God reveals his name to Moses in chapter 33. The personal name of God is Yahweh, and is associated with the verb “to be.” Existence and presence are both connected with the Lord’s personal name. God has always been, will always be, and he is everywhere. That is the Lord.
In addition to revealing his name, God also attached certain qualities to his name, particularly goodness, grace, and mercy. These traits are so central to what it means to be the Lord that they are part of proclaiming his name. He tells Moses that he will make his goodness pass before him as he proclaims his name. The goodness of the Lord precedes proclamation of his name! Then the Lord announces a specific declaration after his name. “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” So goodness goes before his name, and grace and mercy follow immediately. Two points of interest can be gleaned from God’s self-description of being gracious and merciful. First, that God, Yahweh, the one true god, is gracious and merciful is a cause to rejoice in him! We do not serve a malicious tyrant; we serve a merciful Father! Second, the grace and mercy of God flow from within the mind and heart of the sovereign freedom of God! He will be gracious to whom he will be gracious! So the grace of God is not earned. It is not a reward. We do not attract God’s grace by our goodness. No external influence outside of God sways his decisions to distribute grace and mercy as he pleases. That may at first sound harsh to our ears, but it is actually very good news about the Lord. In fact, it is part of our only hope! We could never have earned grace or persuaded God toward us by our goodness! We could only be graced by him if he so decided purely out of his good name!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Powerful Prayer in Critical Times - Ex 29-32
Chapter 32 is an alarming and amazing chapter. With Moses up on the mountain with God for so long, the people grow anxious and seemingly lose all short-term memory! They know that Moses is meeting with God because they have heard his voice and have seen the cloud of fire covering the mountaintop! They know that God led them out of Egypt and not Moses. They know God caused the plagues and divided the Sea and goes before them in pillars of cloud and fire. They know all of this, and yet their craving to worship “something” and to give “something” credit overrides their senses! Their demand is so forceful and words so persuasive that even Aaron complies with their outlandish request, and hence, the golden calf! They are barely out of Egypt and have already broken the first and second commandments! Intolerable!
So the Lord tells Moses that the people have stirred up his wrath and he is going to remove them from the face of the earth. At this point, Moses prays, and it is the prayer of Moses that saves the lives of most of the Israelites. Therefore, we would do well to take careful note of his prayer.
There are two elements that stand out. First, Moses pleads for the people on behalf of God’s glory, fame, and name. He says, “God if you destroy them, what will the Egyptians say about YOU?” Second, Moses pleads for the people based on God’s word, God’s promises. He says, “Remember your promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.” Now don’t misapply prayer here and think that Moses tells God what to do! That’s not the function of prayer! No, what is happening is that Moses is praying according to the will of God. God’s will is to be glorified and to keep his promises. Let us learn to pray accordingly, especially in critical times!
So the Lord tells Moses that the people have stirred up his wrath and he is going to remove them from the face of the earth. At this point, Moses prays, and it is the prayer of Moses that saves the lives of most of the Israelites. Therefore, we would do well to take careful note of his prayer.
There are two elements that stand out. First, Moses pleads for the people on behalf of God’s glory, fame, and name. He says, “God if you destroy them, what will the Egyptians say about YOU?” Second, Moses pleads for the people based on God’s word, God’s promises. He says, “Remember your promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.” Now don’t misapply prayer here and think that Moses tells God what to do! That’s not the function of prayer! No, what is happening is that Moses is praying according to the will of God. God’s will is to be glorified and to keep his promises. Let us learn to pray accordingly, especially in critical times!
Friday, January 29, 2010
From Place to Person - Ex 25-28
Exodus 25-28 contain detailed instructions regarding the Tabernacle, or the designated place of worship for the wandering Israelites. After calling for a freewill offering from the people to furnish the materials for the Tabernacle, God gives very precise specifications for the Tabernacle itself and for each element within the Tabernacle. In reading through these chapters, one cannot help but note the precision given to every single detail for the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Bread, the Golden Lampstand, the Tabernacle, the Bronze Altar, the Court, the Oil, and the garments for the Priests.
In other words, God is giving them pinpointed instructions for the construction of a facility sufficient enough so that they may approach God. This is about worship. This is about communion with God and maintaining fellowship with God. God says, “In order for you to worship me, this is what the place must look like.” Therefore, in Old Testament times, worship of God was located in a place, the Tabernacle or the Temple.
In the New Testament, under the New Covenant, worship of God is redirected to a new locale. John 1:14 says “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...” The word for “dwelt” is literally “tabernacled!” Jesus is the New Covenant tabernacle! Jesus is the place where one goes to meet with God, worship God, commune with God, fellowship with God because Jesus is God! (John 1:1) Therefore, the focus of worship is now not directed to a place but rather to a person, the Lord Jesus Christ! And the instructions have changed as well. There is no longer any need for all the tabernacle furniture, we only come to God through Christ in Spirit and in truth! (John 4:23)
In other words, God is giving them pinpointed instructions for the construction of a facility sufficient enough so that they may approach God. This is about worship. This is about communion with God and maintaining fellowship with God. God says, “In order for you to worship me, this is what the place must look like.” Therefore, in Old Testament times, worship of God was located in a place, the Tabernacle or the Temple.
In the New Testament, under the New Covenant, worship of God is redirected to a new locale. John 1:14 says “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...” The word for “dwelt” is literally “tabernacled!” Jesus is the New Covenant tabernacle! Jesus is the place where one goes to meet with God, worship God, commune with God, fellowship with God because Jesus is God! (John 1:1) Therefore, the focus of worship is now not directed to a place but rather to a person, the Lord Jesus Christ! And the instructions have changed as well. There is no longer any need for all the tabernacle furniture, we only come to God through Christ in Spirit and in truth! (John 4:23)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Ear Piercing - Ex 21-24
Justice is the main theme of the list of laws beginning in chapter 21. At the top of the list is how masters were to justly treat their servants. After six years of service, the servant is to be set free unless he willingly desires to remain in service to the master indefinitely. At which point the master would pierce the servant’s ear marking the servant as permanent property of the master.
Over in Psalm 40:6, David makes a statement about holes in his ears. “Sacrifice and offering you have not desired, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.” Let’s answer two questions here.
First, why does David say God does not desire sacrifice and offerings? After all, God did command these things. Sacrifice and offerings are given as a result of sin and in an attempt to maintain fellowship with God. Thus, God doesn’t want sin and continued disruption of fellowship. God wants His people entirely and completely for Himself without interruption!
Second, what does it mean “given me an open ear?” The Hebrew phrase is literally “dug an ear.” I believe David is recalling the law of Exodus 21 and essentially saying, “God, my master, has made me his permanent possession! He has pierced my ears!” In other words, we could never make ourselves permanently and completely God’s because we continue to sin. We would have to continue to make sacrifice and offering. However, God could make us permanently and completely His by grace! And He has done so through the final sacrifice of His Son! If we believe in Christ, our ears are pierced! We are slaves of God through Christ forevermore!
Over in Psalm 40:6, David makes a statement about holes in his ears. “Sacrifice and offering you have not desired, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.” Let’s answer two questions here.
First, why does David say God does not desire sacrifice and offerings? After all, God did command these things. Sacrifice and offerings are given as a result of sin and in an attempt to maintain fellowship with God. Thus, God doesn’t want sin and continued disruption of fellowship. God wants His people entirely and completely for Himself without interruption!
