Mon, 31 October, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

In today’s passage, Paul reminds Timothy of the great privilege he had, being raised under the teaching of the Scriptures. Paul tells us that the Scriptures are the word of God, being breathed out by Him. They have great power and value in that they give us wisdom, they teach us how we should behave, they show us our sin, they correct our bad behavior, and they train us in how we should live. Paul sums it up by telling us that the Scriptures equip us to live as God intends us to live.

What do we learn from this?

The Scriptures are verbally inspired by God. This is tremendously important. All Scripture is breathed out by God. It comes from the mouth of God. It is expired by God and it is inspired by God.

We understand that God uses the human authors to write the Scriptures, as each book has its own style of writing and the authors have their own personal voices. But Paul tells us that the words they wrote are the words God intends them to write. The authors aren’t automatons. Their personality comes through in the writing, but the words are breathed out by God.

The words of scripture matter, because they are inspired. It is not just the underlying ideas of scripture that are inspired, but also the words used to express the ideas are inspired. We need to carefully study the very words that make up Scripture. Since most of us can’t read the Scriptures in their original languages, it is important to carefully chose our Bible translation. Some translations are more concerned with accurately translating the original words and some aim to translate the underlying ideas, but not necessarily the words themselves. The desire in translating the ideas is good: the translators want people to understand the idea. But if the words are God breathed, then I think it is important that we try to stick as close as we can to the actual words God breathed. And paraphrases run completely counter to this idea as they give free reign to allow flights of fancy that often depart very far from the original words themselves.

The words of Scripture matter.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Here is another passage that tells us that the Scriptures point us to Jesus Christ. [The] sacred writings, … are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. The Scriptures are empowered to reveal Jesus Christ and the salvation that is for all who come to Him in faith.

As we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, we are led to Jesus Christ.

Sun, 30 October, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

2 Kings 11:1-3

¹ Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. ² But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. ³ And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the LORD, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahab comes to its disastrous conclusion in today’s passage from Second Kings. Jehosaphat had his son marry Athaliah, daughter of Ahab. But now that the curse upon Ahab has been fulfilled as Jehu has destroyed the descendants of Ahab, including Athaliah’s son and king of Judah, Ahaziah, Athaliah seizes the opportunity to take the kingdom of Judah as her own. She attempts to kill all the royal family to ensure there would be no one to claim the throne from her.

But as she was killing those who could claim the throne, Athaliah missed one of her grandsons. Jehosheba hid her nephew, Athaliah’s two year old grandson, Joash. Joash was then raised in secret for six years and came to claim the throne when he turned eight.

What do we learn from this?

God had promised that there would be a son of David on the throne, and that the Messiah would come from David’s line. Here we see that evil queen Athaliah seeks to defy God and end the line of David before the arrival of the Messiah.

Why does she do it? Athaliah is seeking power. But in doing so, Athaliah is acting in accordance with who she is: she is an enemy of God, and seeks to overthrow God’s rule. She seeks to reign herself and refuses to submit to God’s reign in her life.

Although she goes much further than most people today would ever dare to go (she murders her own offspring), Athaliah is expressing the same attitude of rebellion against God that is within the hearts of all of us, as we are born in trespasses and sins. Due to Original Sin, we all naturally hate God and are at war against Him. It is only as we are regenerated, made alive, born again, that our natures are changed, and we are no longer at war with God.

It is only because God has changed us that we submit to Him.

Where is Christ in this passage?

There is a war going on. A spiritual war. In the Old Testament, we see Satan seeking to destroy the line of the Messiah with the desire of stopping the Messiah from coming. Here we see the line get down to one person, but God is faithful. He preserved the line of the Messiah. All the evil schemes of Athaliah could not stop God from bringing His instrument of salvation into the world: Jesus Christ came through the line of Joash. Nothing could stop that, for it was God’s will and was promised beforehand.

Sat, 29 October, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

Psalm 119:97-104

⁹⁷ Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸ Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
⁹⁹ I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
¹⁰¹ I hold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word.
¹⁰² I do not turn aside from your rules,
for you have taught me.
¹⁰³ How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴ Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.

Continuing in Psalm 119, today we come to the theme verse for this blog: Psalm 119:97 — Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation [Latin: meditatio mea] all the day. In this section, the Psalmist again points us to the benefits of immersing ourselves in God’s word.

What do we learn from this?

The Psalmist encourages us to love God’s word and to meditate upon it. He extols the wisdom we will gain from spending time in God’s word, and how we will exceed the teachers and the aged as we obey God’s word.

The point is that as we spend time in God’s word, God uses it to change our conduct. And as we apply God’s word by living differently, we see that we are growing in wisdom as well as in holiness. God will work powerfully through His word to conform us to the likeness of His Son and to prepare us for spending eternity with Him.

