Romans 5:15-19
Often when a new baby is born into a family, friends and relatives will start to observe and see if the little one has any of the looks or characteristics from their mother or father, or either side of the family. Will she have her father’s blue eyes and wavy brown hair? Will he have his mother’s dimples? In addition to physical characteristics, children often inherit other traits, such as athletic ability, love of reading, or musical talent. Unfortunately, there are negative traits that one can inherit, such as their father’s quick temper or their mother’s bitterness. DNA can pass on a tendency for diabetes, heart problems, or other diseases. In our passage from Romans today, we will see some things that we have inherited from our first father, and what we can receive from our Heavenly Father, as well.
Every human is a physical descendant of Adam. Just as we have received some physical characteristics and traits from our parents, we have received something passed down to us from Adam, and that is sin and its results. We all reap the results of Adam’s first sin in the Garden of Eden. We all inherit his guilt, his sinful nature, tendency to sin, and God’s punishment for sin, which is eternal death. All men bear the guilt of sin, and are therefore subject to death because they are Adam’s descendants.
That is rather sorry news to hear. However, that does not need to be the final sentence we receive. The good news is that when someone accepts Jesus as their Savior, they can receive forgiveness instead of judgment. They can trade their sins for His righteousness. They can now become a part of God’s family, and inherit everything from Him.
Adam committed one offense. He ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and now all are guilty. Today, we all commit many sins and offenses. Jesus bore the punishment for our many offenses, and His one act of obedience to God, His one act of redemption, brings salvation to many who receive it (vs. 16). Jesus’ one act of obedience and redemption is immeasurably greater than Adam’s one act of condemnation. Adam brought universal sin and death. Jesus brought salvation to whoever receives it (vs. 17). For those who have received Christ, they have received the gift of eternal life. They can be victorious over sins’s power over death, and have His power and protection throughout life and into eternity.
We see in these verses of Scripture several contrasts. We see that Adam’s sin caused all of mankind, his descendants, to inherit both physical death and eternal death. Jesus’ gift of grace, bringing eternal life, will go to all who accept it. Adam’s sin brought judgment and condemnation to all. Jesus’ act of obedience brings justification to those who believe. Adam’s disobedience brought a reign of death to earth. Jesus’ obedience brings life.
Paul, the human author of the Book of Romans, was a very learned and intelligent man. He had been schooled by the greatest minds of the day, particularly by Gamaliel, the great Jewish teacher of Paul’s day. Paul believed Adam to have been a real person, not a mythological character. So many today imply that Adam was just an early Hebrew myth, however Paul did not. The Word of God speaks of Adam as a real human being.
In closing, choosing to pay for something that we can have at no cost doesn’t seem to make much sense. Why pay for a sandwich if you can have one that is just as good for free? If someone gifts you with something free, why would you pay for it? Some people believe that a product they pay for is superior to anything that is free. This is why some have trouble with the free gift of salvation. They want to do something to earn it. However, no one could ever afford to pay for salvation. Jesus paid for our salvation with His Precious Blood, setting us free from the bondage of sin that we have through Adam. There is nothing we can or need to do for that. Any who receive Jesus and His gift, will have salvation from sin.
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Monday, June 22, 2020
Attacked For Your Faith
Psalm 69:1-18
Today we are visiting the life of King David, known as the sweet psalmist of Israel, again as we look into another of his psalms. As we read throughout the books of I and II Samuel, David had many enemies. Before he was king, David spent many years fleeing for his life from King Saul. After he became king, he had to fight enemies from foreign nations, in addition to threats to his throne from both the descendants of Saul and his own son Absalom. Those who David felt he should have been able to trust he couldn’t, including, as we shall see, those of his own family.
Nobody enjoys suffering or when others turn on us. It’s especially hurtful when we’ve done nothing to warrant that treatment. It’s even more painful when those who turn against us were once our friends, and especially so when they are family members. David had to deal with one of his son’s, Absalom, attempting to take the throne from him. However, this psalm was written during a time of desperation much earlier in David’s reign.
Though the Scriptures don’t specifically say, there are several hints that David’s childhood family was not a loving or gracious one to him. When the prophet Samuel came to visit his father Jesse, and requested that all of Jesse’s sons come to the sacrifice, Jesse didn’t bother to call David in from the fields with the sheep (I Samuel 16:1-13). It was like he was considered a no-account. His brothers mocked him right before his battle with Goliath (I Samuel 17:28-29). Later, in one of the psalms he wrote, David attested that he had felt that both of his parents had forsaken him (Psalm 27:10). However, David did not let that turn him away from following and loving the Lord. His faith and trust in Him remained strong.
