"Quantum Leap" was a program on TV where a brilliant scientist, Sam, had figured out how to move about in time. (Not believable and I can prove it, but for now we will voluntarily suspend disbelief for the story.) He would "leap" into a situation that required "correction." Hence the name, "Quantum Leap."
Sam would leap in and suddenly become a person in the story at a critical juncture. In a couple of minutes he realizes what is going on and his trademark exclamation would ensue. "Hoo-boy!" He would proceed to "change history," (again impossible) to make things work out for the better. It was a fun show to watch, as long as you kept the caveats in mind.
There is a Quantum Leap story in Acts 8. Saul had begun tp persecute the church and they scattered all over the countryside. Philip went north about 30-35 miles to Samaria. He preached to the people and had a wonderful turning to Christ. People were saved accompanied by tremendous miracles. Peter and John went down there and confirmed everything.
Then the Holy Spirit spoke to Philip and instructed him to leave the prospering church and head south to Gaza. All the way to Gaza is about 49 miles past Jerusalem, but Philip was "on the road." So the 35 miles down from Samaria would be part of the trip then however far down he went. A later note has him going to Azotus, (Ashdod) which is about level with Jerusalem on the map but closer to the Mediterranean Sea.
The point is that Philip traveled a long distance, for a guy on foot, to get to his mission stations. Our short story begins here when Philip encountered the Ethiopian eunuch and preached to him. As they came up out of the water after Philip baptized the eunuch...
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.
I imagine that Mr. E was surprised, but who knows what this God could do? Incidentally a verse from above stands out. The eunuch was reading from Isaiah. He asked Philip who the passage was describing.
...and beginning from this Scripture he (Philip) preached Jesus to him.
Is the Old Testament useful in evangelism? Well it seems that Philip was quite proficient in using it. And it was a good thing, because the New Testament was not yet written. We need to know the Old Testament to understand the New. Read Peter's sermons in the early Acts. But I digress.
Anyway the new believer went on home and probably taught the Scriptures to his household. And in the meantime...
40 ...Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
Hoo-boy! Philip came out of the water and "flash!" the "Quantum Leap" of the New Testament moved Phil to a new location. (Same time, of course, because, like I told you, time travel is not possible.) And, just like Sam, Philip takes up where he left off in the last "episode" and continued preaching, even all the way to Caesarea. This is about 58 miles back north.
Philip seemed to not be fazed by the changes of location. He just rolled with the changes and kept on "doing his thing," which was telling people about Jesus. Some think that he may have been involved with Peter's visit to Cornelius, and Philip was the host for Paul as he was between his missionary trips. (Acts 21:8)
The focus for us is two fold. Be ready at any time to "preach' as Peter said, "...be ready always." (1 Peter 3:15) Second be ready to preach from any passage. Genesis to Revelation is acceptable as Scripture to tell the Story. It all points to Jesus. We need to know our story so that we can tell it.
Read the Old Testament. It does not take a quantum leap to get from anywhere in the Bible to Jesus. It is just a small step.
Monday, March 27, 2017
God's Face, God's Works
How could the Israelites see all of God's miracles and still not believe and follow Him? And more, how can people today see all that God has done and not believe in Him? That was incredulous to the Psalm writer also. Psalm 78 recounts all of the wondrous works (v. 11, 12) but laments, v.32:
In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works.
Adrian Rogers was talking about that and quoted Psalm 103:7.
He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.
Moses wanted to know God intimately. The sons of Israel were satisfied with witnessing His works. It is essentially the difference between infatuation and intimacy. Just as a marriage built on infatuation is almost doomed to fail, one that is based on true intimacy will last through almost anything. Adrian commented that every marriage that he saw fail due to trivial matters was based on trivial motives. Committed marriages did not fail when troubles arose.
And here we find the problem. David in Psalm 25:4 spells it out for us.
Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.
Moses was applying what David penned years later in 1 Chronicles 16:11. He had established Asaph as the singer in the service of the Lord and sang this song. Later repeated in Psalm 105:4.
Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.
Moses had asked to see God's glory in Exodus 33. He was not asking for an every day viewing of a person. Moses wanted a more intimate knowledge of the Lord. God said that Moses could not withstand seeing His "full glory," but he could view "His back."
The Israelites, like anyone else who depends on miracles, soon "forget" what they have seen. They are not changed inside, but were merely affected by the "Gee Whiz!" factor. That is also why the Jews in Jesus' day witnessed His miracles, including the resurrection of Lazarus, and were unmoved. Miracle bread, healings, even raising dead people did not and does not change lives.
Do miracles convince people today? It is not impossible, but often they are dismissed as just coincidence. A friend of ours nearly died as a child from a severe liver condition. After she was healed, the doctor commented that doctors do not always know what is happening. He refused to accept that it was a miracle. Incidentally, she is a grown adult now.
