In this long chapter, the Prophet reveals to the people of the LORD, His broken heart and genuine anger at their sin, specifically that "my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (vs. 13). So the LORD is angry that they have forsaken Him, by turning the hearts away from Him and by refusing to listen to His Law, but also that they have tried to satisfy the desires of their heart from other sources, the false gods of the surrounding nations.
Now the struggle with the Prophets is that much of their preaching is more like poetry then it is reasoned argumentation. So, unlike Paul, Peter, or John, it can be difficult to outline the prophets, or follow a coherent argument throughout a passage. This is not to say there is no logic or coherence of thought, just that the presentation style is different from the epistles of the New Testament (for example), so we have to change the way we read and comprehend in order to get the most out of the prophets. The prophet are much more emotional and blunt in their speaking style then the NT usually is, and certainly more then most contemporary preaching. So, the prophet can be difficult. But if you'll read in big gulps and see the heart of the LORD laid open for you to see, you will begin to truly become blessed by the prophet and the unique place in the Bible for your life.
First, start with the big theme, here the apostasy or backsliding of Judah. Then, pull out some specific illustrations or declarations. For example, some standouts in this chapter are:
1. The nuptials of Israel and God in the wilderness-vs 2-3
2. The complete faithfulness of God--vs 4-7
3. The amazing duplicity of Judah to abandon God, unlike their neighbors who don't abandon their false gods-vs 10-13
4. The justice of the coming judgment of God--vs 16-19
5. The irrationality of their "faith" in the false gods but then looking to Him in their trouble--vs. 25-30
6. The destiny of forgetting sin--vs. 32-38
But I would like to reflect on verse 22. In the KJV it reads: For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God. In the NIV: Although you wash yourself with soap and use an abundance of cleansing powder, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Sovereign Lord. For here we have the basic struggle of life: we, like all people are sinful, having not only sinned against humans in our lives, but sinned against a holy, righteous, and upright God. Whatever issues or struggles that may come upon us due to the realities of existence, this hangs over the head of each and every person. There is an eternal God. That God has placed His Son as judge of every living soul (Acts 17:31), and we are guilty (Ecclesiastes 7:20). But beyond just the fact we are guilty, we are guilty with no hope of restitution. Since we are guilty before a judge outside ourselves, then nothing we personally do will get rid of this guilt. We don't have the authority. We don't have the legal standing. He is the ultimate judge. We are guilty. Let the words sink in, for this i the message of God's holy law. So, Paul said in Romans 3:19-20 "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin."
So is there something that can wash away our sin? Is there a cleansing powder strong enough to completely ride us of every single molecule and small print of our sin? The blood of Jesus Christ! For so says the Holy Ghost in 1 John 1:7b "...the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Notices cleanseth... completely washes, thoroughly and entirely. Notice us...us Christians...me...you...those in Christ. Notice all...all sin, each and every single daily failure. The past guilt...cleansed. The present sins...gone. The future failures...wiped completely away.
And this, after all, is the real message of the prophets, indeed of the entire Bible. We are sinners, under the threatening wrath of Almighty God. But there is a Savior, His Son Jesus Christ, and in Him is utter and complete salvation.
So are we guilty. Yes. No. Both. Under the Law of God, we are sinful and guilty. But God has not only spoken Law (though He really has spoken it). But He has ended with His final word, the word of grace, the message of mercy, the ministry of reconciliation. We are His. We are forgiven. We are clean. We are righteous. We are all of these THROUGH Jesus Christ, through His cross, His blood, His death, His triumph over the grave, His ascension, His intercession, and His coming return.
In Christ, we are clean. Amen. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ.
Friday, May 17, 2019
Thursday, May 16, 2019
S.A.D. Blog Skip
Stay at home dad transportation duties today, so no blog. We will, Lord willing, tackle Jeremiah 2 tomorrow. So, for today, how about a passage from Isaiah 64. And why not make it fun and challenging by having it in the original 1611 spelling. A lot of people refer to the regular KJV as the 1611, but the one you can easily buy as a KJV Bible is actually the 1769 revision of the 1611. The main differences for modern readers, they have what looks like a v in place of a u, they have an I in place of a J, and a ton of words end in e that do not any longer.
See if you can read it: Isaiah 64:6-9
See if you can read it: Isaiah 64:6-9
But we are al as an vncleane thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy ragges, and we all doe fade as a leafe, and our iniquities like the wind haue taken vs away.
7And there is none that calleth vpon thy name, that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from vs, and hast consumed vs because of our iniquities.
8But now, O Lord, thou art our father: we are the clay, and thou our potter, and we all are the worke of thine hand.