As a matter of fact, it was David’s strong commitment to the Lord that seems to have been what caused the problems and attacks he was facing in this psalm. People hated him because he had wanted the country to be faithful and true to Yahweh (vs. 9). This verse was one which later in Scripture was applied to Jesus (John 2:17, Romans 15:3).
Have there been times when family or friends turned against you because of your stand for the Lord Jesus? Maybe your family rejected you when you accepted Jesus as your Savior, or they mocked you for reading and believing in the Bible. Perhaps some friends stopped wanting to be around you anymore after you became a Christian. This happened to David when he wished, as king, to take a stand for Yahweh (vs. 8). We may have to suffer, sometimes even severely, for our devotion to God. We can look forward with joy to the day when He will destroy evil and injustice.
Throughout this psalm, and many others as well, we read that David was scoffed at, mocked, insulted, humiliated, and gossiped about. This was very hard on him. David cried to God until he was physically exhausted, with a parched throat, and blurred vision from crying (vs. 3). However, he still continued to pray and turn to God. He did not let that unfair and ill-treatment turn him away from the Lord. It is during these times, when others reject us, that we need to turn to God the most.
David was concerned, though, that he, through his behavior, not be a hindrance or an obstacle to others (vs. 5-6). He felt that the desperation of his situation could lead to being a stumbling block to the faith of other believers. David knew that if his own faith and trust in God was wavering, he might say something that could cause others to lose what faith they might have. He also knew that any slip into sin would definitely be a stumbling block to others. Though David had several occasions when he did fall into sin, like we all do, he did sincerely seek to live for the Lord.
People are always watching believers. We should always be careful to see that we are representing the Lord God well at all times. Just as David prayed and desired, we need to make sure that our life and behavior is not a stumbling block to others, or will lead them into temptation.
Today we are visiting the life of King David, known as the sweet psalmist of Israel, again as we look into another of his psalms. As we read throughout the books of I and II Samuel, David had many enemies. Before he was king, David spent many years fleeing for his life from King Saul. After he became king, he had to fight enemies from foreign nations, in addition to threats to his throne from both the descendants of Saul and his own son Absalom. Those who David felt he should have been able to trust he couldn’t, including, as we shall see, those of his own family.
Nobody enjoys suffering or when others turn on us. It’s especially hurtful when we’ve done nothing to warrant that treatment. It’s even more painful when those who turn against us were once our friends, and especially so when they are family members. David had to deal with one of his son’s, Absalom, attempting to take the throne from him. However, this psalm was written during a time of desperation much earlier in David’s reign.
Though the Scriptures don’t specifically say, there are several hints that David’s childhood family was not a loving or gracious one to him. When the prophet Samuel came to visit his father Jesse, and requested that all of Jesse’s sons come to the sacrifice, Jesse didn’t bother to call David in from the fields with the sheep (I Samuel 16:1-13). It was like he was considered a no-account. His brothers mocked him right before his battle with Goliath (I Samuel 17:28-29). Later, in one of the psalms he wrote, David attested that he had felt that both of his parents had forsaken him (Psalm 27:10). However, David did not let that turn him away from following and loving the Lord. His faith and trust in Him remained strong.
As a matter of fact, it was David’s strong commitment to the Lord that seems to have been what caused the problems and attacks he was facing in this psalm. People hated him because he had wanted the country to be faithful and true to Yahweh (vs. 9). This verse was one which later in Scripture was applied to Jesus (John 2:17, Romans 15:3).
Have there been times when family or friends turned against you because of your stand for the Lord Jesus? Maybe your family rejected you when you accepted Jesus as your Savior, or they mocked you for reading and believing in the Bible. Perhaps some friends stopped wanting to be around you anymore after you became a Christian. This happened to David when he wished, as king, to take a stand for Yahweh (vs. 8). We may have to suffer, sometimes even severely, for our devotion to God. We can look forward with joy to the day when He will destroy evil and injustice.
Throughout this psalm, and many others as well, we read that David was scoffed at, mocked, insulted, humiliated, and gossiped about. This was very hard on him. David cried to God until he was physically exhausted, with a parched throat, and blurred vision from crying (vs. 3). However, he still continued to pray and turn to God. He did not let that unfair and ill-treatment turn him away from the Lord. It is during these times, when others reject us, that we need to turn to God the most.
David was concerned, though, that he, through his behavior, not be a hindrance or an obstacle to others (vs. 5-6). He felt that the desperation of his situation could lead to being a stumbling block to the faith of other believers. David knew that if his own faith and trust in God was wavering, he might say something that could cause others to lose what faith they might have. He also knew that any slip into sin would definitely be a stumbling block to others. Though David had several occasions when he did fall into sin, like we all do, he did sincerely seek to live for the Lord.