Second, what does it mean “given me an open ear?” The Hebrew phrase is literally “dug an ear.” I believe David is recalling the law of Exodus 21 and essentially saying, “God, my master, has made me his permanent possession! He has pierced my ears!” In other words, we could never make ourselves permanently and completely God’s because we continue to sin. We would have to continue to make sacrifice and offering. However, God could make us permanently and completely His by grace! And He has done so through the final sacrifice of His Son! If we believe in Christ, our ears are pierced! We are slaves of God through Christ forevermore!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Difference Between the Two - Ex 17-20
What sticks out most to the reader from this text is the giving of the Ten Commandments in chapter 20. Ever since they were given at Sinai, the Ten Commandments remain our understanding of God’s moral code. The Commandments themselves though were part of an even larger component of God’s relation with Israel, namely, what is called the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant represents God’s relations to Israel in the Old Testament. The New Covenant, while prophesied in the Old Testament, was inaugurated and established by Christ in the New Testament. The two covenants are similar in that they both represent how God is relating to his people and both are enacted by God. However, they also present a radically different relation of God with his people!
In Exodus 19:5 the Lord says, “Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine.” Take careful note of the condition attached to this covenant: if you will obey! As the rest of the Old Testament proves, they could not obey! And as our own lives can testify, we cannot obey on our own either! Now listen to the words of the New Covenant in Ezekiel 11:19-20 as the Lord says, “And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them...that they may walk in my statues...and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”
The radical difference being that one could be God’s treasured possession, if he obeyed under the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant, because one is God’s treasured possession, he grants him a new heart and a new spirit so that he will obey! God does the work we as sinners could never do. The New Covenant, then, is a covenant of grace!
In Exodus 19:5 the Lord says, “Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine.” Take careful note of the condition attached to this covenant: if you will obey! As the rest of the Old Testament proves, they could not obey! And as our own lives can testify, we cannot obey on our own either! Now listen to the words of the New Covenant in Ezekiel 11:19-20 as the Lord says, “And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them...that they may walk in my statues...and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”
The radical difference being that one could be God’s treasured possession, if he obeyed under the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant, because one is God’s treasured possession, he grants him a new heart and a new spirit so that he will obey! God does the work we as sinners could never do. The New Covenant, then, is a covenant of grace!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Time and Time Again - Ex 13-16
In chapter thirteen, God leads the people of Israel as they head out from Egypt by a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night. Not only do these pillars provide direction, it would seem they also provide protection. The cloud protecting against the heat of the sun, and the fire protecting against the cool of the night. Not only this, but the Lord placed the pillar of cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians when they were cornered at the Red Sea.
In chapter fourteen, God sends an east wind and drives back the waters of the Red Sea creating a tunnel of sorts complete with dry ground for ease of movement. Thus, God has provided a way of escape from the Egyptians, but this is not all. He then hardens Pharaoh’s heart so that they give chase to the Israelites through the Red Sea. However, God allows the sea to return to itself, and the Egyptians are destroyed. In so doing, God proved himself above the Egyptians and for the Israelites!
In chapter fifteen, God turns bitter water sweet in order to quench their thirst. In chapter sixteen, God provided for their hunger by sending bread from heaven six days a week for forty years!
Time and time again, God proves himself faithful, sufficient, powerful, and Father to the Israelites! And time and time again, they wonder if he will come through for them! Sounds strange doesn’t it? How in the world could they ever doubt after the Red Sea! It also sounds familiar though, doesn’t it? How in the world could we ever doubt when we know time and time again God has been good and faithful and loving to us!
In chapter fourteen, God sends an east wind and drives back the waters of the Red Sea creating a tunnel of sorts complete with dry ground for ease of movement. Thus, God has provided a way of escape from the Egyptians, but this is not all. He then hardens Pharaoh’s heart so that they give chase to the Israelites through the Red Sea. However, God allows the sea to return to itself, and the Egyptians are destroyed. In so doing, God proved himself above the Egyptians and for the Israelites!
In chapter fifteen, God turns bitter water sweet in order to quench their thirst. In chapter sixteen, God provided for their hunger by sending bread from heaven six days a week for forty years!
Time and time again, God proves himself faithful, sufficient, powerful, and Father to the Israelites! And time and time again, they wonder if he will come through for them! Sounds strange doesn’t it? How in the world could they ever doubt after the Red Sea! It also sounds familiar though, doesn’t it? How in the world could we ever doubt when we know time and time again God has been good and faithful and loving to us!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Not Until - Ex 9-12
Five times in the assigned reading the Bible says that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not allow the Israelites to leave Egypt? Questions immediately arise in our minds. Why would the Lord harden Pharaoh’s heart? Why did there have to be ten plagues? Why such a devastating plague as the death of every firstborn throughout Egypt?
There are more and better answers to be offered for these questions, but we can discern at least this much from the text. There had to be 10 specialized plagues ending with the death of the firstborn and Pharaoh’s heart had to remain hardened until this series of plagues unfolded, because the children of Israel could not leave UNTIL God had accomplished several other important, historically significant, theologically informative events. Therefore, the children of Israel would leave Egypt, but not until...
1. Pharaoh, who once had threatened to kill Moses would plead for Moses’ blessings (12:32), which was an acknowledgement of the God Moses served.
2. God’s wonders would be multiplied in the land of Egypt (11:9).
3. God had shown these signs so that the Israelites would tell of these things to coming generations so that all generations may know that He is the Lord (10:1-2).
4. God would make a clear distinction between the protection of his own people and the judgment of unbelievers (9:4,26).
5. God had revealed to Pharaoh “for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (9:16).
God had many and glorious purposes for why and how he delivered his people from Egypt! He always does for everything he does!
There are more and better answers to be offered for these questions, but we can discern at least this much from the text. There had to be 10 specialized plagues ending with the death of the firstborn and Pharaoh’s heart had to remain hardened until this series of plagues unfolded, because the children of Israel could not leave UNTIL God had accomplished several other important, historically significant, theologically informative events. Therefore, the children of Israel would leave Egypt, but not until...
1. Pharaoh, who once had threatened to kill Moses would plead for Moses’ blessings (12:32), which was an acknowledgement of the God Moses served.
2. God’s wonders would be multiplied in the land of Egypt (11:9).
3. God had shown these signs so that the Israelites would tell of these things to coming generations so that all generations may know that He is the Lord (10:1-2).
4. God would make a clear distinction between the protection of his own people and the judgment of unbelievers (9:4,26).
5. God had revealed to Pharaoh “for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (9:16).
God had many and glorious purposes for why and how he delivered his people from Egypt! He always does for everything he does!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Hardening of Hearts - Ex 5-8
Who is in charge of your heart? Who has the ultimate, final, fundamental sway in the inclinations, motivations, and desires of your heart? The answer is that the Sovereign Lord of the Universe is also the Sovereign of our hearts!
The Lord tells Moses in 7:3 that he will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that Pharaoh will not let the people of Israel leave Egypt. Sure enough, when Moses gives Pharaoh the sign of the serpent and thus far through the first four plagues, Pharaoh’s heart is hard. In fact, twice (8:15,32) Pharaoh is said to have hardened his own heart. (For clarification, the Lord’s ultimate control of hearts does not remove your agreement to, allegiance with, and approval of the bent of your own heart!) In other words, the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but Pharaoh himself liked it that way!
