Posts
Thank you Lord for gifting us your law. Help us to see its beauty as the Psalmist. As we study your word today, Help us to see a bit more of you as you can be found in your word. As we share, help us to find you in one another. Move us within thy presence. May we be found worthy before your throne.
Response to Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25
A Law of Love and Peace Deuteronomy 5:1-21
Children of God, we stand united with Israel as Moses tells us this message from God. It was not with our fathers that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. (vs. 3) It certainly is true that Moses was speaking to many who were physically present before the mountain as children who were now preparing to go into the promised land and that their parents had died, but the Bible is not only a book of history, it is also a book of wisdom, application and instruction on living a wholesome life today. It is also a book of inspiration giving you hope and a future. Any who would claim that the Old Testament in no longer valid is sadly mistaken! Any who claim the New Testament can stand alone gives humanity a dis-service as it is the Old Testament that interprests the life of Jesus Christ and how it is that through the life, ministry, and death of Jesus, God has called all men to Himself.
The 10 commandments are repeated in Deuteronomy 5. The two words in the Hebrew for "commandment" in verse 1 has been interpreted into English as statute, ordinance, law, rule, decree, judgment and perhaps some I have missed. I like this definition of statute: "an international instrument setting up an agency and regulating its scope or authority." I would like to add the words "instructions" and "guidelines" to the list of descriptions of this gift God gave man to regulate our lives on earth in our dealings with one another and with Him.
Verse 5 states that the people were afraid of God and that they needed someone to stand between them and God. For many in the world today, this has not changed. As they needed Moses to tell them what God says to His people, so today many feel they need a priest or a pastor, or a scribe, or Jesus Christ. And yet, God wants to talk to us directly. Being afraid is your weakness (weak knees). You may come before God with joy and thanksgiving and praise and make your requests known before Him without complaint! Chances are He will greet you with a smile because He already knows.
Hebrews 11:12-15 and 22-23 say it this way: "Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many...you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect.
Still, many seek a mediator as they assume God is so Holy He would not allow them into his presence. For them, he has allowed mediation. The above verse mentioned angels, the church of the firstborn, the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and verse 24: "to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." And yet, you have come to God, the judge of all men! Why not go directly to Him and speak to your Father, He stands waiting with open arms. Let's meditate on His words from Deuteronomy 5 as Moses reminds us of those days when they were first uttered in our hearing:
Verse 6 "I am the lord your God who has freed you from the bondage of the adversary. From this day forward, you are free from bondage unless you choose to reject me and enable him with undue power.
Verse 7 "You shall have no other gods before me! May I suggest that we live in a world that honors the evil in our lives. We are so crippled and lame as we imagine his omniscience and omnipresence and his fierce grip on our world. Our imaginations have created all sorts of movies that thrill us and pull us away from the beauty that is available to us through God. We are in bondage to the power we imagine he has over our everyday lives. We fail to see the power of God to release us immediately from that bondage as it is nothing but an illusion. We have seen through Balaam and Job that adversity focuses our attention back onto God and his will in our lives. When life is free from adversity, we forget about God. Through adversity, we experience revival. God does not cause us to sin - and adversity in our lives is not a result of the power of the devil. We can choose to persevere through adversity by following after God, or we choose to allow adversity to make our lives miserable. But this is life! The devil has no authority and no power unless you invite it. Our children worship it because we have taught them that it has such a power before God. Forget the evil, leave it behind, and see God clearly calling you into glory!
Verse 8-10 No stinkin graven images! God is greater than any man or beast or chunk of metal or wood. He is so much greater than anything we can imagine. If we want to see God, we can look up into the vastness of the night sky! He is not some star! He is not some moon! He created it all and gave it movement and organization, and life, and death, and so much more! He has not only created the earth and the universe, but He claims to have eternity in hand and our eternal home where there will be no more sorrow and no more pain. Where his children shall mount up on wings like eagles - where they shall run and not grow weary - where they shall walk and not faint. Don't insult Him with any stinkin images - we haven't got a clue!
Verse 11; Use of the Lord's name in vain is the opposite of worship. How crude are we to use His name in vain. All of our worship is a point of honor - there is no greater rejection of His Lordship in our lives than to use His name in vain. If we wonder why we don't feel His presence in our lives, perhaps we need to reflect in our use of His name. If we consider ourselves children of God, yet refuse to honor his will and his commandments by failing to honor God and honor man, we will certainly be cut off. Same way I treat my own kids when they refuse to honor my name.
