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

Luke 5:12-16

¹² While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” ¹³ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. ¹⁴ And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” ¹⁵ But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. ¹⁶ But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Jesus is confronted by a leper. A leper was ceremonially unclean and had to stay away from people in order to not contaminate others. If you touched leper, you would be disqualified from worship until you were ceremonially cleansed.

What does Jesus do with this leper? Does He keep His distance and keep His ceremonial cleanliness? What does He do? Much to our surprise and most likely the shock of everyone present with Him, Jesus touches the leper. He actually puts His hand on the unclean leper, and in so doing, Jesus cleanses the man. Jesus could have healed the man in many ways that didn’t require that He touch the man. He could have sent the man to wash in the Jordon, like Elisha did with Naaman. But instead, Jesus touched the man.

What do we learn from this?

Jesus cared about people. He was willing to have contact with those that no one else would touch.

There are people in our world who are “untouchable”. In our normal nature, we shy away from these people and try to minimize our contact with them. We don’t like them, and they know it, for it clearly shows in the way we maintain a “safe” distance from them.

This is not the way Jesus treated the “untouchable” people of His day. He was intimately involved with them. He ate with those the Pharisees shunned, and He touched the leper.

Jesus has shown us that we must be involved in the lives of people who are in need, even if that means we touch the “untouchable”. If they have a need and we can help them, we must be Christ to them and be a part of their lives.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus Christ touched the leper. He touched the man who was unclean in order to cleanse his leprosy. But Jesus Christ has done even more than that. He has taken the very sins of His people upon Himself, cleansing His people from their guilt. He became sin so that we would never know the punishment of God upon our sin.

The one who touched the leper willingly took sin upon Himself, in order that those in need could be right with Him.

Mon, 20 November, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Amos 9:1

¹ I saw the LORD standing beside the altar, and he said:

“Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake,
and shatter them on the heads of all the people;
and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword;
not one of them shall flee away;
not one of them shall escape.

This final vision is somewhat different than the previous visions. Amos has no active part in it, like he did in the others. Amos is simply an observer, and is not involved in intercession or dialog with God.

In his vision, Amos sees God standing by the altar of the temple. There is some question about whether this is THE altar at THE temple in Jerusalem, or if it is a false altar at a false temple in Israel. The flow of the text from chapter 8 would seem to indicate a false altar in Israel. 8:14 says, “Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, Who say, ‘As your god lives, O Dan!’ And ‘As the way of Beersheba lives!’ They shall fall and never rise again.” Then follows the prophecy that the temple will be destroyed.

But we have seen Judah is also included in some of these prophecies, and so it could be referring to the temple at Jerusalem. That temple was also leveled to the ground because of the unfaithfulness of Judah, and so it does no violence to the text to read it either way.

God commands someone, presumably an angel, to strike the pillars of the temple, and make the whole thing collapse. The place of unfaithful worship is going to be destroyed.

What do we learn from this?

God is condemning the false worship of Israel, and swearing to bring punishment upon the people for this great sin. God hates false worship, and He will punish those who worship in an incorrect manner.

We can be wrong in our worship by worshiping that which is not the true God, as was common in Israel. God condemns this violation of the First Commandment. We can be wrong in our worship by worshiping the true God in ways that are contrary to His commands. When we add to God’s commands or take away from them in our worship, we are violating the Second Commandment, and God condemns this as well.

God promises to bring us as individuals and as a church into judgment for our sin of violating His commands in worship. He will strike the capitals of our places of unfaithful worship.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Our worship is to be Christ centered. The preached word should explain Christ and offer Him to the people. The sung Word should praise God and expound Christ. The sacraments administered should display Jesus Christ to the people. All of it should be centered in Christ, pointing to Him, and praising Him.

When we leave out any of God’s commands in worship, or if we add to them things that we have invented is to supplant Christ with our own ideas of worship, and it invites God’s anger. Let us be careful to worship God only, and to only worship God in the ways He has commanded. Nothing more or less.

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

James 1:5-8

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Do you lack wisdom? Do you desire to be wise? Do you want to be more mature in your Christian life? If so, James tells us, ask God. But we are warned to know what you are asking for.

