January 12, 2024
January 12, 2024
Read Genesis 12, Psalm 12, John 12
In Genesis 11 we find the people trying to make a name for themselves. Their attempt is without God and full of pride. In Genesis 12 we find the Narrative of Abram beginning with a call from the Lord. God tells Abram, if he will obey and follow His leading “I will make your name great” v. 2. What a contrast we find in these two chapters. God not only promises to make a great name for Abram, but he also promises that He will become a great nation that will be a blessing to all the other nations. Are there things in our life we attempt to do on our own and in our own power? If God is our creator, He knows us best, why do we fight Him and following his ways for our lives?
After Abram moves with his family to the land of the Canaanites, God also makes another promise to Abram. “To your offspring I will give this land” v. 7. Think about this promise, it was not one that Abram would enjoy himself, but one his “offspring” would see down the future. Hundred of years later, God would keep his promise and the Israelites would come to inherit the land. The idea of “paying it forward” comes to mind here. Abram’s obedience would not benefit anything to him personally in this promise but He was wise enough to follow through for the sake of his family far into the future.
The last part of Genesis 12 we find Abram being not so concerned with others, especially his wife Sarai, and he tells Sarai to lie about his relationship with him in order to save his own life. God acts to protect the promise and strikes the Egyptians with serious diseases. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. We may be strong in a particular area of life but weak in another. When are you tempted to not trust the Lord most often? If you can identify your weaknesses this will go a long way in guarding against them and learning to lean more on the Lord.
Speaking of lying, Psalm 12 is a psalm of David. He speaks about those who lie to each other. “Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception” v. 2. David desires people to not be taking advantage of by a lying tongue. He asks for God to act and stop those who would lie. The Lord responds, “’I will now arise’, says the Lord. ‘I will protect them from those who malign them’” v. 5. David speaks about how the vile act of lying is “honored among men.” Lying is often seen as the smallest of sins committed by people. Humanity makes little of it. “Who does it hurt if someone lies?” many will ask. A great many people have been put in jail for lying and many honest people imprisoned for the lies of others. We must learn to love the truth and speak it to others. Truth honors God.
In John 12 we have two stories of honoring Jesus. First Mary takes some “pure nard, an expensive perfume” v. 3 and pours it on Jesus’ feet to anoint Him. Going further she takes her hair, which was considered a woman’s glory and wipes Jesus’ feet with it to clean them. What can you and I give, our best, to worship and honor Jesus with? This act is so moving Jesus proclaims, “’Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me’” vv. 7-8. We should seek to honor Jesus when we can with what we have.
The second story in John 12 of honor Jesus comes with his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus rides the donkey as prophecy tells us into the city and the people shout “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes I the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” v. 13. But not everyone there was pleased to see Jesus come into the city like that. The last part of John 12 is a commentary of the rejection of Jesus by many of the Jews. John quotes Isaiah 6:10 which speaks of those in Israel that would reject the message. Why would the Jews, specifically the religious leaders who knew the Scripture reject Jesus as the Christ. The answer is found in verse 43, John writes, “for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” We can either seek to elevate ourselves or have God be the one to make us into who He wants. We can either honor and worship the Lord or we can honor and praise ourselves.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you? Add your comments below.
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Posted by John Weldon
January 11, 2024
January 11, 2024
Read Genesis 11, Psalm 11, John 11
Every day that we live we can do one of two things. We can point people toward God with our words and actions or we can point people to ourselves and other people. It’s either the creator or the creation. The story of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11 is an example of the latter. Men got together and decided that they wanted “make a name” v. 4 for themselves by building a tower that “reaches to the heavens” v. 4. The question may cross your mind? Why would God scatter and divide people? Doesn’t God want peace and unity in the human race? I think the answer lies in the actions God took. By staying together in a large city, it would be a protective measure for all that lived there. God wanted his creation to reach out to Him in times of need and to call on Him to provide for us. Another important part of this is the command that God gave men to “fill the earth” (1:28, 9:1,7) both before and after the flood. How can you live today and make God known? John the Baptist has great advice for all of us; “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).
The rest of Genesis 11 gives the godly genealogy of Shem. As you can see from the ages of his descendants, there is a gradual decline in the life span of the sons. The final verses of Genesis 11 lead us up to the next chapter about Abram. It has been said by some scholars that more time may have passed in Genesis 1-11 than has passed from Genesis 12 – Revelation 22 even to the present day.