People are always watching believers. We should always be careful to see that we are representing the Lord God well at all times. Just as David prayed and desired, we need to make sure that our life and behavior is not a stumbling block to others, or will lead them into temptation.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Jeremiah's Unpopular Message
Jeremiah 20:7-13
Whenever someone has been given a work assignment or a job to do, they naturally want it to be successful. They want their work to be well-received by others. However, sometimes that is not what happens. As hard as one works at their assignment, sometimes it is not accepted by others. In our Scripture passage today we will see how that was the case with God’s prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was a prophet, and preached God’s Word during the final years of the Kingdom of Judah, right prior to, and during the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the people going into captivity in Babylon. The Lord God gave Jeremiah a very difficult task and ministry, one which was destined to make him an unpopular preacher with the people. For centuries the people of Judah and Israel had been unfaithful to Yahweh, turning in worship to the false gods of the surrounding nations. That was a heinous sin in His eyes, including if they mixed the worship of Yahweh with the false, pagan gods. Over the years, Yahweh sent His prophets and preachers to the people, beseeching and warning them to turn from their pagan idols and their sinful ways, and return to Him. Occasionally the people would heed the message, and for a few years they faithfully followed God, but within a short while they were back to worshipping false gods. This is where we find the prophet Jeremiah.
Yahweh had warned the people through His prophets, over and over again, that if they refused to follow His Word, there would be consequences, there would be punishment. The message that God gave Jeremiah to tell the people was one of judgement, particularly since because of their sins, the nation would go into captivity. Naturally, this was not a popular message. No one wants to hear that their sins will bring consequences if they don’t repent. The false prophets all brought cheerful and positive messages to the people, messages telling them that God loves them no matter what they do, there will be no judgement, no such thing as sin, etc. As a result, Jeremiah suffered because he spoke God’s message in truth. He was reviled, he was beaten, and was frequently imprisoned where he was given little to eat. He was once even cast into a well filled with slimy muck.
What would you do if that was the response you received when given this assignment from the Lord? Many people might decide to change their message, and join in with the false prophets giving the positive message. Others might just decide to shut up and stop their preaching. For a little while that is what Jeremiah decided to do. He was greatly discouraged and went through a lot of inner turmoil. He thought that maybe he had been deceived, and perhaps had the message wrong, since he was treated so poorly (vs. 7-8). So Jeremiah decided to just quit and stop preaching (vs. 9).
However, this was not something that Jeremiah could do for long. When he withheld preaching for a while, God’s Word became like a fire in his bones until he felt he had to preach, no matter what the results. God had warned Jeremiah at the beginning of his ministry of all that he would face, of all of the persecution and ill-treatment (Jeremiah 1:17-19). Just as he was told to by God, Jeremiah stood upright and strengthened himself for the task God had given him to do.
God promised Jeremiah He would be with him through all of his troubles. He promised him He would deliver him (vs. 11). God has promised that He will be with us, as well, when we are doing a difficult or unpopular task for Him (Matthew 28:19-20; Hebrews 13:5-6). We do not need to fear going out and telling the world about Jesus, and doing the work that He has given us. That work may not be popular or well-received, and sometimes people may be downright hostile to us. Just like with Jeremiah, though, if the Lord tells us to do it, we cannot keep quiet. However bleak the circumstances are, we can trust in God’s abiding presence with us, just as Jeremiah knew.
Friday, June 19, 2020
The Harvest Is Ready
Matthew 9:35-38
Anyone who has ever had a vegetable garden or some fruit trees knows that the vegetables and fruit need to be picked at just the right moment. If the gardener is lazy or too busy with other things, and the crop is not picked at the right time, the produce is lost and wasted. There is often just a short window of ripeness to get the fruits and vegetables at their best. If one picks them too early the crop is not good, and if it’s too late the crop has rotted. In our reading from the Gospel of Matthew, we read Jesus’ words of a ripe harvest, and the need for workers to bring that harvest in.
As our passage opens, Jesus has been going around from village to village preaching and teaching the people, and healing the sick (vs. 35). The gospel message that He and His disciples preached was that the promised and long-awaited Messiah had come. Jesus’ healing miracles were a sign that His teaching was true. These people were spiritually lost. For ages they had wandered away from the true worship of the Lord God, just like lost and wandering sheep (vs. 36). Jesus felt compassion on these lost people and sought to bring them back to God. He is the Good Shepherd.
