In the last two posts I began typing up a series of posts based off of the sermon I preached on the 12th. This will be the last of those entries. The first part basically examined Number 36:1-4, the second 5-9, this part will examine 10-12. Verse 13 I did not preach on as it is a summation of the whole book, and basically a sermon in and of itself.
In Numbers 36:10-12 we see the results of the complaint of the sons of Manasseh, and Moses response to them. The sons of Manasseh came to Moses to have their needs addressed as it concerned the inheritance of their brother, Zelophehad. Moses then responded according to the word of the Lord, and told them what should be done in this case. The issue developed due to the inheritance of Zelophehad which passed on to his daughters, as he had no sons. The concern was that the inheritance that God had promised to the clan of Manasseh would be lost due to the marriage of their daughters to another tribe. God responded by giving a command to the people of Israel that would ensure the inheritance of every tribe, eternally.
So, we have been challenged to be a people of faith, and a people of hope, what shall we do with this last section of Scripture? What we see here is how a people of faith and love live. Those who have faith in the promises, the victory, and the commands of God must live in accordance with those promises, victories, and commands. And that is what the 5 daughters of Zelophehad do. These are women of faith, just as those who brought the complaint were men of faith.
The obedience of these women is according to the faith they had in the word of God. God had given these women permission to marry anyone they wanted, so long as they married in the clan of their father. Remember, these women had not yet received the land they were anticipating as an inheritance. Just as the men of the clan believed that God would grant this land, so also these women trusted that God would do what he had said. These women were not just obedient due to social pressures, they were obedient because of their faith.
Faith requires obedience. Another way of looking at this would be that obedience is a result of faith. We see this idea discussed explicitly in James as he notes that Abraham was saved by his works and not just his faith. James here seems to be contradicting Paul, but the reality is that Paul and James are in agreement. James notes that Abraham acted in response to what he believed, this was the proof of his faith. Without works, faith is dead, so if we claim to have faith, but have no works, what good is that faith to us?
Just as obedience is a result of faith, obedience also anticipates the result of faith, an inheritance given by God. Consider that this passage does not tell us that the daughters of Zelophehad waited until after they received their inheritance to marry, but rather that they did as they were commanded, and married within their clan. These women anticipated that they would receive the inheritance promised, their faith was active in the fact that they were not passively waiting, but actively anticipating the inheritance to come. Our faith must also lead to an obedience that anticipates the inheritance that is to come.
But, it is also our obedience to the word of God that secures our inheritance. Once again we are brought back to James and we see that he tells us that if we are not living lives in obedience to the word of God, then our faith is dead, and of no use to us. If our faith is dead, if it is of no use to us, then it cannot save us and give us reason to expect the inheritance that has been prepared for us. So, while we cannot earn our salvation by work, we secure it by our works, understanding that our faith is demonstrated in our works. Hence why Paul says that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, as this is our spiritual worship.
We walk a fine line here. It is a fine line because some might say that they are saved by their works, meaning what Paul means by salvation. These people think that because they do good works, God will look on them with mercy and allow them into heaven. That position is simply false, and is not condoned in Scripture at all. Rather, what we see is that those who seek to earn their way to salvation are challenged with their imperfections, called hypocrites, and rejected.
However, those who come to God humbly, having faith in Jesus Christ, they are saved. James notes this as he says to us that we must come to God in humility, that we must love God and not the world. Our love of God requires us to have faith in Christ, and thereby we are saved. But, this is also informative for us because we see that if we love the world we are enemies of God. That means that James is reminding us of our inheritance. He is reminding us that we who love God and draw near to him are securing our inheritance through works done as a confirmation of the faith that lives within us.
Obedience is necessary in order to be called the children of God. We are not being obedient to the law though, but to the love of God, and for God, that has been placed within us. Our obedience is not what causes faith, but is in response to the faith we have. Obedience anticipates the inheritance we will have, in that we are always reminded that we are obedient expecting God to reward us who seek him. Our obedience also secures our inheritance though, as we demonstrate our faith and are assured of our salvation by the things we do.
Where have you been disobedient in this last week, day, or even hour? Have you known what is good and right to do, and not done it? Have you resisted the law of love in any way? Have you refused to trust in God, holding on to your own problems and trying to fix things yourself? Consider these things and be challenged today to be more obedient to what you know you should be doing.
For the non-Christian, the act of obedience is simple: believe in Christ. This is what God has commanded for all people. Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, and was raised again on the third day. Believe in the gospel as it has been handed down faithfully to us.
For the Christian, obedience is equally simple: take up your cross daily and follow Christ. Have this same mind in you as was in Christ, who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2) To not be ashamed of Christ, and do not despise the discipline of the Lord. Rejoice, anticipate your inheritance that is coming, be obedient and look forward, hopeful because you have faith in Christ, you who are a child of God, who Christ is not ashamed to call his own.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
A Promised Inheritance (Part 2)
We have seen from Numbers 36:1-4 that we should be a people of faith: faith in God's promise, faith in God's victory, and faith in God's commands being the three of the areas that we discussed. But our faith is not just in what is, for as Paul says, "Hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?" (Romans 8:24) So our faith is combined with a hope in the future, an expectation of what God will do through his awesome victory for us who have kept his commands and come to him by faith. Thus, we who have faith also have hope. Let us look to Number 36:5-9 to understand what we have hope in.
This passage begins with Moses giving a command to the tribes of Israel, in response to the issue that has been brought up on behalf of the daughters of Zelophehad. Moses notes that what he is about to say is not from his own authority, it is from the mouth of the Lord God. The instructions that Moses proceeds to issue from God are instructions regarding marriage not just for the women in this instance, but for all Israelite women. By following the instructions given the inheritance of the clans will never pass between them, but each will always possess what was allotted to his family, in perpetuity. What we see then is that we can have hope that God will protect the inheritance of his people.