We can see a similar theme in Psalm 11. David exclaims “In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: Flee like a bird to your mountain” v. 1. David would rather be in the presence of the Lord in the temple than away from Him. David became short-sighted and forgot that there is no place that God cannot be. In one of the later psalms David would write; “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:7-8). God is always present with His people. David is confident and knows that “For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face” v. 7.
The narrative of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11 is one the greatest miracles we have recorded in the Gospels. Again, much like Jesus’ statement a couple of chapters earlier Jesus proclaims that “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” v. 4. Jesus was ready to point people to the works of God, through Himself as God. The disciples remind Jesus of the danger they faced in Judea. The slow and dimwitted disciples do not yet understand what Jesus will do, but they are ready with obedience to follow Jesus as Thomas exclaims, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” v. 16. Let this be a lesson for all of us, we must obey when we know God is leading us, even if we do not understand.
Mary and Martha and the disciples wonder why Jesus would delay and not act sooner. “’Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died’” v. 21. Sometimes we have hope and trust in Jesus, we just misunderstand the method or measure of time that God’s chooses to work in our life. Jesus answers her with one of the seven “I am…” sayings in John. “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” vv. 25-26. It’s not so much about how Jesus will work, it is more about who He is to do the work of God.
What other words, phrases, or themes do you see in these passages? What are some things you have seen God work in your life in the past that were not answered like you thought they would be? What are some things that you trust in the Lord in life now? Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
January 10, 2024
January 10, 2024
Genesis 10 is the genealogy of Noah and his three sons. There are seventy sons listed from the three sons of Noah. Seventy is a number in Jewish culture of completeness. There were seventy that were listed traveling to Egypt from Jacob’s family during the famine (Genesis 46). Many have speculated that this genealogy is not a direct father to son list. It may only list the predominant sons in the family lines. These names only account for the men in the family and very few women are named in many of the genealogies in the Bible. Japheth (vv. 2-5) descendants are said to have settled near the seas (likely the black, Caspian, and Mediterranean seas). Next the sons of Ham (vv. 6-20) are named and many of the names are actually groups of people rather than names. This cursed line of sons connects with the nation of Babylon. Last the sons of Shem (vv. 21-32) are listed briefly but they will take a more prominent role in Genesis 11 with the godly line that is listed. One final thing to note, In Genesis 10 verses 5, 20, and 31 talk about “individual languages” this is not a contradiction with Genesis 11:1. We must remember the author of Genesis is writing looking back at the 70 people groups as they are today.
Psalm 10 is a psalm where the author seems to wonder about the hiddenness of God. “Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” v. 1. The wicked seem to get the upper hand and the psalmist seems to think he is prosperous over the righteous people. There are probably times in our lives when we feel the same way. People that cheat or cut corners, to get ahead at work or school seem to never get caught. One of the characteristics of the psalms is their personal nature and the raw emotions that the authors record. It can help us identify with others and know that we are not alone in our thoughts. In the middle section of the psalm the author cries out to the Lord to do something, “Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless” v. 12. At the end of the psalm the author reminds himself of the promises of God. “The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. 17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry” vv. 16-17. There are two promises here. First, God will judge the nations, those who do evil will be perish. Second, God hears their cry for help and he will encourage them.