Several times in the Old Testament, God speaks of His people of being like wandering sheep, sheep that are lost without a shepherd. Verse 36 is reminiscent of Numbers 27:16-17, where Moses prayed to the Lord to set someone over the people to guide them so that they would not be like sheep without a shepherd. The prophet Ezekiel also preached of the condition of people who do not have good spiritual shepherds, and how, without a proper shepherd, they would wander away to become victims of predators (Ezekiel 34:5-6).
As Jesus looked out over the crowds of people, He turned to His disciples and told them that the harvest was plentiful (vs 37-38). These people were ready to hear the Gospel message of salvation, to turn from their sins, and return to God. They were a ripe harvest, but God needed people to go forth and tell them His message. He needed workers. As Paul stated in his letter to the Romans, people need to hear the Gospel, but they can’t hear unless the message is preached, and the preachers need to be sent (Romans 10:14-15).
This is one of the greatest missionary passages in the New Testament. The world is a great spiritual harvest of souls, all of who are in need of hearing the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. As He states here, God needs laborers to gather this harvest into the storehouse of heaven. The Lord will prepare His harvest by ripening lost hearts into hearts that are ready to accept Jesus as Savior, and bring forth fruits of righteousness. Are we prepared to harvest these souls? Are we ready to help people with their burdens, and share the hope of Jesus? There are so many people today who are at a point in their life where they are ready to hear about Jesus. Don’t walk away from those who are receptive to the Good News of Jesus.
Jesus asks us to pray to the Father that He would send laborers for this harvest (vs. 38). Believer’s prayers participate in the fulfillment of God’s plans. Our prayers are important, and this is something important and dear to God - the salvation of souls.
Why do we hesitate and delay in telling others the message of salvation through Jesus? The fields are ripe now. The harvest is ready now. We need to stop thinking that there is no hurry, that we can wait for a more opportune time. As I mentioned at the start, if we wait too long to pick the crop, the vegetables will spoil on the vine. If we wait to tell someone about Jesus, they may die and end up spending eternity in hell. There is no better time than now. The world needs to hear the Good News of Jesus today!
Anyone who has ever had a vegetable garden or some fruit trees knows that the vegetables and fruit need to be picked at just the right moment. If the gardener is lazy or too busy with other things, and the crop is not picked at the right time, the produce is lost and wasted. There is often just a short window of ripeness to get the fruits and vegetables at their best. If one picks them too early the crop is not good, and if it’s too late the crop has rotted. In our reading from the Gospel of Matthew, we read Jesus’ words of a ripe harvest, and the need for workers to bring that harvest in.
As our passage opens, Jesus has been going around from village to village preaching and teaching the people, and healing the sick (vs. 35). The gospel message that He and His disciples preached was that the promised and long-awaited Messiah had come. Jesus’ healing miracles were a sign that His teaching was true. These people were spiritually lost. For ages they had wandered away from the true worship of the Lord God, just like lost and wandering sheep (vs. 36). Jesus felt compassion on these lost people and sought to bring them back to God. He is the Good Shepherd.
Several times in the Old Testament, God speaks of His people of being like wandering sheep, sheep that are lost without a shepherd. Verse 36 is reminiscent of Numbers 27:16-17, where Moses prayed to the Lord to set someone over the people to guide them so that they would not be like sheep without a shepherd. The prophet Ezekiel also preached of the condition of people who do not have good spiritual shepherds, and how, without a proper shepherd, they would wander away to become victims of predators (Ezekiel 34:5-6).
As Jesus looked out over the crowds of people, He turned to His disciples and told them that the harvest was plentiful (vs 37-38). These people were ready to hear the Gospel message of salvation, to turn from their sins, and return to God. They were a ripe harvest, but God needed people to go forth and tell them His message. He needed workers. As Paul stated in his letter to the Romans, people need to hear the Gospel, but they can’t hear unless the message is preached, and the preachers need to be sent (Romans 10:14-15).
This is one of the greatest missionary passages in the New Testament. The world is a great spiritual harvest of souls, all of who are in need of hearing the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. As He states here, God needs laborers to gather this harvest into the storehouse of heaven. The Lord will prepare His harvest by ripening lost hearts into hearts that are ready to accept Jesus as Savior, and bring forth fruits of righteousness. Are we prepared to harvest these souls? Are we ready to help people with their burdens, and share the hope of Jesus? There are so many people today who are at a point in their life where they are ready to hear about Jesus. Don’t walk away from those who are receptive to the Good News of Jesus.
Jesus asks us to pray to the Father that He would send laborers for this harvest (vs. 38). Believer’s prayers participate in the fulfillment of God’s plans. Our prayers are important, and this is something important and dear to God - the salvation of souls.
