October 31: Psalm 49; John 14
"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him...
If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words."
(John 14:21, 23-24)
Grace and commandment. Faith and obedience. How do they relate? How are they connected? I so easily get focused on what I'm supposed to do, and then am pleased with my progress (in the Lord, of course), and then it's over. Welcome Mr. Pharisee...
There is an intimate connection between loving Jesus and keeping his commandments. They just go hand in hand. It's not that I prove I love him by keeping his commandments, like it's a question whether I love him or not. And then again, maybe the one exposes the other.
How does God write his law on our hearts anyway? (Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3) Certainly it is by the Holy Spirit. But perhaps the avenue the Spirit works through, the field he has to work in, the mode of the engraving is love. When God says through Moses, "These words shall be on your hearts" or "These words are near you, on your lips and in your hearts," is he saying work hard at memorizing and applying? Is he threatening us to be sure to be prepped for the exam?
Or is he saying, "Will you love me? And will you treasure my words, my teaching, my guidance?"
I think Henry Blackaby said it's not an obedience problem, or even an idolatry problem. It's a love problem. Basically, do I love really just love myself - or do I love him with all my heart AND my neighbor as myself?
And, of course, this was exactly how Jesus' summed up the commandments, and was his "new commandment" he had just given them.
Grace and commandment. Faith and obedience. Somehow they are connected by love.
20071031
20071030
and the second is this
Psalm 48; Leviticus 18-19
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
The second great commandment ends a section where every verse, from v. 9-18, is a command about treating people right - especially those with needs (the poor, the sojourner, the deaf, the blind). Later it appears in reference to "the stranger who sojourns among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." (vs. 33-34)
We understand that Jesus linked up this commandment with Deuteronomy 6:4 ("You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart...") at least in part because they both begin "You shall love". That important phrase (expressed positively not negatively, "You shall not...") is a device, like the linkages that hold train cars together, that Rabbi Jesus and other sages of his time used to teach their disciples.
Deuteronomy 6:4 summarizes the "Second (Giving of the) Law" (Deutero-Nomos) in chapter 5, and Leviticus 19:18, while not really a summary of what preceded, concludes a section (vs. 1-18) that references six of the ten commandments (vs 3-4,11-12) and again places it firmly in a section on treating people right, especially those in need.
A couple of thoughts...
1) Neither of these great commandments do away with the others,
2) but they are a "summary of the law" (BCP) that can never be exhausted on tablets or paper or gigabytes. There is no end to "you shall love..."
3) I find it instructive that "love your neighbor" is amidst all the concern for those in need. The one time Jesus elaborated on this he placed it in a story about someone with needs... (Luke 10).
4) I can't get away from the Pharisee from Sunday's gospel... whose holiness separated him from people, despising them contemptuously. ("Pharisee" = separate) Even though the second great commandment is in the "holiness code", in fact this chapter begins "You shall be holy, for I the LORD am holy," holiness is never to drive a wedge, or cause a separation, or be a reason not to come alongside and serve people in love.
But I'm so inclined to separate myself, to avoid needs, to protect myself, exalt myself... even with those closest to me.
God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Fill me, change me, heal me with your never-ending love.
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
The second great commandment ends a section where every verse, from v. 9-18, is a command about treating people right - especially those with needs (the poor, the sojourner, the deaf, the blind). Later it appears in reference to "the stranger who sojourns among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." (vs. 33-34)
We understand that Jesus linked up this commandment with Deuteronomy 6:4 ("You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart...") at least in part because they both begin "You shall love". That important phrase (expressed positively not negatively, "You shall not...") is a device, like the linkages that hold train cars together, that Rabbi Jesus and other sages of his time used to teach their disciples.
Deuteronomy 6:4 summarizes the "Second (Giving of the) Law" (Deutero-Nomos) in chapter 5, and Leviticus 19:18, while not really a summary of what preceded, concludes a section (vs. 1-18) that references six of the ten commandments (vs 3-4,11-12) and again places it firmly in a section on treating people right, especially those in need.
A couple of thoughts...
1) Neither of these great commandments do away with the others,
2) but they are a "summary of the law" (BCP) that can never be exhausted on tablets or paper or gigabytes. There is no end to "you shall love..."
3) I find it instructive that "love your neighbor" is amidst all the concern for those in need. The one time Jesus elaborated on this he placed it in a story about someone with needs... (Luke 10).
4) I can't get away from the Pharisee from Sunday's gospel... whose holiness separated him from people, despising them contemptuously. ("Pharisee" = separate) Even though the second great commandment is in the "holiness code", in fact this chapter begins "You shall be holy, for I the LORD am holy," holiness is never to drive a wedge, or cause a separation, or be a reason not to come alongside and serve people in love.
But I'm so inclined to separate myself, to avoid needs, to protect myself, exalt myself... even with those closest to me.
God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Fill me, change me, heal me with your never-ending love.
20071029
Red Sox Nation psalm
Humor me a bit more...
Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
(Psalm 47:1,3)
Our appointed community Bible reading Psalm for today seems especially appropriate for the Red Sox nation... :)
the life blood
Psalm 47; Leviticus 17-18
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
(Leviticus 17:11)
One question that arises is whether the blood on the altar is the only way to atonement for souls. The comment "for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life" is a general statement that seems to have a universal and cosmic significance. Therefore, Jesus' blood (that of the perfect, unblemished lamb) had to be shed and applied to the heavenly altar to make atonement. The book of Hebrews supports this in teaching that Jesus is superior to the sacrifices, and the substance and fulfillment of what was foreshadowed in the Mosaic Covenant.
To complement this understanding, or fill it out some:
When in Israel for my Sabbatical, I was encouraged to go talk to a very thoughtful Jewish man who ran a shop in the Jewish quarter with his brother. One of them was named "Dov" (I can't remember which). Indeed this man loved to talk with Christians. He said Kay Arthur usually came in to talk when she visited Israel. We talked about Christians' belief that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, and that they often based it on this verse (Leviticus 17:11). He pointed out that Jews no longer believe that sacrifice is the only way to forgiveness (especially since the destruction of the Temple and the end of sacrifices.) He said it was basically through repentance, contriteness, and true humility. He pointed out that David was forgiven after his adulterous and murderous affair with Bathsheba. After Nathan the prophet confronts David, we read:
David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
(2 Samuel 12:13)
The sacrifice David mentions in the Psalm (51) that articulates his admission of sin to Nathan is that of a broken and contrite heart. That's the sacrifice God is looking for from us, and the one that is acceptable.
Yesterday, we heard about the tax collector in the Gospel who prayed "God, have mercy on me, a sinner" and went to his house "justified" (literally, "having been made righteous" - same word and concept Paul used all the time)... obviously Jesus taught this before he died on the cross.
I'm not suggesting that Jesus didn't have to die (!). His blood made a new covenant for us, and atones for our sins, propitiating God's anger; our death died in his death, and we have new, abundant, eternal life through his resurrection. But it does seem an encounter with the bloodied, suffering savior hanging on the cursed tree may not be the only approach to finding forgiveness with God (though this "justification with God" will, I think, normally lead to such an encounter with the suffering Savior and victorious Lord). Maybe it's that we don't necessarily have to have the correct understanding of the atonement to be forgiven, to approach God, to find favor. That God doesn't test for orthodox theology on penal substitutionary atonement, or specific language in our prayer - but a heart attitude that is expressed by both David and the tax collector.
God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Maybe that really does say it all.
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
(Leviticus 17:11)
One question that arises is whether the blood on the altar is the only way to atonement for souls. The comment "for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life" is a general statement that seems to have a universal and cosmic significance. Therefore, Jesus' blood (that of the perfect, unblemished lamb) had to be shed and applied to the heavenly altar to make atonement. The book of Hebrews supports this in teaching that Jesus is superior to the sacrifices, and the substance and fulfillment of what was foreshadowed in the Mosaic Covenant.
To complement this understanding, or fill it out some:
When in Israel for my Sabbatical, I was encouraged to go talk to a very thoughtful Jewish man who ran a shop in the Jewish quarter with his brother. One of them was named "Dov" (I can't remember which). Indeed this man loved to talk with Christians. He said Kay Arthur usually came in to talk when she visited Israel. We talked about Christians' belief that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, and that they often based it on this verse (Leviticus 17:11). He pointed out that Jews no longer believe that sacrifice is the only way to forgiveness (especially since the destruction of the Temple and the end of sacrifices.) He said it was basically through repentance, contriteness, and true humility. He pointed out that David was forgiven after his adulterous and murderous affair with Bathsheba. After Nathan the prophet confronts David, we read:
David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
(2 Samuel 12:13)
The sacrifice David mentions in the Psalm (51) that articulates his admission of sin to Nathan is that of a broken and contrite heart. That's the sacrifice God is looking for from us, and the one that is acceptable.
Yesterday, we heard about the tax collector in the Gospel who prayed "God, have mercy on me, a sinner" and went to his house "justified" (literally, "having been made righteous" - same word and concept Paul used all the time)... obviously Jesus taught this before he died on the cross.
I'm not suggesting that Jesus didn't have to die (!). His blood made a new covenant for us, and atones for our sins, propitiating God's anger; our death died in his death, and we have new, abundant, eternal life through his resurrection. But it does seem an encounter with the bloodied, suffering savior hanging on the cursed tree may not be the only approach to finding forgiveness with God (though this "justification with God" will, I think, normally lead to such an encounter with the suffering Savior and victorious Lord). Maybe it's that we don't necessarily have to have the correct understanding of the atonement to be forgiven, to approach God, to find favor. That God doesn't test for orthodox theology on penal substitutionary atonement, or specific language in our prayer - but a heart attitude that is expressed by both David and the tax collector.
God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Maybe that really does say it all.
20071026
"Unclean, unclean"
Saturday, Oct 27: Psalm 45; Leviticus 12-15
We skipped Leviticus 11 (again, I'm not sure why!), which is about the kosher laws (referred to as "kashrut" in Hebrew, meaning "fit").
