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.
66
BUILDER OF ALL THINGS
Hebrews 3:4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
In our last post we considered Jesus as the builder of a house, and compared Him with Moses, who had responsibilities within the house being built.
The apostle writes in this verse an overarching general truth, based on the pervious verse comparing Jesus with Moses. This general truth of the creative work of God is debated nowadays with theory’s and excuses that some feel provides them the freedom to reject God’s authority over them.
But, as the apostle argues so succinctly, it is obvious that every house is build by someone. Some “person” is the creative force behind every house that is designed and constructed.
Why would this obvious truth not apply to all of creation? How is it that logical men and women would not be able to extend this experiential truth to it’s logical end, and find that the Builder of all Things is God?
It is completely beyond me that logical men and women, reject a greater truth, even though they admit to the lesser truth. But professing themselves to be wise, they become fools. A dark heart makes for a blinded mind.
Opinion of man is to be put aside, and we are to worship the Builder of all Things. He is more than simply good, and we are the recipients of His bounteous grace each day.
Praise Him for His mighty 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.
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.
65
BUILDER OF A HOUSE
Hebrews 3:3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses–as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.
The overarching theme of Hebrews is “better” Jesus is better than angels, Moses, Joshua, the temple… The author is continually speaking of comparisons.
The description we have this morning is of God being the builder of a house. Our comparison is Jesus with Moses.
So what specifically is the claim associated with Moses? Specifically, Moses is not described as doing anything in this verse, other that possibly being a part of the house itself. Now of course the early reader may associate Moses as the architect of the Temple, but he wasn’t. God provided the plans. Then we could consider Moses as the project manager, but essentially there was no design project that he could manage, since God provided the design. Ok, so then could Moses be considered the construction manager. This may be closest to Moses responsibilities when considering the Tabernacle. The Temple was to come centuries later, and when the Tabernacle was constructed, it took one day to perform the work.
Exodus 40:1-2 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
So let’s recap. In relation to the house, Moses was considered to be a part of the house in this verse. His responsibilities within the “house” (to remain within the theme of the verse) was to oversee the construction of the tabernacle.
Jesus, on the other hand not only provided the plans of a physical Temple and Tabernacle for the Old Testament faithful, but also is the owner/architect/project manager/engineer/construction manager/contractor/operations supervisor/ maintenance supervisor and building inspector for the spiritual temple we belong to.
There really is no comparison.
As Builder of the House, He is greater than Moses. So much greater!
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.
The passage before us is the set up for the famous chapter telling the story of a young shepherd taking out a giant of an enemy! Even the most unread Christian has heard of the story. It is very familiar to many, but as we venture through, I believe we will see some details and truths that will be a blessing and challenge for us to consider.
48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
Ok – Here is where the rubber hits the road! Both of the combatants has had the chance to speak their mind, to try to intimidate their enemy, to correct their adversary, to warn their opponent, but now is when we find out who was simply speaking great swelling words!
David allows the giant to make the first move, to initiate the conflict. Might there be in this little detail the desire of David to come to peaceable terms with the enemy?
Is it not true that the man (or woman) of God is to seek peace, to be a peacemaker? Even in this tiny reference to David allowing Goliath to make the first move, we may see this principle come to light.
It seems to me that Psalm 120:7 typifies the attitude of the godly man.
I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!
One other tidbit that catches my eye, being the procrastinator that I am, is that once the conflict starts, David is all in. The passage speaks of David running quickly to the battle line. He ran to his imminent death, or so it must have appeared to those about him. What a suicide mission! What a fool, for the army of Israel did not understand David. The Philistine army didn’t understand David. The giant didn’t understand David.
The entire world heard a man boast of great things for his God, and then appeared to act on his claims! How audacious! He ran into the face of death, actually believing what he spoke of.
No hesitation, no delay. Time for planning was over, and the time for action was upon him. Too bad for the moment when it appeared he was doomed.
But that is the Christian life, is it not? We are not to walk by sight but by faith. We need to know who our God is, understand His ways, follow His lead and act on it!
I have a friend at work who will review and review, check every option, discuss and coordinate…. I often refer to this condition as paralysis by analysis. My friend, we have no way to know how all the options and possibilities will work out, but we do have the privilege of knowing the One who has all the possibilities worked out and has promised His oversight, even in those times when we sense a failure.
Once the battle begins, once Goliath takes that first step, run to it, not away from it. Whatever the battle entails, go into it with the faith David exhibits here, knowing the God of Israel.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Aaron
Repetition of Sacrifice
Leviticus 16:34 And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” And Aaron did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Hebrews 7:27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
This picture of the Lord in the Old Testament has multiple shadows of His own sacrifice, but for this particular post, let us dwell on the constant repetition of sacrifice.