In John 10, Jesus is the good shepherd who looks after the flock. Jesus is contrasted against the devil who comes in personified as the wolf. One of the most used examples and illustrations in the Bible is that of sheep and the shepherd. That is what the nation of Israel knew best. They were nomadic shepherds for the most part. Jesus was throwing some shade toward the religious leaders of the day, calling them “thieves and robbers” v. 8. Jesus knew they didn’t care for the sheep like He did. Verse 10 has always been a special verse to me. It shows the black and white motivations between the devil and Jesus. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
The last part of John 10 is a continued conversation between Jesus and the religious leaders. Jesus boldly claims to be the one that gives eternal life. The religious leaders question him and try to get him to profess that He is the Christ. Jesus tells them they would know if they were really His sheep. Jesus boldly claims to be “one” with the father and this incites the Jews to pick up stones again to stone Jesus. Many contemporaries who deny that Jesus claimed to be God have looked at John 10:28-30 and sold it short. They try to say Jesus meant “one in spirit” or some other less than full meaning. The key is the response of the Jews in verse 33. “’We are not stoning you for any of these,’ replied the Jews, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’” They knew exactly what Jesus meant when he said it and if they misunderstood what Jesus meant, why then would Jesus not correct them and deny he meant that? The answer can only be, because that’s exactly what Jesus meant to say and imply. All the other contemporary religions and cults that branch off of Christianity will all differ here with who Jesus is.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stick out to you? Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
January 9, 2024
January 9, 2024
Read Genesis 9, Psalm 9, John 9
Genesis 8 starts out “But God remembered Noah,” now Genesis 9 begins “Then God blessed Noah.” After everything that Noah had been through, the blessings come last. This is true for most of the things we face in life. We struggle through difficult circumstances and if we are faithful, in the end we see the blessings. For the Christian this is the ultimate truth. We face all the temporary earthly trials in life, but to the faithful come the blessings of eternal life yet to come. For Noah, one of these blessings from God was the ability to eat not only the plants he provided, but now “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything” v. 3. Some prefer the Daniel diet of Vegetables and water, others the Noah diet, “everything!” To each their own. The one exception is that people are not to eat meat that still contains lifeblood in it. God will demand an accounting for not only every human, but also every animal. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man” v. 6. From the very beginning we learn of the value of humanity. The reason? Because man is made in the image of God. This should cover everything from before birth to our very eldest.
The most important part of Genesis 9 is the covenant that God made with Noah. It is an everlasting covenant, (“a covenant for all generations to come” v. 12). God promises never to again destroy the world by flood. God sets the symbol of the rainbow to be a reminder of the covenant. Is it interesting that scientifically we know that the rainbow only appears when there is water in the atmosphere, when it has rained. Just in case we needed the reminder. There are various thoughts on a biblical interpretation of the flood. Was it a localized flood, regional, or covering the entire globe? One of the pieces of evidence for a global flood lies with the promise of God to never flood the earth again is this; we know there have been local and reginal floods in history, but never have we had a reordered flood that covered the entire world. If you dig into many cultures across the globe, we have over a dozen traditions of a flood that occurred.
The last part of Genesis 9 invites many questions. What did Ham do? Why did Noah curse his son Canaan and not Ham? Why did Noah name him Ham? (only joking here!) This space is too short to answer this question, but Kenneth Gangel and Stephen Brammer list the five most popular thoughts on what Ham did.
1. Some sort of incest between Ham and his mom based on a phrase in Lev. 18:8 and for cursing Cain and not Ham as a possible incest child. 2. An action of homosexuality between Ham and his dad, hence the phrase “what his youngest son did to him.” 3. An act of trespassing in the tent. 4. An act where Ham attempted to blackmail or embarrass his father or become the dominant male in the house. 5. An accidental or purposeful viewing of his father that was not treated properly with respect because he spoke about it to his brothers. – Genesis OT Holman commentary pg. 95.
Psalm 9 is another psalm of David that speaks of his judgment upon the world and the wicked. We often speak of God as a loving and compassionate God, which He is. But this is only half of it. God is also a just and holy God who punishes the wicked for their deeds. David writes, “The Lord reigns for ever; he has established his throne for judgment. 8 He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice” vv. 7-8. There are hints of Genesis in this psalm too. “For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted” v. 12. David ends the psalm by saying, “The Lord is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands” v. 16. In contemporary culture we like to place the word “justice” in front of something as if to make it seem noble or right. Climate justice, reproductive justice, economic justice, racial justice, and so on and so on. The thing to remember is that justice is determined by God, his nature and law. Simply dressing up a word with justice does not make something right or wrong. Without God there can be no object moral law. We are only left with one option, a subjective view where everything is opinion. No one could call what the Nazis did in Germany as wrong if there were not objective moral right and wrongs.
John 9 is the story of Jesus healing a blindman. Jesus’ disciples notice him and ask the question that shows us the typical Jewish assumption of the time. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” v. 2. Many people assumed that physical infirmity was brought on to someone based on a sin they or a parent committed. Sometimes the Bible does give us a reason like that, but it is not always the case. Jesus squashed their assumptions by telling them that neither of these reasons were the cause of his blindness. His answer is encouraging to all of us who face difficult circumstances. Jesus responds with “this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” v. 3. Have you ever considered that the things you face and battle in life might also be an opportunity for God to display his work in your life. I know we all want to immediately exit these difficult circumstances in life, but maybe God has another plan. Maybe God would use our difficulties to bring glory to God and point people to Him. We can see this in the rest of John 9. The religious leaders demand an explanation for the man and his parents. The blindman gives testimony to them about what happened.