9¶ Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquitie for euer: behold, see we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
First Thessalonians chapter 1
As indicated in yesterday's blog, we are going back and forth between Old and New Testaments in our daily reading and blogging, and today is our initial dive into the New Testament with Paul's letter to the Thessalonian Christians known as 1 Thessalonians.
The first chapter of this epistle is a small jewel in the Bible, one of my favorites. It is not usually heralded among the great chapters of the Bible (such as John 3, Ephesians 2, Romans 8, Isaiah 53, Psalm 23, etc) but is really a short, succinct distillation of the core New Testament doctrines from election, salvation, repentance, the new life, reception of the gospel, the Holy Ghost, and other treasures to be dug out with reflection and prayer.
The chapter, beyond Paul's standard introduction, is really a summary of the effect of the gospel upon the evangelized. But don't skip Paul's introductions, which follows his usual pattern, for they are nuggets of truth to digest and enjoy.
First, he identifies himself, as was done in letters in the ancient world (unlike the later Western tradition of signing our name at the end, though Paul often does this as well). Here he identifies himself simply as Paul, without title or further designation. This is for at least two reasons: first, this is a very early letter of his (probably the first) and, second, the Thessalonians are not in rebellion against his message or apostleship as were later congregations (such as Corinth). He then, as usual, gives them the greeting of grace and peace, which combines the traditional Greek greeting of grace, with the Jewish greeting of shalom or peace. Thus, with this greeting, we have a picture of the church and, indeed, of Paul's apostleship, of uniting Jewish and Gentile (Greek) Christians. Grace is the free, unearned, favor of God, bestowed upon us in Jesus Christ due to the cross. Peace, as understood by ancient Hebrews and Christians, is more then just the absence of conflict or harmony, but the whole inner health of the soul, given us due to the fact we now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (see Romans 5:1). His greeting then, again as usual (see Galatians for the only time he did not follow this pattern) praises the Christians for their spiritual life. Here (vs 3), specifically, he praises their: work which comes from their faith, their labor inspired by love, and their patient endurance daily which comes from their hope of all that awaits them at the return of their Savior, Jesus. Here we have one of myriads of examples of Paul's focus and teaching on faith, love, and hope being the cornerstone of the Christian life.
Faith, meaning trust (and not as has become popular in the last 100 years or so, decision), specifically trust in God through Jesus Christ. Faith is the core, essential, aspect of spiritual life (see Hebrews 11:6), and this is due to at least two reasons: first, God is invisible, as are all His actions among us and, thus require faith; and second, the Christian life is based upon promises which we are awaiting to be fulfilled. Now as seen here, faith is not a work, but it produces works. We are not commanded to perform works in order to acquire faith, but rather that faith produces works. So, if you would like to see more good works in your life, don't focus on yourself, focus on the seed of your faith, the power that makes it grow, the gospel of the crucified and risen Messiah for you, Jesus! Only by trust in that gospel will faith grow and, thus, produce work. Look to Jesus, not yourself, and works will inevitably follow.
Love, in the New Testament is not a feeling but actions, as most famously described in 1 Corinthians 13. When the Bible says: husbands, love your wife, or Christian love your neighbor, or disciples, love your enemies, it is not calling upon us to feel a certain way to them, but to consider them and their needs before our own and act accordingly. As you can tell with an honest bit of self examination, this is incredibly difficult, which is the topic is so often raised in the Bible. We need the repetition because love is so very difficult.
Hope in the Bible is not, as we usually use the word, wishing. We say things like I hope it won't rain tomorrow or I hope the Lions win the Super Bowl, but this not what the Bible means by hope. Based on my personal reading, when the Bible uses hope, it means the sustaining power that gets us through the struggles of life based upon the fact we rely upon the promises of God. Hope is future oriented, but only in the sense that it relies upon promises of the future. Hope is for today. Hope, because of the promise of eternal life, impels us to face the struggles, disappointments, and trials of life with uplifted faces, for the promises of God are true and, thus, the better is yet to come. And since the better is yet to come, this can be endured. If this moment is a good one, hope tells us "you ain't seen nothing yet". If this moment is negative, a struggle, depressing, discouraging, or rough, hope says: "eternal bliss is in the hands of your Savior and you are going to Him very soon." Even 100 years is simply a blink of an eye, or will seem that way, in light of eternity enjoyed.
As you can see, each of these: faith, hope and love are difficult, but vital which is why they come up so often in the Bible. Let us train ourselves to see life through the "glasses" of faith, love, and hope, and, convinced of their value, let us pray for their increase in our daily life.
