Key verses
Hebrews 13:20-21 - May
the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought
back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip
you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what
is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and
ever.
Isaiah
God saves his people. This is evident in Isaiah's narrative. Although they were sinful and had to be punished, God did rescue them and bring them out of the pit into the light of his blessing.
Even when sacrifices were required by Jewish law, they weren't an excuse for sin. Isaiah 66:2 explains that what God desires most is someone who follows him, who is "humble and contrite in spirit". Sacrifices were still necessary to cover for the sin that was still committed, but sacrifices on their own, without a real commitment to a right way of living, were not enough.
Showing posts with label Isaiah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Isaiah. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Mercy, not vengeance
Key verses
Proverbs
29:15 and 17 - Too many people leave their kids to their own devices or expect video games and tv to educate them. Let's get back to family time and actually imparting personal/social skills and moral values to our kids so that our society doesn't continue to spiral out of control!
IsaiahThe Lord states in Isaiah 59:21 that the words he will impart to his people will not depart from their mouths, or from the mouths of their children forever. I thought this was kind of strange, because it seemed like that meant that God's word would remain silent forever. However, depart here doesn't seem to mean that they will not speak, but rather that God's word will always remain with them and when they do speak, it will be God speaking through them. We have a promise from God, then, that his Spirit will be in us and his words will always be in our mouths, ready to be proclaimed to whomever we meet, forever.
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you." (60:1) Out of the online commentaries I have looked at, only one suggests in passing that this salvation may be from Babylonian rule, but even that theologian concludes, with the others, that this passage is referring to Christ coming to save his people. Just as in Isaiah 9, where the people walking in darkness saw a great light, Isaiah 60 proclaims the coming salvation and great light of Christ.
Luke
I wonder what it was about the breaking of the bread that made these two men on the road to Emmaus realize that it was Jesus with whom they were talking?
Hebrews
Abel's blood cried out for vengeance against Cain. Jesus' blood cries out to God for mercy so that we don't have to die. Let us try to mirror that approach, and extend mercy and grace to our neighbours today, rather than vengeance and annoyance.
Hebrews 12:28-29 - Therefore,
since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be
thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Proverbs
29:15 and 17 - Too many people leave their kids to their own devices or expect video games and tv to educate them. Let's get back to family time and actually imparting personal/social skills and moral values to our kids so that our society doesn't continue to spiral out of control!
IsaiahThe Lord states in Isaiah 59:21 that the words he will impart to his people will not depart from their mouths, or from the mouths of their children forever. I thought this was kind of strange, because it seemed like that meant that God's word would remain silent forever. However, depart here doesn't seem to mean that they will not speak, but rather that God's word will always remain with them and when they do speak, it will be God speaking through them. We have a promise from God, then, that his Spirit will be in us and his words will always be in our mouths, ready to be proclaimed to whomever we meet, forever.
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you." (60:1) Out of the online commentaries I have looked at, only one suggests in passing that this salvation may be from Babylonian rule, but even that theologian concludes, with the others, that this passage is referring to Christ coming to save his people. Just as in Isaiah 9, where the people walking in darkness saw a great light, Isaiah 60 proclaims the coming salvation and great light of Christ.
Luke
I wonder what it was about the breaking of the bread that made these two men on the road to Emmaus realize that it was Jesus with whom they were talking?
Hebrews
Abel's blood cried out for vengeance against Cain. Jesus' blood cries out to God for mercy so that we don't have to die. Let us try to mirror that approach, and extend mercy and grace to our neighbours today, rather than vengeance and annoyance.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
God is watching
Key verses
Proverbs 29:7 - The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.
Hebrews 12:2 - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Isaiah
56:1-2 - These two verses caught my attention. I read them, and thought, 'that's kind of neat'. To have the righteous die in order to be saved from evil sounds comforting. This isn't always the case though, and I found out through Barnes' Notes on the Bible that Isaiah was likely talking about the massive slaughter of most of the devout Jews by Manasseh, the king of Israel at that time. None of their fellow country men paid any attention to this wholesale killing, suggesting that those who merely watched and said nothing were okay with what was going on. In the end, those who were still alive would eventually be conquered by an invading nation, but the righteous who had already been killed escaped this later terror. I came away from studying that passage with the renewed sense that studying commentaries are important so we can see where the author is coming from (in this case, Isaiah).
58:4-6 - This passage reminds me of the Pharisees, who claim to follow the letter of the law, but completely miss the spirit or intent of the law. Many of the Jews in Isaiah's time were following the law, taking pride in the fact that they fasted so often, and yet completely ignored the downtrodden and poor among them. We aren't supposed to fast in order to draw the attention to ourselves. Fasting should turn our attention away from us, toward God and toward our neighbours. If fasting is making us self-centred, then we shouldn't be doing it.
