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kissesfromkatie
Be blessed. Savor grace. Spill it all out for Jesus.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Beautiful in God's Sight
"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." (Psalm 32:1-2)
King David. A man after God's own heart. A man. A great leader and worshipper of the Lord, but still a man. Just a man. Battling sin.
I hope you have kept up with our readings through God's Word as we watch the story of David's life unfold. This is some of the best stuff until we get to the life of Christ. I have loved reading through the psalms, too! Nothing speaks to my heart quite like them, and they make the most beautiful expression of prayer that I know. Anything I need to pray, I find that it's already there in the psalms, mostly penned by David's hand himself.
Last week we came to the story of David and Bathsheba. It was our first introduction to the "human" side of David where we witnessed him battle with his own flesh. Up until now, we have only seen him as a man of honor and integrity, continually seeking the Lord's direction and obeying wholeheartedly, passionately worshipping his God. But last week we watched his passions lead him into sin. He faced a different kind of battle than all the peoples he had fought and conquered. He faced "every man's battle," and he lost.
Now, as women, we tend to become very judgemental of King David at this point, and he can lose his credibility in our eyes. But hold on there, sister. I want to take this devotion from a very different point of view. We're not going to look at David's sin. We're going to look at Bathsheba's mistake.
A mistake from which I hope we will learn. A mistake I pray we will choose not to make ourselves.
"One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful...." (2 Sam. 11:2)
Now if you know the story, you know that King David's whole army had gone off to battle (as all good kings do in the spring), but David had chosen to stay in Jerusalem and not go off to war with his men for some reason. So all the fighting men in Jerusalem were gone. That means Bathsheba's husband was off at war, too.
Re-read this part: "From the roof he saw a woman bathing." Now we can assume that David's palace was quite grand and tall. Surely his balcony overlooked all of Jerusalem from above. And surely Bathsheba knew this.
I want to be careful not to assume anything on her part, and I surely don't want to falsely accuse her of intentionally seducing the King. But intentional or not, she did.
And we as women need to take heed and learn.
Whether intential or not, ladies, we as women can make "every man's battle" much harder than need be. We must quit pointing the accusing finger at them and check ourselves first. I would love to require (can I do that?) every woman to read For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn. You will so much better understand the battle every man faces, and you will be equipped to be considerate enough of the men around you not to make that battle any harder than it already is.
Not only do we ourselves need to take note, but many of us are raising girls in a not-so-modest world, and many of us have influence over young women who need guidance in this area. And we ALL live in a country where you can't walk into the mall, let alone go through your mail, without having your eyes accosted by half-naked, voluptious women. For those of us raising sons in this culture, our work is certainly cut out for us!
So what is the lesson we women can learn from Bathsheba's mistake? Wisdom and cautious modesty. Surely she knew that the King was likely to have a view of her choice of bathing spots. Did she miss the attention of her husband and so decide to make herself feel desired again by bathing in David's view? Did she think it was just a harmless, little treat for his eyes? Or did she have hopes that he would send for her? We really don't know. But what we also don't find in Scripture is Bathsheba resisting David's advance. Yes, he was the King, but a godly woman full of wisdom would have urged God's anointed not to do such a thing and bring reproach from the Lord upon himself.
What makes all of this so much worse is that she was a married woman. And David knew it. Did you notice what the servant said to David when he sent to inquire about Bathsheba? "The man said, 'Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?'” (2 Sam. 11:3; emphasis mine) It's as if God was giving David the opportunity to resist the seduction that Satan had thrown in his path. But David's flesh got the best of him, and he fell.
Bathsheba seemed to enjoy the attention, too. Girls, this is serious stuff. It is never o.k. for us to enjoy the attention of any man except our husband's. Seduction is the hallmark of the Enemy. Satan seduced Adam and Eve in the garden with gaining the knowledge of good and evil, feeding their appetites with delicious, sinful fruit. He has been seducing mankind ever since.
If you are married, your body is for your man only. We walk a fine line between making ourselves attractive to our husbands without making ourselves attractive to other men. Of course, for some of us, pregnancy leaves us with bodies that solve that problem! Ha! But if you're blessed to have a body that returns back to normal, keep your sexy clothes to times when only your hubby gets to enjoy the view. And be sure to show up for church when we get to the book of Song of Solomon. It will be better than any marriage workshop we could have, I'm sure!
If you are not married, your body belongs to God alone. Every believer's body belongs to God, but yours has not been given yet by God to a man to be enjoyed. Read what God has to say about our bodies in Paul's letter to the Corinthians: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Cor. 6:18-20; emphasis mine) You belong to God alone. So honor Him. His commands are for your protection.
These truths from God's Word have been lost in our culture. Anything goes. And parents are sadly turning a blind eye to it. So are friends, co-workers, and sometimes even spouses. "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." (Eph. 4:18-19; emphasis mine) Girlfriends, you can start by turning off the television! Even kids shows these days are causing them to "lose sensitivity" to sexual impropriety. Even the latest "G-rated" movie about a bunny hinted at Hugh Heffner and playboy bunnies! Good grief! The only reason I protected my children's hearts from that subtle, slippery slope was because I check it out at plugged in movie reviews (Focus on the Family). Then I could make the decision not to take my children to see it. Hollywood seduces us to think these things are funny. Dear one, sin is anything but funny.