Paul then progresses to his first idea: he knows they are truly the elect/chosen of God because of their response to the gospel and the effect that response had on their life. This is his point from verse 4 to the end of the chapter. So, the NIV has verse 4 as: for we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you." Paul then goes on in the rest of the chapter to detail why he is certain of their election. A word here about election, without getting into the historic debate and the various sides, but rather an observation of how the doctrine is used in the Bible, especially the New Testament. It is used for comfort. The doctrine of election is not used (with the possible exception of Romans 9 depending on your view of that chapter) to determine why people are or are not Christians. RATHER, it is used always to Christians as comfort that they are, indeed, the elect or chosen (elect in KJV language, chosen in all new translations essentially). Christians are comforted with the fact they are the elect of God. This is comfort because it means: they are truly loved by an eternal God and were from the foundation of the world; their spiritual life did not begin within themselves, but was created and will be sustained by God; they and their fellow disciples are the focus of what God is doing in the world; they are the treasure and inheritance of God, indeed of Christ Himself (see John 17). So I would encourage you not to ignore this doctrine, as so many Christians do because of the debates and the confusion. Instead, rather, relish in it as the comfort food it is in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Why does Paul know they are chosen?
First, they responded to the gospel (vs 5) "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost." Conversion to Christ is only possible by the power of the gospel and the Holy Ghost Himself. This is why we proclaim the gospel instead of trying to convince people to become Christians. Only the gospel, with its inherent power, and only the Holy Ghost, can change hearts and lives. We are spokespeople, or heralds, nothing else.
Second, they began to imitate Christians and, indeed, Christ Himself (vs 6) which can only happen by the Holy Ghost through the gospel. Only through the new gospel eyes of faith is Jesus seen as one to be imitated, and only by the power of the Spirit of the living God can it happen in our life at all.
Third, they became examples themselves (vs 7-8). As Jesus walks His sheep through this life, and more and more lost sheep start to follow Him, then those sheep who are without a shepherd see this Good Shepherd and begin to follow Him by following His sheep trailing behind Him. Now, notice that Paul does not tell them to be examples. It's not a command to obey, but a reality that happens to those with trust in Christ. If you trust and follow Christ, yourself, you will find yourself an example. Don't try to be one, don't look behind you but ahead with eyes on your Shepherd, but trust that it will, indeed, happen. Further, look for some examples to shine some light when the path of life gets a little murky.
Finally, Paul knows they are elect because they have turned away from idols to God and are awaiting His Son's return. This one of my favorite sentences in the Bible: how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come" (vs 9b-10). All people are born worshiping idols, whether statues or invisible ones, we are born and naturally live our life serving that which is not really God. In North America that is more likely to be money, popularity, fame, power, sex, rest, education, status, etc, but false gods nonetheless, which are dead and, thus, unable to ultimately deliver us from judgment or hell, but also unable to satisfy the desires of our heart for today or tomorrow. But God, He is the living God, and He can give us life, real life, substantial life, a life walking in the right path to the right destination. Which requires that we repent, or turn from the false to the true God, which in the end is what repentance is: turn from the false to the true path, and God, of our life. And we await the Son, we await Him with anticipation and delight, we await Him in joy and endurance. We await Him for He has promised to return and, just as He promised to rise from the dead and then accomplished that, so He will indeed return for His own in victory and glory. And we await Him for He has delivered us from the wrath of God coming upon all those outside His Son (John 3:36). This wrath is coming. The judgment of God is real. It is not an imaginary holdover from medieval Christianity that we don't believe in our sophisticated age any longer. The eternal wrath of God is coming, but for those in Christ, it has already been taken in our place by our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross on our behalf. So, God's anger will never again be turned upon those He loves, for the One He loves the Best, His Son, has taken that punishing wrath already and God, the just, righteous, and fair one, will not punish twice. Now don't let the various translations here fool you: some say past tense (KJV, NLT), some say present (NKJV, NIV) but for us the difference is insignificant. Whether He has, or is, delivering us, in the end we are delivered, our salvation is a fact, God is not angry at us any longer, and we await His coming with exceeding joy for all the promised benefits that await us. Even so, come Lord Jesus (Rev 22:20).
The first chapter of this epistle is a small jewel in the Bible, one of my favorites. It is not usually heralded among the great chapters of the Bible (such as John 3, Ephesians 2, Romans 8, Isaiah 53, Psalm 23, etc) but is really a short, succinct distillation of the core New Testament doctrines from election, salvation, repentance, the new life, reception of the gospel, the Holy Ghost, and other treasures to be dug out with reflection and prayer.
The chapter, beyond Paul's standard introduction, is really a summary of the effect of the gospel upon the evangelized. But don't skip Paul's introductions, which follows his usual pattern, for they are nuggets of truth to digest and enjoy.
