allow before this conflict would be resolved.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Abner went back to Manahaim, with Joab returning to Hebron. Both kings would soon enough hear of the results of this battle!
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
Caleb
Leader
Numbers 13:30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”
Luke 5:8, 10 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
Caleb took charge of the situation. Even in the midst of Moses. And remember Joshua was most likely standing beside him!
Quiet
As a leader, he first controlled the situation, quieting the people. He hushed them. Quit running about with your heads falling off, taking in all the fears that have been imagined! Be quiet, and realize the truth of the matter.
He too experienced the fear mongering we are so often the victim of in our modern society, a fear mongering that is easy to fan into flames for those who have little to do with the True God!
Nothing has changed, for one of the enemies greatest weapons against the people of God is to whip us up with rumors of destruction, fear of the future and the dread of death. It is a common tactic, and if we understand the designs of the enemy, we are better positioned to battle our thought lives properly!
2 Corinthians 2:11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
Judge
He was a man who could judge a situation quickly and respond naturally for the purpose of directing the people toward God. He didn’t have to get volumes of data and analyze the situation though multiple processes to come to a decision. He knew in his soul of the dangers of this fear mongering report, of the doubt that was raging through the camp.
He surmised the situation, diverted the crowd from their natural, initial reaction to the findings and spoke of their resources, the ability of the tribes of Israel to “overcome it”
Provide a Plan
Although Caleb provided a skeletal plan in this verse, I would like to emphasize the aspect of timing. He was ready to go NOW.
Let us go up at once!
In our analytical world, with studies and reports needed for decision making, it is refreshing to see a man of confidence make a decision, control a situation, and expect the best of the people. Caleb was a leader, in the midst of leaders.
Jesus also was a take charge type of man, a leader who exerted tremendous influence on those who had ears to hear.
When he was dealing with Peter and the catch of fish, He also quieted His subject – Peter fell down at His knees – and provided a plan for Peter. Peter, you are going to catch men! He had a plan for Peter’s life and He provided it to peter without hesitation. Jesus was well prepared to lead His men with decisive decisions as at this calling, and with decisions that turned fatal later in His ministry.
His depth of leadership has no competitor, for He is the only One who is the Ultimate Leader, the Lord.
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.
225
GOD OF THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL
1 Samuel 17:45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
David didn’t differentiate did he?
He wasn’t unable to see how heaven and earth coexisted together, even on a battle field. After all, David was the one who worshipped God in the field, as he was tending his sheep, or who expected direct communication with God, even apart from the Tabernacle.
The Word speaks of his dependance on God through his defense of the lambs he was responsible for. He had a connection with the Almighty that is more like the modern believer than the Old Testament Jewish adherent in many ways.
The concept of heaven and earth coexisting in the same area, at the same time, and for the same purpose speaks of the faith and insight of this young man who would become Israel’s second greatest king, coexisting as he uses two names for our God.
When he speaks of the Lord of Hosts, he is referring to the many mighty angels swirling about the throne of heaven, spread out over the earth and crowding around the tiny nation of Israel, especially on standby as this plucky teenager makes such claims to this formidable opponent.
But when he refers to the Lord as the God of the Armies of Israel, he speaks of the army that was cowering in the corner, turning their eyes from that giant, whispering about what to do. He speaks of the earthly army, supposedly at God’s disposal to enter into God’s plan for the nation.
Given this understanding, David didn’t look at the situation he knew of, for he had just came from the camp, where all the knees were knocking. He knew the reality of the situation, yet he also knew the God of the Armies of Israel was the One who led, the One who was able to work in the midst of weakness and doubt.
Of course that army of Israel needed to be brought to understand the absolute truth of heaven and earth being one and the same when it comes to knowing God, and when it comes to facing the enemies in our lives.
What was the missing component, the information that was lacking for this army, in that they were not “in the know”, according to David? He spoke to his nation’s army prior to approaching that giant of his shock at their reluctance to approach and dominate this soon headless foe!
Now he was on the field, expressing to the enemy the truth of Israel’s armies calling, if not exactly the condition of their experience. And in moments, he was about to act to provide the missing motivation to enliven an army that was standing still.
Once he stepped toward the lumbering enemy, the die was cast and soon the armies of Israel would be reminded of their calling and abilities as they look on God, the maker of heaven and earth. One stone, and the lifting of the enemies sword over that giants neck provided a reminder of the amazing privilege the army of Israel resided in, and the motivation to pursue the enemy to dominate.
It all hinged on David describing God for not only the enemy to understand, but also to remind his people of their tremendous calling. Notice just a verse later, David speaks of the importance of the army of Israel experiencing his victory.
1 Samuel 17:47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
David stepped forth, describing the coexistence of heaven and earth, and spoke many parables to enhance this truth. Oh – did I make a mistake in calling Jesus David? How could I slip likfe that? After all, they both were men who understood the coexistence of heaven and earth in the same place, same time and for the same purpose.
For Jesus, He also stepped forward amongst the people of God and pronounced the same truth, and was to provide to the people of God, who sometimes (often?) forgot this seeming contradiction of heaven and earth being one. God and man inhabiting the same space and time. The intended plan of both God and man enjoying the same purpose!
David defeated the enemy, that giant opposed to the nation. That enemy fell, and he fell hard, for all the world has heard this story. He lost his head and his reputation, becoming the giant who was taken down by a teenager. How embarrassing!
Jesus also defeated the enemy, the giant opposed to all of creation! The enemy fell, and he fell hard. Paul describes the shame of those Jesus defeated.
Colossians 2:15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
This victory of Jesus didn’t look like a victory though. Battered and bleeding, He suffered shame, and died the death of a lowly criminal. He very life was lost in an apparent defeat. How disappointing.
Until heaven and earth could not accept the death, could not maintain the process of death and decay upon the most Righteous One. He arose to show us all of who He actually was, and who He did battle with. And heads rolled!
How utterly shocking! How dumbfounded those disciples were to be met with the Risen Savior after such a seeming decisive defeat.
Yes, heaven and earth do coexist. As the current physical army of the Lord on earth, commonly thought of as the Body of Christ, we also have seen our David approach the enemy, take out the enemy and become the King of all, both in heaven and on earth.
Let us remember our calling, remember who is leading us, and take our motivation for holy living from our Master, living a contagious joy as we spread the knowledge of the Lord to all the world.
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 2:9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
Paul continues his appeal to the Thessalonians based on their shared experiences. He calls on them to think back to his time with them, when he lived his life before them, for all to see. He does not appeal to what others may say about him, of his many travels and the stories his friends may tell, but what the believers saw and experienced when he was there. Tremendous authenticity was gained by the apostle Paul as lived a life of self sacrificing love to those he had just met!
Let’s take a moment to consider this verse.
Labor and Toil
Labor
This term surprised me. I thought this term in the Greek would be the term we get agony from, but I was wrong! So much for guessing – so thankful for books of men who have labored tirelessly to provide reference material to keep me straight!
Nevertheless, this word labor is κόπος kópos, kop’-os, and it is associated with pain, beating, trouble and grief. It isn’t the same as simply exercising energy to get a job or project done, but speaks of disappointment and suffering.
Toil
This word μόχθος móchthos, and is considered a synonym to the previous word.. It also speaks of labor, of distress and hardship, of the hardness of an effort.
With these two terms, Paul is trying to make a point. In the work he was doing, he faced trials, disappointments, struggles and trials, even pain and suffering.
Consider that for our own lives. I just got back from a business meeting where I was wined and dined with the finest foods, treated with outlandish benefits, given tokens of appreciation and came back refreshed, energized and anxious to keep moving forward.
Paul experienced none of that. Every step he took forward had push back. Every decision would result in an opposite and equal (or greater) resistance.
His work was continuously resisted, always finding difficulties that obviously were from a source not of this earth. His “labor and toil” in this portion describes the negative character of the work, the struggles associated with it, but not necessarily the content of the work itself.
Work
This is the term I was thinking of earlier. The Greek term is ἐργάζομαι ergázomai, and I think we can see the English word energy in it. When Paul speaks of the work, he speaks of the energy expended, not of the resistance as above.
The two earlier terms spoke of the headwinds he faced, whereas this speaks of the extent or concentration of the effort. He speaks of working night and day, and of course we should not be woodenly literal here, but understand his message. He was up very early, possibly getting things done with his tent making vocation, to provide for himself, – more on this later – and to have times of availability for people to approach him concerning their questions, their concerns, their fears and their encouragement in the Lord. Time for his focused effort to proclaim!
This hints to me that he was a time management type of fella. He maximized his time so that others might benefit from his availability.