May I make a suggestion? Fall down on your knees and pray that God will prevent you from losing sensitivity to sexual purity. And if you already have, then ask God to restore that sensitivity within you. It is a constant battle in this world, and Paul knew it. We must seek the power of God to cleanse our hearts and restore our purity by His Spirit within us.
So how does a godly woman look? What does biblical womanhood look like? You might be surprised just how much God has to say about the subject.
"...women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control." (1 Tim. 2:9-15) (now you know why I teach women, not men--although they are always welcome to join us...but I do not assume to be their teacher--that is a man's role; I seek, rather, to learn from them)
Let's focus on the words Paul used to describe biblical womanhood:
Here is more instruction from God's Word--very important instructions to us as women!
"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." (Titus 2:3-5)
Notice there are two sets of instructions from Paul to his student Titus: one for older women and one for younger women. But who is supposed to teach and train the younger women? The older women! And this is where the huge gap exists in our biblical womanhood today, because we are in a great shortage of "Titus 2" women training the young women of our day.
Unfortunately, the older women of our day came through the "women's lib" era and have a very different mindset than what Paul describes here. A true Titus 2 woman who imparts wisdom to young moms and single women of how to be beautiful biblically is a rare treasure these days. If you find one, cling to her as your mentor and soak up every wise word from her lips! I am blessed to have one of these precious women living at the end of my street. I prayed for God to send one into my life, and He graciously answered that prayer. He will do the same for you, my friend. I am also blessed to have several "Titus 2 women-in-the-making" among my homeschool mom friends. I pray that God will raise up many at LifeBridge Church so that we can fulfill our God-given role to the next generation--our daughters and their husbands and children.
Now let's go back and look at those instructions, noting every quality God desires.
Older women:
To really grasp the full meaning of God's teaching in this all-important passage to women, we need to read it in the King Jame's Version. The wording of the KJV gives us more insight:
"That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."
I had a wonderful book recommended to be by some sisters in Christ a few years ago, and it was entirely written around this verse. I will forever recommend it to other women, because it focuses on true biblical womanhood: Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. Her website has excerpts that have saved marriages!
Let me share a glimpse of what I learned. Let's look at those key words again in the KJV.
sober
love their husbands
love their children
discreet
chaste
keepers at home
good
obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed
What do these words mean?
1) sober--in addition to refraining from drunkenness, this also means a reality check of the following (this is a definition from Merriam-Webster's dictionary):
2) love their husbands (read 1 Corinthians 13 for how to love God's way)
3) love their children (ditto #2, plus read Hints on Child Training for how to love your children God's way; go ahead and purchase The Mission of Motherhood, too, because it's excellent--one of my favorites!)
4) discreet--exactly what Bathsheba was NOT; we must be discreet with our words, too, dear sisters; here is the dictionary definition:
5) chaste--Bathsheba failed at this one, too.
7) good--(dictionary) virtuous, right, commendable (see Proverbs 31 for the best example of this--words straight from a mother's heart to her son, the king)
8) obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed--o.k., ladies--this topic of submission is highly unpopular in our world today, and the word is even quite often omitted from wedding vows now. But according to this verse, there are some serious consequences to us not taking submission to our husbands seriously. And I do mean SERIOUS. According to the God-inspired words of Paul here, when we are disobedient to our husbands, we can cause the word of God to be blasphemed (maligned--NIV; reviled--ESV). Do you know what the bible has to say about blaspheming God?
I know I have recommended a lot of books here, but I must recommend a few more: A Woman After God's Own Heart and Beautiful in God's Eyes, both by Elizabeth George. These were the first two books I read on biblical womanhood, and they would be a great starting point for anyone seeking to do the same.
If you are single, I highly recommend you read Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris. He also wrote I Kissed Dating Goodbye. This new book, however, focuses on how to have a godly courtship when you find the person you want to consider marrying (parents of teenagers, take note as well!). Courtship to pursue marriage is very different than dating around for fun and pleasure. It protects both of your hearts, as well as your purity. You may have seen the book his twin younger brothers wrote, called Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. Now they lead conferences around the country: The Rebelution. Incidentally, their parents used Hints on Child Training for wisdom in raising their children to live godly lives and influence their generation for God's purposes and God's glory. And that is what they are doing!
So what we will do on our watch, ladies?
It's swimsuit season. What are you and your daughters saying to a watching world? Are you influencing those around you for your glory, or for God's?
Bathsheba's carelessness led King David into temptation and sin. The consequences were quite serious for their son born due to their adultery--death, and also to David's entire family line. "Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife." (2 Samuel 12:10) We began reading about those consequences this week with Absalom and Tamar. Much more sin and shame are still to come in this anointed family line. All because a woman failed to be "discreet and chaste, a keeper at home." Wow.
Thank God for His goodness and mercy that does not leave us without hope! He made a way for us to be forgiven! "But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast." (2 Sam. 14:14b)
David poured out his heart in repentance before God in Psalm 51. I read this psalm as a prayer of confession practically every day. Sometimes I use Romans 7 instead. Whether Paul's words or David's words, we find the cries of our own hearts right there on the pages of Scripture. They were human just as we are. We can learn from their struggles with sin.
And we can also rejoice with them in their and our victory over sin through the redeeming blood of our Savior Jesus! Let's do that now with David as he praises God with the words of Psalm 103:
Psalm 103
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the LORD, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Now, go make yourself beautiful in God's sight!
