Category Archives: The Bible

Glimpsing the Gospel in Every Book of the Bible

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Biblical literacy is ever important for Christians as we seek to understand how the Scriptures come together to tell the story of the gospel.

This is the one of a series of short summaries of books of the Bible (Genesis and Exodus to) to help place their content into the larger story of the Bible as a whole.

Genesis

Many readers miss the forest of God’s larger purposes when immersed in the trees of each individual story. In creation, God creates humanity in his own image as his representatives to fill and rule the earth on his behalf (Gen. 1:26–28). Even after Adam and Eve sin and are punished, the promise is given that the offspring of the woman will defeat the serpent and restore the earth (Gen. 3:15). This promise is traced throughout the book in its genealogies,3 which provide the backbone of the entire book. Key divisions are traced by “These are the generations of,” tracing out the stories of key figures, starting with “the heavens and the earth” (2:4–4:26), and going on to Adam (5:1–6:8), Noah (6:9–9:29), the sons of Noah (10:1–11:19), Shem (11:10–26), Terah (11:27–25:11), Ishmael (25:12–18), Isaac (25:19–35:29), Esau (36:1–37:1), and Jacob (37:2–50:26). The line of God’s blessing is emphasized (e.g., Adam, Noah, Terah, Isaac, Jacob), while the stories of other lines receive less attention (e.g., Ishmael, Esau). The individual stories of Abraham, Jacob and Joseph are illustrations of how the promise of Genesis 3:15 begins to be fulfilled.

God desires to bless the nations through a future king. Adam is portrayed in the image of God, a phrase probably signifying a royal representative of God. Abraham would become a “great nation” (Gen. 12:2), and “kings shall come from you” (Gen. 17:6). God’s original command to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen. 1:28) is fulfilled in microcosm4 as “Israel settled in the land of Egypt . . . and were fruitful and multiplied greatly” (Gen. 47:27; cf. 1:28).

Israel fails, however, in its calling to be a “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6). This priesthood is ultimately fulfilled through the church in Jesus Christ as a “royal priesthood” of all nations (1 Pet. 2:9). Through this priesthood, God’s purposes for creation as detailed in Genesis 1–2 are finally accomplished, as is seen in Revelation 21–22.

Exodus

Whereas Genesis records God’s promise that Abraham would become a great nation (Gen. 12:2), Exodus describes the fulfillment of that promise (Ex. 1:6– 7). Moreover, God’s covenant with the patriarchs,3 in which he promised to give their descendants the land of Canaan (Gen. 15:18; 26:3; 35:12), is the reason God delivers Israel from Egypt (Ex. 2:24).

Although God gives Israel the law and comes to dwell in their midst, ultimately Israel will not be faithful to their covenant with him. Only in Jesus do we find a faithful Israelite who keeps God’s law while simultaneously embodying God’s presence with his people (John 1:14).

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Taken from Glimpsing the Gospel in Every Book of the Bible by Crossway ©, October 19, 2018. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.

Here’s a link the the Crossway .org site that lets you browse through the same short summary for every book of the Bible: Glimpsing the Gospel in Every Book of the Bible | Crossway Articles

BE BLESSED!

It’s the Economy, Stupid!

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We’ve all heard that one so many times, it probably seems a bit trite. It’s a phrase that was coined by James Carville in 1992, when he was a campaign strategist for Bill Clinton. His phrase was directed at the campaign’s workers and intended as one of three messages for them to focus on. Well, it seems like it’s a main theme for the ongoing campaign for the next U.S. President, and by both sides, at that! And after all, making a decent living and being able to afford some of life’s little extras while putting away something for the future is a huge concern for most, if not all Americans, especially for Ed and Norma Normally!

Before I get too far down this rabbit trail, let’s get to the point. How many of you ever been involved in a discussion about a passage of Scripture or particular topic in which your frustration level has risen to the point of wanting to scream “It’s in the text, stupid! I can’t lie. I have, and it’s not a demonstration of proper Christian behavior.

That brings me to the real topic of this article, the clarity of Scripture. There’s even a great theological term for it; “perspicuity”, meaning clarity or understandability. If we are talking about the text of Scripture we’re not just talking about a single passage or paragraph, but we are also talking about spiritual principles, and especially those that seem to say one thing in one place in the Bible, and something different in other places. Let’s get to it!

THE CLARITY OF SCRIPTURE

This principle tells us to let the Bible speak for itself. We should allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, since it is its own best interpreter and commentator. Move from the known to the unknown by interpreting unclear passages in the light of those which are clear. When wrestling with a difficult passage or seemingly contradictory passages consult other verses which deal with the same topic. Now that might seem simple in theory, but it’s always good to have some examples. We’ll look at just one example, having to do with a topic near and dear to our hearts, salvation.

