Archive for the ‘Obedience’ Category

Day 327: Hebrews 12:2 — Joyfully

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

Hebrews 12:2 has long been right at the top of my list for favorite Bible verse. The idea that Jesus went to the cross as a sacrifice for my sins is very powerful. But add to that the thought that he went there joyfully and it blows my mind. I try not get the picture in my head of him skipping down the roads of Jerusalem carrying the cross on his shoulders, whistling all the way. And yet on the inside, that joy gave him the strength to carry on and complete his task.

Would his sacrifice have been as meaningful if it had been out of duty or a fear of retribution for disobedience? After all that Jesus had gone through in his life, if he had become disheartened at the end and merely wished it to be over, would our sins be forgiven? Big questions that I am glad I do not have to answer, and I am glad they don’t even need an answer because he did it all for “the joy set before him.” It was not because of duty or fear or despair. It was because he loved me enough to want to go through all that and attain my salvation.

How many times do I fulfill my Christian duties out of obligation, fear of retribution, or even habit? When I give money to the church is it because I know I have to? When I give my time in service, is it so I will feel like I am a good Christian. When I keep the 10 commandments and all the other laws and regulations found in the Bible, am I doing it so I will not suffer an eternity in hell?

God does not just want me to give. He wants me to want to give. He does not want me merely to serve. In order to be like him I must want to serve. God does not just want me to be good and righteous. He wants me to want to be good and righteous. Like his son, on the cross giving and serving joyfully, not out of compulsion or duty or fear, but out of love.

A tough message for me. It is much easier to just do the things I do out of habit and think I am good enough to get by. But God calls me to something higher though the death of his Son and his joyful example on the cross.

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Day 320: Jeremiah 49:7-50:46; Hebrews 5:10-6:20 — Are we there yet?

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Oh my! Won’t this guy ever shut-up. I’m sure that’s what people were saying about Jeremiah after all the things he has said.  It’s kinda the same feeling I had upon seeing today that the blog entry was still coming from the book of Jeremiah.  He just goes on and on and it’s the same thing every time. Repentance, punishment, forgiveness, more punishment. In his day, I’m sure everyone was thoroughly sick of Jeremiah. And I’m sure Jeremiah wished he could go on to talking about other things, perhaps helping the people in other ways. But he was always stuck on the same message because the people just didn’t get it. And after 50 chapters, we are still not done with the book of Jeremiah (not till tomorrow anyways).

The writer of Hebrews seems to be going through a similar situation in Hebrews 6. He really wants to move on past the basics of becoming a Christian and move on to the more mature topics of being a Christian. Babes need milk. Adults need solid food. But when the people won’t listen, you have to repeat yourself over and over.  It can be very frustrating as a teacher (and as a parent). “How many times have I told you to pick up your coat?!? I’ve already told you why, just do it. Pick it up NOW!” Sound familiar? How many times are we like this with God? He wants so much for us to have a mature relationship with him but we argue and fight about the basic things and can’t just get it though our thick skulls to follow and obey. When we finally do, perhaps we can move on to bigger and better things leaving elementary school behind.

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Day 162: 2 Kings 17 — Enough

Friday, June 11th, 2010

In Deuteronomy 28, before his death Moses told Israel that once they crossed into the Promised Land there would be blessings for obedience to God and curses for disobedience. Following the death of Joshua, Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and worshiped various gods of peoples around them. They provoked the Lord to anger by serving Baal and the Ashtoreths (Judges 2:11-13). For approximately 325 years, over and over Israel turned from the LORD to other gods. GOD would use foreign oppression to chasten his people and then send a deliverer (Judge).