What do we learn from this?

We saw in the first 4 verses of James that we should count trials as joy because the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. So if a solid, proven faith results in steadfastness, a lack of faith will display our instability.

If you are praying to God for wisdom and maturity, it is possible that might result in trials that will your steadfastness. James tells us that we become mature and stable through trials. So if you pray for wisdom and maturity, don’t be surprised if you face troubles that will result in your wisdom and maturity.

Be prepared for what you are asking. Trust God fully as you are coming to Him in faith. Do not doubt Him. If you come to Him wanting something from Him but rebelling against what He does in your life to answer that request, you are double-minded (wanting the things of God and wanting to keep your worldly ways) and unstable (driven by the winds and waves of circumstances).

Stability and maturity are the result of trusting God, putting aside worldly thinking. Instability and immaturity are the result of doubting God, trusting in yourself, and accepting the worlds standards.

Where is Christ in this passage?

What is wisdom?

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Wisdom is to fear God and to know Him. Knowing God and rightly fearing Him is wisdom. And God’s wisdom is fully revealed in Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:2-3

² … that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

So, true wisdom is to know God in the person of Jesus Christ, and stability comes from trusting in God through faith in Jesus Christ. We learn wisdom, and come to know God, as we trust in Jesus Christ through all the trials and circumstances we face.

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

1 Chronicles 11:1-3

¹ Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. ² In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.

After much grief and hardship, David is finally made king of all Israel.

God has stated that He will make David the king of His people. And so it is.

What do we learn from this?

What God has promised, that He will do. It might take a while, and there might be times when it seems like God’s promise won’t come true. We might have to wait, but God’s promise will come true.

Where is Christ in this passage?

God has promised that He will save His people from their sins. He promised to provide the sacrifice that would pay the penalty for the guilt of their sins.

He has fulfilled that promise by sending Jesus Christ to live the perfect life for His people and die in their place.

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

Luke 1:39-45

³⁹ In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, ⁴⁰ and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, ⁴² and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Mary was granted a unique experience. She was the mother of Jesus Christ, conceived of the Holy Spirit. She was blessed in a unique way that no one else will ever experience. By the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth recognizes this and crys out, acknowledging the blessing upon Mary.

Elizabeth also notes the blessing upon Mary for believing that God would do what He had promised to do.

What do we learn from this?

Although Mary is alone in being singled out to bear the Savior, she is not alone in being blessed because she has believed God’s promise. We can be blessed along with her in this respect.

God has spoken to us in His word. The scriptures are filled with His promises to us. There are promises of His grace and forgiveness of sins. There are promises of His joy and strength in times of trouble. There are promises of His continued presence, as He will never leave us or forsake us. We can claim these promises and believe them, just as Mary believed what God spoke to her.

As we trust in God’s word and His promises, and claim them as our own, we are blessed.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus Himself has told us that as we come to Him in faith and obedience, we are blessed like His mother.

Matthew 12:46-49

⁴⁶ While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. ⁴⁸ But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

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

Amos 5:1

¹ Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel:

This chapter, like chapters three and four, begins with the phrase Hear this word. Amos is bringing a covenant lawsuit against Israel, and he is calling them to listen to these words. They are not the words of Amos, but the words of God. Amos is calling attention to this fact again, as he brings these harsh words to the people.

What do we learn from this?

Amos is bring God’s word to the people of his day. It was useful for them to hear what God was saying. Although this is primarily for the people of Hosea’s day, it is not exclusively for them.

We too are called to “Hear this word.” God’s word, comprised of the entire Old and New Testaments, is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). God has breathed it out, and it is for our instruction. We profit by reading, studying, memorizing and meditating upon God’s word. It is profitable to us. We gain by listening intently to the preaching of the word. This is

Where is Christ in this passage?

As we’ve seen in our readings in Hebrews, God has spoken in many way, but His most perfect word came in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He is the incarnate Word of God. We learn about Jesus Christ from the scriptures. As we study them, we come see Jesus Christ predicted and foreshadowed in the Old Testament. What He did is described in the Gospels. What He did is then explained in the epistles. It is all about Jesus Christ. Listen to the word and learn of Jesus Christ.

