Wed, 31 May, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Psalm 87

¹ On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
² the LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
³ Glorious things of you are spoken,
O city of God. Selah

⁴ Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush –
“This one was born there,” they say.
⁵ And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in her”;
for the Most High himself will establish her.
⁶ The LORD records as he registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah

⁷ Singers and dancers alike say,
“All my springs are in you.”

In Psalm 87, we get a glimpse of the future God has in store for His church.

What do we learn from this?

God is working in history and through His church to convert His enemies. He is patient in what He does, and sometimes from our perspective, we see little progress. Yet it is a promise God has made. He will bring about the conversion of His enemies. The great enemies of our Old Testament fathers will come to the point that they can claim to be born in Jerusalem spiritually speaking.

When will this happen? We don’t know. But God will do His work in His time to bring His enemies into subjection to Himself.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus Christ will reign, bringing His enemies and the enemies of His people into submission.

Tue, 30 May, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Deuteronomy 3:1-11

¹ “Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. ² But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’ ³ So the LORD our God gave into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people, and we struck him down until he had no survivor left. ⁴ And we took all his cities at that time–there was not a city that we did not take from them–sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. ⁵ All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides very many unwalled villages. ⁶ And we devoted them to destruction, as we did to Sihon the king of Heshbon, devoting to destruction every city, men, women, and children. ⁷ But all the livestock and the spoil of the cities we took as our plunder. ⁸ So we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon ⁹ (the Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, while the Amorites call it Senir), ¹⁰ all the cities of the tableland and all Gilead and all Bashan, as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. ¹¹ (For only Og the king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bed was a bed of iron. Is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its breadth, according to the common cubit.)

Before he dies, Moses reviews to the Israelites all that God had done for them. In today’s chapter, Moses reviews Israel’s victory over Og, king of Bashan. Og was of the remnant of the Rephaim and his bed is nine cubits long (about thirteen feet). Apparently, Og and the people of Bashan were a race of giants.

When Og came out to do battle against Israel, the people must have been terrified, for God had to tell Moses not to fear. God had to comfort Moses and the Israelites with the statement, Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand.

Israel is about to enter into the promised land and face enemies more numerous and as fierce as those from Bashan. Recall that they had been on the border forty years earlier and had turned back because they were afraid of the inhabitants of the land. Now, the next generation is facing the same situation. They are on the border again, preparing to begin fighting the people of Canaan.

Moses realizes the people need to be encouraged to boldly step out and do what God has commanded them to do. And so he reminds them of their battle against Og, and how God gave these fierce enemies into their hand.

What do we learn from this?

We often are afraid of the circumstances we face, for there are things we cannot handle. How do we continue to fight the battles God presents for us? Moses here shows us that to encourage ourselves to continue in obedience to God’s commands, we need to look back on God’s faithfulness in the past.

Review what God has done for His people in scripture, and in history. Think about what God has done for you and your family. As you see that God has faithfully brought you through all that has gone in the past, it is an encouragement for you to continue to serve Him in the present.

God promised Moses and Israel that they would win the battle against Og. We usually don’t get that kind of promise of victory over our enemies in battle. We might lose the battle we are fighting. But God still will be true to His promise to be with us through our trials and tribulations, and we can claim those promises, even in times of personal loss.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus Christ, as the head of His church, is protecting her. He has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. This is a promise He can make, for He himself is fighting for us. We might lose some battles along the way, but the war is won, because Jesus Christ has promised to defeat all the enemies of the church. And He will do so just as surely as He defeated Og, king of Bashan.

Mon, 29 May, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Jude 5-7

⁵ Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day– ⁷ just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

Who saved the people of Israel, leading them of the bondage of Egypt? Jude tells us it was Jesus.

What do we learn from this?