Why would God do this? Why would he ever harden someone’s heart? As the Exodus narrative unfolds, we begin to see that the Lord had larger purposes in mind beyond just rescuing the people from Egypt. Just imagine, without the hard heart of Pharaoh, the people might have been released as soon as Moses’ serpent swallowed the magicians’ serpents! That could have been enough to scare Pharaoh to death! Then there would not have been ten plagues that demonstrated the supremacy of God above the gods of Egypt. The people of Israel would not have been lavished with the goods of Egypt, which was their provision. There would have been no Passover, which is a direct historical link to the cross! There would have been no Red Sea, which is the most remarkable deliverances in all of Scripture! God has a purpose for his glory in everything he does, even when he hardens a heart!
The Lord tells Moses in 7:3 that he will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that Pharaoh will not let the people of Israel leave Egypt. Sure enough, when Moses gives Pharaoh the sign of the serpent and thus far through the first four plagues, Pharaoh’s heart is hard. In fact, twice (8:15,32) Pharaoh is said to have hardened his own heart. (For clarification, the Lord’s ultimate control of hearts does not remove your agreement to, allegiance with, and approval of the bent of your own heart!) In other words, the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but Pharaoh himself liked it that way!
Why would God do this? Why would he ever harden someone’s heart? As the Exodus narrative unfolds, we begin to see that the Lord had larger purposes in mind beyond just rescuing the people from Egypt. Just imagine, without the hard heart of Pharaoh, the people might have been released as soon as Moses’ serpent swallowed the magicians’ serpents! That could have been enough to scare Pharaoh to death! Then there would not have been ten plagues that demonstrated the supremacy of God above the gods of Egypt. The people of Israel would not have been lavished with the goods of Egypt, which was their provision. There would have been no Passover, which is a direct historical link to the cross! There would have been no Red Sea, which is the most remarkable deliverances in all of Scripture! God has a purpose for his glory in everything he does, even when he hardens a heart!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The Resurrected Lord - Matt 25-28
When one encounters the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ and he opens their eyes so that they rightly behold him in his glory, there is only one response: worship! As in Matthew 28:9 after the two women had discovered the tomb was empty and had been told what to do by an angel, Jesus met them. Their immediate response was “and they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him.”
It is just an immediate reaction to the glorious majesty and beauty of the Son of God! One cannot help but bow down and worship when he finds himself in the presence of the Infinite! It’s not planned. It’s just the normal, given response to the holy presence of God! It’s like when one stands on the edge of the Grand Canyon and taking in its magnitude, color, and design automatically breathes a “wow” or a “that’s amazing.” That response is not planned. It just happens in the presence of such a wonder. Well then, imagine the response in the presence of the glorious Lord Jesus Christ!
When he was clothed in the flesh and kept his full glory hidden, he received varied responses from adoration to hatred. But when his full glory is manifested through his flesh, worship is the result every single time! (cf Rev 1:17) There is coming a day when we behold him just as he is, and such is the hope and expectation and longing for every born-again believer! (1 John 3:1-3) We will see him in his full glory, and we will worship! And so will every created person and thing in the universe! (Phil 2:9-11) That’s not a humanly pre-meditated and planned event. It will just happen. We won’t be able to do anything less than worship him when we find ourselves before him!
It is just an immediate reaction to the glorious majesty and beauty of the Son of God! One cannot help but bow down and worship when he finds himself in the presence of the Infinite! It’s not planned. It’s just the normal, given response to the holy presence of God! It’s like when one stands on the edge of the Grand Canyon and taking in its magnitude, color, and design automatically breathes a “wow” or a “that’s amazing.” That response is not planned. It just happens in the presence of such a wonder. Well then, imagine the response in the presence of the glorious Lord Jesus Christ!
When he was clothed in the flesh and kept his full glory hidden, he received varied responses from adoration to hatred. But when his full glory is manifested through his flesh, worship is the result every single time! (cf Rev 1:17) There is coming a day when we behold him just as he is, and such is the hope and expectation and longing for every born-again believer! (1 John 3:1-3) We will see him in his full glory, and we will worship! And so will every created person and thing in the universe! (Phil 2:9-11) That’s not a humanly pre-meditated and planned event. It will just happen. We won’t be able to do anything less than worship him when we find ourselves before him!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Actions Speak Louder than Words - Matt 21-24
In the parable of the two sons, the father demands the same action from both boys. He says to them separately, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” The first son arrogantly replies, “I will not,” however, he later changed his mind and went to the vineyard. The second son willingly replied, “I go, sir,” but somehow he never made it down to the vineyard.
That’s the way the story goes, and Jesus prods the religious crowd with a simple question. “Which of the two did the will of his father?” Easy answer to an easy question from a simple story. Then again, parables are simple stories meant to convey powerful, spiritual truth!
The truth of the parable is this: the will of the Father is accomplished in actions not merely in words! True faith, believing faith is about living out the Gospel of Christ and growing in His grace and knowledge. True, believing faith cannot be enclosed in just words, it must be expressed in actions and living and obedience! Words are good, but can be deceiving. Actions speak louder than words! People say all kinds of things on the spur of the moment, but they “do” the things they really want to do!
It is interesting to note that the first son’s words were disrespectful and inappropriate, while the second son’s words were respectful and appropriate! In the end, though, the first son pleased the father and the second one disobeyed. Their actions, what did or did not do, in the end, made the difference! If we say we follow Christ and know Christ and love Christ, that is wonderful! The real question though is do we live in such a way that supports that claim? Behind our pledges of faith, do we find lives of faith? Actions will tell the truth!
That’s the way the story goes, and Jesus prods the religious crowd with a simple question. “Which of the two did the will of his father?” Easy answer to an easy question from a simple story. Then again, parables are simple stories meant to convey powerful, spiritual truth!
The truth of the parable is this: the will of the Father is accomplished in actions not merely in words! True faith, believing faith is about living out the Gospel of Christ and growing in His grace and knowledge. True, believing faith cannot be enclosed in just words, it must be expressed in actions and living and obedience! Words are good, but can be deceiving. Actions speak louder than words! People say all kinds of things on the spur of the moment, but they “do” the things they really want to do!
It is interesting to note that the first son’s words were disrespectful and inappropriate, while the second son’s words were respectful and appropriate! In the end, though, the first son pleased the father and the second one disobeyed. Their actions, what did or did not do, in the end, made the difference! If we say we follow Christ and know Christ and love Christ, that is wonderful! The real question though is do we live in such a way that supports that claim? Behind our pledges of faith, do we find lives of faith? Actions will tell the truth!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The God of the Impossible - Matt 17-20
There are some things in this life that are simply impossible for you to do as a human being. For examples, you cannot fly like a bird, that’s impossible. You have to use a plane! You cannot swim like a fish, that’s impossible. You have to come up for air! Both of these are things that you could never do on your own without the aid of a device or machine.
According to Jesus, there is something far more critical to you and necessary for you in terms of your eternal destination that is impossible for you as well! You cannot be saved on your own. You cannot make yourself right with God or get yourself right with God. You cannot rid yourself of your sin or obtain the necessary righteousness that will stand before God. You cannot do it! The disciples asked Jesus, “Who then can be saved?” And he said, “With man this is impossible!” Did you hear that?