Although our Old Testament passage speaks of the yearly sacrifice, as in Leviticus 16, describing the Day of Atonement, daily sacrifices were performed as prescribed throughout the Old Testament. Sacrifices that kept the priests busy within the temple grounds, to the point that there was never to be found a chair to rest in.
My son once tried to read the entire Bible in a couple months, and his remarks after getting through Leviticus was that the priest’s worked like butchers in an abattoir. A never ending slaughter of the living to cover over the sins of a nation and it’s people.
Though as we think of this, we must remember that the very consistency of the sacrifices gives evidence of the inability to take care of the sin problem permanently.
As it stood, the practice of continual sacrifice provided the nation an opportunity to approach to the Living God, and allowed them the privilege of being the only people on earth to hear from Him, to begin to understand Him and to experience His direct intervention in their lives.
Yes the sacrifices were a permanent fixture in the relationship the nation of Israel had with the living God, but when compared to our current standing, it pales in comparison.
One sacrifice to permanently provide access to the Living God, to provide the Spirit of God to those who follow, to understand the full revelation of the Lord through the Son of God.
One Sacrifice, permanently and for forever, to the praise of His name!
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.
64
BRINGER OF LIGHT
1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
As I read this verse, I notice a curiosity that had not occurred to me earlier. There is no mention of the quality of the things hidden in the darkness. I automatically assume that anything hidden in the darkness is evil, wicked and sinful. This assumption if valid for many passages in the Word for the association seems clear.
Yet in this passage, when both the hidden things and the purposes of the heart are disclosed, the believer will receive a commendation. Commendations are reserved for those things that are good, and right, and just, even for those things that are lovely true, honorable, pure, commendable, of any excellence, or worthy of praise. Commendations are not dished out for those times when evil actions or thoughts were committed.
I so often think that at the end, when my time comes and I stand before the Lord – actually bowing with my face down – I will hear of my sin and rebellion, how I was a disappointment or a failure, how I could have done better, or that I lost opportunities, or focused on the wrong things.
Our Master is One who will bring to Light the things hidden! My hidden things and thoughts will include those actions fueled by the Spirit in gratitude for His saving love.
After all, He will bring those things to light, revealing the truth of our existence, clarifying even for ourselves the truth of our time with Him.
I am so thankful that we have such a gracious and loving God who will be the Bringer of Light into my life. Consider the goodness of the Bringer of Light for your own life my friend.
We truly have a life we do not deserve!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
63
BRIGHTNESS OF YOUR RISING
Isaiah 60:3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Isaiah 60 is a chapter describing a new day for the nation, in the midst of a depressing and disheartening situation. The nation was had been over run by the nations, and the people of God had just returned from exile.
The temple had been destroyed, along with the capital city. Some passages in the Old Testament speak of jackals roaming the amongst the streets. A rebuilding effort was on the way, yet enemies from without were threatening any progress they made, little lone their existence.
The times – they were difficult, and discouraging. The few of the faithful that did return, fell into sins, lacked any motivation for the temple, and struggled to come together as a nation under God.
Isaiah has the gall to speak of this nation as being a light to the nations, and that kings would come to the Brightness of their Rising.
Not only that, but Isaiah says they are the only light, for the verse prior, he speaks of darkness covering the earth, and thick darkness over the peoples.
How audacious for Isaiah to “taunt” the people, to “tease” them.
You know, some of my brothers may consider this passage as prophetic of a future time, even a time for us that we have not experienced. This may be true, but I seem to recall a time when this passage would have been appropriate to relate it to.
There was a Rabbi who came to the tiny nation of Israel, who claimed to be the Light. He appeared for the nation when the peoples were in great darkness, and by His actions, exhibited the glory of God. The people of God were indeed insignificant at this time, with only a few who believed. Many were the ones who were in darkness, even to a point of hostility to the One who shone upon them.
Yes they crucified Him, but in that act of violence, the glory of God was fully revealed, and the nations have been flocking to Him, with Kings bowing the knee to His reign.
The Brightness of His Rising is the light of God for all to see.
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.
The passage before us is the set up for the famous chapter telling the story of a young shepherd taking out a giant of an enemy! Even the most unread Christian has heard of the story. It is very familiar to many, but as we venture through, I believe we will see some details and truths that will be a blessing and challenge for us to consider.
41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 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. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 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.”
We would do well to remember that warfare during David’s time was completely different than warfare today. These days we do some saber rattling, but for the intent of testing the waters, or to get some allowance from the enemy.
In David’s time the battle was established, and the combatants faced each other, with both men given the opportunity to speak of their battle plans, or at least of their intent in battle. Such is the case in this instance. Goliath, the Philistine speaks first, with derogatory statements, calling David a “dog” and speaking of his fighting methods as “sticks”. After this slight cast upon David, the intelligent Philistine falls to the calling of curses upon David. It is always a sign of weakness when a man (or woman) reverts to cursing. It is as if they have no argument of substance and fall back to simply attacking the person and not the cause.