Luke
Luke 24:26 makes reading the Old Testament on its own without our "Jesus-coloured" glasses a bit more difficult. By "Jesus-coloured" glasses I mean that we are living in the year of our Lord, we have seen the coming of the Messiah and believe all the prophecies that were proclaimed about him. Jesus himself told these two men on the road to Emmaus that the prophets spoke about himself. However, if we are to understand the Old Testament as its authors understood it, we have to take a few steps back in history. Clearly, there are references to Christ in the Old Testament, but where do we draw the line? Many of the prophecies were not meant for our day, or for the early Christian church, but spoke to the ancient Israelites in their time. Let's remember to use a bit of caution when interpreting the scriptures.
Hebrews
We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses! I saw that and thought, 'that's kind of creepy'. When you think about lots of invisible people watching you do your daily tasks, that can be encouraging or well... creepy. Then I realized that, wait a minute, God is always watching me. If I should care about anyone seeing what I do, it should be God. But it is so easy to not pay him any mind, and continue doing what I do without a thought of what God is thinking about me. Life application for this passage for today? Remember that God is always watching!
Proverbs 29:7 - The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.
Hebrews 12:2 - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Isaiah
56:1-2 - These two verses caught my attention. I read them, and thought, 'that's kind of neat'. To have the righteous die in order to be saved from evil sounds comforting. This isn't always the case though, and I found out through Barnes' Notes on the Bible that Isaiah was likely talking about the massive slaughter of most of the devout Jews by Manasseh, the king of Israel at that time. None of their fellow country men paid any attention to this wholesale killing, suggesting that those who merely watched and said nothing were okay with what was going on. In the end, those who were still alive would eventually be conquered by an invading nation, but the righteous who had already been killed escaped this later terror. I came away from studying that passage with the renewed sense that studying commentaries are important so we can see where the author is coming from (in this case, Isaiah).
58:4-6 - This passage reminds me of the Pharisees, who claim to follow the letter of the law, but completely miss the spirit or intent of the law. Many of the Jews in Isaiah's time were following the law, taking pride in the fact that they fasted so often, and yet completely ignored the downtrodden and poor among them. We aren't supposed to fast in order to draw the attention to ourselves. Fasting should turn our attention away from us, toward God and toward our neighbours. If fasting is making us self-centred, then we shouldn't be doing it.
Luke
Luke 24:26 makes reading the Old Testament on its own without our "Jesus-coloured" glasses a bit more difficult. By "Jesus-coloured" glasses I mean that we are living in the year of our Lord, we have seen the coming of the Messiah and believe all the prophecies that were proclaimed about him. Jesus himself told these two men on the road to Emmaus that the prophets spoke about himself. However, if we are to understand the Old Testament as its authors understood it, we have to take a few steps back in history. Clearly, there are references to Christ in the Old Testament, but where do we draw the line? Many of the prophecies were not meant for our day, or for the early Christian church, but spoke to the ancient Israelites in their time. Let's remember to use a bit of caution when interpreting the scriptures.
Hebrews
We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses! I saw that and thought, 'that's kind of creepy'. When you think about lots of invisible people watching you do your daily tasks, that can be encouraging or well... creepy. Then I realized that, wait a minute, God is always watching me. If I should care about anyone seeing what I do, it should be God. But it is so easy to not pay him any mind, and continue doing what I do without a thought of what God is thinking about me. Life application for this passage for today? Remember that God is always watching!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Good news and the kingdom
Key verse
Isaiah 51:11 - The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah
52:7, the feet of those who bring good news, speaks of messengers bringing a message of victory to the waiting king (this tidbit compliments of the Archaeological Study Bible). Do I bring good news (THE good news) to the people I meet?
Luke
23:51 - "He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God." This is stated so matter of factly, that Joseph was waiting for the kingdom of God. The commentaries don't really speak to this statement. I see it as sort of a saying on a tombstone. If Joseph had died before Jesus actually came, his headstone may have said "He was waiting for the kingdom of God." That speaks of hope and faith, like we've been reading about in Hebrews. Today, let's try to make sure that we are living in the kingdom of God, and extending it as best we can, by the grace of God.
Isaiah 51:11 - The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah
52:7, the feet of those who bring good news, speaks of messengers bringing a message of victory to the waiting king (this tidbit compliments of the Archaeological Study Bible). Do I bring good news (THE good news) to the people I meet?