If left to our own strength, will, resources, and determination, we are hopelessly lost. Eternal salvation is an impossible task for us. But praise the name of Jesus, he also said to the disciples, “but with God all things are possible!” Your salvation is impossible with you, but not with God! You cannot change your heart, but God can. You cannot rid yourself of the guilt, consequence, and power of sin, but God can through Christ! You cannot earn righteous standing before God, but God can credit it to you through faith based on the work of Christ! God is the God of the impossible! Now he won’t do the unnecessary impossibilities such as giving you wings like a bird or gills like a fish, but he does accomplish the one eternal necessity through faith in His Son, he gives you a new heart. God can work the impossible in your life; He can save you!
According to Jesus, there is something far more critical to you and necessary for you in terms of your eternal destination that is impossible for you as well! You cannot be saved on your own. You cannot make yourself right with God or get yourself right with God. You cannot rid yourself of your sin or obtain the necessary righteousness that will stand before God. You cannot do it! The disciples asked Jesus, “Who then can be saved?” And he said, “With man this is impossible!” Did you hear that?
If left to our own strength, will, resources, and determination, we are hopelessly lost. Eternal salvation is an impossible task for us. But praise the name of Jesus, he also said to the disciples, “but with God all things are possible!” Your salvation is impossible with you, but not with God! You cannot change your heart, but God can. You cannot rid yourself of the guilt, consequence, and power of sin, but God can through Christ! You cannot earn righteous standing before God, but God can credit it to you through faith based on the work of Christ! God is the God of the impossible! Now he won’t do the unnecessary impossibilities such as giving you wings like a bird or gills like a fish, but he does accomplish the one eternal necessity through faith in His Son, he gives you a new heart. God can work the impossible in your life; He can save you!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Ear and Eye Opener - Matt 13-16
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (13:9,43). That sounds like a strange saying to my ears! However, if you take it one part at a time, the meaning begins to unfold. “He who has ears to hear” is a distinguishing phrase meaning that everyone has ears but only some have “ears to hear.” Only some of the people listening to Jesus will “get” what he is saying. All will hear his teaching. Some will embrace it. So then, those who have the kind of ear that can “hear” what Jesus is saying, they are told by Jesus to really pay attention!
The huge implication and lesson here is that our ears and our eyes do not naturally, on our own, “hear” and “see.” Yes, they do “hear” and “see,” but only what can be heard and seen through fallen, fleshly, spiritually dead or dull ears and eyes. Our ears have to be opened. Our eyes have to be opened if we are too hear and see and taste and embrace and receive and joy in Christ, the Gospel, and the glory of God!
Now “hear” these texts. “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (13:11). “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (16:17). Do you “see” the pattern unfolding here? We cannot grasp the things of the Spirit on our own, in our own strength and will. In order for us to “hear” and “see,” God, in his grace, must open our ears and eyes. We must be given ears to hear and eyes to see. And then we hear and we see what we had never seen or heard before! And it is amazing and thrilling and wonderful to behold! Therefore, let us pray for God to keep our ears open as believers and for him to open the ears and eyes of those around us who have ears, but do not hear!
The huge implication and lesson here is that our ears and our eyes do not naturally, on our own, “hear” and “see.” Yes, they do “hear” and “see,” but only what can be heard and seen through fallen, fleshly, spiritually dead or dull ears and eyes. Our ears have to be opened. Our eyes have to be opened if we are too hear and see and taste and embrace and receive and joy in Christ, the Gospel, and the glory of God!
Now “hear” these texts. “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (13:11). “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (16:17). Do you “see” the pattern unfolding here? We cannot grasp the things of the Spirit on our own, in our own strength and will. In order for us to “hear” and “see,” God, in his grace, must open our ears and eyes. We must be given ears to hear and eyes to see. And then we hear and we see what we had never seen or heard before! And it is amazing and thrilling and wonderful to behold! Therefore, let us pray for God to keep our ears open as believers and for him to open the ears and eyes of those around us who have ears, but do not hear!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Another Family Tree
In Matthew 1, we are given the genealogy of Jesus, in other words, we see his family tree. In Matthew 12:46-50, Jesus speaks of another family that he has, another family tree. There are some similarities in these trees. Some of those found in the first tree are also in the second tree. Both trees have crooked limbs throughout. Both trees are rooted in and/or pointing to what gives the tree its beauty, attraction, and glory, namely, Jesus Christ!
But there are some differences as well. The tree of Matthew 1 is representing physical relation to Jesus. The tree of Matthew 12 is speaking of spiritual relation to Jesus through faith in him and repentance of sin. The tree of Matthew 1 shows how the Old Testament prophecies are being fulfilled in Christ. The tree of Matthew 12 shows how the New Covenant is being fulfilled in Christ. Both trees represent a blood line, but the tree of Matthew 12 portrays only the blood of Christ, for his blood created and established this tree!
And when Jesus’ own mother and brothers ask to speak with him and he turns to his followers and calls them his mother and brothers, Jesus right there establishes that the tree of Matthew 12 takes precedence over the tree of Matthew 1! That is, the bond and union of being joined to Christ through faith is much deeper and meaningful and lasting than the bond of kinship. The family of faith, joined together in Christ, is the greater family.
Not everyone can/could be part of Jesus’ earthly family, but “whoever” can/will be a part of Jesus’ heavenly family! Man or woman, Jew or Gentile, all who “do the will of God,” that is, all who believe in the Son, will be adopted into this forever family!
But there are some differences as well. The tree of Matthew 1 is representing physical relation to Jesus. The tree of Matthew 12 is speaking of spiritual relation to Jesus through faith in him and repentance of sin. The tree of Matthew 1 shows how the Old Testament prophecies are being fulfilled in Christ. The tree of Matthew 12 shows how the New Covenant is being fulfilled in Christ. Both trees represent a blood line, but the tree of Matthew 12 portrays only the blood of Christ, for his blood created and established this tree!
And when Jesus’ own mother and brothers ask to speak with him and he turns to his followers and calls them his mother and brothers, Jesus right there establishes that the tree of Matthew 12 takes precedence over the tree of Matthew 1! That is, the bond and union of being joined to Christ through faith is much deeper and meaningful and lasting than the bond of kinship. The family of faith, joined together in Christ, is the greater family.
Not everyone can/could be part of Jesus’ earthly family, but “whoever” can/will be a part of Jesus’ heavenly family! Man or woman, Jew or Gentile, all who “do the will of God,” that is, all who believe in the Son, will be adopted into this forever family!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Consider the Cost
You might think that if anyone who comes to Jesus and desires to follow him would be met with a cheerful welcome. That’s not the case in 8:18-22. At least two men receive very unsuspected replies from Jesus when they pledge to follow him. The context would suggest that these two conversations are samples of many similar ones. Jesus has preached the great Sermon on the Mount, and the crowds are awed at such authority. Jesus has cleansed a leper and healed the centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law, and hundreds of others. Everything he says and everything he does is amazing! Who wouldn’t want to follow him now? Jesus is the “in” thing right now, and many people are following him for the wrong reasons.
This is probably the case for the scribe who comes along and declares that he follow Jesus to the ends of the earth! Jesus essentially says, “Stop and think about what you are committing yourself to!” It’s an exciting life to follow Jesus, as it appears now. But what the scribe does not know is that following Jesus is not always “big and exciting.” Sometimes following Jesus is very uncomfortable and very costly! The unnamed disciple pledges to follow Jesus after he buries his father. We are not privy to all that is going on in this story. It would seem that Jesus is faulting this man for wanting to do the honorable thing. So something like forming an excuse or always having a reason for delay is taking place here. The point of Jesus being so blunt as to say “let the dead bury the dead” is to communicate that following him requires supreme allegiance to Christ!
