Showing posts with label God's sovereignty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's sovereignty. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
The Old Testament Book of Daniel, Part 18
I got off to a skittish start on this one, late getting to my computer after running an errand following tonight's midweek Advent Vespers worship and subsequent kindness outreach. But I think I clarified things along the way.
Chapter 8 of Daniel, which this study examines, is often overlooked. It deserves our attention as it assures us that God is acting even in the most trying circumstances of life and history to give life and forgiveness to all who trust in Him!
Tuesday, November 01, 2022
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Monday, January 20, 2014
Read the Bible in a Year (Days 12-15)
Genesis 34-45
Psalms 12-15
1. Genesis 37-50 recount the history of Joseph and Israel's migration to Egypt. The story of Joseph, next to youngest son of the third great patriarch, Jacob, is among the most poignant and important in Scripture. Not only does it explain how God's people came to live in Egypt--where they would ultimately live in slavery for 430 years, the personal story of Joseph tells us about how God can be faithfully working in the adversities and seemingly purposeless circumstances of faithful people.
2. Genesis 37: This, of course, isn't the first instance of sibling rivalry to show itself in Genesis. Because Cain resented that the offering of his brother Abel was more pleasing to God than his own, Cain killed Abel. Jacob and Esau had titanic sibling struggles. Here, Jacob's preference for Joseph breeds resentment from his older brothers.
The first commandment of the second table of the Ten Commandments (the fourth commandment, "You shall honor your father and mother") shows the important role God assigns to the family. Mothers and fathers and their families are the core building units of human existence. But the condition of sin burdens families, resulting in alienation and sinful actions.
Parents need to work hard to help their children know and submit to Christ, the One Who works reconciliation between God and humanity and among people. Martin Luther said that the family was to be a "little church."
2. Genesis 39: Wherever Joseph went, his special gifts--administration and dreams--brought him, at least at times, special notice and favor. He became the overseer of Potiphar's properties in Egypt. Here though, Joseph becomes the victim of false accusations and ends up in prison.
Later, as we'll see, Joseph will see this horrible experience as part of God's overall plan for his life. I myself often wonder when I go through far less horrible situations than the one Joseph faced, what God is up to. What good is there in it?
Some situations in our fallen and imperfect world are, of course, senseless, the result only of human beings given over to depravity doing horrible things to others. The hand of God can't be seen in things like the Holocaust or in the abuse of children, women, or the elderly--except in the faith-filled and noble ways the victims behave.
But, there are times when God allows us to endure harsh circumstances for His purposes. Joseph will affirm this later in Genesis.
On other occasions, God may use such circumstances to deepen our faith and character. Hebrews 12:4-11, has these difficult words:
I don't think it's a stretch to say that Joseph was sustained by his faith in God. When Potiphar's wife had pressed Joseph to have sex with him, Joseph asked, "How...could I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9) This, from a man who had already been exiled from God's people--His family, a people for whom their relationship with God was so important they were willing to sell their own brother into slaver, even consider murdering Joseph. But Joseph held tightly to God!
Besides, Joseph the dreamer and interpreter of dreams understood that, for him anyway, dreams spoke powerfully of God's will and that the dreams he had when he was young pointed to a purpose and a goal beyond the horrors he endured in the days leading to their fulfillment. Joseph had learned from God at an early age that he was to become a ruler (Genesis 37:5-11). Later, after all that had come to pass, Joseph indicated his belief that the years of his suffering had been for a purpose. He told his brothers, fearful that after Jacob's death, their powerful brother would now get revenge on them for selling him into slavery, "Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good...." (Genesis 50:20).
Joseph would fully understood the words of Saint Paul written nineteen centuries later: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). Joseph trusted God and that pulled him through.
4. As to his dreams, it's important to remember that Joseph had faith in God, not in his dreams. They were simply signs he had learned could point to God.
Not every dream does that, of course.
And not every person is granted the spiritual gift of understanding and interpreting dreams that Joseph possessed.
But it is very true, I think, that God is reaching out to us and communicating to all of us far more often than we realize. When we cultivate a close relationship with God, there is no limit to the ways in which He might communicate with us. But always keep in mind that God will never communicate anything to us that is inconsistent with what He has revealed of His will and His character in the Old and New Testaments.
There's a book I'd like to recommend to you along these lines: Dreams: A Way to Listen to God by Morton Kelsey. I don't agree with everything Kelsey asserts. But this is really good.