Luke
23:51 - "He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God." This is stated so matter of factly, that Joseph was waiting for the kingdom of God. The commentaries don't really speak to this statement. I see it as sort of a saying on a tombstone. If Joseph had died before Jesus actually came, his headstone may have said "He was waiting for the kingdom of God." That speaks of hope and faith, like we've been reading about in Hebrews. Today, let's try to make sure that we are living in the kingdom of God, and extending it as best we can, by the grace of God.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Confidence of Faith
Key verse
Luke 23:43 - Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Hebrews 10:31 - It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Proverbs
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth (27:1). This verse has me thinking about hope. I want to hope for things that will happen tomorrow, and talk about them with my friends and family. What does boasting about it mean? Taking pride in what will happen, believing that I can bring it about, rather than relying on God to bring about what I'm hoping for.
Isaiah
This passage ties right into Proverbs 27:1. God is in control, so there is no way we can take pride in what happens, thinking that we have brought it about. God is in all things and has power over all things. He will bring down anyone he needs to and raise up anyone he wants.
Hebrews
Encourage one another daily. This is such a great goal, and one that I aspire to, and yet do I do this? I get so caught up in my own life that I end up completely ignoring the people that I want to be in community with, like fellow church-goers, immediate family members, friends.
Verse 35 speaks about confidence, having confidence of faith. I believe I have faith, but there's always doubt because I wonder what I would do if I were in the situation of some of these biblical characters who were persecuted and robbed because of their faith. Would I stand strong? This is always the question. So far, I have not been able to irrevocably say yes, I would. There's always doubt that I am too weak. I know with God all things are possible, and God works through my weakness, so am I doubting that God would work through me? I believe that God would become my strength. I have to forget my doubts, lay them aside, and walk forward in the truth that God is my rock and my salvation.
Luke 23:43 - Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Hebrews 10:31 - It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Proverbs
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth (27:1). This verse has me thinking about hope. I want to hope for things that will happen tomorrow, and talk about them with my friends and family. What does boasting about it mean? Taking pride in what will happen, believing that I can bring it about, rather than relying on God to bring about what I'm hoping for.
Isaiah
This passage ties right into Proverbs 27:1. God is in control, so there is no way we can take pride in what happens, thinking that we have brought it about. God is in all things and has power over all things. He will bring down anyone he needs to and raise up anyone he wants.
Hebrews
Encourage one another daily. This is such a great goal, and one that I aspire to, and yet do I do this? I get so caught up in my own life that I end up completely ignoring the people that I want to be in community with, like fellow church-goers, immediate family members, friends.
Verse 35 speaks about confidence, having confidence of faith. I believe I have faith, but there's always doubt because I wonder what I would do if I were in the situation of some of these biblical characters who were persecuted and robbed because of their faith. Would I stand strong? This is always the question. So far, I have not been able to irrevocably say yes, I would. There's always doubt that I am too weak. I know with God all things are possible, and God works through my weakness, so am I doubting that God would work through me? I believe that God would become my strength. I have to forget my doubts, lay them aside, and walk forward in the truth that God is my rock and my salvation.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Salvation by death from death
Key verse
Hebrews 9:26 - "But now he [Christ] has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."
Isaiah
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." (43:1-3)
Hebrews 9:26 - "But now he [Christ] has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."
Isaiah
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." (43:1-3)
When I first read this passage, I was encouraged by God's salvation. Then I read it again, and realized that God's salvation comes when we need saving. Ultimately, we need saving from sin, which he has done for us. Beyond that, we need saving when we are walking through those trials of life. We will see terrible times in our day - that's the reality of sin's effect on our world. Even amidst the suffering, however, God will give us the strength to withstand the evil and be saved.
Proverbs
Verses 4 and 5 of chapter 26 require some thinking in order to make sense of them. After reading a few things from Clarke's commentary, I have discovered that you have to look at each verse a little differently. In the first case, you don't want to answer a fool according to his folly in the sense that you don't want to stoop to his level of not making sense, because then you won't make any sense yourself. However, you do want to use his folly (v. 5) to point out his illogical thinking so that he will hopefully see that he doesn't make any sense.
Hebrews
How did blood and death come to be the means by which we are saved?
What was it about the tree of good and evil that made death the only
means to overcome death? That is, in the Old Testament, other animals
had to die to save the Jews from an eternal death, and now Christ had to
die in the place of those animals to save all of humankind. Is this an
answerable question, or is it just the way things are?
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The infinite God
After a long and exhausting weekend, I am back to the grind. However, today's post will be a little shorter than normal as I am still recovering.