Without the change of heart produced by exposure to God's ways, viewing His Works merely fascinates people. Moses was not satisfied with just knowing what God could do. He wanted to know God. Paul prayed that same thing in Philippians 3:10
...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
God can and does do miracles for us, but that is like the guy who drives the ice cream truck. If his kids only wanted him to give them bars and cones, they would miss out on most of the family benefits. Wanting to know God, does yield "benefits" but, like the kids, we would rather have Daddy than a whole truck load of treats.
Be like Moses and seek to know God's ways. The "acts" will become less important.
In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works.
Adrian Rogers was talking about that and quoted Psalm 103:7.
He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.
Moses wanted to know God intimately. The sons of Israel were satisfied with witnessing His works. It is essentially the difference between infatuation and intimacy. Just as a marriage built on infatuation is almost doomed to fail, one that is based on true intimacy will last through almost anything. Adrian commented that every marriage that he saw fail due to trivial matters was based on trivial motives. Committed marriages did not fail when troubles arose.
And here we find the problem. David in Psalm 25:4 spells it out for us.
Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.
Moses was applying what David penned years later in 1 Chronicles 16:11. He had established Asaph as the singer in the service of the Lord and sang this song. Later repeated in Psalm 105:4.
Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.
Moses had asked to see God's glory in Exodus 33. He was not asking for an every day viewing of a person. Moses wanted a more intimate knowledge of the Lord. God said that Moses could not withstand seeing His "full glory," but he could view "His back."
The Israelites, like anyone else who depends on miracles, soon "forget" what they have seen. They are not changed inside, but were merely affected by the "Gee Whiz!" factor. That is also why the Jews in Jesus' day witnessed His miracles, including the resurrection of Lazarus, and were unmoved. Miracle bread, healings, even raising dead people did not and does not change lives.
Do miracles convince people today? It is not impossible, but often they are dismissed as just coincidence. A friend of ours nearly died as a child from a severe liver condition. After she was healed, the doctor commented that doctors do not always know what is happening. He refused to accept that it was a miracle. Incidentally, she is a grown adult now.
Without the change of heart produced by exposure to God's ways, viewing His Works merely fascinates people. Moses was not satisfied with just knowing what God could do. He wanted to know God. Paul prayed that same thing in Philippians 3:10
...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
God can and does do miracles for us, but that is like the guy who drives the ice cream truck. If his kids only wanted him to give them bars and cones, they would miss out on most of the family benefits. Wanting to know God, does yield "benefits" but, like the kids, we would rather have Daddy than a whole truck load of treats.
Be like Moses and seek to know God's ways. The "acts" will become less important.
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Psalm 51 Confession
David's Psalm has focused on his situation and God's remedy. He admitted his crime and sin and asked for forgiveness. He wanted to make sure that he has not missed anything. Verse 14
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
He had committed a crime against Uriah. It was too late to confess to his loyal warrior, but it was not too late to confess to the Lord. It never is. And out of those ashes, comes praise.
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.
The same lips that lied to Uriah and directed Joab to place him at the front in the heat of battle, are now dedicated to singing and praising. "Sing of righteousness" and "declare praise." We read of the "sacrifice of praise" in Hebrews 13:15
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Note the parallel. The mouth that was murderous and conniving is now singing of righteousness, praise, thankfulness. This is a transformation, a new creation. Did it cost him a lot? Evidently it did. The next verses outline the real price.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.
It is almost as if David is saying that the sacrifice of a possession, regardless of the cost and how precious, is not sufficient. Verse 17 sums it up for us.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
A broken spirit and contrite heart are far more expensive for us and treasured by the Lord. David is the guy who declared that he would not offer a sacrifice to God that did not cost him anything. (2 Samuel 2:24) And for David, being broken in spirit and heart were far more costly than a goat or a bull. He made a true sacrifice.
Dropping a check in the offering plate, regardless of its size, does not please the Lord. The "burnt offering" He desires is our prideful will, going up in flames on the altar. If you want a good study, type "pride" into BibleGateway. I got 46 references in NASB.
Only six of them were positive, and they were Paul, bragging about the faith of his churches. Pride can be good when aimed at someone else, But, like a pistol, it is deadly when pointed at the holder.
David's pride was broken. It is just too bad that the lesson was not passed to his sons. Solomon did okay at first, but then it crept in. But that is another story. Revel in David's victory today. "A broken and a contrite heart," will not be despised.
It started with recognition of his state and concluded with his confession. R and C is refreshing in both soft drinks and spiritual life. Thanks be to God's Name.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
He had committed a crime against Uriah. It was too late to confess to his loyal warrior, but it was not too late to confess to the Lord. It never is. And out of those ashes, comes praise.
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.
The same lips that lied to Uriah and directed Joab to place him at the front in the heat of battle, are now dedicated to singing and praising. "Sing of righteousness" and "declare praise." We read of the "sacrifice of praise" in Hebrews 13:15
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Note the parallel. The mouth that was murderous and conniving is now singing of righteousness, praise, thankfulness. This is a transformation, a new creation. Did it cost him a lot? Evidently it did. The next verses outline the real price.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.