In chapters 12-15 we hear about uncleanness related to childbirth, skin diseases, house diseases (so to speak), and bodily discharges. The uncleanness referred to in all these passages is speaking of ritual uncleanness. None of these scenarios is caused by sin (eg. having a baby is not sinful!!), but every individual is sinful - guilt offerings and sin offerings are always appropriate. There seems to be several nuances to God's requirements here:
1) In each scenario there may be the potential for the transmission of disease in - with the references to bleeding, raw skin, semen (and the creatures in chapter 11 that may not be eaten). Linked with the clean and unclean foods, you could make this argument perhaps for the "why" of such laws. But I'm not convinced this is the heart of the matter here, even if it is essential to understanding these laws.
2) These instructions are only found in the "holiness code" of Leviticus - that part of the Torah that especially concerns the priests (of Levi's line), and the sanctuary, and this particular verse: "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." (11:45; 19:2) The "kashrut" section ends by saying these laws "make a distinction between unclean and clean...". (11:47).
This holiness is also not just about sin and morality. It is also about being distinct, being separate or "other" from those around them. And it speaks about how we are to approach God (and one another). On the one hand, there is a kind of wholeness or norm expected with regard to drawing near to the wholly Other God. You are not to just casually, unpreparedly come to him. You bring sacrifices and offerings, you cover the guilt and the sin, known and unknown, and you clean the uncleanness, whether definite or potential.
The atonement referred to in this section speaks of covering the separation caused by this ritual uncleanness, and not some specific sin(s) that must be propitiated (though, again, there is always sin to be covered). The whole section finds some clarity at the end when we read: "Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, let they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst." (15:31)
There was a time in my life when our approach to the "tabernacle" was much more reverent. We would make formal, private confession before communion (ideally). We would put on our Sunday best. We even watched what we said in the building. Brooke shares that when her childhood friend used to take her to their Roman Catholic church it was so reverent and holy, so distinct from her experience, she experienced something good about God in those times.
Those East Africans we know who have been born again (generally in the stream of the "East African Revival" which I believe began in the 1930's) do not drink alcohol. And I have a priest friend who also embraces this discipline. It's not that it's sinful in and of itself; but it is a sign of being set apart, of being in a different community, distinct - of separating oneself from something that could be harmful (like shellfish, or leprosy...) and could undermine the wholeness of body, mind, and spirit that God intends for us.
Thanks be to God that we have been made holy by the precious blood of Christ, we can continue in holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that together we are (in the words of the King James Version):
"a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were no people but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy."
(1 Peter 2:9-10; cf. 1 Peter 1:13-2:12)
We skipped Leviticus 11 (again, I'm not sure why!), which is about the kosher laws (referred to as "kashrut" in Hebrew, meaning "fit").
In chapters 12-15 we hear about uncleanness related to childbirth, skin diseases, house diseases (so to speak), and bodily discharges. The uncleanness referred to in all these passages is speaking of ritual uncleanness. None of these scenarios is caused by sin (eg. having a baby is not sinful!!), but every individual is sinful - guilt offerings and sin offerings are always appropriate. There seems to be several nuances to God's requirements here:
1) In each scenario there may be the potential for the transmission of disease in - with the references to bleeding, raw skin, semen (and the creatures in chapter 11 that may not be eaten). Linked with the clean and unclean foods, you could make this argument perhaps for the "why" of such laws. But I'm not convinced this is the heart of the matter here, even if it is essential to understanding these laws.
2) These instructions are only found in the "holiness code" of Leviticus - that part of the Torah that especially concerns the priests (of Levi's line), and the sanctuary, and this particular verse: "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." (11:45; 19:2) The "kashrut" section ends by saying these laws "make a distinction between unclean and clean...". (11:47).
This holiness is also not just about sin and morality. It is also about being distinct, being separate or "other" from those around them. And it speaks about how we are to approach God (and one another). On the one hand, there is a kind of wholeness or norm expected with regard to drawing near to the wholly Other God. You are not to just casually, unpreparedly come to him. You bring sacrifices and offerings, you cover the guilt and the sin, known and unknown, and you clean the uncleanness, whether definite or potential.
The atonement referred to in this section speaks of covering the separation caused by this ritual uncleanness, and not some specific sin(s) that must be propitiated (though, again, there is always sin to be covered). The whole section finds some clarity at the end when we read: "Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, let they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst." (15:31)
There was a time in my life when our approach to the "tabernacle" was much more reverent. We would make formal, private confession before communion (ideally). We would put on our Sunday best. We even watched what we said in the building. Brooke shares that when her childhood friend used to take her to their Roman Catholic church it was so reverent and holy, so distinct from her experience, she experienced something good about God in those times.
Those East Africans we know who have been born again (generally in the stream of the "East African Revival" which I believe began in the 1930's) do not drink alcohol. And I have a priest friend who also embraces this discipline. It's not that it's sinful in and of itself; but it is a sign of being set apart, of being in a different community, distinct - of separating oneself from something that could be harmful (like shellfish, or leprosy...) and could undermine the wholeness of body, mind, and spirit that God intends for us.
Thanks be to God that we have been made holy by the precious blood of Christ, we can continue in holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that together we are (in the words of the King James Version):
"a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were no people but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy."