Psalms 12-15
1. Genesis 37-50 recount the history of Joseph and Israel's migration to Egypt. The story of Joseph, next to youngest son of the third great patriarch, Jacob, is among the most poignant and important in Scripture. Not only does it explain how God's people came to live in Egypt--where they would ultimately live in slavery for 430 years, the personal story of Joseph tells us about how God can be faithfully working in the adversities and seemingly purposeless circumstances of faithful people.
2. Genesis 37: This, of course, isn't the first instance of sibling rivalry to show itself in Genesis. Because Cain resented that the offering of his brother Abel was more pleasing to God than his own, Cain killed Abel. Jacob and Esau had titanic sibling struggles. Here, Jacob's preference for Joseph breeds resentment from his older brothers.
The first commandment of the second table of the Ten Commandments (the fourth commandment, "You shall honor your father and mother") shows the important role God assigns to the family. Mothers and fathers and their families are the core building units of human existence. But the condition of sin burdens families, resulting in alienation and sinful actions.
Parents need to work hard to help their children know and submit to Christ, the One Who works reconciliation between God and humanity and among people. Martin Luther said that the family was to be a "little church."
2. Genesis 39: Wherever Joseph went, his special gifts--administration and dreams--brought him, at least at times, special notice and favor. He became the overseer of Potiphar's properties in Egypt. Here though, Joseph becomes the victim of false accusations and ends up in prison.
Later, as we'll see, Joseph will see this horrible experience as part of God's overall plan for his life. I myself often wonder when I go through far less horrible situations than the one Joseph faced, what God is up to. What good is there in it?
Some situations in our fallen and imperfect world are, of course, senseless, the result only of human beings given over to depravity doing horrible things to others. The hand of God can't be seen in things like the Holocaust or in the abuse of children, women, or the elderly--except in the faith-filled and noble ways the victims behave.
But, there are times when God allows us to endure harsh circumstances for His purposes. Joseph will affirm this later in Genesis.
On other occasions, God may use such circumstances to deepen our faith and character. Hebrews 12:4-11, has these difficult words:
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as children? It says, "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined--and everyone undergoes discipline--then you are not legitimate children at all. Moreover, we have all had parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! Our parents disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.3. Genesis 40: How did Joseph keep from becoming bitter? The cup-bearer got his freedom and went on with his life, forgetting how Joseph had interpreted his dream and given him hope, not to mention strong reason to believe in the God of Israel.
I don't think it's a stretch to say that Joseph was sustained by his faith in God. When Potiphar's wife had pressed Joseph to have sex with him, Joseph asked, "How...could I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9) This, from a man who had already been exiled from God's people--His family, a people for whom their relationship with God was so important they were willing to sell their own brother into slaver, even consider murdering Joseph. But Joseph held tightly to God!
Besides, Joseph the dreamer and interpreter of dreams understood that, for him anyway, dreams spoke powerfully of God's will and that the dreams he had when he was young pointed to a purpose and a goal beyond the horrors he endured in the days leading to their fulfillment. Joseph had learned from God at an early age that he was to become a ruler (Genesis 37:5-11). Later, after all that had come to pass, Joseph indicated his belief that the years of his suffering had been for a purpose. He told his brothers, fearful that after Jacob's death, their powerful brother would now get revenge on them for selling him into slavery, "Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good...." (Genesis 50:20).
Joseph would fully understood the words of Saint Paul written nineteen centuries later: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). Joseph trusted God and that pulled him through.
4. As to his dreams, it's important to remember that Joseph had faith in God, not in his dreams. They were simply signs he had learned could point to God.
Not every dream does that, of course.
And not every person is granted the spiritual gift of understanding and interpreting dreams that Joseph possessed.
But it is very true, I think, that God is reaching out to us and communicating to all of us far more often than we realize. When we cultivate a close relationship with God, there is no limit to the ways in which He might communicate with us. But always keep in mind that God will never communicate anything to us that is inconsistent with what He has revealed of His will and His character in the Old and New Testaments.
There's a book I'd like to recommend to you along these lines: Dreams: A Way to Listen to God by Morton Kelsey. I don't agree with everything Kelsey asserts. But this is really good.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Read the Bible in a Year (Days 4-11)
Genesis 10-33 (January 10-17)
Psalms 4-11
1. Genesis 11 tells the story of the tower of Babel. This is a tale of the hubris and pretense of human self-sufficiency that results from sin. As was true of Adam and Eve when they were banished from the garden in which they could eat the fruit from the tree of life, God's dispersal of the builders of the tower is an act of grace. When we human beings get our ways in acting like God, our souls are endangered and the happiness of those who become our victims is harmed.