It is almost as if David is saying that the sacrifice of a possession, regardless of the cost and how precious, is not sufficient. Verse 17 sums it up for us.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
A broken spirit and contrite heart are far more expensive for us and treasured by the Lord. David is the guy who declared that he would not offer a sacrifice to God that did not cost him anything. (2 Samuel 2:24) And for David, being broken in spirit and heart were far more costly than a goat or a bull. He made a true sacrifice.
Dropping a check in the offering plate, regardless of its size, does not please the Lord. The "burnt offering" He desires is our prideful will, going up in flames on the altar. If you want a good study, type "pride" into BibleGateway. I got 46 references in NASB.
Only six of them were positive, and they were Paul, bragging about the faith of his churches. Pride can be good when aimed at someone else, But, like a pistol, it is deadly when pointed at the holder.
David's pride was broken. It is just too bad that the lesson was not passed to his sons. Solomon did okay at first, but then it crept in. But that is another story. Revel in David's victory today. "A broken and a contrite heart," will not be despised.
It started with recognition of his state and concluded with his confession. R and C is refreshing in both soft drinks and spiritual life. Thanks be to God's Name.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Ahab the Arab
"Ahab the A-rab" was a song written by Ray Stevens. It probably had nothing to do with Ahab, king of Israel. But I always think of that whenever I read Ahab's story. 1 Kings 20 and 21 has a couple of stories about AtA that illustrate his schizophrenic character. I guess Ray had his Ahab living a double life.
Chapter 20 shows his unstable character in full. Ben-hadad was the King of Aram. Aram was in present day Syria. Ben came against Ahab with 32 crony kings. Later in the chapters the battle scene characterizes Israel as "two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the country."
Ben-hadad sent a message to Ahab,
3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your most beautiful wives and children are also mine.'
Ahab's manly and kingly response was:
"It is according to your word, my lord, O king; I am yours, and all that I have."
Most beautiful wives? Does that include Jezebel? Ben-hadad wanted to make sure that it did.
5 "Thus says Ben-hadad, ‘Surely, I sent to you saying, "You shall give me your silver and your gold and your wives and your children," 6 but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and whatever is desirable in your eyes, they will take in their hand and carry away.'"
Talk about an insult. Not only is Ben-hadad taking everything, he is inspecting the premises to make sure that Ahab had not withheld anything. This was too much even for the groveling Ahab and he rebelled. So the two kings face off.
Ben-hadad was the master of intimidation:
10 Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "May the gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me."
He threatened to wipe Ahab and all of his kingdom, Samaria, off the face of the earth. So Ahab and his 7000 men face the horde of the 33 kings. But Ahab's retort to Ben-hadad is classic.
"Tell him, ‘Let not him who girds on his armor boast like him who takes it off.'"
When I was in high school, our little school (about 100 students) was financially challenged. We played a much larger school in basketball at least one time a year. Imperial had the most impressive sweat suits that they wore during warmups. We would stand in awe when these flashy suits poured out of the locker room and whisked around the court in a choreographed warmup ritual. They looked like the Harlem Globetrotters. We wore some worn warmup jerseys.
One year, our coach realized that we were intimidated and encouraged us. "They put those warmup pants on one leg at a time, just was we do. You are not playing their warmups. There will be five guys out there, just like we have."
Ahab's response was even classier, but it encompassed the same idea. Taking off your warmups is not the time to brag about your victory. And Ahab wiped out the army–with the Lord's help. The next chapter recounts the second attempt by Ben-hadad and the story lists at least 127,000 men who were killed by Israel and the Lord.
And Ben became a servant of Ahab and Israel. A steel backbone did not energize Ahad's first response, but it surely did fire the second and Ahab's victory over Aram and 32 other kings. Incidentally, we usually beat Imperial too. Just so you know. And if we didn't they knew they had been in a fight.
The follow up to the story of Ahab is not so attractive. He allowed Ben-hadad to escape with his life when God had told him to kill him. In return, Ahab would give his life in exchange for Ben-hadad's.
So he returned to Samaria in a funk. He probably lived in Jezreel, either as an retreat, like Camp David, or a second castle. He decided to cheer himself up by building a vegetable garden. (Huh?) Anyway he approached Naboth and offered to trade a nice vineyard for the one next to his house. Naboth refused, as he was complying with God's command not to sell the family inheritance.
And Ahab reacted like the mighty warrior that he was.. 21:4
So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him...And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food.
How mature. Jezebel, his wife found out and asked what was the matter. (Whiney voice) "Naboth will not give me his vineyard. I even offered him money or a better one. I wanted that vineyard. Waaa waaa waaa. (Ed note. Artistic license.)
21:7 "Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
"Pull up your big boy pants, go get something to eat, and be happy." (League's Reversed Version) And with this, we retire to contemplate what we saw. I guess we should call Ahab's behavior Waffling Ahab. Not sure if Ray Stevens ever thought of this, but Schizo Ahab is as interesting as his Arab.