Lesson: It is great and wonderful to follow Christ, but it is also costly!
This is probably the case for the scribe who comes along and declares that he follow Jesus to the ends of the earth! Jesus essentially says, “Stop and think about what you are committing yourself to!” It’s an exciting life to follow Jesus, as it appears now. But what the scribe does not know is that following Jesus is not always “big and exciting.” Sometimes following Jesus is very uncomfortable and very costly! The unnamed disciple pledges to follow Jesus after he buries his father. We are not privy to all that is going on in this story. It would seem that Jesus is faulting this man for wanting to do the honorable thing. So something like forming an excuse or always having a reason for delay is taking place here. The point of Jesus being so blunt as to say “let the dead bury the dead” is to communicate that following him requires supreme allegiance to Christ!
Lesson: It is great and wonderful to follow Christ, but it is also costly!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The Family Tree of Jesus
Matthew is very precise in his genealogy of Jesus, as seen in the careful division of three sets of fourteen generations. At the close of each set Matthew notes a distinguished marker; David, deportation, and Christ. Therefore, we can at least know this from Matthew’s account of Jesus’ family tree, Christ came at the precise, right time. He came to complete the generational sets of fourteen. He came as the answer for the generational portrayal of Israel’s woe; David the king is followed by deportation to Babylon, which is followed by Christ!
But much more is found in this tree as well. Not only does this tree feature the greatest king of Israel, David, it also features giants like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! All to prove the prophetic word about the Messiah of course. But just think, here in one family tree you have the Father of the Faith and the nation’s most revered king. Look closer though and you will find that this tree contains very different kinds and shapes of limbs. It does not just have the “greats,” it has the “others.” Women are listed in Jesus’ genealogy. Prostitutes are listed in Jesus’ genealogy. The family tree of Jesus includes murder (Solomon the son of Bathsheba). The family tree of Jesus includes immorality (Judah and Tamar).
What’s going on here? How can the Son of God be born to such a twisted, perverted lineage? Pure and simple - He came to seek and to save those who were lost! He came for sinners, and his family tree was filled with them as is ours as well! He came to save the famous and the neglected. He came to save the hero and the villain. He came to save the morally upright and the morally bankrupt. They called him Jesus, for he came to save his people from their sins! (1:21)
But much more is found in this tree as well. Not only does this tree feature the greatest king of Israel, David, it also features giants like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! All to prove the prophetic word about the Messiah of course. But just think, here in one family tree you have the Father of the Faith and the nation’s most revered king. Look closer though and you will find that this tree contains very different kinds and shapes of limbs. It does not just have the “greats,” it has the “others.” Women are listed in Jesus’ genealogy. Prostitutes are listed in Jesus’ genealogy. The family tree of Jesus includes murder (Solomon the son of Bathsheba). The family tree of Jesus includes immorality (Judah and Tamar).
What’s going on here? How can the Son of God be born to such a twisted, perverted lineage? Pure and simple - He came to seek and to save those who were lost! He came for sinners, and his family tree was filled with them as is ours as well! He came to save the famous and the neglected. He came to save the hero and the villain. He came to save the morally upright and the morally bankrupt. They called him Jesus, for he came to save his people from their sins! (1:21)
Saturday, January 16, 2010
A God in Plain View
In the Joseph narrative of Genesis, we learn that God works behind-the-scenes to fulfill his plan for his glory and our good. When it appears that events are routine or even tragic, God is working behind-the-scenes to bring about great things! (Gen 50:20)
We see a whole different perspective of God in the Moses narrative of Exodus. God is not working behind-the-scenes here. He is in plain view, and he means to be! God not only has his reasons for what he does, but also for how he accomplishes what he does. One of the grand purposes in God being so visibly evident in Exodus is so that the people of Israel, who have been long under the weight of slavery and spent years crying out to God, would once again believe in him. (Ex 4:31) And so that Moses would too! Therefore, the Lord appears in a burning bush to Moses. He changes his staff to a serpent, his hand as leprous, and will change water to blood. When Moses shows these signs to the people, they believe, and they worship! That was the intention all along.
As we will see soon, God is also going to work in plain view before Pharaoh and the Egyptians as well, and he has other grand reasons for doing so. The Plagues and the Red Sea crossing are just ahead. So sometimes God works in ways that it is undeniably the hand of God like the unexplainable disappearance of cancer, and sometimes he works in quiet, hidden ways like steadfast joy and faith in facing cancer. Either way, he is working things for the good of His people and the glory of His name.
Take heart then dear believer. Whether you see him big today in plain view or do not see him at all, he is there with you, and he is working!
We see a whole different perspective of God in the Moses narrative of Exodus. God is not working behind-the-scenes here. He is in plain view, and he means to be! God not only has his reasons for what he does, but also for how he accomplishes what he does. One of the grand purposes in God being so visibly evident in Exodus is so that the people of Israel, who have been long under the weight of slavery and spent years crying out to God, would once again believe in him. (Ex 4:31) And so that Moses would too! Therefore, the Lord appears in a burning bush to Moses. He changes his staff to a serpent, his hand as leprous, and will change water to blood. When Moses shows these signs to the people, they believe, and they worship! That was the intention all along.
As we will see soon, God is also going to work in plain view before Pharaoh and the Egyptians as well, and he has other grand reasons for doing so. The Plagues and the Red Sea crossing are just ahead. So sometimes God works in ways that it is undeniably the hand of God like the unexplainable disappearance of cancer, and sometimes he works in quiet, hidden ways like steadfast joy and faith in facing cancer. Either way, he is working things for the good of His people and the glory of His name.
Take heart then dear believer. Whether you see him big today in plain view or do not see him at all, he is there with you, and he is working!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Good From Evil!?
The closing chapters of Genesis is a closing of the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the three Patriarchs. Jacob has been given the delight of finding out Joseph is really alive, and has met his children whom he takes to be his own. His entire family has been provided for during the time of famine. He blessed each one of his sons. Then he breathed his last and was buried back in the Promised Land. But as with all the narratives of the Bible, much theology is taught in these chapters, and one of the more key insights of Scripture is found in the last chapter.
Now that Jacob has passed away, Joseph’s brothers reasoned that he would now take revenge on them for their treacherous act. So they approach Joseph and beg forgiveness for their sin. And sin it surely was! How vile an act to lie about your brother’s death, sell him to slavery, and have no idea what would become of him or happen to him! They sinned horribly against their brother!
But Joseph and his brothers were not the only actors in this drama, as Joseph now well knows. So he replies to his brothers in one of the most theologically informed, practically rich statements of the Bible, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good...” (Gen 50:20). Did you catch that? God takes evil, horrible evil, and uses it in his divine plan to bring about the good he has designed! Know dear friend that this is not a one-time act of God, but rather a universal truth. God works this way, and he works this way in your life too. That does not negate the responsibility of your offenders. It only derails the end for which they do you harm! God turns it somehow ultimately and finally for good!
Now that Jacob has passed away, Joseph’s brothers reasoned that he would now take revenge on them for their treacherous act. So they approach Joseph and beg forgiveness for their sin. And sin it surely was! How vile an act to lie about your brother’s death, sell him to slavery, and have no idea what would become of him or happen to him! They sinned horribly against their brother!
