Tag Archives: Bible

Apr 7 2013

Understanding the Cross of Christ – Part 4 – (God’s Plan)

This series began in Part One as a search for a more meaningful answer to an aspiring young Christian’s question: “Why did God send His only son to die?”  The short answer “to save us from our sins,” while correct, really only serves to raise more questions.  In part 2, we looked at what sin is, why it matters so much to God, and why it should matter to us.  In part 3, we delved into God’s response to sin.  In all of that discussion, we have made great mention of the fact that God has a plan for our salvation.  Now, in part 4, let us look at how Jesus really fits into that plan.

So how does Jesus fit into this plan of God’s?

If you were to say that Jesus, in fact, is God’s plan for our salvation, you would be correct.  God first promised this savior in Genesis 3:15, when sin first entered the world.  The verse reads in the ESV:

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.

The enmity that God refers to here is opposition to Satan through the offspring born of the woman.  Clearly, the “he” in the verse that will “bruise your head” is that offspring.  What is meant by bruising the head is the complete victory over the evil one that had the power over death, as told to us in Hebrews 2:14-15.  As for how the Crucifixion can be classified as  the bruising of the heel, consider that Jesus overcame death itself, and that the ultimate fate of Satan is his utter destruction (Revelation 20:10).

There are a great many prophecies throughout the Bible that promise the coming of this Messiah  – many more than we can include in this outline.  But the most important of these is arguably that which is written in 2 Samuel 7, where God makes a covenant with David which promises a kingdom from his offspring that will endure forever.  He would be the son of God (Psalm 2:7).  It is through this offspring of David that the one promised in Genesis 3 will come.  He would be sacrificed for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5-12).  And most importantly, he would be risen from the dead (Psalm 16:10, Psalm 49:15).

Who was Jesus really, and where did He come from?

Let us begin with his name.  Most people know of Him as Jesus Christ.  He has been known this way for so long that many people actually assume that His last name – His surname – was Christ.  But that is, of course, not the case.  Over the years the reference to Him as Jesus the Christ has simply been shortened.  The Hebrew for Messiah and the Greek for Christ (Khristos) both mean anointed or “anointed one.”

Most people know that He was born in Bethlehem of a virgin, and many have wondered what the point is of the long genealogy written in Matthew 1:1-17.   This was to document the fact that Jesus’ birth came forth through the line of King David.  The names of many of those in that genealogical record are found in books of the Bible (the Old Testament) written in the inspired word of God over many hundreds of years.

But though Jesus was born of a woman, just as had been prophesied, that is not the entire significance of His origin.  In John 1:1-18, we are told that before He came to live as a man, Jesus was with God since the beginning of time:

“He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Some say that Jesus never claimed to be deity, but that is certainly not true.  In John 10:30, he told the Jewish leaders at the temple “I and the Father are one.”  And in John 8:58, he told them “before Abraham was, I am,” which was clearly a reference to the way God identified Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14.

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians in Philippians 2:5-8, summed up how much Jesus gave up to come to Earth, to become a man, and to suffer a cruel death:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

As we near the conclusion of this series, we will  examine how Jesus measures up with what the people were expecting from the Messiah that had been anticipated for well over a thousand years, what His death meant then and, more importantly, what it means to us now.

/Bob’s boy

___________________
image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Apr 5 2013

Psalms 48 – Great Is the Lord!

The Pool of Hezekiah, Jerusalem

The Pool of Hezekiah, Jerusalem (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Psalm 48 is considered by some to be the last of a trilogy (46, 47, 48), all three of which appear to express praise and rejoicing for their deliverance from Sennacherib‘s army.  Some believe the occasion in question was deliverance during Hezekiah’s reign in 701 BC (2 Kings 19).  Others believe it to be concerning events during the reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:1-28).   Either way, this is a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God for deliverance.