First, he identifies himself, as was done in letters in the ancient world (unlike the later Western tradition of signing our name at the end, though Paul often does this as well). Here he identifies himself simply as Paul, without title or further designation. This is for at least two reasons: first, this is a very early letter of his (probably the first) and, second, the Thessalonians are not in rebellion against his message or apostleship as were later congregations (such as Corinth). He then, as usual, gives them the greeting of grace and peace, which combines the traditional Greek greeting of grace, with the Jewish greeting of shalom or peace. Thus, with this greeting, we have a picture of the church and, indeed, of Paul's apostleship, of uniting Jewish and Gentile (Greek) Christians. Grace is the free, unearned, favor of God, bestowed upon us in Jesus Christ due to the cross. Peace, as understood by ancient Hebrews and Christians, is more then just the absence of conflict or harmony, but the whole inner health of the soul, given us due to the fact we now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (see Romans 5:1). His greeting then, again as usual (see Galatians for the only time he did not follow this pattern) praises the Christians for their spiritual life. Here (vs 3), specifically, he praises their: work which comes from their faith, their labor inspired by love, and their patient endurance daily which comes from their hope of all that awaits them at the return of their Savior, Jesus. Here we have one of myriads of examples of Paul's focus and teaching on faith, love, and hope being the cornerstone of the Christian life.
Faith, meaning trust (and not as has become popular in the last 100 years or so, decision), specifically trust in God through Jesus Christ. Faith is the core, essential, aspect of spiritual life (see Hebrews 11:6), and this is due to at least two reasons: first, God is invisible, as are all His actions among us and, thus require faith; and second, the Christian life is based upon promises which we are awaiting to be fulfilled. Now as seen here, faith is not a work, but it produces works. We are not commanded to perform works in order to acquire faith, but rather that faith produces works. So, if you would like to see more good works in your life, don't focus on yourself, focus on the seed of your faith, the power that makes it grow, the gospel of the crucified and risen Messiah for you, Jesus! Only by trust in that gospel will faith grow and, thus, produce work. Look to Jesus, not yourself, and works will inevitably follow.
Love, in the New Testament is not a feeling but actions, as most famously described in 1 Corinthians 13. When the Bible says: husbands, love your wife, or Christian love your neighbor, or disciples, love your enemies, it is not calling upon us to feel a certain way to them, but to consider them and their needs before our own and act accordingly. As you can tell with an honest bit of self examination, this is incredibly difficult, which is the topic is so often raised in the Bible. We need the repetition because love is so very difficult.
Hope in the Bible is not, as we usually use the word, wishing. We say things like I hope it won't rain tomorrow or I hope the Lions win the Super Bowl, but this not what the Bible means by hope. Based on my personal reading, when the Bible uses hope, it means the sustaining power that gets us through the struggles of life based upon the fact we rely upon the promises of God. Hope is future oriented, but only in the sense that it relies upon promises of the future. Hope is for today. Hope, because of the promise of eternal life, impels us to face the struggles, disappointments, and trials of life with uplifted faces, for the promises of God are true and, thus, the better is yet to come. And since the better is yet to come, this can be endured. If this moment is a good one, hope tells us "you ain't seen nothing yet". If this moment is negative, a struggle, depressing, discouraging, or rough, hope says: "eternal bliss is in the hands of your Savior and you are going to Him very soon." Even 100 years is simply a blink of an eye, or will seem that way, in light of eternity enjoyed.
As you can see, each of these: faith, hope and love are difficult, but vital which is why they come up so often in the Bible. Let us train ourselves to see life through the "glasses" of faith, love, and hope, and, convinced of their value, let us pray for their increase in our daily life.
Paul then progresses to his first idea: he knows they are truly the elect/chosen of God because of their response to the gospel and the effect that response had on their life. This is his point from verse 4 to the end of the chapter. So, the NIV has verse 4 as: for we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you." Paul then goes on in the rest of the chapter to detail why he is certain of their election. A word here about election, without getting into the historic debate and the various sides, but rather an observation of how the doctrine is used in the Bible, especially the New Testament. It is used for comfort. The doctrine of election is not used (with the possible exception of Romans 9 depending on your view of that chapter) to determine why people are or are not Christians. RATHER, it is used always to Christians as comfort that they are, indeed, the elect or chosen (elect in KJV language, chosen in all new translations essentially). Christians are comforted with the fact they are the elect of God. This is comfort because it means: they are truly loved by an eternal God and were from the foundation of the world; their spiritual life did not begin within themselves, but was created and will be sustained by God; they and their fellow disciples are the focus of what God is doing in the world; they are the treasure and inheritance of God, indeed of Christ Himself (see John 17). So I would encourage you not to ignore this doctrine, as so many Christians do because of the debates and the confusion. Instead, rather, relish in it as the comfort food it is in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Why does Paul know they are chosen?