It is interesting to say the least that when we read that Goliath “cursed” David, the term has roots in meaning to be slighted, or trifling. Goliath, when he cursed David, it was to his person, not his methods, and the cursing brought out Goliaths contempt for David. He considered David of little consequence, of no threat, no significance.
Goliath simply underestimated his enemy, for he made two mistakes.
First he looked at the size of David. This is a common mistake for those who defy God, for God chooses the weak, the insignificant, the unimpressive.
Secondly, he looked at the physical enemy when he should have looked at who David represented! The God of Israel, the One who took on the nation of Egypt and utterly destroyed them, who provided for a nation through the desert travellings, and who established a nation in a foreign land.
Those who do not understand who God is underestimate who they are responsible to. Dear reader – Do you consider Goliath one who ignored the God of the Bible, or was he honestly ignorant of who David represented? Let me know your thoughts in the comments
Planning & Faith
It occurred to me this morning that David was very well prepared for this meeting. Not only did he retrieve his stones at the brook (in full view of the enemy), but was ready with a battle plan, specific to the situation he was facing, with not only the actions he would take, but he would also speak of the purpose of his actions.
David intended to strike Goliath down, and to cut off his head. David would then provide a feast for creation of the bodies of the armies of the Philistines. Ever the overachiever, David was not satisfied with victory over his opponent, but also over his nations enemy. This wasn’t a grudge match in David’s mind – it was much bigger!
David laid out his actions simply and to the point, but the bulk of David’s message to the giant was of his purpose in the battle. The nation of Israel was to have one purpose and David understood this. Israel was to be a shining light for the nations, drawing them to the God of Israel. To draw men, truth has to be understood, and David’s battle would expose to all that the God of the Bible, the God of the nation of Israel is real.
You see – claiming a truth and living a truth may be separate activities for a believer. David was providing evidence that the God of Israel was knowable
1 Samuel 17:46 …that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
David intended one more outcome from this confrontation. Not only would the knowledge of the Lord be provided, but that the knowledge of His ways would also be evident. God saves unconventionally, for our manner of warfare (such as sword or spear, or in our culture, fighter jets or Abrams tanks) is not the way God works.
1 Samuel 17:47 …all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear
It is interesting that David seems to indicate two audiences. First – all the earth would know there is a God in Israel. Secondly – that all this assembly would know of the Lord’s ways, the manner in which He saves.
Is there a knowledge that is reserved for those in the assembly, for those who have come to know the God of Israel, entering into the assembly/congregation? Only upon knowing the God of Israel, can we begin to know of His ways.
As a believer, I entered into the assembly decades ago, and have been learning of His ways ever since. It is good to remember that it is a privilege to enter into the workings of the Lord, to watch His ways and to seek to follow.
Is this not the Lord’s will for each of us to know the God of Israel, the One who came to earth and suffered for us? As we watch Him walking amongst His people, teaching simple (shocking) truths, and serving those who would hurt him, we should come away realizing we have far to go in truly imitating Him.
If you are ignorant of the Lord, reach out to Him. Call on the name of Jesus.
If you know Him, seek His ways, learn of His methods and how He related to those He rubbed shoulders with.
The only thing I ask for you is to not be a Goliath! A seeming winner in the eyes of the world, but in reality, what a looser!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Aaron
Dealing with Sins
Leviticus 16:34 And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” And Aaron did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Whereas Aaron was to make atonement for the people of God, the gospel tells us that we have been provided purification of sins. The general picture of a high priest dealing with the sin problem of the people he represents is the point in this post, yet the differences are worth pointing out in their effectiveness.
To make atonement is to cover over, to pacify. A great physical picture of this term is that the same word was used of the pitch covering the gopher wood in the ark.
Genesis 6:14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.
A bit later in Genesis, this same term was used to describe Jacob’s hopes in meeting with his brother.
Genesis 32:20 And you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”
Of course once the term was used in the sense of sacrifice before God, it took on a far greater importance, but it never lost the idea of covering over.
The sins in the Old Testament, through the sacrificial temple system, were covered over.
Consider the difference when Hebrews 1:3 states that the sins were purified! This term speaks of washing off, a cleansing. This is a totally different response to and result of His sacrifice in dealing with sin!
According to the book of Hebrews, our sins are no longer simply covered over, someday to be revealed again, (as the Hebrew nation expected every 365 days) but the sins Jesus dealt with have been purified!
I can hardly grasp this concept, that our sins have been washed away, and not simply covered over.
Consider the difference and thank the Lord who suffered for you and I, in order to clean and purify us!
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.