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

Hebrews 10:1-4

¹ For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. ² Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sin? ³ But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin every year. ⁴ For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

The temple was a bloody place. There were animals constantly being sacrificed there as people came to follow God’s commands for the forgiveness of their sins. They had to continually, year after year, return to offer sacrifices again. It was a never ending cycle of blood and death.

What do we learn from this?

The death of an animal could not pay the price for anyone’s sin. If it could, they would not have to keep returning to the temple to sacrifice more animals. The fact that there continued to be animal sacrifice was proof that it didn’t “work”, for an animal can’t bear the guilt for a person. If their salvation was to be real, there had to be something more. There had to be something greater behind the animal sacrifice if the people were ever to be saved.

Where is Christ in this passage?

The reality behind the animal sacrifice was Jesus Christ. All these Old Testament sacrifices pointed the people to the coming sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He was the true substitute for their sins, and with His death, sacrifices would be complete. He was the perfect sacrifice, and after Him the Old Testament sacrificial system would be abolished. Since salvation was accomplished by His perfect sacrifice of Himself, there need be no more sacrifice again.

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

1 Chronicles 3

¹ These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite, ² the third, Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; ³ the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah; ⁴ six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years and six months. And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. ⁵ These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the daughter of Ammiel; ⁶ then Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, ⁷ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁸ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. ⁹ All these were David’s sons, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar was their sister.

¹⁰ The son of Solomon was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, ¹¹ Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, ¹² Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, ¹³ Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, ¹⁴ Amon his son, Josiah his son. ¹⁵ The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. ¹⁶ The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son; ¹⁷ and the sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son, ¹⁸ Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah; ¹⁹ and the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith was their sister; ²⁰ and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed, five. ²¹ The sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, his son Rephaiah, his son Arnan, his son Obadiah, his son Shecaniah. ²² The son of Shecaniah: Shemaiah. And the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat, six. ²³ The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam, three. ²⁴ The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven.

God richly blessed David, and we have listed here in the first paragraph the names of all the sons born to him. (We will leave aside for the moment the problem of multiple wives and just note how God blessed David with many children.) The second paragraph lists his descendants down to the Babylonian exile.

What do we learn from this?

All children are a wonderful gift from God. But to the Israelites of the Old Testament, it was considered very important to hand down your name. You greatly desired to have a son to inherit your land and to maintain your place.

God promised David he would have a descendant sit upon the throne in perpetuity. So this list of descendants is very important as it shows God’s faithfulness by providing a king of the line of David. Eventually, the nation became so corrupt that God sent them into exile, but even then, God preserved the line of David, as is listed in this passage. God was keeping His promise to David, and the line of David was maintained so that the greater son of David would come into the world and take up the throne forever, completely fulfilling God’s promise.

Where is Christ in this passage?

This is the line of Jesus Christ. God used these people to bring Jesus Christ into the world, so that Jesus Christ is the great Son of David who was promised. When Jesus ascended to heaven and took up the seat of power at God’s right hand, He took up all authority in heaven and earth. He took up the throne as promised to David, and rules in perpetuity, as promised to David.

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

Psalm 145:8-9

⁸ The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹ The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.

As we come toward the end of the book of Psalms, we have arrived at David’s final psalm in the psalter. Appropriately, it is a song of praise to God.

Tucked into the middle of Psalm 145 is a quote from Exodus. David quotes from where the Israelites at Sinai had just made the golden calf, and Moses had to intercede for them so that God would continue with them. Moses then asks to see God’s glory. In response, God reveals Himself in this declaration:

Exodus 34:6-7

⁶…”The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, ⁷ keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

David, in his praise of God, quotes God’s self declaration, encouraging one generation to remember and declare God’s wondrous works.

God has revealed Himself to us through His self declaration to Moses. Moses recorded it. He through his writings declared God’s wondrous works in his generation to the next, and it was handed down to David’s generation, and David has declared God’s wondrous works to his generation. He wrote his psalm, and it has been handed down to our generation.

What do we learn from this?

We learn of God’s wondrous works through scripture. God has inspired men to record these events, and their statements of praise. These have been handed down to us so that we can know what God has done in the past, and that we might praise Him as well.