1. Are we saved and justified by faith alone, or by faith plus works? Most, if not all of you are thinking “That’s easy, we are saved by faith!” You even have passages from the Bible already tucked away in your memory, waiting to be called upon at a moment’s notice. You’re standing at home plate, batting cleanup in the lineup, smiling at the opposing pitcher!

Then, either while reading your own Bible during your private time, or during a conversation with others, you come face to face with the following passages (NKJV):

“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (Jas 2:17)

“You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” (Jas 2:24)

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (Jas 2:26)

What do you do? How do you respond to that curveball? First, stay calm, no matter how adamantly that guy in the Facebook group presses his point. Calm down and politely share the passages stored away for just such a moment, and others, if you have them:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Eph 2:8-9)

“So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Act 16:31)

“Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” (Rom 3:28)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. (Joh 3:16)

Your conversation partner will either stubbornly stick by his guns and say to you, “You didn’t read James?. It’s right there in the text!” Or he might claim that some of the passages you shared don’t have the word “alone” and that Martin Luther added the word alone to Rom 3:28 and therefore works are required for salvation, or he might realize that both sets of passages MUST be true, since God wrote the book (the goal). The authors of those passages (James, Paul, and Luke) were divinely inspired to write what they wrote. It’s either that or somebody’s lying.

That still leaves one question that needs to be answered. What does ‘justification’ in James 2:24 mean? This is where the fun begins. Let’s examine the context of James, chapter 2, beginning with verse 14:

“ 18But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God. 24You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

In that section of James, chapter 2 is there a connection between ‘faith’ and ‘works’? Is this a “DUH!!” moment, or what? Look again at verses 15-17 again: 

“15If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17Thus also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (emphasis mine)

James is most likely writing to predominately Jewish Christians in house churches outside of Palestine[i]. He is telling them that if there is someone in need among them and they just send them off with a blessing and don’t meet their need, their professed faith is dead, tot, Muerte!

Now back to verse 14:

“14What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?”

What does this, along with the rest of this section of Scripture, tell us? Genuine, saving faith will always produce works. Conversely, ‘professed’ faith that doesn’t result in works was dead in the water to begin with. The justification spoken of in James, chapter 2 is justification before our fellow men.

I know that was a bit lengthy, but those two bits of Scripture, while presenting what looks like a clear contradiction is one of the best demonstrations of the letting Scripture interpret Scripture that I know of.

So what about those “James Carvill” moments? They are opportunities for stepping back, taking a deep breath, and becoming more Christlike in our communication skills!

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BE BLESSED!

[i] Introduction to James (blueletterbible.org)

How Do I Meditate on The Word Of God?

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by Jack Wellman

How do we meditate on the Word of God?  The Bible instructs Christians to meditate on the Word but how are we supposed to meditate on the Word of God and what does it mean to meditate?

A Secular Definition of Meditation

When you look in the dictionary and see what the word meditate means, you can get dozens of differing definitions. I will try to give a general definition based upon what most people think meditation is and then what God means by His command to have us meditate on the Word of God.  Most dictionaries define meditation as:  Intentional contemplation on the author’s work with the express purpose of  reflecting upon it, contemplative thinking, the revolving of a subject in the mind or a self-directed practice of calming the mind and body.

Other definitions are a clearing of the mind, an emptying of thoughts, having a mind that is open.  The thing that I don’t like about this kind of meditation is that a clear, open mind is one that is subject to spiritual attack or evil influence from demons or wicked spirits.  The problem with an open mind is that it often needs to be closed down for repairs!   What is called Transcendental Meditation for example is a technique that is derived from Hindu traditions that promote deep relaxation through the use of a mantra. However a mantra’s different for differing belief systems like Buddhism, Hinduism, and New Age ideas and so its definition depends upon the group’s beliefs and is dependent upon the context of it.   Some of this is practiced even in the work place, at Yoga classes, and in many Eastern religions.  This is not what the Bible means by meditating on the Word of God.

Meditating on the Word

Our church elder said that meditating on the Word of God is a lost art in the church today. He is absolutely right.  We lose out on so much when we simply read over the Word and don’t meditate on it. Part of what the Psalmist says where we are to “hide your Word” in our heart is simply meditating on it.  Yes, memorizing Scripture may be part of this hiding the Word, but there is so much power even in one verse…in one word…that we don’t tap that power when we read right past it.  The Scriptures often tell us to do this both day and night and so you can never meditate on it if you are not reading it…both day and night.

Benefits of Meditating on the Word

Here are a few verses that tell us that we should meditate on the Word of God, why we should meditate on it and what the benefits are:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8

If we meditate on God’s Law, and I don’t mean the Mosaic Law, then we will “be careful to do all that is written in it.” You can’t obey what you do not know.  And God promises to “make your way prosperous” and you’ll have “good success” if you meditate on it.  Meditating and memorizing Scripture is like “hiding His Word” in your heart.  When you are tempted, you can more easily resist sinning because you already know the precepts, statues, and Laws of God.