But Joseph and his brothers were not the only actors in this drama, as Joseph now well knows. So he replies to his brothers in one of the most theologically informed, practically rich statements of the Bible, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good...” (Gen 50:20). Did you catch that? God takes evil, horrible evil, and uses it in his divine plan to bring about the good he has designed! Know dear friend that this is not a one-time act of God, but rather a universal truth. God works this way, and he works this way in your life too. That does not negate the responsibility of your offenders. It only derails the end for which they do you harm! God turns it somehow ultimately and finally for good!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
A Behind-the-Scenes God
How did Joseph end up in Egypt? From the human viewpoint, he was sent there in a most cruel and tragic way. His own brothers threw him into a pit. They discussed killing him. Then they thought of a way to get rid of him and make a little extra cash, so they sold him to a traveling caravan, which ended up in Egypt!
What do you think was going through Joseph’s mind and heart at the time? Feelings of betrayal by his own kin. Heartbreak at the thought of never seeing his father again, and that his father would grieve so. Fear over where he was headed and what would happen to him there. And you can imagine, as a slave, he wasn’t given the best accommodations on the ride to Egypt!
Of course, then you know the up-and-down story continues when he gets to Egypt. It is enough to make one cry out, “What is happening to me? God, why are you doing this me?” But somewhere along the way, maybe in the pit, maybe in the caravan, maybe in the prison, maybe when the cupbearer forgot all about him, somewhere along the way, God revealed to Joseph a life-changing, fundamental truth. That is, behind-the-scenes God is in control and working all things to accomplish his plan for his glory and our good! Did Joseph’s brothers send him to Egypt? Yes. Ultimately, though, who sent Joseph to Egypt? God! The brothers wanted to get rid of him, so they sent him to Egypt. God wanted to save the brothers, so he sent Joseph to Egypt! Let us learn this truth and cling to it next time we end up in a pit! “And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Gen 45:5
What do you think was going through Joseph’s mind and heart at the time? Feelings of betrayal by his own kin. Heartbreak at the thought of never seeing his father again, and that his father would grieve so. Fear over where he was headed and what would happen to him there. And you can imagine, as a slave, he wasn’t given the best accommodations on the ride to Egypt!
Of course, then you know the up-and-down story continues when he gets to Egypt. It is enough to make one cry out, “What is happening to me? God, why are you doing this me?” But somewhere along the way, maybe in the pit, maybe in the caravan, maybe in the prison, maybe when the cupbearer forgot all about him, somewhere along the way, God revealed to Joseph a life-changing, fundamental truth. That is, behind-the-scenes God is in control and working all things to accomplish his plan for his glory and our good! Did Joseph’s brothers send him to Egypt? Yes. Ultimately, though, who sent Joseph to Egypt? God! The brothers wanted to get rid of him, so they sent him to Egypt. God wanted to save the brothers, so he sent Joseph to Egypt! Let us learn this truth and cling to it next time we end up in a pit! “And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Gen 45:5
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
What's He Up To?
It was all part of one big plan. That is, what Joseph put his brothers through before he revealed himself to them. First he sends them back home with their money in their bags (unknown to them at the time), and he keeps Simeon as a guarantee that they will return one day with Benjamin. Second, when they do return with Benjamin, he sends them home this time with his personal cup hidden in Benjamin’s bag, which would be a crime punishable by death! What’s he up to? At first glance, it may appear as if he just wants to punish his brothers, to get back at them for selling him into slavery, to get revenge, to make them experience some of the misery he experienced. But that’s not it at all.
He’s wants to find out if they have changed! Joseph, as the only son of Rachel at the time, was loved by Jacob, and his brothers envied his favored status with their father. So much so that they were willing to sell him to traders and live out their days as if he didn’t exist. Now that Benjamin is the other son of Rachel and dearly loved by Jacob, would they do the same with him? Would they run back home with food and just leave Benjamin to die or live in prison?
No. They would not. In fact, they interpret the trials Joseph is putting them through as punishment from God! They all tear their garments when the cup is found with Benjamin. Whatever it takes, they are not going to put their father through that suffering again. This becomes Judah’s moment, the same guy who really blew it back in ch 38, now offers to take Benjamin’s punishment! So the test is complete. Joseph’s brothers had lived under great guilt and had changed in their relations with brother and father. It was a test. They passed. May we pass our tests as well!
He’s wants to find out if they have changed! Joseph, as the only son of Rachel at the time, was loved by Jacob, and his brothers envied his favored status with their father. So much so that they were willing to sell him to traders and live out their days as if he didn’t exist. Now that Benjamin is the other son of Rachel and dearly loved by Jacob, would they do the same with him? Would they run back home with food and just leave Benjamin to die or live in prison?
No. They would not. In fact, they interpret the trials Joseph is putting them through as punishment from God! They all tear their garments when the cup is found with Benjamin. Whatever it takes, they are not going to put their father through that suffering again. This becomes Judah’s moment, the same guy who really blew it back in ch 38, now offers to take Benjamin’s punishment! So the test is complete. Joseph’s brothers had lived under great guilt and had changed in their relations with brother and father. It was a test. They passed. May we pass our tests as well!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Why is He Here?
After listing the descendants of Esau, the Bible returns to Jacob, and specifically, to the story of Joseph. And what an incredible story it is! Now Joseph is the kind of person we all want to be, right, apart from a little naivety in spilling his guts about his dreams. (As it turns out, though, God was in the naivety as well!) Joseph resists temptation, maintains his integrity, and doesn’t give up when things go horribly wrong for him. Joseph seems to patiently wait on the Lord, and the Lord is frequently said to be with Joseph. In the end, Joseph is second-in-command of Egypt, which turns out to be God’s plan for preserving his people! Joseph is quite a guy!
Now right when the story of Joseph is unfolding, the Bible gives us a side note on the life of Judah. It seems like an interruption of sorts. We’re talking about Joseph, and this story of Judah is tossed in, and then we return to Joseph. Why is Judah here? For one thing, it gives us a comparison of Joseph and Judah. Joseph is the kind of guy we want to emulate. As it turns out, Judah is not! Judah’s life is far from the cry of Joseph, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”
If you or I were writing the Bible, which one of these brothers would we place in Jesus’ genealogy? Joseph right? But it is God’s plan to send the Messiah through the descendants of Judah. Again, in the most unlikely of places, and again, I believe, to emphasize the wonder and glory of his grace! God is doing so much in these narratives. He is accomplishing many things through Joseph and through Judah. He is doing many things in our lives today as well. We identify more often with Judah probably rather than Joseph. Remember, that’s not an excuse for our sin, but it is a good place for God’s grace to show up!
Now right when the story of Joseph is unfolding, the Bible gives us a side note on the life of Judah. It seems like an interruption of sorts. We’re talking about Joseph, and this story of Judah is tossed in, and then we return to Joseph. Why is Judah here? For one thing, it gives us a comparison of Joseph and Judah. Joseph is the kind of guy we want to emulate. As it turns out, Judah is not! Judah’s life is far from the cry of Joseph, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”
If you or I were writing the Bible, which one of these brothers would we place in Jesus’ genealogy? Joseph right? But it is God’s plan to send the Messiah through the descendants of Judah. Again, in the most unlikely of places, and again, I believe, to emphasize the wonder and glory of his grace! God is doing so much in these narratives. He is accomplishing many things through Joseph and through Judah. He is doing many things in our lives today as well. We identify more often with Judah probably rather than Joseph. Remember, that’s not an excuse for our sin, but it is a good place for God’s grace to show up!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Collecting Gods
The man Jacob, the deceiver, is clearly favored by God from pure grace. The Lord has a plan for the nations, and he is carrying out his promises through Jacob. Even though he doesn’t deserve these graces, everywhere he goes he finds that God is there and at work in his life! So when he flees from Esau, whom he cheated twice, God appears to him in Bethel and makes the same promise to him as he made to his grandfather Abraham. God is going to bless his offspring and through his offspring bless all the families of the earth! Then on his way to meet Esau years later, Jacob wrestles with God and lives to tell about it!
