Tue, 21 March, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Proverbs 8:1-11

¹ Does not wisdom call?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
² On the heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
³ beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
⁴ “To you, O men, I call,
and my cry is to the children of man.
⁵ O simple ones, learn prudence;
O fools, learn sense.
⁶ Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right,
⁷ for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸ All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
⁹ They are all straight to him who understands,
and right to those who find knowledge.
¹⁰ Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
¹¹ for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.”

In the previous chapter, we meet the harlot, who stands in the open square seeking to lure someone to his destruction. In this chapter of Proverbs, we meet her counterpart: wisdom. Wisdom also stands in a public spot and calls for people to follow her.

What do we learn from this?

The book of Proverbs presents wisdom sayings. Here we see wisdom personified. She points people to obedience to God. All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. And so we see that Godly wisdom challenges us to change our conduct and leads us to grow in obedience to God’s word.

Notice the value of obeying God’s word: It is better than silver, gold and jewels. All that you may desire cannot compare with her. Think of whatever it is that you desire the most in this world. Fame, fortune, or whatever it might be. God’s word tells us that whatever we may love in this world, to learn obedience to God’s word is better. We might not think so. We might not believe it to be true. But according to God’s word, if we seek godly wisdom, we will grow in our obedience to Him, and we will have gained something of the greatest value.

Where is Christ in this passage?

As we seek godly wisdom, and desire to live lives of obedience to God’s word, we find that we still sin. We continue to fall short of the goal of perfect obedience to God’s law. Hopefully we will sin less, but we still sin.

What hope do we have? How does God’s wisdom help us when we keep sinning, when we keep offending against His law? We are heaping up further judgment against ourselves even as it is our goal to obey. Who will save us from our hopeless predicament?

Jesus Christ has come to pay the price for the sins of all those who come to Him in faith. As we trust in Him for our salvation, He pays the price for our sins, past, present, and future, on Himself on the cross. Our hope for release from the punishment from our continuing sin is in Jesus Christ. We still desire to obey and live the perfect life He has commanded. We still repent of our sins and humble ourselves before Him. But we do not have to despair of our salvation, because He has paid the price for our sins. We must not presume upon His grace, but we must also never despair of His mercy, for His grace is greater than all our sin.

Mon, 27 March, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

John 10:1-6

¹ “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. ² But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵ A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Jesus speaks of His people as sheep and Himself as the Shepherd. He watches over, guards and protects His people, and they listen to and follow Him.

What do we learn from this?

In this passage, Jesus tells us that His sheep follow Him, for they know his voice. What a comforting thought that is. Jesus acknowledges that there are people who desire to steal and harm His people. There are false teachers out there who have their own plans for the people of God. These malicious people will enter the church and join with the His flock, but not by coming through faith in Jesus Christ (the door), but instead will come of their own way (climbing over the walls). They will try to lead the people of God astray. But they will ultimately not have success, for God’s people will not listen to them.

What a comfort this is to us. We know that there are so many false teachers who are leading many astray. How do I know that I am not following one of them? How do I know that the church I attend isn’t teaching something false about God? How do I know I’m not following one of these false shepherds that is in fact a thief preying upon God’s flock?

Jesus tells us that if we belong to Him, we will eventually recognize false teachers. He will call to us effectually, and lead us out of the error. He will call us by name, and we will follow Him. We will flee from the false teachers, because in them we hear the voice of those who are strangers to God.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who protects His sheep. He calls to them by name and brings them out of their lost condition and brings them into the safety of His sheepfold where He cares for and protects them. He gathers His people into His church, protecting them from error and false teaching.

Sun, 19 March, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Exodus 30:1-10

¹ “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. ² A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. ³ You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. ⁴ And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. ⁵ You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ⁶ And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. ⁷ And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, ⁸ and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the LORD throughout your generations. ⁹ You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. ¹⁰ Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.”

In the Holy Place, outside the curtain that shields the Most Holy Place containing the ark of the covenant, Moses is told to put the altar of incense. Every morning and evening, Aaron, the high priest, is commanded to burn incense on this altar.

What do we learn from this?

In the tabernacle, God had the priests offer incense morning and evening, as part of their daily worship of Him. As part of the other rituals of sacrifice and song, the High Priest would burn this fragrant, sweet smelling incense.