Verse 12-15; The day of rest! Did you ever wonder why this is so important? Read verse 15; "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." Do you remember when you were bound up in the adversity of life? God has reached down and offered you freedom and loosed your chains. Take a day off in rememberance of His salvation! But not only that, don't you dare keep others from having the opportunity to celebrate their remembrance of His salvation. In fact, invite them to celebrate with you! The problem we have with the commandments is that we call them commandments. If it helps, call them celebrations with honor and thanksgiving and fellowship!
Verse 16; Honor your father and mother. Life is so much better when families are united! Let's carry this one a bit further, let's honor our grandparents too! Wait, let's honor the extended family back to all the cousins represented by our common ancestors 10 generations ago! Ah, why not honor Adam and Eve, the ancestral representation of all of mankind! Dare we go further and honor even God Himself and all of creation?
Verse 17; Sanctity of life is all encompassing. Throw out your justifications and judgements. Don't kill! Jesus words are reflected in Matthew 5:21-22a; "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." this is not a commandment to be used to judge your fellowman, this is a celebration to allow you to find peace with your neighbor. There is no justification for war without talks of peace! There is certainly no justification for any comments from any child of God toward the destruction of man regardless of faith or culture. There is nothing in the Bible about allowing natural death to consume a man. To consider that any life saving techniques must be utilized to save life in light of this commandment is also wrong. To tell a brother or sister that allowing death when it calls is suicide is not only unbiblical, but emotionally abusive!
Verse 18; "Adultery" Personally, I have always equated this one with verse 21 regarding coveting and verse 19 regarding stealing. And yet, it has so much to do with peace, it is worth mentioning in itself. Common sense would tell you this includes pre-marital sex. Any married person knows that sexual relations before marriage cause problems within marriage. Too often, free sex addictions before marriage lead to free sex addictions within marriage leading to high divorse rates and more free sex addictions. If we can forget for a moment the idea that neglecting the commandments will lead us into hell and realize the hell is right here on earth as we deal with the consequences of our actions, these commandments make a whole lot more sense. It's time to stop leaving our brains outside the door when it comes to understanding this instruction for celebration of healthy marital relations. What destroys marriages? adultery? pornography? casual relations with the opposite sex by a spouse? Perhaps we can rephrase this to be "Honor your Spouse and the spouse of your neighbor - present or future!" Jesus words on this commandment as reflected in Matthew 5:27-28 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Verse 19: How hard is this to understand? Thou shalt not steal. Of course, there are all sorts of justifications. My son and I had routine arguments about this one as he would say "I was just borrowing". Yet I have seen that stealing as a child has matured into problems with the law, family, friends, and society as an adult. If you want peace, don't abuse your reputation with men by stealing. We could write an entire book on this if we to, but we'll leave it at that!
Verse 20: As my commentary is filtered through Jesus comment from Matthew 22:37-40; "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments", I must look at the commandment to not "bear false witness" as a tool for peace among men. Build trust. Build love. Build peace. Do not use your words to tear down your fellowman unless by your witness of the truth can offer protection and peace within the greater society. Build trust and a reputation with your fellowman through your words. There is also a spiritual dimension to this instruction. If I were to spread a theology about the Love of God that could cause hate or disunity within humanity, I would also be breaking faith with God and neglecting this commandment.
Verse 21: I have found that the words "covet" and "greed" are interchangeable in the english interpretations of Colossians 3:5 and Ephesians 5:5. In both verses, covetousness and greed are akin to idolotry. Job 31:1-3 states; "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. For what is man's lot from God above, his heritage from the Almighty on high?" If we covet - if we are greedy for more, we have set idols before God. Through our posessions, our lot from God above, we must see God's hand of providence. If we are not satisfied with our lot in life, we will be unable to sing unto God with praise and thanksgiving. We may struggle to find joy and peace in our relationship with God and man. Philippians 4:11states: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances"
So, what is your lot, and how should you act? Jesus claimed the Kingdom of God is ours in Luke 22:29 "I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me." And in Matthew 6:31-33 "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." May I suggest that that Kingdom is built on Faith, Hope, Trust, Love, and Peace. Serve your fellowman and honor God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and He will bless the work of your hands.