Is there a personal lesson here? Perhaps the best one would be "Guard your heart."
Proverbs 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Ahab was not careful in his words, actions, and wants. He had one flash of brilliance when he trusted the Lord, but sadly that was not his normal "manner of life." Being wise in our thoughts and words will pay off in the long run. Don't be two faced.
Chapter 20 shows his unstable character in full. Ben-hadad was the King of Aram. Aram was in present day Syria. Ben came against Ahab with 32 crony kings. Later in the chapters the battle scene characterizes Israel as "two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the country."
Ben-hadad sent a message to Ahab,
3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your most beautiful wives and children are also mine.'
Ahab's manly and kingly response was:
"It is according to your word, my lord, O king; I am yours, and all that I have."
Most beautiful wives? Does that include Jezebel? Ben-hadad wanted to make sure that it did.
5 "Thus says Ben-hadad, ‘Surely, I sent to you saying, "You shall give me your silver and your gold and your wives and your children," 6 but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and whatever is desirable in your eyes, they will take in their hand and carry away.'"
Talk about an insult. Not only is Ben-hadad taking everything, he is inspecting the premises to make sure that Ahab had not withheld anything. This was too much even for the groveling Ahab and he rebelled. So the two kings face off.
Ben-hadad was the master of intimidation:
10 Ben-hadad sent to him and said, "May the gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me."
He threatened to wipe Ahab and all of his kingdom, Samaria, off the face of the earth. So Ahab and his 7000 men face the horde of the 33 kings. But Ahab's retort to Ben-hadad is classic.
"Tell him, ‘Let not him who girds on his armor boast like him who takes it off.'"
When I was in high school, our little school (about 100 students) was financially challenged. We played a much larger school in basketball at least one time a year. Imperial had the most impressive sweat suits that they wore during warmups. We would stand in awe when these flashy suits poured out of the locker room and whisked around the court in a choreographed warmup ritual. They looked like the Harlem Globetrotters. We wore some worn warmup jerseys.
One year, our coach realized that we were intimidated and encouraged us. "They put those warmup pants on one leg at a time, just was we do. You are not playing their warmups. There will be five guys out there, just like we have."
Ahab's response was even classier, but it encompassed the same idea. Taking off your warmups is not the time to brag about your victory. And Ahab wiped out the army–with the Lord's help. The next chapter recounts the second attempt by Ben-hadad and the story lists at least 127,000 men who were killed by Israel and the Lord.
And Ben became a servant of Ahab and Israel. A steel backbone did not energize Ahad's first response, but it surely did fire the second and Ahab's victory over Aram and 32 other kings. Incidentally, we usually beat Imperial too. Just so you know. And if we didn't they knew they had been in a fight.
The follow up to the story of Ahab is not so attractive. He allowed Ben-hadad to escape with his life when God had told him to kill him. In return, Ahab would give his life in exchange for Ben-hadad's.
So he returned to Samaria in a funk. He probably lived in Jezreel, either as an retreat, like Camp David, or a second castle. He decided to cheer himself up by building a vegetable garden. (Huh?) Anyway he approached Naboth and offered to trade a nice vineyard for the one next to his house. Naboth refused, as he was complying with God's command not to sell the family inheritance.
And Ahab reacted like the mighty warrior that he was.. 21:4
So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him...And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food.
How mature. Jezebel, his wife found out and asked what was the matter. (Whiney voice) "Naboth will not give me his vineyard. I even offered him money or a better one. I wanted that vineyard. Waaa waaa waaa. (Ed note. Artistic license.)
21:7 "Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
"Pull up your big boy pants, go get something to eat, and be happy." (League's Reversed Version) And with this, we retire to contemplate what we saw. I guess we should call Ahab's behavior Waffling Ahab. Not sure if Ray Stevens ever thought of this, but Schizo Ahab is as interesting as his Arab.
Is there a personal lesson here? Perhaps the best one would be "Guard your heart."
Proverbs 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Ahab was not careful in his words, actions, and wants. He had one flash of brilliance when he trusted the Lord, but sadly that was not his normal "manner of life." Being wise in our thoughts and words will pay off in the long run. Don't be two faced.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Psalm 51 Result
Our meditations in Psalm 51 have focused on David and his repentance. He did not "work" for his restoration, but once it was complete he had a practical response. We do not earn our salvation, but once we are "saved" our mode of life is to produce fruit to His praise.
To summarize our previous thoughts, verse 1 records David's contrition. He recognized the One with Whom he was dealing. That is a good starting point. Then he agreed with his condition in verses 2, 3, and 5. "Iniquity, sin, transgressions, evil," are some of the descriptors. This is not a flattering portrait.
