The story of the rich man and Lazarus ends with an alarming truth. The rich man, now in Hell, was conversing with Abraham, who was in paradise with Lazarus. The rich man requested that Abraham send Lazarus to warn his five brothers lest they also die and end up in dreadful torment as well. Abraham replies, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” In other words, they have the Scriptures, and the Scriptures are sufficient for salvation.
Paul expressed this to Timothy in 2 Tim 3:15, “and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Also, he says in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” The foundation of faith is the Word of God! Faith springs from the written revelation of God! No other source will suffice to produce saving faith in the heart.
In fact, the rich man continues to plead with Abraham, “No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Abraham corrects the misleading thought of the rich man and says, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Not even the miraculous will produce faith! Faith comes by grace through the means of the Word of God!
It is interesting that Jesus is telling this story, and He did come back from the dead! Though his resurrection is historically verifiable, people still reject Jesus today. The ones who believe in Jesus have believed what has been revealed about Jesus in the Word. Faith’s foundation is the Word of God!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Circumcise Your Heart - Deut 9-12
A proper response to God’s provision for Israel under the Old Covenant was that they would circumcise their hearts. The meaning of this metaphor is that they should turn from their ways of sin, fear the Lord, obey his statutes, and serve him with joy! After all, remember who the Lord is and all he has done for them!
Moses writes, “Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart...” (Deut 10:14-16)
The command to “circumcise your heart” was easier said than done! It is the right response to the love of a sovereign God. The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is so very weak. As you know, the unfolding history of Israel will reveal this to be true. They should circumcise their hearts so that they would turn from self and serve the Lord. However, the fallen flesh will not circumcise the heart by command or by the will or by choice or by logic or by determination!
Thus the life-giving, soul-freeing promise of the New Covenant that God will in grace circumcise our hearts so that we will walk in his ways! (Deut 30:6) Grace accomplishes what the Law could never accomplish. The Law only tells us what we should do; circumcise your heart. Grace accomplishes what we can’t do as sinners and thus frees us to live as believers; I will circumcise your heart!
Moses writes, “Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart...” (Deut 10:14-16)
The command to “circumcise your heart” was easier said than done! It is the right response to the love of a sovereign God. The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is so very weak. As you know, the unfolding history of Israel will reveal this to be true. They should circumcise their hearts so that they would turn from self and serve the Lord. However, the fallen flesh will not circumcise the heart by command or by the will or by choice or by logic or by determination!
Thus the life-giving, soul-freeing promise of the New Covenant that God will in grace circumcise our hearts so that we will walk in his ways! (Deut 30:6) Grace accomplishes what the Law could never accomplish. The Law only tells us what we should do; circumcise your heart. Grace accomplishes what we can’t do as sinners and thus frees us to live as believers; I will circumcise your heart!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Why You are Loved - Deut 5-8
“The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you...” (Deut 7:6-8)
Moses exhorts the Israelites by reminding them of their unique place in God’s redemptive plan. The Lord had set his love on them and as a result had chosen them to be his. Why did he love them? Was it because they were skilled in some way? Powerful? Affluent? Domineering? Not at all. Nothing about them attracted God’s love. This is totally opposite from the way we operate isn’t it? Our love for something or someone is usually based on a characteristic rooted in that particular thing or person. Not so with God. Moses said, “The Lord set his love on you...because the Lord loves you.” Moses is not committing the fallacy of circular reasoning here! He is simply stating the truth that the source of God’s love is God! The reason God loves has everything to do with God and nothing to do with Israel!
It is the same for all of us who are in Christ today! God has set his love on us. God has chosen us. Why? What did we do to deserve it? Nothing! In fact, we have done everything to NOT deserve it! He loves us because he loves us! His love is rooted in his will, in his nature, in his glory. God’s love is of a kind we have never experienced anywhere else. He bathes us daily in a pure and perfect love that is totally free from any condition or requirement! His love for us is the deepest, richest love that could be known!
Moses exhorts the Israelites by reminding them of their unique place in God’s redemptive plan. The Lord had set his love on them and as a result had chosen them to be his. Why did he love them? Was it because they were skilled in some way? Powerful? Affluent? Domineering? Not at all. Nothing about them attracted God’s love. This is totally opposite from the way we operate isn’t it? Our love for something or someone is usually based on a characteristic rooted in that particular thing or person. Not so with God. Moses said, “The Lord set his love on you...because the Lord loves you.” Moses is not committing the fallacy of circular reasoning here! He is simply stating the truth that the source of God’s love is God! The reason God loves has everything to do with God and nothing to do with Israel!