I note that we can have hope that God will protect our inheritance because God himself is the one who gives a response to the complaint. This command is not just Moses command. This is not just a good word at the right time so as to prevent internecine warfare. Men were concerned that the inheritance that God had promised them was going to be stripped away, and God himself responded to them by giving them a law that would protect not only their inheritance, but the inheritance of all his people. God cares about our inheritance, he will protect it.
There is one major caveat that must be added to this though. I have alluded to this already: the inheritance that God is concerned about is the inheritance of his people. Those who are not God's people cannot claim the hope that God will protect an inheritance for them. God is not a cosmic vending machine where people can simply put in the necessary spiritual coin and get out the spiritual reward they were after. God is a personable God, and he has a people, and he is only going to protect the inheritance that has been promised to them.
It is this fact that should drive us to be active though, instead of fearful of the future. Paul tells us, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12) Paul also says to us, "For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." (Galatians 3:26) Therefore we do not need to fear, wondering whether or not we are the sons and daughters of the living God. We have confidence in our hope in God, knowing that we are his people, if we have faith in Christ. Our faith in Christ leads us to seek to be assured of our salvation though, so that we work out our faith, not doing so in our own power, but being guided by the strength of God to accomplish his ends.
You see, we do not need to be troubled by wondering if we have done enough. That is not the fear we need to have. We do not tremble wondering whether or not we have earned our way into heaven. But, through faith in Christ, we diligently seek to do the things of God, proving our faith by our works, not adding to our salvation but finding assurance in our salvation, even as James has taught us. We do not ever need to fear that God will reject us for a lack of work, for Christ has completed our work on the cross, and we are now the sons of God, our inheritance is assured! But, only if we have faith in Christ.
So we know that God will hear our concerns, and we know that God will give an inheritance to his people, but what is the inheritance to which are we looking forward? We see this addressed indirectly in this text as well. Note that in verse 7 and in verse 9 we read that the sons of Israel will each hold to his inheritance. The inheritance promised to Israel in the land was to be a permanent inheritance. God intended to give his people an eternal inheritance, if they would have faith in him.
Israel failed to have faith, as we noted before, and so their hope was stripped from them. But, even in Daniel we see the prayer of a faithful man, a prayer offered in hope. (Daniel 9) Daniel realized that the time of exile was almost over. He and his people would soon return to the land, just as God promised. Though Daniel lived in a time after the exile, his hope was not crushed forever, but he had faith that God would protect his people and provide for them the inheritance he had promised.
Likewise, we today are able to have faith in God, and to hope in an eternal inheritance that is to come. The land that was given to the Israelites was given to them in this age, and on this earth. According to Hebrews 11 these were people who never received that for which they were looking. Hebrews 4 says that Joshua did not give the sons of Israel rest. Though he would lead them into the promised land, though in his leadership they would go to war and they would take possession of most of the land, yet they would not have rest. The inheritance that is discussed in Numbers 36 is only a type of the inheritance that is to come.
What shall we say then? Are we those who have hope that God will protect our inheritance? Do we have any reason to trust that God will hear our prayers? Do we have any reason to think that God will have us as his people? Do we have any reason to hope in the eternal inheritance God has provided? If we are in Christ, the answer to all these questions is "Yes!"
Are you in Christ though? Have you put your hope in the only begotten Son of God? Have you come to him in faith and laid aside your works to enjoy his mercy? Scripture would command us to do so, for it is the only wise thing to do.
The men in Numbers 36 had faith in God and they had hope in God. Today we can have that same faith and that same hope. There is nothing that stops us from hearing the word of God, and acting in faith in response to it. The application of this section of Scripture is simple: we who long for an eternal inheritance need to have faith in Christ, for he is our only hope to be the children of God and he is our only hope to have access to God. Hebrews says that without faith it is impossible to please God. But, with faith in the Son of God we are able to have hope in the inheritance that God has prepared for those he loves, the eternal inheritance that he himself protects.
Have faith!
This passage begins with Moses giving a command to the tribes of Israel, in response to the issue that has been brought up on behalf of the daughters of Zelophehad. Moses notes that what he is about to say is not from his own authority, it is from the mouth of the Lord God. The instructions that Moses proceeds to issue from God are instructions regarding marriage not just for the women in this instance, but for all Israelite women. By following the instructions given the inheritance of the clans will never pass between them, but each will always possess what was allotted to his family, in perpetuity. What we see then is that we can have hope that God will protect the inheritance of his people.
I note that we can have hope that God will protect our inheritance because God himself is the one who gives a response to the complaint. This command is not just Moses command. This is not just a good word at the right time so as to prevent internecine warfare. Men were concerned that the inheritance that God had promised them was going to be stripped away, and God himself responded to them by giving them a law that would protect not only their inheritance, but the inheritance of all his people. God cares about our inheritance, he will protect it.
There is one major caveat that must be added to this though. I have alluded to this already: the inheritance that God is concerned about is the inheritance of his people. Those who are not God's people cannot claim the hope that God will protect an inheritance for them. God is not a cosmic vending machine where people can simply put in the necessary spiritual coin and get out the spiritual reward they were after. God is a personable God, and he has a people, and he is only going to protect the inheritance that has been promised to them.
It is this fact that should drive us to be active though, instead of fearful of the future. Paul tells us, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12) Paul also says to us, "For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." (Galatians 3:26) Therefore we do not need to fear, wondering whether or not we are the sons and daughters of the living God. We have confidence in our hope in God, knowing that we are his people, if we have faith in Christ. Our faith in Christ leads us to seek to be assured of our salvation though, so that we work out our faith, not doing so in our own power, but being guided by the strength of God to accomplish his ends.
