At first, it may seem puzzling to have books like 1 & 2 Chronicles in the Bible, because they cover events already covered in other books, such as 1 & 2 Kings. However, the reason for such duplication can be summed up in one word: perspective. 1 & 2 Kings were written during the judgment of the Jewish exile, to explain why the Israelites, who had a unique covenant with the only true God, were in captivity. It was because of their longstanding sins of idolatry, oppression, greed, and the like, from which they refused to repent.
1 & 2 Chronicles (which were originally one book, broken into two when translated into Greek, which required more space and hence two scrolls instead of one) was written after the exile of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, when the Jews had returned to their land and faced the daunting task of rebuilding the temple, its worship, and their lives as a nation under God. Instead of reproof, they now needed encouragement. They needed to know that they had both an inspiring history of God's working in their past, and a bright future, if they would worship and serve God rightly in obedience and reverence.
For this reason Chronicles emphasizes right worship, and revivals that took place when leaders and the people returned to God in humility and repentance. God had not forgotten his people, and would show them His faithfulness again if they would align themselves with His Word.
The probable author (or compiler from various sources) is the scribe Ezra, described in the book of Ezra. From that book we know that Ezra had a passion for holiness among his people, and stirring present obedience by remembering past history was no doubt an important purpose for his producing this portion of Scripture. His purpose is well summarized in one of Chronicles' most famous verses:
If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14-15
Have you wandered from the Lord in any way in your life? Have you tasted the bitterness of the results of that? Then know from the book of Chronicles that there is a way back: humble yourself, pray, seek His face, and turn from any sin in your life, large or small. That's your part, and when you have done it, He will do His: He will hear, forgive, and heal you.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Introduction to Second Samuel
As mentioned earlier, First and Second Samuel were originally one book. As it turns out, the way that the two books are divided provides a contrast between two kings, Saul and David. The children of Israel asked for a king, and God gave them one after their own heart. But in David, He gave them a king after HIS own heart. This was not because he was faultless, but when he did sin he returned to God in confession and brokenness (see Psalm 51).
David was an extraordinary man: a shepherd, a musician, a soldier, a true friend, an outcast, a king, a great general, a father, a poet, a sinner - but always a lover of God. He was first made king of part of the Jewish nation, the house of Judah. It would be seven and one half long years of struggle until he was made king over all of Israel at the age of 30.
David's reign has been called Israel's golden age. There was no idolatry, and Israel prospered. Militarily, his army succeeded. Tragically, at the height of his powers, David fell into adultery with the wife of one his bravest warriors, Uriah, and has Uriah killed to cover up his sin.
But no sin is hidden before God, and God exposed David's sin through the prophet Nathan. David repented and was forgiven, but the aftermath of his sin resulted in domestic tragedy, including the rebellion of his own son, Absalom, who temporarily usurped his father's throne.
David managed to leave his mark after his own death in numerous ways. He drew up plans and amassed treasure so his son Solomon could build the great Temple of Solomon. The treasure of his wisdom as a father found its way into the book of Proverbs through his son Solomon. Another treasure he left behind were his Psalms, exquisite poetry describing the landscape of a soul pursuing God through loneliness, despair, anger, and ecstasy. And finally, he established the throne of David, the royal lineage through whom one day David's greatest Son would come, the Messiah Jesus.
David was an extraordinary man: a shepherd, a musician, a soldier, a true friend, an outcast, a king, a great general, a father, a poet, a sinner - but always a lover of God. He was first made king of part of the Jewish nation, the house of Judah. It would be seven and one half long years of struggle until he was made king over all of Israel at the age of 30.
David's reign has been called Israel's golden age. There was no idolatry, and Israel prospered. Militarily, his army succeeded. Tragically, at the height of his powers, David fell into adultery with the wife of one his bravest warriors, Uriah, and has Uriah killed to cover up his sin.
But no sin is hidden before God, and God exposed David's sin through the prophet Nathan. David repented and was forgiven, but the aftermath of his sin resulted in domestic tragedy, including the rebellion of his own son, Absalom, who temporarily usurped his father's throne.
David managed to leave his mark after his own death in numerous ways. He drew up plans and amassed treasure so his son Solomon could build the great Temple of Solomon. The treasure of his wisdom as a father found its way into the book of Proverbs through his son Solomon. Another treasure he left behind were his Psalms, exquisite poetry describing the landscape of a soul pursuing God through loneliness, despair, anger, and ecstasy. And finally, he established the throne of David, the royal lineage through whom one day David's greatest Son would come, the Messiah Jesus.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Introduction to the Psalms
Reading about the life of David is a good occasion to introduce the Psalms, for David is the most prolific and famous Psalmist. The Psalms are the national hymnbook for Israel, containing poetry to be sung to God in worship. We see God extolled for who he is, and we see the believer in this world expressing the vast panaorama of experiences we go through in this life: joy, sorrow, victory, failure, despair, hope, anger, peace, and every other shade of emotion. For literally thousands of years believers and unbelievers have seen their own state reflected in these ancient Hebrew poems and received comfort, strength, wisdom, and direction. They are a treasure to every believer.
