Matthew 10
Jesus gives power to his 12 disciples to heal and drive out demons. These are the twelve - Simon-Peter, Andre, James & John, Philip & Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.
Jesus sent them out like sheep among wolves, instructing them to be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves. He told them to freely give because they had been given freely.
He warned them that there mission would be tough and they would be arrested. He told them not to worry about what to say because the Spirit of the Father will speak through them. He warned "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22).
Matthew 11
The disciples went out into Israel to perform the work Jesus had instructed them to do. Jesus went on to preach in Galilee. John the Baptist was in prison and sent his disciples to go and ask Jesus if he was the one who was to come. Jesus replied to go back and report what you see, the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear and the dead rise.
Jesus then proclaims that John the Baptist was the greatest of all men born to woman, but less than the least in the kingdom of Heaven. He told the crowds that John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come. That was an interesting verse:
"And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear" (Matthew 11:14-15).
Jesus proclaims the truth, but acknowledges that there are some who would be unwilling to accept this truth. He denounced the generation because they are fickle. John was fasting and the people said he had a demon. Jesus wasn't fasting and they called him a glutton.
Jesus denounces the cities where he performed most of his miracles because they had not repented. He stated that the gentile cities in the area, if he had performed his miracles there, would have already repented.
Jesus offers rest to the weary.
Matthew 12
Jesus' disciples are then decried by the Pharisees for picking up grain and eating it on the Sabbath. Jesus rebukes them because they do not understand the words 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice'. He then reminds the Pharisees that David and his men ate consecrated bread and that the Priests of the Temple work on the Sabbath but they are innocent. Jesus then healed a man's hand on the Sabbath. The Pharisees plotted how to kill Jesus.
Jesus then drove out a demon and the Pharisees tried to convince everyone he drives out demons by the power of the devil. Jesus denounces this and warns everyone that they will be forgiven of all sins except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
12:35 "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him". Lord, help me to store good things in me.
Jesus calls those asking for signs wicked. He had already performed signs and they did not believe. Jonah preached in Nineveh and they repented, but God's own people won't repent when someone greater than Jonah is here.
12:43-45 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left'. When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation". This is an interesting thing to think about. Jesus is out here at the moment casting out demons, healing people, sweeping up the house and putting it in order. But, they aren't fully accepting him in and the house remains unoccupied. The driven out spirits are unable to find rest and come back to find their old house unoccupied and return with their buddies to make things worse. I've had a few unclean spirits in my time Lord, sweep out and put my house in order. But, live in it so that the unclean spirits won't find it unoccupied and leave me off worse than I was before.
12:46-50 is a hard little passage, a 'difficult verse'. Jesus doesn't go to his mother and brothers who want to speak to him, instead he points out whoever does the will of the Father is his brother, mother and sister. It seems a bit harsh on his family.
Matthew 13 - The Parables
Parable of the sower
The seed that fell upon the path was eaten by the birds. These are those who hear the message of the kingdom but don't understand it.
The seed that fell upon the rock places grew quickly, but was scorched by the sun. These are those who accept the message of the kingdom with joy but quickly fall away at the first sight of trouble.
The seed that fell among the thorns was choked out. These are those who hear the message, but 'the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.'
The seed that fell on good soil grows and produces a crop. These are those who hear the message and understands it and produces a crop.
Parable of the Weeds
A farmer plants good seed, but his enemy plants weeds in the same field. When the crop starts to grow the servants ask if they should rip up the weeds. The farmer says, no, wait until harvest then the weeds and the crop can be separated, otherwise removing the weeds might damage the growing crop.
I hadn't thought of this now, but the harvester is not the servants, but the farmer. I think that the Church has often sought to rip up the weeds, maybe even in good intentions, but this has damaged the roots of the crop. It isn't my job to weed the field. The angels will harvest and throw the weeds into the fire at the end of the age.
Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
-The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Small when planted, but it grows to become a tree.
-The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, mixed into flour and worked throughout the whole dough.
Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
-The kingdom of heaven is like hidden treasure. A man finds it and sells everything he has to buy the field where he found it.
- The kingdom of heaven is like a great pearl, when the merchant finds it, he sells everything he has to buy it.
Parable of the Net
- The kingdom of heaven is a net, it will catch all kinds of fish, both good and bad. When it is brought ashore the angels will collect the good fish and the bad will be thrown away. Thus, the wicked will be separated from the righteous.
13:52 "He said to them, 'Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old". What are the old and new treasures?
Jesus did not do miracles in his hometown because of their lack of faith. Lord, let me have faith so you will not refuse to do your miracles.
Matthew 14
John the Baptist is beheaded and Jesus is told of his death. Jesus withdrew to a solitary place, but crowds followed him.
The disciples wanted to send the crowds away, but Jesus told his disciples to feed them with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus fed around 5,000 men plus women and children with that food after praying to God.
Jesus then walked out on the water to his disciples, throughly terrifying the disciples in the process. Peter then walked out on the water to meet him, but became afraid and began to sink. Jesus saved him and walked him out to the boat where the disciples bowed down and declared him to truly be the Son of God.
Jesus then healed all those who came to him on the other side of the lake.
Showing posts with label Difficult Verses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Difficult Verses. Show all posts
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Friday, February 12, 2016
365 Day Bible Catch Up (Matthew 5 - 9)
Matthew 5:27-48
A couple verses stand out.
First, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell" (Matthew 5:29-30). What a strong verse. I've always wondered if this is to be taken literally. I mean, in all honesty there is nothing worse than being thrown into hell. If any part of you is doing something that warrants damnation than surely losing a body part is less worse than being thrown into hell. But, is this to be taken as an absolute literal command? I don't know, this is one of those difficult verses.
The part about the eye for an eye is easier to swallow and obviously meant literally. "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you" (Matthew 5:41-42). Give freely of yourself to those who ask. And not just to your friends or brothers. Even the wicked and pagans do that.
Matthew 6
6:1-4 is something that American Christians really need to understand. Don't do your 'righteous acts' in front of people for a reward. Give your gifts in secret, then the Father who sees what you're doing will reward you.
6:5-15 is chalk full of things that are important. Obviously, there is the Lord's prayer. This is well trodden and written about so I'll gloss over it for now. What stands out to me is the words before it.
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:5-8).
There is a lot here so bear with me. First, let's use the context of contemporary America. Depending upon where you live, you live in a post-religious society or a still relatively religious society. Here in the south I live where Christianity is still the norm and fairly prevalent in even the secular society. So, men praying on the streets might get some praise and they would have their reward in full. But, in other sections of America, when men pray on the streets they are derided as fools, or crazy. So I think taken in context that matches Jesus' day we have to take these verses in relation to the Christian community. At this point, I must admit I could be extremely wrong and ask for forgiveness if I am. I think some of the religious prayers and babbling that Jesus is condemning here shines through in modern, post-denominational churches that I've visited. These are where people get up in frenzy and pray and pray to be admired by their peers rather than raising a prayer to God. Of course, I'm not in a position to judge a man's heart so, I could be totally off base. But, this is how these verses stick to me at the moment.