This topic screams at me! For you see, I am a full time employee at a great engineering firm, while trying to establish a side hustle business, with 4 loving adult children and spouses, providing my wife and I the most beautiful 9 grandkids on this blue marble. My wife also works full time, and on top of all that, we are building an extension to a home we own. To be clear, my wife and I are building the addition – not contracting it out. My wife and I regraded the entire site to correct drainage problems, put in a foundation, built floor beams, laid the floor, raised the walls, added patios, revised fencing – on and on I could go. I think I made my point.
Time management has become critical for my wife and I. We have responsibilities that we cannot shirk and yet our hearts are to be with our loved ones also. To fit all our desires into our measly 24 hrs a day is a massive challenge. We are becoming scheduling freaks!
But even as I say that, this type of effort is standard fare for the average person in our society, for we are all super busy. As I say that, I fear my super busy and Paul’s super busy is somewhat different. I think we may not have the “people” emphasis Paul had, and as I come to realize this, I have often spoken to my best friend about our priorities. We need to honor God in our time management decisions better.
Burden
Since I have been loading this post up with Greek words, here comes another. This one is ἐπιβαρέω epibaréō, and has the connotation of “being heavy”, even “to be expensive”.
Now I have written on this topic of support in relation to Christian service, and have tried to understand if this equates with the modern notion of providing salary’s for Christian ministry. I will not belabor that point in this post, since I have referred to the topic three verses earlier (1 Thessalonian Bits – 2:6), and provided a short 3 post series, beginning with Salaried Pastors? A discussion with a Pastor 1.
Whatever Paul’s exact meaning he intended the Thessalonians to understand, we know he was thinking of them and not how they may provide him a 401k, a health plan or a healthy living wage. Imagine, Paul getting the deacons together to hash our a contractual agreement for his services, before he would love them.
Am I the only one who sees a two opposing philosophies of ministry? One philosophy of unconditional love as exhibited by Paul, and the second philosophy of ministry as seen in our modern church, of conditional service to the Body based on a guaranteed renumeration provided every two weeks.
As an aside, and to request comments, I would appreciate any of my readers to begin an open discussion on this topic. Your views are appreciated.
As my wife often says – Someone’s gotta make that make sense!
Proclaim
So Paul had troubles. Trials and disappointments. He expended his energy in spite of these trials, often as he spent this effort, having greater trials fall upon him. Beyond this, he was intentional in being available with no cost associated with that availability.
Consider that for a moment!
And what was the goal of fighting though the trials, the disappointments, expending his energy, only to face more trials, and then working his off hours to provide a condition where his newly acquainted believers would experience no burden, no financial obligation, no contractual commitment?
What was the goal? To proclaim the gospel of God.
He proclaimed it for sure. Not only in the mysteries of the gospel that stunned the Gentile world, that the Creator God would die for them, even as they were enemies, sinners pumping a fist at Him, but that they would be enveloped in the love of God so deeply that his verbal explanations always fell somewhat short.
But he loved them, and he lived his life to show them a short glimmer of that gospel by the actions he took, by the very effort and manner of life he exhibited.
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.
Before we begin this psalm that refers of the true king, pictures the Messiah, and describes the ultimate kingdom, it may be good to mention there is some discussion on the author. Per the ESV, verse 1 seems to speak of this psalm as originating (humanly) from Solomon, David’s son. There is an argument that the psalm was written by David himself (see the last verse) and he wrote it “of Solomon” in his reign, as David looked into the future potential of his son.
Although I am of the opinion David wrote this psalm, no matter how you see this topic, let us delve into this psalm that speaks over and over again of the greater Son of David, the true King of all.
Psalm 72:5 May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! Psalm 72:6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! Psalm 72:7 In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
In our last post on Psalm 72, we found that David was speaking of righteousness as the basis of the Kingdom.
Even as I remind my reader that, I can hear a “little voice” arguing with me. But Carl, is not the Kingdom to be based on love. Does Paul not mention love as the overarching guiding principle of the kingdom?
1 Corinthians 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Yes he does, and the question is valid, little voice. So how does righteousness and love relate in the believers life.
As mentioned previously, righteousness is the acting out of all of God’s characteristics without the diminishing of any. It is unlike that of the worlds righteousness, such that it favors no person. Righteousness in my little world often favors my interests, my desires, my wants and delegates the needs, or even rights of others to a lower standard of consideration in the outcome of righteous judgements. This is the worlds righteousness.
To practice righteousness is to know all the facts of a situation, understand the actions taken by all, discern motivations, and execute judgement, all without departing or diminishing the character of God. To practice righteousness is to not favor one characteristic over another, like favoring mercy over holiness in the decisions made.
For our verses this morning, we shall consider the eternal fear of God’s righteousness, the universality of God’s righteousness, and the peace and prosperity of God’s righteousness.
Eternal Fear
Note in verse 5, as David hopes for the fear of the king to endure while the sun endures and as long as the moon is in the sky, he is looking for a kingdom to provide a continuous “fear of the King” for it’s people.
In God’s Kingdom, there is rightly to be described the element of fear, whether you are experiencing deep respect for the King due to His greatness, or a dreaded fearful expectation due to foolish actions. Fear is a valid and correct response to God’s righteousness being exercised in the Kingdom.
Consider though that David’s description of this Kingdom is ultimately referring to the reign of the Son. His reign is forever and ever through the resurrection from the dead, and the Father’s setting of Him on His holy hill.
Note the direct link between the raising of Jesus in Acts with the passage in Psalm 2. To be begotten refers to the resurrection in verse 2 per the apostles teaching!
Acts 13:32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, Acts 13:33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’
Psalm 2:6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” Psalm 2:7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
From that day forward the Kingdom exhibited the righteousness of God to all, and the King was set on His throne for all eternity. May all fear the True King of all creation, for godly fear is a natural outgrowth of knowing the King, and following after Him.
Universality
Since the King has be enthroned, the truth of God’s universality in the Kingdom has been exhibited. Now be careful for I have not said the universality of the kingdom began with the appearance of the Son, for we see evidence of God’s working outside of His people often prior to the gospels. But it seemed rare, indicating glimpses of favor to those “outside” for those who were in the chosen people.
Not so as the Messiah appeared. God’s universality, His desire for all to know Him, was one of the most offensive aspects of the Son’s ministry, for He often spoke of those outside as being accepted!
David expresses the universality of God’s righteous kingdom through the picture of rain falling on the earth. Consider the inescapable nature of a rain shower. Every inch of the fields are impacted by the falling rain, and for the one who is caught in the rain, shelter is the only escape. Rain is often considered a universal blessing to those who receive it, and the withholding to be the sign of God’s displeasure.
Yet it is more than simply indicating the pleasure/displeasure of the Lord, for did not the Lord speak of rain as being sent to the just and the unjust?
Matthew 5:45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
For the kingdom to be described as rain falling speaks of the blessing of God on the Kingdom, and of the universality of the gospel invite. Those outside of the Kingdom may and do experience the blessing of God, providing a motivation to enter the Kingdom, and to know the King the One who blesses!
To think of the King favoring those outside of the Kingdom in order to expand His Kingdom is just the type of King we worship. He sees no distinction between any people groups, for we are all needy, broken, blind and crippled up.
Romans 3:22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
Romans 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
His love is universal for a lost people!
peace and prosperity
In David’s Kingdom being described, he is speaking of a kingdom that does not principally consider the ones in power, those who by association with the powerful may have gained power or authority to be experiencing peace and prosperity. It is the righteous, those determined by their actions and not associations are those who experience the benefits of the Kingdom, namely peace and prosperity in this passage.
Notice that David speaks of flourishing as being associated with righteousness, and not necessarily as we often see is this worlds kingdom. This worlds kingdom provides flourishing depending on personal association with those in power. This is absent in God’s Kingdom, at least in relation to varying degrees of flourishing.
It is obvious that to be in the Kingdom requires the righteous ones to be related to the Ultimate authority, that is King Jesus. This is the assumption within this discussion! Beyond that, earthly associations pay no dividends, and may hurt the righteous in that our dedication to the King may be weakened.
Nevertheless, it is instructive to note that this world’s authority structure is rejected in the Kingdom of God.
Luke 22:25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. Luke 22:26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.
Let’s remember Jesus spoke this truth to the disciples due to the turmoil their ego’s were creating within themselves and the group! No prosperity, no peace! Simply self promotion was being exercised in the group, and for peace and prosperity to be realized, self promotion was to be rejected in the Kingdom .
One caveat in relation to the the peace and prosperity I am seeking to describe. Let us not think the teaching of prosperity in the Word refers strictly to worldly wealth, to riches and dollars, bricks of silver or vaults of possessions. This is a beggarly way of understanding prosperity as found in the Word.
Prosperity speaks of abundance, of greatness, of a life blessed. There is much more to life than the acquisition of possessions. Paul provides corrective teaching to the modern outbreak of greed being glorified in the church, by speaking of the uncertainty of seeking riches, and directs us to seeking God, who provides us “with everything to enjoy”.