The Psalms prefigure Christ in many ways: his prophetic office in Psalm 22:22; his priestly office in Psalms 40:6, 8; 22; 49; 110. His kingly office in Psalms 2; 21;45, 72. His sufferings in Psalm 22. His resurrection in Psalm 16.
More Psalms are assigned to David (73) than anyone else, but other authors are represented as well. 50 are anonymous, one is written by Moses, 2 by Solomon. Some of David's worship leaders, Ethan, Heman, and Asaph, wrote Psalms as well. Psalms continued to be written during the time of Ezra, meaning that the book of Psalms represents centuries of composition, yet a consistent picture of a God who is awesome in His holiness, power, and wisdom, yet merciful and ready to forgive those who humble themselves before Him. Discerning when possible the time and circumstances of their writing will help give greater meaning to them.
As you read the Psalms, remember that they are prayers and praises to God, and let them instruct and inspire your own response to the same Living God they addressed hundreds and even thousands of years ago. Let them lift your soul to God!
The Psalms prefigure Christ in many ways: his prophetic office in Psalm 22:22; his priestly office in Psalms 40:6, 8; 22; 49; 110. His kingly office in Psalms 2; 21;45, 72. His sufferings in Psalm 22. His resurrection in Psalm 16.
More Psalms are assigned to David (73) than anyone else, but other authors are represented as well. 50 are anonymous, one is written by Moses, 2 by Solomon. Some of David's worship leaders, Ethan, Heman, and Asaph, wrote Psalms as well. Psalms continued to be written during the time of Ezra, meaning that the book of Psalms represents centuries of composition, yet a consistent picture of a God who is awesome in His holiness, power, and wisdom, yet merciful and ready to forgive those who humble themselves before Him. Discerning when possible the time and circumstances of their writing will help give greater meaning to them.
As you read the Psalms, remember that they are prayers and praises to God, and let them instruct and inspire your own response to the same Living God they addressed hundreds and even thousands of years ago. Let them lift your soul to God!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Introduction to First Samuel
First Samuel brings us out of the anarchy and moral decline of the period of the Judges and into the period of Israel's kings. The pivotal character in this transition is the prophet and judge Samuel, who anoints Israel's first two kings, Saul and David. The history of First Samuel unfolds largely through the lives of these three men: a mighty prophet, the promising but tragic life of Israels first king Saul, and his faithful successor David.
First and Samuel were originally one book, "The Book of Samuel" in the Hebrew Scriptures. This book is named after him because of his important role in its events and also because he probably wrote much of First Samuel. When the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek around 150 BC, the book of Samuel was combined with First and Second Kings to form a complete history of the Hebrew monarchy consisting of four sections. Kings and Samuel were later separated, but the divisions persisted, leaving us with First and Second Samuel and First and Second Kings.
As First Samuel begins, the nation of Israel was at a religious low point. The priesthood was corrupt: the sons of Eli the high priest were selfishly appropriating the people's sacrifices for themselves and even committing sexual immorality in the environs of the tabernacle. The lives of these priests and their line will soon ended in death via God's judgment, but against this dark backdrop God intervenes in the life of a godly but barren woman named Hannah. She promises that if God will give her a son she will give him back to the Lord to serve the Lord all his life at the tabernacle. God grants her request and she keeps her promise. Samuel grows up to be a prophet, a man of prayer and the first of the prophets in a formal sense. The people press him to give them a king like the nations around them. Samuel hesitates, feeling that the people have rejected God's kingship in their request. God agrees, but tells him to grant their request. The result is the anointing of Saul, a tall, handsome man who seems to be a natural leader.
What follows is initial success marred by repeated fear and disobedience on Saul's part until he finally is removed in judgment and the young godly leader David is established as king. Saul failed God in several ways:
1. His presumption at God's altar (1 Samuel 13:11-13)
2. His cruelty to his son Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:44)
3. His disobedience in the matter of Amalek (1 Samuel 15:23)
4. His jealousy and hatred of David (1 Samuel 18:290
5. His sinful appeal to the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:7).
Embedded in Saul's tragic story is the story of a brave young soldier in Saul's army. From humble beginnings as a shepherd, David rises to prominence as a warrior and a leader. Despite Saul's jealous attempts to kill him, David survives and thrives, and after years of testing, becomes Israel's king and establishes a new monarchy. Of the tribe of Judah, he will establish a throne upon which eventually one of his descendants, Jesus, will reign as Messiah forever. Though he had his faults, David was "a man after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14) who sought God in prayer and wrote many Psalms we still read today. They endure as examples of a transparently God-absorbed man seeking the Lord amidst the pressures and trials of life. In them and in David's life we can see the reward of a life spent in passionate pursuit of God.