Jacob clearly knows which god is God. For this reason, it is somewhat surprising to find how he has allowed his family to follow and embrace other gods. It started with Rachel stealing household gods from her father, but evidently, it continued through his children as well. When God calls Jacob to return to Bethel, the place where he first met with him, Jacob calls for his family to “put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves.” That tells me that Jacob knew these were false gods, but he allowed and tolerated the collecting and adoring of these gods in his family! Sadly, we do the same. We allow our lives to get cluttered with other gods! We know they are false. We know only God will satisfy. But we tolerate and adore them anyway!
The bright side however is that when God called Jacob back to Bethel, he did call for a time of purification! He prepared himself and his family to meet with God. That’s great leadership for a father! We need to do the same! We need times of personal and family purification where we clean our lives before the Lord and prepare to commune with him and meet him!
Jacob clearly knows which god is God. For this reason, it is somewhat surprising to find how he has allowed his family to follow and embrace other gods. It started with Rachel stealing household gods from her father, but evidently, it continued through his children as well. When God calls Jacob to return to Bethel, the place where he first met with him, Jacob calls for his family to “put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves.” That tells me that Jacob knew these were false gods, but he allowed and tolerated the collecting and adoring of these gods in his family! Sadly, we do the same. We allow our lives to get cluttered with other gods! We know they are false. We know only God will satisfy. But we tolerate and adore them anyway!
The bright side however is that when God called Jacob back to Bethel, he did call for a time of purification! He prepared himself and his family to meet with God. That’s great leadership for a father! We need to do the same! We need times of personal and family purification where we clean our lives before the Lord and prepare to commune with him and meet him!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
What Goes Around?
The deceiver gets deceived - big time! Jacob’s name means “he cheats,” and the name fits. Jacob went through life cheating others out of what was not rightfully his, Esau his brother in particular. Jacob cheated Esau out of his birthright and out of his blessing. Pretty clever guy right? Well all is fine until the shoe is on the other foot!
Jacob goes to live with Laban, his uncle, and falls head-over-hills in love with Laban’s daughter, Rachel. In fact, he loves her with so much blinding passion that he agreed with Laban to work 7 years to have her as his wife, and those years of hard work “seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.” So now the wedding day has finally arrived! There’s a big celebration, Jacob takes his new wife into the bedchamber, wakes up the next morning, and IT’S LEAH! He has taken Leah, Rachel’s sister into his bed, not Rachel, the love of his life. (I have no idea how this takes place, but nonetheless, it happened!) Bottom line - Jacob has been deceived by Laban! Now he knows how it feels.
As it turns out though, teaching Jacob a lesson is not the only result at work here. It is hardly ever the case that God is only doing one thing! He is usually doing multiple things at once in our lives. Through all this tale of the deceiver getting deceived, God is doing something far beyond Jacob! Leah, not Rachel, bears a son named Judah, and it is from Judah that the Messiah will come. Therefore, behind-the-scenes God is working to fulfill his promise to Abraham in the blessing of every family on earth, and he is doing so in the most unlikely of places, which is his usual course! It is true what goes around, comes around. It is also true that in the going and coming around, God is accomplishing his will and keeping his promises!
Jacob goes to live with Laban, his uncle, and falls head-over-hills in love with Laban’s daughter, Rachel. In fact, he loves her with so much blinding passion that he agreed with Laban to work 7 years to have her as his wife, and those years of hard work “seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.” So now the wedding day has finally arrived! There’s a big celebration, Jacob takes his new wife into the bedchamber, wakes up the next morning, and IT’S LEAH! He has taken Leah, Rachel’s sister into his bed, not Rachel, the love of his life. (I have no idea how this takes place, but nonetheless, it happened!) Bottom line - Jacob has been deceived by Laban! Now he knows how it feels.
As it turns out though, teaching Jacob a lesson is not the only result at work here. It is hardly ever the case that God is only doing one thing! He is usually doing multiple things at once in our lives. Through all this tale of the deceiver getting deceived, God is doing something far beyond Jacob! Leah, not Rachel, bears a son named Judah, and it is from Judah that the Messiah will come. Therefore, behind-the-scenes God is working to fulfill his promise to Abraham in the blessing of every family on earth, and he is doing so in the most unlikely of places, which is his usual course! It is true what goes around, comes around. It is also true that in the going and coming around, God is accomplishing his will and keeping his promises!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
From All Appearances
God’s promise to Abraham of offspring without number was to be realized through the son of he and his wife Sarah, Isaac. Abraham and Sarah thought that God needed a little help to get this promise accomplished, especially since she was barren (as if God was not in control of that!). So the plan was put in place to have Hagar as a surrogate wife and bear Abraham a son. She did conceive, a son was born, and there was trouble between these families ever since! (Not such a brilliant plan after all!)
Now Abraham is coming to the end of his life, and even though God has made good on his promise, it still looks like a long shot! Abraham and Sarah did in fact have a son in their old age, Isaac or laughter. So finally, the plan is in place and the great nation is on the way. Right? Maybe. As it turns out, Isaac’s wife, Rebekah is also barren. (There seems to be a pattern here!) Ishmael, that’s Abraham and Hagar’s son, does not experience this trouble at all. Rather, it seems from all outward appearances that God’s promise is actually going in the opposite direction! Ishmael has 12 sons as opposed to none so far from Isaac! 12 sons who become 12 princes! Wow! Sound familiar? Is this where God’s promises fail? Did God change his mind? Has Isaac been rejected? From all appearances it would seem so - but not to the eyes of faith!
God answers the prayer of Isaac, opens the womb of Rebekah, and Jacob and Esau are conceived. God’s promise would come to life just as he said. It seemed impossible twice thus far in Genesis. It seemed reversed at one time. It seemed delayed. But now, it is going to be fulfilled! The lesson for us is clear. When it comes to God’s promises, we cannot depend or rely upon appearances. We rely solely upon his word!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Faith-filled Fear
In chapter 22 just as Abraham is about to drop the dagger into Isaac’s chest and offer him as a sacrifice unto God, the Lord speaks and stops him in mid air! The Lord said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” It is interesting to note that God did not say that Abraham has proven his faith, but rather has proven that he properly fears the Lord.
It is not as if this wasn’t an act of extraordinary faith! Before God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son, he had made a promise to Abraham concerning his only son. In Genesis 21:12 the Lord said, “for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This is why Abraham so confidently told his servants in chapter 22, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” Abraham believed God’s promise in 21:12 to the extent that he was readily obedient in chapter 22. He believed God’s word was so sure that even if he sacrificed Isaac, God would still somehow bring him back to life and raise offspring from him JUST AS HE PROMISED HE WOULD DO! So for sure, Abraham was acting in faith in chapter 22. But God commended his fear not his faith. What is this fear?