Where is Christ in this passage?

As we study and meditate upon the word of God, not only do we grow in our love of the word of God and in our obedience to that word, but we grow in love for the one revealed in that word: Jesus Christ. He is the one towards whom the scriptures point us. He is the sweetness the Psalmist finds in God’s word, because it is in Jesus Christ that we find forgiveness of our sins, and reconciliation with God.

Fri, 28 October, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

Hosea 1

¹ The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

² When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.” ³ So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

⁴ And the LORD said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. ⁵ And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

⁶ She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. ⁷ But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”

⁸ When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. ⁹ And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”

¹⁰ Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” ¹¹ And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Hosea tells us the time of his ministry as prophet. He lived near the end of the northern kingdom. Hosea deals with the spiritual apostasy of the these final days of Israel. If fact, his marriage is an object lesson of Israel’s relationship to God, as he is commanded to marry a harlot, and name his children names signifying God’s coming judgment upon the unfaithful north.

In this promise of judgment, there is also a promise of hope, as God promises there will be a future restoration.

What do we learn from this?

The people who are called “Not my people” shall be called “Children of the living God”. Paul quotes this passage in Romans 9 to teach that God’s plan is to include the Gentiles in the church, as God takes those who are “not my people,” (Gentiles), and brings them into His church and makes them “Children of the living God.”

Romans 9:22-26

²² What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, ²³ in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory– ²⁴ even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? ²⁵ As indeed he says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
²⁶ “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

Where is Christ in this passage?

We were not the people of God. We were children of our father, the Devil, living in our sin and rebellion against God. But He has redeemed us by the perfect life and atoning death of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is through the Person and work of Jesus Christ that we are given faith to trust in Him, and are adopted into His family as children of the living God.

Thu, 27 October, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

1 Timothy 5:17-19

¹⁷ Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” ¹⁹ Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

Paul is instructing Timothy on how to deal with people within the church, and here Paul tells him about honoring elders.

What do we learn from this?

Paul points out that there are differing roles within the eldership: there are ruling elders and teaching elders. All the elders have the responsibility of ruling, but some also have the responsibility for preaching and teaching as well. The teaching elders are the pastors, and Paul tells us they should be especially honored by the congregation. It is the responsibility of the congregation to financially support their pastor.

To make the point, Paul quotes Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7, showing that he treats the New Testament books as having equal authority with the Old Testament, even at that early date.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Paul emphasizes the importance of preaching and teaching. He wants the people of God to have the gospel preached to them regularly. We know from all we have already heard from Paul that he wants the pastor to preach Christ.

Wed, 26 October, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

2 Kings 7:1-2

¹ But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” ² Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”

2 Kings 7 continues the story that started yesterday in the end of chapter 6. Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria is besieging Samaria. King Jehoram of Israel, Ahab’s son, comes to Elisha with the intent of executing him. Jehoram, blaming God for the famine due to the siege, plans to exact punishment on God’ prophet.

In today’s chapter, Elisha stands up to the king and tells Jehoram that the famine will be over by tomorrow. Jehoram’s officer doubts it can be. The rest of the chapter relates how the siege ends, and the officer dies in the stampede to get the spoils, fulfilling Elisha’s prophecy that he will see the plenty but not enjoy any of it.

What do we learn from this?

Ahab’s son is right in his theology, but wrong in his application. He acknowledges that God is in control of the circumstances, but he rebels against God, attempting to strike back at God by killing Elisha. His reaction Jehoram shows that he is an enemy of God by continuing in his rebellion and not repenting of his sins, and seeking God’s mercy.

We should both acknowledge God’s providence over all events, and submit to Him, trusting in Him rather than rebelling against Him.

Where is Christ in this passage?

In today’s passage we see people who are on the point of death by famine have their fortunes reversed and have poverty replaced with plenty. Where there was only the expectation of death, they now have abundant life.

This is the same situation we are in. We were dead in our trespasses and sins, and had no expectation of anything but God’s judgment. But unexpectedly, God convicts us of our sins and draws us to Himself. He grants us faith and changes our nature so that instead of rebelling against Him, as Jehoram did, we come to Him in faith through faith in Jesus Christ.

Tue, 25 October, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

Psalm 119:9-16

⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
¹⁰ With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
¹¹ I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
¹² Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes!
¹³ With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
¹⁴ In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.

¹⁵ I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.

Today we start the longest chapter of the Bible. Psalm 119 is a fascinating chapter, singing the praises of God’s word. With almost no exceptions, there is a reference to the scripture in every verse. In this section we see references to your word (v9), your commandments (v10), your word (v 11), your statutes (v 12), the rules of your mouth (v 13), your testimonies (v 14), your statutes and your ways (v 15), and your statues and your word (v 16).