In the last part of John 9 Jesus reveals himself to the blindman and he believes in him. With onlookers standing by Jesus declares “Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind’” v. 39. The pharisees nearby ask if they are also blind and Jesus tells them they are indeed spiritually blind to the things of God.
What else do you see in these three chapters? What words or phrases or themes stand out to you? Add your thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
January 9, 2024
January 8, 2024
Read Genesis 8, Psalm 8, John 8
What are some things that you will never forget? Depending on how old you are, you might recall some of the details surrounding; the moon landing, when JFK died, when Elvis died, where you were when the challenger space shuttle exploded, the 9/11 attack, when Michael Jackson passed away, when a family member got married and on and on. These were big events in your life that made an impact on your mind. On a side note, many skeptics will balk at the idea of the gospels being written down years or decades after Jesus had died and risen from the dead, but we must remember that Jesus’ resurrection was a huge event like many of the ones listed above. You might not remember what you had for breakfast 20 years ago, but you will remember the significant events that impacted your life.
Genesis 8 starts out, “But God remembered Noah” (and all the animals too). We are not talking about a God with amnesia here. This phrase is an anthropomorphic (places a human-like character trait on an object or something not human) phrase that shows that God cares and has compassion for Noah and the animals. God is the creator of the universe and everything in it. He could have hit the reset button, but he didn’t. He chooses to save that which He has compassion for. Over a year passes and the ark finally comes to rest on the mountains. The Lord dries up the waters and tells Noah he can leave the ark safely. The first thing Noah does is to offer and sacrifice to God for His protection. When we come to appreciate and love God for what He has done for us, we should desire to thank Him or give Him praise.
In Psalm 8 we have a similar theme. David gives praise to God, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” v. 1, David is in awe of who God is and for His interest in His creation. He acknowledges that God is the creator of the “moon and stars” v. 3. Yet in verses 4-5 he sees the personal nature of God, “what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”
In John 8 we read the story of the woman caught in adultery. Most bibles have a note in them telling you that the earliest manuscripts do not contain John 7:53-8:11. My opinion is that it was not in the original manuscripts but was likely a scribal addition later when documents were being copied. I personal believe this interaction between Jesus and the women took place and was later added in from other sources or the oral tradition. Nothing in the 12 verses seems out of place or “unlike Jesus” from the other Scriptures. Jesus craftily keep the Law of Moses and single handedly dismissed the woman’s accusers. Jesus was mindful of this sinful woman and showed her compassion in her time of need.
The majority of John 8 is a dialog between Jesus and the Pharisees. It is started by Jesus’ statement, “I am the light of the world.” There are seven “I am” statements in the gospel of John. Jesus and the Pharisees hold a discussion over the authority to do and say the things that Jesus does. Then the conversation turns over to fathers. Jesus claims that God is His Father, the Pharisees want to name Abraham as their father, but Jesus disagrees. “’If you were Abraham’s children, said Jesus, ‘then you would do the things Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things’” vv.39-40. The Pharisees object that they are not illegitimate children and Jesus agrees with them here, but plot twist, Jesus tells them “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire” v. 44.
In the final section of John 8, the pharisees get mad and start name-calling Jesus. That’s usually what happens in an argument when one side is losing or they don’t have their facts straight, they resort to ad-hominem attacks (a.k.a. name calling). Christians are not exempt from this either. We need to study and know what and why we believe least we get embarrassed and start it too. In John 8:58 Jesus makes one of the most pivotable statements in all the Gospels. The confused pharisees think Jesus claims to be alive during the time of Abraham, He was just not like they think. They question Him on this and Jesus replies with a quote from Exodus 3. When Moses asks God in the burning bush what His name is, God responds with “I AM WHO I AM” v. 14. Jesus tells the pharisees, “before Abraham was born, I am!” v. 58. You might say, well that’s not really saying He is God, but to the pharisees of the day they knew exactly what Jesus meant. We can tell by their reaction, they picked up stones to stone him. If someone were to commit the sin of blasphemy the punishment was death by stoning. We will see even more clearing from another interaction with Jesus and the pharisees in John 10 that this is what was going on.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stick out to you? Do you understand just have mindful that God is toward you just like he was with Noah, David, and the woman caught in adultery? Add your thoughts and comments below.