2. Genesis 12 begins the narrative of Israel's patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
After the disasters of Eden, the flood, and Babel, Abraham and the patriarchs represent a fresh start for the world. As Jesus pointed out to the Samaritan woman at the well, salvation is from the Jews. The Jews--Israel, Hebrews--were called to be God's people and, in the course of time, become the nursery into which the Savior of the world, Jesus was to be born.
3. The patriarchs obviously weren't chosen by God for His purposes for their virtue, strength, or power, but solely by virtue of God's grace. Abraham's trust in God brings him righteousness (Genesis 15:6). This has always been God's MO. God ultimately revealed Himself to all the world in Christ. All who believe in Him, God in the flesh, have forgiven sin, reconciliation with God, and eternal life with God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast."
4. Genesis 18 begins with the narrative of God's visit to Abraham and Sarah. Saint Augustine believed that the three persons who visited them were the one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Buttressing this notion is the Old Testament's tendency to speak of the "angel of the Lord" (literally messenger of the Lord) in ways that seem to make God Himself the messenger. In any case, it is clear that Abraham is visited by God.
5. It's this incident in Genesis 18, that gives rises to the words of the preacher in the New Testament book of Hebrews: "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2) And Jesus says in Matthew 25:31-46, that when we serve the "least" of the world, we really are serving Him. In the great commandment, Jesus says that loving others is on a par with loving God Himself. So, when we show hospitality, as Abraham did to the three strangers to his tent, he was welcoming God...and would have been even if none of the strangers was God.
This is how invested God is in every human life. However marred by sin, every human being bears the image of God.
What if we took this attitude toward every person we encountered?
What if our churches displayed this attitude of reverence and welcome for every person--those known to us and those not known--who worshiped with us on Sundays?
What if Christians took this attitude? How many more people would be open to receiving the good news of new and eternal life for all who turn from sin and trust in Christ if this was our attitude?
6. At the end of Genesis 18, God prevails upon God, ultimately for the sake of just 10 righteous people who might be found in Sodom, to spare the city. God delights in co-conspiring with those who, with faith and helplessness, prevail upon his mercy in prayer. But God will not go where God is uninvited. The real tragedy of Sodom may be that Abraham was so limited in his praying. What might have happened had he prayed that God simply spare Sodom and help the people repent for sin and trust in God's grace? We'll never know.
Never be afraid to ask God for the whole enchilada. He may say no, maybe, wait, or yes. Those answers are within His power. But never be fearful about approaching God with what may seem like big prayers.
7. In Genesis 20, Abraham repeats the same sin he committed earlier, lying, telling people that Sarah was his wife in order to save his skin. For me, this is a great comfort. Abraham exhibits here what some people call an "abiding sin," a sin to which we may be particularly prone.
We're all sinners and prone to sin as a result. But for us as individuals, there seem to be sins to which we're especially prone, ones we find especially enticing. Abraham's lack of trust in God drove him to this sin of lying to men of power and throwing his wife under the bus, so to speak. Yet, Abraham appears to have continued in the general direction of following God.
We all sin. But if we will keep following Jesus, living in what Luther called "daily repentance and renewal," the direction of our lives will remain firm. God will forgive our sins for the sake of Jesus' self-sacrifice on the cross and send His Spirit to help us resist committing the same sins repeatedly.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, in the New Testament: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." That's a great promise!
And another great promise is found 1 John 2:1. There, John is encouraging believers to avoid sinning against God or others. Then he writes: "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One."
8. Genesis 20: God strictly forbids child sacrifice. This makes God's command of Abraham to sacrifice Isaac almost incomprehensible. But one of the lessons this strange and disturbing incident seems to convey is that the promise of God doesn't depend on human beings; God is the provider. And, in the end of course, God provides Abraham with a ram to sacrifice in his son's place.
(Centuries later, God would disdain the sacrifice of unblemished lambs for His people's sins, offered annually. Instead, He would offer His own Son to pay the price for our sins forever, so that all who turn from sin and trust in Christ, have forgiveness and everlasting life.)
For more, you might want to read this, Does God Punish Parents Through the Suffering of Their Children? NO!
9. Genesis 24: The narrative of Isaac's marriage to Rebekah is one of pure romantic delight. In that era of arranged marriages, here were two people who fell in love despite the context.