You see, we do not need to be troubled by wondering if we have done enough. That is not the fear we need to have. We do not tremble wondering whether or not we have earned our way into heaven. But, through faith in Christ, we diligently seek to do the things of God, proving our faith by our works, not adding to our salvation but finding assurance in our salvation, even as James has taught us. We do not ever need to fear that God will reject us for a lack of work, for Christ has completed our work on the cross, and we are now the sons of God, our inheritance is assured! But, only if we have faith in Christ.
So we know that God will hear our concerns, and we know that God will give an inheritance to his people, but what is the inheritance to which are we looking forward? We see this addressed indirectly in this text as well. Note that in verse 7 and in verse 9 we read that the sons of Israel will each hold to his inheritance. The inheritance promised to Israel in the land was to be a permanent inheritance. God intended to give his people an eternal inheritance, if they would have faith in him.
Israel failed to have faith, as we noted before, and so their hope was stripped from them. But, even in Daniel we see the prayer of a faithful man, a prayer offered in hope. (Daniel 9) Daniel realized that the time of exile was almost over. He and his people would soon return to the land, just as God promised. Though Daniel lived in a time after the exile, his hope was not crushed forever, but he had faith that God would protect his people and provide for them the inheritance he had promised.
Likewise, we today are able to have faith in God, and to hope in an eternal inheritance that is to come. The land that was given to the Israelites was given to them in this age, and on this earth. According to Hebrews 11 these were people who never received that for which they were looking. Hebrews 4 says that Joshua did not give the sons of Israel rest. Though he would lead them into the promised land, though in his leadership they would go to war and they would take possession of most of the land, yet they would not have rest. The inheritance that is discussed in Numbers 36 is only a type of the inheritance that is to come.
What shall we say then? Are we those who have hope that God will protect our inheritance? Do we have any reason to trust that God will hear our prayers? Do we have any reason to think that God will have us as his people? Do we have any reason to hope in the eternal inheritance God has provided? If we are in Christ, the answer to all these questions is "Yes!"
Are you in Christ though? Have you put your hope in the only begotten Son of God? Have you come to him in faith and laid aside your works to enjoy his mercy? Scripture would command us to do so, for it is the only wise thing to do.
The men in Numbers 36 had faith in God and they had hope in God. Today we can have that same faith and that same hope. There is nothing that stops us from hearing the word of God, and acting in faith in response to it. The application of this section of Scripture is simple: we who long for an eternal inheritance need to have faith in Christ, for he is our only hope to be the children of God and he is our only hope to have access to God. Hebrews says that without faith it is impossible to please God. But, with faith in the Son of God we are able to have hope in the inheritance that God has prepared for those he loves, the eternal inheritance that he himself protects.
Have faith!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
A Promised Inheritance (Part 1)
Today I have the blessed opportunity to preach at the church my wife and I are attending here in Carrollton. (That's why I set this to come up later in the day than normal, so as not to ruin the surprise of the sermon for her since she will be hearing it today.) The text I have chosen for this sermon is Numbers 36:1-12. This sermon is the first in a two part series dealing with inheritance. Next week I will be preaching on Ephesians 1:3-14. Because my sermon will be approximately 40 minutes in length I have broken it into 3 parts for the sake of posting it here. Parts 2 and 3 will follow in the next couple of days.
Numbers 36 is the culmination of nearly 500 years of history. 470 years prior to the events taking place in the text God made a promise to a lone man, an 85 year old who had no children, Abraham, that his descendants would possess all the land in the area. 40 years earlier, God heard the cried of his people, and he sent a lone man, Moses, to deliver his people from Egypt, and to bring them into the land they were preparing to enter. Yet, though God had been faithful to deliver his people from Egypt after 430 years, and though he had destroyed the army of Pharaoh, and had done amazing works in the sight of the children of Abraham, the Israelites, they saw the inhabitants of the land that had been promised to them, and they doubted. For 40 years, those who rejected the promises of God, who doubted his faithfulness and had no faith in his word, wandered in the wilderness, until every member of that Generation, save Joshua and Caleb, died out.
Thus, the first thing we see as read this text, is that these men who have come to Moses with this legal dispute are men of faith. These are men who believe in the promises of God, the victory of God, and the commands of God. It is important that we note this because this idea is the foundation for the rest of the text, and what it teaches us today. The faith of these men is what drives them to come to Moses to seek the word of the Lord in regards to what may seem to us a minor issue, at best.
I noted that these men had faith in three things in particular, the promises of God, the victory of God, and the commands of God. I want to unpack that. First, I want to show what I mean by saying that these are men who have faith in the promises of God. These are men who believe that what God has said he will do, is exactly what he will do. They believe that because God has promised them the land, he will deliver it to them.
You see, these men have not even crossed the Jordan yet. Moses is going to die soon, God will not bring him into the promised land, and the fact that Moses stands to answer these men shows that, as of yet, these men have not entered into the land they are discussing. Yet, God promised to Abraham 500 years before that the land would be given to his descendants. These men, preparing to cross the Jordan and enter into the land promised them only have the promise of God to trust in that they will ever see the land they are concerned over. These are men who have faith in the promises of God.
Likewise though, these are men who have faith in the victory of God. 40 years ago their fathers saw the vengeance of God on the Egyptians. God worked 9 wonders in the land of Egypt, blotting out the sun and killing the first born of Egypt in order to deliver his people. And, when that wasn't enough, God even destroyed the army of Pharaoh by drowning them in the Yom Suf. God did all of this, yet their fathers feared to enter into the land, lest the people in the land should kill them and enslave them.
These men though, the ones who came to speak with Moses and the rest of the leaders of Israel, they have wandered 40 years in the wilderness. They were not there to see the wonders God did in Egypt, or, if they were, they were small and it was a long time ago. But, they have seen the mercy of God for 40 years, following after the cloud of dust by day, and the pillar of fire by night. These men have walked in sandals that have not grown old, and worn clothes that have not fallen apart for 40 years. And now, as they prepare to enter into the land of promise, they have faith that God will be victorious over those who live in the land, and will lead his people to victory.