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Posted by John Weldon
January 7, 2024
January 7, 2024
Read Genesis 7, Psalm 7, John 7
Genesis 7 is the continuation of Noah and the flood. When there are really well-known stories in the Bible that you read, I would urge you to pay very close attention to the details that you read. Many times, the details get changed unintentionally because they are repeated so often by people like the “telephone game” you may have played when you were younger. What things do you see that you may have forgotten or read too quickly. Verses 1-2 explain that Noah was to take seven pairs of clean animals and one pair of unclean animals on the Ark. Verse 9 explains that these animals “came to Noah and entered the Ark.” I’m sure Noah was glad he did not have to go search for them all. Genesis 7:17 says that it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. All throughout the Bible the number forty is often used as a “testing” period in someone’s life. Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness, Jesus fasted for 40 days before he was tempted by the Devil, and Elijah ran for 40 days to Mount Horeb away from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:8). What testing times have you had in your life? How did you weather them? God used the Ark to protect Noah and his family. How will you allow God to protect you during testing times?
Psalm 7 continues this same theme of protection. David calls God his “refuge.” He calls out to God to deliver him from “all those who pursue me” v. 1. David then does an interesting thing; he asks God to examine him. “O Lord my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands – if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe – then let my enemy pursue and over take me” vv. 3-5. David is asking for justice from God no matter who is at fault. No doubt this is a rare character trait of many people today. People often only want justice when it benefits them all the while ignoring their own failings. The flood in Genesis 7 was God’s righteous judgment on the world for their wickedness.
John 7 records the time Jesus went to the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths as it was also called was a time where Israel remembered and celebrated how God provided for them when they left Egypt and went into the desert. They would celebrate it for a week by building “booths” to live it for the week. Jesus had already stirred up some hate from the Jews to the point where they were looking for a way to kill him. Jesus’ own brothers were goading him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles. Why? Not because they wanted his ministry to grow, the Scriptures say “For even his own brothers did not believe in him” v. 5. I’m sure Noah had his nah sayers, but Noah still had his family. Jesus own earthly brothers did not believe in him. Jesus stayed at home and away from Jerusalem.
However, Jesus did delay his going but instead decided to go in secret. He went and began to teach the people. The people are amazed at his teaching and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” v. 15. The people start putting two and two together and realize this is probably the same man that they are trying to kill for healing on the Sabbath. The Jewish leaders sent the temple guards after Jesus but His teaching is so good that they cannot find it in themselves to arrest him.
The key verse in John 7 is verse 37. The scripture tells us that it was the “last and greatest day of the Feast.” The Jewish tradition tell us that a Rabbi or Jewish leader would take a jar of water and pour it out on the ground while they read from the account in Exodus where God provided the water for Israel from the rock. It is at this point where Jesus exclaims, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink” v. 37. Jesus is claiming to be the living water from the Old Testament that was provided for Israel in the wilderness.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stick out to you? How has God provided an ark and protected you in past times? Write your comments below?
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Posted by John Weldon
January 6, 2024
January 6, 2024
Read Genesis 6, Psalm 6, John 6
I’m not sure if you have been on a cruise before or not but if you have not, they have a mandatory muster drill that everyone must take part in. A muster drill is a mandatory safety exercise with the objective to familiarize all guests and crew with the location (muster station) where they are to assemble in the unlikely event of an emergency, as well as additional safety information. You usually assemble at your assigned lifeboat where if need be, you can safely board and leave your cruise ship. In Genesis 6 we see a different type of lifeboat that God has created for Noah and his family. The Bible says Noah was “a righteous man” and had “found favor with God.” The rest of the earth, had become wicked and corrupted in the ways. The chief verse that gives us a hint at how bad it got says, “every inclination of the thoughts was only evil all the time” v. 5 What percent of thoughts in our culture would we guess is focused on evil? With the exception of Noah, it appears to be close to 100 percent in the days of Noah. How important it is to guard our thoughts? Out of our thoughts come our beliefs, our words, and our actions.