First, they responded to the gospel (vs 5) "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost." Conversion to Christ is only possible by the power of the gospel and the Holy Ghost Himself. This is why we proclaim the gospel instead of trying to convince people to become Christians. Only the gospel, with its inherent power, and only the Holy Ghost, can change hearts and lives. We are spokespeople, or heralds, nothing else.
Second, they began to imitate Christians and, indeed, Christ Himself (vs 6) which can only happen by the Holy Ghost through the gospel. Only through the new gospel eyes of faith is Jesus seen as one to be imitated, and only by the power of the Spirit of the living God can it happen in our life at all.
Third, they became examples themselves (vs 7-8). As Jesus walks His sheep through this life, and more and more lost sheep start to follow Him, then those sheep who are without a shepherd see this Good Shepherd and begin to follow Him by following His sheep trailing behind Him. Now, notice that Paul does not tell them to be examples. It's not a command to obey, but a reality that happens to those with trust in Christ. If you trust and follow Christ, yourself, you will find yourself an example. Don't try to be one, don't look behind you but ahead with eyes on your Shepherd, but trust that it will, indeed, happen. Further, look for some examples to shine some light when the path of life gets a little murky.
Finally, Paul knows they are elect because they have turned away from idols to God and are awaiting His Son's return. This one of my favorite sentences in the Bible: how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come" (vs 9b-10). All people are born worshiping idols, whether statues or invisible ones, we are born and naturally live our life serving that which is not really God. In North America that is more likely to be money, popularity, fame, power, sex, rest, education, status, etc, but false gods nonetheless, which are dead and, thus, unable to ultimately deliver us from judgment or hell, but also unable to satisfy the desires of our heart for today or tomorrow. But God, He is the living God, and He can give us life, real life, substantial life, a life walking in the right path to the right destination. Which requires that we repent, or turn from the false to the true God, which in the end is what repentance is: turn from the false to the true path, and God, of our life. And we await the Son, we await Him with anticipation and delight, we await Him in joy and endurance. We await Him for He has promised to return and, just as He promised to rise from the dead and then accomplished that, so He will indeed return for His own in victory and glory. And we await Him for He has delivered us from the wrath of God coming upon all those outside His Son (John 3:36). This wrath is coming. The judgment of God is real. It is not an imaginary holdover from medieval Christianity that we don't believe in our sophisticated age any longer. The eternal wrath of God is coming, but for those in Christ, it has already been taken in our place by our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross on our behalf. So, God's anger will never again be turned upon those He loves, for the One He loves the Best, His Son, has taken that punishing wrath already and God, the just, righteous, and fair one, will not punish twice. Now don't let the various translations here fool you: some say past tense (KJV, NLT), some say present (NKJV, NIV) but for us the difference is insignificant. Whether He has, or is, delivering us, in the end we are delivered, our salvation is a fact, God is not angry at us any longer, and we await His coming with exceeding joy for all the promised benefits that await us. Even so, come Lord Jesus (Rev 22:20).
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Jeremiah chapter 1
Introduction to the Blog:
Even though this blog has no readers, and readers is not really the point of the blog, I suppose an introduction to the blog first makes some sense. I am at the beginning of transitioning from a job in book manufacturing into the exalted (this word is genuine not sarcastic) position of stay at home dad since my wife has recently started her job at DTE in Detroit, Michigan. With this new schedule, and challenge, at hand I wanted to make the most of my time by performing tasks I did not have the time to perform when an employee in book manufacturing. So, I have decided to, in addition to my daily Bible reading, to blog about each reading, as well as daily read poetry and try some poetic scribbling. So, this blog.
I am beginning the blog with both Old Testament and New Testament readings, switching back and forth day by day (and sometimes possibly an additional psalm blog post). These blog posts are NOT a commentary but reflections that take the text seriously but not exhaustively. This is the initial plan which may have to change. So, I'm beginning in two of my favorite books: Jeremiah and 1 Thessalonians. Today, Jeremiah 1, tomorrow 1 Thessalonians 1.
Jeremiah Chapter 1
This chapter in the prophet follows a fairly easy outline as I see it.
1. The Time of the Prophet-vs. 1-3
2. The Call of the Prophet-vs 4-10
3. The Type of Ministry of the Prophet-vs 11-16
4. Encouragement (with a Challenge) to the Prophet-vs 17-19
1. vs 1-3
The time frame of the Prophet is a dark time in the history of God's Old Testament people. They are at the end of generations of sin and rebellion against the LORD (Yahweh) and the long promised judgment of God is coming upon them soon at the hands of Babylon under the reigns of the kings listed in these verses. For further information of the time frame spoken of here, see 2 Chronicles chapters 34-36 and 2 Kings chapters 22-25.