We see in the highly symbolic book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, that incense represents the prayers of God’s people:

Revelation 5:8

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

The prayers of the saints are “sweet smelling” to God. He is pleased by them. Prayer is like incense to Him.

We no longer offer incense as part of our worship, as that has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ and His once for all sacrifice. He has fulfilled all the ceremonial law, and that has passed away. But as incense is a picture of the prayers of God’s people, we still are to regularly come to Him in prayer. We are to offer our prayers to Him as worship that is pleasing to Him. And as Aaron was to burn the incense every morning and evening, it is not a bad model for us to emulate by bringing our prayers to God every morning and evening.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus Christ takes the prayers of His people and makes them acceptable to the Father. He presents them on our behalf, as our intercessor: He ever lives to make intercession for us. Jesus Christ prays for us as we are presenting our prayers through Him to the Father. And so the reason our prayers are “sweet smelling” (like incense) to the God the Father is because of the work of God the Son on our behalf to make them pleasing to the Father.

Sat, 18 March, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Galatians 4:1-6

¹ I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³ In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

What is the purpose of the Old Testament sacrificial system? What was it supposed to accomplish, and why don’t we have to follow it? Paul explains in today’s passage.

What do we learn from this?

The purpose of the Old Testament sacrificial system of worship was to act as a guardian or tutor. The sacrificial system was only a temporary institution until the fullness of time came and Jesus Christ would come to fulfill it, freeing us from the obligation to continue to keep it. Christ’s redemption is now complete, and we are treated as sons who have come of age. We don’t have to go through all the bloody sacrifices and the ceremonial law in order to approach God in worship. We are freed from that as a child is freed from a tutor when he comes of age.

Where is Christ in this passage?

The Old Testament sacrificial system has served its purpose. It was to point us to Christ. Every time someone would come to the temple, bringing an animal, confessing their sins over that animal, and then killing it, they were acting out a picture of what Jesus Christ would do for them as their true Substitute. They were showing their trust in God’s provision for their salvation, which ultimately wasn’t the animal they were offering up, but was the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ Himself.

Now that the perfect sacrifice has been offered, we no longer offer any more.

Fri, 17 March, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Proverbs 4:1-9

¹ Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
² for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
³ When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
⁴ he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
⁵ Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁶ Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
⁷ The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
⁸ Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹ She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

Welcome to the book of Proverbs. In today’s reading, the writer (Solomon?) encourages his son to seek wisdom.

What do we learn from this?

In this passage, we see the way a father should set the tone of the family, pointing the children to wisdom. The training of children is something that should be a part of life in the home, as the father hands down the instruction that he received from his father. The parents have learned much through their lives and they should teach them to their children. And the major thing to teach them is wisdom.

Wisdom is something we must seek. We must go after it, and strive for it. But the work will be rewarded. It is not easy work, but it is valuable work and well worth the effort.

Our children will not naturally know this. They will not naturally seek after wisdom. We need to teach them and train them to do this. We need to encourage our children, just as Solomon is here encouraging his own son.

Where is Christ in this passage?

We learn later in the book that The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

We are to seek wisdom, and the place to start is by learning to fear God. This is not the craven fear of the despot, but rather the respect of a son for his Father. Through the work of Jesus Christ, we are adopted into God’s family, and God is now our Father. We love Him for what He has done for us, saving us from our sins. But we also respect Him and fear to displease Him, as a child does not want to disappoint his earthly father.

So where does wisdom start? It starts by seeking God in Jesus Christ, and learning to love, respect and fear our Father.

Thu, 16 March, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

John 6:1-15

¹ After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. ² And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. ³ Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. ⁴ Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. ⁵ Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” ⁶ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. ⁷ Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” ⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ⁹ “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” ¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. ¹² And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” ¹³ So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. ¹⁴ When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

¹⁵ Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Jesus is building a following. (Interestingly, the chapter starts with people wanting to make Him king by force, and ends with many fleeing from Him after He preaches a sermon on election. But that is a discussion for another day.)

Today, we’ll look at Andrew and his reaction to the crisis of the lack of food for the five thousand.

What do we learn from this?