I think some of the most pressing verses of this chapter to me come from verses 19-21. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also". I struggle with this. I definitely store treasures here on earth and need to refocus my attention to store treasures in heaven. Verse 21 is so on point when it states where your treasure is, so there too is your heart. I need to take 6:33 to heart "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well".
Matthew 7
What is the meaning of Matthew 7:6?
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces".
7:12 sums up the Law and the Prophets - "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets".
A tree and its fruit is an interesting passage. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit" (7:18). We are known by our fruit. But, if a good tree cannot bear bad fruit what of when Christians mess up? What about me when I screw up and have a disaster fall on my head? Am I a bad tree?
Matthew 8
- Jesus heals a man with leprosy. But, he tells the healed man not to tell anyone.
The Faith of The Centurion:
"When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth". Matthew 8:10-12.
I always think about this story and the story where Jesus will not, initially help the Samaritan woman. He says its not proper to take food from the children to give to the dogs and yet the woman persists. Jesus was definitely Jewish, but he was expanding what it meant to be a part of the kingdom of Heaven with the Centurion and seemingly restricting it initially with the Samaritan woman. I know I've heard that Jesus was testing the woman's faith, or possibly the faith of his disciples. And if that's the case I guess it's consistent. But, it is sometimes strange to see Jesus' logic.
- Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law
- Jesus heals many and drove out the demons of the demon-possessed.
- The story of the pigs is also an odd one. Two demon-possessed men come up to Jesus and the demons ask if the Son of Man has come to torture them before the appointed time. Then Jesus gives the demons their wish and sent them into a herd of pigs, who subsequently died by drowning. The townsfolk came out and pleaded for Jesus to leave their region. What does this story mean? Are the townsfolk to blame for valuing their possessions (the pigs) more than their souls?
Matthew 9
- Jesus heals a paralytic and causing a major controversy by forgiving the sins of the paralyzed man.
- Jesus eats with Matthew, sinners and tax collectors
- Jesus raises a girl from the dead and heals a sick woman
- Jesus heals two blind men and tells them not to tell anyone about it (but they do anyway)
"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). Jesus has compassion for the helpless.
A couple verses stand out.
First, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell" (Matthew 5:29-30). What a strong verse. I've always wondered if this is to be taken literally. I mean, in all honesty there is nothing worse than being thrown into hell. If any part of you is doing something that warrants damnation than surely losing a body part is less worse than being thrown into hell. But, is this to be taken as an absolute literal command? I don't know, this is one of those difficult verses.
The part about the eye for an eye is easier to swallow and obviously meant literally. "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you" (Matthew 5:41-42). Give freely of yourself to those who ask. And not just to your friends or brothers. Even the wicked and pagans do that.
Matthew 6
6:1-4 is something that American Christians really need to understand. Don't do your 'righteous acts' in front of people for a reward. Give your gifts in secret, then the Father who sees what you're doing will reward you.
6:5-15 is chalk full of things that are important. Obviously, there is the Lord's prayer. This is well trodden and written about so I'll gloss over it for now. What stands out to me is the words before it.
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:5-8).
There is a lot here so bear with me. First, let's use the context of contemporary America. Depending upon where you live, you live in a post-religious society or a still relatively religious society. Here in the south I live where Christianity is still the norm and fairly prevalent in even the secular society. So, men praying on the streets might get some praise and they would have their reward in full. But, in other sections of America, when men pray on the streets they are derided as fools, or crazy. So I think taken in context that matches Jesus' day we have to take these verses in relation to the Christian community. At this point, I must admit I could be extremely wrong and ask for forgiveness if I am. I think some of the religious prayers and babbling that Jesus is condemning here shines through in modern, post-denominational churches that I've visited. These are where people get up in frenzy and pray and pray to be admired by their peers rather than raising a prayer to God. Of course, I'm not in a position to judge a man's heart so, I could be totally off base. But, this is how these verses stick to me at the moment.
I think some of the most pressing verses of this chapter to me come from verses 19-21. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also". I struggle with this. I definitely store treasures here on earth and need to refocus my attention to store treasures in heaven. Verse 21 is so on point when it states where your treasure is, so there too is your heart. I need to take 6:33 to heart "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well".
Matthew 7
What is the meaning of Matthew 7:6?
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces".
7:12 sums up the Law and the Prophets - "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets".
A tree and its fruit is an interesting passage. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit" (7:18). We are known by our fruit. But, if a good tree cannot bear bad fruit what of when Christians mess up? What about me when I screw up and have a disaster fall on my head? Am I a bad tree?
Matthew 8
- Jesus heals a man with leprosy. But, he tells the healed man not to tell anyone.
The Faith of The Centurion:
"When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth". Matthew 8:10-12.
I always think about this story and the story where Jesus will not, initially help the Samaritan woman. He says its not proper to take food from the children to give to the dogs and yet the woman persists. Jesus was definitely Jewish, but he was expanding what it meant to be a part of the kingdom of Heaven with the Centurion and seemingly restricting it initially with the Samaritan woman. I know I've heard that Jesus was testing the woman's faith, or possibly the faith of his disciples. And if that's the case I guess it's consistent. But, it is sometimes strange to see Jesus' logic.
- Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law
- Jesus heals many and drove out the demons of the demon-possessed.
- The story of the pigs is also an odd one. Two demon-possessed men come up to Jesus and the demons ask if the Son of Man has come to torture them before the appointed time. Then Jesus gives the demons their wish and sent them into a herd of pigs, who subsequently died by drowning. The townsfolk came out and pleaded for Jesus to leave their region. What does this story mean? Are the townsfolk to blame for valuing their possessions (the pigs) more than their souls?
Matthew 9
- Jesus heals a paralytic and causing a major controversy by forgiving the sins of the paralyzed man.
- Jesus eats with Matthew, sinners and tax collectors
- Jesus raises a girl from the dead and heals a sick woman
- Jesus heals two blind men and tells them not to tell anyone about it (but they do anyway)
"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). Jesus has compassion for the helpless.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
365 Day Bible Catch Up Psalms 6 - 10
Psalm 6
Lord teach me to pray this fervently. I don't know if I have ever prayed so hard as David did in this moment. I know I have been worn out from groaning in certain situations and I have lifted prayers to you in my times of need, but have I really ever prayed so deeply as this? I should because you hear.
6:9 "The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.
Psalm 7
Psalm 7 warns us of what happens when you do evil.
7:14 - "He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment"
7:16 - "The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head"
Evil never prospers. It always bites us in the end. 7:14 is especially poignant and telling. Conceiving of schemes that are troublesome gives birth to an experience when you discover that what you were thinking of ends up not nearly being as good as you initially thought. How true is that? Lord, clear the evil from me so that I am not in the birth pangs of disillusionment.
Psalm 8
8:2 "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger". When you see a child praising God it reminds you of what life should be like. Children speak frankly (when brought up right) about God and their faith is the faith that Jesus praises. It silences the enemies of God. God could thunderbolt and rage and accomplish this silence, yet it is through the voice of children that he chooses to silence his foes. How humbling.
Psalm 9
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble? (v8) Why? Because those who know your name will trust in you because you have never forsaken those who seek you. (v9) On the flip side, those that don't know your name won't trust you because they haven't seen your steadfastness.