So he does the only effective thing that he can: confesses his depravity. The target of David's rebellion was the Compassionate God. David also realized that his Judge would be righteous and justified in whatever he did. There is no presumption here. (V. 4)
And from this foundation, correction arises. Verses 6-12 shows with David beginning at truth and wisdom. Speak the truth and receive wisdom. And look at the results: "purify, wash, joy and gladness, healing, hiding sins, create, renew, do not cast away, restore, sustain."
Out of a grateful heart, we and David make a commitment. We have reached our last contemplation.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.
Experience is the best teacher. And David has seen God's ways intimately. The most powerful witness we have is "my story." David's story is powerful and compelling because we can all identify with him to some extent. There are no "big" sins. Just sins. And the result of our story is "singing" of His righteousness. My lips will praise Him.
And finally we experience communion with the Triune God.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
A "broken spirit" is not one groveling in despair and defeat. It is one that is yielded and committed. Pride is excluded as is self righteousness and self confidence. What a transition from the beginning of the chapter. Time after time we learn that God is the God of the second chance. David reveled in that new beginning.
Is there a better way to begin? "Create in me a clean heart, oh God."
To summarize our previous thoughts, verse 1 records David's contrition. He recognized the One with Whom he was dealing. That is a good starting point. Then he agreed with his condition in verses 2, 3, and 5. "Iniquity, sin, transgressions, evil," are some of the descriptors. This is not a flattering portrait.
So he does the only effective thing that he can: confesses his depravity. The target of David's rebellion was the Compassionate God. David also realized that his Judge would be righteous and justified in whatever he did. There is no presumption here. (V. 4)
And from this foundation, correction arises. Verses 6-12 shows with David beginning at truth and wisdom. Speak the truth and receive wisdom. And look at the results: "purify, wash, joy and gladness, healing, hiding sins, create, renew, do not cast away, restore, sustain."
Out of a grateful heart, we and David make a commitment. We have reached our last contemplation.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.
Experience is the best teacher. And David has seen God's ways intimately. The most powerful witness we have is "my story." David's story is powerful and compelling because we can all identify with him to some extent. There are no "big" sins. Just sins. And the result of our story is "singing" of His righteousness. My lips will praise Him.
And finally we experience communion with the Triune God.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
A "broken spirit" is not one groveling in despair and defeat. It is one that is yielded and committed. Pride is excluded as is self righteousness and self confidence. What a transition from the beginning of the chapter. Time after time we learn that God is the God of the second chance. David reveled in that new beginning.
Is there a better way to begin? "Create in me a clean heart, oh God."
Friday, March 3, 2017
What's In a Name?
Last time we talked about the meaning of names. (What Is Your Name?) We finished with Jacob, the deceiver, receiving a new name from God. Just for the record, the Angel could have dislocated Jacob's hip in the first second, but it seems that he let Jacob continue the "fight" until dawn. Then with one touch He disabled Jacob, proving that Jacob's "success" with men was as illusory as his success with the Angel. God had provided the result as He decreed. The name of Israel was to remind Jacob, as well as others of the real power in life comes from God and not our conniving. (Genesis 32)
Others had their names changed by God. We will look at some of them. Here is a link to as comprehensive a list of changed names as I could find is below. (Don't worry, we won't look at all of them...this time.) There are about 41 names. (With a few repeats.)
Not all of them were divine changes, and in fact Daniel and the three guys were changed by Nebuchadunezzar from Yahweh honoring names to names of Nebby's gods. (I am willing to bet that they got changed back after chapter 3 or 4 for sure.) We will omit them in this discussion.
Naomi, "Beautiful," changed her own name to Mara, or "Bitter" in Ruth 1:20. This was not God ordained, but it was "God reversed" later on. What a beautiful story.
Abram and Sarai are the first two names we find to be changed. Abram meant "high father" and Sarai was "My Princess." Genesis 17 finds God changing their names to Abraham and Sarah. "Father of many nations" and "Mother of nations." These were clearly prophetic because they had, at 99 and 90 years of age, had no children.
A guy named Simon is next. Simon means "God has heard," and Jesus changed it to Peter (Cephus), meaning a rock or stone. Again, this "Peter" was the one who quailed before a servant girl and denied that he knew the Lord there times. He is also the one who led the church during the first days in Acts, preaching with boldness and power, even to the extent that his life was in jeopardy. Quite a change was evident there. (John 1:42)
Saul of Tarsus changed his name to Paul. This was not so much of a switch in outlook as one of ministry. Saul, the Jewish name is Paul in Greek. Paul was sent to the Gentiles, so chose to forego his more Jewish identity to aid in reaching the unsaved. At one point he said that he became all things to all men, so that, by all means, he could win some. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
We could also say that it reflected a change that was the reverse of the Old Testament Saul. He was humble and dedicated to the Lord in the beginning, but was deflected by pride and became an avowed enemy of God's plan. The New Testament Saul went the opposite direction. He literally murdered believers in the mistaken belief that he was going "God's work." God changed him and his new name reflected a totally different person.