First and Samuel were originally one book, "The Book of Samuel" in the Hebrew Scriptures. This book is named after him because of his important role in its events and also because he probably wrote much of First Samuel. When the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek around 150 BC, the book of Samuel was combined with First and Second Kings to form a complete history of the Hebrew monarchy consisting of four sections. Kings and Samuel were later separated, but the divisions persisted, leaving us with First and Second Samuel and First and Second Kings.
As First Samuel begins, the nation of Israel was at a religious low point. The priesthood was corrupt: the sons of Eli the high priest were selfishly appropriating the people's sacrifices for themselves and even committing sexual immorality in the environs of the tabernacle. The lives of these priests and their line will soon ended in death via God's judgment, but against this dark backdrop God intervenes in the life of a godly but barren woman named Hannah. She promises that if God will give her a son she will give him back to the Lord to serve the Lord all his life at the tabernacle. God grants her request and she keeps her promise. Samuel grows up to be a prophet, a man of prayer and the first of the prophets in a formal sense. The people press him to give them a king like the nations around them. Samuel hesitates, feeling that the people have rejected God's kingship in their request. God agrees, but tells him to grant their request. The result is the anointing of Saul, a tall, handsome man who seems to be a natural leader.
What follows is initial success marred by repeated fear and disobedience on Saul's part until he finally is removed in judgment and the young godly leader David is established as king. Saul failed God in several ways:
1. His presumption at God's altar (1 Samuel 13:11-13)
2. His cruelty to his son Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:44)
3. His disobedience in the matter of Amalek (1 Samuel 15:23)
4. His jealousy and hatred of David (1 Samuel 18:290
5. His sinful appeal to the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:7).
Embedded in Saul's tragic story is the story of a brave young soldier in Saul's army. From humble beginnings as a shepherd, David rises to prominence as a warrior and a leader. Despite Saul's jealous attempts to kill him, David survives and thrives, and after years of testing, becomes Israel's king and establishes a new monarchy. Of the tribe of Judah, he will establish a throne upon which eventually one of his descendants, Jesus, will reign as Messiah forever. Though he had his faults, David was "a man after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14) who sought God in prayer and wrote many Psalms we still read today. They endure as examples of a transparently God-absorbed man seeking the Lord amidst the pressures and trials of life. In them and in David's life we can see the reward of a life spent in passionate pursuit of God.
Introduction to Ruth
God wants all to believe in Him, no matter what ethnicity or nationality they belong to. He covenanted with Abraham and his descendants that "in you all the nations of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3) and that all peoples would be drawn to the one true living God.
The book of Ruth gives us a snapshot of God's desire to redeem all people to Himself. This book takes place during the time of the Judges, which, as we have seen, is marked by spiritual and moral decay. The book of Ruth shines as a glimmer of hope against this dark backdrop.
Ruth was a pagan, born of the Moabite people, and thus is outside of the covenant community of Israel. She marries a Jew, who goes to live in her country, and through her husband and mother-in-law Ruth learns something of the one true God. When her husband dies, she comes to a crossroads: her mother-in-law Naomi decides to return to Israel. It is expected that Ruth will stay with her own people, yet Ruth responds with the famous words, "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me and more also, if anything but death parts you and me". (Ruth 1:16-17).
And so Ruth and Naomi return to Israel, an old widowed woman who has lost both her sons with her pagan daughter-in-law. Things look bleak for them with very little means of support or hope for the future. Yet God's providential hand will graciously redeem them from their plight in a remarkable way.
Through a series of circumstances Ruth meets Boaz, a close relative of the family who exercises the right of the "kinsman redeemer". This individual was a close relative who had the financial resources to rescue a poverty-stricken family member, stepping in to save that relative from slavery or from having to sell the family's ancestral land. Boaz not only redeemed the land that Naomi was about to sell, but he also took on another kinsman-redeemer's responsibilities - the obligation to to provide an heir for Ruth's deceased husband, as dying without an heir to carry on the family name was considered a great tragedy. To prevent this, the brother of the deceased was expected to marry the widow and produce a child, a process called "levirate marriage" and outlined in the books of Moses. Although he was not the nearest relative, Boaz nobly fulfilled these responsibilities by purchasing the land, marrying Ruth, and fathering a son, Obed, with her.
A lovely story, but why is it included in the Bible? There are several good reasons:
1. It shows God's willingness to adopt Gentiles (non-Jews) into his covenant family.
2. It spotlights a godly woman of character. It is one of two books of the Bible named after a woman (Esther is the other). This woman, though born a pagan, receives the high honor of being in the bloodline of King David, King Solomon, and ultimately, the King of Kings, Jesus Christ! She joins other unlikely women in Jesus' geneology: Tamar, who conceived through deceiving Judah (who was withholding the levirate duty from her) and Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho who helped the Israelite spies in the book of Joshua. In Ruth, God gives great honor to someone whose condition appeared hopeless: pagan, widowed, and childless. Our God is a redeeming God!