But not only do these men have faith in God's promises, and his victory, they have faith in his command. Their concern is that when the Jubilee comes, the land given to daughters of Zelophehad would transfer to another tribe. The law of Jubilee said that on the 50th year all the land that had been sold and traded had to return to the possession of the family who had ancestral claim to that land. In the case of these women though, when they married into another tribe, the land that belonged to them would pass into the hands of the sons of that tribe. Thus, their sons would inherit a tribal identity (or a clan identity) from their fathers, but they would inherit the property of their mothers (and fathers).
This issue of inheritance presented a problem, because that would mean that on the year of jubilee, 50 years down the line, that land would permanently be joined to the new clan, because the sons of that union would now have right to claim that land. If the Israelites lived according to the law this would create a situation where the inheritance promised to one clan would pass to another clan. If you are wondering what that is a problem, it is because the land was promised to one clan, according to God's decree the inheritance had been allotted to the tribe of Manasseh. To join that land then to the tribe of Judah, or Issachar, or Simeon, or any other tribe, would create a significant problem. (Let's not even get into the multiple issues that would arise from one of the daughters marrying a man from the tribe of Levi, because the Levites weren't supposed to have any "land" possession beyond certain cities lying within the realm of each clan.)
The fact that the men were concerned about this though shows that these were men who had faith in God's commands. They saw God's commands as being good, and they sought to obey the commands of God. Think about this: the best biblical evidence we have indicates that the year of jubilee was never kept. (2 Chronicles 36:20-21; Leviticus 26:34-35; Jeremiah 25:11-12) Yet, despite the fact that perhaps they, and definitely their children, would go on to act faithlessly in regards to the law of the Lord, here they demonstrated that they really had faith that the commands of God would be fulfilled. The tragic result of history says that the people of Israel were not faithful to God, yet those who appeared before Moses were men of faith, who sought to do what was right in their own generation, and whose concern was upon the command of God to them and their families.
What are we to make of this then? What does any of that matter to us today? Please, understand me when I tell you that these are the very same issues that face us today, and we would do well to learn from the example that these men set forth. Let us be people who have faith in God's promises, God's victory, and God's commands. If we have faith in these things, it will change how we live our lives.
If we were a people who had faith in the promises of God, we would recognize that this current economy should not be our primary concern. Politics, poverty, possessions, none of these things are of tantamount importance to those who believe in the promises of God. For God has said that he works all things for good, for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) God has said he will never leave us nor forsake us, if we do what he has called us to do. (Deuteronomy 31:8) As we hold to these promises, we are reminded also of God's victory.
But, God's victory is not just limited to this world, for we have the testimony of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that even death has been defeated. For this reason Scripture tells us, "Death is swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:54) Yet, we do not see this victory completed yet, thus we must be those who have faith in God's victory. We must trust that one day we will be set free, because death will be destroyed. But, even now, we can celebrate that we are no longer enslaved to death, we are those who have been set free, because of the victory of Christ, and because of the victory we will one day experience through him. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
And, as we live in delight of the promises of God to us, celebrating the victory which we look forward to, we are able to live by his commands. For, because we are free from the bonds of death, we are also free from that which divided us in life, we are able to come together as a family, obeying Christ's command to love one another. (John 13:34-35) And not only can we love one another, but we can also put away the things which we used to love, we can live without sin hindering us any longer. (1 Peter 1:14) Thus, we who have faith in the promises of God, and the victory of God, can also have faith in the command of God. We can be sure that the one who has given us a command will be with us to complete that command, so that he will be glorified. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
This is what we should aspire to be: A people of faith, who love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. We must have faith in God's promises, trusting that he who has called us will do that which he has promised us he will do. We must have faith in God's victory, for only he is strong enough to overcome our enemy, and he has done it, and will do it again, to the joy of we who wait on him. And we must have faith in God's commands, knowing that they are good, seeking to be obedient to the one who called us, not because we under the Law of Moses, but because we are free to live by the law of faith. Are you living up to that ideal? I bet if you examine your heart you aren't, there are some things you just are trusting God with, whether it be his promises, his victory, or his commands, there is room for continued sanctification. I pray you would go to God and seek to determine where he would change you, for his glory.
Numbers 36 is the culmination of nearly 500 years of history. 470 years prior to the events taking place in the text God made a promise to a lone man, an 85 year old who had no children, Abraham, that his descendants would possess all the land in the area. 40 years earlier, God heard the cried of his people, and he sent a lone man, Moses, to deliver his people from Egypt, and to bring them into the land they were preparing to enter. Yet, though God had been faithful to deliver his people from Egypt after 430 years, and though he had destroyed the army of Pharaoh, and had done amazing works in the sight of the children of Abraham, the Israelites, they saw the inhabitants of the land that had been promised to them, and they doubted. For 40 years, those who rejected the promises of God, who doubted his faithfulness and had no faith in his word, wandered in the wilderness, until every member of that Generation, save Joshua and Caleb, died out.
Thus, the first thing we see as read this text, is that these men who have come to Moses with this legal dispute are men of faith. These are men who believe in the promises of God, the victory of God, and the commands of God. It is important that we note this because this idea is the foundation for the rest of the text, and what it teaches us today. The faith of these men is what drives them to come to Moses to seek the word of the Lord in regards to what may seem to us a minor issue, at best.
I noted that these men had faith in three things in particular, the promises of God, the victory of God, and the commands of God. I want to unpack that. First, I want to show what I mean by saying that these are men who have faith in the promises of God. These are men who believe that what God has said he will do, is exactly what he will do. They believe that because God has promised them the land, he will deliver it to them.
You see, these men have not even crossed the Jordan yet. Moses is going to die soon, God will not bring him into the promised land, and the fact that Moses stands to answer these men shows that, as of yet, these men have not entered into the land they are discussing. Yet, God promised to Abraham 500 years before that the land would be given to his descendants. These men, preparing to cross the Jordan and enter into the land promised them only have the promise of God to trust in that they will ever see the land they are concerned over. These are men who have faith in the promises of God.