So as we read scripture, it should cause us to realize the greatness of God, and lead us to praise our great God for His wondrous works.

Where is Christ in this passage?

God’s graciousness and mercy is supremely displayed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as He won the salvation of all who come to Him in faith. God saves His people from all their sins. He saves them from that from which they could never save themselves. Oh the graciousness and mercy of God to save people like us from our rebellion against Him!

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

Amos 1:1-2

¹ The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors
² And he said:

“The LORD roars from Zion
and utters his voice from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds mourn,
and the top of Carmel withers.”

Amos is a minor prophet in the Bible. He, like the other 12 Minor Prophets, is not less important than the 4 Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel). He is minor in that the book he wrote is shorter than the books written by the Major Prophets. But the message is just as much God’s word, and has just as much significance to us as the longer books of the Major Prophets.

Amos was from Tekoa, a little village about 5 miles south of Bethlehem, and about 10 miles south of Jerusalem. It was part of the southern kingdom of Judah.

Amos was a shepherd, and a grower of sycamore-fig trees. It is interesting that he tended sheep in the fields near Bethlehem. The term used for shepherd in Amos 1:1 indicates a specific type of sheep kept for their wool.

The fact that he was also kept sycamore-fig trees possibly indicates that Amos was very poor. Some shepherds were wealthy, and could even pay others to tend the sheep. But Amos needed to also keep trees to make ends meet.

It seems that Amos was not a prominent man. He was not a prophet by trade. He was called from being a poor, obscure farmer, to bring God’s message to the people of Israel. Calvin says of Amos, “his low condition was intended for this purpose – that God might thereby repress the arrogance of the king of Israel, and of the whole people; for we know how much inflated they were on account of the fruitfulness of their land and their riches. Hence Amos was set over them as a prophet, being a shepherd, whom God had brought from the sheepfolds.” … “I do not then doubt, by that Amos saying that he was a shepherd, pours contempt on the pride of the king of Israel, and of the whole people; for as they had not deigned to hear the Prophets of God, a keeper of sheep was sent to them.” (Commentary on the Twelve Minor Prophets by John Calvin. Volume 2. Joel, Amos, Obadiah. Amos 1:1)

Why would God call Amos, an obscure farmer, not trained as a prophet, from the southern kingdom of Judah, to bring His word to the people of the northern tribes of Israel? Why would God use such an unlikely outsider to perform this difficult task?

Again, from Calvin: “Since, then, the Israelites had hitherto rejected God’s servants, they were now constrained to hear a foreigner and a shepherd condemning them for their sins, and exercising the office of a judge…. [God] is wont to choose the weak things of the world to confound the strong, (1 Cor. 1) and he takes Prophets and teachers from the lowest grade to humble the dignity of the world, and puts the invaluable treasure of his doctrine in earthly vessels, that his power, as Paul teaches us, may be made more evident (1 Cor. 4).”

What do we learn from this?

Amos warns that The LORD roars from Zion. The Lord is about to judge the nations. God is here pictured as a lion about to attack, freezing its prey by the terrifying sound. The Lord is roaring from Zion, which is the temple, the house of God, and His onslaught is about to begin.

Amos continues, the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers. Notice the language of a shepherd. What are the worst pictures a shepherd can draw to describe the coming judgment? Lions attacking and pastures withered. This is what we would expect to hear from a shepherd. God works through the prophets to bring His word to His people, but the prophets are not puppets. Their personalities show through their writing, as the Holy Spirit inspires them to write the words of God.

The Lord is speaking to the people of Israel through His instrument Amos to warn them of the coming judgment. The calamity that is about to begin is not coming by chance or by accident. It is coming to them from God. God is acting against them in judgment, and they are being given fair warning of what is to come.

Where is Christ in this passage?

How does the Lord speak today? How do we hear God give His warnings? We hear Him through His Word, through the Bible. That means it is incumbent upon us to spend time in study of His word. We must carefully attend to the preached word, for God is speaking to us to warn us. For God is revealed to us in the preaching of Jesus Christ from the scriptures.

Hebrews 1:1-2 ¹ Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.