9:15 echoes 7:14 & 7:16. "The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden". The trouble has recoiled.
While the wicked are ensnared and perishing and having their memory wiped from the earth, the needy will not be forgotten (9:18).
Psalm 10
Psalm 10:4 is a perfect explanation of why pride is so harmful to man. "In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God". Lord, let me not be this proud man. Let me always make room for you.
Psalm 10 has one of those 'difficult verses' 10:15 "Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out". How do we reconcile a loving God with one that would break the arm of a man? Well, that's for another time to discuss. While typing this I realized just how scary this verse is. "Call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out". How much iniquity is done in secret that no man could ever know? But, God knows. Lord, forgive me of the sins I have done in secret. Hear my prayer and forgive me.
Lord teach me to pray this fervently. I don't know if I have ever prayed so hard as David did in this moment. I know I have been worn out from groaning in certain situations and I have lifted prayers to you in my times of need, but have I really ever prayed so deeply as this? I should because you hear.
6:9 "The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.
Psalm 7
Psalm 7 warns us of what happens when you do evil.
7:14 - "He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment"
7:16 - "The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head"
Evil never prospers. It always bites us in the end. 7:14 is especially poignant and telling. Conceiving of schemes that are troublesome gives birth to an experience when you discover that what you were thinking of ends up not nearly being as good as you initially thought. How true is that? Lord, clear the evil from me so that I am not in the birth pangs of disillusionment.
Psalm 8
8:2 "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger". When you see a child praising God it reminds you of what life should be like. Children speak frankly (when brought up right) about God and their faith is the faith that Jesus praises. It silences the enemies of God. God could thunderbolt and rage and accomplish this silence, yet it is through the voice of children that he chooses to silence his foes. How humbling.
Psalm 9
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble? (v8) Why? Because those who know your name will trust in you because you have never forsaken those who seek you. (v9) On the flip side, those that don't know your name won't trust you because they haven't seen your steadfastness.
9:15 echoes 7:14 & 7:16. "The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden". The trouble has recoiled.
While the wicked are ensnared and perishing and having their memory wiped from the earth, the needy will not be forgotten (9:18).
Psalm 10
Psalm 10:4 is a perfect explanation of why pride is so harmful to man. "In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God". Lord, let me not be this proud man. Let me always make room for you.
Psalm 10 has one of those 'difficult verses' 10:15 "Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out". How do we reconcile a loving God with one that would break the arm of a man? Well, that's for another time to discuss. While typing this I realized just how scary this verse is. "Call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out". How much iniquity is done in secret that no man could ever know? But, God knows. Lord, forgive me of the sins I have done in secret. Hear my prayer and forgive me.
365 Day Bible Catch Up (Abraham)
So it's February 11 and I'm already vastly behind. So I'm going to catch up (at least through all of January). But, instead of reading piecemeal from four books like the plan has me doing, I'm going to go through a book at a time.
Genesis 13 - Abraham & Lot separate.
- Lot chooses what looks good and goes and lives among the cities of the plain, near Sodom. But, "the men of Sodom were wicked and sinning greatly against the Lord" (13:13).
- God tells Abram that all the land he sees will be the property of 'you and your offspring forever'.
- Abram pitches his tent near Mamre at Hebron and builds an altar
Genesis 14 - Abraham rescues Lot from captivity
- Abram is called "Abram the Hebrew". This is the first mention of Hebrew in the Old Testament
- Melchizedek, the king of Salem (Jerusalem) was a priest of God Most High. He blessed Abram and the God Most High. Abram gave a tenth of everything to Melchizedek. Who is Melchizedek?
- Abram refused the goods of the king of Sodom so that the king could not claim to have made Abram rich.
Genesis 15 - God makes a covenant with Abraham
- the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision claiming to be Abram's shield and very great reward. Incredibly, Abram seems upset and able to talk to the vision about being childless. The Lord however promised that he would indeed have a son and his offspring would be more numerous than the stars. "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness" (15:6).
- God then put Abram in a deep sleep and made a covenant with him and told him that his offspring would be enslaved for four hundred years, but would come out of slavery to the land God promised him with 'great possessions'. Why would they be enslaved for 400 years? So that the sin of the Amorites could reach full measure because it hadn't yet. What was the sin of the Amorites?
Genesis 16 - Hagar & Abram
- Sarai, the wife of Abram gives him her servant, Hagar to start a family that way, which seems odd, but was probably culturally acceptable at the time. But, when Hagar was pregnant she began to despise Sarai. Sarai became jealous and angry with Abram and mistreated Hagar with Abram's blessing (or at least indifference).
-Hagar ran away but the angel of the Lord told Hagar to go back to Sarai but promised that Hagar's descendants would be too numerous to count. The angel said to name the son Ishmael, but he would be a wild donkey of a man and be hostile towards basically everyone.
- Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born
Genesis 17 - The covenant of circumcision
- The Lord appeared to Abram at 99 and said to him 'walk before me and be blameless'. He instructed Abram that he was now to be called Abraham and to have everyone of his household and his descendants to be circumcised as it will be the sign of the covenant between Abraham and God.
-Incredibly, like when Abraham received the vision, he talked with God frankly, asking how he would have a son at 100 through his 90 year old wife. He asks God to make the covenant through Ishmael.
-God blesses Ishmael but claims that the covenant will run through his son through Sarah, who they will call Isaac.
-Everyone in Abraham's household, slaves and all, were circumcised.
Genesis 18 - Judging Sodom
- God appeared to Abraham again and they sat down for dinner. (How amazing would that be?) The Lord said he would return in a year and by then they would have a son, Isaac. Sarah laughed at this, but when God called her on it, "Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, 'I did not laugh'. But he said, "Yes, you did laugh" (18:15). I don't blame her, I would have been afraid too.
- The Lord revealed then that he was going down to Sodom to see if the reports of the city's sins were as bad as they seemed. Abraham bargains with the Lord and asks him if he will destroy the righteous with the wicked if 50 good men are found in the city. The Lord says he will spare it for 50, for 45, for 40, for 30, for 20 and even for 10.
Genesis 19 - The destruction of Sodom and Gommorah
- The two angels arrived at Sodom and were invited by Lot to spend the night with him in his house. When they were in the house the men of the city lined up and called out to Lot for him to produce the two men that were staying with him so they could have sex with them. Lot pleaded for them to not do these things and to take his virgin daughters instead. When the people threatened Lot the angels saved him and told them to flee and dragged Lot, his wife and two daughters out of the city and destroyed the cities. What had Lot done to deserve this mercy? Other than providing hospitality for the angels, I don't see much. But, it seems Lot's connection to Abraham is what saved him. "So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived" (Genesis 19:29)
- After the destruction of Sodom and Gommorah things get a bit strange. I'm classifying this as a difficult verses passage so I can study it further. I can't tell if what Lot's daughters did was wicked or not. Of course it's strange and pretty gross, but their reasoning doesn't seem as perverted as the act. They both slept with Lot (after getting him drunk) "Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father" (Genesis 19:33).
- Both daughters had sons who would become the fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites.