Fear With Trembling? Why Not We Humbly Bow? Deuteronomy 5:22-33
Considering the peace with which Jesus spoke with the people in Matthew 5, perhaps there was a problem with the presentation on the burning mountain. But then again, the sacrificial fire burning to heaven did not leave the same impression as His dying on the cross and rising into Heaven either. Proverbs 9:10 ""The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
Perhaps God had a reason for being a voice out of a burning mountain as the people of that day needed to be scared straight as they were continually complaining. Perhaps without understanding the power and great glory of God's personality, we would have written off the importance of the personal sacrifice he gave as a helpless servant upon the cross. How good and pleasant it is to know that the power and judgement were shown, calling all man to repentance before the humbleness of sacrifice He offered on our behalf as man would have the tendancy to write such love, peace, and forgiveness off as something weak and insignificant. Perhaps we needed to understand the greatness of the King before we danced casually into His courts with our praise. Perhaps we need to remember the honor required that day as well as the invitation to come one by one and humbly bow before our Lord and Savior. He humbled himself and took on the form of a servant. And yet, when we enter His courts, He remains that figure for which we have no image to imagine His greatness.
Deuteronomy 5:29 "Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!"
The Blessings Through Living Within a Constitution of Love Deuteronomy 6:1-25
Fairly simply, I would understand that "a land flowing with milk and honey" would represent God's providence. Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it"; the work of their hands would be blessed if they would honor God through the word He had provided for healthy living. Many cultures sought the blessings of the rain gods or god as represented by the moon or sun. Religious practice showed various dances and sacrifices, but here, God spoke to the people through Moses and showed them the way to live! The sacrifice of worship would be to Love the Lord their God by learning these words He had given and through them, loving each other. Love, Joy, and Peace is not the virtues of weakness, they are the tools for cultural healing and making things right with an Almighty God. On a worldwide scale, they will bring about worldwide healing.
First and formost, we are reminded that there is One God! When people are seeking God through religious practice, it is this God that they seek and God promises that He will be found! They may not know where to find him, and they may benefit from a little help. Yet, just as in a marital relationship a spouse does not want you to tell them what to do, they need a listening ear and friendly counsel along the way.
If you read the Bible, you know you must not have any graven images, but you also know from today's reading that you can decorate your dwelling with things that remind you of God - and inspire others who enter your home. These may be verses and other gifts of rememberences of His blessings in your life. Just remember these are not God, only gifts He has given.
Follow God and surround your life with Him. Wear your remembrance, decorate your home, let His glory eminate through your actions as you love the world around you. Allow the joy of the Lord to be your strength even when the storms of life come, which they are bound to do. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." I Peter 3:15
And when you are asked, feel free to use the testimony given by Moses in Deuteronomy 6:20-25 as you tell the stories of the Bible or reflect their application in your own life. We too have been slaves of adversity and experienced what we thought was the wrath, or abandonment of God. And yet, we have come to realize His great love for us and that He has granted us salvation by His mighty right hand. He has shown signs and wonders and has brought us into a life of Love, Joy, and Peace that I am happy to share with you! He gave this law that we might be able to live in peace with God and with our fellowman. I am following this manual for living as I have full confidence it grants me hope and a future throughout the adversity of life.
Response to Luke 7:11-35
Compassionate and Mighty Luke 7:11-17
http://bibleatlas.org/nain.htm "The name persists to this day, and in the form of Nein clings to a small village on the northwestern slope of Jebel ed-Duchy ("Hill of Moreh"), the mountain which, since the Middle Ages, has been known as Little Hermon." Nain appears to lie about 20 miles southwest of the sea of Galilee.
Perhaps the raising of Lazarus is the most well known story of Jesus raising the dead, but the story is told in only one gospel. John tells this amazing story in John 11:1-44. Perhaps second only to Lazarus is the story of Jairus daughter which is told in Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43, and Luke 8:40-56. Many Bible readers might be stumped to know of the third story of Jesus raising the dead to life, but we find it here in Luke 7:11-17 in the raising of the Widow's son from the walled city of Nain. We might recognize Jesus compassion in this story with our own grief with the passing of a loved one.
This was not the first great prophet who had raised the dead, Elijah raised the widows son in I Kings 7:17-24 and this became a sign to the people that a man of God was in their midst as her words became a part of their holy books. "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth." I Kings 17:24. Elisha also raised the Shunamite's son in II Kings 4:32-37.
A great crowd was following Jesus as he approached Nain and a great crowd of mourning accompanied this woman who's son had probably died that day. Jesus reputation continued to grow! They knew that day that someone amazing was in their midst. Perhaps they had the same fear as Peter did in Luke 5:8 "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" Perhaps they recognized in this miracle worker the fulfillment of prophecy from Isaiah 35:2b-6a; "they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy."