1 Timothy 6:17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
David links this prosperity, this abundance with peace in this verse. Might he be speaking of a prosperity that is linked, or that is associated with inner and outer peace that can be found in the Messiah’s Kingdom?
Return to my question
In all of this discussion it is important to understand that there has to be another element brought into any circumstance, that will allow God’s righteousness to be exercised. I referred to love at the beginning of this post as the guiding overarching principle of the Kingdom, and then proceeded to describe righteousness as the foundational character of the Kingdom.
It is the expression of love, of a self sacrificing love that is the act that provides for the experience of righteousness, God’s righteousness in the believers life.
His self sacrifice opened the doors to the Kingdom for each of us. Without His sacrifice, the holiness of God could not allow His mercy and grace to be provided to such a group of sinners as we.
Even on a daily basis, to be of the self sacrificial mindset, to think of others more highly than ourselves, is to be of the correct mindset.
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
David’s kingdom described in these three verses provided me an opportunity to translate my thoughts to the reader in a very open way. I look forward to comments, and would appreciate your input.
In all of our studies, and in day to day our lives, may we see Jesus just a bit clearer, and understand that which we are granted to comprehend.
Ephesians 3:18 – 19 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
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.
224
GOD OF OUR SALVATION
1 Chronicles 16:35 Say also: “Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
We live in a very individualistic, self focused world. It is me and the Savior. My Savior. My personal Savior. Me and God.
Even the last three posts in this series on the Names of God have emphasized the personal, singular relationship a saint has with the Lord.
Now this post does not intend to ignore the very truth of God being the God of My Praise, or the God of My Righteousness, of the God of My Life. The fact that we have a God that is so personal, so intimate, so close to us in our pain, our misunderstandings, or trials and our joys is an incredible blessing.
Yet this verse speaks of God as the God of OUR Salvation. I would encourage us to consider this truth for a moment. Christianity is a group movement, and is a body of believers that work together in the ministry of the Christ for this sin sick world.
God is the God of our Salvation, and as such, we should expect, even look for times of giving thanks and praise, that is only appropriate in a group setting.
David’s psalm is recounted here in Chronicles. It is hundreds of years since he wrote this portion of Scripture, and as the exiles were returning from Babylon, this passage must have meant much to them. A ragtag group of Jewish exiles, returning after 70 years of immersion in the Babylonian culture, returning to an abandoned, and desolate promised land.
And yet in the midst of all the trials, and troubles, it was obvious that God was bringing them out of captivity, saving the nation from their captives, providing them a second chance even though the judgment of captivity was fully deserved.
Note the psalm refers to the saints being delivered from the nations. As believers in the Risen Christ, we have been delivered out of this world and provided great freedoms, freedoms that include escaping from the grasp of those who want to pull us back to the old life.
But in each of these individual deliverances we experience, we have a responsibility to give thanks and praise in a group setting, as a Body of believers that understands God is in the business of making a kingdom of saints, not individual islands of proud lonely saints.
Without experiencing the group environment, it can sometimes appear we have little to be thankful for. Doubts, fears and crazy exaggerations can erupt in our mind – it is as if we are lone targets getting picked off by a spiritual sniper. The fact of the matter is that many of these errant thoughts are so untrue, and that is where the Body of Christ is most relevant, for the saints feed each other in encouragement, exhortation, correction, comfort and when necessary, some good old rebuking! But it only happens in the group environment, where God is the God of OUR Salvation.
Community, group dynamic, fellowship, congregational spirit. However you may want to describe it, let us not abandon the times we can be together in giving thanks and praising the God of OUR Salvation.
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.
Judges 16:20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him.
Samson had it going on. Was he not the man about town, without equal, armed with a super human strength. He may have had the appearance of Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I tend to think he looked like me, kinda scrawny, and fairly generic. Now of course the Bible doesn’t directly say this, so it is simply a suggestion. Yet there is one verse that tends to make this a possibility.
You see, his strength befuddled the Philistines. They just couldn’t figure it out. After all their conference room head scratching, they employed that woman, Delilah, demanding that she find out about his strength.
Judges 16:5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him…
You got to admit, this man was super human in his exploits. His feats were incredible. Consider the gates of Gaza. That alone is mind numbing when you consider what he did.
Judges 16:3 But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron.
Estimates of the mass of those two gates come in around 8,000 pounds, based on my research. That is 4 tons! That is like Samson carrying an adult hippo on his back! (The male hippo, that is, for the female hippo is a bit chunkier!) But simply carrying the gates is not the only feat of accomplishment he performed that night.
Consider the brute strength of pulling the frame out of the ground, removing it from it’s foundational support. The verse speaks of him pulling up two posts, posts large enough that massive gates, securing the city, would be supported. That is crazy!
But there is more.
He carried those gates to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron. Remember – He was held in the city of Gaza, in the Philistine country. That distance, by way of the crow, is 36 miles. (60 kilometers for those who live outside of the US.)
I don’t think physical muscle mass was the source of power. How could it be? No this feat found it’s strength from outside of his body. Call me crazy, but Samson may have been a fairly ordinary looking man! Can you imagine?
And that is the rub!
He had this power, and assumed it was his power and assumed, due to the faithfulness of God’s presence, that what life was like yesterday was a guarantee of what tomorrows life would be like!
Assumptions are dangerous things, and we all fall into them at times. This assumption though, did not take into consideration the very real impact of disobeying a solemn vow that was given to God. As a matter of fact, this assumption went against all logic!
Judges 16:17 And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.”
This is an incredible admission, knowing she was trying to trap him, knowing that the Philistines had come to take him three times earlier. He admits to his strength, to the very worst person, and the passage we read at the beginning speaks of Samson that he did not “know that the LORD had left him”.
He knowingly provided his secret to the worst of traitors, thumbing his nose to the very covenant graciously provided to him from birth. He threw God away, for the sake of a hooker!
My friends, this story is not so sad. After this time of considering just one of Samson’s mighty exploits, we see that a tremendous privilege granted to a man may be removed by God. The Nazarite vow that Samson was involved in was a two way street, and he seemed content to keep that covenant for many decades.
Until that woman showed up!
Think of that! Decades of being faithful to the God of the Nazarite vow he was under, until a temptation came that reduced God to a non issue, and focused only on the desire for that woman!
What a shame!
What a lesson.
What a warning.
Be faithful my friend for the Lord is good, patient and loving. But as Samson’s story teaches, God may take a privilege away if we snub Him, reject Him and hate Him.
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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.
2 Samuel 2:24-32
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?” 27 And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.” 28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.
Three brothers became two brothers. Asahel was dead, and Abner was the man who killed him. Yes he sought to deter Asahel from the conflict. Yes he knew the outcome of any attack on Asahel. Abner was an experienced warrior, whereas Asahel’s “claim to fame” was that he was “swift of foot as a wild gazelle” He could run!
Experienced warrior against a sprinter, or even a long distance runner. Seemed like the result of any conflict would be obvious. And it was. Asahel lay on the ground, bloodied and defeated.
And two brothers found focus! Abner was the man to be dealt with, and Joab with his brother Abishai were in the chase. Vengeance became the motivating force in these two men’s lives, and this death of Asahel became a unifying event for the men of Benjamin following Joab. This had all the earmarks of getting very bloody, with much death and destruction on the battlefield.
There isn’t many motivators that are more powerful than vengeance. To get even, to take vengeance, especially in such an unjust and cruel act such as Abner’s killing of Asahel, blinds the most common man to any logic, and reason against completing this bloodthirst.
Joab and Abishai appear to be the exception, at least for the time being!
Abner was on the run, and as he had mentioned to Asahel, he knew the outcome of his killing Joab’s brother.
2 Samuel 2:22 …Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?
To “lift up my face” is an interesting phrase, and worth considering for a moment. What was Abner trying to say to Asahel as he was being chased?
This phrase speaks of a confidence before another. This phrase speaks of the honor / shame culture these people were immersed in, and the importance of the clear conscience in relationships. Consider two verses in Job, as some of his counsellors try to help the suffering saint.
Job 11:15 Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear.
Job 22:26 For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
Yes, Abner and Joab were competing generals, but prior to this killing, their seemed to be a mutual respect.
A confidence and assurance in relationships between two successful warriors. A clarity between men that resulted in a respect, and a showing of honor, even though of different opinions! (What are we missing out on in our current society as this mutual respect for others of a different opinion is sorely lacking!)
Abner knew this mutual respect would evaporate if the conflict with Asahel resulted in his death, and sure enough, it did.
What was Abner’s next ploy. Somewhat genius, for he played the nation card, speaking of senseless death of Israeli brothers. We must remember that Israel is in the midst of a civil war at this time, an internal fighting has the potential to consume the nation.
Abner, to rescue his own skin, showed concern for the nation. Convenient. Of a pure motive? You decide, but it certainly was a convenient argument to provide relief from the pursuit of the motivated men chasing him and his crew!