That passage of Isaiah was uplifting. The language used reminded me of how great God is and how lowly we are. In this sense, it was not uplifting, I suppose, but it was still an encouragement to me. God is so great, so knowledgeable, the essence of everything we know and everything we are, and he is in communication with us, in a relationship with each of us! This infinite God is our friend. When I actually sit down and think about this, it's hard to understand, and yet it is so amazing. I hope today's passage in Isaiah was an encouragement to you as well. Don't get too proud about your position in life, but take pride in the fact that the God who marked the foundations of the earth and can hold the dust of this earth in a basket has reached out to you personally and is waiting for your response.
That passage of Isaiah was uplifting. The language used reminded me of how great God is and how lowly we are. In this sense, it was not uplifting, I suppose, but it was still an encouragement to me. God is so great, so knowledgeable, the essence of everything we know and everything we are, and he is in communication with us, in a relationship with each of us! This infinite God is our friend. When I actually sit down and think about this, it's hard to understand, and yet it is so amazing. I hope today's passage in Isaiah was an encouragement to you as well. Don't get too proud about your position in life, but take pride in the fact that the God who marked the foundations of the earth and can hold the dust of this earth in a basket has reached out to you personally and is waiting for your response.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Being faithful
Key verse
Hebrews 7:25 - "Therefore he [Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
Luke
I'd like to think that if someone accused me of being a follower of Jesus, I would say yes. And I truly think I would, at least in today's society. However, if I put myself in Peter's shoes, what would I do? He clearly thought he would stay with Jesus to the end, and in once sense he did, after he got over this initial bout of fear. But at this critical period of Jesus' life, Peter abandons him. Perhaps Peter feared being caught and killed, or was it simply that he simply didn't want to be associated with someone who was no longer popular with the people. Regardless, I think there are a few lessons here. One is, while it is great to have second chances, as Peter did (we'll read about this later), it's so much more fulfilling to get things right the first time. The second lesson is to not make rash promises. We discussed this in Hebrews a couple days ago. If we decide we'll do something, let's just do it, in spite of the costs.
Proverbs
A house is built through wisdom, and made full with knowledge (24:3-4). This verse struck me, but now that I try to think about it more deeply, I'm at a loss for what to say. I'm trying to picture this in my mind... To me, a house is built through love and made full with that same love. Rooms are filled with memories of the relationships that took place in those rooms. Wisdom helps in keeping those relationships strong, and so through that, wisdom builds the home.
Isaiah
Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress (33:2). It's one thing to say that this verse is comforting, but it is another to actually accept the truth of it. Do I think of God every morning and knowingly, willingly, place my trust in him, that he will be my strength for the day? More often, I get up and decide how I will go about my day. I need to take more time to place it in God's hands, because the only way I'll make it through the day with anything to show for it is through God. Moreover, when I am worried, distressed, or anxious, I need to give this to God and allow him to be my salvation. I need to let him come and wash over me with his peace. I need to take hold of his gift of love and realize that he is indeed all I need. When I ask for his strength and salvation, I need to truly accept it and live in that new reality.
Hebrews 7:25 - "Therefore he [Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
Luke
I'd like to think that if someone accused me of being a follower of Jesus, I would say yes. And I truly think I would, at least in today's society. However, if I put myself in Peter's shoes, what would I do? He clearly thought he would stay with Jesus to the end, and in once sense he did, after he got over this initial bout of fear. But at this critical period of Jesus' life, Peter abandons him. Perhaps Peter feared being caught and killed, or was it simply that he simply didn't want to be associated with someone who was no longer popular with the people. Regardless, I think there are a few lessons here. One is, while it is great to have second chances, as Peter did (we'll read about this later), it's so much more fulfilling to get things right the first time. The second lesson is to not make rash promises. We discussed this in Hebrews a couple days ago. If we decide we'll do something, let's just do it, in spite of the costs.
Proverbs
A house is built through wisdom, and made full with knowledge (24:3-4). This verse struck me, but now that I try to think about it more deeply, I'm at a loss for what to say. I'm trying to picture this in my mind... To me, a house is built through love and made full with that same love. Rooms are filled with memories of the relationships that took place in those rooms. Wisdom helps in keeping those relationships strong, and so through that, wisdom builds the home.