Likewise though, these are men who have faith in the victory of God. 40 years ago their fathers saw the vengeance of God on the Egyptians. God worked 9 wonders in the land of Egypt, blotting out the sun and killing the first born of Egypt in order to deliver his people. And, when that wasn't enough, God even destroyed the army of Pharaoh by drowning them in the Yom Suf. God did all of this, yet their fathers feared to enter into the land, lest the people in the land should kill them and enslave them.
These men though, the ones who came to speak with Moses and the rest of the leaders of Israel, they have wandered 40 years in the wilderness. They were not there to see the wonders God did in Egypt, or, if they were, they were small and it was a long time ago. But, they have seen the mercy of God for 40 years, following after the cloud of dust by day, and the pillar of fire by night. These men have walked in sandals that have not grown old, and worn clothes that have not fallen apart for 40 years. And now, as they prepare to enter into the land of promise, they have faith that God will be victorious over those who live in the land, and will lead his people to victory.
But not only do these men have faith in God's promises, and his victory, they have faith in his command. Their concern is that when the Jubilee comes, the land given to daughters of Zelophehad would transfer to another tribe. The law of Jubilee said that on the 50th year all the land that had been sold and traded had to return to the possession of the family who had ancestral claim to that land. In the case of these women though, when they married into another tribe, the land that belonged to them would pass into the hands of the sons of that tribe. Thus, their sons would inherit a tribal identity (or a clan identity) from their fathers, but they would inherit the property of their mothers (and fathers).
This issue of inheritance presented a problem, because that would mean that on the year of jubilee, 50 years down the line, that land would permanently be joined to the new clan, because the sons of that union would now have right to claim that land. If the Israelites lived according to the law this would create a situation where the inheritance promised to one clan would pass to another clan. If you are wondering what that is a problem, it is because the land was promised to one clan, according to God's decree the inheritance had been allotted to the tribe of Manasseh. To join that land then to the tribe of Judah, or Issachar, or Simeon, or any other tribe, would create a significant problem. (Let's not even get into the multiple issues that would arise from one of the daughters marrying a man from the tribe of Levi, because the Levites weren't supposed to have any "land" possession beyond certain cities lying within the realm of each clan.)
The fact that the men were concerned about this though shows that these were men who had faith in God's commands. They saw God's commands as being good, and they sought to obey the commands of God. Think about this: the best biblical evidence we have indicates that the year of jubilee was never kept. (2 Chronicles 36:20-21; Leviticus 26:34-35; Jeremiah 25:11-12) Yet, despite the fact that perhaps they, and definitely their children, would go on to act faithlessly in regards to the law of the Lord, here they demonstrated that they really had faith that the commands of God would be fulfilled. The tragic result of history says that the people of Israel were not faithful to God, yet those who appeared before Moses were men of faith, who sought to do what was right in their own generation, and whose concern was upon the command of God to them and their families.
What are we to make of this then? What does any of that matter to us today? Please, understand me when I tell you that these are the very same issues that face us today, and we would do well to learn from the example that these men set forth. Let us be people who have faith in God's promises, God's victory, and God's commands. If we have faith in these things, it will change how we live our lives.
If we were a people who had faith in the promises of God, we would recognize that this current economy should not be our primary concern. Politics, poverty, possessions, none of these things are of tantamount importance to those who believe in the promises of God. For God has said that he works all things for good, for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) God has said he will never leave us nor forsake us, if we do what he has called us to do. (Deuteronomy 31:8) As we hold to these promises, we are reminded also of God's victory.
But, God's victory is not just limited to this world, for we have the testimony of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that even death has been defeated. For this reason Scripture tells us, "Death is swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:54) Yet, we do not see this victory completed yet, thus we must be those who have faith in God's victory. We must trust that one day we will be set free, because death will be destroyed. But, even now, we can celebrate that we are no longer enslaved to death, we are those who have been set free, because of the victory of Christ, and because of the victory we will one day experience through him. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
And, as we live in delight of the promises of God to us, celebrating the victory which we look forward to, we are able to live by his commands. For, because we are free from the bonds of death, we are also free from that which divided us in life, we are able to come together as a family, obeying Christ's command to love one another. (John 13:34-35) And not only can we love one another, but we can also put away the things which we used to love, we can live without sin hindering us any longer. (1 Peter 1:14) Thus, we who have faith in the promises of God, and the victory of God, can also have faith in the command of God. We can be sure that the one who has given us a command will be with us to complete that command, so that he will be glorified. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
This is what we should aspire to be: A people of faith, who love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. We must have faith in God's promises, trusting that he who has called us will do that which he has promised us he will do. We must have faith in God's victory, for only he is strong enough to overcome our enemy, and he has done it, and will do it again, to the joy of we who wait on him. And we must have faith in God's commands, knowing that they are good, seeking to be obedient to the one who called us, not because we under the Law of Moses, but because we are free to live by the law of faith. Are you living up to that ideal? I bet if you examine your heart you aren't, there are some things you just are trusting God with, whether it be his promises, his victory, or his commands, there is room for continued sanctification. I pray you would go to God and seek to determine where he would change you, for his glory.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Lest We Forget
9 years ago today a tragic event happened in our history. Let us remember to set aside time today to pray for our nation, for those who suffer still in the memory of this day, for those who serve over seas in wars that developed as a result of 9/11, for our leaders to make wise decisions, and for Muslims across the world who are enslaved to the lie of Islam. Let us pray to be peacemakers, leading people to Christ for the glory of God.