Why Joab gave up the chase, when he had a united army and motivated leadership to take Abner, and his men down? Let’s remember that Joab has been running his men hard during this battle, and he may admit to the truth of the nation consuming itself. What would be left for him to have power over if decimated?
No, Joab and Abishai, relented the chase, at least in appearance for the sake of the nation. Other opportunities may arise for Joab to take care of “concerns” his brother and he harbored. But for now, hostilities ceased.
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.
Colossians 2:23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
If you have followed my blog for any time now, you will understand that I am a Civil Engineer, an engineer that designs and manages transportation projects.
I am very thankful for the second law of thermodynamics, for this law describes the world we live in, a world that is going from order to disorder. Simply put, this second law of thermodynamics speaks of the world progressing into greater disorder and randomness.
Things fall apart, and engineers get to rebuild them, or provide maintenance processes that extend their life by slowing the process of decay, or in some circumstances, covering over the decay – but that is not preferred, and you didn’t hear it from me!
Nevertheless, the process of decay is unstoppable.. It does not only effect the world around us, it is a principal force that impacts our lives everyday. The creaking of my back, the weakening of my eyes, and the decreasing muscle mass makes entropy a minute by minute reality in my life.
For those who may be young and fit, enjoy these days of freedom. Entropy and the second law of thermodynamics is coming for you! But I digress.
In the world around us, I find the destruction of high strength concrete, the type that is often used on highways and byways by the lowly weed to be instructive.
As concrete ages, microcracking occurs due to the constant variation of temperatures it goes through, expanding and contracting. Microscopic cracks become tiny cracks, which become small cracks. At some point the temperature variations become less of the problem, and the mighty “weed” takes over. Oh, it is just a little dandelion, or some other weed seed that settles in a welcoming crack, but as the weed sends out it’s roots, it continues the decay process.
Given enough time, the concrete will have been defeated by the lowly weed.
Engineers have sought to fight against this decay system for centuries. There have been some amazing breakthroughs in concrete technology, but alas, concrete will break, and weeds will dominate. It is merely a matter of time!
But let’s cut to the chase. This entropy that I speak of, that all the fancy physicists describe, is simply the result of sin entering creation.
But as an engineer, I am trained to find solutions for problems, and I spend my days in “solution” mode. Before I was trained as an engineer, I also sought to solve problems. Problems that were not necessarily of the physical world, but of the spiritual world. Let me explain my failure.
As a very young believer in the Messiah, I became very religious. I fell into very good churches and had amazing folk teach me truth. I am very thankful for the patience of the saints when it came to dealing with me. I was (am) a piece of work!
But as I grew in the Lord, I also took on religious habits that, though beneficial for my knowledge of the Lord, also became a target for my faith. I walked a little bit away from the Lord and a little bit toward religion, thinking I could solve the sin problem with rules. A little more dedication at Bible study, and few more verses to memorize, attend one additional church service, teach one more Bible class. The list seemed endless.
Now don’t get me wrong – all of these practices are good and were meant to honor the Lord, but I began to trust them as opposed to the Savior.
I think I was falling into a trap somewhat like the Colossians. Yes, they were not touching, handling or tasting, thinking that the ascetic lifestyle would present themselves in a better light before the Savior.
Colossians 2:21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” Colossians 2:22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)–according to human precepts and teachings?
Their refusal to take part in certain activities, and my dedication to certain activities resulted in exposing our loss of focus.
Entropy / sin is in our very veins and both myself and our brothers in Colossae were trying to create a stronger concrete than that which had provided. We sought to build a concrete structure in our lives which would not crack, which would not allow any weeds to settle in.
I depended on habits that indeed appeared to have wisdom, but in all of my efforts, weeds continued to grow in my life. Eventually my whole family were sprouting weeds all over the place. The weeds were out of control, and my solution? More rules, more strictness. Heavier concrete!
Engineers build better concrete, and the result is cost savings, and less construction interruptions on the highway hopefully. Better concrete reduces the rate of decay, but we live in a world of decay. Stronger concrete simply stalls the decay slightly.
Personally, in my relationship with the Lord, I am thankful for the disciplines I was introduced to early in my faith. The disciplines became a focus of my faith, and became rules that lorded over my spirit. Yet the very rules I trusted in did not stop my flesh from indulging in it’s desires. Even as I applied stricter and stricter rules, my old flesh simply found other cracks in my concrete!
As I close, I want to be clear that the disciplines I spoke of were noble, right and provided my life great guidance and knowledge of the Lord and His ways, even as I was pursuing a sanctification that was leaving the Lord behind. I had chosen rules to control my life and the concrete got heavier and heavier. So heavy!
Consider which rules in your life are taking the place of faith in the Living God. Don’t put this self review off, for though I speak of entropy as the decay in our daily life, we all know the trendline of entropy is death!
1 Corinthians 15:56-57
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
He even saves us from entropy. Trust Him, and not your rules. He is the Savior, and not yourself! He is much better at dealing with entropy than we are.
Now I need to go put some ointment on my shoulder! Ooooo the pain!
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.
223
GOD OF MY LIFE
Psalm 42:8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
Throughout my Christian life I have heard the call to obey the commands of God, to be a disciple, to seek Him with all my heart, soul mind and strength. This is the call of any who would seek to know the Living God, the Redeeming God, the God who provides, guides supplies and comforts.
It is the clarion call for the believer, for the saint who seeks to honor the One who loves him and gave himself for his life.
It is the expression of our acts that proves that God is the God of my life, and with the remaining portion of this post, please try to hang onto that truth.
Hang on now, for we are going to consider our verse above, and at first blush, I see no call to obedience in this verse. No sacrificial love demanded for the saint to practice. David focuses on the Lord’s actions, His commanding of steadfast love to be on the believer, and His song over the believer at night.
David is dwelling on the goodness of God when He speaks of the God of his life. He isn’t speaking of our response to this incredible love provided, but simply dwelling on the person of God, on the actions He supplies to the saint.
This concept, I believe is fleshed out clearer (for myself at least) when Paul writes the following.
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Did you catch it?
We, as believers, are doing nothing in this verse except beholding the glory of the Lord. It is that beholding, that looking at, that staring at the glory of the Lord that has transformative impact on the believer.
The transformation is being done to us!
Our looking at each and every of the glories of the Lord will have two effects on the believer.
Effect #1
The first is that we are so undeserving, so far from the mark, so unworthy of any recognition by the Master that His kindness towards us becomes unfathomable. To become more familiar with all His beauty and grace, with His matchless character and humble kindness, is to find our place in this universe.
Effect #2
The second is like that, in that whoever we honor, whoever is our ideal, our model, our god, is who we actually aspire to be. It is a characteristic of the human psyche to aspire to be like our hero, and our consistent gazing at our Risen Savior, at His patience with sinners, at His kindness to those who persecuted Him, at His suffering even for His enemies, which places the challenge before each of us to be like Him.
For God to be the God of our Lives does not require perfection, does not require obedience to a set of rules, does not require faithfulness to specific doctrines or teachings that may be found in the Word.
It is to follow a Person, to know the Living God in all His perfections, in all His character, as described in the Written Word.
Take time to look to Him today, and in the looking you will be changed. If He is the God of our lives, and as we gaze upon Him, we will be transformed, for He is the God of our lives.
He is the One who saves, provides, guides, supplies and comforts and from this verse, we find He also transforms us little by little into more of His likeness!
Now that is good news!
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 2:8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
For our passage this morning, I can’t help but to consider the pastoral character of the apostle Paul.
What do I mean by this?
I often consider, rightly so, that Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, the great missionary, the one chosen by God to lay a foundation for the church. An incredible man, transformed by the grace of God to traverse the known world with a message that caused riots, brought persecution, imprisonment and deprivation.
1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
To be pastoral speaks to me of one who is with the sheep, understanding their needs and daily concerns. In my mind, Paul came into a region, provided the gospel in all it’s glory, accepted rejection, difficulties and persecution, and then headed off to the next area of need.
To hear Paul speak of sharing “our own selves” gives me pause. Oh yes, he gave his life for the church, no debating that fact, but is he speaking of giving his life for individuals in this context? Is he speaking of taking time to be with individuals, to understand their needs and wants, their misunderstandings and confusions. To feed and tend to the sheep takes time, and we know he had little of that with the Thessalonians.
Paul was forced out of the city, but he may have been recalling his attitude towards those he ministered to prior to that expulsion by the city government.
If so, that is quite telling!
The great apostle Paul, the great missionary of the Gentiles, travelling throughout the known world, had time for individuals! Would his time not be better spent in the development of planning sessions with church leadership, of producing vision statements for the deacons, and of pushing agendas for the growth of church ministries?