Although the word Trinity is not in scripture, the concept of the Trinity is found all through scripture. For example, in today’s passage, the work of God in freeing Israel from the Egyptian bondage is attributed to Jesus. Jesus Christ was born as a human hundreds of years after the Exodus. But He pre-existed His human incarnation. As the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son was present and active in the Exodus, so that it is appropriate for Jude to write that Jesus saved a people out of the land of Egypt.

(There are some manuscripts that instead of saying although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved say although you fully knew it, that the Lord who once saved. Thus some argue that Jesus in this passage is incorrect, and this passage does not teach the Trinity. Nevertheless, the doctrine of the Trinity is all through scripture, and the doctrine does not hang on this passage alone.)

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus Christ saved a people out of Egypt and destroyed those who did not believe. He is currently keeping the fallen angels in chains until the judgment day. He is in control of the nations, and He will judge the angels and the people.

Jesus Christ is ruling now. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is bringing everything into submission to His rule. And He will return again to judge the nations, the angles and the people at the judgment of the great day.

Sun, 28 May, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Isaiah 29:17-21

¹⁷ Is it not yet a very little while
until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?
¹⁸ In that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book,
and out of their gloom and darkness
the eyes of the blind shall see.
¹⁹ The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD,
and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
²⁰ For the ruthless shall come to nothing
and the scoffer cease,
and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off,
²¹ who by a word make a man out to be an offender,
and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate,
and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right.

In this chapter, God pronounces woe against Jerusalem, declaring that because they have only been true to God in word but not in action, He will give them over to siege and famine. He will remove His word from them, and they will be blind. But God also promises to restore them, restoring their sight.

What do we learn from this?

The people who were deaf to the word of God will receive their hearing. Those who were blind to spiritual things will receive sight. God promises to work within His people to bring them to Himself.

We all because of our fallen nature inherited from Adam reject God. We choose to disobey Him. How can we who are in rebellion against God ever change? How can we hear the gospel message when we are deaf to the good news of salvation? How can we see our spiritual condition when we are blind to the things of God?

God must work in people’s lives to change their nature. He must grant them ears to hear the gospel, and eyes to see what God has done. All who come to God, come because of God’s work in their life, not their own. That is why we can’t boast of what we have done in salvation. We have done nothing. It is all God’s work, as He makes the deaf hear and the blind see.

Where is Christ in this passage?

When John the Baptist sent to ask if Jesus really is the Messiah, Jesus refers to this passage (and other passages in Isaiah), showing He is the one who is to come.

Matthew 10:2-6

² Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples ³ and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” ⁴ And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Sat, 27 May, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Psalm 80:14-19

¹⁴ Turn again, O God of hosts!
Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
¹⁵ the stock that your right hand planted,
and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
¹⁶ They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;
may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
¹⁷ But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
¹⁸ Then we shall not turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call upon your name!

¹⁹ Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!
let your face shine, that we may be saved!

In this Psalm, Asaph recognizes the plight of Israel, and pleads with God to restore them in His grace.

What do we learn from this?

There are times when we will face great difficulties. Even as God’s people, the road isn’t always smooth. We must expect that at some point we will feel like we have been abandoned by God, whether it is because of our own sin, or His own purpose. In those times, it is appropriate for us to cry out to God for His grace and to be restored to our sense of His presence and love.

The reality is that if we are His children, He will never abandon us. At times we might feel that He has left us, but He will never forsake the people He has chosen as His very own. Yet during the dark times, we can sing this Psalm and find comfort with Asaph.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Asaph calls for God’s hand to be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself. This is a call for God to be with the king, the son of David who is reigning on the throne. But ultimately, this is about the greater son of David. This is about the Messiah: Jesus the Christ.

Fri, 26 May, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Numbers 35:9-29

⁹ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁰ “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ¹¹ then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. ¹² The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. ¹³ And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge. ¹⁴ You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. ¹⁵ These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.