It is the same for all of us who are in Christ today! God has set his love on us. God has chosen us. Why? What did we do to deserve it? Nothing! In fact, we have done everything to NOT deserve it! He loves us because he loves us! His love is rooted in his will, in his nature, in his glory. God’s love is of a kind we have never experienced anywhere else. He bathes us daily in a pure and perfect love that is totally free from any condition or requirement! His love for us is the deepest, richest love that could be known!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
That You Might Know - Deut 1-4
Deuteronomy means “second law.” In other words, this is a re-telling of some key points in Genesis through Numbers. Deuteronomy is in some ways Moses’ version of all that has taken place and we often find helpful extra bits of information and theology in Deuteronomy. One of the insights Moses offers the Israelites is that God has acted on their behalf in order to reveal Himself to them!
Moses tells the people to remember the laws and remember the events. They should keep these things in their hearts and teach them to their children always. If they do not, they will soon forget and drift away from the Lord. Moses sets these questions before them. “Since the day that God created man...this has ever happened or was ever heard of. Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking...and still live? Or has any god...taken a nation for himself from the midst of another nation...?” Then later he adds, “Out of heaven he let you hear his voice...on earth he let you see his great fire...he loved your fathers and chose their offspring...brought you out of Egypt...driving out before you nations greater and mightier.” Wow! An absolutely, phenomenal, miraculous history! What was God up to? Moses says, “To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.”
The same could be asked of us today concerning Christ. Has there ever been a god who left his glory to fulfill God’s demands of righteousness and justice on your behalf? Has there ever been a god to die in your place and then rise again to secure your salvation and hope? What was God up to in Christ? He was showing us his power, grace, and glory that we might know Jesus is Lord; there is no other Savior besides him!
Moses tells the people to remember the laws and remember the events. They should keep these things in their hearts and teach them to their children always. If they do not, they will soon forget and drift away from the Lord. Moses sets these questions before them. “Since the day that God created man...this has ever happened or was ever heard of. Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking...and still live? Or has any god...taken a nation for himself from the midst of another nation...?” Then later he adds, “Out of heaven he let you hear his voice...on earth he let you see his great fire...he loved your fathers and chose their offspring...brought you out of Egypt...driving out before you nations greater and mightier.” Wow! An absolutely, phenomenal, miraculous history! What was God up to? Moses says, “To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.”
The same could be asked of us today concerning Christ. Has there ever been a god who left his glory to fulfill God’s demands of righteousness and justice on your behalf? Has there ever been a god to die in your place and then rise again to secure your salvation and hope? What was God up to in Christ? He was showing us his power, grace, and glory that we might know Jesus is Lord; there is no other Savior besides him!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Remember Where You've Been - Num 33-36
In Numbers 33 Moses has recorded every step of Israel’s journey from Egypt until they are beside the Jordan. They were never in the same place long. Imagine the time it would take to set up camp, pack up camp, and travel to the next campsite! These people were constantly on the move, and now had arrived at the edge of what would become their home.
Looking back over their stops along the way was more than a travel log. These places represented events. Sometimes Moses even adds a few words to help them remember. He says Elim had twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. Elim must have been a beautiful place. On the other hand, he says Rephidim was where there was no water for the people to drink. Can you imagine the different reactions when looking back at those two spots on the list? One would look back at Elim and rejoice at how God had provided so abundantly. One would look back at Rephidim, from the edge of the Promised Land, and wonder how could there have been so much complaining and doubt?
There are numerous spots listed in Numbers 33, but one in particular catches the eye, Terah. Remember that name from Genesis 11? Terah was Abraham’s father who had set out to bring his family to Canaan but stopped short in a town called Haran where he died. Could this city be named after Abraham’s father? In a sense, then, Israel is back where they started, but it would be different this time around!
Take time, like Moses, to remember where you’ve been. It may be surprising to see all the ways the Lord has been good and faithful to you and where He has brought you now!
Looking back over their stops along the way was more than a travel log. These places represented events. Sometimes Moses even adds a few words to help them remember. He says Elim had twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. Elim must have been a beautiful place. On the other hand, he says Rephidim was where there was no water for the people to drink. Can you imagine the different reactions when looking back at those two spots on the list? One would look back at Elim and rejoice at how God had provided so abundantly. One would look back at Rephidim, from the edge of the Promised Land, and wonder how could there have been so much complaining and doubt?