I apologies, for my jadedness may be peeking through, but I sometimes worry on the effectiveness of our modern way of church growth. Now don’t get me wrong, for I have not a better way than the common way we see nowadays.
But I wonder. If a pastor shared his life with a few others, and not only a set of doctrines to large groups, (necessary as the truth of the gospel is), might we see, albeit slowly, a consistent growth of not merely numbers but of maturity in the church?
Might Paul be describing his intent, disturbed by his ousting by the city, for this fledgling church. He loved them, as individuals, and not only as a corporate body, a organism that needed oversight.
I freely admit I may have seen too much of the corporate church growth methods for my thoughts to be balanced, or to have any weight for my reader. That is fair, and for those who have a pastor, or a another believer act pastoral in their lives is the very intent I see in Paul’s description. Forgive me if my thoughts may be somewhat reactionary to the common aggrandizement of a professional Christian over thousands and thousands of sheep, yet I think Paul may be onto something.
Might it be wise for each of us to find someone to share our very life with. To share the Lord Jesus with, not only to introduce someone to His grace, but of His continual working in our lives.
Paul’s motivation for this interaction with individuals in the Thessalonian church was based on them becoming “very dear” to them. The root of this word is the well known “agape” we hear of in church. A self sacrificing love for someone else, a caring for others that relegates self’s needs to the back burner.
Truly incredible how Paul could say that! Does he not know that he has a massive mission ahead? How can he “waste” time with individuals when he has to reach the masses?
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Matthew 10:34 Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
As I have read the Word over the years certain verses seem to provide a paradox in my mind. Such are the topic verses this morning. Centuries prior to the arrival of the Lord on this old earth, Isaiah prophesied of the Prince of Peace. Surely the Lord knew this passage, for He is the fulfillment of it, and yet He has the audacity to speak of bringing a sword. That peaks my interest.
It just didn’t make sense for me, and, as a paradox is wont to do, it took me outside of my usual way of thinking.
Let’s consider Isaiah, and his prophecy. Even within this prophecy, there is the paradox of God becoming a man, of the All-powerful being totally helpless, of the Creator being created.
But that will have to wait for the time being. I need to consider how Isaiah and Matthew relate to one another, and find an understanding (if possible) of the message each author provides.
As I said earlier, let’s start with Isaiah, as he provides one of the clearest prophecies of the Savior to come, of His birth (child and son) and of His office (head of government). Isaiah speaks of the responsibility of this Messiah for the oversight and guidance of the nation He rules over, as He will carry the burden of government leadership.
Now we must remember that to have a name ascribed to you is to identify your character in the Old Testament. It is much more than we in the western world consider when we name our children.
Names represent a person’s character, reputation and very existence. Consider Abraham (Father of many nations) or Nabal (fool). Names meant something in the Biblical world. Given that understanding, this Savior would be characterized by the following names
Wonderful Counsellor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
Might these names relate to the type of government / Kingdom the Savior would provide. Would the King of this government not be characterized by wisdom (wonderful counsellor), power (Mighty God), non-decay (Everlasting Father) and of peace (Prince of Peace).
In His kingdom, being described by Isaiah, a governing principle is peace. To enter His kingdom is to accept the teachings of forgiveness, love, patience and specifically for this passage, a peace that is provided for the citizen. Of course as we are on the other side of the cross, we know of the peace He provides, an internal calm and settled rest that is available to any who follow this Prince, no matter the circumstances.
In summary, may I suggest that Isaiah is referring to a Kingdom / government the Savior would rule over that is characterized by peace, both internal and external.
But even as I type that, it seems those who refuse to enter this Kingdom are not under this gracious provision, and are not able to exercise, or even know of this peace, without knowing the Prince of Peace. These adherents of another king, that refuse the peace available, that are in an alternate kingdom during the Prince’s reign, know not of peace, and will fight against anything that threatens their worldview, unless of course they join the winning side!
As Jesus brought the greatest truths to the people, it seems obvious that those rejecting his teaching would become fully motivated to fight the message. To bring peace in a fallen world forces a reaction from those who know not peace, a reaction that is not peaceful.
Even in this situation, those under the Prince of Peace are not to respond in the similar manner as those outside of the Kingdom, hating those outside of the Kingdom, seeking their harm and causing distress. This bringing a sword is a result of peace being the character of the new Kingdom, as it has throughout history.
It has been exhibited since the day’s of Cain and Abel, for the very first family experienced this division!
Jesus brought the Kingdom, for the time was at hand. His Kingdom called all to enter in, but it became obvious some would reject, and by their rejection, would remain in the kingdom ruled by the absence of peace. They had no resources to understand or conquer over the peace within the new Kingdom, and as such would have to join or fight against it.
He brought a sword through the individual acceptance or rejection of His kingdom, even within the closest of relationships, for His kingdom demanded that those entering would be His citizens first and foremost, place their allegiance to the King of Kings and follow His ways.
Two kingdoms in conflict. yet one ruled by the Prince of Peace. The outfall would be the setting of a sword, even within a family.
I think I get it.
Thankfully, the Prince of Peace is still ruling, for He is the Everlasting Father, and the offer to enter this Kingdom governed by the Prince of Peace is still open for all.
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.
222
GOD OF MY RIGHTEOUSNESS
Psalm 4:1 To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
David is in distress in this psalm. As I have been dwelling in David and his writings for a time, it has become evident that David was in distress often, almost constantly it seems.
The distress he is in is often related to the struggle to rise to the throne promised to him by God, and the obstacles to attain the throne seem insurmountable. Obstacles not only physical, regarding his very existence, but the slander and lies that were spread by his enemies that would (humanly speaking) derail any chance of his gaining the throne.
This psalm speaks directly of David undergoing some serious slander. Consider the next two verses for some context.
Psalm 4:2-3
O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.
David’s honor was being turned to shame. The very things that David did in obedience to God were being upended and twisted by the enemy, with many lies being spread to diminish his character.
And David calls upon God. He refers to God as the God of his righteousness, for he is in the midst of a “righteousness reputation” battle, and he knows that it may end up badly for him. Some lies may stick in the population’s perception, some of the slander may remain in the peoples mind’s.
That is the condition we all live in! No matter how desperately we seek the Lord, and how dedicated we are in obeying His will, we should not expect our names to be lifted high amongst our enemies, those who attack the Risen One and His people. This is the fallout of being in a battle with a worldview that accepts the use of lies instead of truth.
But as each of us may go through unjust character assassination, let us remember that our God is the One to look to for our righteousness, that we need to pursue His character and His nature, His desire to be of the truth, and to live in a gracious, forgiving and loving manner to both our brothers and sisters, and our very enemies, those who may be actually tearing us down.
For our God is the God of our Righteousness, even as we may be defamed by the enemy. We need to recognize that the enemy will not advance any description of “rightness” of our lives in following God, for that would be an admission of their own error.
They will not willingly admit their position to be in error, so they must lie about the truth.
But our God is the God of our Righteousness, and He has prevailed in the resurrection, and shall prevail in our lives!
He is the God of our Righteousness!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
As many who 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.
2 Samuel 2:18-23
18 And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle. 19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. 22 And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” 23 But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.
Do you see the Lord in Asahel. A man determined to face the leader of the enemy camp, a man seeking to honor his sovereign and in the pursuit, experiencing death!
But I get ahead of myself, for this passage also speaks of Abner and as such continues to describe the type of man we will bump into occasionally as we follow David’s life through these studies.
Let’s remember Abner in this story, a man who led Saul’s army against David and was essentially running the northern kingdom. He was Saul’s cousin, and had power for many years. He was not about to give that up.
At the pool of Gibeon, he sought to find victory over Joab and David’s forces, but death took all 24 soldiers. Now the full battle broke out, with the nation of Israel in full civil war. Joab’s forces were dominating and Abner was on the run. Although he was on the run, he was not an easy adversary, for Abner had been a warrior his entire life and had shed much blood. To kill a man meant nothing for Abner and yet in this altercation, he sought to pause, to distract Asahel from the chase. All with good intentions? You be the judge.
Nevertheless, he warned off Asahel, sought to redirect, all without success. Eventually, after expressing the fallout that would result in his killing Asahel, it became apparent the death was necessary in Abner’s mind. And Abner continued in his flight.
But let’s also return to Asahel. I realize I began this blog with a short bit on how Asahel may picture the Messiah in his actions, but let me reconsider.
At some convenient point, Asahel determined within himself that it was his calling to take on a challenge for David. The actual circumstances may have simply provided an opportunity for a young man who sought to prove himself. His brother Joab was the Kings general, and his other brother Abishai, had proved his muster back when David entered the camp of Saul and took his spear and water jug. For a quick review, my reader may want to check out the story of Abishai in Life of David – 20.02. To say the least Abishai was honored in his mighty acts for David.
And then there is Asahel. A man who sought to attain to the glories of his brothers, and by all accounts of Abner not worthy of any glory yet.