3. This brings up the final, broadest point: God is a redeemer. We, like Ruth, were once in desperate straits through our sin. We were far away from God, cut off from his covenant life. But God sent Jesus, our kinsman-redeemer, who joined the family of humanity that he might buy us back, take us as His bride, and adopt us into the family of God.
Praise God for Jesus, our faithful Kinsman-Redeemer!
The book of Ruth gives us a snapshot of God's desire to redeem all people to Himself. This book takes place during the time of the Judges, which, as we have seen, is marked by spiritual and moral decay. The book of Ruth shines as a glimmer of hope against this dark backdrop.
Ruth was a pagan, born of the Moabite people, and thus is outside of the covenant community of Israel. She marries a Jew, who goes to live in her country, and through her husband and mother-in-law Ruth learns something of the one true God. When her husband dies, she comes to a crossroads: her mother-in-law Naomi decides to return to Israel. It is expected that Ruth will stay with her own people, yet Ruth responds with the famous words, "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me and more also, if anything but death parts you and me". (Ruth 1:16-17).
And so Ruth and Naomi return to Israel, an old widowed woman who has lost both her sons with her pagan daughter-in-law. Things look bleak for them with very little means of support or hope for the future. Yet God's providential hand will graciously redeem them from their plight in a remarkable way.
Through a series of circumstances Ruth meets Boaz, a close relative of the family who exercises the right of the "kinsman redeemer". This individual was a close relative who had the financial resources to rescue a poverty-stricken family member, stepping in to save that relative from slavery or from having to sell the family's ancestral land. Boaz not only redeemed the land that Naomi was about to sell, but he also took on another kinsman-redeemer's responsibilities - the obligation to to provide an heir for Ruth's deceased husband, as dying without an heir to carry on the family name was considered a great tragedy. To prevent this, the brother of the deceased was expected to marry the widow and produce a child, a process called "levirate marriage" and outlined in the books of Moses. Although he was not the nearest relative, Boaz nobly fulfilled these responsibilities by purchasing the land, marrying Ruth, and fathering a son, Obed, with her.
A lovely story, but why is it included in the Bible? There are several good reasons:
1. It shows God's willingness to adopt Gentiles (non-Jews) into his covenant family.
2. It spotlights a godly woman of character. It is one of two books of the Bible named after a woman (Esther is the other). This woman, though born a pagan, receives the high honor of being in the bloodline of King David, King Solomon, and ultimately, the King of Kings, Jesus Christ! She joins other unlikely women in Jesus' geneology: Tamar, who conceived through deceiving Judah (who was withholding the levirate duty from her) and Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho who helped the Israelite spies in the book of Joshua. In Ruth, God gives great honor to someone whose condition appeared hopeless: pagan, widowed, and childless. Our God is a redeeming God!
3. This brings up the final, broadest point: God is a redeemer. We, like Ruth, were once in desperate straits through our sin. We were far away from God, cut off from his covenant life. But God sent Jesus, our kinsman-redeemer, who joined the family of humanity that he might buy us back, take us as His bride, and adopt us into the family of God.
Praise God for Jesus, our faithful Kinsman-Redeemer!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Introduction to Judges
After the exhilarating victories conquering the Promised Land comes the record of Israel's apostasy and God's deliverance in the book of Judges. Judges has been called the "Dark Ages" of the Israelites: they forsook God (Judges 2:13) and God forsook them (Judges 2:23).
Judges covers the period beginning with the death of Israel's great leader Joshua to the ascension of it's first king, Saul. It begins around 1380 BC and covers the next 350 years. Israel had now gone from being nomads to settlers in their own land; but they often failed to conduct themselves as God had commanded them to in their special land, and so suffered judgments in the land because of their sin. But thankfully, God did not forsake them forever. He would ultimately rescue the people from the dire consequences and bondage of their rebellion through leaders called "judges". These were not the cloak-wearing, gavel-pounding courtroom decisionmakers we think of when we hear that word, but rather rulers, deliverers, and often warriors that would lead the nation out of bondage.
There were fourteen judges in all - Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, Eli and Samuel. They were of three types:
1. The warrior-judges such as Gideon and Samson
2. Priest judges such as Eli
3. Prophet judges such as Deborah and Samuel
These judges were needed because "everyone did as he saw fit" (Judges 17:6), and the people began to follow the idolatrous and adulterous ways of the nations around them. In punishment God would deliver them into the hand of their enemies; the people would cry out in their misery, and God mercifully would raise up a judge to deliver them - then the cycle would start all over again! Judges consists of "seven apostasies, seven servitudes to seven idolatrous and cruel nations, and seven deliverances".
What lessons can we as Christians learn from Judges? Many!