(1 Peter 2:9-10; cf. 1 Peter 1:13-2:12)
20071024
a new commandment
Friday, Oct. 26: Psalm 44; John 13
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another."
(John 13:34-35)
On Wednesday night we began talking about Redemption and the Commandments, of grace and law. God gave the Torah, the "law" - his teaching or guidance - after redeeming them from bondage. They were saved by grace. We talked about finding our way between, or around, legalism and antinomianism.
We looked at Jeremiah 31, and the promise of a new commandment, when the law will be written on our hearts. And at Ezekiel 36, that we will be given hearts of flesh and the Holy Spirit - in order to cause us to walk in his statutes. The new heart, the gift of the Spirit, the new covenant - are given that we might live in such a way (actual actions, deeds, words...) that glorify God, shine the light within us, and bring healing and wholeness to those around us.
Clearly here, Jesus gives us a commandment. In closing today, this commandment is obviously Jesus' theme: love. All the commandments are summed up in love. The aim is love. The power is the Spirit. The motivation is thanksgiving. The result is the glory of God displayed.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another."
(John 13:34-35)
On Wednesday night we began talking about Redemption and the Commandments, of grace and law. God gave the Torah, the "law" - his teaching or guidance - after redeeming them from bondage. They were saved by grace. We talked about finding our way between, or around, legalism and antinomianism.
We looked at Jeremiah 31, and the promise of a new commandment, when the law will be written on our hearts. And at Ezekiel 36, that we will be given hearts of flesh and the Holy Spirit - in order to cause us to walk in his statutes. The new heart, the gift of the Spirit, the new covenant - are given that we might live in such a way (actual actions, deeds, words...) that glorify God, shine the light within us, and bring healing and wholeness to those around us.
Clearly here, Jesus gives us a commandment. In closing today, this commandment is obviously Jesus' theme: love. All the commandments are summed up in love. The aim is love. The power is the Spirit. The motivation is thanksgiving. The result is the glory of God displayed.
Atonement
Thursday, Oct 25: Psalm 42, 43, Leviticus 8-9
We skipped chapters 2-7, which were descriptions of more sacrifices - Grain offerings, Peace offerings, Guilt offerings, Sin offerings, and how the priests were to offer them. Then as the priesthood is consecrated we hear of anointing oil, and water for washing, burnt offering, sin offering, a "wave offering", grain offering. A very detailed, complicated, liturgical process setting apart these men for their ministry.
"Draw near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people..." (9:7)
This is key to much of Leviticus, and to the ministry of the priesthood. Atonement. Sometimes understood as "at-one-ment". This will come up again for us. Just note for today that the priest needed atonement as well as the people. And God provides the way.
~~~~~~~~~
"Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God."
(Psalm 43:3)
We skipped chapters 2-7, which were descriptions of more sacrifices - Grain offerings, Peace offerings, Guilt offerings, Sin offerings, and how the priests were to offer them. Then as the priesthood is consecrated we hear of anointing oil, and water for washing, burnt offering, sin offering, a "wave offering", grain offering. A very detailed, complicated, liturgical process setting apart these men for their ministry.
"Draw near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people..." (9:7)
This is key to much of Leviticus, and to the ministry of the priesthood. Atonement. Sometimes understood as "at-one-ment". This will come up again for us. Just note for today that the priest needed atonement as well as the people. And God provides the way.
~~~~~~~~~
"Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God."
(Psalm 43:3)
20071023
more fragrance
Psalm 41; Leviticus 1
~~~~~~~
(from the Introduction to Leviticus - from the English Standard Version)
Leviticus begins with the people of Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai. The glory of the Lord had just filled the tabernacle and God now told Moses to instruct the Levitical priests and the people of Israel concerning sacrifices, offerings and worship, the ordination of Aaron and his sons, ceremonial cleanness, the Day of Atonement, feasts and holy days, and the Year of Jubilee. The central message is that God is holy and he requires his people to be holy. But the book also shows that God graciously provides atonement for sin through the shedding of blood. Most Jews and Christians recognize Moses as the author, writing sometime after the giving of the Law (about 1445 BC).
~~~~~~~~
While there was a section of laws in Exodus, as well as a lot of detail about building the tabernacle and all the accompanying furniture and vestments, it is still told as a story / narrative. Leviticus really does not have that feel about it. It is basically a book of laws and observances - and recorded as such.
In the midst of the first chapter, on laws on burnt offerings, we hear three times about the "offering with a pleasing aroma to the the LORD." When we are dedicated wholeheartedly to the Lord, when we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to him (Romans 12:1-2), "through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God..." (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).
At the heart of all true worship is sacrifice. Not that of bulls and goats and sheep and birds. Not of priests and blood and altars and fire. But like Mary (in John 12) as we offer him, in love and service, all that we are and all that we have, the fragrance fills the house and is a pleasing aroma to the Lord, and I think to all those around.