¹⁶ “But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. ¹⁷ And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. ¹⁸ Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. ¹⁹ The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. ²⁰ And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, ²¹ or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

²² “But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait ²³ or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, ²⁴ then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. ²⁵ And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. ²⁶ But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled, ²⁷ and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. ²⁸ For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. ²⁹ And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

A murderer must die. They only way to cleanse the land from the guilt of shed blood is by shedding the blood of the murderer. But what if a person unintentionally kills someone? What should happen then? How are they protected from the death penalty? God provides protection in the law by providing cities of refute where the manslayer can flee. The city of refuge will provide sanctuary for the manslayer, and if there is not sufficient evidence of the person’s guilt, they can live there in safety. If, however, they are found guilty of murder, the killer is handed over for execution to die for their crime.

What do we learn from this?

God provides a way for the manslayer to live. He provides the sanctuary to which the person can flee when they seek refuge from the avenger of blood.

Clearly, God is angry with sin and requires that it be punished. Life is precious to God, and murder is a serious sin with the ultimate punishment. God requires that the result of murder be capital punishment.

What does this mean to us today? If we are to follow God’s standard, capital punishment is appropriate for the crime of murder. Life is precious, and we must not let those who wrongfully take the life of another to continue to live. The murderer must die as a just consequence of their actions. If they are proved to be guilty of intentionally killing another, they have forfeited their right to live.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Even in the midst of this harsh teaching on the results of murder, God presents for us the picture of a refuge where we can flee from the avenger of blood. In this refuge we find safety and protection. Although the situation is not completely analogous to the refuge from the penalty for our sin that we find in Jesus Christ, nevertheless, this also points us to Jesus Christ.

We have all sinned, and we must bear the penalty for our sin, unless we flee to Jesus Christ for refuge. He offers us His righteousness and He takes the guilt of our sin upon Himself. We can be right with God if we come to Jesus Christ in faith. He is our refuge from the guilt of our sin.

Thu, 25 May, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

1 John 4:1-6

¹ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. ⁴ Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

As we go through the book of 1 John, we see that John is very concerned about false teachers. In today’s reading, we see that there are false teachers who have left the church and are still influencing them. But John tells us something about these false teachers: they are speaking for false spirits.

What do we learn from this?

John warns against false spirits speaking through false prophets. There are human teachers who have been a part of the church but have apostatized and turned their backs on the church. They have gone out into the world. We must be on guard against the teachings of these false teachers.

John keeps telling us we need to abide in the Holy Spirit that God has given us. But, John warns us, there are false spirits that will try to deceive us. Every teacher speaks for a spirit. Either he speaks for the Holy Spirit, or for a false spirit. We must be on our guard against these false teachers bringing the word of false spirits.

Do not believe every spirit, John warns us. This is a present tense imperative, commanding continuous action. We are to continually not believe every spirit. It is not an option. Don’t blindly accept everything you are taught, John tells us emphatically, and keep not believing. Rather, we should test the spirits.

We are not to be credulous people. Faith is not “believing what you know isn’t true”, as the child put it. Christians shouldn’t “check their brains at the door” when we come into church. We are commanded to think very carefully about where we put our trust. Specifically, John is telling us that when some one teaches or preaches, there is a spiritual message. A false spirit can be using the teacher. The teaching can be wrong. We must listen carefully, think about what we hear, and compair it to scripture.

Think about what you are hearing. Test it. Check it out. Do not uncritically accept everything you hear. There are false teachers that are the mouthpieces for lying spirits.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus warned that we should be on guard against false teachers who would come. They will come claiming to bring a word from God, but they bring a false message from a false spirit.

Matthew 24:4-5

⁴ And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

Wed, 24 May, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Isaiah 25:1-5

¹ O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
² For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the foreigners’ palace is a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.
³ Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
⁴ For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;
for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,
⁵ like heat in a dry place.
You subdue the noise of the foreigners;
as heat by the shade of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is put down.