Isaiah
Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress (33:2). It's one thing to say that this verse is comforting, but it is another to actually accept the truth of it. Do I think of God every morning and knowingly, willingly, place my trust in him, that he will be my strength for the day? More often, I get up and decide how I will go about my day. I need to take more time to place it in God's hands, because the only way I'll make it through the day with anything to show for it is through God. Moreover, when I am worried, distressed, or anxious, I need to give this to God and allow him to be my salvation. I need to let him come and wash over me with his peace. I need to take hold of his gift of love and realize that he is indeed all I need. When I ask for his strength and salvation, I need to truly accept it and live in that new reality.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A God of Love
Key verse
Isaiah 30:18 - "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him."
Hebrews
I guess I got carried away yesterday talking about Melchizedek, as we read about him again in chapter 7. Here is an online article on who Melchizedek might be; the author suggests that Melchizedek was God himself.
Luke
I also got ahead of myself on the reading of Luke yesterday, as I already commented on today's passage yesterday.
Isaiah
Chapter 30 of Isaiah (at least the second half of the chapter) was like an oasis in the desert! After reading about the terrible punishments that God was going to inflict upon his people, the blessings and joys they will receive are quite welcome indeed. Its hard to read about punishment from God. I like to read about all the good things God will do for the Israelites, like the stuff mentioned in today's chapters. For example, 30:21 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, 'This is the way; walk in it'." God is really on their side, and it is so easy to see that when we hear about the good things. But God is in the blessings and the curses. How do we get a health view of God, knowing that he is above all a God of love, but also sends such harshness as well?
Isaiah 30:18 - "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him."
Hebrews
I guess I got carried away yesterday talking about Melchizedek, as we read about him again in chapter 7. Here is an online article on who Melchizedek might be; the author suggests that Melchizedek was God himself.
Luke
I also got ahead of myself on the reading of Luke yesterday, as I already commented on today's passage yesterday.
Isaiah
Chapter 30 of Isaiah (at least the second half of the chapter) was like an oasis in the desert! After reading about the terrible punishments that God was going to inflict upon his people, the blessings and joys they will receive are quite welcome indeed. Its hard to read about punishment from God. I like to read about all the good things God will do for the Israelites, like the stuff mentioned in today's chapters. For example, 30:21 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, 'This is the way; walk in it'." God is really on their side, and it is so easy to see that when we hear about the good things. But God is in the blessings and the curses. How do we get a health view of God, knowing that he is above all a God of love, but also sends such harshness as well?
Monday, September 27, 2010
Deliverance for Israel
Isaiah
25:9 - In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
Deliverance is coming for Israel!
Luke
I'm surprised that Jesus asked his disciples to get swords because later on when one of them uses a sword to cut off the ear of the enemy, Jesus says that whoever will live by the sword will die by the sword. Wouldn't it be better to not have any swords at all?
25:9 - In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
Deliverance is coming for Israel!
Luke
I'm surprised that Jesus asked his disciples to get swords because later on when one of them uses a sword to cut off the ear of the enemy, Jesus says that whoever will live by the sword will die by the sword. Wouldn't it be better to not have any swords at all?
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Are we ready to be used of God?
Key verse
Luke 22:19 - “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Proverbs
"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD." (21:31). God is in control! However, we have to see both sides of this verse. On the one hand, we can't do anything because it is God who wins the battle for us. On the other hand, we have to make sure we're ready for God to use us.
Isaiah
20:3 - "Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, . . . ." Is this insanity or devotion? I certainly wouldn't want to be such a sign for God, walking around stripped and barefoot for three years. Does God really require such obedience from us?
Hebrews
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Heb 4:12-13)
As I work my way through the bible, I hope to experience the "activeness" of God's word. Through his word, I hope that I can understand God better and also understand myself and my motivations so that I can better serve him.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Prayer works
Key verses
Hebrews 4:7 (b) - Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."
Proverbs 21:16 - "A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead." (A call to keep reading and thinking!)
Isaiah
Isaiah 14:27 says "For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?" To that, I say, the prayers of his people can turn it back. For example, see Abraham's conversation with God concerning Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot, Abraham's nephew, lived. Abraham managed to get God to agree to not destroy the cities if there were 10 righteous people present, and he whittled that down from 50. So our persistent cries to God can change his mind. Prayer is powerful!
Hebrews
If life seems to be too much for you, take heart. Jesus will provide us with a rest greater than Sunday (or the weekend), or even of entering into a paradise here on earth as the Israelites did under Joshua. Is this truly what this passage is talking about, or is it just talking about how, even though Christ has come, we still have the observance of the "Sabbath"? I think it does seem to speak to more than just the one day a week, but the language structure to me is a little convoluted.
Luke
Isnt' it amazing? Jesus knows exactly what you need! Don't be afraid to ask for it.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Stick with it
Late post tonight!