Are You the Christ, the Son of the Living God Luke 7:18-27
How can we be sure, don't we all have doubts? Even John questions as Jesus morality was questioned although his ministry was powerful. Jesus recounts the prophecy of Isaiah 35 which was quoted above and Isaiah 29:18-20 "In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down" He reflects this to his own reputation that has covered the countryside. Luke 4:32 "They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. Luke 4:36;" All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" Luke 5:15; "Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Luke 5:26; "Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today." Luke 7:16; "They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people.". And yet, Luke 5:21; "The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
Jesus not only used scripture to confirm He was the one fortold in the Old Testament, but he also identified the power of John's own ministry from his knowledge of scripture. He quoted Malachi 3:1 ""See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.
Who Shall be Greatest in the Kingdom of God Luke 7:28-33
As wonderful a thing as it would be to be the chosen one represented by the omens of the prophets of old, Christ said the least of the kingdom of God is equal to the greatest. This of course encouraged the sinners and tax collectors, but further infuriated the Scribes and Pharisees who themselves argued as the disciples and many of us about who would be greatest in the Kingdom of God.
How common is it for an individual to imagine that his way is the only way? How easy is it to feel that everyone has to think and act according to our thought process of right and wrong. Personally, I find it very difficult not to share my own feelings and speak directly from the word of God, and yet, I know personal application tends to entice the reader. As I write this blog, few respond - in fact, few may read these words. Why when I spoke did you not applaud? Why didn't you jump when I said jump? Why don't you agree with everything I say?
What were the people like that day? The Pharisees had a code of ethics. The people had to follow their religious rites of their good ole boy's club. They could not, would not imagine that the mind of God would differ from their centuries of study and manipulation of the word. Similar to religion today, don't you think?
Even John had questioned Jesus morality! He acted in a very righteous way with long hair and avoiding wine leading many to assume he was a Nazirite, a holy man dedicated to God. Yet this passage claims Christ affirmed that he not only enjoyed hanging out with the gluttons and drunkards, but he also ate and drank with them!
So, the question is asked again; "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of God?" Luke 7:35 "wisdom is proved right by all her children." All are welcome and equal in the Kingdom of God. Your name has just been called!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8n0Cw-j534
Response to Psalm 68:19-35
Our God is Mighty to Save Psalm 68:19-23
I love it when the passages for the day mirror one another! As we dealt with Luke 7:11-35 today and the raising of the widow's son from Nain, then to read Psalm 68:20 "Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." Blessed be the Lord
Psalm 68:21 "Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies" reminds me of Genesis 3:15 "he will crush your head,"
This section of the Psalm reminds the reader, or the hearer of the song, of God's great victories over the enemies of Israel's past. It may be difficult to read a Psalm like this and imagine a God of Love who is King over all the earth, but as it reflects victory over adversity, it sings of sweet victory! Allow me to quote the stories reflected in the Psalm, and as I do, see the Salvation of our God! Surely, He is far greater than our adversity.
Verse 22: Numbers 21:33-34 "Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei. The Lord said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land."
Verse 22: Exodus 14:27-28 " the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen - the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived."
Verse 23: Deuteronomy 6:10-11 "When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you - a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant - then when you eat and are satisfied,"
Bow Before Him All the Earth Psalm 68:24-35
Beginning with Israel, the parade begins as we come before the King. First the choirs followed by the band complete with drums and cymbals - all dressed in finery! These are followed with the least to the greatest of the tribes of Israel, beginning with young Benjamin, but followed by royalty as the best and brightest humble themselves as they march in honor before the King.
And yet, Israel is not the only nation present! The nations have heard of what the Lord has done and have joined in the throng as the parade marches on to Zion! He has subdued the nations, first with His Power and great Glory as He destroyed their strength, and then again in the joy of His Salvation wrought by His mighty right hand. (Malachi 3:1 "Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple) The Nobles of the Nations gather in fine array bearing gifts and tribute for the great thing God has done! Gone are the sacrificial animals, gone is their greed and earthly dominations. Gone is the bloodthirst for war and the enmity among men. Come Arabia, Come Africa, Come all peoples of the earth.
Sing oh mighty throng! Sing all peoples of the earth! Sing of the Power and the Majesty and the Holiness of our God and King which He has bestowed upon us, His children! Praise be to our God, our Father from whom all blessings flow! All Blessings to His name.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uec-x1OSAc0&feature=related
Response to Proverbs 11:29-31
Verse 29: As wind slips through the fingers, so the inheritance of a dishonorable son comes to nothing
Verse 30 To understand strength through adversity by faith brings love, joy, and peace! Prudent is he who would share such wisdom with friends.
Verse 31 Even the righteous will suffer in life, but woe unto him who would suffer alone.
Until tomorrow
Rick
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