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97

We will love the law of God only if we meditate on its meaning.  It is not so much “don’t do this” but “do this and suffer” and “don’t do this and prosper.” God doesn’t want us to hurt ourselves or others and that is why we must love His law and meditate on it.   God loves His own law so much that the biggest chapter in the Bible is dedicated to the law in Psalm 119; it must be of high importance to God.  If it is that important to God (and it is) then it must be for us as well.

“May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.” Psalm 104:34

God is well pleased when we meditate on His divine Word.  The Psalmist wrote that rejoicing in the Lord is tied to meditating on His Word.  Imagine you get a letter from your loved one.  You have been separated from him or her for a long time.  You love re-reading it…reflecting on the words, and so you will rejoice in this letter and your loved one and you will meditate on certain lines, would you not?  The same applies to God’s Word.  It is the greatest love letter ever written!

“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” Psalm 119:15

I love this verse.  Here the writer is fixing his eyes on God’s ways.  He is meditating on the precepts of God for they are always true, faithful, and good.  To “fix” your eyes is to meditate on specific things and these things (like precepts) are in the written Word of God.  Try fixing your eyes on one verse today.  You’ll be amazed at how the Holy Spirit will enlighten your mind to it.

“My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.” Psalm 49:3

Here is a cause and effect verse.  Our mouth can speak wisdom only because the meditation of our hearts on His Word gives us understanding.  This is not a subjective, human wisdom but the wisdom of God Himself because when our hearts mediate on His truth (which is objective), what we say will be wise because it is the wisdom of God.  By the way, the seat of the intellect in the Jewish idiom is the “heart” and so when you read the word heart, you can understand that it is talking about the mind.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

Although Paul didn’t use the word “meditate”, the intent is the same thing when he said to “think about these things.”  When we think on “these things” we are pondering them, we are reflecting on them, and we are contemplating (meditating) on them.

“My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.” Psalm 119:148

Many of the strongest Christians have the most worn out Bibles and you have probably heard that a Christian whose Bible is coming apart has it most together.  This verse speaks of meditating on the Word before “the watches of the night” or late at night, perhaps before bedtime.  They are meditating on God’s promises and that helps to keep a believer’s hope strong.  His promises are all revealed in Scripture and what better thing to meditate on than those promises which are sure, true, and can not be broken.

“Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.” Psalm 119:24

clip_image002The writer here ties together our ability to not be discouraged or fearful even while our enemies are plotting against us.  How many times have we laid awake at night, unable to sleep or “turn it off“, worrying about our problems (even if they are people)?  We can sleep in peace by meditating on the Word before we go to bed.  I have known fewer solutions to my sleeplessness than to open the Bible and read His Word for I realize that even that bad things will work out for my best (Romans 8:28).  That is another of God’s promises.

Conclusion

We have read from Scripture that there is so much good that can come from meditating on the Word of God.  The shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).  I tried to meditate on this shortest of verses and found it to be one of the most powerful verses in the entire Bible.  I thought of why Jesus wept, what He was weeping for, who He was weeping over, and how He showed such depth of emotion in His love.  By asking who, what, why, where, when, and how over a single verse, the Holy Spirit can speak to us through the written Word because the Holy Spirit is the Author of the Word (2 Peter 1:21).  I thought of His humanity, the suffering that He saw, the lost sheep of Israel who would have nothing to do with Him, the depravity of mankind, the compassion that He had.  What must Jesus have been thinking (meditating) on when He wept?

It must grieve the heart of God to know that many will be called but few will be chosen.  Many have heard of Jesus but few will trust in Him.  The path to destruction is broad but the way of life is narrow and winding and few are they that find it.  That makes me want to weep too.  For all those who refuse to believe, those who will not come to saving faith, I meditate on their eternal, future fate.  That makes me want to share the gospel all the more.  I want to be about my Father’s business in rescuing the perishing.  The Bible is full of God’s desire that no one will perish (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4, Ezekiel 18:23).  Meditate on what breaks God’s heart and your heart will be broken too.  Meditate on the Word of God and you will hide it in your heart (memorize it).  Then you will have the Word in you to be able to resist when temptation comes.  You can meditate on God’s desire to save those who are headed for the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 21).

This week, choose one verse to meditate on.  I choose John 11:35 (“Jesus wept“).  I wanted to align my heart with Jesus’ heart.  Take one line from the Word of God and memorize it, think about it, ponder it, reflect upon it, and then God “will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).  That is a promise from God.  There is nothing more certain in all the universe than a promise of God.  Just meditate on that for a while.