2. vs 4-10
Here begins the real meat of Jeremiah's first chapter, the calling of the prophet. Now, some of this is directly applicable for us as ordinary Christians in the 21st century North American context, but some is unique to the prophet. Being able to ascertain the difference is a vital skill in correctly understanding the Bible. Many contemporary Christians have what can only be called delusions of grandeur from taking specific passages about specific situations and believing they speak to their own life.
First, verse 5 has rightly become famous in our time as a statement against abortion, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." This verse, however, demonstrates my earlier point in that the first half is true for every human being ever conceived, while the second is applicable only for Jeremiah.
First, it was God Almighty, the LORD, who formed us in wombs of our mother. We are not accidents or simply the by-product of a sexual encounter. God has used the secondary means of sexual interaction, but God Himself has formed us in the wombs of our mothers and, thus, we are alive for He is the living God, and to end that life is to violate the 5th Commandment (as Lutherans count them) "thou shalt not kill (murder)".
Second, when Scripture refers to God knowing people it means in a way of grace, mercy, and love. God, as the omniscient one, of course knows everyone, and all things: past, present, and future. But when the Bible says God knows, or remembers, a person it means in a way of mercy. For example, "God remembered Noah" (Genesis 8:1) or "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). So, God didn't just know about Jeremiah in a "technical" or "historical" sense but as a loving Father and merciful King. That this has implications for the doctrine of Election (or predestination) is obvious, whatever specific views one might have of that teaching (see the Formula of Concord, Article 11, Epitome and Solid Declaration). So, as the LORD formed Jeremiah in the womb, and knew him in mercy, so the same is true of us. God made us in our mothers' wombs and God knew is in Christ Jesus by grace, in love, in mercy (Ephesians 1:3-7).
But the second half of verse 5 is applicable for Jeremiah only. He only was sanctified from the womb of his mother to a certain vocation. There is no teaching in the rest of Scripture that teaches that we are all predestined by God to a certain vocation. This has become a popular "doctrine" in our day, but it is one without biblical warrant. God has not destined us to vocations, but rather to perform good works in the ordinary vocations we are placed in through the "stream of our life". As a kid, strive to obey the 10 Commandment and produce good works in school, to your parents and siblings, and love your neighbor. As a husband: strive to obey the 10 Commandments, bear the fruit of the Spirit, and perform good works in your marriage, to your children, and at work and so on. God has predetermined a life of good works (see Ephesians 2:10, Romans 8:29) but not a vocation. So, whatever your vocation, love God, love your neighbor, strive to obey the Commandments, and pray.
The rest of these verses provide good pattern for praying for our and all pastors. We should pray that they will speak the words God has given them THROUGH THE BIBLE, for that is how He has put the Word into our, and pastors, mouth. We are not looking for direct revelation from God, as was true in Jeremiah's day, but rather in the faithful proclamation of the Word of God, the Law and Gospel, to us today. Notice, the power of the Word right proclaimed in verse 10, "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." The Word of God is powerful, for it determines the destiny not only of nations, but of individuals. The Word rejected brings destruction, the Word accepted by trust being building, planting, growth, and love.
4. vs 11-16
Here the LORD give Jeremiah the layout of his ministry. It is going to be a message of judgment. We must pray that our pastors will not hold back the "negative" message from God, that is to say His Law. We must be confronted with the 10 Commandments and our violation of them, to pave the way to repentance and trust in Christ Jesus as Savior. We must hear this for it is true, all of us, even the born again, are sinners! Daily! Horrendously! This must be true for God has said it in His Word, and otherwise the Son of God need not have come to the cross Himself to redeem us. But also, we must hear it because only when the Law has broken up the hard soil of the heart can the seed of the Good News of Jesus be planted. God has two messages for us every single day, Law and Gospel, and we must regularly hear them both in order to walk in the path of His Word. So, memorize the 10 Commandments and a handful of gospel verses (for example, John 3:16, Romans 8:1, Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:8, 1 John 4:9-10).
4. vs 17-19
These charming verses are worthy of regular reflection. First, they reveal the truth: the world (for us, Judah for Jeremiah) is not on our side so we must expect resistance. This truth, pervasive throughout the Bible, should impact our thinking on every aspect of life. I think Christians in love with the idea of the megachurch should spend some time in Jeremiah.
So, since the people are against him, the prophet should "gird up" his loins, a metaphor in the Bible for preparing for serious action. As a man wearing a "robe" type attire would need to take care of the bottom of the robe in order to move fast, so we need to prepare ourselves for this broken and fallen world.