Why do we hesitate and delay in telling others the message of salvation through Jesus? The fields are ripe now. The harvest is ready now. We need to stop thinking that there is no hurry, that we can wait for a more opportune time. As I mentioned at the start, if we wait too long to pick the crop, the vegetables will spoil on the vine. If we wait to tell someone about Jesus, they may die and end up spending eternity in hell. There is no better time than now. The world needs to hear the Good News of Jesus today!
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
God's Love For Sinners
Romans 5:6-11
Is there anyone that you would willingly give your life for if the need ever arose? We would hope that such a time would never come, but if the circumstances came about, many people would be willing to sacrifice their life for their spouse, their children, or some very dear and close friend. How about giving your life for the most upstanding person in your neighborhood, the tireless doctor, the self-sacrificing teacher, the elderly and godly person who cares so much for their neighbors? Not too many of us would be willing, no matter how good these people are. Now picture one more scene - picture the worst possible, most vile criminal who is being led out to be executed. A crowd has gathered, and then the most upstanding, good, and godly person in the city steps forward and volunteers to take the place of the criminal, to be executed in their place! We might think that would never happen. As we read today’s passage from the Book of Romans, we see that it did happen, and we were that condemned criminal.
Who would ever be willing to die for some dirty, rotten sinner? We can’t imagine any person doing that, yet that is what the Son of God did for us (vs. 6). We are condemned sinners, having broken God’s holy laws, and the punishment is eternal separation from God. We are reprobates and spiritually dead, and can do nothing to help ourselves. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. We are weak and helpless, just like the criminal condemned to death.
As unregenerate sinners we are unlovable, and no one would willingly take our place. However, God’s love for us is not based on how lovable we are, but is based on His character. God’s supreme act of love came when we were at our most unlovely. Jesus stepped forward from the throne room of heaven and said that He loved us so much that He would willingly take our place, and pay the ultimate price for our sins and redemption (vs. 8).
God sent Jesus to die for us, not because we were good enough, but because He loved us. He loved us even before we turned to Him. God didn’t wait for us to apologize or recognize Him. He loved us so completely that He sent Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. None of us deserve God’s care and protection, but thankfully deserving isn’t the basis for His love. God’s nature is love, which He demonstrated through Jesus’ death, while we were still sinners. Jesus did not die merely for our benefit. He died in our place. He didn’t die only for the “good” people, He died for everyone, including the worst of sinners.
Do you ever feel like nobody could possibly care about you or love you? Maybe you feel like you are so unimportant and without any value. God didn’t choose to love us because we are lovely. He loved us, and then we became lovely to Him. Our value comes from His inherent value. We are so important to God, so loved and valuable to Him, that He gave the best that He had, His Son Jesus Christ, for us.
By taking our place and dying for us, Jesus not only spared us from an eternity in hell, His death also brought reconciliation between us and God (vs 11). One might expect that a condemned criminal who was released from prison would be estranged from society, from other people, especially the ones he had most hurt. Yet through Jesus and His death, He brought about a reconciliation between us and God. There is no longer any enmity between us and the Lord. We are no longer enemies with God.
Do you know that Jesus died for you? Have you realized that your sins make you God’s enemy, and the penalty is His eternal wrath? Jesus paid that penalty, your penalty, with His own Blood on the cross. If you accept that, and call upon Him to be your personal Savior, then you will be reconciled to God, and have His joy, both now and in eternity. Don’t wait another day to be reconciled to God!
Is there anyone that you would willingly give your life for if the need ever arose? We would hope that such a time would never come, but if the circumstances came about, many people would be willing to sacrifice their life for their spouse, their children, or some very dear and close friend. How about giving your life for the most upstanding person in your neighborhood, the tireless doctor, the self-sacrificing teacher, the elderly and godly person who cares so much for their neighbors? Not too many of us would be willing, no matter how good these people are. Now picture one more scene - picture the worst possible, most vile criminal who is being led out to be executed. A crowd has gathered, and then the most upstanding, good, and godly person in the city steps forward and volunteers to take the place of the criminal, to be executed in their place! We might think that would never happen. As we read today’s passage from the Book of Romans, we see that it did happen, and we were that condemned criminal.
Who would ever be willing to die for some dirty, rotten sinner? We can’t imagine any person doing that, yet that is what the Son of God did for us (vs. 6). We are condemned sinners, having broken God’s holy laws, and the punishment is eternal separation from God. We are reprobates and spiritually dead, and can do nothing to help ourselves. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. We are weak and helpless, just like the criminal condemned to death.
As unregenerate sinners we are unlovable, and no one would willingly take our place. However, God’s love for us is not based on how lovable we are, but is based on His character. God’s supreme act of love came when we were at our most unlovely. Jesus stepped forward from the throne room of heaven and said that He loved us so much that He would willingly take our place, and pay the ultimate price for our sins and redemption (vs. 8).