10. Genesis 25-27: Despite the love that Isaac and Rebekah shared, their household was less than functional. Mom favored Jacob. Dad favored Esau. In the midst of these negative family dynamics, God was still working. God was still gracing this family. And God still intended that this line, centuries later, would be the family into which the Savior Jesus would be born.
Your family may not be perfect. (No such animal exists.) But God can still bless and use you and your family.
11. Genesis 27: Blessings had meaning to the ancient Israelites. And we must acknowledge to this day, that words have power.
12. Genesis 28-31: Jacob gets a few comeuppances in these chapters. First, he becomes a fugitive from his brother, Esau, after he had cheated Esau. Second, Laban, even more of a schemer than Jacob, tricks him into long years of labor so that Jacob can finally have Rachel as his wife. (Poor Leah!)
13. Genesis 32: Jacob wrestles with God. Jacob seeks a blessing from God. God does bless Jacob, but at the cost of a lifelong limp. The limp would serve as a lifelong reminder to Jacob of his vulnerability.
God blesses those vulnerable enough to admit their need of God. But if they're fortunate, God will leave a mark vulnerability on their lives so that they never forget Who is in control or the grace He bears on those who are faithfully dependent on Him.
14. Genesis 33: Jacob's worries about his brother prove ill-founded. Worry about the futures we can't control is endemic to humanity, an outgrowth of of our desire to be in control, to "be like God." But worry does little for us and it gets in the way of faith. (I am an experienced worrier, by the way!)
You might want to check out this post, DO NOT WORRY!
Psalms 4-11
1. Genesis 11 tells the story of the tower of Babel. This is a tale of the hubris and pretense of human self-sufficiency that results from sin. As was true of Adam and Eve when they were banished from the garden in which they could eat the fruit from the tree of life, God's dispersal of the builders of the tower is an act of grace. When we human beings get our ways in acting like God, our souls are endangered and the happiness of those who become our victims is harmed.
2. Genesis 12 begins the narrative of Israel's patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
After the disasters of Eden, the flood, and Babel, Abraham and the patriarchs represent a fresh start for the world. As Jesus pointed out to the Samaritan woman at the well, salvation is from the Jews. The Jews--Israel, Hebrews--were called to be God's people and, in the course of time, become the nursery into which the Savior of the world, Jesus was to be born.
3. The patriarchs obviously weren't chosen by God for His purposes for their virtue, strength, or power, but solely by virtue of God's grace. Abraham's trust in God brings him righteousness (Genesis 15:6). This has always been God's MO. God ultimately revealed Himself to all the world in Christ. All who believe in Him, God in the flesh, have forgiven sin, reconciliation with God, and eternal life with God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast."
4. Genesis 18 begins with the narrative of God's visit to Abraham and Sarah. Saint Augustine believed that the three persons who visited them were the one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Buttressing this notion is the Old Testament's tendency to speak of the "angel of the Lord" (literally messenger of the Lord) in ways that seem to make God Himself the messenger. In any case, it is clear that Abraham is visited by God.
5. It's this incident in Genesis 18, that gives rises to the words of the preacher in the New Testament book of Hebrews: "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2) And Jesus says in Matthew 25:31-46, that when we serve the "least" of the world, we really are serving Him. In the great commandment, Jesus says that loving others is on a par with loving God Himself. So, when we show hospitality, as Abraham did to the three strangers to his tent, he was welcoming God...and would have been even if none of the strangers was God.
This is how invested God is in every human life. However marred by sin, every human being bears the image of God.
What if we took this attitude toward every person we encountered?
What if our churches displayed this attitude of reverence and welcome for every person--those known to us and those not known--who worshiped with us on Sundays?
What if Christians took this attitude? How many more people would be open to receiving the good news of new and eternal life for all who turn from sin and trust in Christ if this was our attitude?
6. At the end of Genesis 18, God prevails upon God, ultimately for the sake of just 10 righteous people who might be found in Sodom, to spare the city. God delights in co-conspiring with those who, with faith and helplessness, prevail upon his mercy in prayer. But God will not go where God is uninvited. The real tragedy of Sodom may be that Abraham was so limited in his praying. What might have happened had he prayed that God simply spare Sodom and help the people repent for sin and trust in God's grace? We'll never know.
Never be afraid to ask God for the whole enchilada. He may say no, maybe, wait, or yes. Those answers are within His power. But never be fearful about approaching God with what may seem like big prayers.