Second, the prophet is told to "speak unto them all that I command thee" which goes well with my comments above. Our authority is only the Bible. We must speak it but only what it teaches, not our own man-made doctrines or pet ideas. But we must not shrink from its "harsh" passages for this is to do damage to those who hear us. They need both the bad and the good news, or as Jesus put it in Luke 24:47, "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in (My) name among all nations." As to the often repeated idea that non-Christians don't believe the Bible so we can't proclaim it to them, I would say look at verse 10 above (and Isaiah 55:8-11, Hebrews 4:12-13, etc). Indeed, when Jeremiah proclaims the judgment of God, he might be inclined to "be dismayed at their faces" (vs 17) for they will likely hate him for his "harsh" message in the comfort of their rebellion. But God commands the prophet "do not be terrified by them or i will terrify you before them" (vs 18, NIV). How is the prophet to find the strength to stand before the faces of hatred and rejection? By the promises of God, "For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land...And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee" (vs 18-19). So, in Christ, we are also bronze walls and iron pillars, because "I am with thee". Now the final promise needs a comment. God specifically promises Jeremiah that they will not kill him but he will survive until he sees all the words of the LORD against Judah fulfilled in the Babylonian destruction and captivity. He has not promised us all that: Stephen was killed, as were James, Paul, Peter, and numerous martyrs from Polycarp to those killed for Christ today in the Middle East and around the globe. But Christ has promised, as said here, that He will deliver us from everything, for what else is the promise of eternal life. Those Coptic Christians beheaded by ISIS, like John the Baptist, will not be headless in the afterlife, but in Jesus Christ, will live forever in resurrection bodies. As God promised us through Peter, "nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13). "Even so, Come Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).
Even though this blog has no readers, and readers is not really the point of the blog, I suppose an introduction to the blog first makes some sense. I am at the beginning of transitioning from a job in book manufacturing into the exalted (this word is genuine not sarcastic) position of stay at home dad since my wife has recently started her job at DTE in Detroit, Michigan. With this new schedule, and challenge, at hand I wanted to make the most of my time by performing tasks I did not have the time to perform when an employee in book manufacturing. So, I have decided to, in addition to my daily Bible reading, to blog about each reading, as well as daily read poetry and try some poetic scribbling. So, this blog.
I am beginning the blog with both Old Testament and New Testament readings, switching back and forth day by day (and sometimes possibly an additional psalm blog post). These blog posts are NOT a commentary but reflections that take the text seriously but not exhaustively. This is the initial plan which may have to change. So, I'm beginning in two of my favorite books: Jeremiah and 1 Thessalonians. Today, Jeremiah 1, tomorrow 1 Thessalonians 1.
Jeremiah Chapter 1
This chapter in the prophet follows a fairly easy outline as I see it.
1. The Time of the Prophet-vs. 1-3
2. The Call of the Prophet-vs 4-10
3. The Type of Ministry of the Prophet-vs 11-16
4. Encouragement (with a Challenge) to the Prophet-vs 17-19
1. vs 1-3
The time frame of the Prophet is a dark time in the history of God's Old Testament people. They are at the end of generations of sin and rebellion against the LORD (Yahweh) and the long promised judgment of God is coming upon them soon at the hands of Babylon under the reigns of the kings listed in these verses. For further information of the time frame spoken of here, see 2 Chronicles chapters 34-36 and 2 Kings chapters 22-25.
2. vs 4-10
Here begins the real meat of Jeremiah's first chapter, the calling of the prophet. Now, some of this is directly applicable for us as ordinary Christians in the 21st century North American context, but some is unique to the prophet. Being able to ascertain the difference is a vital skill in correctly understanding the Bible. Many contemporary Christians have what can only be called delusions of grandeur from taking specific passages about specific situations and believing they speak to their own life.
First, verse 5 has rightly become famous in our time as a statement against abortion, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." This verse, however, demonstrates my earlier point in that the first half is true for every human being ever conceived, while the second is applicable only for Jeremiah.
First, it was God Almighty, the LORD, who formed us in wombs of our mother. We are not accidents or simply the by-product of a sexual encounter. God has used the secondary means of sexual interaction, but God Himself has formed us in the wombs of our mothers and, thus, we are alive for He is the living God, and to end that life is to violate the 5th Commandment (as Lutherans count them) "thou shalt not kill (murder)".
Second, when Scripture refers to God knowing people it means in a way of grace, mercy, and love. God, as the omniscient one, of course knows everyone, and all things: past, present, and future. But when the Bible says God knows, or remembers, a person it means in a way of mercy. For example, "God remembered Noah" (Genesis 8:1) or "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). So, God didn't just know about Jeremiah in a "technical" or "historical" sense but as a loving Father and merciful King. That this has implications for the doctrine of Election (or predestination) is obvious, whatever specific views one might have of that teaching (see the Formula of Concord, Article 11, Epitome and Solid Declaration). So, as the LORD formed Jeremiah in the womb, and knew him in mercy, so the same is true of us. God made us in our mothers' wombs and God knew is in Christ Jesus by grace, in love, in mercy (Ephesians 1:3-7).