62
BRIGHTNESS OF THE GLORY OF THE LORD
Ezekiel 10:4 And the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.
Ezekiel had the gut wrenching experience of witnessing God leaving His temple in Jerusalem. For a priest to witness this must have been additionally heartbreaking.
My impression is that previous to this exiting, the glory of the Lord, the Shekinah was limited, or somewhat subdued when between the cherub over the mercy seat of the ark. I am in no way diminishing the presence of God, but as Ezekiel continues to write, it seems he describes the court as being filled with the glory of the Lord.
Could it be that God was making a point, that His presence was somehow larger, brighter, greater than previously witnessed? That in His leaving, He was exhibiting in the clearest possible terms, the loss that the nation would experience?
This departure, based on the rejection of the nation, was a precursor to another fatal rejection by the nation of Israel. I would suggest the reader compare Ezekiel’s description of the glory of God’s departure with the rejection of Jesus, leaving the Temple the last time and heading to the cross.
Similarities abound and the greater glory was seen as He left the second time. His compassion for the people, His willingness to suffer for their rebellion, His patient endurance through the mockery.
When you consider Who Jesus Christ is, and the utter ridiculous and hateful treatment of the Son of God by His own creation, it isn’t difficult to see that He is the Brightness of the Glory of the Lord.
He is the Brightness, the Shining, the Light of the Glory of the Lord
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
61
BRIGHT MORNING STAR
Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Jesus, in His last communication to the ones who follow Him, speaks of the Bright Morning Star. Many scholars and Bible teachers link this description with Venus, as the planet appears in the morning, prior to the full sunrise. As Venus rises on the horizon, it indicates that the night is soon past and the full light of the sun will arrive next.
Yet the Bright Morning Star is present in the early morning hours, while it is still dark. Let us not loose hold of this truth, for as the Lord gave His last message to his people, His message not only contained hope, for the star does proceed the full light of day, but the star also provides a point of focus. We are to consider Jesus as the focal point of our lives as we wander in this darkness of our pilgrimage on earth.
One last note. Jesus does not say He will be the Bright Morning Star, but that He is the Bright Morning Star. In this world of darkness, His light may be seen if you search for it. Yes the sky is immense, and there are many other stars, acting as distractions, but the Bright and Morning Star is shining for all to recognize
He is our Bright Morning Star!
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.
1 Samuel 17:38-40
38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.
Saul did what every king would do. Seek to protect his investment. Provide what he could to help. Give his new soldier every worldly advantage.
What struck me this morning is that David allowed him to provide these supposed benefits. Saul clothed David with armor. Heavy armor for a young teen who was not experienced in wearing it!
There is one additional place in the Bible that speaks of a helmet of bronze and a coat of mail. It was the description of what Goliath wore when he entered into battle.
1 Samuel 17:5 He (Goliath) had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.
King Saul sought to level the playing field for David. The king supplied the same protection and weaponry the enemy had.
But David put it off. He actually took the king’s armor off. What a strange thing to do in the eyes of the king. He rejected the king’s protection. But you see he had to take the armor off in order to retain the protection he sought.
He had not tested this new fangled armor. But he had tested the sling and staff. His hours of being all alone in the field with his sheep afforded him time to master his skills and gain confidence in his chosen method of warfare. He was not a carbon copy of every other man on the field that day. He was one who was comfortable being different! This speaks of David’s stability and self knowledge, of his willingness to stand on his convictions.
Don’t be afraid to be different! Do not be conformed to the giant!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Aaron
Ordination/Appointment
Exodus 29:44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests.
Hebrews 5:4-6 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
In Exodus 29, God defines the many ways and reasons the priests were to offer up sacrifices for themselves and for the people they represented. As a summary of the chapter, verse 44 speaks of God’s consecration of the priests for service in His tent of meeting.
Let’s remember that this is the tent of meeting, a humble edifice that is meant as a place to represent God. Aaron, at least should be a humble example of the people he represents. Nothing in this picture speaks of worthiness, or being qualified, of being good enough for the position.
God spent a full chapter speaking of how the priests were to undergo a consecration, dealing with their condition before a holy God.
In no text of the Old Testament can I find any mention of Aaron seeking this position. Of course, once he had been appointed to the position of high priest, he forgot his humble beginnings and sided with his sister in seeking more privilege, but that is for another time!
No, Aaron did not seek this position – It was granted by the choice of God, not dependent on the actions of the one chosen. His consecration (or ordination) spoke of his need to be fit for the work. He didn’t seek this position since it seemed obvious he was not capable of fulfilling the job description!
Jesus on the other hand, was fully qualified (and yet maintained humility!) to perform the position of High Priest, and His ordination, though of a different priestly order, was granted through the resurrection of His body.