Key verse
Isaiah 12:2 - "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."
Proverbs
"Blows and wounds cleanse away evil and beatings purge the inmost being." (Proverbs 20:30) Is this true or is this figurative? I'm leaning toward the latter because I can't see it being true.
Luke/Hebrews
It's understandable that Jesus' followers thought the end was near. He kept talking about how the kingdom of God was at hand, and the signs of the end of the age would come. "... this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." (Luke 21:32) If they were to be on guard, how much more should we, two thousand years later! And yet we continually make plans as though we have our entire lives ahead of us. We've got one foot here in the earthly kingdom and one in God's kingdom. A great way to apply at least part of today's reading to our lives would be to make sure we are staying true to God, and making sure we don't fall away, like both Luke and Hebrews were saying.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Compassion
After a few days of completely ignoring my household duties, I figured I should get a handle on those. So, today's post will be a little bit shorter.
Key verses
Hebrews 2:14-15 - "Since the children have flesh and blood, he [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."
The passage in Isaiah was still on the theme of destruction. I was surprised to see how badly everyone was getting destroyed and beaten down, and still God's anger was not turned away. Isaiah really has me confused and I am itching to get my hands on a hard copy commentary. On top of the Isaiah reading, we read about more destruction in Luke, coming as signs of the end of the age. I think one of the age-old questions when reading the Old Testament in light of the new is, where is the compassionate God who is slow to anger and rich in love? I don't have an answer at the moment, but perhaps you do. Let me know!
Also in Isaiah - only a small remnant returned to Jerusalem. At first I thought, wow, these guys don't get it! They had to experience such discipline until only a small group of them remained, and then they finally relied on God. They had the law with them the whole time, why was it so tough to follow it?
After thinking those thoughts, I quickly came to the conclusion that, guess what? I have God's word right in front of me, too, and I still don't get it sometimes! I have God's law with me, and I make it tough to follow it. It doesn't have to be so hard, but as we'll read later on in a letter from Paul the Apostle, the good I want to do, I don't do, but the evil I don't want to do, that I do. So I guess the Israelites were in the same boat as me, more or less.
What's the key take-away for today? I would focus on Hebrews. I realize I need to spend far more time than I do now thanking God for sending his Son to die for us. Jesus became like us in every way in order to save us from our own sin. Here is ultimately where God's abounding compassion and love come into play. He freed us from death and from enslavement to fear and temptation. Let's walk in that amazing truth, knowing that we have to do nothing but rely on God.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Generosity, among other things
Key verses:
Isaiah 6:3 "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
Luke 21:4 "All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
Hebrews
Let me begin with the Hebrews passage, although that is the last one I read. I think what the author is saying here is that, in the past, God spoke to us through angels, and that message was important. BUT, he has now spoken to us through Jesus Christ and, since Christ is higher than the angels (as the author just argued in the previous chapter), we should listen to this greater message (hence, the great salvation in v. 3).
Luke
Note on Luke 21:6 - the destruction of the temple did come about in AD 70 when the Romans came and completely destroyed it.
Isaiah
Isaiah 8:12-13 showed me that there are always people around who want to distract you from the truth and get you to join their bandwagon.
For further investigation: who is Immanuel in Isaiah 7:14? The footnote in my bible suggests that it was a young boy living in the 700s BC. From our point of view, in the year of our Lord 2010, it's so easy to look through all of the Old Testament with the New Testament lens. I would have assumed that Immanuel in Isaiah 7 was referring to Jesus, but I will look into this further.
Proverbs
Proverbs 19:20 - a reminder to keep an open mind. Criticism or advice is sometimes hard to swallow, but it keeps us on the right track if we have the right attitude.
These proverbs have such good lessons for living life well! For instance, here's another one: "A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again." Be prudent about what you do (think before you act). How many times does a phrase like that get drilled into us, and yet how many hot-tempered people do you know (answer - perhaps too many?)? We have to actually live out what we're reading!
Life Application
What's one practice that I can take on today or in the days to come that will help drill into me what I have learned from today's reading? Greater generosity.
Isaiah 6:3 "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
Luke 21:4 "All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
Hebrews
Let me begin with the Hebrews passage, although that is the last one I read. I think what the author is saying here is that, in the past, God spoke to us through angels, and that message was important. BUT, he has now spoken to us through Jesus Christ and, since Christ is higher than the angels (as the author just argued in the previous chapter), we should listen to this greater message (hence, the great salvation in v. 3).
Luke
Note on Luke 21:6 - the destruction of the temple did come about in AD 70 when the Romans came and completely destroyed it.