7. In Genesis 20, Abraham repeats the same sin he committed earlier, lying, telling people that Sarah was his wife in order to save his skin. For me, this is a great comfort. Abraham exhibits here what some people call an "abiding sin," a sin to which we may be particularly prone.
We're all sinners and prone to sin as a result. But for us as individuals, there seem to be sins to which we're especially prone, ones we find especially enticing. Abraham's lack of trust in God drove him to this sin of lying to men of power and throwing his wife under the bus, so to speak. Yet, Abraham appears to have continued in the general direction of following God.
We all sin. But if we will keep following Jesus, living in what Luther called "daily repentance and renewal," the direction of our lives will remain firm. God will forgive our sins for the sake of Jesus' self-sacrifice on the cross and send His Spirit to help us resist committing the same sins repeatedly.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, in the New Testament: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." That's a great promise!
And another great promise is found 1 John 2:1. There, John is encouraging believers to avoid sinning against God or others. Then he writes: "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One."
8. Genesis 20: God strictly forbids child sacrifice. This makes God's command of Abraham to sacrifice Isaac almost incomprehensible. But one of the lessons this strange and disturbing incident seems to convey is that the promise of God doesn't depend on human beings; God is the provider. And, in the end of course, God provides Abraham with a ram to sacrifice in his son's place.
(Centuries later, God would disdain the sacrifice of unblemished lambs for His people's sins, offered annually. Instead, He would offer His own Son to pay the price for our sins forever, so that all who turn from sin and trust in Christ, have forgiveness and everlasting life.)
For more, you might want to read this, Does God Punish Parents Through the Suffering of Their Children? NO!
9. Genesis 24: The narrative of Isaac's marriage to Rebekah is one of pure romantic delight. In that era of arranged marriages, here were two people who fell in love despite the context.
10. Genesis 25-27: Despite the love that Isaac and Rebekah shared, their household was less than functional. Mom favored Jacob. Dad favored Esau. In the midst of these negative family dynamics, God was still working. God was still gracing this family. And God still intended that this line, centuries later, would be the family into which the Savior Jesus would be born.
Your family may not be perfect. (No such animal exists.) But God can still bless and use you and your family.
11. Genesis 27: Blessings had meaning to the ancient Israelites. And we must acknowledge to this day, that words have power.
12. Genesis 28-31: Jacob gets a few comeuppances in these chapters. First, he becomes a fugitive from his brother, Esau, after he had cheated Esau. Second, Laban, even more of a schemer than Jacob, tricks him into long years of labor so that Jacob can finally have Rachel as his wife. (Poor Leah!)
13. Genesis 32: Jacob wrestles with God. Jacob seeks a blessing from God. God does bless Jacob, but at the cost of a lifelong limp. The limp would serve as a lifelong reminder to Jacob of his vulnerability.
God blesses those vulnerable enough to admit their need of God. But if they're fortunate, God will leave a mark vulnerability on their lives so that they never forget Who is in control or the grace He bears on those who are faithfully dependent on Him.
14. Genesis 33: Jacob's worries about his brother prove ill-founded. Worry about the futures we can't control is endemic to humanity, an outgrowth of of our desire to be in control, to "be like God." But worry does little for us and it gets in the way of faith. (I am an experienced worrier, by the way!)
You might want to check out this post, DO NOT WORRY!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
"Moving Past Sinful Failure"
That's the title of today's piece at Our Daily Bread.
When we genuinely pray for forgiveness of sin, we place ourselves under the authority of God, what some rightly call the sovereignty of God. Any time we repent for sin, we also implicitly place our lives in the hands of God.
David accepted God's forgiveness...and God's sovereignty.
God teach me to do no less.
When we genuinely pray for forgiveness of sin, we place ourselves under the authority of God, what some rightly call the sovereignty of God. Any time we repent for sin, we also implicitly place our lives in the hands of God.
David accepted God's forgiveness...and God's sovereignty.
God teach me to do no less.
Friday, November 05, 2010
Patience, Tension, and Openness to What God Will Do
Those are components in faith, as explained in the book, Grace and Faith in the Old Testament, by one of my seminary professors, Ron Hals:
The sovereign freedom inherent in the Lord's grace always means that his people are called to a faith that allows the future to remain in God's hands. That automatically means patience and tension are a built-in part of what faith involves, but it also means an openness to God's next act in history.
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