"But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening." (1 Peter 3:4-6)
King David. A man after God's own heart. A man. A great leader and worshipper of the Lord, but still a man. Just a man. Battling sin.
I hope you have kept up with our readings through God's Word as we watch the story of David's life unfold. This is some of the best stuff until we get to the life of Christ. I have loved reading through the psalms, too! Nothing speaks to my heart quite like them, and they make the most beautiful expression of prayer that I know. Anything I need to pray, I find that it's already there in the psalms, mostly penned by David's hand himself.
Last week we came to the story of David and Bathsheba. It was our first introduction to the "human" side of David where we witnessed him battle with his own flesh. Up until now, we have only seen him as a man of honor and integrity, continually seeking the Lord's direction and obeying wholeheartedly, passionately worshipping his God. But last week we watched his passions lead him into sin. He faced a different kind of battle than all the peoples he had fought and conquered. He faced "every man's battle," and he lost.
Now, as women, we tend to become very judgemental of King David at this point, and he can lose his credibility in our eyes. But hold on there, sister. I want to take this devotion from a very different point of view. We're not going to look at David's sin. We're going to look at Bathsheba's mistake.
A mistake from which I hope we will learn. A mistake I pray we will choose not to make ourselves.
"One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful...." (2 Sam. 11:2)
Now if you know the story, you know that King David's whole army had gone off to battle (as all good kings do in the spring), but David had chosen to stay in Jerusalem and not go off to war with his men for some reason. So all the fighting men in Jerusalem were gone. That means Bathsheba's husband was off at war, too.
Re-read this part: "From the roof he saw a woman bathing." Now we can assume that David's palace was quite grand and tall. Surely his balcony overlooked all of Jerusalem from above. And surely Bathsheba knew this.
I want to be careful not to assume anything on her part, and I surely don't want to falsely accuse her of intentionally seducing the King. But intentional or not, she did.
And we as women need to take heed and learn.
Whether intential or not, ladies, we as women can make "every man's battle" much harder than need be. We must quit pointing the accusing finger at them and check ourselves first. I would love to require (can I do that?) every woman to read For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn. You will so much better understand the battle every man faces, and you will be equipped to be considerate enough of the men around you not to make that battle any harder than it already is.
Not only do we ourselves need to take note, but many of us are raising girls in a not-so-modest world, and many of us have influence over young women who need guidance in this area. And we ALL live in a country where you can't walk into the mall, let alone go through your mail, without having your eyes accosted by half-naked, voluptious women. For those of us raising sons in this culture, our work is certainly cut out for us!
So what is the lesson we women can learn from Bathsheba's mistake? Wisdom and cautious modesty. Surely she knew that the King was likely to have a view of her choice of bathing spots. Did she miss the attention of her husband and so decide to make herself feel desired again by bathing in David's view? Did she think it was just a harmless, little treat for his eyes? Or did she have hopes that he would send for her? We really don't know. But what we also don't find in Scripture is Bathsheba resisting David's advance. Yes, he was the King, but a godly woman full of wisdom would have urged God's anointed not to do such a thing and bring reproach from the Lord upon himself.
What makes all of this so much worse is that she was a married woman. And David knew it. Did you notice what the servant said to David when he sent to inquire about Bathsheba? "The man said, 'Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?'” (2 Sam. 11:3; emphasis mine) It's as if God was giving David the opportunity to resist the seduction that Satan had thrown in his path. But David's flesh got the best of him, and he fell.
Bathsheba seemed to enjoy the attention, too. Girls, this is serious stuff. It is never o.k. for us to enjoy the attention of any man except our husband's. Seduction is the hallmark of the Enemy. Satan seduced Adam and Eve in the garden with gaining the knowledge of good and evil, feeding their appetites with delicious, sinful fruit. He has been seducing mankind ever since.
If you are married, your body is for your man only. We walk a fine line between making ourselves attractive to our husbands without making ourselves attractive to other men. Of course, for some of us, pregnancy leaves us with bodies that solve that problem! Ha! But if you're blessed to have a body that returns back to normal, keep your sexy clothes to times when only your hubby gets to enjoy the view. And be sure to show up for church when we get to the book of Song of Solomon. It will be better than any marriage workshop we could have, I'm sure!
If you are not married, your body belongs to God alone. Every believer's body belongs to God, but yours has not been given yet by God to a man to be enjoyed. Read what God has to say about our bodies in Paul's letter to the Corinthians: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Cor. 6:18-20; emphasis mine) You belong to God alone. So honor Him. His commands are for your protection.
These truths from God's Word have been lost in our culture. Anything goes. And parents are sadly turning a blind eye to it. So are friends, co-workers, and sometimes even spouses. "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." (Eph. 4:18-19; emphasis mine) Girlfriends, you can start by turning off the television! Even kids shows these days are causing them to "lose sensitivity" to sexual impropriety. Even the latest "G-rated" movie about a bunny hinted at Hugh Heffner and playboy bunnies! Good grief! The only reason I protected my children's hearts from that subtle, slippery slope was because I check it out at plugged in movie reviews (Focus on the Family). Then I could make the decision not to take my children to see it. Hollywood seduces us to think these things are funny. Dear one, sin is anything but funny.