But it is more than that.  Verses 8-14 speak of God dwelling in His city forever, of how His praise reaches to the ends of the earth.  But we know that the literal Jerusalem would be destroyed in 70 A.D. after Israel rejected the Messiah; and we also know that most of the literal earth hardly was in the habit of praising God.  The key is in the second part of verse 8 – “the city of our God, which God will establish forever.”  This is clearly a reference to the New Jerusalem that will fulfill this passage by way of our Lord Jesus.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Apr 4 2013

Job 12 – Job Replies: The Lord Has Done This

Verse 2 (“No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you”), rather than being flattery, is obvious sarcasm on Job’s part concerning his wise friends.  He already knows, he tells them, about God’s great power and goodness; and he tells them in verse 3 that “I am not inferior to you.”   Job seems to have had enough of their self-righteous speeches about their supposed insight into the wisdom of the ages and the wisdom of God Himself.

whale-001Concerning Job’s description of his treatment by his neighbors in verses 4-5, Coffman comments “he truly spoke of a universal trait of our fallen human nature, namely, that of despising the unfortunate.”  He again disputes his friends’ assertions in verse 6 by pointing out that thieves and other ungodly people do enjoy peace and prosperity.

He then points them toward the animal kingdom, nature, and even the rest of mankind.  Gentle creatures, lush forests, and righteous men are not favored by God with abundance over predators, weeds, or evil dictators. Princes, kings, and even great nations can rise quickly and just as easily fall.  God, Job points out, controls all nature and everything on the earth.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Apr 3 2013

Psalms 41 – Even My Close Friend

Hushai was a counselor for King David, but when Absalom rebelled against his father David, David asked Hushai to pretend to shift loyalty to Absalom, but act instead as a spy. Absalom accepted Hushai's advice instead of the advice of Ahithophel, so Ahithophel committed suicide (2 Samuel 17:1-14).

Hushai was a counselor for King David, but when Absalom rebelled against his father David, David asked Hushai to pretend to shift loyalty to Absalom, but act instead as a spy. Absalom accepted Hushai’s advice instead of the advice of Ahithophel, so Ahithophel committed suicide (2 Samuel 17:1-14).

Traditionally, the Hebrew text divided the psalms into five books, the last of which in each finishes with a doxology (a short hymn of praise to God, which occurs here in verse 13); and chapter 41 concludes book one.  As is the case with many psalms, this one has meaning for the situation in David’s life at the time, as well as having application for the Jesus the Messiah.

communion trayMany consider that this psalm was written at a time when David suffered from a great illness that may have facilitated Absalom’s rebellion (2 Samuel 15).  The word “poor” in verse one is sometimes translated “weak,” which especially fits verses 1-8.  Jesus applies verse 9 to Judas in John 13:18.  In David’s case, the identity of the close friend of that verse is believed by many to be Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15:31).  The reference to the resurrection and ascension to heaven are hard to miss in verses 10-12, with the enemy in verse 11 clearly as Satan.  And verse 9 unmistakably points to Judas during Jesus’ act of instituting the Lord’s supper:

“Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me”

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Apr 2 2013

Proverbs 21 – Refusing Justice

Charles Manson

Charles Manson

This chapter is laden with proverbs concerning righteousness, justice, and evil.  Consider verses 7 and 10:

The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
because they refuse to do what is just.

The soul of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.

That there are people in this world that are simply evil is demonstrated to us at various times in our lives, but it often takes by surprise nonetheless.  We want to believe in the inherent good of man for the most part, and are sometimes shocked at how easily some can do evil – from the fearless and brazen thief to the cold calculating killer, our faith in humanity sometimes gets shaken as we learn of someone who has behaved with depravity, sometimes for years on end.

Osama Bin Laden

Osama Bin Laden

The truth is that there are wicked people who do horrible things not because they just cannot help themselves, but instead they do so eagerly and without remorse.  They have no mercy on their fellow man because they are ruthless.  But such evil will not escape punishment forever.  Eventually, their evil and violence will destroy them.  God wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).  But not everyone will be.  And so, there is no shame for us in the truth of verse 15:

When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Apr 1 2013

Psalm 119:89-96; Psalm 52 – The Steadfast Love of God Endures

lamedhToday’s stanza of Psalm 119 is brought to you by the letter Lamedh, the twelfth letter of the Aleph-bet.  It’s pictographic representation is that of a shepherd’s staff.  This stanza praises God for his perfection that is without limits, and for His enduring faithfulness to His promises throughout all generations.

Psalm 52 is a song of David that, according to the superscript, was written when Doeg the Edomite had betrayed David, lied to Saul, and slaughtered the priests of Nob ( Psalm 22:6-20).  Verse one would seem to be a very sarcastic statement concerning Doeg being a mighty man, as the act certainly displayed extreme cowardice.  Verses 2-4 refer to Doeg’s false report to Saul.  Ahimelech had been led by David to believe that he was on the king’s business (1 Samuel 21:1-3), yet Doeg reported it as a conspiracy between the two (1 Samuel 22:9-10).