God gives Noah the plans to build an ark. This rather large boat took years to build and tells him that he will establish “my covenant with you” v. 18. A covenant was a promise and agreement made between two parties (Gen. 9: 8-11). This was the first time this word is used in the Bible. This past summer my wife and I made it up to Williamstown, Kentucky to see the life-size ark that was built by Ken Hamm and the Answers in Genesis organization. I highly recommend a visit. The people are amazing friendly and the information you will gain will no doubt help you as you think about all the how’s that came with the Ark.
Psalm 6 is a psalm of David. He is crying out to God for deliverance. David questions, “How long, O Lord, how long?” v. 3. David speaks of a flood, a different type of one, “all night long O flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears” v. 6. The circumstances that David is going through have brought him to a place where he felt like God had abandoned him or forgotten him. I know we all have times like that when it comes to God moving and acting in our lives and situations. Like the flood in Genesis 6 we do not know when God may choose to act in our lives as well. We do not know what He is doing in preparation for us in the background. The last few verses of Psalm 6 we see the resolution, apparently God has moved, acted, and delivered David. He writes, “the Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer” v.9. While we are in difficult circumstances it is harder to keep our faith and trust in the Lord. It is always easier to see when we look back and see the complete picture.
In John 6 we read about one of the larger miracles that Jesus did by feeding 5,000 plus people a meal from five loaves of bread and two fish. What faith Peter had to suggest this could be used by Jesus. Author and apologist, Lee Strobel points out about faith in his book The Case for Faith;
“You can have very little faith in thick ice and it will hold you up just fine; you can have enormous faith in thin ice and you can drown. It’s not the amount of faith you can muster that matters up front. It may be tiny, like a mustard seed. But your faith must be invested in something solid.”
Equally great, Jesus next step is to walk on the water to the boat in which the disciples are miles away from shore. Not much is made of the disciples and their reaction to this, but rather the Gospel of John intentionally focuses on the crowd that is following Jesus. Aware of their motives, Jesus calls them out, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill” v. 26. The crowds were following Jesus for their own personal benefit and not for who He was as Messiah and God in the flesh. This leads Jesus to teach on what really matters, having eternal life and finding life in Him. At the end of John 6 Jesus tells his listeners that he is the bread of life, there is a comparison with the bread (Mana) that the Israelites ate in the wilderness in Exodus, but Jesus teaches a “hard teaching” v. 60 that many of his followers could not grasp, in response they turn away and leave him. What was this hard teaching, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” v. 53. Of course, Jesus was not talking about some cannibalistic ritual, but rather speaking metaphorically about his future journey to the cross. Jesus explained this more at the last supper with his disciples the week that he would go to the cross. Why do you seek the Lord? Is it for some benefit that he gives you? He feeds your stomach, and you are satisfied. I’m afraid there is a movement by many contemporary Christians today to claim a part of Christianity, but really for selfish reasons. It has been given the name “Therapeutic Moralistic Deism.” There is no real interest in seeking the God of the Scriptures, rather people try to take on Christian morals for their own personal benefit. They want the happy marriage, the best-behaved kids, to live at peace with people, or to live out the American dream in their lives. Following Christ is hard, it will not win you friends with the world, but it will win you eternal life and favor with the God of creation. I hope you will trust in the lifeboat that is Jesus Christ. He is the thick ice that we can place our weak faith in.
What else do you see in these three chapters? What words or phrases or themes stick out to you? There is so much to pull from these passages. Share you thoughts below.
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Posted by John Weldon
January 5, 2024
January 5, 2024
Read Genesis 5, Psalm 5, John 5
My apologies for the Star Trek reference in the title. I’m not a big Star Trek fan, a “Trekkie” as they are called, but I have seen enough episodes to know the phrase comes from the Vulcans in the series. When you read Genesis 5 you will immediately notice this is a genealogy. The book of Genesis has two different lines of genealogies all through the whole book. Some follow a godly line of people and others a not so godly line. The last part of Genesis 4 is a decent into wickedness. It starts with Cain and his murder of Abel and then goes to Lamech who ends up bragging to his two wives that he has killed a man for injuring him vv. 23-24. Now in Chapter 5 we follow the Godly genealogy of Adam through Seth. It ends with Noah the only one found righteous on the earth at the time of the flood.