May I make a suggestion? Fall down on your knees and pray that God will prevent you from losing sensitivity to sexual purity. And if you already have, then ask God to restore that sensitivity within you. It is a constant battle in this world, and Paul knew it. We must seek the power of God to cleanse our hearts and restore our purity by His Spirit within us.
So how does a godly woman look? What does biblical womanhood look like? You might be surprised just how much God has to say about the subject.
"...women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control." (1 Tim. 2:9-15) (now you know why I teach women, not men--although they are always welcome to join us...but I do not assume to be their teacher--that is a man's role; I seek, rather, to learn from them)
Let's focus on the words Paul used to describe biblical womanhood:
- respectable apparel
- modesty
- self-control
- good deeds
- quietness
- full submission
- quiet among men (unless asked to contribute by them, of course, but men lead us spiritually--and if you do not have a husband to be your spiritual leader, then you look to your father, your pastor, or another respected brother in Christ to teach and lead you)
- childbearing
- faith
- love
- holiness with self-control
Here is more instruction from God's Word--very important instructions to us as women!
"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." (Titus 2:3-5)
Notice there are two sets of instructions from Paul to his student Titus: one for older women and one for younger women. But who is supposed to teach and train the younger women? The older women! And this is where the huge gap exists in our biblical womanhood today, because we are in a great shortage of "Titus 2" women training the young women of our day.
Unfortunately, the older women of our day came through the "women's lib" era and have a very different mindset than what Paul describes here. A true Titus 2 woman who imparts wisdom to young moms and single women of how to be beautiful biblically is a rare treasure these days. If you find one, cling to her as your mentor and soak up every wise word from her lips! I am blessed to have one of these precious women living at the end of my street. I prayed for God to send one into my life, and He graciously answered that prayer. He will do the same for you, my friend. I am also blessed to have several "Titus 2 women-in-the-making" among my homeschool mom friends. I pray that God will raise up many at LifeBridge Church so that we can fulfill our God-given role to the next generation--our daughters and their husbands and children.
Now let's go back and look at those instructions, noting every quality God desires.
Older women:
- reverent
- not slanderers (how many women have you heard slander a man lately? ...and too many young men these days are rising up to be exactly what they hear women declaring them to be...and it's not an encouraging sight for young women seeking a man they can follow in life and faith)
- not addicted to much wine
- teach what is good
- train the younger women
- all of the younger women's instructions (because you must possess them before you can impart them)
- love your husband
- love your children
- self-controlled
- pure
- busy at home
- kind
- subject to your husband
To really grasp the full meaning of God's teaching in this all-important passage to women, we need to read it in the King Jame's Version. The wording of the KJV gives us more insight:
"That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."
I had a wonderful book recommended to be by some sisters in Christ a few years ago, and it was entirely written around this verse. I will forever recommend it to other women, because it focuses on true biblical womanhood: Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. Her website has excerpts that have saved marriages!
Let me share a glimpse of what I learned. Let's look at those key words again in the KJV.
sober
love their husbands
love their children
discreet
chaste
keepers at home
good
obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed
What do these words mean?
1) sober--in addition to refraining from drunkenness, this also means a reality check of the following (this is a definition from Merriam-Webster's dictionary):
- marked by sedate or gravely or earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor
- marked by temperance, moderation, or seriousness
- showing no excessive or extreme qualities of fancy, emotion, or prejudice
2) love their husbands (read 1 Corinthians 13 for how to love God's way)
3) love their children (ditto #2, plus read Hints on Child Training for how to love your children God's way; go ahead and purchase The Mission of Motherhood, too, because it's excellent--one of my favorites!)
4) discreet--exactly what Bathsheba was NOT; we must be discreet with our words, too, dear sisters; here is the dictionary definition:
- having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct and especially in speech : prudent; especially : capable of preserving prudent silence
- unpretentious, modest
- unobtrusive, unnoticeable
5) chaste--Bathsheba failed at this one, too.
- innocent of unlawful sexual intercourse
- pure in thought and act : modest
- severely simple in design or execution : austere
- clean, spotless
7) good--(dictionary) virtuous, right, commendable (see Proverbs 31 for the best example of this--words straight from a mother's heart to her son, the king)
8) obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed--o.k., ladies--this topic of submission is highly unpopular in our world today, and the word is even quite often omitted from wedding vows now. But according to this verse, there are some serious consequences to us not taking submission to our husbands seriously. And I do mean SERIOUS. According to the God-inspired words of Paul here, when we are disobedient to our husbands, we can cause the word of God to be blasphemed (maligned--NIV; reviled--ESV). Do you know what the bible has to say about blaspheming God?
- "Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death." (Lev. 24:16)
"but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" (Mark 3:29)- "And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." (Luke 12:10)
- "And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed." (2 Peter 2:2)
- "But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively." (Jude 1:10)
I know I have recommended a lot of books here, but I must recommend a few more: A Woman After God's Own Heart and Beautiful in God's Eyes, both by Elizabeth George. These were the first two books I read on biblical womanhood, and they would be a great starting point for anyone seeking to do the same.
If you are single, I highly recommend you read Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris. He also wrote I Kissed Dating Goodbye. This new book, however, focuses on how to have a godly courtship when you find the person you want to consider marrying (parents of teenagers, take note as well!). Courtship to pursue marriage is very different than dating around for fun and pleasure. It protects both of your hearts, as well as your purity. You may have seen the book his twin younger brothers wrote, called Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. Now they lead conferences around the country: The Rebelution. Incidentally, their parents used Hints on Child Training for wisdom in raising their children to live godly lives and influence their generation for God's purposes and God's glory. And that is what they are doing!