Genesis 20 - Sister Wife thing again
- Abraham moved into another region of Canaan under the control of King Abimelech. Abimelech took Sarah as they had claimed to be brother and sister. The Lord came to Abimelech and threatened to kill him on account of Sarah, but Abimelech protested his innocence. The Lord agreed and told Abimelech to have Abraham pray for him and not to touch Sarah. Abimelech did this, gave gifts to Abraham and Sarah and Abraham prayed for Abimelech which healed him and his household.
- I always find this and the Egypt story confusing. Abraham kind of gets off on a technicality. "Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife" (Genesis 20:13).
Genesis 21
- Isaac is born and circumcised.
- Sarah becomes jealous of Hagar and Ishmael and tells Abraham to send them away. This distresses Abraham because Ishmael was his son as well, but the Lord tells him to send them away but promises to make Ishmael into a nation as well.
- After the provisions run out, Hagar leaves Ishmael in the bushes because she cannot bear to watch him die. But, the angel of the Lord comes to Hagar and provided for them. "God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt" (Genesis 20:20-21). Even though Ishmael didn't get the same blessing as Isaac, God provided for him.
- Abraham and Abimelech made a treaty not to harm one another. Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time and called upon the name of the Lord.
Genesis 22 - The near sacrifice of Isaac
- God calls on Abraham to take Isaac (your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love) as an offering and burn him on a mountain in Moriah. Isaac asks Abraham on the journey, 'I see the wood, the fire and the knife, but uh... where is the sacrifice?' Abraham replies that God himself will provide the lamb. Abraham builds the altar and binds Isaac and is about to sacrifice his son when the angel of the Lord stops him and provides a ram. The Lord then swears on his own self that because Abraham was obedient that He will surely bless Abraham and his descendants. What's interesting here to me is verse 18. "And through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me".
- Up until this point, God has been promising Abraham that he will be the father of countless children, a great nation and that even through Ishmael a nation will be born, "He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation" (17:20)
- We are also introduced to Rebekah (the future wife of Isaac) as the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham's brother
Genesis 23 - The death of Sarah
- Sarah dies and Abraham purchases land from Ephron the Hittite to bury Sarah in the cave of Machpelah.
Genesis 24 - Isaac marries Rebekah
- Abraham makes one of his servants promise to go get a wife for Isaac from his own clan, and not to let Isaac marry one of the Canaanites he was living amongst or to let Isaac leave the land promised to him by God. The servant does this by praying to God and finds Rebekah, Abraham's great-niece by his brother Nahor. Isaac and Rebekah are married in the tent of his mother Sarah. Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother's death.
Genesis 25 - The death of Abraham
- Abraham took another wife who bore him six sons. As Abraham was dying he left everything to Isaac, but gave gifts to all of his other sons and sent them to live in the east. Ishmael and Isaac buried Abrham in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre with Sarah. After the death of Abraham God blessed Isaac.
- Ishmael had twelve sons (the twelve rulers) and died at an old age.
Genesis 13 - Abraham & Lot separate.
- Lot chooses what looks good and goes and lives among the cities of the plain, near Sodom. But, "the men of Sodom were wicked and sinning greatly against the Lord" (13:13).
- God tells Abram that all the land he sees will be the property of 'you and your offspring forever'.
- Abram pitches his tent near Mamre at Hebron and builds an altar
Genesis 14 - Abraham rescues Lot from captivity
- Abram is called "Abram the Hebrew". This is the first mention of Hebrew in the Old Testament
- Melchizedek, the king of Salem (Jerusalem) was a priest of God Most High. He blessed Abram and the God Most High. Abram gave a tenth of everything to Melchizedek. Who is Melchizedek?
- Abram refused the goods of the king of Sodom so that the king could not claim to have made Abram rich.
Genesis 15 - God makes a covenant with Abraham
- the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision claiming to be Abram's shield and very great reward. Incredibly, Abram seems upset and able to talk to the vision about being childless. The Lord however promised that he would indeed have a son and his offspring would be more numerous than the stars. "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness" (15:6).
- God then put Abram in a deep sleep and made a covenant with him and told him that his offspring would be enslaved for four hundred years, but would come out of slavery to the land God promised him with 'great possessions'. Why would they be enslaved for 400 years? So that the sin of the Amorites could reach full measure because it hadn't yet. What was the sin of the Amorites?
Genesis 16 - Hagar & Abram
- Sarai, the wife of Abram gives him her servant, Hagar to start a family that way, which seems odd, but was probably culturally acceptable at the time. But, when Hagar was pregnant she began to despise Sarai. Sarai became jealous and angry with Abram and mistreated Hagar with Abram's blessing (or at least indifference).
-Hagar ran away but the angel of the Lord told Hagar to go back to Sarai but promised that Hagar's descendants would be too numerous to count. The angel said to name the son Ishmael, but he would be a wild donkey of a man and be hostile towards basically everyone.
- Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born
Genesis 17 - The covenant of circumcision
- The Lord appeared to Abram at 99 and said to him 'walk before me and be blameless'. He instructed Abram that he was now to be called Abraham and to have everyone of his household and his descendants to be circumcised as it will be the sign of the covenant between Abraham and God.
-Incredibly, like when Abraham received the vision, he talked with God frankly, asking how he would have a son at 100 through his 90 year old wife. He asks God to make the covenant through Ishmael.
-God blesses Ishmael but claims that the covenant will run through his son through Sarah, who they will call Isaac.
-Everyone in Abraham's household, slaves and all, were circumcised.
Genesis 18 - Judging Sodom
- God appeared to Abraham again and they sat down for dinner. (How amazing would that be?) The Lord said he would return in a year and by then they would have a son, Isaac. Sarah laughed at this, but when God called her on it, "Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, 'I did not laugh'. But he said, "Yes, you did laugh" (18:15). I don't blame her, I would have been afraid too.
- The Lord revealed then that he was going down to Sodom to see if the reports of the city's sins were as bad as they seemed. Abraham bargains with the Lord and asks him if he will destroy the righteous with the wicked if 50 good men are found in the city. The Lord says he will spare it for 50, for 45, for 40, for 30, for 20 and even for 10.
Genesis 19 - The destruction of Sodom and Gommorah
- The two angels arrived at Sodom and were invited by Lot to spend the night with him in his house. When they were in the house the men of the city lined up and called out to Lot for him to produce the two men that were staying with him so they could have sex with them. Lot pleaded for them to not do these things and to take his virgin daughters instead. When the people threatened Lot the angels saved him and told them to flee and dragged Lot, his wife and two daughters out of the city and destroyed the cities. What had Lot done to deserve this mercy? Other than providing hospitality for the angels, I don't see much. But, it seems Lot's connection to Abraham is what saved him. "So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived" (Genesis 19:29)
- After the destruction of Sodom and Gommorah things get a bit strange. I'm classifying this as a difficult verses passage so I can study it further. I can't tell if what Lot's daughters did was wicked or not. Of course it's strange and pretty gross, but their reasoning doesn't seem as perverted as the act. They both slept with Lot (after getting him drunk) "Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father" (Genesis 19:33).
- Both daughters had sons who would become the fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites.