The second thing you probably noticed right away was the ages of the men named. The ages range from 365 years with Enoch to 969 with Methuselah. Enoch was one of two men that the Bible says never died. What a simple epitaph we have recorded about Enoch, “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” v. 24. Some have noted the 365 days in a year match his years. What a brief but powerful funeral message! Someone once showed me that if you do the math, when the flood waters came on the earth with Noah, it apparently occurs the same year that Methuselah died[JW1] . Was God waiting for the last of the righteous to pass away before He unveiled his plan to Noah? I’ll let you be the judge.
Skeptics will balk at the ages of these men. They may say it’s not possible. First, none of us knows, we were not here to see for ourselves. After the flood we do see the ages falling back down. God does make a statement about man’s years being 120 (Genesis 6:3). I once had a Bible study teacher suggest that perhaps the atmosphere was very different before the flood. The flood narrative describes water that was above in the atmosphere (Gen. 7:11). We do have written records in Sumerian literature that credits three kings as living 72,000 total years. Most think they were just having a humble brag moment in their reign.
Psalm 5 is another Psalm of David. The middle verses stand out to me. vv. 4-6 talk about a God who takes no pleasure in evil nor with the men who practice it. David says, “You destroy those who tell lies” v. 6. The next three verses vv. 7-9 speak of the great mercy that God bestows on the righteous. “But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house” v. 7. This takes me back to the two genealogies in Genesis. There are those that follow the Lord and those that do not. Remember, no one is perfect or without sin, but the trajectories of the two are contrasted.
John 5 is the narrative of Jesus healing a man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath. It always fascinates me in this story that Jesus asked a question “Do you want to get well?” v. 6. This is a “yes or no” question. The man responds with a “why” answer to a question Jesus never asked. “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred” v. 7. It seems that the man was focused on his problem and not the solution that stood right before him. When it comes to the problems that we face, do we tend to look at the problems or do we look to the solution to the problems? Sometimes we can focus on the wrong things.
This healing on the Sabbath launches Jesus in persecution by the Jews. Jesus will later explain what keeping the Sabbath is about and what it was not about. Jesus speaks plainly about His authority and the testimony of the Scripture which speaks of him. He tells the Jews plainly, you study the Scripture but you do not come to Jesus who the Scriptures speak of.
What other words or phrases or themes do you see in these three chapters? What stands out to you when you read them? What questions do you have about these passages? Write them down and dig into some answers when you can go back and research them more. Add your comments below.
[JW1]By adding the numbers between Methuselah and Noah (187 + 182) and accounting for Genesis 7:6 where Noah was 600 years old it is possible to consider that Methuselah died in the flood or just before it began. (187+182+600 = 969.)
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Posted by John Weldon
January 4, 2024
January 4, 2024
Read Genesis 4, Psalm 4, John 4
I forget who said it, but someone once told me a great definition of a sacrifice; “Sacrifice is giving up something you love for something you love more.” In Genesis 4 is the first recorded sacrifices given to God. Cain who worked the soil brought “some of the fruits of the soil” v. 3. Abel “brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” v. 4. The passage tells us that God looked with favor on Abel’s but not with Cain’s. What’s the difference? Was it the type of sacrifice brought, crops vs. animal sacrifice? From the wording and some help from the New Testament we can see it was not the type it was the quality of the sacrifice that caused the Lord to not look in favor of Cain’s sacrifice. The words “fat portions” and “firstborn” lead us to think that these were the choice animals of Abel. Hebrews 11:4 tells us that Abel “offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.”
Then we have Cain’s reaction. He kills his brother in anger, not for anything his brother did to him but for what he failed to do himself. Do we ever lash out at others for something that we did or did not do? Is our reaction based on jealousy or covetousness when we were the ones who did not offer our best? It was not a competition between Cain and Abel, God’s response tells us this, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” v. 7. Then God says “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Sin is personified as a wild beast ready to attack us. God tells us we must “master it.” This phrase relates to discipline. We can master certain talents, skills, or wisdom. Here we are encouraged to master the choice to give in to sin and fight off the temptation to do something that is not right.
Cain is driven from the area in which he killed Abel. He contests that those who find him will kill him. You might ask, “who is going kill Cain, his parents?” Genesis 5:4 tells us that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters. What many do not understand about the Scriptures is that many times they only highlight certain people or stories. They do not tell the whole story especially related to the genealogies.