This Psalm is is broken up into twenty-two eight verse groups, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and this second section is for the second letter: Beth.

What do we learn from this?

Have you ever wondered how you can grow in holiness? How can you grow in obedience to God? The Psalmist teaches us the answer to this question.

We grow in obedience by studying God’s word, by seeking God in His word. As we memorize His word and store it up our hearts, God uses it to increase our obedience. God will call His word to our mind at the crucial moment when we have seeped our minds in His word. God will use His word to change our conduct.

Where is Christ in this passage?

When we read this description in Psalm 119, we realize how far short we fall of this ideal. I have never sought God with my whole heart (v 10). That is my ideal, and my goal. But I fall short.

However, there is one who did seek God with His whole heart. Jesus Christ lived His life on earth as the perfect man. He perfectly fulfilled everything in God’s word, and so He earned the perfect righteousness required for salvation. And He gives that perfect righteousness to all those who come to Him in faith.

So where I have never sought God with my whole heart, Jesus Christ has. And His perfect righteousness is credited to me by faith.

Mon, 24 October, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

Daniel 9:16-19

¹⁶ “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. ¹⁷ Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. ¹⁸ O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. ¹⁹ O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

Daniel is a very difficult book. There are visions and prophecies that are extremely hard to understand, and so people interpret them in wildly different ways. Adding to the confusion is the fact that it isn’t clear if many of these prophecies refer to events that occurred in our past or if they are yet to come, and so many people speculate on the future fulfillment of them. Our passage today is one such prophecy, as Daniel tells us how Gabriel revealed to him the prophecy of the seventy weeks. I will not deal with that portion of the chapter today, but instead concentrate on Daniel’s prayer that preceded the revelation.

The chapter starts with Daniel studying the scriptures. As he is reading the writings of Jeremiah, Daniel realizes the exile will last seventy years. Since that time is almost up (Daniel being very old now), Daniel pleads for God’s mercy upon His people so that they might be returned from the exile. Daniel pleads with God that He would do what He promised to do.

What do we learn from this?

Search the scriptures for the promises God has made. Claim those promises by praying them back to God as requests. As we request the things God has promised, we know He will give us what we ask.

For example, we know that God promises that His word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Therefore we can study the scriptures and pray that God would use that to guide our conduct into ways that are more pleasing to Him. We can expect God to keep His promise and use the scriptures to bring growth in sanctification.

But notice Daniel’s attitude in claiming God’s promise. Daniel realizes that God sent Israel into exile because of their sins. Therefore, Daniel confesses the sins of Israel and pleads for God’s mercy. Daniel is not presumptuous. He doesn’t just assume that since God declared the exile would last seventy years, the exiles would head back to their homeland with barely a tip of the hat to God to thank Him for the return. Daniel realizes the nation must deal with their sin, and so he confesses it and pleads for God’s mercy.

We must never presume upon God’s mercy. He has given us great promises of how He will save those who come to Him in faith, but we must not presume upon His mercy. We come to Him humbly confessing our sins, and pleading for mercy. We know that He will answer our cry of faith, and forgive our sins when we approach Him in this way, but we must never presume upon His mercy.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Daniel pleads with God, let your anger and your wrath turn away. God’s anger at their sins must be propitiated, or there can be no mercy upon His people.

Daniel’s plea for mercy and forgiveness is based upon the work of Jesus Christ. We see glimpses of Jesus in the seventy week prophecy as the anointed one (Messiah in Hebrew, Christ in Greek) comes and iniquity is atoned for. Looking back from after the completion of the New Testament, we know that the only way God can have mercy upon us is by the Person and work of Jesus Christ. God can have mercy upon us by His grace as through faith in Jesus Christ He saves us. He grants us His unmerited favor as we are in Jesus Christ. His anger is propitiated for those who come to Him trusting in the Substitute He has provided. It is only through Jesus Christ that God can have mercy upon us.

Sun, 23 October, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

¹² I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, ¹³ though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, ¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶ But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. ¹⁷ To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Today we begin Paul’s first letter to Timothy, where Paul instructs the young preacher in his duties ministering in Ephesus.

In this first chapter, Paul relates how he was called to service, despite his sins past and present.

What do we learn from this?

Paul says that before his conversion he was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. We know Paul’s history from the book of Acts, so we know the truth of what Paul says here. Paul did some terrible things to Christians, but God saved him in spite of these sins.

God doesn’t save people who deserve to be saved, because there are no people who deserve to be saved. We have all sinned. We have all offended God. But the amazing thing is that God saves sinners like Paul (and like you and me). Paul tells us God saved him to display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. Paul is an example for us. If God can save Paul, God can save me.