We find another interesting case in Hosea 1. Hosea had three children and named the second one Lo-Ruhamah, meaning, "No Compassion or not Loved." Hosea's wife was seemingly unfaithful and he may have doubted his paternity of this child. The third one was Lo-Ammi, "Not My People." This sounds like a pretty harsh assessment.
God had told Hosea to marry this woman in order for the Lord to make a statement to Israel. They had "played the harlot" and worshiped other gods and He was now calling them what they had become. But, we will do a little reverse "rest of the story."
It did not end there. Hosea reconciled with his wife, magnanimously forgiving her wandering and as a sign of acceptance, renaming her children. Lo-Ruhamah became Ruhamah "I will have compassion or Loved," and Lo-Ammi, Ammi. "You are the people of the living God." (2:23)
Chapter 3 sums up the touching story of Hosea and Gomer. It also previews the long term and perpetual relationship between Israel and her God. This is another life changing name change. This was a foretelling of the Lord's forgiveness and that He would accept them forever.
Yet another name change that resulted from "unfaithfulness," to put it mildly, is David's son, Solomon. (2 Samuel 12:23, 24) Solomon means, "He who has made peace." Surely David and Bathsheba needed that, both in their personal relationship and their relations with the Lord. Nathan was sent by the Lord to rename the baby Jedidiah. This was more of a "second name" as opposed to an absolute change. It means "Loved by the Lord."
That certainly could be applied to all of us. Jim, Jedidiah. That has a nice ring. Put your name in there.
Finally, we come to you and me: God says, "I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it." (Revelation 2:17). Most of our examples reflected a change from the old to the new. And to the "overcomer" Jesus promises a new name. Revelation 21:5 quotes God promising to make "all things new." That is not limited to just the new heaven and new earth. (Just)
It is also reflective of what He has already done in our hearts and lives. What's in a name? What is your new name?
Others had their names changed by God. We will look at some of them. Here is a link to as comprehensive a list of changed names as I could find is below. (Don't worry, we won't look at all of them...this time.) There are about 41 names. (With a few repeats.)
Not all of them were divine changes, and in fact Daniel and the three guys were changed by Nebuchadunezzar from Yahweh honoring names to names of Nebby's gods. (I am willing to bet that they got changed back after chapter 3 or 4 for sure.) We will omit them in this discussion.
Naomi, "Beautiful," changed her own name to Mara, or "Bitter" in Ruth 1:20. This was not God ordained, but it was "God reversed" later on. What a beautiful story.
Abram and Sarai are the first two names we find to be changed. Abram meant "high father" and Sarai was "My Princess." Genesis 17 finds God changing their names to Abraham and Sarah. "Father of many nations" and "Mother of nations." These were clearly prophetic because they had, at 99 and 90 years of age, had no children.
A guy named Simon is next. Simon means "God has heard," and Jesus changed it to Peter (Cephus), meaning a rock or stone. Again, this "Peter" was the one who quailed before a servant girl and denied that he knew the Lord there times. He is also the one who led the church during the first days in Acts, preaching with boldness and power, even to the extent that his life was in jeopardy. Quite a change was evident there. (John 1:42)
Saul of Tarsus changed his name to Paul. This was not so much of a switch in outlook as one of ministry. Saul, the Jewish name is Paul in Greek. Paul was sent to the Gentiles, so chose to forego his more Jewish identity to aid in reaching the unsaved. At one point he said that he became all things to all men, so that, by all means, he could win some. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
We could also say that it reflected a change that was the reverse of the Old Testament Saul. He was humble and dedicated to the Lord in the beginning, but was deflected by pride and became an avowed enemy of God's plan. The New Testament Saul went the opposite direction. He literally murdered believers in the mistaken belief that he was going "God's work." God changed him and his new name reflected a totally different person.
We find another interesting case in Hosea 1. Hosea had three children and named the second one Lo-Ruhamah, meaning, "No Compassion or not Loved." Hosea's wife was seemingly unfaithful and he may have doubted his paternity of this child. The third one was Lo-Ammi, "Not My People." This sounds like a pretty harsh assessment.
God had told Hosea to marry this woman in order for the Lord to make a statement to Israel. They had "played the harlot" and worshiped other gods and He was now calling them what they had become. But, we will do a little reverse "rest of the story."
It did not end there. Hosea reconciled with his wife, magnanimously forgiving her wandering and as a sign of acceptance, renaming her children. Lo-Ruhamah became Ruhamah "I will have compassion or Loved," and Lo-Ammi, Ammi. "You are the people of the living God." (2:23)
Chapter 3 sums up the touching story of Hosea and Gomer. It also previews the long term and perpetual relationship between Israel and her God. This is another life changing name change. This was a foretelling of the Lord's forgiveness and that He would accept them forever.
Yet another name change that resulted from "unfaithfulness," to put it mildly, is David's son, Solomon. (2 Samuel 12:23, 24) Solomon means, "He who has made peace." Surely David and Bathsheba needed that, both in their personal relationship and their relations with the Lord. Nathan was sent by the Lord to rename the baby Jedidiah. This was more of a "second name" as opposed to an absolute change. It means "Loved by the Lord."