Genesis 20 - Sister Wife thing again
- Abraham moved into another region of Canaan under the control of King Abimelech. Abimelech took Sarah as they had claimed to be brother and sister. The Lord came to Abimelech and threatened to kill him on account of Sarah, but Abimelech protested his innocence. The Lord agreed and told Abimelech to have Abraham pray for him and not to touch Sarah. Abimelech did this, gave gifts to Abraham and Sarah and Abraham prayed for Abimelech which healed him and his household.
- I always find this and the Egypt story confusing. Abraham kind of gets off on a technicality. "Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife" (Genesis 20:13).
Genesis 21
- Isaac is born and circumcised.
- Sarah becomes jealous of Hagar and Ishmael and tells Abraham to send them away. This distresses Abraham because Ishmael was his son as well, but the Lord tells him to send them away but promises to make Ishmael into a nation as well.
- After the provisions run out, Hagar leaves Ishmael in the bushes because she cannot bear to watch him die. But, the angel of the Lord comes to Hagar and provided for them. "God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt" (Genesis 20:20-21). Even though Ishmael didn't get the same blessing as Isaac, God provided for him.
- Abraham and Abimelech made a treaty not to harm one another. Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time and called upon the name of the Lord.
Genesis 22 - The near sacrifice of Isaac
- God calls on Abraham to take Isaac (your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love) as an offering and burn him on a mountain in Moriah. Isaac asks Abraham on the journey, 'I see the wood, the fire and the knife, but uh... where is the sacrifice?' Abraham replies that God himself will provide the lamb. Abraham builds the altar and binds Isaac and is about to sacrifice his son when the angel of the Lord stops him and provides a ram. The Lord then swears on his own self that because Abraham was obedient that He will surely bless Abraham and his descendants. What's interesting here to me is verse 18. "And through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me".
- Up until this point, God has been promising Abraham that he will be the father of countless children, a great nation and that even through Ishmael a nation will be born, "He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation" (17:20)
- We are also introduced to Rebekah (the future wife of Isaac) as the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham's brother
Genesis 23 - The death of Sarah
- Sarah dies and Abraham purchases land from Ephron the Hittite to bury Sarah in the cave of Machpelah.
Genesis 24 - Isaac marries Rebekah
- Abraham makes one of his servants promise to go get a wife for Isaac from his own clan, and not to let Isaac marry one of the Canaanites he was living amongst or to let Isaac leave the land promised to him by God. The servant does this by praying to God and finds Rebekah, Abraham's great-niece by his brother Nahor. Isaac and Rebekah are married in the tent of his mother Sarah. Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother's death.
Genesis 25 - The death of Abraham
- Abraham took another wife who bore him six sons. As Abraham was dying he left everything to Isaac, but gave gifts to all of his other sons and sent them to live in the east. Ishmael and Isaac buried Abrham in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre with Sarah. After the death of Abraham God blessed Isaac.
- Ishmael had twelve sons (the twelve rulers) and died at an old age.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
365 Day Bible 5
365 Day Bible Day 5 (25 days late, need to speed up)
Genesis 11 - 13:4
The Tower of Babel has always fascinated me. I wondered why God was so concerned with man making a great tower or city. I guess in reading it it's the men's intentions and purposes for building it - to make a name for themselves that is the great sin. But, God confused their speech and the people spread out.
Again we have a genealogy of people living huge amounts of time. Shem, 500 years; Arphaxad, 403 years; Shelah, 403 years; Eber, 430 years; Peleg, 209 years; Reu, 207 years; Serug, 200 years; Nahor, 119 years. I know that whether or not these are actual dates are of no real consequence to the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ via Abraham, but it baffles me nonetheless. Nahor then was the father of Terah and Terah the father of Abraham.
Abraham (and his nephew Lot) were from Ur of the Chaldeans. Abraham (named Abram at the moment) married Sarai, a barren woman. Terah (who lived to 205 years old) took his sons, including Abram and his nephew Lot on a journey to Canaan, but stopped in Haran. Why?
God then speaks to Abram in chapter 12 and promises him a blessing. Abram heeds the call and took along Lot to go to Canaan when he was 75 years old. Abram kept moving, kept hearing from God and kept listening, building altars to the Lord along the way.
Abram went down to Egypt during a time of famine and had Sarai lie to everyone and say that she was his sister. Through this lie Abram wasn't killed and acquired wealth. But when the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram was told to get up and leave. Abram traveled some more and settled in between Bethel and Ai and called on the name of the Lord.
Matthew 5:1-26 (The Beatitudes)
The first 12 verses read like a list I need to pray daily. Teach me to be poor in spirit, to be meek, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be merciful, to be pure in heart, to be a peacemaker.
5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled". How cool is that? If you take the time to aim yourself towards righteousness God will make sure that you get there.
5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Lord, I need purification in my heart because I don't always see you.
The salt part suddenly scares me. If salt loses its saltiness though it's of no use. It can only be thrown out and trampled by men. That's again seeing Jesus in not a whimsy-flimsy sort of light that often he gets portrayed as.
5:20 "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven". Again, Jesus is preaching about righteousness. What is this righteousness he is preaching?
What are we to make of Jesus' thoughts on the Law? Nothing will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Does the resurrection accomplish everything?
5:21-26 bears out what Christ says about the blessed. Blessed are the meek, the merciful and the peacemakers. Those who aren't meek, merciful or a peacemaker will suffer the judgment he talks about in these verses.
Psalm 5
Some of Psalm 5 has those difficult verses with David calling for men to be called guilty by God and for them to have a downfall and be banished from God. But as always this is tempered with a call for God to protect those who take refuge in Him.
Verse 3 stands out to me. "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation". This is my prayer Lord, that I learn to pray like this. Teach me to have faith enough to lay my requests at your feet and wait in expectation.
Proverbs 1:24-28
Wow, here again we have a difficult verse. Lord, teach me not to reject your calls, your discipline so that I am not so far gone that you will not answer when I do call.
Genesis 11 - 13:4
The Tower of Babel has always fascinated me. I wondered why God was so concerned with man making a great tower or city. I guess in reading it it's the men's intentions and purposes for building it - to make a name for themselves that is the great sin. But, God confused their speech and the people spread out.
Again we have a genealogy of people living huge amounts of time. Shem, 500 years; Arphaxad, 403 years; Shelah, 403 years; Eber, 430 years; Peleg, 209 years; Reu, 207 years; Serug, 200 years; Nahor, 119 years. I know that whether or not these are actual dates are of no real consequence to the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ via Abraham, but it baffles me nonetheless. Nahor then was the father of Terah and Terah the father of Abraham.
Abraham (and his nephew Lot) were from Ur of the Chaldeans. Abraham (named Abram at the moment) married Sarai, a barren woman. Terah (who lived to 205 years old) took his sons, including Abram and his nephew Lot on a journey to Canaan, but stopped in Haran. Why?
God then speaks to Abram in chapter 12 and promises him a blessing. Abram heeds the call and took along Lot to go to Canaan when he was 75 years old. Abram kept moving, kept hearing from God and kept listening, building altars to the Lord along the way.