But Asahel was “I” centered, and I fear his ego delivered him to an early death.
I suppose I see a bit more of me in Asahel, for the only thing he says in this passage is “I”, and it seems that he may have been out of his depth in the confrontation. For though he died for a noble cause, for his king and country, it was a method that seemed destined to failure, and that seemed fueled by his own desire for glory.
Asahel was a brave, but rash young man, seeking his own glory. This is a severe parting of the ways in his representing a picture of the Christ as a willing servant and sacrifice, a Son who sought His Father’s will above his own life. Asahel’s impacted the lives of the army of David, and especially Joab, for we shall return to this killing in future posts, but for now, two lessons may be gleaned from this passage.
Rash decisions
Asahel made a rash decision to make a name for himself in the heat of battle. This most assuredly was not a planned effort with, making a decision based on possible outcomes, times of prayer and considered dangers. Of course it was in the heat of battle, but it was not a requirement for Asahel to chase Abner, an order Joab had directed to Asahel to be obeyed. No it seemed to be nothing but a decision Asahel made on the spot, and locked Asahel into the chase with no the freedom to pull away. And that brings us to the second lesson.
Self glory
In Asahel’s decision to follow after Abner, a greater adversary, Asahel locked himself into a inescapable condition of either killing Abner or dyeing, No other option was available for Asahel, for that would require a humility, a realization that he was out of his depth, and a certain self abnegation.
Self glory has often placed me in similar circumstances. Thankfully none that required my death, as I am obviously still punching keyboard keys! But the desire for self glory, and the forgetfulness of the glory of God in any circumstance often leads me in to a false dichotomy. Either one result or the other will be required as I seek my own glory.
It isn’t so if we allow God to be in the mix, for though I sometimes invite Him into my mess, He has remained faithful in working through my self glory mess for His eventual sake.
It is the “eventual” aspect that bothers me. I have wasted much time in my walk with Him.
As I close, consider decisions that are made in your life, and let’s seek to ask for God’s guidance in those decisions. Let us not be driven by self glory, but to raise up the glory of God in all our actions!
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
Caleb
Victorious
Numbers 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.
Titus 3:7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
In our past post’s on Caleb we have considered him as a man with a different spirit, a devoted man, an overcomer of others doubts, one who depended on God’s promises, a man of conviction, and a man convinced of his purpose for God.
With our passage this morning, let us draw out a truth about Caleb that is not expressly stated, but is evident in his life throughout his journeys and trials.
He was victorious, and though the comparison with the Lord Jesus is accurate, it is accurate in description, but not in extent, for Caleb “simply” won his mountain, but Jesus won the world. His is victorious over the grave, and because of God’s deliverance, has been openly declared to be the Son of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
He is simply greater than all the pictures we consider in this series.
Caleb was victorious because he followed the Lord, and the Lord provided the success, the victory. This is the walk of faith, that is not to seek victory based on our desires, our will, our wants, but to put the will of God ahead of ours.
Caleb certainly was tested, tried in the fire of adversity, peer pressure, and mob opinion. Yet his decision to trust God’s will when all seemed to be going the wrong way is a testament to his faithfulness, and the reason God provided him the victory.
Now I wont go so far as to think the Lord ever had it easy as He rubbed shoulders with those who plotted his death. For even from the very beginning, the cross overshadowed Him. He spoke amazing truths, claimed an astonishing relationship with the God of the Jews, challenged the powers that be and spoke of the kingdom of God breaking forth even as He was on earth. He did not come asking permission from those in charge. He simply came to us, declared the time had come, and rebuffed every argument those threatened by his pronouncements brought to Him. If Caleb had challenges, (and he did), Jesus faced many more, deeper and stronger temptations to veer from His appointed path.
But Jesus never veered. He only performed the work assigned by the Father, and did not go beyond the will of God, or fail to complete the will of God.
John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
Jesus never veered from the will of God and His victory was such that His closest friends were astonished. Even to this day, the Messiah’s resurrection is doubted by too many. Admittedly, it is an incredible story, but the Man Jesus was incredible in every way. His works and words have no competition, and His victory is completely without comparison.
And by the sheer grace of His compassion for lost souls, He grants us entry into this very victory. A victory over death and the grave.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Caleb was victorious in his life and God provided this victory due to his continuing faith in the midst of difficult times. His victory became his possession and that of his posterity.
For the Lord Jesus, His victory has also been passed to His posterity, and all who seek to find this victory should look no further than the Son of God.
Titus 3:7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
His victory was due to His faithfulness, but our victory is based on relationship with the One who has overcome all obstacles, even the death of the cross!
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.
221
GOD OF MY PRAISE
Psalm 109:1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Be not silent, O God of my praise!
I occasionally attend a church my daughter and her family attend, and it is a growing church, filled with young children, young adults and young families. With such a mix of folks making up the congregation, it is full of energy.
It is a church that I have found to be filled with the Spirit and upon every attendance, during the praise session, I almost invariably shed tears, trying to offer up praise with the congregation. I typically can’t express my emotions during the praise songs, but when they bring out the old hymns, I totally break down.
To hear the old hymns in this day and age of the church is so refreshing, so Christ centered, so historic for my own walk with Him.
It is a church that I have begun to learn to praise the Lord Jesus for all He has done in a outward, emotionally manner that has somewhat taken me aback. To actually try to sing, despite those around me being affected by my out of tune, out of time, out of tone type of singing. (I can hear my voice and trust me – it is awful!) has not been a typical expression of my faith in my four decades as a believer.
He has become more than ever the God of my praise, and yet as we read this passage, David doesn’t relate this name to the times of rejoicing amongst the faithful, of singing songs to the Lord to the point of tears, but is facing enemies that are overwhelming him.
David begins this psalm with an expression, a confession of his faith regarding who his God is and how he relates to Him. God is the God of his praise, the only one who receives the praise he offers up. But this psalm speaks of difficulties, of threatenings, of dire possible consequences on David’s life if God doesn’t show up. David is on the edge, but no matter, he is not about to forget that God is still in control, that God is worthy, no matter the circumstances he finds himself in.
Is he expressing the same emotion and heart felt praise I mentioned above? Possibly, but I think David may be praising God out of his will as opposed to the emotion I experience in church on Sundays.
And there is a difference I fear, for when a believer comes to a time of difficulty in his or her life, is God still worthy of praise? Note that I refrain from asking if it feels good to praise God in difficult times, for I think that a poor motivator. There are times when it hurts to praise God, when things are falling apart, and it seems many enemies are surrounding us, and there may seem to be no escape.
Is He the God of my praise then? When lies are spread about your character, do you look to Him and praise His name? When struggles come, and pile up in your life, is He still worthy of your expression of praise, your commitment to praise His name, even in a whisper to Him, a prayer asking for help?
Don’t get me wrong. I love to go to my daughters church, for it is a time with her and her family, and a time I can express my faith openly in the midst of the congregation. Good times and a good life, and I am so thankful for what the Lord has done in my family.
The challenge though, as hard times may be around the corner, is will I continue to praise His name, even though struggling with serious challenges, disappointments and discouragements?
This is the backdrop of David’s expression in our psalm today, and I pray for this type of will in our soul to conquer over difficult times with praise to the God of my praise.
May He gives us strength to be the men and women that praise Him at all times, and in all circumstances.
We truly need Him.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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 2:7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.
Paul has been battling the onslaught of rumor and innuendo, of the outright attack on his apostleship by those who have entered in among the new believers at Thessalonica.
As he is preaching and teaching the gospel to others, experiencing sufferings and persecution, he maintained his desire and care for this church.
In in effort to remind my reader of the life Paul lived as he was sent into ministry, I refer you to a a list of Paul’s sufferings as described in the book of Acts. (My thanks to the people at https://www.biblecharts.org/ in providing this free resource for the Body of Christ.)
His life was threatened in Damascus. Acts 9:23
His life was threatened again in Jerusalem. Acts 9:29
Persecuted and run out of Antioch in Pisidia. Acts 13:50
Faced possible stoning at iconium. Acts 14:5
Stoned and left for dead in Lystra. Acts 14:19
Opposed and made the center of controversy. Acts 15:11
Experienced the loss of his close friend and co-worker, Barnabas. Acts 15:39
Beaten with rods and imprisoned at Philippi. Acts 16:23
Cast out of Philippi. Acts 16:39
His life was threatened in Thessalonica. Acts 17:5-7, 10
Forced out of Berea. Acts 17:23-14
Mocked in Athens. Acts 17:18
Taken before the judgment seat in Corinth. Acts 18:12
Opposed by the silversmiths in Ephesus. Acts 19:23-41
Plotted against by the Jews in Greece. Acts 20:3
Apprehended by the mob in Jerusalem. Acts 21:27-30
Arrested and detained by the Romans. Acts 22:24
Barely escaped being scourged. Acts 22:24-29
Rescued from the Sanhedrin mod action. Acts 23:1-8
Assassination plot against him. Acts 23:12-22
Two-year imprisonment in Caesarea. Acts 23:33-27:2
Shipwreck on the island of Melita (Malta). Acts 27:41-28:1
Suffered a snakebite. Acts 28:3-5
First Roman imprisonment. Acts 28:13-15
As I read this list, and consider our verse this morning, I am astounded at the ability of Paul to maintain a caring and loving attitude through all of this opposition. He did not exhibit any sense of being a victim, or of the unfairness of life. No where do we find him describing the sufferings as unfair, or undeserving. It was his life story showing of his deep love for the Messiah, of his caring heart for the people of God, and of his desire to see others catch this love of God that had so captured him.