The others see the need and the impossibility of their being able to meet it. Philip speaks for the group when he states the tremendous cost of feeding such a crowd.

But Andrew, though expressing doubts of his own, brings a boy to Jesus. They have a need, and Andrew does what he can to meet the need. Here are five loaves and two fish. What good can they be in the face of such a need? Andrew doesn’t know. But he does what He can and brings the situation to Jesus.

First of all, I’ve always found it interesting to note how in scripture, when Andrew is presented, he is always bringing someone to Jesus. Andrew seems to always be pointing others to Jesus Christ. Whatever is going on in their lives, he introduces them to his Master. Not a bad model for us to follow, and certainly something for us to consider. Do we point others to Jesus? Do we see the people who need to hear about what Jesus Christ has done to save us from our sins, and do we tell them about the Savior God has provided?

But second, Andrew tries to do what he can to help in a time of great need. He realizes that in itself, what he does can’t do much good. But in doing what he can and entrusting the results to God, great things happen. The five thousand are fed from the little that the boy gave. And the boy was brought to Jesus by Andrew.

God often times works in our own lives in the same way. When we are faced with a situation we can’t handle, we do what we can and entrust the results to God, and He provides what we lack. He controls the situation for His glory and for our good. God takes what we do in faith, and makes it into much more than we could have ever accomplished of our own strength and ability.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus Christ accepted the small gift of the boy whom Andrew brought. He took that small gift and used it to bless thousands of people around the boy.

Wed, 15 March, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Exodus 26:1-6

¹ “Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. ² The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size. ³ Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. ⁴ And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set. Likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. ⁵ Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another. ⁶ And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole.

In this chapter of Exodus, God presents His plans for the Tabernacle.

What do we learn from this?

God presents copious details for His dwelling place. The number and size of the curtains. How they are to be made. The number of clasps to hold them together. On and on it goes.

Obviously, God cares about how we worship Him. We can not approach Him in any we choose, but only as He has instructed us. In His word, He has told us what we need to do to come before Him. We should not add to it or take away from it, for we must come to Him on His terms.

This means that we must be careful in our worship. We must study the scriptures, looking for God’s commands. It isn’t good enough to guess what God likes, or to do what we believe will please Him. Instead, we need to carefully consider everything we do, looking for a Biblical warrant for it. If we can’t find a scriptural reason for what we do in worship, we must not do it.

Where is Christ in this passage?

The Tabernacle and the sacrificial worship system of the Old Testament all pointed to Jesus Christ. They all served the purpose of pointing to the sacrifice that was to come: Jesus Christ.

Tue, 14 March, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

2 Corinthians 13:1-4

¹ This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ² I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them– ³ since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. ⁴ For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

Today we conclude Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth. He tells them he is planning to return to Corinth, and he warns that he will deal with any unrepentant sinners in their midst.

In this context, Paul makes this bold statement: Christ is speaking in me.

What do we learn from this?

Paul is not saying anything different than he did at the beginning of the book: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…. Paul is asserting his apostolic authority. Christ is speaking in him. He is God’s special appointed messenger. He is Christ’s apostle (literally “sent one”). He is able to deal powerfully with the unrepentant sinners because of his apostolic authority.

We do not have the same kind of apostolic authority that Paul had, but the leaders of the church are empowered (and commanded) to keep discipline within the church by enforcing God’s commands as related in the scriptures. We are to use the writings of the prophets and apostles as the basis of keeping order and calling sinning church members to repentance. We do not confront unrepentant sinners in our midst by enforcing what Christ has spoken through us (we are not apostles), but rather by enforcing what Christ has recorded in scriptures for us.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus Christ sent apostles to speak for Him. He used them mightily to form and build the church. And He used them to record that which we need so that we are not left without guidance. The apostles are all now gone, but Jesus Christ has given us the scriptures so we still have His word to us. Jesus Christ speaks to us in the Scriptures He has given.