That certainly could be applied to all of us. Jim, Jedidiah. That has a nice ring. Put your name in there.
Finally, we come to you and me: God says, "I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it." (Revelation 2:17). Most of our examples reflected a change from the old to the new. And to the "overcomer" Jesus promises a new name. Revelation 21:5 quotes God promising to make "all things new." That is not limited to just the new heaven and new earth. (Just)
It is also reflective of what He has already done in our hearts and lives. What's in a name? What is your new name?
What is Your Name?
My Grandad was known for naming his sons, then giving them a nickname. He did the same for our family, as he lived on the farm with us for a while. My sisters were Darlin' and Cookie. My brother was Corky. Grandad told me that he had a special name for me, but I had to earn it.
"A champeen cowboy is called a jughead. So if you work real hard, maybe you can get to be a real Jughead one day," he encouraged. I may have noticed sly smiles when people heard about that, but I just assumed that they was tickled that such a little guy could be a champeen.
When we were together, I would continually ask, "Am I a real Jughead, yet, Grandad?" More smiles.
"Not yet, just keep working at it." Then one day I did something that irritated him. "You jughead!" he thundered. And the jig was up. I had been the butt of one of Grandad's jokes.
He called one of my uncles, "Fluff" because he looked a little "fluffy" according to Grandad. The ironic thing is that this uncle would lift one end of a Model A while his brothers changed a tire.
As they say, "My Mommie din't raise no dummy." And I went back to my given name.
As we read both the Old and New Testaments, we encounter individuals who have had their name changed. Names back then held a meaning, as opposed to now where they are merely "license plates." Names now just identify us as opposed to revealing something about our character. So the change of names is a significant event in peoples' lives.
We will look at some names and their meaning. Then we will revisit the idea again and peruse the changes. Jesus' disciple, Thomas, was also called Didymus, the twin. Names have meanings and it is fascinating to see how this played out in history. It is not clear if the names were prophetic, or coincidental. One quick story that comes to mind is a guy who David met. Nabal, in 1 Samuel 25, was a hot-headed, self-indulgent fool. His name meant foolish.
Another is the twin brothers, Jacob and Esau. Esau, the older was covered with red hair when he was born (Genesis 25) and was named Esau, which means "red." Jacob, born second, gripped the heel of his brother as their births followed very quickly. His name means "supplanter," deceiver, trickster, or several other unflattering things.
Jacob lived up to his name and that has been extensively explored. But let's turn to one of Jacob's sons. Judah was identified as the one through whom the Messiah, the "Seed" of Genesis 3:15, would come. Judah had three sons, and after a sordid and convoluted string of events finally had the one who would continue his line. (Genesis 38)
There were twins in the story again and the subterfuge happened in a prenatal context. As the mother was beginning to give birth, one twin stuck his hand out of the womb. A quick thinking midwife tied a ribbon around the wrist and he "retreated." His brother was born first and the midwife exclaimed, "What a breach you have made." He was named Perez, meaning "breach."
As a young reader, I assumed the "breach" was that one child had begun to emerge, then somehow was replaced by the other, a "breach of protocol" if you please. He "jumped the line." And this could be a legitimate interpretation. Another idea suggested, that Perez was born in the breach position, or as some have described it, "hind parts, foremost."
Either could be correct, it seems. But Perez was the "first born" because he was the "first one out." His brother, Zerah, had broken the plane first, but lost the race. Too bad they did not have Olympic rules back then. The first runner to break the plane is the winner. That is why you see some athletes dive to the finish line, touching it first, even though the rest of their body trails others in the complete crossing. But I digress.
Maybe the second should be called breach, because he tried to get ahead and was defeated. The name, Perez stuck with him all of his life and he even ended up in the line of the Messiah. Everything has a purpose. Maybe you could say I was a "Perez" of my Grandad's joke.
Now turn back the pages to Judah. Genesis 32 tells of Jacob returning home to meet Esau. The night before the confrontation Jacob has an encounter with the Angel of the Lord. This was probably a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus. Jacob separated himself from his party and spent the night "wrestling" with this Angel. As daylight approached, the Angel asked what Jacob wanted.
"Bless me." (V. 26) Is this the same old Jacob? He stole the birthright and the blessing from Esau. Which, incidentally, was why he feared returning home. Jacob also had gotten rich at the expense of his uncle Laban. Now, returning home a wealthy man, he is not satisfied. He wanted more blessing.
But a change was occurring, and Jacob, of all people, needed to see and recognize it. The Angel asked him what his name was. Recall that twice his father had asked this, and Jacob lied, telling his blind father that he was Esau in order to deceive Isaac and get the blessing.
How will Jacob answer? "I am Jacob, the deceiver." He recognized his fault and confessed it This is when the Lord gave him a new name, Israel, as one who strives with God and man. That is not just a meaningless confrontation for the sake of fighting. He was purposely focused on success in his life. Not for a selfish motive, but to be useful and fruitful. He was not perfect after that, but neither was he so deliberately devious.