Following the death of King Solomon, God gives ten tribes of Israel to Jeroboam and promised that if Jeroboam walked in His ways and kept God’s statutes and commands, as David did, God would build an enduring dynasty through Jeroboam. However, once Jeroboam became King over the ten tribes of Israel he led the people away from God for fear that they would turn back to Jerusalem to worship God. He set up golden calves at Bethel and Dan, appointed men other than Levites to serve as priests, set up festivals other than what God had instituted, and led the people away from God’s commands and ordinances. Succeeding kinds of Israel led Israel to worship gods other than the LORD. The LORD was longsuffering but Israel persisted in the sins of Jeroboam and would not turn away from them. As given to us in the accounts in 2 Kings 17, finally God became very angry and used Assyria to remove Israel from His presence as he had warned in Deuteronomy 28. Assyria took many of the noble families of Israel to other lands, many of whom would never return.

So, where does that leave us today? We are God’s chosen people; his adopted children bought with the blood of His son, Jesus Christ. God loves us as his children. His grace for the forgiveness of sins is extended to us through Jesus. As with Israel, God also expects us to follow His ways. When we become His children, we take on the responsibility of turning from the ways that we lived previously and the ways that the world would want us to live in the future. Just as God promised Jeroboam that if he followed God he would receive blessings, God promises us the same. God wants to bless our lives but He also wants us to follow Him.

  • God is and has always been jealous for men to walk in His ways.
  • God is long-suffering and wants us to follow him. He will chasten us when we turn from His ways.
  • We should pay strong attention to whom we choose to follow – the ways of God or the ways that men tell us are better or are God’s ways.
  • Continuing to not follow God after having been saved, but walk in the ways we (humans) think is best will eventually take us from God’s grace. I don’t know where the line is drawn that God will finally have had enough, but I don’t want to know.
  • I sin when I don’t want to and try as I might, sin anyway. However, there is a difference in trying every day to follow God and continually searching for his ways, and living by whatever way I want to or that someone tells me is their opinion of the way. God gave us the Bible to use to find his way, and the Holy Spirit to guide us. These are what we should be using and listen to.

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Day 156: 2 Kings 5:1-14 — You big crybaby!

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Elisha.

What a lot of great stories in this prophet’s CV, huh? We read about the widow’s oil, the Shunammite’s dead son raised, and the “death in the pot” incident in chapter 4. We’ll read about the floating axehead in tomorrow’s reading, and don’t forget the bears who came out of nowhere to do in the forty-two punks making fun of God’s man (2 Kings 2:23-25).

Now here we are in Chapter 5, where Elisha is introduced to an Aramean Army commander named Naaman, who really knew how to throw a temper fit. You know the story:

  • Naaman had leprosy.
  • His wife’s Israelite servant girl told him about a prophet who would cure him.
  • Naaman didn’t go where the servant girl told him he would be healed; he went to the king of Israel instead.
  • This made the king mad, and he tore his robes.
  • Elisha heard the king had torn his robes (you ever wonder how Elisha heard?), and told the king to have Naaman come to him.
  • Naaman went to see the prophet.
  • Elisha wouldn’t even come out to meet this powerful Army commander; he sent a messenger out to tell Naaman to wash 7 times in the dirty Jordan River.
  • Naaman went off in a huff.

The rest of the story isn’t until tomorrow’s reading, but you know how it ends and we have enough for today anyway.

Two points:

  1. You need healing? You go where the healing is! How difficult is that? We’re all sick with sin that separates us from the Father (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 59:2), and there is only One healer who can eliminate that separation — Jesus, the Christ (John 14:6).
  2. The instructions given to Naaman were intended to show that healing would only come from God, and only on His terms, not on terms of Naaman’s own choosing. It may not make sense to us that we contact the saving blood of Jesus through the waters of baptism, yet this is how God told us it happens (Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16). Many people today who seek salvation are told falsely that salvation is effected through prayer, during which you ask Jesus into your heart and accept Him as your personal Savior. That theology does beg the question though — if Saul of Tarsus wasn’t saved after 3 days of prayer and fasting (Acts 9:8-12, 22:16), why would we believe we can access the saving blood of Jesus through prayer?

Question: To whom do you look for eternal healing? Whose instructions do you follow?

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Posted in 2 Kings, Elisha, faith, Obedience, Repentance | 2 Comments »

Day 104: Joshua 23:1-16 — Have We Learned the Lesson of History?