Abram went down to Egypt during a time of famine and had Sarai lie to everyone and say that she was his sister. Through this lie Abram wasn't killed and acquired wealth. But when the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram was told to get up and leave. Abram traveled some more and settled in between Bethel and Ai and called on the name of the Lord.
Matthew 5:1-26 (The Beatitudes)
The first 12 verses read like a list I need to pray daily. Teach me to be poor in spirit, to be meek, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be merciful, to be pure in heart, to be a peacemaker.
5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled". How cool is that? If you take the time to aim yourself towards righteousness God will make sure that you get there.
5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Lord, I need purification in my heart because I don't always see you.
The salt part suddenly scares me. If salt loses its saltiness though it's of no use. It can only be thrown out and trampled by men. That's again seeing Jesus in not a whimsy-flimsy sort of light that often he gets portrayed as.
5:20 "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven". Again, Jesus is preaching about righteousness. What is this righteousness he is preaching?
What are we to make of Jesus' thoughts on the Law? Nothing will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Does the resurrection accomplish everything?
5:21-26 bears out what Christ says about the blessed. Blessed are the meek, the merciful and the peacemakers. Those who aren't meek, merciful or a peacemaker will suffer the judgment he talks about in these verses.
Psalm 5
Some of Psalm 5 has those difficult verses with David calling for men to be called guilty by God and for them to have a downfall and be banished from God. But as always this is tempered with a call for God to protect those who take refuge in Him.
Verse 3 stands out to me. "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation". This is my prayer Lord, that I learn to pray like this. Teach me to have faith enough to lay my requests at your feet and wait in expectation.
Proverbs 1:24-28
Wow, here again we have a difficult verse. Lord, teach me not to reject your calls, your discipline so that I am not so far gone that you will not answer when I do call.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
365 Day Bible 3 & 4
Day 3 of the 365 Day Bible (still have some catching up to do).
Genesis 5 - 10
Genesis 5:1-2 reminds us that when God created man He did so in the likeness of God, the Imago Dei. Interestingly here, the NIV says the "likeness of God" and not the "image of God". I wonder what the original text states? I know there are some Christian sects that believe that we were created in the image and likeness of God, but after the Fall we lost the 'likeness' and retained the 'image'.
Adam lived 930 years. Seth lived 912 years. Enosh lived 905 years. Kenan lived 910 years. Mahalalel lived 895 years. Jared lived 962 years.
Enoch lived 365 years and unlike his ancestors, the Bible doesn't say 'and then he died'. It states 5:24 "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away". Is this poetic license? Is it just stating the same thing in a more flowery language? Or is it something else? I don't know.
Methuselah lived 969 years. Lamech lived 777 years. Lamech was the father of Noah.
Noah was the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Genesis 6 has some interesting stuff. First, "the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose" (6:2). "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days - and also afterward - when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown" (6:4). What on earth does that mean? Who were the Nephilim?
In spite of the wickedness of man, Noah alone found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was righteous, blameless and walked with God. God decided to wipe out all living things on account of man who had brought violence to the earth. But, God makes a covenant with Noah (this is the first time God makes a covenant in the Old Testament).
Why does God command Noah to take two of every kind of bird in 6:20 and seven of every kind of bird in 7:2?
After the flood the first thing Noah does is to build an altar and sacrifice to God. God then states, "never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood" (8:21). That doesn't exactly paint a very good picture of man - every inclination is evil from childhood. So much for the theory that man is intrinsically good.
God then reminds us of the Imago Dei in a warning not to kill another man - 9:6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man".
God then makes his covenant with Noah never to destroy the earth by a flood and sets the rainbow as a sign to remember that He will remember the everlasting covenant between God and all the living creatures of every kind.
Noah then gets drunk and Ham dishonors him, but Japheth and Shem cover him up. Noah curses Ham (the father of Canaan) to be the slave of his brothers. Noah lived 950 years and died.
What are we to do with the ages in this passage? Are we to take literally that men lived nearly a thousand years? What can be the explanation for such longevity?
Matthew 3-4
John the Baptist bursts onto the scene in Matthew 3, calling for repentance. He prophesies about the coming Messiah who will baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit. He doesn't paint Jesus as a sort of wimpy guy either "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12).
John the Baptist then, after mild protestation, baptizes Jesus. A voice from Heaven declares that Jesus is God's son.
After baptism, Jesus goes into the desert to fast 40 days. After this he is tempted by the devil three times. The thing I have always found the most interesting about this passage is that both use Scripture in their back and forth. Of course one would expect Jesus to quote Scripture, but the devil uses it as well. That's an unsettling thought.
Just like John the Baptist, Jesus begins to preach calling for repentance. Jesus then calls his first four disciples Simon-Peter, Andrew, James and John (the sons of Zebedee). Jesus then begins his ministry by preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing the sick. People flocked to him from all over and brought their sick to be healed.
Psalms 3-4
Psalm 3 is one of those Psalms that has a difficult verse in it. "Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked" (Psalms 3:7). Not exactly one of those verses that makes God seem like the great redeemer He is. It's hard to reconcile the love of God with what David is calling on God to do. But, just as we saw in Matthew 3, Jesus who is healing the sick just one chapter later is being prophesied as standing with the winnowing fork ready to store up his wheat in the barn and burn the chaff forever in an unquenchable fire.
But there are two verses that really stick out to me in Psalm 3. Psalm 3:5 "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me". Even something so simple as waking up is worthy of praising God, because He sustains us. Psalm 3:8 "From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people". David, for all intents and purposes is one of the most renowned warriors in the Bible, but he sees the Lord as his deliverance, not his own strength or might.
Psalm 4 also shows David seeing God as his safety. But, the verse in Psalm 4 that strikes me the most is verse 4. "In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent". Hear my prayer God, help me to search my heart so that I do not sin in anger.
Proverbs 1:10-23
Again we see a warning against sin - 1:10 "My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them". Again we see repentance and what it does for a man. 1:23 "If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you".
Genesis 5 - 10
Genesis 5:1-2 reminds us that when God created man He did so in the likeness of God, the Imago Dei. Interestingly here, the NIV says the "likeness of God" and not the "image of God". I wonder what the original text states? I know there are some Christian sects that believe that we were created in the image and likeness of God, but after the Fall we lost the 'likeness' and retained the 'image'.
Adam lived 930 years. Seth lived 912 years. Enosh lived 905 years. Kenan lived 910 years. Mahalalel lived 895 years. Jared lived 962 years.
Enoch lived 365 years and unlike his ancestors, the Bible doesn't say 'and then he died'. It states 5:24 "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away". Is this poetic license? Is it just stating the same thing in a more flowery language? Or is it something else? I don't know.
Methuselah lived 969 years. Lamech lived 777 years. Lamech was the father of Noah.
Noah was the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Genesis 6 has some interesting stuff. First, "the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose" (6:2). "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days - and also afterward - when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown" (6:4). What on earth does that mean? Who were the Nephilim?
In spite of the wickedness of man, Noah alone found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was righteous, blameless and walked with God. God decided to wipe out all living things on account of man who had brought violence to the earth. But, God makes a covenant with Noah (this is the first time God makes a covenant in the Old Testament).
Why does God command Noah to take two of every kind of bird in 6:20 and seven of every kind of bird in 7:2?