To be honest, there were probably times when I was a jughead. I just got an early chance to confess it. And we all come to that place with the Lord. The only way He can help us, is if we, like Jacob, confess our name, "Sinner."
Only then can He give us a new name: Children of God. (John 1:12) What is your name?
"A champeen cowboy is called a jughead. So if you work real hard, maybe you can get to be a real Jughead one day," he encouraged. I may have noticed sly smiles when people heard about that, but I just assumed that they was tickled that such a little guy could be a champeen.
When we were together, I would continually ask, "Am I a real Jughead, yet, Grandad?" More smiles.
"Not yet, just keep working at it." Then one day I did something that irritated him. "You jughead!" he thundered. And the jig was up. I had been the butt of one of Grandad's jokes.
He called one of my uncles, "Fluff" because he looked a little "fluffy" according to Grandad. The ironic thing is that this uncle would lift one end of a Model A while his brothers changed a tire.
As they say, "My Mommie din't raise no dummy." And I went back to my given name.
As we read both the Old and New Testaments, we encounter individuals who have had their name changed. Names back then held a meaning, as opposed to now where they are merely "license plates." Names now just identify us as opposed to revealing something about our character. So the change of names is a significant event in peoples' lives.
We will look at some names and their meaning. Then we will revisit the idea again and peruse the changes. Jesus' disciple, Thomas, was also called Didymus, the twin. Names have meanings and it is fascinating to see how this played out in history. It is not clear if the names were prophetic, or coincidental. One quick story that comes to mind is a guy who David met. Nabal, in 1 Samuel 25, was a hot-headed, self-indulgent fool. His name meant foolish.
Another is the twin brothers, Jacob and Esau. Esau, the older was covered with red hair when he was born (Genesis 25) and was named Esau, which means "red." Jacob, born second, gripped the heel of his brother as their births followed very quickly. His name means "supplanter," deceiver, trickster, or several other unflattering things.
Jacob lived up to his name and that has been extensively explored. But let's turn to one of Jacob's sons. Judah was identified as the one through whom the Messiah, the "Seed" of Genesis 3:15, would come. Judah had three sons, and after a sordid and convoluted string of events finally had the one who would continue his line. (Genesis 38)
There were twins in the story again and the subterfuge happened in a prenatal context. As the mother was beginning to give birth, one twin stuck his hand out of the womb. A quick thinking midwife tied a ribbon around the wrist and he "retreated." His brother was born first and the midwife exclaimed, "What a breach you have made." He was named Perez, meaning "breach."
As a young reader, I assumed the "breach" was that one child had begun to emerge, then somehow was replaced by the other, a "breach of protocol" if you please. He "jumped the line." And this could be a legitimate interpretation. Another idea suggested, that Perez was born in the breach position, or as some have described it, "hind parts, foremost."
Either could be correct, it seems. But Perez was the "first born" because he was the "first one out." His brother, Zerah, had broken the plane first, but lost the race. Too bad they did not have Olympic rules back then. The first runner to break the plane is the winner. That is why you see some athletes dive to the finish line, touching it first, even though the rest of their body trails others in the complete crossing. But I digress.
Maybe the second should be called breach, because he tried to get ahead and was defeated. The name, Perez stuck with him all of his life and he even ended up in the line of the Messiah. Everything has a purpose. Maybe you could say I was a "Perez" of my Grandad's joke.
Now turn back the pages to Judah. Genesis 32 tells of Jacob returning home to meet Esau. The night before the confrontation Jacob has an encounter with the Angel of the Lord. This was probably a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus. Jacob separated himself from his party and spent the night "wrestling" with this Angel. As daylight approached, the Angel asked what Jacob wanted.
"Bless me." (V. 26) Is this the same old Jacob? He stole the birthright and the blessing from Esau. Which, incidentally, was why he feared returning home. Jacob also had gotten rich at the expense of his uncle Laban. Now, returning home a wealthy man, he is not satisfied. He wanted more blessing.
But a change was occurring, and Jacob, of all people, needed to see and recognize it. The Angel asked him what his name was. Recall that twice his father had asked this, and Jacob lied, telling his blind father that he was Esau in order to deceive Isaac and get the blessing.
How will Jacob answer? "I am Jacob, the deceiver." He recognized his fault and confessed it This is when the Lord gave him a new name, Israel, as one who strives with God and man. That is not just a meaningless confrontation for the sake of fighting. He was purposely focused on success in his life. Not for a selfish motive, but to be useful and fruitful. He was not perfect after that, but neither was he so deliberately devious.
To be honest, there were probably times when I was a jughead. I just got an early chance to confess it. And we all come to that place with the Lord. The only way He can help us, is if we, like Jacob, confess our name, "Sinner."
Only then can He give us a new name: Children of God. (John 1:12) What is your name?
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