So what we will do on our watch, ladies?
It's swimsuit season. What are you and your daughters saying to a watching world? Are you influencing those around you for your glory, or for God's?
Bathsheba's carelessness led King David into temptation and sin. The consequences were quite serious for their son born due to their adultery--death, and also to David's entire family line. "Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife." (2 Samuel 12:10) We began reading about those consequences this week with Absalom and Tamar. Much more sin and shame are still to come in this anointed family line. All because a woman failed to be "discreet and chaste, a keeper at home." Wow.
Thank God for His goodness and mercy that does not leave us without hope! He made a way for us to be forgiven! "But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast." (2 Sam. 14:14b)
David poured out his heart in repentance before God in Psalm 51. I read this psalm as a prayer of confession practically every day. Sometimes I use Romans 7 instead. Whether Paul's words or David's words, we find the cries of our own hearts right there on the pages of Scripture. They were human just as we are. We can learn from their struggles with sin.
And we can also rejoice with them in their and our victory over sin through the redeeming blood of our Savior Jesus! Let's do that now with David as he praises God with the words of Psalm 103:
Psalm 103
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the LORD, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Now, go make yourself beautiful in God's sight!
"But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening." (1 Peter 3:4-6)
Saturday, April 9, 2011
A Man after God's own Heart
Good morning all!
Well, it has been way too long since I've written a blog. I miss sharing this journey with you! But I have LOVED our small group conversations on Sunday mornings about our Bible readings. What an incredible journey we are on as we read through all of God's Word together!
I apologize for having to drop the writings for a while. I have had some health challenges (nothing serious) that caused me to have to change the way I spent my time for a little while. Plus we continued to have kids sick off and on, and then on top of all of that just LIFE. Family and ministry keep us very busy, and I had to step back and pray for God to show me where I needed to be spending my time so that I didn't neglect what was most important to Him.
With that said, I sure hope you are keeping up with your Bible readings for the year. There is nothing so important as knowing God through His Word! Everything we do while in this life on this earth is preparing us for Eternity. Look at every task and activity that way. It's all about Eternity. It's all about God. Are you all about God?
While on a homeschool fieldtrip yesterday with several families who are some of our most precious friends on the planet, one of the dads had a phone call he answered. He is a hard-working, very successful business man who runs one of the top tree removal and landscaping businesses in Houston. But he is SO family-oriented and down-to-earth. He lives to serve his family and his Lord. They are also a rescue family with Little Footprints and currently have a precious newborn in their home.
I overheard him "messing with" the man on the phone in a fun way, saying, "__________, you think about hunting; I think about God." He chuckled, but anyone who knows this man knows it's true. Seeds watered and planted for the Kingdom! I have no doubt that my friend will continue to share Jesus with this man until he becomes a follower of Christ.
This week we read about Saul and David. If you have fallen behind, THIS IS THE PLACE TO PICK UP AGAIN!!!! You HAVE to know the life of David to understand so much of what is in the Bible and to see the beauty and richness of the Psalms. God called him a "man after My own heart." He loved the worship that took place in the make-shift tent/tabernacle of King David so much that He intends to rebuild it (Acts 15:16). Not Moses' tabernacle, not Solomon's temple, but David's tent. There was something extra special to God about that place: the wholehearted worship that took place within it. My best friend recommended a book to me a few years ago called God's Favorite House by Tommy Tenney that talks all about this. God is "homesick" for David's tent. May we also build for God every Sunday a house of worship full of people passionately seeking Him so that He longs to be there like David's tent!
DON'T MISS THIS CRUCIAL TIME OF GROWING! We all should long for God to see us as men and women after His own heart and to call our church His favorite place of worship like He did with David!
My homeschool friend is certainly a man after God's own heart, as is my precious husband and so many of the dads we are blessed to have influencing our sons, both in our homeschool group and in our church. These men are a treasure hard to find in our generation. May we all encourage and support our husbands in being men willing to do foolish things for the Lord, as David did when he danced with reckless abandon down the streets before His God. May we never ridicule them, as his ungodly wife Michal did (you will read about this later), for loving God passionately.
As moms, may we be committed to doing the hard and counter-culture job of raising modern-day knights devoted to serving and loving their God in a world that tells them to "obey their thirst." If you study any character in the Bible other than Jesus, may it be David. And if you are a woman raising a son or if you have influence in a young man's life, may you pray for God to give you wisdom and use the life of David as well as the book of Proverbs (written by David's son Solomon) to guide you. May we not repeat the sad, sad story we read about last week in Judges when a new generation grew up that did not know the Lord or follow His commands (Judges 2:10). Moms, aunts, grandmas and sisters, IT IS OUR WATCH! What will we do with it?
My husband has been doing some devotions with Caleb from a book called The Squire and the Scroll. It is a fantastic book for boys. When I was at a homeschool conference a few years ago, I found a companion book that has awesome devotions for dads to do with their sons to teach them what it means to be a godly young man who is prepared to be a godly husband and humble leader for the Kingdom of God some day. Caleb has enjoyed the picture book for the last few years (of course--what boy doesn't love a story about a young man slaying a dragon and being made a knight!), but just recently they began doing the devotions in this new season of Caleb's life. Now he understands the deeper meaning behind this excellent story!