The remainder of the psalm praises God for His righteousness and justice, declaring that people like Doeg will get their just rewards for their works of destruction.  But David expresses his confidence in trusting in God – that the faithful, who wait on Him will be vindicated and cared for.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Mar 31 2013

Understanding the Cross of Christ – Part 3 (God’s Response To Sin)

cross03In part 1 of this series, we began looking for a more informative answer to my young friend’s question (“Why would God send His only son to die?”).  The answer is of course that it was God’s plan for our salvation all along.  But a better explanation would really be aided by a better understanding of sin, atonement, and ultimately, propitiation.  In part 2, we looked at what sin is, why it matters so much to God, and why it should matter to us.  And now we turn to God’s response to sin – which, come to that, is also one of the reasons that it matters to us.

What are the consequences of sin?

Adam and Eve expelled

When Adam and Eve obeyed Satan instead of God, God sent them from the Garden of Eden and posted an angelic being at the doorway of Eden to prevent them from entering it again (Genesis 3).

Of course, God’s first response to sin was to Adam and Eve after the fall of man, but He has given man many other earthly responses to sin.  God was so grieved by man’s wickedness that He “struck down every living creature” (that wasn’t on the ark) in a global flood in Genesis 6-8. God promised His judgment on the Canaanites in Genesis 15:13-21 and again in Deuteronomy 9:4-5 , well in advance of the Israelites’ entry into the promised land in Joshua 3.  And just as he warned them 1,000 years earlier in Deuteronomy 28:49-63, God had His people removed and taken captive for their continued disobedience, and their cherished holy city was burned (2 Kings 17, 2 Kings 24, 2 Chronicles 36:17-21).  Of course, all of these, and many other earthly judgments God has brought to pass, pale in comparison to God’s promise of eternal separation from Him and the punishment that awaits the sinful in the end – in contrast to the reward that awaits the faithful (Matthew 8:11-12, Matthew 25:45-46).

Why does God require a price to be paid for sin?

Abraham covenant-01

The Lord spoke personally with Abraham, entering into a lasting covenant with him (Genesis 17).

It is a fact that it is no accident that the Creator of life demands discipline, and that the blueprints He gives us for living our lives result in the best that life has to offer for us.  Godly living in the long and short-term always has born out that constant truth – His ways are best for us.  And it is His will for all of us to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4) So why does God demand a price for sin?  As we noted in part 2, God is too pure to tolerate sin (Habakkuk 1:13).  But just as importantly, He is a fair and just God (Psalm 25:8-14, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10, Deuteronomy 32:4).  He has promised to reward us for our righteousness, just as He has promised to punish sin. He is faithful and true to all of His promises.  If it were not so – if He simply turned a blind eye to sin – how could we count on Him to keep the other promises He has made to us?

How was sin dealt with in the Old Testament?

Sacrifices and offerings to God were made by presenting them to a Levitical priest (a descendant of Levi, one of the 12 sons of Jacob).  Non-priests could not make an approach to God.  The different types of offerings are described in Leviticus 1-7.  Only the High Priest – from Aaron through the end of Eleazor’s line – approached God in the innermost part of the Tabernacle (the Most Holy place), as they did to make offering on the Day of Atonement.  This occurrence simply put off the judgment of the Lord for their sins in the past year (Leviticus 16:34).  These sacrifices and the old law were merely a shadow of the promise of what was to come (Hebrews 10:1-4).

Levitical_priesthood_diagram-01

The Levitical Priesthood

God had set apart the Levites (Numbers 3:12) and established the priesthood for His people through the lines of the three sons of Levi – all with special duties.  These were the Gershonites (Numbers 4:24-26; 7:7-8), Kohathites (Numbers 3:29-32, 1 Chron 15:1-15), and the Merarites (Numbers 3:36-37; 4:29-33).  Moses and Aaron were sons of Kohath; and it was through Aaron’s line that the priesthood continued until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., by way of his sons Eleazor, Ithamar, and Nadab and Abihu. The latter two met their end (and that of their lines) in Leviticus 10.  Ithamar’s line ended  in 2 Kings 2:26-27 with Abiathar.  Eleazor’s line lived on until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

All through these ages, the promise loomed ahead of something better.  A promise that was made first in Genesis 3:15-17, and would be repeated and expounded throughout the Old Testament.  We will look closer at that promise as this series continues in part 4, taking a look at how Jesus fits into God’s plan for our salvation.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Mar 29 2013

Psalms 46-47 – A Mighty Fortress

An early printing of Luther's hymn A Mighty Fo...