God sent Jesus to die for us, not because we were good enough, but because He loved us. He loved us even before we turned to Him. God didn’t wait for us to apologize or recognize Him. He loved us so completely that He sent Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. None of us deserve God’s care and protection, but thankfully deserving isn’t the basis for His love. God’s nature is love, which He demonstrated through Jesus’ death, while we were still sinners. Jesus did not die merely for our benefit. He died in our place. He didn’t die only for the “good” people, He died for everyone, including the worst of sinners.
Do you ever feel like nobody could possibly care about you or love you? Maybe you feel like you are so unimportant and without any value. God didn’t choose to love us because we are lovely. He loved us, and then we became lovely to Him. Our value comes from His inherent value. We are so important to God, so loved and valuable to Him, that He gave the best that He had, His Son Jesus Christ, for us.
By taking our place and dying for us, Jesus not only spared us from an eternity in hell, His death also brought reconciliation between us and God (vs 11). One might expect that a condemned criminal who was released from prison would be estranged from society, from other people, especially the ones he had most hurt. Yet through Jesus and His death, He brought about a reconciliation between us and God. There is no longer any enmity between us and the Lord. We are no longer enemies with God.
Do you know that Jesus died for you? Have you realized that your sins make you God’s enemy, and the penalty is His eternal wrath? Jesus paid that penalty, your penalty, with His own Blood on the cross. If you accept that, and call upon Him to be your personal Savior, then you will be reconciled to God, and have His joy, both now and in eternity. Don’t wait another day to be reconciled to God!
Monday, June 15, 2020
The Gates Into God's Presence
Psalm 100
Imagine that you were privileged to be granted an audience to meet with one of the most highest ranking people in the world, perhaps the Queen, or someone else at that exclusive level. First you probably would plan what you would wear, spending some time to make sure you had just the right outfit, and your hair was done just right. Equally important is making sure that you conduct yourself correctly, acting in an appropriate way. No cracking silly jokes or making obtuse comments. Though most of us will never have that opportunity, as believers we have an even more glorious invitation, and that is to come into the heavenly royal courts of the mighty God of the universe. Our psalm reading for this week, Psalm 100, is just such an invitation. In addition to being an invitation for us, the psalm also gives us instructions of how we should present ourselves before the Lord.
The first instruction our psalm gives us for how we should present ourselves before the Lord is that we should give a shout of gladness to the Lord (vs. 1). Many of us have seen parades given in honor of a hero or a winning sports team, either in person or on TV. Everyone is shouting out their praise with joy, with no restraint. This is how the Lord wants us to be when we come before Him, joyfully shouting His praise.
We are to enter His presence with singing (vs. 2). Maybe you feel that you cannot sing well. However, our Scripture doesn’t say to sing only if you have a trained voice. It tells us to come before His presence with singing. We are to sing praises to the Lord for being our Creator and Shepherd (vs. 3), for His goodness, His mercy, and His truth (vs. 5).
We are to come to God in worship, with thanksgiving in our hearts (vs. 4). Praising Him is the first step towards entering the presence of God. We need to be doing that every moment of every day. If we want to see God’s glory, thanksgiving is the door that will lead us into His throne room. Our psalmist tells us that to pass through the gates into God’s kingdom, we must have thanksgiving in our hearts. To enter into the royal courts of the Heavenly King, we must come with praise. God is worthy of our worship. Come into His presence with joy. Don’t just go through the motions. He should be praised and trusted by believers because He is holy, good, and perfect.
God is our Creator, and the Creator of all we have. He made all, and provides us with what we need. For that we can sing and praise Him. God is also our Shepherd, and we are His sheep. He is our Father, and we are His children if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior. Believers are part of God’s family, His sons and daughters. They belong, body and soul, to the one true God and Savior. We can “know” and be assured of this truth (vs. 3). Yahweh is the one and only true God.
God is the source and perfect example of all goodness (vs. 5). He is absolutely perfect and holy. He is the standard of all righteousness. All God does is just and right. He cannot change. He is good, even when we are not. Every breath comes from God. He watches over and provides for all of our needs. Because of this, we should cultivate a grateful heart. One of the signs of the last days will be ingratitude (II Timothy 3:1-5). Are we grateful to Him for answering our prayers? The Lord is all-knowing and all-powerful. We should be praising Him for being faithful and trustworthy. God’s children need to recognize that His Name is higher than any other name. As our psalm tells us, we need to give thanks and bless His Name. God is the ultimate expression of love itself.