There is so much to pray for, every day. But, in memory of this day, let us turn back to prayer, for our God is great, and he has told us to come to him in prayer, asking for what we want. James says we have not because we ask not, and when we do ask, we ask with evil motives, seeking to spend what we get on ourselves. (James 4:1-10) Let us repent, turn to God, ask that our motives might be changed, and that we might pray to him and ask for what is good in his eyes. As we remember the tragedy that happened this day, let us not remember it like the world: as just a tragedy, as a reason for anger, resentment, and violence against those who would harm us. Let us remember it as Christians: in repentance, in humility, and in hope that God will redeem a fallen world for the sake of his glory.
Today, let us pray.
There is so much to pray for, every day. But, in memory of this day, let us turn back to prayer, for our God is great, and he has told us to come to him in prayer, asking for what we want. James says we have not because we ask not, and when we do ask, we ask with evil motives, seeking to spend what we get on ourselves. (James 4:1-10) Let us repent, turn to God, ask that our motives might be changed, and that we might pray to him and ask for what is good in his eyes. As we remember the tragedy that happened this day, let us not remember it like the world: as just a tragedy, as a reason for anger, resentment, and violence against those who would harm us. Let us remember it as Christians: in repentance, in humility, and in hope that God will redeem a fallen world for the sake of his glory.
Today, let us pray.
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Right Thing for the Wrong Reason?
By now, if you've been watching or reading the news, you should be aware that the pastor who was going to burn Qur'ans tomorrow has decided to call off the event. Unfortunately his reasons for canceling the event were not due to concern for his fellow Christians who are serving as missionaries over seas. Nor did he call of his plans because he saw the offense it would cause within the Muslim world and the way it would negatively impact the spreading of the gospel. His reason, according to the news, was because he claims the Imam who is building the community center and mosque at Ground Zero promised him that the mosque would be moved.
In short it appears that the right thing is being done, but the reasoning behind these actions is all based on worldly concerns. It ought to always be the goal of the Christian to glorify God and to spread the gospel. This pastor seems to confuse American with Christian.
Too much has been made of this event by the media, so that a fringe lunatic became an international sensation. But, one thing that has come out of this event is that we were able to be reminded that there is a stark differences between what concerns the world, and what concerns the church. While the world was concerned about social and political unrest, and rightly so, what they missed was the profound spiritual impact of this event. The cross of Christ truly is nonsense to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God to salvation. Let us always remember that our focus needs to be different than the world's.
In short it appears that the right thing is being done, but the reasoning behind these actions is all based on worldly concerns. It ought to always be the goal of the Christian to glorify God and to spread the gospel. This pastor seems to confuse American with Christian.
Too much has been made of this event by the media, so that a fringe lunatic became an international sensation. But, one thing that has come out of this event is that we were able to be reminded that there is a stark differences between what concerns the world, and what concerns the church. While the world was concerned about social and political unrest, and rightly so, what they missed was the profound spiritual impact of this event. The cross of Christ truly is nonsense to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God to salvation. Let us always remember that our focus needs to be different than the world's.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
What Can Wash Away My Sin?
If someone told you they thought George Washington was a good President, not because of what he did or did not really do in history, but because they had experienced the good effects of his presidency in their own lives, what would you say? Can we make any realistic claims about knowledge, about anyone or anything in history, based purely on our own experiences? Taken in another way, if someone said to you that he believed in Jesus, not because of anything in the bible, but based purely on the fact that he had experienced some transformative event in his life, would you say that is sufficient? The question really is, what is sufficient for salvation? The reason I phrase the question in this way is because I am hoping that none of us would say that it is sufficient for people to say they think they are saved without having a good reason for that claim (and of course the only good reason is because they have hope in Jesus Christ).
I'm going to let the cat out of the bag here and just state upfront that I think that anyone who claims to have a relationship with Christ, not based on what Scripture says but on what they have experienced, has either been deceived, or is deceiving himself. My reasoning is because no one can know they have a relationship with Christ unless Scripture has told them. Also, no one can have a relationship with Christ unless they know Christ. You cannot have a relationship with someone you don't know, after all, how would you know the relationship is real? Personal feelings are not a sufficient ground for salvation.
The only sure and trustworthy ground for believing one is saved is the gospel of Jesus Christ. That means that no one is saved apart from the revealed truth of Scripture. Paul says, "[The gospel] is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) In John 17:3 Jesus says himself, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Peter says, "since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God..." (1 Peter 1:23) In no verse in Scripture do we see that anyone can come to faith in Christ and be saved without a knowledge of the gospel.
Knowledge itself, of course, does not save us. Faith saves us. But, faith in what? We cannot have faith in a Christ we do not know. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17) Unless we have heard the word of God, we cannot have the faith necessary for our salvation.
I bring this up because I think we sometimes all need a reminder of why we should spend time with God's word. God is powerful, he is able to do abundantly more than we could dream or ask, but he has also stated his divine plan and the means by which he will save his people. We cannot save anyone if we do not tell them the word of God. The most powerful tool we can use in evangelism isn't a tract, it isn't a witty opening question or a brilliant segue into "spiritual" things. The most powerful tool we can have for attempting to save a lost world is a good working knowledge of the word of God. That doesn't mean we have to become experts, but there is also no reason we ought not attempt to become as expert as we are able, after all, it couldn't hurt to know more about the bible if we intend to witness to others.
But, there is a second caution here too: we cannot be saved apart from belief in the word of God. When we begin to throw out sections of the bible, or when we begin to say that this or that miracle couldn't have happened, then we begin to enter into truly dangerous ground. After all, if we reject one miracle, what is the rationale for holding on to any miracles? If it is impossible that God could have done any specific amazing thing, then why assume he can do anything at all?
As we begin to dismantle the word we also have to necessarily lose passages like the ones above. After all, if we say that one part of Scripture must be thrown out, where do we stop? Do we throw out John because we find his references contradictory to Matthew? Do we accept Matthew but then throw out Mark because different details are listed about Jesus' life? Do we argue that Acts teaches a different concept of Christ's divinity than the one that is found in Galatians? If we do any of these things, then which Jesus are we left to accept? Which gospel have we embraced?