~~~~~~~
(from the Introduction to Leviticus - from the English Standard Version)
Leviticus begins with the people of Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai. The glory of the Lord had just filled the tabernacle and God now told Moses to instruct the Levitical priests and the people of Israel concerning sacrifices, offerings and worship, the ordination of Aaron and his sons, ceremonial cleanness, the Day of Atonement, feasts and holy days, and the Year of Jubilee. The central message is that God is holy and he requires his people to be holy. But the book also shows that God graciously provides atonement for sin through the shedding of blood. Most Jews and Christians recognize Moses as the author, writing sometime after the giving of the Law (about 1445 BC).
~~~~~~~~
While there was a section of laws in Exodus, as well as a lot of detail about building the tabernacle and all the accompanying furniture and vestments, it is still told as a story / narrative. Leviticus really does not have that feel about it. It is basically a book of laws and observances - and recorded as such.
In the midst of the first chapter, on laws on burnt offerings, we hear three times about the "offering with a pleasing aroma to the the LORD." When we are dedicated wholeheartedly to the Lord, when we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to him (Romans 12:1-2), "through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God..." (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).
At the heart of all true worship is sacrifice. Not that of bulls and goats and sheep and birds. Not of priests and blood and altars and fire. But like Mary (in John 12) as we offer him, in love and service, all that we are and all that we have, the fragrance fills the house and is a pleasing aroma to the Lord, and I think to all those around.
20071022
sights and sounds and smells
Community Bible Readings for Tuesday, Oct 23: Psalm 40, John 12
(I don't know how I missed John 11! No hidden meaning there... please feel free to read it :) )
Mary took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3)
What a beautiful picture of worship, of loving the Lord with all our hearts. St. Paul picks up on it in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.
For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,
to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.
In Psalm 40 David tells of God's deliverance, how God heard his cry, so he says over and over that he will tell of God's wondrous deeds. In other words, because God heard him and saved him, he will be sure that others will also hear (vs. 3,5,9,10,16).
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD.
(Psalm 40:3)
Yesterday we "saw" a cloud and fire and glory, today we hear a new song, and even smell the fragrance of the aroma of this sweet salvation.
Look, Listen, Breathe in deeply -
God's goodness and glory is all around!
Gather together and sing his praise and testify to his wondrous works - filled with the Spirit of God Love the Lord by loving your neighbor - and
display God's goodness and glory to all those around!
(I don't know how I missed John 11! No hidden meaning there... please feel free to read it :) )
Mary took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3)
What a beautiful picture of worship, of loving the Lord with all our hearts. St. Paul picks up on it in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.
For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,
to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.
In Psalm 40 David tells of God's deliverance, how God heard his cry, so he says over and over that he will tell of God's wondrous deeds. In other words, because God heard him and saved him, he will be sure that others will also hear (vs. 3,5,9,10,16).
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD.
(Psalm 40:3)
Yesterday we "saw" a cloud and fire and glory, today we hear a new song, and even smell the fragrance of the aroma of this sweet salvation.
Look, Listen, Breathe in deeply -
God's goodness and glory is all around!
Gather together and sing his praise and testify to his wondrous works - filled with the Spirit of God Love the Lord by loving your neighbor - and
display God's goodness and glory to all those around!
The cloud of the LORD
Bible Readings for Monday, October 22: Psalm 39, Exodus 40
Exodus 40
This image of "the cloud of the LORD" (v. 38) has been a recurring theme in Exodus. It occurs in each of what I would call the three sections of the book:
- Redemption, the exodus ("the way out") itself (ch 1-18);
- The giving of the "words" (or the law or the Torah) (19-24);
- The provision of the "dwelling place" or worship (25-40).
1) We first hear of it in chapter 13:21 - "And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way..." The pillar of cloud appears again in chapter 14 protecting them from the Egyptians.
2) Then the cloud appears in chapter 19 as God prepares the people for the revelation of the law (v. 9) - "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.'" (cf. v. 16). Then again at the end of chapter 24 after the giving of the law, Moses goes up the mountain and the could covered the mountain.
"The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the could covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty day and forty nights." (vs. 16-18)
3) And then again, when Moses' work is finished and the "tent of meeting" or the tabernacle (the "mishkan") was all set up, the cloud of the LORD settled on it and the glory of the LORD filled it. The idea of "shekhinah" is connected to the cloud and the fire and the glory. Notice that shekhinah and mishkan sound similar. They are both from the Hebrew root word "sh.k.n." which means dwelling or abode. In its basic verb form it means "to settle down, abide, dwell." And thus the "mishkan" (tabernacle) is the "dwelling place." (cf. Ephesians 2:22; Luke 1:35; Matthew 17:1-8; 2 Peter 1:16-18)
Cloud, fire, glory.
Leading, protecting, revealing.
Dwelling, abiding.
Presence.
Come Holy Spirit.
Exodus 40
This image of "the cloud of the LORD" (v. 38) has been a recurring theme in Exodus. It occurs in each of what I would call the three sections of the book:
- Redemption, the exodus ("the way out") itself (ch 1-18);
- The giving of the "words" (or the law or the Torah) (19-24);
- The provision of the "dwelling place" or worship (25-40).
1) We first hear of it in chapter 13:21 - "And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way..." The pillar of cloud appears again in chapter 14 protecting them from the Egyptians.