After the flood the first thing Noah does is to build an altar and sacrifice to God. God then states, "never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood" (8:21). That doesn't exactly paint a very good picture of man - every inclination is evil from childhood. So much for the theory that man is intrinsically good.
God then reminds us of the Imago Dei in a warning not to kill another man - 9:6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man".
God then makes his covenant with Noah never to destroy the earth by a flood and sets the rainbow as a sign to remember that He will remember the everlasting covenant between God and all the living creatures of every kind.
Noah then gets drunk and Ham dishonors him, but Japheth and Shem cover him up. Noah curses Ham (the father of Canaan) to be the slave of his brothers. Noah lived 950 years and died.
What are we to do with the ages in this passage? Are we to take literally that men lived nearly a thousand years? What can be the explanation for such longevity?
Matthew 3-4
John the Baptist bursts onto the scene in Matthew 3, calling for repentance. He prophesies about the coming Messiah who will baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit. He doesn't paint Jesus as a sort of wimpy guy either "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12).
John the Baptist then, after mild protestation, baptizes Jesus. A voice from Heaven declares that Jesus is God's son.
After baptism, Jesus goes into the desert to fast 40 days. After this he is tempted by the devil three times. The thing I have always found the most interesting about this passage is that both use Scripture in their back and forth. Of course one would expect Jesus to quote Scripture, but the devil uses it as well. That's an unsettling thought.
Just like John the Baptist, Jesus begins to preach calling for repentance. Jesus then calls his first four disciples Simon-Peter, Andrew, James and John (the sons of Zebedee). Jesus then begins his ministry by preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing the sick. People flocked to him from all over and brought their sick to be healed.
Psalms 3-4
Psalm 3 is one of those Psalms that has a difficult verse in it. "Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked" (Psalms 3:7). Not exactly one of those verses that makes God seem like the great redeemer He is. It's hard to reconcile the love of God with what David is calling on God to do. But, just as we saw in Matthew 3, Jesus who is healing the sick just one chapter later is being prophesied as standing with the winnowing fork ready to store up his wheat in the barn and burn the chaff forever in an unquenchable fire.
But there are two verses that really stick out to me in Psalm 3. Psalm 3:5 "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me". Even something so simple as waking up is worthy of praising God, because He sustains us. Psalm 3:8 "From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people". David, for all intents and purposes is one of the most renowned warriors in the Bible, but he sees the Lord as his deliverance, not his own strength or might.
Psalm 4 also shows David seeing God as his safety. But, the verse in Psalm 4 that strikes me the most is verse 4. "In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent". Hear my prayer God, help me to search my heart so that I do not sin in anger.
Proverbs 1:10-23
Again we see a warning against sin - 1:10 "My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them". Again we see repentance and what it does for a man. 1:23 "If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you".
Thursday, September 24, 2015
A perfect picture of God
Psalm 30:5 is not a difficult verse. In fact, it is a resolution of much of the difficulty in verses that make God seem harsh or unduly punitive. "For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning".
I thank God that his anger only lasts a moment. I have felt that more than once in my lifetime when I've fallen short of his desire for me and run afoul of his plan. But, more often than those fleeting moments I have felt his favor and that lasts a lifetime.
As far as the difficult verses go though this verse sums up a perfect picture of God. God is justly angry and punishes, corrects, chastises and even causes pain for those who sin. But, this is only to bring us to Him. Sometimes without that gentle or even abrupt admonishment I might continue down the wrong path. Thankfully, He loves me enough and favors me enough to not let that happen.
I thank God that his anger only lasts a moment. I have felt that more than once in my lifetime when I've fallen short of his desire for me and run afoul of his plan. But, more often than those fleeting moments I have felt his favor and that lasts a lifetime.
As far as the difficult verses go though this verse sums up a perfect picture of God. God is justly angry and punishes, corrects, chastises and even causes pain for those who sin. But, this is only to bring us to Him. Sometimes without that gentle or even abrupt admonishment I might continue down the wrong path. Thankfully, He loves me enough and favors me enough to not let that happen.
Hard verses of Psalm 21
In some of the other 'Difficult Verses' passages it has been easy for me to see God as a judge to account for their difficult nature. In those passages, God is righteous and his punishment for the wicked is analogous to a judge. But, in Psalm 22 this doesn't appear to be the case.
"At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the Lord will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them. You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow" (Psalm 21:9-12).
Here I see something different then God the judge. Here it seems like I see God the warrior. God is called the protector and refuge throughout the Psalms. But in chapter 21 we see God going on the offensive. But, even in this mode as the warrior, God is still acting on his ultimate righteousness. He is taking out the enemies of God and His people. He is still protecting. While I haven't quite come to a conclusion on this passage, what I do know is that God is not a passive God. He is active and involved in the lives of His people. It is His bow that will make the enemies of his people turn back. It is through the victories that God gave that has made his people glorious. It is through God's gift that has given them splendor and majesty. It's hard not to see God as Zeus wielding a thunderbolt to protect his people in this passage. I have to fight that imagery because I know it's inaccurate. But, my inaccuracies don't take away from God's glory or person. I simply have to know that God's righteousness demands action and that He is not afraid or unwilling to act.
"At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the Lord will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them. You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow" (Psalm 21:9-12).
Here I see something different then God the judge. Here it seems like I see God the warrior. God is called the protector and refuge throughout the Psalms. But in chapter 21 we see God going on the offensive. But, even in this mode as the warrior, God is still acting on his ultimate righteousness. He is taking out the enemies of God and His people. He is still protecting. While I haven't quite come to a conclusion on this passage, what I do know is that God is not a passive God. He is active and involved in the lives of His people. It is His bow that will make the enemies of his people turn back. It is through the victories that God gave that has made his people glorious. It is through God's gift that has given them splendor and majesty. It's hard not to see God as Zeus wielding a thunderbolt to protect his people in this passage. I have to fight that imagery because I know it's inaccurate. But, my inaccuracies don't take away from God's glory or person. I simply have to know that God's righteousness demands action and that He is not afraid or unwilling to act.
God hates with a passion?
So in my reading I came across another difficult verse in Psalms 11.
Psalms 11:5-6
"The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot".
Not exactly the image of a loving God I seemed to get in Sunday School, is it? Again, we could probably easily explain it away in a flawed author (man) projecting his idea of what should happen, but I am still uncomfortable with that idea of explaining away the Bible. Contextually, it seems to highlight some of God's seemingly contradictory nature. On the one hand He is the refuge for the upright heart and on the other hand He is the judge of the wicked and doles out punishment. Verse 7 sort of resolves the issue though on what this nature of God is. He is a judge. "For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face".
What seems contradictory is actually pretty easy to sum up by analogy. God is like a judge. On the righteous he passes forgiveness and protection. On the wicked he doles out punishment deservedly. Of course as I've started looking at what I've called the 'Difficult Verses', I'm starting to realize that most of these are difficult if they are taken out of context, but put into context with the whole of Scriptures the difficulty washes away. But, I'm sure that some won't see it that way. I guess in some sense, faith protects me from these difficulties.
Psalms 11:5-6
"The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot".