But interestingly, Paul calls himself the foremost sinner. Notice that though he talks about his pre-conversion sins in the past tense, when he says he is the foremost sinner, Paul uses present tense. Paul isn’t saying that his pre-conversion sins were so bad that they made him the the foremost sinner. Rather, Paul is saying that he is the foremost sinner at the time of the writing of the letter.

Paul is an older man now, writing after years of being a Christian. Although he is growing in his sanctification, Paul is more aware of his sins than before. As Paul grows in his spiritual maturity, he is learning more from God’s word, and so he sees his sins more clearly.

This is not unusual. It is quite common to find the people who have been Christians the longest are the ones who are most aware of their own sins. The youngest Christians are the ones who think they are more obedient, because they don’t understand the commands of scripture as well.

Where is Christ in this passage?

It is Jesus Christ who saved Paul and appointed him for service. Jesus Christ displayed His patience in saving Paul. And all that happens in Paul’s salvation is to the glory and honor of God.

Sat, 22 October, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

2 Kings 3:9-20

⁹ So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. And when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. ¹⁰ Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! The LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” ¹¹ And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” Then one of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.” ¹² And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

¹³ And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No; it is the LORD who has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” ¹⁴ And Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. ¹⁵ But now bring me a musician.” And when the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him. ¹⁶ And he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I will make this dry streambed full of pools.’ ¹⁷ For thus says the LORD, ‘You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.’ ¹⁸ This is a light thing in the sight of the LORD. He will also give the Moabites into your hand, ¹⁹ and you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree and stop up all springs of water and ruin every good piece of land with stones.” ²⁰ The next morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came from the direction of Edom, till the country was filled with water.

Wicked king Ahab is dead, and his son, Jehoram, is reigning over the northern kingdom of Israel. The son does make some reforms. We are told that Jehoram destroyed the pillar of Baal worship which is a step in the right direction. However, he still retains the golden calves established by Jeroboam, and so Jehoram is described as an evil king. The worship of the northern tribes is thoroughly corrupt and just removing Baal’s pillar is like putting a band-aide on a broken arm.

Moab has been subject to Israel, and now that Ahab is gone, Mesha, the Moabite king, takes this opportunity to attempt to break free from Israel’s dominance. King Jehoram decides to go to war to bring Moab back into submission, and he persuades Jehoshaphat of Judah to join him. Apparently, Edom is also a vassal state to either Israel or Judah, and they come along to fight against Moab. So the three kings of Israel, Judah and Edom set out for war against Moab.

But something goes very wrong with the expedition. We are not told if it is just poor planning, or if their was some misfortune that caused them to take longer on the trip than it should have, but the armies of the three kings run out of water in the wilderness. Apparently the didn’t seek God at the beginning of the mobilization, but faced with death, they seek a prophet of God to find out what they should do. And so the three kings come to Elisha who happens to be travelling with the armies.

Elisha challenges Jehoram, asking him why he would consult a prophet of God instead of the false prophets that his own parents installed in Israel. Why worship their gods, and then when everything has turned against you, turn to God as the last resort? Elisha is pointing out the Jehoram isn’t repenting of his sin and the sin of the northern tribes. Jehoram is simply looking for a way out of the temporal difficulty he faces. Jehoram is concerned that he will die of dehydration, but he isn’t concerned about what will happen to himself after his death.

Elisha then acquiesces to the request to seek God on their behalf, solely for Jehoshaphat’s sake. He tells them that God will both provide water for their immediate temporal need and He will also give them victory over Moab in the coming war.

What do we learn from this?

Jehoshaphat was a godly man. He sought to serve God and to be pleasing to Him. As a result, God preserved and blessed Jehoshaphat. And we see that this blessing extended beyond Jehoshaphat and reached the people around him. God blessed the ungodly king Jehoram because of godly Jehoshaphat. As Elisha says, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. But Elisha seeks God for the kings, for Jehoshaphat’s sake.

We don’t always know the blessing God gives to those around us because of our influence, but the blessing God pours upon us sometimes overflows onto the ungodly. As Jesus tells us that the blessing of God fall upon both the godly and the ungodly. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. God doesn’t limit His blessing just to His people.

Where is Christ in this passage?

God’s abundant grace in Christ Jesus flows to His people. God blesses His church, and this blessing overflows even to the unsaved around them. That doesn’t mean that these recipients of the overflowing grace of God are saved from their sins, but it does mean that they receive in this life far better than they ever deserve. God withholds His judgment and spares them for a time.

Those who are His people also receive far better than they deserve here in this life, for His people are also sinners and have merited eternal damnation. But they have the added blessing of spending eternity enjoying God in heaven, because their sins are paid in full upon Jesus Christ on the cross. He bore their sins, and He gives them His righteousness. Therefore they are declared to be just in His sight. They can spend eternity with Him in heaven.

Unfortunately for those who never come to Him in faith, the only blessing of God they will know is what they experience in this life.