I believe Abraham’s faith is part of how we are to understand the kind of fear to have before God. It was a faith-filled fear. This doesn’t mean scared-to-death of God. And it does mean more than just superb respect and reverence. Abraham believed God’s Word to the point that he was more fearful of not obeying than of obeying. A faith-filled fear says, “I trust his word above my knowledge, I trust him, and I dare not disobey him!”
Thursday, January 7, 2010
How Easy We Love Lesser Things
Lot and his family have settled in the plush land of Sodom. (Please note that fruitful land is not always an indicator of God’s blessings!) The city has become so corrupt, so immoral, so degraded that God has decided to wipe it off the map as an example for the ages that sin against God bears grave consequences! (Please note God promised to not destroy the earth again because of man’s sin, but he does reserve to right to send local judgment from time to time!)
The city’s degeneracy is evident in that a crowd of men turn out to have their way with a couple of visiting men. While just strangers to Lot, he offers them shelter in his home, and they actually rescue him from the intended perversion of the townsmen. Lot knows they are not normal men because they strike the men with blindness. These men warn Lot that destruction is on the way and he and his family must flee now or be caught in the devastation.
What’s surprising is that neither Lot nor his family really want to go! Even though he is known as a righteous man in the New Testament, evidently he has grown comfortable and attached to his environment. An environment so perverted that it is destined to annihilation! His sons-in-law don’t believe him and so won’t go. When it comes down to leaving, the angels have to grab Lot and his family by the hand and force them out! (an act of sheer mercy by God!) Then Lot’s wife is unable to bear the separation and longingly looks back, which resulted in her last look at anything. Why was it so hard to leave such a place? Especially when destruction was sure to come? Because Lot, and ALL OF US, are far too easily enticed and settled with lesser things! Sinful things! Thank God for His mercy that drives us away from these lesser things time and time again!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Justification by Faith
“Look at the stars and count them. As numerous as the stars of the heavens so shall your offspring be.” Just look at the stars! That’s what God told Abram, soon to be called Abraham. Interesting response to Abram’s bewilderment. This is the Abram who left home on God’s promise to make him a great nation. This is the Abram who gave his nephew Lot first choice of the land. This is the Abram who rescued Lot later when Lot had selfishly taken the best ground.
However, this is also the same Abram who lied about Sarai in Egypt because he feared for his life. Not much trust in the promises of God there. This is the same Abram who will soon bypass God’s plans for offspring due to lack of trust, which ended in a step-family friction that continues to this day! This Abram, one who lacks faith at times and fails but who also acts courageously at times on God’s Word. This Abram is puzzled and asking God how he will ever fulfill his promise when he has no son!?! To this, God replies, “Look at the stars!”
I believe at that moment it dawned on Abram, “How did all those stars get up there? Answer: God. And where did they come from when God made them? Answer: Nothing. If God can fill the heavens with millions of brilliant lights from nothing, he can certainly give me a son!” And Abram then did the one thing that pleases God most - he believed him! Now Abram didn’t have a perfect faith as shown by the very next chapter (16), but he did have faith in the Lord. The Lord’s response to faith in him is the most precious of truths and the foundation of the Gospel. The Lord credited it to Abram as righteousness. That is, God considered Abram right with him on the basis of faith even though Abram was still a sinner! Sola Fidei! Faith alone!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Gracious Covenants
When God interacts with man, he does so on the basis of a covenant. When God announces a new relation between man and God, he does so on the basis of a covenant. God is a covenantal God. He initiates the covenants, sets the boundaries of the covenants, and He remains faithful to his covenantal promises.
In chapter 9, God has made a covenant with mankind beginning with Noah. In that covenant, he has promised to never destroy the ground and every living thing because of man’s sin again. That covenant extends grace to every human being, and we are called to remember that gracious covenant every time we see a rainbow!
In chapter 12, God has called Abram out of Haran and has made him a promise. He has promised to make Abram a great nation, to bless him, and in him to bless all the families of the earth! The beginnings of the Abrahamic covenant are here and will be solidified in chapter 15. Again, we have a promise, but as will be revealed soon, this is not like the covenant with Noah. This covenant is not for all people, but for God’s people, that is, the people of faith. In calling Abram, God has set forth his plan to have a people for himself out of the peoples of the earth. The nation of Israel is the not the object of this covenant. They are the seedbed from which this covenant will grow. The object is every family of the earth, that is, every tribe, language, tongue (Rev 5:9-10)! However, like Noah’s covenant, this is a gracious covenant as well. Just like we don’t deserve common grace, as Noah proved in chapter 9 by getting drunk, so we don’t deserve saving grace, as Abram proved in chapter 12 by not trusting God. For not only is God a covenantal God, he is a GRACIOUS covenantal God!
Monday, January 4, 2010
After the Fall
It all happened so fast! In 6 days God created the a universe filled with wonder, spender, mystery, and beauty. He placed his prize creation in the most perfect of settings, a garden. He provided him a helpmate exactly suited to him. He was in daily communion with God and in charge of God’s creation. He lived under just one command - just one command! He should not eat from this one tree. But that wondrous existence seems to have only lasted a few days because by Genesis 3, it is all over!
Adam and Eve fell into sin. They believed the lie of the evil one and quickly found that the promises of Satan are empty and deceiving but the promises of God are steadfast. God promised they would die if they disobeyed. And they did, and since they are our parents, we died with them!
It all happened so fast! Even though the serpent was punished, sin would not abate - it never will! It had entered creation. It had spoiled God’s plan (or so it thought!). And it was here to stay. Of the many things to learn in the opening chapters of Genesis, we would do well to learn this: sin progresses unbelievably fast and leaves destruction in its path! The sin of chapter 3 is eating forbidden fruit. The sin of chapter four is murder! And it only gets worse because by chapter 6 sin has so covered and captured man that the earth must be cleansed by the waters of the flood! It all happened so fast!
But thanks be to God, where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Rom 5:20)! God graced a man named Noah. Noah built an ark in obedience to God. God rescued Noah and his family and preserved the animals in the Ark. And with the end of chapter 8, God has made a covenant signified with the rainbow! After the Fall - there was grace!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
In the Beginning
In the beginning, that is, before anything material existed. Before there was an earth, or a Milky Way galaxy, or space, or a universe. Before there were incremental measurements of time that came and went and made history. Before there was a year, a month, a day, an hour, a minute, or a second. In the beginning, that is, before anything else existed, there was only God!
The Triune, Self-existing, Self-sufficient, Almighty God, and He alone, existed in the realm of “in the beginning.” And what a glorious existence it was! Perfect harmony, unity, love, and relationship shared between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Then something amazing and awesome occurred! God, in his perfect Triune existence, decided to share the overflowing joy and love that eternally flows between The Three, and by grace His abounding glory was made visible and perceivable by other beings!
Creation happened, and its beginning ended the period of eternity known as “the beginning.” No long period of developmental stages. No cooperation between Creator and creation. No accidental chance occurrence. No big, loud noise of atomic eruption. Just a word. That’s all it took. He just said, “Let there be light,” and suddenly and wonderfully the first something came into being out of nothing! And with that, “in the beginning” came to an end.
So why did God create when He already existed in the most perfect, fulfilling relationship? He did so as an extension of His glory in order to share His glory. In other words, He did so by His grace and for His glory! And it all began, “In the beginning.”
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