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

history collageAs I read our text for today from Joshua 23:1-16, I thought this might be the text I would liked used for my funeral. This is sometimes called “The last sermon of the dying hero and leader.” It is a literary form used to preach to an audience. Covenant theology is an important theme in these texts. In the context of Joshua’s day, the message is a warning. Rest is not the final word for life in the promised land. Temptation is still present and can easily overpower the people if they are not careful. Blessing can last only as long as total faithfulness to Yahweh continues. When Israel begins to experiment with other gods, trying to be like the nations and worship every god possible, trouble is imminent. They could lose the promised land. They could end up wandering around searching for a home. They could experience destruction, death, and disintegration of their identity as the people of God.

The sad thing is that this is exactly what happened. Israel was lured in by her culture. The temptation to be like others resulted in a divided monarchy, a loss of the land, a loss of their worship system, and judgment by God. During the exile, Israel must have wondered if their God has fought and lost? If so, maybe they need another god, one who can fight and win with modern weaponry and in modern political reality? The answer to this question is that it is the wrong question to ask. The answer is not in political power in the short term. The answer is the longer historical perspective. God proved his power to conquer long ago. The exile only proves God’s power to be self-consistent as he fulfilled His word even when it had negative consequences. The real issue is whether Israel has learned the lesson of history.

I wonder if we have learned from our history. The amazing thing is that we seem to be experiencing the same historical difficulties. Have we let the false gods of our world intermingle among us to the point that the church is now a pluralistic entity? Are we ready to face our own disloyalty, our own faithlessness, are we ready to repent, are we ready to recommit to our God and trust in Him through thick and thin? I wonder as a Christian that mourns our loss of values, morals, and identity if God is not trying to provide us with the grace of a warning to return to Him? God has proved his power to conquer long ago. Our exile only proves God’s power to be self-consistent as He continues to fulfill His word even when it may have negative consequences. The real issue is whether we have learned the lesson of history.

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Posted in Deuteronomy, God, God's Word, Joshua, Obedience, Rest, Worship | 1 Comment »

Day 95: Deuteronomy 32:48-Joshua 1:18; Luke 4:31-5:11 — On the road

Monday, April 5th, 2010

on the roadToday’s readings detail an august, hallowed ending and bright, powerful, robust beginnings.

Moses blesses Israel by tribe, describing their futures and God’s work with them. He then ascends mount Nebo from which he sees that land to which he has brought Israel but into which he himself cannot enter; Moses had failed to revere God as holy before Israel, Numbers 20:8-13. His eye was not dim nor his vigor abated. He just passes from this life to the next. The Creator, YHWH Himself, buries Moses in an undisclosed location. Such a life, such a wonder of courage, intimate relationship between God and man; no prophet like him arose in Israel after him. Moses had laid hands on Joshua and he received the Spirit of God for the work ahead. Now Joshua will take them into that land, “Be strong and courageous,” Joshua 1:6-9. A new leader, a new land, new challenges. A work to be done, evil to be conquered, promises to receive, a kingdom to build.

Jesus, prophet and priest and king, comes to Israel; new wonders to herald a new age. Those denizens of the darker spirit world know Him, but He commands them to be silent, it is not theirs to reveal the Messiah. The works declare Him, the people begin to adore Him, to need Him. The fishermen enter rather abruptly into that procession by a boat load of fish. Peter falls and declares himself unclean. They leave all and follow Jesus, the Glorious Leader to take then to a new land, to face new challenges. A work to be done, evil to be conquered, promises to receive, a kingdom to build.

When the church comes together we see such a mix of lives, of people, like a living stream swirling and flowing. We smile as new parents scramble to “do something” about crying babies. We see ourselves in the aged…perhaps that IS “us”! The aged sing the songs of a faith that is now more exciting and full of hope for them than the day they first believed. New Christians and old soldiers of the cross share in worship and the bread and the cup. We travel with a great host, many entering ahead of us, many after us, moving on the road of life to a new land of promise. A work to be done, evil to be conquered, promises to receive, a kingdom of priests, a kingdom to receive. Jesus truly is that Way, that path for godly living now and the life to come, John 14:1-6, 1 Tim. 4:8.