An early printing of Luther’s hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Psalm 46 is famous for its first verse, which inspired Martin Luther’s hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”  Spurgeon said of this: “There were times when Martin Luther was threatened with discouragement; but he would say, ‘Come, Philip, let us sing the 46th Psalm’; and they would sing it in Luther’s own version…This psalm is both historical and prophetic. It refers to things that happened in Israel; and it is a prophecy concerning the New Testament Church.”

In “The Tyndale Old Testament Commentary,” Old Testament scholar Frank Derek Kidner (Kidner, Derek “Psalms 1-72” Volume 1 ) outlined the psalm as being divided into three sections: 1) The Most High’s ascendancy over nature (verses 1-3); 2) His ascendancy over the attackers of His city (verses 4-7); and 3) His ascendancy over the whole warring world (verses 8-11).

From verse 10, we have another hymn, “Be Still and Know That I Am God,” which commands all to give glory and reverence to the almighty, who “will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 47 is another song of the “Sons of Korah,” celebrating God’s rule over all the earth.  It is supposed by some that this psalm has its roots in the transport of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, citing 2 Samuel 6:15.  Otheres see it as celebrating the deliverance of the people from Sennacherib in 701 B.C. (2 Kings 19:20-36).

Coffman says of verse 8: “This verse enables us to know the identity of God who went up (verse 5). He is the God who rules over the Gentiles (the `nations’) in his kingdom, and who during that time is `sitting upon his holy throne.’ The special application of this terminology to Jesus Christ is well known to every Christian, the same being a strong indication that Ps. 47:5 is indeed a prophecy of Christ’s ascension.”  Verse 9 (“The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham”) aligns with Paul’s reminder that we are all Abraham’s offspring (Galatians 3:28-29).

5 God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Mar 28 2013

Job 11 – Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse

English: Job's Sons and Daughters Overwhelmed ...

English: Job’s Sons and Daughters Overwhelmed by Satan, by William Blake. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Zophar decides it is his turn to speak.  Unlike Bildad and Eliphaz, this third of Job’s friends cannot be traced to any particular land or tribe of people, and no close permutation of the name “Naamah” is mentioned anywhere else in scripture.  With friends like this, Job hardly needs enemies.  Not only is Zophar unimpressed and unpersuaded by Job’s claims of innocence, but it is Zophar’s contention that it constitutes defiance of God and therefore, Job deserves even more punishment.

Zophar is certain that he knows Job is a sinner, but the only evidence he has is God’s own omniscience.  It is ironic that he uses his accusing tone alluding to Job’s ignorance of God’s power and Job’s obvious guilt, while his entire presumptive knowledge of the Almighty’s purpose is based on the ultimate in logical fallacies.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Mar 27 2013

Psalms 38 – O Lord, My Salvation!

From the rooftop of his palace, David looked down on Bath-sheba, lusting for her, the beginning of a long series of sins (2 Samuel 11:2-27).

From the rooftop of his palace, David looked down on Bath-sheba, lusting for her, the beginning of a long series of sins (2 Samuel 11:2-27).

This song of David is a lament psalm.  It is a lament of the type that is especially appropriate for prayer to God when one’s sins have resulted in one’s own suffering.  Not all suffering is due to sin, but when it is, we should recognize our culpability for the consequences that have come our way.  Some commentators believe this psalm describes some terrible disease that David contracted, but we agree with Coffman, who describes it as  “a figurative description of the terrible mental anguish, emotional despair, oppressive sense of guilt, and mortal fear of David that his sins would result in God’s rejection of him and the consequent triumph over him of his bitter enemies.”

It is a stark reminder to us that our sins do often have consequences; and some of those consequences can be a grievously hard burden to bear.  It is secondly a reminder that our God is a loving and forgiving God to whom we can turn for repentance.  But it is also a reminder that we can turn to Him in our times of sorrow and despair for comfort, and that he will hear our cry.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.