You can order them from Christian Book Distributers: Squire and the Scroll/Princess and the Kiss. As you will see, there is also a book for girls called The Princess and the Kiss. I'm doing it with Courtney, and it is excellent. It also has the companion devotional book. I thank God for tools like this that equip us as parents to fulfill the job God gave us when He entrusted His children to us. "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deut. 6:6-7) Take note of the first part of that Scripture: these words shall be upon YOUR heart, mom and dad. They must be upon your heart before you can teach to your children and train them in the way they should go.
Enjoy your study of the life of David--the youth who defeated a giant by the power of God, and the one from whom our Lord would eventually come.
"...the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people....” (1 Samuel 13:14)
"And David had success in all his undertakings, for the LORD was with him." (1 Samuel 18:14; ESV)
Well, it has been way too long since I've written a blog. I miss sharing this journey with you! But I have LOVED our small group conversations on Sunday mornings about our Bible readings. What an incredible journey we are on as we read through all of God's Word together!
I apologize for having to drop the writings for a while. I have had some health challenges (nothing serious) that caused me to have to change the way I spent my time for a little while. Plus we continued to have kids sick off and on, and then on top of all of that just LIFE. Family and ministry keep us very busy, and I had to step back and pray for God to show me where I needed to be spending my time so that I didn't neglect what was most important to Him.
With that said, I sure hope you are keeping up with your Bible readings for the year. There is nothing so important as knowing God through His Word! Everything we do while in this life on this earth is preparing us for Eternity. Look at every task and activity that way. It's all about Eternity. It's all about God. Are you all about God?
While on a homeschool fieldtrip yesterday with several families who are some of our most precious friends on the planet, one of the dads had a phone call he answered. He is a hard-working, very successful business man who runs one of the top tree removal and landscaping businesses in Houston. But he is SO family-oriented and down-to-earth. He lives to serve his family and his Lord. They are also a rescue family with Little Footprints and currently have a precious newborn in their home.
I overheard him "messing with" the man on the phone in a fun way, saying, "__________, you think about hunting; I think about God." He chuckled, but anyone who knows this man knows it's true. Seeds watered and planted for the Kingdom! I have no doubt that my friend will continue to share Jesus with this man until he becomes a follower of Christ.
This week we read about Saul and David. If you have fallen behind, THIS IS THE PLACE TO PICK UP AGAIN!!!! You HAVE to know the life of David to understand so much of what is in the Bible and to see the beauty and richness of the Psalms. God called him a "man after My own heart." He loved the worship that took place in the make-shift tent/tabernacle of King David so much that He intends to rebuild it (Acts 15:16). Not Moses' tabernacle, not Solomon's temple, but David's tent. There was something extra special to God about that place: the wholehearted worship that took place within it. My best friend recommended a book to me a few years ago called God's Favorite House by Tommy Tenney that talks all about this. God is "homesick" for David's tent. May we also build for God every Sunday a house of worship full of people passionately seeking Him so that He longs to be there like David's tent!
DON'T MISS THIS CRUCIAL TIME OF GROWING! We all should long for God to see us as men and women after His own heart and to call our church His favorite place of worship like He did with David!
My homeschool friend is certainly a man after God's own heart, as is my precious husband and so many of the dads we are blessed to have influencing our sons, both in our homeschool group and in our church. These men are a treasure hard to find in our generation. May we all encourage and support our husbands in being men willing to do foolish things for the Lord, as David did when he danced with reckless abandon down the streets before His God. May we never ridicule them, as his ungodly wife Michal did (you will read about this later), for loving God passionately.
As moms, may we be committed to doing the hard and counter-culture job of raising modern-day knights devoted to serving and loving their God in a world that tells them to "obey their thirst." If you study any character in the Bible other than Jesus, may it be David. And if you are a woman raising a son or if you have influence in a young man's life, may you pray for God to give you wisdom and use the life of David as well as the book of Proverbs (written by David's son Solomon) to guide you. May we not repeat the sad, sad story we read about last week in Judges when a new generation grew up that did not know the Lord or follow His commands (Judges 2:10). Moms, aunts, grandmas and sisters, IT IS OUR WATCH! What will we do with it?
My husband has been doing some devotions with Caleb from a book called The Squire and the Scroll. It is a fantastic book for boys. When I was at a homeschool conference a few years ago, I found a companion book that has awesome devotions for dads to do with their sons to teach them what it means to be a godly young man who is prepared to be a godly husband and humble leader for the Kingdom of God some day. Caleb has enjoyed the picture book for the last few years (of course--what boy doesn't love a story about a young man slaying a dragon and being made a knight!), but just recently they began doing the devotions in this new season of Caleb's life. Now he understands the deeper meaning behind this excellent story!
You can order them from Christian Book Distributers: Squire and the Scroll/Princess and the Kiss. As you will see, there is also a book for girls called The Princess and the Kiss. I'm doing it with Courtney, and it is excellent. It also has the companion devotional book. I thank God for tools like this that equip us as parents to fulfill the job God gave us when He entrusted His children to us. "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deut. 6:6-7) Take note of the first part of that Scripture: these words shall be upon YOUR heart, mom and dad. They must be upon your heart before you can teach to your children and train them in the way they should go.