Isaiah
Isaiah 8:12-13 showed me that there are always people around who want to distract you from the truth and get you to join their bandwagon.
For further investigation: who is Immanuel in Isaiah 7:14? The footnote in my bible suggests that it was a young boy living in the 700s BC. From our point of view, in the year of our Lord 2010, it's so easy to look through all of the Old Testament with the New Testament lens. I would have assumed that Immanuel in Isaiah 7 was referring to Jesus, but I will look into this further.
Proverbs
Proverbs 19:20 - a reminder to keep an open mind. Criticism or advice is sometimes hard to swallow, but it keeps us on the right track if we have the right attitude.
These proverbs have such good lessons for living life well! For instance, here's another one: "A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again." Be prudent about what you do (think before you act). How many times does a phrase like that get drilled into us, and yet how many hot-tempered people do you know (answer - perhaps too many?)? We have to actually live out what we're reading!
Life Application
What's one practice that I can take on today or in the days to come that will help drill into me what I have learned from today's reading? Greater generosity.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Outward Appearance or the Heart?
Key Verses:
Proverbs 19:11 - A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
Hebrews 1:12 - You [God] will roll them [the heavens and the earth] up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
Isaiah 3-5
Destruction is coming for those living in Judah! That was my thought as I finished reading Isaiah 3-5. The nations are coming to destroy the land and the people in it.
Proverbs 19:1-14
Some friends come and go, based on one's standing in life, but the poor friendships mentioned in this chapter made me think of Proverbs 18:24 from yesterday, where we are reminded that there is one sort of friend who will stay by us no matter what. These latter friends are hard to find, but when we do have them, let's treasure them and not take them for granted!
Hebrews 1:10-14/Luke 20:41-47
The Hebrews verses spoke on more of the same topic as yesterday, that of Christ's superiority over the angels. It was interesting to note the same reference to Psalm 110:1 in both the Hebrews and Luke passages for today, but used for slightly different purposes. The use of this passage in Hebrews directly suggests that God was speaking to Jesus when he said "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." The passage in Luke used this phrase to also assert Jesus' authority as God's Son, but I have always found that passage to be super confusing with the "The Lord said to my Lord" bit. Is David talking to God and calling him the Lord, and then calling himself my Lord? Based on a little bit of research, that's not what is happening. God is telling Jesus, and somehow David is privy to the conversation, that God will make Jesus' enemies a footstool. So both of these passages use the Psalm 110:1 reference to support the authority of Jesus Christ as God's Son.
Life Application
The outward appearance is of no account; the inner heart of a person is what matters. The verses in Proverbs and Isaiah spoke to this idea. For example, the women of Zion mentioned in Isaiah 3 certainly received what they deserved, since they only put confidence in the outward appearance, which will one day fail everyone. I enjoyed the description of these women: "The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles." Don't be like these women, or you might turn bald!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Humble yourself
This is it! What have I discovered on day one of reading the entire bible? A lot, so it would seem. It's going to be difficult to keep my thoughts to a manageable length. There's so much to be learned from God's word! It's helpful to have a study bible to work through that will give you some context as to what a particular passage is talking about, or even provide cross-references that can point you to other passages in the bible that talk about the same issue. I am using the Archaeological Study Bible (I am a history nerd), which uses the NIV (New International Version) translation. Even if your bible does not contain these handy tools, you can find them online in a number of places. My favourite bible website is bible.cc. This website has numerous translations - even ones in different languages - as well as commentaries, maps, articles, and superb cross-referencing.
Key verses:
Luke 20:38 - He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.
Luke 20:27-40
One of the first things I wondered about when reading this passage was why have this crazy law making this woman marry a bunch of different men?? I found out that the levirate law originated from the patriarchal period and was fairly common among a variety of cultures in that day. This law was so important because the need to procreate and continue the family line was necessary when a nation's population was so small. Israel was in such a situation in Genesis and Exodus because it was still a young nation. Thus, if a woman didn't produce offspring through one man before he died, then another man (usually the husband's brother) would take his place. Moreover, a childless widow was basically a write-off in the ancient days because no one was around to care for her.
Jesus' answer to the Sadducees required a bit of thinking. Here is my conclusion: "that age" in verse 35 seems to be referencing God's kingdom to come. When that time comes, we'll know what the marriage relationship is trying to portray and we won't need to take part in that relationship with one specific person. Rather, we'll all be in intimate relationship with each other. Each of our love relationships here on earth represent one facet of the love God feels for each one of us. Parent-child, husband-wife, brother-sister, they all mirror some part of the larger whole that God has planned for us.