But the second half of verse 5 is applicable for Jeremiah only. He only was sanctified from the womb of his mother to a certain vocation. There is no teaching in the rest of Scripture that teaches that we are all predestined by God to a certain vocation. This has become a popular "doctrine" in our day, but it is one without biblical warrant. God has not destined us to vocations, but rather to perform good works in the ordinary vocations we are placed in through the "stream of our life". As a kid, strive to obey the 10 Commandment and produce good works in school, to your parents and siblings, and love your neighbor. As a husband: strive to obey the 10 Commandments, bear the fruit of the Spirit, and perform good works in your marriage, to your children, and at work and so on. God has predetermined a life of good works (see Ephesians 2:10, Romans 8:29) but not a vocation. So, whatever your vocation, love God, love your neighbor, strive to obey the Commandments, and pray.
The rest of these verses provide good pattern for praying for our and all pastors. We should pray that they will speak the words God has given them THROUGH THE BIBLE, for that is how He has put the Word into our, and pastors, mouth. We are not looking for direct revelation from God, as was true in Jeremiah's day, but rather in the faithful proclamation of the Word of God, the Law and Gospel, to us today. Notice, the power of the Word right proclaimed in verse 10, "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." The Word of God is powerful, for it determines the destiny not only of nations, but of individuals. The Word rejected brings destruction, the Word accepted by trust being building, planting, growth, and love.
4. vs 11-16
Here the LORD give Jeremiah the layout of his ministry. It is going to be a message of judgment. We must pray that our pastors will not hold back the "negative" message from God, that is to say His Law. We must be confronted with the 10 Commandments and our violation of them, to pave the way to repentance and trust in Christ Jesus as Savior. We must hear this for it is true, all of us, even the born again, are sinners! Daily! Horrendously! This must be true for God has said it in His Word, and otherwise the Son of God need not have come to the cross Himself to redeem us. But also, we must hear it because only when the Law has broken up the hard soil of the heart can the seed of the Good News of Jesus be planted. God has two messages for us every single day, Law and Gospel, and we must regularly hear them both in order to walk in the path of His Word. So, memorize the 10 Commandments and a handful of gospel verses (for example, John 3:16, Romans 8:1, Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:8, 1 John 4:9-10).
4. vs 17-19
These charming verses are worthy of regular reflection. First, they reveal the truth: the world (for us, Judah for Jeremiah) is not on our side so we must expect resistance. This truth, pervasive throughout the Bible, should impact our thinking on every aspect of life. I think Christians in love with the idea of the megachurch should spend some time in Jeremiah.
So, since the people are against him, the prophet should "gird up" his loins, a metaphor in the Bible for preparing for serious action. As a man wearing a "robe" type attire would need to take care of the bottom of the robe in order to move fast, so we need to prepare ourselves for this broken and fallen world.
Second, the prophet is told to "speak unto them all that I command thee" which goes well with my comments above. Our authority is only the Bible. We must speak it but only what it teaches, not our own man-made doctrines or pet ideas. But we must not shrink from its "harsh" passages for this is to do damage to those who hear us. They need both the bad and the good news, or as Jesus put it in Luke 24:47, "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in (My) name among all nations." As to the often repeated idea that non-Christians don't believe the Bible so we can't proclaim it to them, I would say look at verse 10 above (and Isaiah 55:8-11, Hebrews 4:12-13, etc). Indeed, when Jeremiah proclaims the judgment of God, he might be inclined to "be dismayed at their faces" (vs 17) for they will likely hate him for his "harsh" message in the comfort of their rebellion. But God commands the prophet "do not be terrified by them or i will terrify you before them" (vs 18, NIV). How is the prophet to find the strength to stand before the faces of hatred and rejection? By the promises of God, "For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land...And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee" (vs 18-19). So, in Christ, we are also bronze walls and iron pillars, because "I am with thee". Now the final promise needs a comment. God specifically promises Jeremiah that they will not kill him but he will survive until he sees all the words of the LORD against Judah fulfilled in the Babylonian destruction and captivity. He has not promised us all that: Stephen was killed, as were James, Paul, Peter, and numerous martyrs from Polycarp to those killed for Christ today in the Middle East and around the globe. But Christ has promised, as said here, that He will deliver us from everything, for what else is the promise of eternal life. Those Coptic Christians beheaded by ISIS, like John the Baptist, will not be headless in the afterlife, but in Jesus Christ, will live forever in resurrection bodies. As God promised us through Peter, "nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13). "Even so, Come Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
More to Come
This blog will, if things go according to plan, be active starting the morning of May 14, 2019.
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