Psalm 4 has some words of advice that Cain as well as we could learn from. Verse 4 tells us a similar thing that James does, “In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” Our first responsibility is to master our response to our anger. It’s okay to be angry, especially when we are wronged. Even Jesus got angry when people treated him or his father’s house wrong. David encourages us to “search your heart and be silent.” The next verse he tells us, “offer right sacrifices and trust the Lord” v. 5. My previous pastor used to tell me, “You can’t stop the birds from flying around in the air, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair.” Simply put, we cannot control what other people do but we can control what is related to ourselves.
John 4 is the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. Jesus asks for a drink from the well and a conversation begins. Jesus tells the woman that she could have “living water” from him if she only knew “gift of God” v. 10 and who he was. Then Jesus tells her “I who speak to you am he” v. 26. The woman wants to divide with Jesus about the proper place to worship. The Samaritans claimed it was in Samaria while the Jews said it was in Jerusalem. Jesus reminds her that the right place is Jerusalem but that one day it won’t matter where the Father will not be worshiped in either place. Worship is closely related to sacrifice. Who or what do you worship? Is it a job? Family? A Celebrity? A Musician? Hopefully the Lord comes first on that list.
What words and phrases and themes do you see in these verses? What speaks to you in the time and circumstances that you are in now? What things get you angry enough to tempt you to do something you should not? Is the Lord what you worship and what you love more than anything else?
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Posted by John Weldon
January 3, 2024
January 3, 2024
Read Genesis 3, Psalm 3, John 3
Genesis 3 describes the fall of humanity. Sin is real and so are the consequences. People often make little of sin. We compare ours to others, we minimize our own and point the finger at everyone else. After God confronted Adam and Eve in the garden, the blame game started. Each one pointed the finger at the other. Adam not only blamed Eve, but he even threw some shade toward the Lord with “the woman you put here with me…” v. 12. If you have ever been around children, you know this is par for the course, but sadly adults do not respond much better. Each one had their own consequences, each consequence was different, but related to who they were and the role they had. We must learn to confess our sins. It starts with acknowledging that we are sinners (Romans 3:23) and we need to act where we cannot.
Satan is also real. Here he is disguised as the “serpent” whose sole plan is to mislead and cause doubt to enter the picture. The first four words from his mouth were, “Did God really say” v. 1. According to the latest Barna worldview survey’s, most people who identify as Christians do not believe in a literal Satan.
Four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that Satan “is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” An additional two out of ten Christians (19%) said they “agree somewhat” with that perspective. A minority of Christians indicated that they believe Satan is real by disagreeing with the statement: one-quarter (26%) disagreed strongly and about one-tenth (9%) disagreed somewhat. The remaining 8% were not sure what they believe about the existence of Satan.[JW1]
If Adam and Eve could not fend off the temptation of the servant what hope is there for us? Although we are like Adam and Eve; descended and designed in like manner we have hope. The solution for us all, one Adam and Eve would not see, was hinted at in the Garden when God pronounced his judgment on the serpent. “he will crush your head, and you will strike his heal” v. 15. A future single male descendant of Eve’s would crush the serpent one day. We know now looking back that Jesus was this promised deliverer.
In Psalm 3 we read a psalm of deliverance. David wrote it when he fled from his son Absolom who was trying to take the kingdom away from his own father. In the midst of trouble, David would call on the Lord and trust that God would be “a shield around me” v. 3. Even when David was in the minority and only had a few hundred men, when he was protected by the Lord, he was confident in God’s deliverance.
One of the repeated words and theme in the Gospel of John is the word “believe.” It is used 98 times in the fourth gospel and only 56 times in the remaining 26 New Testament books. John 3 is a much beloved chapter in the Bible. It contains John 3:16 where Jesus tells Nicodemus “that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Let’s not forget the grace gift that God gave to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. He “made garments of skin” for them and covered their nakedness. The implication is that an animal had to be sacrificed to provide the skins for them. This was just the beginning of the sacrifices that would have to be made for everyone going forward who sought forgiveness. Jesus came to give us the ultimate grace gift by giving his life on the cross for our sins. Jesus death on the cross was the final sacrifice that was made for the sins of all humanity.
What else sticks out to you in these chapters? What words or phrases catch your eye? Add your thoughts below.
[JW1]https://www.barna.com/research/most-american-christians-do-not-believe-that-satan-or-the-holy-spirit-exist/
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Posted by John Weldon
DId God Really Say... 