This short psalm is often used in many churches as a call to worship. It has also been used as the inspiration for many hymns. As we read through this song in our Bible, let us remember that the gates into God’s presence are still open, inviting us to come and worship.
Imagine that you were privileged to be granted an audience to meet with one of the most highest ranking people in the world, perhaps the Queen, or someone else at that exclusive level. First you probably would plan what you would wear, spending some time to make sure you had just the right outfit, and your hair was done just right. Equally important is making sure that you conduct yourself correctly, acting in an appropriate way. No cracking silly jokes or making obtuse comments. Though most of us will never have that opportunity, as believers we have an even more glorious invitation, and that is to come into the heavenly royal courts of the mighty God of the universe. Our psalm reading for this week, Psalm 100, is just such an invitation. In addition to being an invitation for us, the psalm also gives us instructions of how we should present ourselves before the Lord.
The first instruction our psalm gives us for how we should present ourselves before the Lord is that we should give a shout of gladness to the Lord (vs. 1). Many of us have seen parades given in honor of a hero or a winning sports team, either in person or on TV. Everyone is shouting out their praise with joy, with no restraint. This is how the Lord wants us to be when we come before Him, joyfully shouting His praise.
We are to enter His presence with singing (vs. 2). Maybe you feel that you cannot sing well. However, our Scripture doesn’t say to sing only if you have a trained voice. It tells us to come before His presence with singing. We are to sing praises to the Lord for being our Creator and Shepherd (vs. 3), for His goodness, His mercy, and His truth (vs. 5).
We are to come to God in worship, with thanksgiving in our hearts (vs. 4). Praising Him is the first step towards entering the presence of God. We need to be doing that every moment of every day. If we want to see God’s glory, thanksgiving is the door that will lead us into His throne room. Our psalmist tells us that to pass through the gates into God’s kingdom, we must have thanksgiving in our hearts. To enter into the royal courts of the Heavenly King, we must come with praise. God is worthy of our worship. Come into His presence with joy. Don’t just go through the motions. He should be praised and trusted by believers because He is holy, good, and perfect.
God is our Creator, and the Creator of all we have. He made all, and provides us with what we need. For that we can sing and praise Him. God is also our Shepherd, and we are His sheep. He is our Father, and we are His children if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior. Believers are part of God’s family, His sons and daughters. They belong, body and soul, to the one true God and Savior. We can “know” and be assured of this truth (vs. 3). Yahweh is the one and only true God.
God is the source and perfect example of all goodness (vs. 5). He is absolutely perfect and holy. He is the standard of all righteousness. All God does is just and right. He cannot change. He is good, even when we are not. Every breath comes from God. He watches over and provides for all of our needs. Because of this, we should cultivate a grateful heart. One of the signs of the last days will be ingratitude (II Timothy 3:1-5). Are we grateful to Him for answering our prayers? The Lord is all-knowing and all-powerful. We should be praising Him for being faithful and trustworthy. God’s children need to recognize that His Name is higher than any other name. As our psalm tells us, we need to give thanks and bless His Name. God is the ultimate expression of love itself.
This short psalm is often used in many churches as a call to worship. It has also been used as the inspiration for many hymns. As we read through this song in our Bible, let us remember that the gates into God’s presence are still open, inviting us to come and worship.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
A Bowl Of Stew
Genesis 25:29-34
Did you ever, perhaps as a child, make a trade and end up feeling cheated? You traded something nice of yours, and ended up getting something that you found out later was a piece of junk. We still do that today, especially with our spiritual life. Today, as we look into this passage from the Book of Genesis, we will see someone who traded one of the most important things in his life to satisfy a momentary passing physical desire.
Esau and Jacob were twin brothers, but the two couldn’t have been more different in personality and interests if they had tried. Esau was the oldest of the two, and was a real rugged man, loving the outdoors and hunting. Jacob, on the other hand, was just the opposite. He stayed around the house more, and had more quieter interests. As the eldest, Esau would inherit the birthright. In Jewish culture, the birthright was given to the eldest son, and entitled the eldest to a double portion of the family’s inheritance. The eldest son with the birthright would become the family’s leader, the patriarch, who was also the family’s spiritual leader.
As our passage begins, Esau had been out hunting all day, and came back home exhausted and very hungry. In the meantime Jacob had been cooking some food, a pot of red lentil stew. Jacob was probably a good cook, and the smell of his food filled the air. Esau, tired and hungry, asked for a bowl. Though they were brothers, there was no love between the two, and Jacob wasn’t going to give his food away for nothing, so he asked for the birthright. Unbelievably, Esau said yes, as he felt the birthright was of no value if he died right then of hunger!