2) Then the cloud appears in chapter 19 as God prepares the people for the revelation of the law (v. 9) - "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.'" (cf. v. 16). Then again at the end of chapter 24 after the giving of the law, Moses goes up the mountain and the could covered the mountain.
"The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the could covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty day and forty nights." (vs. 16-18)
3) And then again, when Moses' work is finished and the "tent of meeting" or the tabernacle (the "mishkan") was all set up, the cloud of the LORD settled on it and the glory of the LORD filled it. The idea of "shekhinah" is connected to the cloud and the fire and the glory. Notice that shekhinah and mishkan sound similar. They are both from the Hebrew root word "sh.k.n." which means dwelling or abode. In its basic verb form it means "to settle down, abide, dwell." And thus the "mishkan" (tabernacle) is the "dwelling place." (cf. Ephesians 2:22; Luke 1:35; Matthew 17:1-8; 2 Peter 1:16-18)
Cloud, fire, glory.
Leading, protecting, revealing.
Dwelling, abiding.
Presence.
Come Holy Spirit.
20071020
stirred hearts move people
"Everyone whose heart stirred him..."
Exodus 35:21,26,29; 36:2
How were their hearts stirred? The text doesn't say specifically. They were stirred to participate in building this sanctuary that God might dwell in their midst. As the vision is shared, the revelation revealed to them, they were moved within to participate, to be a part of bringing about was God calling them to form that he might manifest his presence among them.
It does connect the stirring with Bezalel's being filled with the Spirit, and with the contributions, and with the people's skills and abilities. When we hear and see what God is doing our hearts line up with and move toward it, in fact it is his Spirit stirring in our hearts to participate, to contribute, to create and build.
God's Restoration Project at COTA is about a beautiful piece of land; it is about contributions and participation and creating and building buildings that will give places for the church to gather. It is about God's design and desire to dwell in our midst. To be "God with us" for the world around us.
Each one of us is a moveable tabernacle, as is the whole group together. God's presence is both within us and leading us onward with him. "And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution..." (35:21) God stirs our hearts all the time, in order that we will move with him. Stirred hearts are to move more than the heart or the spirit, but the whole person and the whole assembly.
Exodus 35:21,26,29; 36:2
How were their hearts stirred? The text doesn't say specifically. They were stirred to participate in building this sanctuary that God might dwell in their midst. As the vision is shared, the revelation revealed to them, they were moved within to participate, to be a part of bringing about was God calling them to form that he might manifest his presence among them.
It does connect the stirring with Bezalel's being filled with the Spirit, and with the contributions, and with the people's skills and abilities. When we hear and see what God is doing our hearts line up with and move toward it, in fact it is his Spirit stirring in our hearts to participate, to contribute, to create and build.
God's Restoration Project at COTA is about a beautiful piece of land; it is about contributions and participation and creating and building buildings that will give places for the church to gather. It is about God's design and desire to dwell in our midst. To be "God with us" for the world around us.
Each one of us is a moveable tabernacle, as is the whole group together. God's presence is both within us and leading us onward with him. "And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution..." (35:21) God stirs our hearts all the time, in order that we will move with him. Stirred hearts are to move more than the heart or the spirit, but the whole person and the whole assembly.
God with us
"If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?" (Exodus 33:15-16)
This theme of God "with us", God in our midst (Exodus 25:8), is part of what Matthew is drawing on in his account of Jesus the Messiah as the one who is God in our midst (18:20) and "God with us" (1:23; 28:20) as the distinguishing mark of God's people from every other people on the face of the earth.
However, when the blessing of "God with us" becomes drawing lines and saying "who is on the Lord's side? Come to me" (Ex. 32:26-28), a very serious problem is exposed. God's presence, which actually at that point was not with them (eg. 33:3), became some kind of commodity ("we have God with us and he's against you") to determine who was in and who was out so that violence could be justified in the name of God.
The little parenthetical comment in 32:25 is interesting: "And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies)." Breaking loose? And what enemies? Where is this comment coming from? I suspect it's a reflection (perhaps written back into the text from a later time) that even those who were outside of or against Israel recognized that Yahweh was not in their midst, that they had broken loose from serving him, obeying and honoring him.
We see clearly in Jesus that "God with us" is no justification for violence, or even self-righteously boasting that we are on the Lord's side and those "sinners" are not. Rather it is the occasion to pray for and bless those outside of us or against us. On the one hand, none of us is on the Lord's side - we have all sinned and fashioned idols of our design. And on the other hand, in humility and brokenness and repentance we do find "God with us" in our midst drawing those who are far off or separated being drawn near to healing and grace and truth.
May God have mercy on us, that we would not grieve his Spirit in and among us; that we would live according to the pattern he has revealed, using the resources he has supplied, according to the skills and abilities he has given, and in the power of hearts stirred by his Spirit.
This theme of God "with us", God in our midst (Exodus 25:8), is part of what Matthew is drawing on in his account of Jesus the Messiah as the one who is God in our midst (18:20) and "God with us" (1:23; 28:20) as the distinguishing mark of God's people from every other people on the face of the earth.