Enjoy your study of the life of David--the youth who defeated a giant by the power of God, and the one from whom our Lord would eventually come.
"...the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people....” (1 Samuel 13:14)
"And David had success in all his undertakings, for the LORD was with him." (1 Samuel 18:14; ESV)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
A Holy Dwelling (Ex. 29-Lev. 10)
"You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless." (Exodus 22:21-24)
Yesterday Angie Trevino, Amanda Finke and I attended an anti-human trafficking conference that was incredibly eye-opening. Did you realize the I-10 corridor in Houston is the #1 hot spot in the U.S. for human-trafficking? Some of those are domestic, and some foreigners, some minors and some adults, both male and female, some for sex and some for labor--but all of it breaks the heart of God and goes directly against His commands to His people.
Since we just read the above Scripture last week, I had to include it in light of all we learned at the Free the Captives conference. I hope we soon have the opportunity to share with you more and especially the exciting ways you can be involved to stop this evil right here in our city as well as overseas. Human trafficking heavily affects the street kids down in Montrose, and it likely preys on the unsuspecting refugees with whom we work in Los Arcos. And God expects His followers to do something about it.
“Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!” (Deut. 27:19)
“This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’" (Zech. 7:9-10)
This past week we read about the people making everything God commanded them to do for the building of the tabernacle. God was incredibly detailed, leaving nothing for them to figure out on their own, so that this earthly tabernacle would perfectly shadow the heavenly one we will see someday. Each part of the tabernacle had significance. For example, the altar of incense with its pleasing aroma is referred to in Revelation.
"And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." (Rev. 5:8; emphasis mine)
"And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel." (Rev. 8:3)
We also see the connection of the lampstand with its seven branches (the lampstand plus three branches on each side) with the seven lampstands surrounding Jesus in heaven in Revelation.
"Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters...and the seven lampstands are the seven churches." (Rev. 1:12-15, 20b)
The bread of the Presence was probably an obvious one for you, as well as the basin for washing. One aspect that really jumped out at me while reading about all the different sacrifices for burnt offerings that were required was this: those priests that served at the temple to offer the sacrifices on behalf of the people would be stained all over with blood. What an image of the blood of Jesus covering our sin to give us His righteousness! And we know that all the followers of Jesus Christ are priests in the kingdom of God.
"... you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5)
The altar of burnt offerings foreshadowed the cross on which the Lamb of God would be sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. That cross was stained with our Savior's blood just as the sides of the altar were stained with the blood of the animals offered upon it.
Even the priests' garments foreshadowed a heavenly reality. They point to the priesthood of Christ as well as the priesthood of believers. Think of the significance of the names of the twelve tribes being over the chest of the priest, pointing to the spiritual reality of Jesus bearing our names on His heart. We read of His flowing robe and sash in the visions given to Ezekiel, Daniel and John (John's vision is recorded in Revelation). Do you see also the significance of the breastpiece of judgment containing the Urim and the Thummin on Aaron's heart? Aaron bore the judgement of Israel, but God will bear the judgement of the entire world.
Not only do these garments point ahead to Christ but to His bride as well--the priesthood of believers. The beautiful stones placed on the ephod are also mentioned in Revelation 21:19-20 when one of the angels in heaven shows John the bride of the Lamb--the New Jerusalem.
Now do those stones on the ephod of the priest seem more significant? And just as the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved on these stones, so will they be engraved on the twelve gates of the Holy City; and the names of the twelve apostles will be engraved on the foundations of the Holy City of heaven.
"It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed... and the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." (Rev. 21:14; emphasis mine)
But perhaps my favorite image is the turban of the priests, also referred to as a crown, with a gold plate fastened on it with the engraved words "Holy to the LORD," situated right on the forehead.
"I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name." (Rev. 3:11-12; emphasis mine)
"They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads."
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2)
Two final things I want to point out both have to do with veils.
As you may know, only the priest could go into the Most Holy Place, also called the Holy of Holies, and this only once a year--on the Day of Atonement (tons of foreshadowing there!). This drove home the point to God's people of His perfect holiness and how our sin separates us from God so that we cannot go into His presence. We need the blood of a perfect, spotless Lamb sacrificed for our sins, washed clean by our High Priest Jesus, with His priestly robe of righteousness upon us and His name written on our forehead, so that we may go before God into His presence as a child approaches a loving father.
Only Jesus could make a way through that veil that separated the people from the mercy seat of God.
(the moment of Jesus' death on the cross) "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split." (Matt. 27:50-51; emphasis mine)
Glory! Never again would the followers of Jesus be separated from the presence of God. We now have total access to God in prayer, going into "the Holy of Holies" all on our own!
The ark of the covenant, upon which was the mercy seat of God, remained behind that veil in the Most Holy Place. It was above the mercy seat that the visible presence of God actually came down like fire. Can you imagine being the priest who saw that? It came right down between the two cherubim facing each other with their wings overshadowing the mercy seat. What a beautiful image of the angels surrounding the throne of God in heaven!
It also points ahead to another time when God in the flesh lay between two angels facing one another. Take a look at what Mary Magdalene saw when she looked inside Jesus' tomb on the day of His resurrection:
"And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet." (John 20:12)
Beautiful--just like the cover for the ark of the covenant behind the veil. Jesus issued in a new covenant for God's people with His death and resurrection.