Who would exchange their birthright for a bowl of food? Esau was not truly on the verge of death! Obviously he thought nothing of what his inheritance truly meant. He was godless, as he considered filling his stomach more important than the spiritual promises of God to the family through his grandfather Abraham. Esau had complete disregard for the spiritual blessings that would have come his way. He traded the lasting benefits of his birthright for the immediate pleasure of food. Esau acted on impulse without considering the long-range consequences. Immediate pleasure often loses sight of the future.
A wise person evaluates choices by looking ahead to see what negative consequences could follow a course of action. The principle of sowing and reaping cannot be reversed (Galatians 6:7-8). We need to carefully consider what we are “planting” in our life. Are we planting a life based on worldly pleasures and satisfying the flesh, or are we planting to benefit our spiritual life? The harvest will come, and we will reap what we have sown, and more than we have sown. Esau learned this the hard way, with devastating results.
We are often tempted to put God to one side, and to choose something else. So often we exchange God’s promises of something much better for cheap, short-lived pleasures. Is there anything of real and eternal value that we are willing to trade for something of lesser worth? Do we pursue wealth and career at the expense of family? Are there other activities we want to spend time pursuing that takes time away from God and His Word? Our wrong decisions can rob us of God’s blessings.
It is also important not to make quick, spur of the moment decisions, especially in critical matters. That can lead to making very unwise decisions. It’s important not to exaggerate our condition, either. Esau was not starving to death. He never considered the consequences of his actions. Esau reacted to the need of the moment, without realizing what he was giving up to meet that need.
Are we willing to trade something of eternal value for something of no more worth than a bowl of stew? Don’t sacrifice your future for momentary pleasure!
Did you ever, perhaps as a child, make a trade and end up feeling cheated? You traded something nice of yours, and ended up getting something that you found out later was a piece of junk. We still do that today, especially with our spiritual life. Today, as we look into this passage from the Book of Genesis, we will see someone who traded one of the most important things in his life to satisfy a momentary passing physical desire.
Esau and Jacob were twin brothers, but the two couldn’t have been more different in personality and interests if they had tried. Esau was the oldest of the two, and was a real rugged man, loving the outdoors and hunting. Jacob, on the other hand, was just the opposite. He stayed around the house more, and had more quieter interests. As the eldest, Esau would inherit the birthright. In Jewish culture, the birthright was given to the eldest son, and entitled the eldest to a double portion of the family’s inheritance. The eldest son with the birthright would become the family’s leader, the patriarch, who was also the family’s spiritual leader.
As our passage begins, Esau had been out hunting all day, and came back home exhausted and very hungry. In the meantime Jacob had been cooking some food, a pot of red lentil stew. Jacob was probably a good cook, and the smell of his food filled the air. Esau, tired and hungry, asked for a bowl. Though they were brothers, there was no love between the two, and Jacob wasn’t going to give his food away for nothing, so he asked for the birthright. Unbelievably, Esau said yes, as he felt the birthright was of no value if he died right then of hunger!
Who would exchange their birthright for a bowl of food? Esau was not truly on the verge of death! Obviously he thought nothing of what his inheritance truly meant. He was godless, as he considered filling his stomach more important than the spiritual promises of God to the family through his grandfather Abraham. Esau had complete disregard for the spiritual blessings that would have come his way. He traded the lasting benefits of his birthright for the immediate pleasure of food. Esau acted on impulse without considering the long-range consequences. Immediate pleasure often loses sight of the future.
A wise person evaluates choices by looking ahead to see what negative consequences could follow a course of action. The principle of sowing and reaping cannot be reversed (Galatians 6:7-8). We need to carefully consider what we are “planting” in our life. Are we planting a life based on worldly pleasures and satisfying the flesh, or are we planting to benefit our spiritual life? The harvest will come, and we will reap what we have sown, and more than we have sown. Esau learned this the hard way, with devastating results.
We are often tempted to put God to one side, and to choose something else. So often we exchange God’s promises of something much better for cheap, short-lived pleasures. Is there anything of real and eternal value that we are willing to trade for something of lesser worth? Do we pursue wealth and career at the expense of family? Are there other activities we want to spend time pursuing that takes time away from God and His Word? Our wrong decisions can rob us of God’s blessings.
It is also important not to make quick, spur of the moment decisions, especially in critical matters. That can lead to making very unwise decisions. It’s important not to exaggerate our condition, either. Esau was not starving to death. He never considered the consequences of his actions. Esau reacted to the need of the moment, without realizing what he was giving up to meet that need.
Are we willing to trade something of eternal value for something of no more worth than a bowl of stew? Don’t sacrifice your future for momentary pleasure!
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