However, when the blessing of "God with us" becomes drawing lines and saying "who is on the Lord's side? Come to me" (Ex. 32:26-28), a very serious problem is exposed. God's presence, which actually at that point was not with them (eg. 33:3), became some kind of commodity ("we have God with us and he's against you") to determine who was in and who was out so that violence could be justified in the name of God.
The little parenthetical comment in 32:25 is interesting: "And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies)." Breaking loose? And what enemies? Where is this comment coming from? I suspect it's a reflection (perhaps written back into the text from a later time) that even those who were outside of or against Israel recognized that Yahweh was not in their midst, that they had broken loose from serving him, obeying and honoring him.
We see clearly in Jesus that "God with us" is no justification for violence, or even self-righteously boasting that we are on the Lord's side and those "sinners" are not. Rather it is the occasion to pray for and bless those outside of us or against us. On the one hand, none of us is on the Lord's side - we have all sinned and fashioned idols of our design. And on the other hand, in humility and brokenness and repentance we do find "God with us" in our midst drawing those who are far off or separated being drawn near to healing and grace and truth.
May God have mercy on us, that we would not grieve his Spirit in and among us; that we would live according to the pattern he has revealed, using the resources he has supplied, according to the skills and abilities he has given, and in the power of hearts stirred by his Spirit.
20071019
of golden calves and broken commandments
Exodus 32
What a disturbing passage. First, Aaron just readily complies with the people's rebellion. Then the rebellion is described in v. 6 as "the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play". God determines to destroy the people, but Moses intercedes for the people - pleading the covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob (well done Moses). And the LORD relented. Then Moses' anger burned hot and he breaks the tablets of God's commandments. Aaron responds stupidly to Moses' burning anger, saying that he threw the gold that the people gave him "into the fire, and out came this calf." Finally, Moses not only grinds up the calf, mixes it with water and makes the people drink it, but he calls people the "the LORD's side" and then has them slaughter their fellow Israelites.
Moses says that the Levites, of which tribe he and Aaron belonged, were ordained to their ministry because of they sided with the Lord and killed their brothers, companions, and neighbors... However, the text says that they did "according to the word of Moses" - not the word of the Lord.
I'm not convinced that Moses is acting on behalf of the Lord in this passage, or according to the word of the Lord. This action is attributed to Moses' burning anger and not to the direction of God. The text is silent about it. Though, of course, the Bible is not silent about the wicked rebellion of the people (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:7-8).
The chapter ends with this note: "Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made." My sense (and my hope) is that God had this situation under control, and that he did not ordain that they break a commandment from the second tablet (do not murder) to deal with a broken commandment from the first tablet (no graven images). While God did give laws that called for the death penalty, the mob nature and the motivating anger in this event does not sit well with me and leads me to see this event more as murder than any kind of just implementation of divine law... a group of priests acting stupidly in their anger (always a bad thing).
Lessons to learn today??
- Be angry, but do not sin...
- Remember that vengence is the Lord's...
- Don't go along with the crowd...
- Don't act like an idiot
And, seriously,
- Wait for the Lord, and love him alone with all your heart. And when you think you can't, look to the One who was put to death by this very priestly line as a sacrifice to put away the wrath of God because of our idolatry and sin.
What a disturbing passage. First, Aaron just readily complies with the people's rebellion. Then the rebellion is described in v. 6 as "the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play". God determines to destroy the people, but Moses intercedes for the people - pleading the covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob (well done Moses). And the LORD relented. Then Moses' anger burned hot and he breaks the tablets of God's commandments. Aaron responds stupidly to Moses' burning anger, saying that he threw the gold that the people gave him "into the fire, and out came this calf." Finally, Moses not only grinds up the calf, mixes it with water and makes the people drink it, but he calls people the "the LORD's side" and then has them slaughter their fellow Israelites.
Moses says that the Levites, of which tribe he and Aaron belonged, were ordained to their ministry because of they sided with the Lord and killed their brothers, companions, and neighbors... However, the text says that they did "according to the word of Moses" - not the word of the Lord.
I'm not convinced that Moses is acting on behalf of the Lord in this passage, or according to the word of the Lord. This action is attributed to Moses' burning anger and not to the direction of God. The text is silent about it. Though, of course, the Bible is not silent about the wicked rebellion of the people (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:7-8).
The chapter ends with this note: "Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made." My sense (and my hope) is that God had this situation under control, and that he did not ordain that they break a commandment from the second tablet (do not murder) to deal with a broken commandment from the first tablet (no graven images). While God did give laws that called for the death penalty, the mob nature and the motivating anger in this event does not sit well with me and leads me to see this event more as murder than any kind of just implementation of divine law... a group of priests acting stupidly in their anger (always a bad thing).
Lessons to learn today??
- Be angry, but do not sin...
- Remember that vengence is the Lord's...
- Don't go along with the crowd...
- Don't act like an idiot
And, seriously,
- Wait for the Lord, and love him alone with all your heart. And when you think you can't, look to the One who was put to death by this very priestly line as a sacrifice to put away the wrath of God because of our idolatry and sin.