There are numerous spots listed in Numbers 33, but one in particular catches the eye, Terah. Remember that name from Genesis 11? Terah was Abraham’s father who had set out to bring his family to Canaan but stopped short in a town called Haran where he died. Could this city be named after Abraham’s father? In a sense, then, Israel is back where they started, but it would be different this time around!
Take time, like Moses, to remember where you’ve been. It may be surprising to see all the ways the Lord has been good and faithful to you and where He has brought you now!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Why So Many? Num 29-32
The list of regular offerings and Feasts is a bit overwhelming. Israel’s calendar was filled to say the least. There were daily offerings, Sabbath offerings, monthly offerings, and Passover offerings. There was the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. In other words, every day sacrifice and worship were taking place. Why so many?
First, there was a need for daily offering and sacrifice because sins were committed every day that needed atonement. Imagine the number of sins that would build up from 1 million people over a 24 hour period! The constant committing of sin required a constant flow of sacrifices at the Tabernacle.
Second, there were so many wonderful, miraculous events that should not be forgotten! Each feast represented a special occasion in Israel’s history where God had moved mightily on their behalf. The offerings and the Day of Atonement reminded them that reconciliation and forgiveness was given to them by God on a daily basis.
Third, every sacrifice marked an occasion for thankfulness and rejoicing! God had made a way to save His people!
As the people of God today, we don’t observe frequent sacrifices. However, the slain Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, represents the same truths to us. He died for our many sins. His death on our behalf reminds us of what God has done for us. So just as the place of death in the OT was a place of worship, the place of death in the NT, the cross, is a place of worship!
First, there was a need for daily offering and sacrifice because sins were committed every day that needed atonement. Imagine the number of sins that would build up from 1 million people over a 24 hour period! The constant committing of sin required a constant flow of sacrifices at the Tabernacle.
Second, there were so many wonderful, miraculous events that should not be forgotten! Each feast represented a special occasion in Israel’s history where God had moved mightily on their behalf. The offerings and the Day of Atonement reminded them that reconciliation and forgiveness was given to them by God on a daily basis.
Third, every sacrifice marked an occasion for thankfulness and rejoicing! God had made a way to save His people!
As the people of God today, we don’t observe frequent sacrifices. However, the slain Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, represents the same truths to us. He died for our many sins. His death on our behalf reminds us of what God has done for us. So just as the place of death in the OT was a place of worship, the place of death in the NT, the cross, is a place of worship!
Monday, February 22, 2010
A New Day - Num 25-28
Moses was God’s appointed leader from the Exodus through the years of wilderness wandering. This forty year journey was filled with ups and downs, complaining and rejoicing, the Lord giving the Law, the Lord sending judgment, the people obeying, the people disobeying, rebellion, worship, sacrifices, Tabernacle building, and incredible miracles. It was quiet a journey at the end of which the generation that refused to enter the Promised Land had died.
A new day was now upon the new generation of Israelites. Time was drawing close for the people to exit the wilderness and began to settle in the Promised Land. God has proven His power to overcome their enemies on several occasions already. They will go in and possess the land. God will go before them. They will transition from wandering nomads to a sovereign nation with actual boundaries.
The new day would bring forth a new leader. It would be Joshua’s duty to lead the people into the Promised Land. Moses’ leadership was cut short due to his sin at the rock, but even this was part of God’s plan. Moses commissioned Joshua before the priest, bestowed him with authority before the people, and the Lord filled him with the Spirit. It’s a new day. God is leading. His plan is being fulfilled.
God brings about “new days” in our journey, “new days” in our lives, our families, and our churches. “New days” include saying “Goodbye” to some things and making transitions. Remember, however, it’s all part of God fulfilling His promises and providing for His people! The “new day” will be a better day if we are following the Lord!
A new day was now upon the new generation of Israelites. Time was drawing close for the people to exit the wilderness and began to settle in the Promised Land. God has proven His power to overcome their enemies on several occasions already. They will go in and possess the land. God will go before them. They will transition from wandering nomads to a sovereign nation with actual boundaries.
The new day would bring forth a new leader. It would be Joshua’s duty to lead the people into the Promised Land. Moses’ leadership was cut short due to his sin at the rock, but even this was part of God’s plan. Moses commissioned Joshua before the priest, bestowed him with authority before the people, and the Lord filled him with the Spirit. It’s a new day. God is leading. His plan is being fulfilled.
God brings about “new days” in our journey, “new days” in our lives, our families, and our churches. “New days” include saying “Goodbye” to some things and making transitions. Remember, however, it’s all part of God fulfilling His promises and providing for His people! The “new day” will be a better day if we are following the Lord!
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