If there is no salvation apart from the gospel of Christ, and the written word of God is the only trustworthy source of information for that gospel (surely we aren't going to say that tradition is more accurate that Scripture? If we go that route we are really in for some trouble and contradictions!) then we are in serious theological trouble when we start dividing that word into what we find "acceptable" and what we will reject. When we assume the role of judging the word of God, instead of allowing it to judge us, then we have rejected the authority of Scripture in our lives. To reject the authority of Scripture is to reject the one who gave Scripture that authority. When we are the lords of Scripture, then the Lord of Scripture cannot be our Lord. If that which we have received is faulty, then we have received a flawed gospel, and a flawed gospel does not have the power to save, for only the true gospel of Christ has the power to save.
If we do not have the gospel, then what hope do we have? Are we so wise that we can reconstruct history as though we were there when all the documents we have are flawed? Is our knowledge so great that we can correct what claims to be eyewitness testimony from 2000 years ago? If that is the case, why do we need the bible at all? We may as well make our own gospel, for in our wisdom we are quite sure to only find the gospel we want when we get to decide what parts of the bible are true and which are false.
I'm going to let the cat out of the bag here and just state upfront that I think that anyone who claims to have a relationship with Christ, not based on what Scripture says but on what they have experienced, has either been deceived, or is deceiving himself. My reasoning is because no one can know they have a relationship with Christ unless Scripture has told them. Also, no one can have a relationship with Christ unless they know Christ. You cannot have a relationship with someone you don't know, after all, how would you know the relationship is real? Personal feelings are not a sufficient ground for salvation.
The only sure and trustworthy ground for believing one is saved is the gospel of Jesus Christ. That means that no one is saved apart from the revealed truth of Scripture. Paul says, "[The gospel] is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) In John 17:3 Jesus says himself, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Peter says, "since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God..." (1 Peter 1:23) In no verse in Scripture do we see that anyone can come to faith in Christ and be saved without a knowledge of the gospel.
Knowledge itself, of course, does not save us. Faith saves us. But, faith in what? We cannot have faith in a Christ we do not know. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17) Unless we have heard the word of God, we cannot have the faith necessary for our salvation.
I bring this up because I think we sometimes all need a reminder of why we should spend time with God's word. God is powerful, he is able to do abundantly more than we could dream or ask, but he has also stated his divine plan and the means by which he will save his people. We cannot save anyone if we do not tell them the word of God. The most powerful tool we can use in evangelism isn't a tract, it isn't a witty opening question or a brilliant segue into "spiritual" things. The most powerful tool we can have for attempting to save a lost world is a good working knowledge of the word of God. That doesn't mean we have to become experts, but there is also no reason we ought not attempt to become as expert as we are able, after all, it couldn't hurt to know more about the bible if we intend to witness to others.
But, there is a second caution here too: we cannot be saved apart from belief in the word of God. When we begin to throw out sections of the bible, or when we begin to say that this or that miracle couldn't have happened, then we begin to enter into truly dangerous ground. After all, if we reject one miracle, what is the rationale for holding on to any miracles? If it is impossible that God could have done any specific amazing thing, then why assume he can do anything at all?
As we begin to dismantle the word we also have to necessarily lose passages like the ones above. After all, if we say that one part of Scripture must be thrown out, where do we stop? Do we throw out John because we find his references contradictory to Matthew? Do we accept Matthew but then throw out Mark because different details are listed about Jesus' life? Do we argue that Acts teaches a different concept of Christ's divinity than the one that is found in Galatians? If we do any of these things, then which Jesus are we left to accept? Which gospel have we embraced?
If there is no salvation apart from the gospel of Christ, and the written word of God is the only trustworthy source of information for that gospel (surely we aren't going to say that tradition is more accurate that Scripture? If we go that route we are really in for some trouble and contradictions!) then we are in serious theological trouble when we start dividing that word into what we find "acceptable" and what we will reject. When we assume the role of judging the word of God, instead of allowing it to judge us, then we have rejected the authority of Scripture in our lives. To reject the authority of Scripture is to reject the one who gave Scripture that authority. When we are the lords of Scripture, then the Lord of Scripture cannot be our Lord. If that which we have received is faulty, then we have received a flawed gospel, and a flawed gospel does not have the power to save, for only the true gospel of Christ has the power to save.
If we do not have the gospel, then what hope do we have? Are we so wise that we can reconstruct history as though we were there when all the documents we have are flawed? Is our knowledge so great that we can correct what claims to be eyewitness testimony from 2000 years ago? If that is the case, why do we need the bible at all? We may as well make our own gospel, for in our wisdom we are quite sure to only find the gospel we want when we get to decide what parts of the bible are true and which are false.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Marking Bibles
Okay, this post is a radical change from what I would normally do. I don't know how many people actually like to mark in their bibles, I do. I like to take notes, write observations, put cross references, and otherwise mark in my bible to make study easier or to remember what I noticed at some point. I'm assuming that most of those who are reading this think of Scripture as worth studying and worth learning. However, even if you do not normally mark in your bible, this post may be of use to you if you are a student, or you mark in books for whatever reason.
I'm way behind the times on this, and wasn't even aware that people had done research on what the best pens for writing in bibles was. But, I did some research yesterday, and I didn't bother to actually favorite the blog post I found on marking in your bible, but I found a blog post that recommended specific pens and tools for writing in bibles. Today I went out with my beloved wife and purchased one of those pens and tried it out, I have to admit, I'm liking what I've found so far.
The pens recommended were Pigma Micron pens. These are archival quality pens, which means they are non-acidic, non-bleed, and do not smear. Add to this that they are not ballpoint pens, which means that they do not dig into the page the same way ballpoint pens do. They also are pigment based (if you could tell from the name) so they have minimal fading and once set are waterproof. If you want more information, here is a link to their website: Sakura of America.