Question: On what path and with what people do you travel?

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Posted in faith, Lord's Supper, Moses, Obedience, Salvation, Worship | 1 Comment »

Day 85: Deuteronomy 11:1-32 — A Choice

Friday, March 26th, 2010

In Deuteronomy 11:1-25, Moses continues to exhort the people to obedience, based on the evidence of what God has done for them in the past. The deliverance from Egypt described in Deuteronomy 11:2-4 is narrated in Exodus chapters 13-14. The story of Dathan and Abiram (Deuteronomy 11:6) is told also in Numbers 16. In Deuteronomy 11:10-12, Moses makes a distinction between Egypt and Canaan, the Promised Land. The main difference is that Canaan is not irrigated as Egypt is (Nile River). But God will water the new land, nevertheless. According to Deuteronomy 11:14, God will provide early rain (in October, since the new year began in September), and later rain (in April). Because life will be so good in the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 11:16), the people will be tempted to worship other gods out of complacence. If that happens, Moses warns that there will be no water at all. Deuteronomy 11:18-25 summarizes this entire section. The people are to pass on these words from generation to generation. Deuteronomy 11:24 gives the boundaries of the Promised Land (the western sea refers to the Mediterranean Sea, to the west of Canaan).

In Deuteronomy 11:26-32, there are two possibilities offered to the Israelites. The decision rests on obedience to the covenant. Two mountains are mentioned, one for the blessing and one for the curse. Both mountains are located near Shechem in the central hill country, on the west side of the Jordan River. The people of Israel constantly have a choice before them. They can choose either blessing or curse. I find it interesting that God gives us a choice and we think it is a right. We make a good choice and all is well. We make a bad choice and experience some negative consequences and we blame God for giving us a choice or the severity of the consequence. Which is it going to be? Have we reached a point in life that it is so good that we have fallen prey to complacency to think there is no God and there are no consequences? Of all the things that should make us anxious or scared is the idea that God would remove His grace of blessings and curses. Think about what life would be without them. Can there even be a blessing without a curse or vice versa?

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Day 67: Numbers 14:13-15:31; Mark 8:27-9:13 — Be careful what you wish for.

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Israel decided to listen to the naysayers, not to the Yahweh. “Who says we should be able to win? We cannot take this by ourselves.” How true. So God fulfilled their worst nightmare, fulfilled their own, self imposed, self condemning limitations. “You will wander forty years. Those who had no confidence in me shall not reach the blessing at all.”

Yet two men saw the reality, that this land was a gift, go out and receive the blessing. And so God fulfilled their confident vision and loyalty to Yahweh. Joshua led them, took the land. Caleb, because he had a different spirit and followed fully was promised, and received the blessing.

Purposefully the Creator told Israel His name was Yahweh, for some Hebrew speakers a verb that essentially means, “He will cause it to come about.” Now they learn, some painfully, some blessed, in experiencing the power of their faith on the one hand and others their distrust on the other: God made their dreams, and nightmares, come true.

Jesus turns the tables. “Who do you think that I am.” Peter says much more than he can fathom, but he will learn later. “You are the Christ.” On the heels of his great answer and statement of confidence, Peter hears, perhaps, some deflating news: It’s gonna cost you, everything. But then, as if to bolster their confidence to empower them for the next step, they witness that wonderful transfiguring, that divine meeting of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. They hear that tremendous voice of the Father, “This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him.” The Creator begins to fulfill their clearing view and confident expectations. This would not play out the way they thought it would in the beginning, but later it would be better than they could have imagined.

When you encounter God each day, what do you expect? Our confidence in Him and the resurrected Lord Jesus will bring blessing and power for living, and promise of life to come. To expect anything else, as a result of lack of faith, well, that may be fulfilled,too. Be careful of what you ask for.

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