He is of the eternal order of the Melchizedekian priesthood. Notice that the Word states that Jesus was appointed by God, who said to Him
“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”
We all know that this verse speaks of the resurrection. His appointment to the Melchizedekian priest hood was through the grave, never again requiring another consecration.
Incredible Savior!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
60
BRIDEGROOM
Luke 5:34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
Was not Jesus a single man? For Him to speak of a bridegroom must have been somewhat surprising for those who heard Him. Some may not have connected Him as the bridegroom, but they surely refused to connect any importance to this Rabbi, for it seems obvious that He is referring to Himself.
So a single man refers to Himself as a bridegroom. One more time where the Master teacher shocks our sensibilities, our expectations, our assumptions.
To be a bridegroom brought with it a number of assumptions that the Jewish culture accepted.
A bridegroom would provide a gift to initiate a betrothal for His bride. Well, that is not quite accurate. The Father of the Bridegroom would provide this gift, called a mohar in the Old Testament, for the bride. Once this transaction occurred, the betrothal was entered into, and a wedding was planned for. This time period between betrothal and the formal wedding was as binding as the formal wedding, but lacked in the intimacy the formal wedding would allow.
An example of this expectation of the betrothal is the Lord’s earthly mother and father. When Joseph was informed of Mary’s pregnancy, he considered divorce, since they were “merely” betrothed, and she could not be having his child as they had not been intimate yet.
Since the Bridegrooms family paid for the bride, it was understood that the newly founded family would live with the Bridegroom’s father/family.
One other interesting tidbit regarding this practice was the negotiating between families for the betrothal. The future bride had very little, if any input in the negotiations. The betrothal was a period of time where the bride would become acquainted with the Bridegroom
Can we see the Father and the Son working out the picture of the betrothal and wedding for His bride? Did not the Father provide a gift to the bride in the sacrifice of the Son? Is not our current time of knowing the Lord reminiscent of this betrothal period? Finally, when the marriage occurs, as the bride we will be taken to the Father’s house.
How often the disciples must have marveled at the teaching of Jesus, possibly confused at first, maybe somewhat frustrated, but they continued to seek truth. When this picture of the betrothal and wedding was understood spiritually, it must have been a tremendous blessing to those disciples.
He is our Bridegroom, and He has bought us. Take time getting “acquainted” with Him.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
59
BREAST PLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
As believers, we of all people should realize we have no absolute righteousness within our nature. We are a people that leans to evil, have tendencies to seek wrong, desire the unholy and look for trouble. It is deep within us to be selfish, self centered and concerned with our own comfort and interests.
We understand that the extent to which He was sacrificed has in some way defined the depth of our sickness, our brokenness, our bent to things not of God. His crucifixion is the proof of His sacrificial love for those who are through and through of the wrong stuff.
Oh Carl – You are exaggerating the human condition to make a point. That may be, but I would challenge you to prove your righteousness instead of simply claiming your righteousness.
Obey every command delivered to us through the Word. Do not allow yourself any leeway, but commit wholeheartedly to continually obeying every command God has given us. You can choose either the Old Testament Law – the decalogue – or the New Testament teaching from Christ. Decide on either the easy one (decalogue) or the tough one (NT teaching). But once decided, commit to continually obeying every principle with 100% precision and commitment.
I would suggest two outcomes are possible if you take on this discipline.
One – You will convince yourself that you continually obey every command the Lord has spoken, and from that inner knowledge, a huge shadow of pride and arrogance will dominate every action, emotion and interaction with your peers, family and friends.
Two – You realize there is no hope, that you don’t have the strength to obey, or the ability, or even the desire to follow after the Lord with every strength possible, and you become disheartened.
Both of these results are not acceptable, and not intended by the Word, other than to show us our desperate need to look to our only Righteousness.
Paul provides the truth of the breastplate of righteousness, the righteousness as a breastplate protecting our heart. Our own heart, though redeemed, is continually bombarded with temptations, and if we look to our own heart for righteousness, we will loose heart. The Breastplate of Righteousness is a protection for our lives, protecting the most vulnerable part of our life.
He is the Breastplate of Righteousness, since the truth of His sacrifice is beyond our own understanding or experience. His sacrifice is a fact we can lean on, where our hearts find solace, comfort, encouragement and strength.
As we continually look to Jesus as our Breastplate of Righteousness, we will eventually learn what it means to walk properly, to think correctly, to understand humility and grace, and to mimic Him (in some small way) in His acts of Righteousness. Realizing our heart has been protected by His never changing righteousness, will also create a heart trained to righteousness. This heart will eventually produce a likeness to His Spirit in your day to day activities.
One more thing if I may be so blunt – My understanding of His Righteousness has totally morphed from my first days as a believer. It is much deeper, much stronger, much more subtle (at times), so dependent on the Spirit, rooted in the thought life, and full of mercy.