1. The wickedness of the human heart (Judges 2:11-13, 17, 19; 8:33-35; 10:6; 13:1). Contrary to the assumptions of evolutionary thought, things do not automatically get better with the passing of time. In fact, apart from the renewing and reviving work of God, things will get worse and worse when "everyone does as he sees fit". We see the decay in our own society when this kind of philosophy is adopted. We need revival!
2. God's delight in using the weak things (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). Judges provides a gallery of unlikely heros: Edud and his home-made dagger; a woman, Deborah, in a time that women were often thought not capable of leadership; Gibeon, a timid man from an obscure family in Israel's smallest tribe; Shamgar, a rural fellow with an ox goad; and a jaw-bone wielding wildman named Samson. Do you think it unlikely that God would ever use you to do something mighty? Then you qualify!
3. The power of the Holy Spirit. Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson were all spoken of as being empowered by the Holy Spirit. When that happens, anything can happen! Miraculous deliverances against overwhelming odds can and will occur with God's Spirit upon us!
One of the prime causes of Israel's downfall in Judges was its willingness to compromise with the world - with its religions, with its morals, with its people. But compromise with the world always lead to conquest by the world. As Paul said, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump". Once you start allowing little sins in your life, it's only a matter of time before your standards erode in other areas. Don't let the camel get his nose in the tent - because soon he'll be completely in the tent and you'll be outside!
Are there areas where you are compromising with the world? Don't wait until you are groaning under your bondage - turn away from it, ask forgiveness and receive God's mercy, and, like the Israelites in Judges, you too will be delivered!
Judges covers the period beginning with the death of Israel's great leader Joshua to the ascension of it's first king, Saul. It begins around 1380 BC and covers the next 350 years. Israel had now gone from being nomads to settlers in their own land; but they often failed to conduct themselves as God had commanded them to in their special land, and so suffered judgments in the land because of their sin. But thankfully, God did not forsake them forever. He would ultimately rescue the people from the dire consequences and bondage of their rebellion through leaders called "judges". These were not the cloak-wearing, gavel-pounding courtroom decisionmakers we think of when we hear that word, but rather rulers, deliverers, and often warriors that would lead the nation out of bondage.
There were fourteen judges in all - Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, Eli and Samuel. They were of three types:
1. The warrior-judges such as Gideon and Samson
2. Priest judges such as Eli
3. Prophet judges such as Deborah and Samuel
These judges were needed because "everyone did as he saw fit" (Judges 17:6), and the people began to follow the idolatrous and adulterous ways of the nations around them. In punishment God would deliver them into the hand of their enemies; the people would cry out in their misery, and God mercifully would raise up a judge to deliver them - then the cycle would start all over again! Judges consists of "seven apostasies, seven servitudes to seven idolatrous and cruel nations, and seven deliverances".
What lessons can we as Christians learn from Judges? Many!
1. The wickedness of the human heart (Judges 2:11-13, 17, 19; 8:33-35; 10:6; 13:1). Contrary to the assumptions of evolutionary thought, things do not automatically get better with the passing of time. In fact, apart from the renewing and reviving work of God, things will get worse and worse when "everyone does as he sees fit". We see the decay in our own society when this kind of philosophy is adopted. We need revival!
2. God's delight in using the weak things (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). Judges provides a gallery of unlikely heros: Edud and his home-made dagger; a woman, Deborah, in a time that women were often thought not capable of leadership; Gibeon, a timid man from an obscure family in Israel's smallest tribe; Shamgar, a rural fellow with an ox goad; and a jaw-bone wielding wildman named Samson. Do you think it unlikely that God would ever use you to do something mighty? Then you qualify!
3. The power of the Holy Spirit. Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson were all spoken of as being empowered by the Holy Spirit. When that happens, anything can happen! Miraculous deliverances against overwhelming odds can and will occur with God's Spirit upon us!
One of the prime causes of Israel's downfall in Judges was its willingness to compromise with the world - with its religions, with its morals, with its people. But compromise with the world always lead to conquest by the world. As Paul said, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump". Once you start allowing little sins in your life, it's only a matter of time before your standards erode in other areas. Don't let the camel get his nose in the tent - because soon he'll be completely in the tent and you'll be outside!
Are there areas where you are compromising with the world? Don't wait until you are groaning under your bondage - turn away from it, ask forgiveness and receive God's mercy, and, like the Israelites in Judges, you too will be delivered!
Introduction to Joshua
The time has come!
After centuries of promise, the children of Israel are about to take hold of their inheritance that God has sworn to them, the land of Israel. "Take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own. (Joshua 1:11). It is God's to give - it is ours to possess.
This is the first of the History books of the Old Testament, having now finished the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses. It was named after its main character, Joshua, whose name means "The Lord saves" - the Hebrew version of the name "Jesus". He is the primary if not the sole author of the book that bears his name. Its events take place around 1405 BC.
We see God faithfully fulfilling His promises when His people obey Him in obedience. God makes sure we are keeping our part of our covenant with Him. When we don't, embarassing defeats can happen to us, such as those that happened at Ai. On the other hand, otherwise impossible situations can be overcome, as in Jericho.