When he mentions that he was gentle among them, this statement represents the heart of a man truly focused on the Messiah, and His great love for the people of God, in spite of opposition, persecution and suffering.
Even as we have ventured through the last 6 verses, where Paul is defending himself against the slurs and lies being spread by those in Thessalonica, he maintains his loving care towards the church, speaking of his gentleness, even as a nursing mother.
Consider the very image of a nursing mother, how she will give everything she has for the sake of that little, helpless child. My wife and I have five beautiful children, and as I watched her cry over, love and sacrifice for those children, it brings into focus this expression of Paul.
Even as Paul makes this claim, would he be implying that this church is still as a helpless little infant, and his heart is to protect them, to provide for them, to sustain them in this barrage of hate that is being inflicted on them by a group of gossip mongering, slur spreading haters within their midst?
Paul has taken six verses to defend his love for the church against the twisted self serving message of some in the church. He fully understands that the message he delivered is dependent on his authority, on his being sent directly into their midst by the Messiah, and that the destruction of his character and the attack on his motivations towards those he preaches to is a direct attack on the message.
As a summary for these 6 verses, I would like to offer Barclay’s summary of 1 Thessalonians 2:2-7. Barclay supplies what he thinks are the slurs Paul has to defend himself against.
“Paul was in prison and and is therefore untrustworthy” (1 Thessalonians 2:2, suffered before referring to his imprisonment in Thessalonica). “Paul is delusional” (1 Thessalonians 2:3, error). “Paul’s ministry is based on impure motives” (1 Thessalonians 2:3, uncleanness). “Paul deliberately deceives others” (1 Thessalonians 2:3, in deceit). “Paul preaches to please others, not God” (1 Thessalonians 2:4, not as pleasing men). “Paul is in the ministry as a mercenary, to get what he can out of it materially” (1 Thessalonians 2:5, 2:9, nor a cloak for covetousness). “Paul only wants personal glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:6, nor did we seek glory from men). “Paul is something of a dictator” (1 Thessalonians 2:7we were gentle among you).
Although our next verse will summarize Paul’s desire for the church, this list of the attacks of those against the gospel and the apostle has been illuminating for myself, reminding me of a number of truths that should impact the believer.
The message needs to be spread by those infused with the character of Christ to have impact those around them
The message is not a message of arguing with the Body of Christ, but of self sacrificial service.
To speak the message will incur the opposition form those outside of the church. It is not ungodly, though sometimes necessary, to defend your actions to those you love!
It is important to remember that the audience we speak with may be very immature, and this is not to be looked down upon, but to be cared for, as a nursing mother over a young child
What a heart Paul had! Beyond the religious standard, he was a man that cared in spite of physical opposition and verbal defamation.
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.
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GOD OF LOVE AND PEACE
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you
I was born before the hippy movement, and I will admit it – I wore bell bottom blue jeans in my high school years. I listened to the music, took part in the rejection of a stiff conservative culture and experimented with mind altering drugs. Even to this day, the music catches me and takes me back to “good” intentions and a carefree attitude.
The cultural revolution was breaking forth on the western world and it’s impact on our society has been catastrophic.
One example will suffice, for I do not want to delve too deep in the problem and not consider our Lord in this post. Back in the day there was a popular song about the sharing of land.
Maybe I’ll be there to share the land That they’ll be givin’ away When we all live together, we’re talkin’ ’bout together, now
As a teenager, who could argue of the merits of such a culture, where all are sharing and there is togetherness, love and peace?
I listened to this song a while back, and realized it was normalizing a socialist / communist condition, describing it as full of togetherness, with peace and love. A culture that provides love and peace without God.
What I was experiencing was a relentless barrage of this message, along with a complete twisting of what true love and peace really is. Lust was called love, and forced pacifism (by the end of a gun) was named peace.
This is not the message of the Word, and it certainly does violence to the name of God we are considering if these twisted messages are considered when we read of the God of love and peace.
The God of love represents the very opposite of lust, of the unbridled release of the wants and desires of a sin sick heart, of a self satisfying seeking of all things no matter the damage causes. The God of love provides motivation and strength to live a life of constraint, of be self controlled, to consider others instead of being a slave to our needs and wants.
The God of peace provides the believer a calm in the midst of a storm, a freedom of the soul in the midst of trials, a release of concern over those circumstances that are beyond our control.
The world tried to convince me of the benefits of its definition of love and peace. It only took a few years of following after that elusive promise that I realized it was an empty, hollowed out promise that provided disappointment, despair and eventually death.
And then one day, a young lady asked if I would like to sit with her on a bus ride to Toronto. As we spoke, she testified of Jesus, and of His saving actions in her life. She had recently been in a car crash that should have taken her life, but the God of love and peace preserved her. The God of love and peace kept her so she could introduce me to this same God, the God of love and peace that shattered my understanding of love and peace.
No longer did the message of lust and pretend peace have control over my thoughts, and my outlook on life took a complete turnaround.
Do you understand God as a God who allows lust and provides a pretend peace? Consider who the God of love and peace is, for He is a self sacrificing God, a God who considers others first, who came to serve and to give His life for others.
To understand the gospel is to be shocked at the difference between the message of the world and the message of the Messiah, for He is the very embodiment of who the God of love and peace is.
And the world crucified Him as they sought their “love and 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!
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But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.
Isaiah is describing a prayer of an exile, looking forward to the time when a faithful one has been delivered to Babylon, and his recounting of the the history of Israel. For the sake of understanding the passage we are considering, let’s take a few moments and read some of the context.
Isaiah 63:7-10
I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. For he said, “Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely.” And he became their Savior. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.
This prayer begins with describing the saving power of God, of His great goodness, His compassion and steadfast love. This man of prayer started out admitting, declaring God’s work in the nation, of His continual and constant caring for the nation.
It wasn’t that God had only taken care of the nation without expense to His own honor and name. When the nation was afflicted, He was afflicted. The Angel of His Presense performed a saving work in their lives. The speaker remembers God’s love, His pity, His redeeming acts, how God had lifted them up nd carried them through the trials they experienced.
But then we come to verse 10. For those not accustomed to the story of the Bible, this verse must surely be jarring. How could this response to a loving powerful God be justified? How is it that a nation experiencing the constant and continual care of God in showing acts of kindness and care towards the nation could rebellion be an expected response?
It is surely a mystery, a statement of the depth of sin in the human experience.
The nation rebelled, and rebelled, and then rebelled some more. After constant warning and pleading with His people, they received a response they deserved. For so long, the grace of God poured out on the nation, but there came a time when, in the wisdom and knowledge of God, the relationship was evidently beyond repair.
God was turned from Loving Savior to Israel’s enemy. How terrible and unnecessary this turn of events! The nation lost it’s only hope, and in so doing, gained an unassailable foe, One who would gain His will despite the rebellion of the people He cared for.
This condition of becoming the enemy of the Lord is not an isolated teaching found in the Word. Other examples may be found throughout the Old and New Testament. It has been half a decade since I published The Lord’s Enemy, and I hope it makes clear what it takes to loose the blessing of the Lord on your life.
The nation was taken into captivity, with many of the nations being put to death and the loss of the land, and the temple. A complete and utter defeat.
Consider the loving kindness of God in your life. Recognize it, be thankful, and obey His bidding, for His yoke is light.
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
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My wife and I attended a new Sunday School a wee back, as we were away from home. The people were very friendly, and the class was very relaxed. Welcome cards were provided, with the proverbial contact information requested, and study books were handed out to the strangers.
It was a well established class, with mature believers discussing what the church offers while some stragglers came through the door.
Eventually, we prayed and the study guide was opened. We were in Numbers this morning, discussing the rebellion of the Israelites prior to entering the land. Some of the guide was read to us, with the occasional discussion pursued.
As a little background, I have promised my wife that if we attend a new group, that I will not offer up questions concerning the Word until we know the people and become part of the group. It has too often occurred that I ask a question, especially if I have been studying an epistle or topic, a “discussion” ensues. That is a polite way of saying that the question I throw into the middle of the room may upset the faith of some of the attendants, or simply not comply with the particular churches standing on a certain teaching.