So, I bought one of the black 005 pens (a .2mm line) and I have found that it seems instant drying, does not bleed through the pages, and does not leave telltale indentations that can be felt on the back of the page or even on the next page of my bible. All of this is a big deal to me as a lefty since it means I don't have to worry about ink transfer onto my hand, and smudging the line if I cross my hand over it during writing. As far as taking notes in my bible, the writing is smooth, the lines are crisp, and with there being no indentations I don't have anything preventing me from doing underlining without worrying about damaging the page I'm working on.
I intend to take the advice of the pages I was able to read yesterday and purchase additional sizes and colors for different uses. There is a local hobby store that sells six packs of the pens in 005 size and other sizes. The reason for the different sizes is to have a larger size for underlining and a smaller size just for taking notes. (The 005 is the smallest size. The websites I read recommended using a 01 or an 03 for underlining.)
The only down side (for me) is that these are not the cheapest pens I could buy. I can't buy a pack of pens for $1.50 like I could with cheap disposable ballpoint pens. These are $2.99 at the local store, and the cheapest I could find them online were around $2.00. A pack of six costs $15.99 here in Carrollton, GA. It may not seem like a lot to most people, but we are on a tight budget. However, the cost will be more than worth it if these pens live up to my expectations.
One last point: why these as opposed to regular pens and highlighters? Well, highlighters have a tendency to bleed through, and they are not good for note taking. Ballpoint pens are not the best for taking notes in a bible due to the indentations they tend to leave in the page, along with the propensity of most to bleed through at least a little. Gel pens are better than ballpoint pens, but they also leave indentations, and the ink can degrade the already thin pages of most bibles (this is true of ballpoint pens also). Archival quality pens are non-acidic, so they don't degrade the pages, the other benefits I mentioned a bit earlier.
To me all of this matters because I want to have a good quality note taking pen so I can write in my bible to minimize the notes I need to carry with me when I'm preaching. By being able to take notes directly in my bible I do not need to worry about losing my outline, or having papers fall out of my bible if I move it while preaching. In addition, taking notes in my bible lets me do more intensive bible studies without worrying about keeping a specific notebook.
This post may not be of use to you, in fact you may be thinking this is a waste of time for you, if so, my apologies. I do hope that you will at least consider how you might continue to develop your own time in bible study so that you can get more from the time you spend in the Word of God. If you aren't doing regular bible study, then maybe this is a good time to start. Set a schedule, get organized, and find a method that works for you. I like to write, so I even write in my bible, but more important than the pen you choose is that you take the time to study in the first place.
I'm way behind the times on this, and wasn't even aware that people had done research on what the best pens for writing in bibles was. But, I did some research yesterday, and I didn't bother to actually favorite the blog post I found on marking in your bible, but I found a blog post that recommended specific pens and tools for writing in bibles. Today I went out with my beloved wife and purchased one of those pens and tried it out, I have to admit, I'm liking what I've found so far.
The pens recommended were Pigma Micron pens. These are archival quality pens, which means they are non-acidic, non-bleed, and do not smear. Add to this that they are not ballpoint pens, which means that they do not dig into the page the same way ballpoint pens do. They also are pigment based (if you could tell from the name) so they have minimal fading and once set are waterproof. If you want more information, here is a link to their website: Sakura of America.
So, I bought one of the black 005 pens (a .2mm line) and I have found that it seems instant drying, does not bleed through the pages, and does not leave telltale indentations that can be felt on the back of the page or even on the next page of my bible. All of this is a big deal to me as a lefty since it means I don't have to worry about ink transfer onto my hand, and smudging the line if I cross my hand over it during writing. As far as taking notes in my bible, the writing is smooth, the lines are crisp, and with there being no indentations I don't have anything preventing me from doing underlining without worrying about damaging the page I'm working on.
I intend to take the advice of the pages I was able to read yesterday and purchase additional sizes and colors for different uses. There is a local hobby store that sells six packs of the pens in 005 size and other sizes. The reason for the different sizes is to have a larger size for underlining and a smaller size just for taking notes. (The 005 is the smallest size. The websites I read recommended using a 01 or an 03 for underlining.)
The only down side (for me) is that these are not the cheapest pens I could buy. I can't buy a pack of pens for $1.50 like I could with cheap disposable ballpoint pens. These are $2.99 at the local store, and the cheapest I could find them online were around $2.00. A pack of six costs $15.99 here in Carrollton, GA. It may not seem like a lot to most people, but we are on a tight budget. However, the cost will be more than worth it if these pens live up to my expectations.
One last point: why these as opposed to regular pens and highlighters? Well, highlighters have a tendency to bleed through, and they are not good for note taking. Ballpoint pens are not the best for taking notes in a bible due to the indentations they tend to leave in the page, along with the propensity of most to bleed through at least a little. Gel pens are better than ballpoint pens, but they also leave indentations, and the ink can degrade the already thin pages of most bibles (this is true of ballpoint pens also). Archival quality pens are non-acidic, so they don't degrade the pages, the other benefits I mentioned a bit earlier.
To me all of this matters because I want to have a good quality note taking pen so I can write in my bible to minimize the notes I need to carry with me when I'm preaching. By being able to take notes directly in my bible I do not need to worry about losing my outline, or having papers fall out of my bible if I move it while preaching. In addition, taking notes in my bible lets me do more intensive bible studies without worrying about keeping a specific notebook.
This post may not be of use to you, in fact you may be thinking this is a waste of time for you, if so, my apologies. I do hope that you will at least consider how you might continue to develop your own time in bible study so that you can get more from the time you spend in the Word of God. If you aren't doing regular bible study, then maybe this is a good time to start. Set a schedule, get organized, and find a method that works for you. I like to write, so I even write in my bible, but more important than the pen you choose is that you take the time to study in the first place.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)