Not exactly the image of a loving God I seemed to get in Sunday School, is it? Again, we could probably easily explain it away in a flawed author (man) projecting his idea of what should happen, but I am still uncomfortable with that idea of explaining away the Bible. Contextually, it seems to highlight some of God's seemingly contradictory nature. On the one hand He is the refuge for the upright heart and on the other hand He is the judge of the wicked and doles out punishment. Verse 7 sort of resolves the issue though on what this nature of God is. He is a judge. "For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face".
What seems contradictory is actually pretty easy to sum up by analogy. God is like a judge. On the righteous he passes forgiveness and protection. On the wicked he doles out punishment deservedly. Of course as I've started looking at what I've called the 'Difficult Verses', I'm starting to realize that most of these are difficult if they are taken out of context, but put into context with the whole of Scriptures the difficulty washes away. But, I'm sure that some won't see it that way. I guess in some sense, faith protects me from these difficulties.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Break his Arm God!
Something I noticed in Psalms 10 is one of what I call the
"difficult verses" of the Bible. These are verses that don't seem to
match up with our notion of a loving God or a God who is the embodiment
of morality. Of course these shouldn't be difficult verses for
Christians because they should accept God as He is presented throughout
the Word and where they might see something that is contrary to our
notion of who He is they should expand their notion. But, they are
difficult in the sense that they might trip up a believer in trying to
explain God to the unbelieving. While no Christian can have definitive
authority on God because no man can have definitive authority on God, I
have always thought about these verses and what I would say if
confronted by someone who does not believe on one of these verses. So in
my studies I will make note of the difficult verses and offer some
thoughts on them.
Psalm 10:15
"Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out".
Here we have a Psalmist calling for the loving God to 'break the arm' of someone. That's not very nice. So how is it reconciled with a loving God. Firstly, I don't know. Secondly, I don't have authoritative answers; that is not my claim here. These are just my thoughts.
My first thought is that it is in line with God's embodiment of justice. As a judge, God is within his rights to break the arm of the wicked man who has been oppressing, murdering, robbing and waylaying the weak. But, is that an effective way of ministering to someone seeking answers about God? Am I going to be able to win the lost soul to Christ by explaining that because God is perfect and can't stand sin He must crush it? Well, firstly I don't think it's my duty to win the lost soul to Christ and if I'm trying to do that then I'm being a bit presumptuous in my duties as a Christian. I think that Christians who are out to win souls for Christ are either misguided and believe too much in their own importance in God's work of saving souls or are prideful or are simply using old language that is ineffective in the post-modern age. It doesn't mean that God isn't using them or blessing them, only that God is using them in spite of them. But, I'm not in a position to criticize anyone so I apologize if that is the outcome. I just think that it's our duty as Christians to present the Gospel, not necessarily sugar coat it, but also not try and scare beings into submission either. God is absolute justice. God is the absolute judge. And, like earthly judges who mete out justice, God will level justice in the forms of punishment and He may break the arm of the wicked in doing so.
Another thought was that the Psalmist is imperfect and calling for earthly justice from a divine judge. I remember hearing someone once, I forget who, explained much of what we see as hard or difficult verses in the Old Testament as pointing to the fallibility of the human author. This may be the case. Certainly even the disciples of Jesus were looking for earthly justice against the Romans when Jesus was looking to further the kingdom of Heaven. They never could quite get into their heads what that kingdom was supposed to be and how the Romans could still be in charge if Jesus was establishing it. But, I must admit that I am uncomfortable with this notion. It may be the right answer, but it clashes with a belief I have in a strong Scriptures. But, I'll develop this further at a later point because I've got to run here in a second. And, undoubtedly this thought will pop into my head again when I stumble across another difficult verse because whoever I heard say something like this must have said it at a time when I was impressionable because it's left a lasting lineage in my line of thought.
The last thought I had simply came from the text itself. The beginning of the chapter is describing someone or some persons that are running afoul and oppressing those weaker than himself. The chapter ends with a declaration of God being above anyone with earthly power. "The Lord is King forever and ever, the nations will perish from his land. You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them and you listen to their cry; defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror" (Psalm 10:16-18). In this context, the Psalmist is asking the defender (God) to break the arm of the oppressive one. It might sound harsh, but some strong arms need some strong arming. In this way, God is defending those who cannot offer a defense themselves and defense is sometimes necessarily harsh. Again, this might not be the answer, but it was the thought that most stuck with me.
Psalm 10:15
"Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out".
Here we have a Psalmist calling for the loving God to 'break the arm' of someone. That's not very nice. So how is it reconciled with a loving God. Firstly, I don't know. Secondly, I don't have authoritative answers; that is not my claim here. These are just my thoughts.
My first thought is that it is in line with God's embodiment of justice. As a judge, God is within his rights to break the arm of the wicked man who has been oppressing, murdering, robbing and waylaying the weak. But, is that an effective way of ministering to someone seeking answers about God? Am I going to be able to win the lost soul to Christ by explaining that because God is perfect and can't stand sin He must crush it? Well, firstly I don't think it's my duty to win the lost soul to Christ and if I'm trying to do that then I'm being a bit presumptuous in my duties as a Christian. I think that Christians who are out to win souls for Christ are either misguided and believe too much in their own importance in God's work of saving souls or are prideful or are simply using old language that is ineffective in the post-modern age. It doesn't mean that God isn't using them or blessing them, only that God is using them in spite of them. But, I'm not in a position to criticize anyone so I apologize if that is the outcome. I just think that it's our duty as Christians to present the Gospel, not necessarily sugar coat it, but also not try and scare beings into submission either. God is absolute justice. God is the absolute judge. And, like earthly judges who mete out justice, God will level justice in the forms of punishment and He may break the arm of the wicked in doing so.
Another thought was that the Psalmist is imperfect and calling for earthly justice from a divine judge. I remember hearing someone once, I forget who, explained much of what we see as hard or difficult verses in the Old Testament as pointing to the fallibility of the human author. This may be the case. Certainly even the disciples of Jesus were looking for earthly justice against the Romans when Jesus was looking to further the kingdom of Heaven. They never could quite get into their heads what that kingdom was supposed to be and how the Romans could still be in charge if Jesus was establishing it. But, I must admit that I am uncomfortable with this notion. It may be the right answer, but it clashes with a belief I have in a strong Scriptures. But, I'll develop this further at a later point because I've got to run here in a second. And, undoubtedly this thought will pop into my head again when I stumble across another difficult verse because whoever I heard say something like this must have said it at a time when I was impressionable because it's left a lasting lineage in my line of thought.
The last thought I had simply came from the text itself. The beginning of the chapter is describing someone or some persons that are running afoul and oppressing those weaker than himself. The chapter ends with a declaration of God being above anyone with earthly power. "The Lord is King forever and ever, the nations will perish from his land. You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them and you listen to their cry; defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror" (Psalm 10:16-18). In this context, the Psalmist is asking the defender (God) to break the arm of the oppressive one. It might sound harsh, but some strong arms need some strong arming. In this way, God is defending those who cannot offer a defense themselves and defense is sometimes necessarily harsh. Again, this might not be the answer, but it was the thought that most stuck with me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)