I refrain from this practice since it can seem divisive, and upset some. It also fed my pride, for I thought I was smart! I though I would let everyone know about Carl.
Again with the elevation of self! Somewhat disgusting!
But I digress. This class was going along well, with light discussion and occasional reference to the study guide, when all of a sudden someone pulled a “Carl”.
Let’s call him Joe. I don’t know Joe of course, having visited this class only once, but to say the least he is an interesting fellow.
As you may recall, we were discussing Israel entering the land, and Joe mentioned the Israeli / Palestinian conflict, and his estimation of the tumult in the Middle East. It seems he had great respect for the leader of the Jewish nation, speaking of how he had every right to do as God leads.
This took me aback, since the immediate context of his message was how Israel was treating the Palestinians, even those who live within the West Bank and Gaza strip. Now I want to be careful in recounting what he said, but his message seemed to be that whatever the Israeli leader did to expand the land of Israel was in obedience to God.
Alarm bells stared ringing off in my head. How could a believer say that? Now before we go any further, I want to provide full disclosure. Thirty years ago I would have sided with this fellow, for I was of the opinion that national Israel was destined to reclaim their land. I was strongly within the pre-tribulation dispensational camp, thinking that God was picking up in 1947 where He left off with national Israel in 70 AD.
Not so anymore, and one of the main reasons is my understanding of the righteousness of God, the gospel of God.
Romans 3:22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
Paul speaks of the righteousness of God as having no distinction, that it is available for all. How is it that I considered God to be working in two people groups, the Body of Christ, AND a geopolitical nation? How is it that any geopolitical group of people could claim God’s blessing, little lone the nation God specifically stated would be “vomited” out of the land if continuing to sin.
Leviticus 20:22 You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.
My understanding is that the land vomited Israel out of the land through the captivity of Babylon, and though God showed mercy, the nation was once again, and finally dismantled upon the Roman siege of 70 AD.
Hebrews 8:13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
We have discussed this teaching previously, and considered the impact of the dissolution of the old covenant. With no land, no priestly line and no temple, Israel were a people without an identity. To be of the original Jewish faith was impossible, for the sacrificial system and the practice of the priesthood was gone. A Better had arrived and those in the nation who recognized the majesty of the Crucified One understood God’s greater promise, His holy “nation” of the Body of Christ.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
God has one people, the Church, and all are welcome to enter into it. Canadians, Russians, Japanese and Jews are all allowed to enter, and many have. Even Palestinians have joined the Messiah, becoming one with the Body of Christ.
And this is where the idea of God having two people groups becomes difficult to understand simply from a practical standpoint.
If national Israel is performing the righteousness of God in their goal to expand their geopolitical influence through the west bank and Gaza strip, along with expanding their borders eastward, how can this be accepted as the righteousness of God by the believer?
If national Israel is a people group directed by God, we find ourselves in a sticky wicket. For national Israel has been in war mode, having placed the West bank and Gaza Strip under a military occupation since 1967. A military occupation for almost 60 years!
Are God’s “two” peoples enjoying the love and peace admonished by the apostle?
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Palestinians and Israeli’s are dying at each others hands due to this aggression. How can we represent the God of peace and love when God’s “two” people groups are in conflict. What is worse, is that national Israel is killing Palestian believers.
Is God divided? Having shown His people His self sacrificing love for others in the giving of His Son, are we now to understand that God want’s one of His people groups to kill His other people group?
We left this Sunday School somewhat conflicted. I was a good boy in not bringing up questions that may cause confusion, but if we attend on an ongoing basis, I hope to get to know the people, understand their needs, care for their circumstances, pray for them and possibly discuss this conflict.
In all of this, it is important to remember what it is to be righteous. To be righteous is to be consistent in all the attributes of God, to exercise each of the characteristics of our God without conflict. To be righteous is to follow after the Christ, for He alone is our righteousness.
1 Corinthians 1:30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
To be of a certain blood line, or to claim to be of a certain physical lineage has no influence with God. For there is no distinction.
Romans 3:22 …For there is no distinction:
There is one Body, and it is open to all.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call–
God has killed the hostility between national peoples through the gospel. Those who enter into the Body of Christ find there is no basis for hostility with each other.
Ephesians 2:16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
Let’s live as though there is a real peace within the people of God, and exhibit the righteousness of God as the Messiah has demonstrated.
Ephesians 3:17-19 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
As believers, we are to have our eyes on the Messiah, not a patch of land in the Middle East. And let us remember those who seek to fight, even against the Body of Christ are without the Messiah, having no hope and without God in this world.
Ephesians 2:12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
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Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. For the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not the Lord.
Hosea is preaching to a nation fully committed to spiritual adultery. Note that Hosea speaks of their choice of worshipping a thing (an idol) as being the very thing that restricts them from worshipping the Living God. The decision of Israel’s leaders to kneel at the altar of idols results in the inability to worship God, and the Lord warns Israel of her rebellion and that they are in the midst of judgement.
A nation once in relation with the Living God is now in rebellion, and out of that rebellion, judgement will fall on the people. Hosea speaks of this judgement as a creeping, slowly consuming judgement, such as a moth eating a robe, or a rottenness spreading through a nation. This slow creeping judgement may be seen as a mercy of the Lord in the midst of judgement, providing opportunity for the nation to return. Yet their commitment to idolatry has trapped in their spirit of whoredom, committed to gods they know not.
Hosea 5:12 But I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like dry rot to the house of Judah.
Hosea speaks of the nation as not knowing the Lord due to this commitment to idols This duality of the nation’s “allegiance” is a smokescreen to the very ones thinking they can worship the Lord and idols simultaneously.
Hosea 5:6 With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the LORD, but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them.
Hosea is blunt. Take sacrifices to the Lord, even as you think of the idol worship you also take part in. This commitment to spiritual adultery results in an empty Temple, for the Lord has withdrawn.
He is not to be found. He is gone!
The nation is without her Savior, for she has dealt faithlessly with the Lord. Now to make things worse, Israel approaches her enemy Assyria, even as she sees her desperate condition, and turns to a foreign nation.
Hosea 5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to the great king. But he is not able to cure you or heal your wound.
There is no hope to be found for Israel in a foreign nation. There is no hope available as they seek assistance from anyone other than the Lord, and He has left their company. A terrible situation to be in, abandoned and alone!
But to be abandoned is not the end. The Lord Himself reveals just a few verses later that He has not simply abandoned the nation, but He will act as a lion, a beast that will tear the nation apart, carrying the victims away.
No one shall rescue God’s people from God.
Hosea 5:14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and no one shall rescue.
Israel has went from being a people of God to being God’s enemy. The life they chose has caused this tragic state of affairs. The very idol worship the nation takes part in, that Israel learned from the nations surrounding them, from the very leaders of Israel who were to direct them to God, restricts them from returning to the Lord. Actions have consequences and this decision on the part of Israel, specifically her leaders, has brought about the departure of the Lord. His stance toward the nation has not simply went from a loving kindness and care to abandonment, but to actively taking part in the very destruction of the nation.
Hosea 5:15 I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.
He will leave the nation, returning to His place, His throne in heaven, until the very affliction heading their way brings them to their knees.
Why is it that we cannot simply humble ourselves before Him without the trials and suffering? I understand trials are not always a form of getting our attention, as I see Hosea describing the situation here. But it is so sad to hear of this unnecessary pain due to stubbornness of heart! The state of affairs for the nation is dire, and the Lord has been patient with a people who have rejected Him for centuries.
Centuries?
Yes, Solomon was the last king of the unified nation, and upon his death (aprox 975 BC) Israel followed after the idol. The northern kingdom’s first king, kiing Rehoboam made it convenient, and the nation loved the convenience!
All during the two centuries between Rehoboam and the capture of the northern kingdom, the Lord reached out to them with prophets, seeking their repentance from idolatry. Thankfully, there was a remnant that escaped from the Assyrian capture, heading to the southern kingdom during Hezekiah’s reign. (refer to Conditional Security – 2 Chronicles 30:9 for some additional information)
Although the northern kingdom disappeared, fully disciplined by the Lord, there were a faithful remnant that escaped the doom of the Assyrian destruction and captivity. They sought the light of the Lord, even though they were torn down and their land was stripped from their possession .
Hosea prophesied in chapter 6 of those who would turn to the Lord Jesus when he arrived, but chapter 6 may also speak of those who saw the Assyrians heading their way, realized the threat on their doorstep and fled to the south, returning to the Lord.
Hosea 6:1 “Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. Hosea 6:2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Hosea 6:3 Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”
The Lord is patient and full of loving kindness and mercy, even for those who have rebelled to the very brink of destruction.
Let us not continue to ignore the call of God on our lives until it is near too late. He is calling us to return, even to press on to know Him.
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