He is our Breastplate of Righteousness. Is He covering your life? Is he protecting your own heart, no matter it’s condition?
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.
1 Samuel 17:31-37
31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”
First thing to notice in this passage is the humility and servanthood of the next king of Israel. His concern is with the hearts of the soldiers out there facing this degrading situation. Unlike Eliab, who tore down his own brother in front of strangers, David seeks to build up strangers in front of the king. So many differences between those two son’s of Jesse!
We see David’s attitude of willingness to take care of problems as we saw earlier in this passage, when he rose up early to come the the front. He didn’t drag his feet, or find ways to avoid unpleasant tasks. My goodness – he is committing himself to go fight a giant here!
The giant that Saul and his army experienced was much much larger than the giant David saw. For the army, Goliath was invincible. The army had the attitude much like the 10 spies who came back from spying out the promised land, and spoke of large grasshoppers. It is not possible!
Yet David did not. Remember three things about David that he has in his life that those in the army lacked.
Experience
David was not a trained warrior, and for that we can be thankful. He had found his niche in combat skills by watching over his father’s sheep. His experience was with hand to hand combat if necessary, and had practiced with the sling in order to protect his sheep. He took his responsibility over his father’s sheep very seriously, and was prepared for when the enemy came, whether it be a lion or a bear!
Passion
His experience was worthy of impressing the King, but what stands out for myself is the passion young David communicated to the king. He chased after the bear and the lion, not willing to give an inch when it came to his sheep! His passion for the sheep garnered their protection and the killing of any enemy. This passion easily and naturally escalated when it came to His God. He was one who would not allow the giant to defy the armies of the Living God!
Spirit of God
Most importantly, and without a doubt the major influence in David’s reaction to this uncircumcised giant, was that David was filled with the Spirit of the Lord since his anointing. How could he not be aghast at the defamation of God by this heathen giant? How could he not seek to strengthen those who were cast down, who were shamed and hurting? He was of a different nature, more than simply a shepherd boy with skills and passion, but the one who would lead the nation to heights of dominance they had never experienced!
David cared for his fellow Israeli’s, even those who had mocked him, attributed evil intentions or shamed him.
Let no man’s heart fail because of him (Goliath). David had many motivators for this challenge, but the one that warms my heart is the concern he had for his fellow Israeli’s.
How much more has the Greater David expressed His love for us as we are downtrodden, overwhelmed and discouraged. He has taken on the giant of death and the devil, and in our daily lives provides encouragement and strength.
He will not let any man’s heart fail because of a giant.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Aaron
One who Offers Sacrifice
Numbers 15:25 And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the people of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, because it was a mistake, and they have brought their offering, a food offering to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD for their mistake.
Hebrews 5:1-2 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.
Seeing Jesus as the High Priest pictured in Aaron has some fantastic similarities. Yes, Jesus is not of the Aaronic priesthood, but for that we must be thankful, for His priesthood is a never ending priesthood based on an unending life.
Yet He was chosen from amongst men to offer sacrifice to God for men. A priest that was not of “another creation”, but one who could relate to the condition of the people he represented before God.
Aaron, as High Priest chosen from amongst men, offered sacrifices for the congregation, of which he was a part. True – he offered a sacrifice that belonged to someone else. And his sacrifice had limited effectiveness. But the sacrifice was presented unto God, and Aaron (or his descendants) represented a nation who needed mercy and forgiveness for an immediate sinful action. Whether it was for a specific sin or the collective blot of disobedience the nation incurred for the entire year, Aaron (or his descendants) offered up a sacrifice to represent the nation in front of God.
It is the act of offering up a sacrifice that draws our attention to the Lord this morning. Both Aaron and Jesus, offered up sacrifices unto God for a people they represented.
Yet how much greater is the Lord in His offering for the people, not only in the effectiveness of the offering, but also in the duration of the satisfaction the offering provided to the God of all creation. His offering was not from someone else’s flock, or that belonged to a neighbor, but was of His own life, a spotless life that He offered unto God.
Consider the offering of Jesus, and be thankful.
He was chosen to be the sacrifice, and in that choice, He brought to reality the picture of Aaron slaying a sacrifice for the people He sought to represent before a holy God.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
58
BREAD OF GOD
John 6:33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
In our last post we spoke of Jesus as the Bread from Heaven, and His self description in John 6:32. The very next verse, Jesus continues the description of the Bread, speaking of the nature of the Bread here, and not simply it’s origination. Jesus is giving those who hear tremendous truth as to the One who is speaking to them!
When Jesus speaks of the Bread of Heaven, He speaks of the location of the Bread’s origination, or where the Bread came from. For Jesus to speak of the Bread of God is revealing the nature of the Bread, the identity of the Bread. It is not a physical bread, but it is of God.