Sabbath
More on Exodus 31
Secondly, we have a reiteration of the Sabbath command:
"Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you thorughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you." (v. 13)
Abraham Joshua Heschel has called the Sabbath a "sanctuary in time" (in "The Sabbath" - great book!). It is for the Jewish people a sign that they are his people, and a time to be his people - to remember who they are and whose they are, the work of God's hands and the object of his choice, delight, and redeeming.
The Sabbath is the only command of the 10 Commandments that is not reiterated in the New Covenant that Gentile Christians. are to observe. However, while not a moral command we are conform our behavior to (such as not committing adultery, stealing, or murdering) - it is an invitation that is rooted in the creation account itself, long before there was a called out people of Israel. The seventh day is the first thing God ever sanctified. This one day in seven is the first thing God set apart to be holy, and he set the example by resting that day. (It is also a scientific fact that human beings function best by resting one day in seven...)
I would simply appeal to the busy people of Church of the Apostles to somehow find a way to observe the principle of the Sabbath. Find a way to set substantial time aside each week for God, for re-creation - beyond coming to church. This is just as important for young, busy families as it is for anyone else. It does require thoughtfulness, and preparation. Mark it with special things: special foods, activities, and prayers. I know very well that participating in "select" soccer, for example, can seem to make it impossible to "observe the Sabbath." But I think we can find ways of engaging the world around us while not being conformed to it. The poignancy of Eric Liddell's decision not to run in the 1924 Olympics brings the cost of discipleship into sharp focus.
While I'm not saying we should have as strict a Sabbath observance as Liddell's Presbyterianism called for (the whole discussion of 1st Day or 7th Day is also then raised...), I am saying that the Restoration and Formation in Christ that we believe God has called us to does involve this invitation to the "principle" of Sabbath rest - or the Stewardship of time - and therefore each of us really ought to think and pray it through for ourselves and our families.
Secondly, we have a reiteration of the Sabbath command:
"Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you thorughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you." (v. 13)
Abraham Joshua Heschel has called the Sabbath a "sanctuary in time" (in "The Sabbath" - great book!). It is for the Jewish people a sign that they are his people, and a time to be his people - to remember who they are and whose they are, the work of God's hands and the object of his choice, delight, and redeeming.
The Sabbath is the only command of the 10 Commandments that is not reiterated in the New Covenant that Gentile Christians. are to observe. However, while not a moral command we are conform our behavior to (such as not committing adultery, stealing, or murdering) - it is an invitation that is rooted in the creation account itself, long before there was a called out people of Israel. The seventh day is the first thing God ever sanctified. This one day in seven is the first thing God set apart to be holy, and he set the example by resting that day. (It is also a scientific fact that human beings function best by resting one day in seven...)
I would simply appeal to the busy people of Church of the Apostles to somehow find a way to observe the principle of the Sabbath. Find a way to set substantial time aside each week for God, for re-creation - beyond coming to church. This is just as important for young, busy families as it is for anyone else. It does require thoughtfulness, and preparation. Mark it with special things: special foods, activities, and prayers. I know very well that participating in "select" soccer, for example, can seem to make it impossible to "observe the Sabbath." But I think we can find ways of engaging the world around us while not being conformed to it. The poignancy of Eric Liddell's decision not to run in the 1924 Olympics brings the cost of discipleship into sharp focus.
While I'm not saying we should have as strict a Sabbath observance as Liddell's Presbyterianism called for (the whole discussion of 1st Day or 7th Day is also then raised...), I am saying that the Restoration and Formation in Christ that we believe God has called us to does involve this invitation to the "principle" of Sabbath rest - or the Stewardship of time - and therefore each of us really ought to think and pray it through for ourselves and our families.
The Spirit and God's work
Exodus 31
"The Lord said to Moses, (2) See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, (3) and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, (4) to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, (5) in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft."
Here is Bezalel, filled with the Spirit of God for the construction of the tabernacle. God had said, "Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell in the midst of them." (Exodus 25:8) All the materials for this dwelling place were to come from the people, as their hearts moved them. But the pattern for it and the power to accomplish it came from God.
God says continues to say, "And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you..." (v. 6). So it's not just to Bezalel, but God gives to each one what is necessary to accomplish the good work he's prepared beforehand for us to do.
God's desire is to dwell in our midst. This is what this whole Restoration Project is all about. And each one of us has something to bring, and each one has been given the ability to participate effectually in the process of building up the dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22), which is the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16; 1 Corinthians 12:4-14).
"The Lord said to Moses, (2) See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, (3) and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, (4) to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, (5) in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft."
Here is Bezalel, filled with the Spirit of God for the construction of the tabernacle. God had said, "Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell in the midst of them." (Exodus 25:8) All the materials for this dwelling place were to come from the people, as their hearts moved them. But the pattern for it and the power to accomplish it came from God.
God says continues to say, "And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you..." (v. 6). So it's not just to Bezalel, but God gives to each one what is necessary to accomplish the good work he's prepared beforehand for us to do.
God's desire is to dwell in our midst. This is what this whole Restoration Project is all about. And each one of us has something to bring, and each one has been given the ability to participate effectually in the process of building up the dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22), which is the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16; 1 Corinthians 12:4-14).
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