God has done wonderful things. No question about it. The marvelous things God has done are without number. We could never list all the amazing things God has done. So of all the things to choose from, what does Isaiah pick an example of a wonderful thing leading to his praise?

God’s destruction of His enemies. The destruction of the foreign powers that have oppressed and harassed His people.

What do we learn from this?

Not only is God in control of things to the point of raising up and bringing down nations according to His own purpose, but He also cares deeply for His own people. He protects them and acts to bring them salvation. He is a stronghold and shelter to the poor and needy. But He destroys the cities and palaces of the oppressors.

Isaiah tells us that God’s act of preserving His people and judging His enemies is something that should get our attention. It should bring us to praise Him. It is a wonderful thing He has done in the past. And it is an amazing thing He is doing for us now as well.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus Christ has won the salvation of all His people. In doing so, He has destroyed the power of the greatest enemy, death, over them. God’s people no longer need to fear death, for even death is a conquered foe, living in subjection to the reign of Jesus Christ.

Tue, 23 May, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Psalm 77:11-15

¹¹ I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
¹² I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
¹³ Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
¹⁴ You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
¹⁵ You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

In this Psalm, we see Asaph struggling with God. He feels abandoned by God, and cries out, begging God to hear him. He is tempted to think that his prayer goes no higher than the ceiling, and that God neither hears nor cares.

Have you ever felt like that? At some point in our Christian walk, we all feel this way. So what does Asaph do? I makes a conscience effort to remember what God has done in the past.

What do we learn from this?

God has done so much for His people. He has greatly blessed, protected and prospered His people through out time. When we think we stand alone, abandoned by God, we need to remember, God hasn’t forgotten us any more than He forgot the children of Jacob and Joseph.

As we read the scriptures, this should encourage us. We see God’s faithfulness on page after page of His word, and that should inspire us to trust Him. For we serve the same God who was faithful to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He will be faithful to us as well.

This was great encouragement for Asaph in his time of darkness and despair, and it can be encouragement for us as well.

Where is Christ in this passage?

As we consider and meditate upon God’s mighty deeds, we must consider what Jesus Christ has done for us in coming to earth to live the perfect life and die for the sins of His people. What greater act could God have possibly done for us than to win our salvation at the cost of His own Son?

Mon, 22 May, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Numbers 31:1-12

¹ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” ³ So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD’s vengeance on Midian. ⁴ You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.” ⁵ So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. ⁶ And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, together with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. ⁷ They warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every male. ⁸ They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. ⁹ And the people of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones, and they took as plunder all their cattle, their flocks, and all their goods. ¹⁰ All their cities in the places where they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire, ¹¹ and took all the spoil and all the plunder, both of man and of beast. ¹² Then they brought the captives and the plunder and the spoil to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the people of Israel, at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.

By following Balaam’s advice, the Midianites had seduced Israel into idol worship (Numbers 25). Now God calls for Israel to avenge this seduction. This will be Moses final act before he dies.

What do we learn from this?

God cares very much about the sin of His people. He will punish the sin of His people. Twenty-four thousand people died in the plague that broke out because of Israel’s infidelity with the women of Midian.

But we also see here that God will bring judgment upon those who draw His people into sin. There will be a day when those who draw others into sin will face God’s punishment for their action. They will not only be guilty of their own sin, but will be held accountable for drawing others into sin. Those who cause others to sin will face greater punishment. As Jesus warned, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

Where is Christ in this passage?

Today, we don’t live in a Theocracy where God directly controls the government. We do not have God’s explicit command to go out and execute the enemies of the church. We are called to stand up to oppression, and to love our enemies. But we are not called to execute anyone. The civil government has the power of keeping the justice, not the church.

However, we know that Jesus Christ is king of both the church and the state. He is in control of all that happens. We look for Him to protect His church and to ultimately punish the evildoers. It is not our role to seek vengeance. We look to the government to enforce protect those who do good and to punish those who do evil. And we look to Jesus Christ to ultimately bring justice.