To refer to the Bread as being from Heaven may leave His listeners thinking He is an angel, or a spiritual being. In this verse He clarifies who He is (not His point of origin). He does not speak of Himself as being Bread from God, which would allow others to default to the angel understanding, but the Bread of God.
He came down from Heaven to provide us the Bread of God, Himself and that as the Bread of God was broken, we have the privilege of finding our life in Him.
He speaks of even greater life giving capabilities than simply providing life to a simple believer sitting at his desk typing this morning, but of providing life for the world. The world!
How audacious!
How like the One who spoke truth though our understanding is far from complete. He spoke the truth though hard for us to comprehend. He spoke truth for us not to struggle with, but to accept and to believe.
Do you believe?
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
57
BREAD FROM HEAVEN
John 6:32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
Our next two descriptions of God are related to bread.
Our first passage hears Jesus speaking of the life giving food of the Bread from Heaven.
Notice that He speaks in the past when referring to Moses and the physical bread the Israeli’s received from the heavens for close to 40 years. They received the bread from heaven, but as Jesus is speaking to those hearing, He is referring to the present, the time He was on earth. He clarifies that the Bread they have access to is the Bread from Heaven, and delegating the manna of old as a simple physical symbol of things to come.
The Bread from heaven is a life giving sustenance that is to be consumed daily, to receive strength for the battles of the day, to have power to perform the tasks at hand and to be a blessing to others.
The Bread from Heaven speaks of Its (His) origin and therefore also implies that the strength, power and blessing is not of a physical source but of a heavenly source.
Are you finding daily sustenance for your Christian life in the Bread from Heaven?
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.
1 Samuel 17:28-30
28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29 And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” 30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before.
No matter how you cut it, Eliab is a piece of work in this passage. He fully exposes himself in front of the army, and before his brothers face, his attitude of superiority over David, his condescending tone, his judgement of intent. Eliab does not look good in this passage.
First off, He rejects David’s attendance. Why have you come down? Why are you here? Never mind that David was sent, Eliab assumes David came to stir the pot, to cause trouble, that David came of his own volition.
Secondly, Eliab tries to shame David, by speaking of “those few sheep in the wilderness” that he cared for. If it was but a few sheep, this speaks of David’s faithfulness, yet we do not know if there was any truth to this slur of Eliab’s. Was it a few sheep, or dozens of sheep. Not the issue to be honest, for Eliab was working the same warfare as Goliath at this point, a warfare that attacked and denigrated the opposition. But the difference here is that Eliab is family! At least in the physical sense.
Finally, Eliab judges David’s intentions, his heart, the motivations that drove David to come to the battle field. Remember, David came at the behest of his father, to provide sustenance for his brothers. David came to the battlefield as a servant, but Eliab assigned evil intentions to his younger brother, while in the middle of frustrated soldiers that were being shamed.
Truly, Eliab was rejected by God as the next king, based on character traits that may not have been obvious at the time. It seems these character traits are starting to become evident, and Eliab has no problem expressing his disfavor of his own brother in the midst of a gang of soldiers. Yes Eliab had his issues. And it seems his rejection by God was well warranted. He simply was not good leadership material. Gosh – he wasn’t even good brother material!
After David’s declaration of taking on the giant, and Eliab’s tongue lashing of David, the rumor mill cranked up in activity and the news reached the king.
We have a soldier willing to take on the giant! Bring him to the King!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Aaron
Chosen
Exodus 40:13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest.
Hebrews 5:1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
Moses was instructed to bring Aaron to the entrance of the tent of meeting in order to display before the nation His choice of Aaron as His High Priest. Aaron was to receive the holy garments, not due to a successful political campaign, or to some bribe that provided him this privilege, but due to the choice of God for his life.
Jesus, in His arrival and life, pleased the Father and was described as the One chosen by the Father.
Luke 9:35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
Both Aaron and Jesus had the privilege of being chosen for a priesthood. Of course the Son was chosen for the highest priesthood, and will remain in the priesthood forever, always serving as priest. As Hebrews 5:1 reminds us, His Priesthood before the Father is on our behalf in relation to God. He is our High Priest before God and provides His people the privilege of being in the presence of the Father, having become our sacrifice for sin.
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.
56
BRANCH
Zechariah 6:12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD.
The Word refers to “the Branch” a number of times and I struggled with which verse to use for our post this morning.
Isaiah 11:1 identifies the Branch as from Jesse’s family, and in chapter 4:2, the prophet refers to the Branch of the Lord, identifying the Branch as from the Lord.
Zechariah mentions the Branch prior to our verse above in chapter 3:8-9.
Each of these texts are fantastic verses to dwell on for the believer, but for this post, let us consider Zechariah 6:12, for Zechariah speaks of the Branches activities, or actions.