Conquering the land meant entering into God's rests, as the people did when they conquered Canaan. May God grant you His rest as, with His help and leadership, you faithfully obey Him!
After centuries of promise, the children of Israel are about to take hold of their inheritance that God has sworn to them, the land of Israel. "Take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own. (Joshua 1:11). It is God's to give - it is ours to possess.
This is the first of the History books of the Old Testament, having now finished the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses. It was named after its main character, Joshua, whose name means "The Lord saves" - the Hebrew version of the name "Jesus". He is the primary if not the sole author of the book that bears his name. Its events take place around 1405 BC.
We see God faithfully fulfilling His promises when His people obey Him in obedience. God makes sure we are keeping our part of our covenant with Him. When we don't, embarassing defeats can happen to us, such as those that happened at Ai. On the other hand, otherwise impossible situations can be overcome, as in Jericho.
Conquering the land meant entering into God's rests, as the people did when they conquered Canaan. May God grant you His rest as, with His help and leadership, you faithfully obey Him!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Introduction to Deuteronomy
The title of Deuteronomy is derived from the Septuagint – the translation of the Old Testament made some two hundred years before Christ. The Greek word used means “the second law”. This is somewhat of a misnomer, for it is not a second law, but the same covenantal instructions revealed at Sinai to a second generation of Israelites. According to the claims of both the Old and New Testament, it was written by Moses himself, with the probably exception of the section describing Moses’ death.
Deuteronomy contains three addresses by Moses to the Israelites poised to enter the Promised Land of Canaan after 40 years tin the desert. Since Moses would not be going in with them, he wanted them to be prepared to live in their inheritance. The orations and songs found in Deuteronomy constitute his farewell to the children of
Moses himself stood on the divide between his earthly and heavenly life as he gave what amounts to his last will and testimony, urging the Israelites to reflect upon their past history with God: his deliverance from
Throughout his messages, Moses emphasizes the covenant that the Israelites have with God. Obeying the covenant would bring great blessing; rebelling against it would bring certain cursing. In fact, Deuteronomy as a whole reflects the pattern of an ancient Middle Eastern covenant treaty made between a powerful Lord (sometimes called a “Suzerain”) and a lesser servant (sometimes called a “vassal”). The typical pattern of a Suzerain-Vassal Treaty with its corresponding sections in Deuteronomy is as follows:
1. A Preamble or Introduction (1:1-5)
2. A review of the past relationship between the parties (1:6-4:49)
3. Basic stipulations that ensured fidelity to the treaty (5:1-26:19)
4. Sanctions in the form of blessings and curses (27:1-30:20)
5. Witness to the treaty (32:1)
6. A provision for the storage and reading of the treaty (31:1-34:12)
Incidentally, this is evidence for Deuteronomy being of a very early date, as this form of covenant treaty fits with the form of treaties used during Moses' era, but not of later eras.
Just as the Israelites desperately needed God to deliver them from the bondage ofEgypt Jordan River and conquer walled cities and hostile inhabitants. Without God’s direction and power, their task would be impossible.
Just as the Israelites desperately needed God to deliver them from the bondage of
In Moses’ first address (Deut. 1-4), he looks back over the history of
In his second address (Deut. 5-26), Moses looks up to God and lays out the Israelites responsibility as God’s special covenantal people – they were to represent Him and His ways in the earth. They are to obey Him in things great and small.
In his third address (Deut. 27-33), Moses looks out to warn the Israelites of the consequences of disobedience:
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendents may live, that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days” (Deut. 30:19, 20).
Moses exhorted the Israelites to be faithful to the covenant and receive God’s intended blessings and instructed the Israelites to renew their covenant once they entered the Promised Land in a special ceremony upon two mountains. The Levites were to recite on the barren peak of Mount Ebal the curses awaiting disobedience to God’s law, and on the lush slopes of Mount Gerizim the wonderful blessings ensured to those obeying God’s law.
Finally, this grand old man of God, now one hundred and twenty years old, departed from the stage of history. He sang a song for
Yet hundreds of years later, Moses’ feet finally did rest on
Deuteronomy was one of Jesus’ favorite Bible books; Jesus often quoted from it and used it to fend off the temptations of the devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4). And He appeared in glory with its author on the slopes of Mount Hermon north of the
Friday, February 29, 2008
Introduction to Numbers
Note: I am indebted for much of this background to a wonderful companion book, “What the Bible is All About” by Henrietta Mears. I recommend it to all!