Mon, 13 March, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Job 42:1-6

¹ Then Job answered the LORD and said:

² “I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
³ ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
⁴ ‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
⁵ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
⁶ therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”

Today we come to the completion of the great book of Job. The first and last chapters are vitally important to understanding this book. The first chapter gives us the background of the spiritual battle taking place, as Satan brings charges that Job is just a mercenary, only following God for what he can get. The final chapter brings everything to a resolution. We see Job’s rash words and pride resolved as he is humbled, takes back his words, and repents before God. We see the dispute between the friends resolved as God vindicates Job and brings them to mutual agreement and understanding, culminated in Job’s prayer and their shared sacrifice. And finally, Job’s terrible suffering is resolved and he is restored to health and prosperity as the suffering has served its purpose.

In our text above, we see Job humbled before God.

What do we learn from this?

Job concedes God’s argument is correct. Job realizes that God’s words are the truth. Job has spoken rashly.

The first step in correcting evil thoughts and behavior is to acknowledge that God’s word about them is the truth. Job was privileged to hear God’s voice. He heard, and acknowledged the truth of what God says. We don’t hear God speak verbally, but we have God’s word recorded for us. We have the Bible. As we read the scriptures, we hear God speaking about our thoughts and behavior, and we must acknowledge what God says about them is the truth.

Job had complained that he was terrified because no purpose of God can be thwarted. But now he acknowledges and submits to God’s providence, not in fear, but in humble expectation.

Job pleads guilty to the charge of rash words. Who speaks without knowledge? I am the guilty one. Job admits that he has been fighting against God’s plan in his life, and that he uttered what he did not know. He had condemned what he did not understand: God’s purposes. Job owns that quarreling with God is wrong. We cannot understand God’s providence, and it is wrong to attempt to correct God.

Job then petitions God to hear his confession. Remember how Job thought he could walk up to God and demand justice? Now, he cannot answer one of God’s questions. He is no longer attempting to correct God, but instead is humbling himself before God.

He acknowledges that he had a head knowledge of God. He had heard about God all his life. But now Job has had a direct encounter with God, and he really understands who God is. It is now more than intellectual, and it affects his conduct. Now that he knows God, he no longer considers himself someone special deserving of God’s favor. He is humbled.

Seeing God for who He really is will show us who we are. It will humble us before Him. We do need a head knowledge of God. But God has to act to enlighten our hearts to truly understand who He is. God did this to Job through suffering, and now Job repents in dust and ashes. The circumstances didn’t change; Job was in dust and ashes all week. What changed? His attitude. After being confronted with who God is, Job repented of his pride and rash words. Like Job, as God works in our lives to break us of our pride and self sufficiency, we need to humble ourselves and submit to God in all areas of our lives.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Job has come to the point where he no longer is trusting in himself and his stature as a great man of the east. Instead, Job repents of his pride and humbles himself before God. He acknowledges that he can make no demands upon God but humbly submits himself to God. Job is now restored to fellowship with God, and God declares Job to be right.

From a New Testament perspective, we have a better understanding of what is happening in Job’s restoration. Job is submitting to God, and trusting to Him alone for everything, including his salvation. He is implicitly trusting in God’s provision for his salvation. We have a better understanding of what that provision is: Jesus Christ, as the Substitute for sin, is God’s provision for salvation. We are called to trust in Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection as our only hope for salvation. We are to humble ourselves before God, repent of our sins, and trust in Jesus Christ. Only in that is there salvation.

Sun, 12 March, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

John 2:1-10

¹ On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ² Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. ³ When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

⁶ Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. ⁹ When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” ¹¹ This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

John relates for us specific events from Jesus’ life on earth with the express purpose that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

In today’s passage, John relates the first of seven miracles he will record in the book: the water turned to wine.

What do we learn from this?

Why does Jesus turn the water into wine? We can see from this that Jesus approves of marriage and that He considers it appropriate to consume a moderate amount of alcohol as part of celebrations. He is blessing this wedding and the guests who have come to be part of the reception.

But John tells us the ultimate purpose of the miracle of turning the water into wine. He manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. Jesus’ miracles point to His authority. They prove the truth of what He says. They show He is who He says He is. They show He is the Christ, the Son of God. They make manifest His glory as the Second Person of the Trinity. And they should cause us to place our faith in Him.

Where is Christ in this passage?

How do we know Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? John has written his gospel to prove this to us. John’s prayer for us as he wrote these things under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was that we would believe in Jesus Christ and find salvation.