Luke 4

— by on

In Luke 4, we find Jesus reading Isaiah 61 in the synagogue on the Sabbath day, two short verses that encapsulated the hope of the gospel. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Truly this scripture has been fulfilled, and it is now up to us to share that hope with those around us, just as Jesus did. “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

Psalm 119v129-176

— by on

Psalm 119 continues with more of David’s thoughts on his relationship with God. He tries to follow God’s commandments, “Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them” but is not always successful, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.” David is thankful for God’s mercy, “Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise!… Great is your mercy, O LORD; give me life according to your rules.” and realises that it is only God who can provide life.

Our relationship with God has many similarities to David’s. Like David, we too “rejoice at [God’s] word like one who finds great spoil.”  We find hope and comfort in what God has done for us and what we have been offered, just as David did when he wrote “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.”

Psalm 119v81-128

— by on

David continues to focus on God’s word and promises in Psalm 119v81-128. “My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word”. He contrasts God’s sure word with those around who persecute him, “Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens… I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life… They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts”. God’s word provided encouragement and guidance to David, so he considers God’s word to be the most valuable thing a person could have, “I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold”.

The very existence of earth confirms David’s hope, “Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast”. As the earth continues to exist, we know that God’s promises to us stand sure as well. David also writes, “Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.” Let us do likewise, finding joy in serving God now, confident of that future eternal joy when we can serve God forever.

Psalm 119v41-80

— by on

The Psalmist writes “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life”.  We all go through affliction in our lives, but fortunately there is more to life than just sorrow and crying. The affliction is helping us develop characters that are more like God’s character, as the writer acknowledges – “it is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes”, and again “in faithfulness you have afflicted me”. Over and over again we read of David’s love for God’s teaching and commandments, and of others who feel the same way, “I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts”.

God has offered us a better future, eternal joy, at one with Him and others of like mind.  Focusing on that promise can help us endure the affliction of daily life, just as it provided comfort to the Psalmist.  “Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant. Let your mercy come to me, that I may live.”

Psalm 116

— by on

Psalm 116 is one of the reasons I love the Psalms. It describes the relationship we can have with God and the comfort that offers. The Psalmist writes, “I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!””

Psalm 116 also says, “I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live… For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.”

1 Corinthians 15

— by on

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reminds us of the gospel message, with a strong emphasis on resurrection. Jesus died, but the veracity of his resurrection was witnessed by many, including Paul. There was an idea being spread that Christ hadn’t been raised, but if this were the case then Paul’s preaching and our hope is in vain.

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep… in Christ shall all be made alive”. This is the great hope of the gospel, of faithful people stretching back to Abraham. It is not a vain hope, but instead “We shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” 

This is an enormous source of strength and encouragement; a cause for praise and rejoicing, of looking beyond present suffering to future victory. “Death is swallowed up in victory… thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Leviticus 3-4, 1 Corinthians 12

— by on

In Leviticus 3-4 we read of the peace and sin offerings. The peace offering could be public or private, for giving thanks, dedicating a vow, or a voluntary offering. The sin offering was either communal or individual, in response to a specific sin. There were various animals that could be offered, each with their own specific instructions.

For the Israelite, sin either intentional or unintentional required a sacrifice. Sin could not be ignored or hidden. These animal sacrifices could not take away sin; they were merely a consequence.

By contrast, we “are the body of Christ and individually members of it”. Hebrews tells us that “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”, a more perfect sacrifice that allows us to have a relationship with God based on love rather than payment. Rather than sacrifice, it is up to us to “have the same care for one another” for members of the body, to show God’s love to each other.

Psalm 103

— by on

Psalm 103 was written by David, praising God for His love, for giving us hope and offering salvation. It is essentially the gospel message, the good news that God has offered the whole earth. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit”.

Later, “The Lord is merciful and gracious… he does not deal with us according to our sins. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him”.  God is like a father showing compassion on his children. In contrast to the brevity of man’s life, “the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him”.

Let us “keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments”, and in so doing praise and glorify our heavenly Father who has given so much for us.

Psalm 100

— by on

The Psalmist writes, “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” One short verse describes both God’s power and His relationship to us.

We are God’s creation, and just like any earthly artist, God’s creations belong to Him. But that belonging is not just a one way relationship, the way a potter owns the vase they just made. God provides for our every need, in the same way that a shepherd devotes his life to keeping his sheep safe and healthy, providing the best possible conditions for his sheep.

God goes even further than a shepherd or a potter. “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”  God loves us, a strong enduring love that is faithful across countless generations.  The Psalmist encourages us to be affected by that knowledge, to praise God and let everyone know. “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”

Exodus 36

— by on

In Exodus 36, the construction of the tabernacle commences. Two things stand out in this chapter. Firstly, that there were skilled craftsmen to do the work. There wouldn’t have been much call for this skill in Egypt, making bricks, yet we read “Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsmen in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction”. God gave these craftsmen the ability to do the work required, just as He also provides us the skill to work as one body in the ecclesia.

Secondly, the children of Israel answered the call in Exodus 35 for a contribution to such an extent that Moses had to ask them to stop. They had brought so much stuff with them out of Egypt and carried it around in the wilderness to this point, that they had more than enough to build the tabernacle. I don’t know what the Israelites would have thought when they were dragging this stuff through the desert, but we see God’s hand at work in providing for a future need.

So in the middle of a chapter that describes in painstaking detail the construction of the tabernacle, we find clear evidence of God working in the lives of the Israelites. If we look closely we can see God working in our lives too, preparing and providing for future needs.