This book might be called “The Wilderness Wandering”, as it chronicles the travels of the newly freed nation of
The books opens with the children of
The Israelites had no itinerary, but had to trust God to lead them step by step, much as we must follow the guidance of God in our lives one leading at a time. Their walk was marred by sin: grumbling about the food God provided, jealousy among the leadership. As they camped at Kadesh, they sent out 12 spies to report on the land they were promised. But when 10 of the spies gave a discouraging report, the people refused to take the land in unbelief, even though they were only about 11 days away from entering the Promised Land! For their fear and unbelief, that first generation was doomed to wander in the desert until they all had died; the second generation would enter the land, and the wilderness wandering would be their training. Often fear keeps us from enjoying all that God wants us to have: fear of what others will say, fear of what will happen if we put our trust completely in God.
The Israelites’ complaining and unbelief even induced Moses to stumble and sin with his mouth; this sin cost him the privilege of entering into the Promised Land. On their way to
Introduction to Leviticus
Details are important to God!
There is a saying “The devil is in the details”, but often God is in the details! We have just finished reading lengthy portions in the book of Exodus describing God’ detailed instructions about how to build the Tabernacle and how the priesthood was to carry on the service in the Tabernacle. Over and over again Scripture records that Moses did as God instructed him in minute detail. His obedience was rewarded when the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle! We are called to be obedient and holy in many seemingly small details of life; yet God sees and rewards - details are important to God!
As we start Leviticus, God is continuing His detailed instructions about how He should be worshiped. Though many people get bogged down in reading through the Bible in the book of Leviticus, it is actually a rich description of the various ways we approach God and fellowship with him through worship. In Genesis we see humanity ruined. In Exodus, humanity redeemed. In Leviticus, humanity worshiping. In Leviticus, holiness is emphasized as an indispensable part of our total worship to God.
Leviticus takes its name from the tribe of Levi, the tribe that God chose to service the Tabernacle and to supply priests for
One of the most important questions in life is “How may an unholy people approach a holy God?” In Leviticus we see God making gracious provision for His people to approach Him in worship. The way to God is by sacrifice and the walk with God is by separation. As Christians, we see that the sacrifices all point to the perfect sacrifice of Christ, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). There can be no fellowship between God and the sinner until sin has been dealt with; the only way is sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22).
Five offerings are described in Leviticus. They all in some way typify dimensions of the sacrifice of Christ:
1. Burnt Offering (Lev. 1): This is a total sacrifice where everything offered is totally consumed. Christ offered Himself unreservedly to God as a perfect sacrifice to God on our behalf. This comes first because no one begins with God until all has been yielded to Him. As the old hymn says, “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee”. This is a voluntary offering.
2. The Grain Offering (Lev. 2): This is the sacrifice of daily devotion to God. Ass the burnt sacrifice typifies Christ in His death, so the grain offering typifies Christ in His life – we can feed on His life every day. Once we have committed all to God, we live daily for Him. Flour is the stuff “our daily bread” is made of, and we are to serve God every day with dedication. This, too, is a voluntary offering. This offering could be eaten, but only by the priest, not the worshiper. Much of our service is for the benefit of others, not ourselves.
3. Fellowship Offering (Lev. 3): In this sacrifice the Israelites would thank God for all of his blessings, beginning with salvation. Some of this sacrifice would be shared with the officiating priest and his family. The remainder of the sacrifice would be eaten by the worshiper with his family and friends, giving thanks to God. This offering depicts our fellowship with God and with one another because Christ our sacrifice is our peace (Ephesians 2:14) who has reconciled all things to Himself “by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Col. 1:20).
4. The Sin Offering (Lev. 4-5): This shows us Christ on the cross in the sinner’s place. In the other offerings the offerer comes as a worshiper, but here as a convicted sinner. All the other sacrifices actually depend on this one – our sin must be removed before we can approach God.
5. The Guilt Offering (Lev. 5-6): While the sin offering atones for the state of sinfulness, the guilt offering is for specific acts of sin, intentional or unintentional, against God or man. Christ has taken care of these sins as well, but we must consciously admit our transgressions and avail ourselves of Christ’s sacrifice to make things right. The blood of the guilt offering cleanses the conscience and sends the trespasser back to the one he or she has wronged, not only with the principal but with the fifth part added. Part of our worship to God includes making things right when we have wronged others.
What a wonderful, multi-faceted blessing the sacrifice of Christ is for us! Leviticus gives us a wonderful, symbolic picture of how we can get right and stay right with our holy God in genuine worship.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Introduction to Exodus
Exodus is the second of the first five books of the Bible, sometimes called the Pentateuch (from the Greek word for "five), or called "Torah" in the Hebrew Scriptures. Though sometimes translated "The Law", Torah actually means "teaching". Central to the Torah is the idea of covenant, the most binding type of agreement between two parties. One of the astounding aspects of the Torah is that it relates how Eternal, Perfect Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, enters into covenant with part of his creation: mortal, fallible, sinful men. These covenants have 3 parts:
(1) A statement about God's saving acts - what He brings to the covenant;
(2) A statement about what God expects from humanity in response
(3) a sign or symbol as a reminder of the covenant
Much of the Torah is a record of God's covenant with man. In Genesis God covenants with Adam and Eve, with Noah, and Abraham. The Abrahamic covenant includes the promise that God would make of Abraham and his descendants "a mighty nation" in whom "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3).