In the face of the Sadducees' non-belief in life after death, Jesus stressed the importance and truth about eternal life through him.
Hebrews 1:1-9
This passage clearly asserted Christ's authority over the angels. Many Jews in the New Testament age and before then believed in the supremacy and importance of angels. The author needed to debunk this myth by illustrating, through the Old Testament scriptures, that Jesus was God's Son, and as such, was on God's level in terms of authority.
A note here on the use of OT scriptures:
Apparently, the most common Old Testament translation these days is based off the Masoretic text, but the New Testament writers were most familiar with the early Greek translation called the Septuagint, and therefore quoted passages from that version. Thus, when we see an OT passage quoted in the NT, and then look back and find it worded differently, this is because our OT is based on a different translation than the NT references. I was curious about this because Hebrews 1:7 says "He makes his angels winds and his servants flames of fire". The passage that this comes from is Psalm 104:4 which says "He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants". The emphasis is placed on opposing parts of the phrases.
Proverbs 18
I resonated with nearly every proverb in this chapter. I will make note of just one. Verse 17: "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him." Keep me humble, people, and make your comments!
Isaiah 1-2
Isaiah, the prophet, gave his message to the people of Judah when it was about to be destroyed. Everyone was doomed because of their sin. Isaiah seems to focus on the people's sin and imminent destruction. However, he also brings a message of hope and restoration by focusing on the coming of the renewed Mt. Zion, God's holy hill.
Life application
From today's reading, I have learned some things that I can apply to my own life. The main lesson is, don't get too proud, because eventually you'll be brought down! God is ultimately the one who will be exalted so we should really just honour and glorify him now and get the most out of our relationship by doing so. We were made to worship God. We just fight that sometimes.
Key verses:
Luke 20:38 - He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.
Isaiah 2:22 - Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?
Luke 20:27-40
One of the first things I wondered about when reading this passage was why have this crazy law making this woman marry a bunch of different men?? I found out that the levirate law originated from the patriarchal period and was fairly common among a variety of cultures in that day. This law was so important because the need to procreate and continue the family line was necessary when a nation's population was so small. Israel was in such a situation in Genesis and Exodus because it was still a young nation. Thus, if a woman didn't produce offspring through one man before he died, then another man (usually the husband's brother) would take his place. Moreover, a childless widow was basically a write-off in the ancient days because no one was around to care for her.
Jesus' answer to the Sadducees required a bit of thinking. Here is my conclusion: "that age" in verse 35 seems to be referencing God's kingdom to come. When that time comes, we'll know what the marriage relationship is trying to portray and we won't need to take part in that relationship with one specific person. Rather, we'll all be in intimate relationship with each other. Each of our love relationships here on earth represent one facet of the love God feels for each one of us. Parent-child, husband-wife, brother-sister, they all mirror some part of the larger whole that God has planned for us.
In the face of the Sadducees' non-belief in life after death, Jesus stressed the importance and truth about eternal life through him.
Hebrews 1:1-9
This passage clearly asserted Christ's authority over the angels. Many Jews in the New Testament age and before then believed in the supremacy and importance of angels. The author needed to debunk this myth by illustrating, through the Old Testament scriptures, that Jesus was God's Son, and as such, was on God's level in terms of authority.
A note here on the use of OT scriptures:
Apparently, the most common Old Testament translation these days is based off the Masoretic text, but the New Testament writers were most familiar with the early Greek translation called the Septuagint, and therefore quoted passages from that version. Thus, when we see an OT passage quoted in the NT, and then look back and find it worded differently, this is because our OT is based on a different translation than the NT references. I was curious about this because Hebrews 1:7 says "He makes his angels winds and his servants flames of fire". The passage that this comes from is Psalm 104:4 which says "He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants". The emphasis is placed on opposing parts of the phrases.
Proverbs 18
I resonated with nearly every proverb in this chapter. I will make note of just one. Verse 17: "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him." Keep me humble, people, and make your comments!
Isaiah 1-2
Isaiah, the prophet, gave his message to the people of Judah when it was about to be destroyed. Everyone was doomed because of their sin. Isaiah seems to focus on the people's sin and imminent destruction. However, he also brings a message of hope and restoration by focusing on the coming of the renewed Mt. Zion, God's holy hill.
Life application
From today's reading, I have learned some things that I can apply to my own life. The main lesson is, don't get too proud, because eventually you'll be brought down! God is ultimately the one who will be exalted so we should really just honour and glorify him now and get the most out of our relationship by doing so. We were made to worship God. We just fight that sometimes.
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