First off He will branch out from His place. Some scholars speak of this clause as describing the Branch’s growth as being from Itself, not dependent upon His conditions or environment. His growth is not expected, or of a natural result.
Secondly, the Branch shall build the temple. As Zechariah is preaching this message, the physical temple is being built in Jerusalem. Joshua, the High Priest, who is initially being referred to here, is associated with the physical temple, and many in the audience may have understood this declaration as being directly for him and the immediate circumstances.
Yet, if any Israeli worshipper knew his Old Testament, when Zechariah used the term “Branch”, they knew he meant much more than the immediate priest named Joshua. This was the Messiah being referred to in this passage, and that this Messiah would branch out, spread His influence/authority/knowledge throughout the land.
For the New Testament believer, this passage speaks of the Messiah’s influence/authority/knowledge spreading farther than the small nation of Israel, but throughout the earth.
The temple of the Lord is being built by the Branch, and may His name be praised!
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
55
BLESSED HOPE
Titus 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Our Blessed Hope.
Jesus is described as our Hope.
Hope is a term in our culture that may mean anything from a wish (I sure hope I get a Maserati for Christmas) to a sense of desperation (Mary is so sick now we only have hope).
The Bible uses this term differently, for when we see the word “hope”, we are to think of a joyful and confident expectation. This term is also associated with a pleasurable expectation, an experience of goodness and joy.
So when Titus adds the modifier “blessed”, he is strengthening the base message of a pleasurable expectation for the one hoping. He is describing Jesus, the subject of the hope, and not merely the experience of the one having the hope.
Jesus is the Hope of the believer, and what a great promise to look forward to. Yet Titus goes one step further, reminding us that He is the Blessed Hope.
Consider the implications of using the term blessed in relation to this description of God. To be blessed speaks of satisfaction, to be fully satisfied, to be in a happy condition. He is blessed and due His being in a blessed blessed condition at His coming, we should also reflect on this truth. If He is blessed (happy) at His coming for His saints, how does that change the way you think of that coming day? When He appears, He will be in a blessed condition, in a joyful attitude as He rescues us.
Do you see His coming in that way?
Is He your “Blessed” Hope?
Is there an anticipation of His arrival or is His delay acceptable to you?
Jesus is our Blessed Hope
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.
1 Samuel 17:24-27
24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.” 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.”
I can imagine that at this point, in David’s mind, he had decided he was going to kill Goliath. It was a settled conviction for David, a decision he made when the giant defied the armies of the Living God. Note that the men amongst him (his brothers?) merely referred to the armies being defied, without any reference to the Living God. This is what separated David from the rank and file of the nations armies.
But David also had a strategy for this opportunity. Yes he would kill the barbarian, the uncircumcised giant. No debate on this outcome. He would face the giant and with God’s help defeat him.
But the news of three benefits from the king were freely shared amongst the army. I am sure King Saul reminded the army of this opportunity, hoping someone would step forward. The men of Israel spread the news – the reward the king would offer was three fold, and it was a generous offer!
Great riches
The kings daughter in marriage
The family’s house free in Israel. – no taxes
So great were these rewards, that David needed some clarification, so he asked again what would be granted to the man who defeated this enemy. Can you imagine what this news would do for the young shepherd? First he is anointed king, and now he has the opportunity to gain riches (become a name in Israel), marry into royalty (which would become a hindrance eventually) and provided tax free living for his father.
This opportunity to gain wealth, connections and status in the nation must have signaled to David that God was continuing to guide him into great things.
Of course this is not completely parallel for the believer today, for we are not to be enticed by the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes or the pride of life. In no way am I suggesting David was fueled by these desires, but the rewards may position him to be on a trajectory to fulfill (at least in his mind) his future coronation into the Kingship of Israel.
No matter, for David’s mind and heart were set. We cannot see all the ruminations within this young mans mind, but one thing was certain. He was going to take care of this problem!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Aaron
Behind the veil
Exodus 28:29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD.
Hebrews 6:19-20 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
As Aaron represented the children of Israel for a very short period of time before the LORD into the earthly Holy Place, His actions depicted the Greater Aaron, as our High Priest entering before the Father in reality.
Both entered behind the veil, into the Holy Place.
Aaron, as a type of Christ in his representing the children of Israel, was to remain for a short period behind the veil, performing his priestly duty and then returning to the people he represented. (Jesus too will be returning to His people but that is a separate topic for another day!)
Although Jesus is of a different priesthood, His entrance into the Father’s presence provides our future access, for not only does our author not speak of His leaving the Father’s presence, but that Jesus is described as a forerunner, One who is sent before those who follow.
Yes they both entered behind a veil, but only Jesus went behind the veil to remain behind the veil, and to provide access for those who He represented forever.
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.
Considering the Bible 