Exodus is a continuation of the story of God working out his covenant started in Genesis. The book of Genesis is a family history, while the book of Exodus is a national history. True to His Word, the family God has covenanted with in Genesis becomes a nation in Exodus. But while the closing chapters of Genesis show God's people enjoying great favor with the Egyptians, Exodus shows the Israelites in cruel bondage to the Egyptians. God raises up the very special figure of Moses, the author of Exodus, to deliver them through mighty acts of God to release the Israelites from the mighty power of Pharaoh.
Exodus means "the way out", and God leads His people out of Egypt and into the desert on their way to the Promised Land. During their journey God enters into the national covenant of Mount Sinai, and gives them the moral law of the covenant, including the summary of those obligations in the Ten Commandments. He also establishes the ceremonial law, how sinful man can approach a Holy God through the sacrificial system God ordained. The description of the tabernacle in Exodus is rich with the symbolism of how a sinful people can be righteously forgiven and worship a holy God, and foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Christ to bring us into the very Holy of Holies, the presence of God Himself.
As you read, may you be blessed with a fresh revelation of our covenant God, his mighty redeeming power, His breathtaking holiness, and His mercy and grace in making a way for our sins to be covered so that we may fellowship with Him.
(1) A statement about God's saving acts - what He brings to the covenant;
(2) A statement about what God expects from humanity in response
(3) a sign or symbol as a reminder of the covenant
Much of the Torah is a record of God's covenant with man. In Genesis God covenants with Adam and Eve, with Noah, and Abraham. The Abrahamic covenant includes the promise that God would make of Abraham and his descendants "a mighty nation" in whom "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3).
Exodus is a continuation of the story of God working out his covenant started in Genesis. The book of Genesis is a family history, while the book of Exodus is a national history. True to His Word, the family God has covenanted with in Genesis becomes a nation in Exodus. But while the closing chapters of Genesis show God's people enjoying great favor with the Egyptians, Exodus shows the Israelites in cruel bondage to the Egyptians. God raises up the very special figure of Moses, the author of Exodus, to deliver them through mighty acts of God to release the Israelites from the mighty power of Pharaoh.
Exodus means "the way out", and God leads His people out of Egypt and into the desert on their way to the Promised Land. During their journey God enters into the national covenant of Mount Sinai, and gives them the moral law of the covenant, including the summary of those obligations in the Ten Commandments. He also establishes the ceremonial law, how sinful man can approach a Holy God through the sacrificial system God ordained. The description of the tabernacle in Exodus is rich with the symbolism of how a sinful people can be righteously forgiven and worship a holy God, and foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Christ to bring us into the very Holy of Holies, the presence of God Himself.
As you read, may you be blessed with a fresh revelation of our covenant God, his mighty redeeming power, His breathtaking holiness, and His mercy and grace in making a way for our sins to be covered so that we may fellowship with Him.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Introduction to Job
It may seem strange to suddenly change to the book of Job after the first 11 chapters of Genesis. The reason for this is that numerous clues in the book of Job indicate a setting during the patriarchal period for its events. For example, Job's wealth is measured in livestock (1:3; 42:12) much as Abraham and Jacob's is. Job also offers sacrifices to God without a priesthood or a sanctuary, much as the patriarchs did. Given this, Job may be one of the oldest, if not the oldest, book in the Bible, and perhaps one of the most ancient pieces of finished literature in history.
Job occurs in the land of Uz, but we don't know where that was. He was among "the people of the East", leading most writers to conclude that Uz was located near Edom, east of the Jordan River. We will hopefully get some maps up soon to make this more graphic.
While Genesis is among the historical books of the Bible, Job belongs to the poetical books of the Bible, such as Psalms, Proverbs, and the like, and it is a magnificent poem. The famous English poet Tennyson called it "the greatest poem, whether of ancient or of modern literature".
This ancient poem deals with one of man's most ancient problems: Why do godly people suffer? Perhaps you've asked this question yourself. This is the theme of the book of Job, and one we'll be pondering as we read this wonderful work. May you be blessed as you read!
Job occurs in the land of Uz, but we don't know where that was. He was among "the people of the East", leading most writers to conclude that Uz was located near Edom, east of the Jordan River. We will hopefully get some maps up soon to make this more graphic.
While Genesis is among the historical books of the Bible, Job belongs to the poetical books of the Bible, such as Psalms, Proverbs, and the like, and it is a magnificent poem. The famous English poet Tennyson called it "the greatest poem, whether of ancient or of modern literature".
This ancient poem deals with one of man's most ancient problems: Why do godly people suffer? Perhaps you've asked this question yourself. This is the theme of the book of Job, and one we'll be pondering as we read this wonderful work. May you be blessed as you read!
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