Yesterday Angie Trevino, Amanda Finke and I attended an anti-human trafficking conference that was incredibly eye-opening. Did you realize the I-10 corridor in Houston is the #1 hot spot in the U.S. for human-trafficking? Some of those are domestic, and some foreigners, some minors and some adults, both male and female, some for sex and some for labor--but all of it breaks the heart of God and goes directly against His commands to His people.
Since we just read the above Scripture last week, I had to include it in light of all we learned at the Free the Captives conference. I hope we soon have the opportunity to share with you more and especially the exciting ways you can be involved to stop this evil right here in our city as well as overseas. Human trafficking heavily affects the street kids down in Montrose, and it likely preys on the unsuspecting refugees with whom we work in Los Arcos. And God expects His followers to do something about it.
“Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!” (Deut. 27:19)
“This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’" (Zech. 7:9-10)
This past week we read about the people making everything God commanded them to do for the building of the tabernacle. God was incredibly detailed, leaving nothing for them to figure out on their own, so that this earthly tabernacle would perfectly shadow the heavenly one we will see someday. Each part of the tabernacle had significance. For example, the altar of incense with its pleasing aroma is referred to in Revelation.
"And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." (Rev. 5:8; emphasis mine)
"And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel." (Rev. 8:3)
We also see the connection of the lampstand with its seven branches (the lampstand plus three branches on each side) with the seven lampstands surrounding Jesus in heaven in Revelation.
"Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters...and the seven lampstands are the seven churches." (Rev. 1:12-15, 20b)
The bread of the Presence was probably an obvious one for you, as well as the basin for washing. One aspect that really jumped out at me while reading about all the different sacrifices for burnt offerings that were required was this: those priests that served at the temple to offer the sacrifices on behalf of the people would be stained all over with blood. What an image of the blood of Jesus covering our sin to give us His righteousness! And we know that all the followers of Jesus Christ are priests in the kingdom of God.
"... you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5)
The altar of burnt offerings foreshadowed the cross on which the Lamb of God would be sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. That cross was stained with our Savior's blood just as the sides of the altar were stained with the blood of the animals offered upon it.
Even the priests' garments foreshadowed a heavenly reality. They point to the priesthood of Christ as well as the priesthood of believers. Think of the significance of the names of the twelve tribes being over the chest of the priest, pointing to the spiritual reality of Jesus bearing our names on His heart. We read of His flowing robe and sash in the visions given to Ezekiel, Daniel and John (John's vision is recorded in Revelation). Do you see also the significance of the breastpiece of judgment containing the Urim and the Thummin on Aaron's heart? Aaron bore the judgement of Israel, but God will bear the judgement of the entire world.
Not only do these garments point ahead to Christ but to His bride as well--the priesthood of believers. The beautiful stones placed on the ephod are also mentioned in Revelation 21:19-20 when one of the angels in heaven shows John the bride of the Lamb--the New Jerusalem.
(John is speaking.) "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst." (Rev. 21:1-2, 19-20; emphasis mine)
Now do those stones on the ephod of the priest seem more significant? And just as the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved on these stones, so will they be engraved on the twelve gates of the Holy City; and the names of the twelve apostles will be engraved on the foundations of the Holy City of heaven.
"It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed... and the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." (Rev. 21:14; emphasis mine)
But perhaps my favorite image is the turban of the priests, also referred to as a crown, with a gold plate fastened on it with the engraved words "Holy to the LORD," situated right on the forehead.
"It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD." (Ex. 28:38)
Take a look at what Jesus says to John in Revelation.
"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Rev. 2:10b)
"I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name." (Rev. 3:11-12; emphasis mine)
"They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads."
(Rev. 22:4; emphasis mine)
Glory to God! I can hardly wait! We know that when we came to faith in Jesus Christ we were marked with the Holy Spirit, sealed for that Day to come, as a king would seal an important document with his signet ring (Eph. 1:13). So in the spiritual realm, we already bear the name of Christ on our heads!
There is so much symbolism in the consecration of the priests and their ordination that points ahead to those in the pastoral ministry to the church as well as to all of us who have been given the ministry of reconciliation (which is every believer in Christ). "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Cor. 5:18; emphasis mine) There is also much symbolism and foreshadowing in the sacrifices and offerings that were commanded by God, but I'll sum it all up with Paul's words to us.
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2)
Two final things I want to point out both have to do with veils.
- the veil in the temple
As you may know, only the priest could go into the Most Holy Place, also called the Holy of Holies, and this only once a year--on the Day of Atonement (tons of foreshadowing there!). This drove home the point to God's people of His perfect holiness and how our sin separates us from God so that we cannot go into His presence. We need the blood of a perfect, spotless Lamb sacrificed for our sins, washed clean by our High Priest Jesus, with His priestly robe of righteousness upon us and His name written on our forehead, so that we may go before God into His presence as a child approaches a loving father.
Only Jesus could make a way through that veil that separated the people from the mercy seat of God.
(the moment of Jesus' death on the cross) "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split." (Matt. 27:50-51; emphasis mine)
Glory! Never again would the followers of Jesus be separated from the presence of God. We now have total access to God in prayer, going into "the Holy of Holies" all on our own!
The ark of the covenant, upon which was the mercy seat of God, remained behind that veil in the Most Holy Place. It was above the mercy seat that the visible presence of God actually came down like fire. Can you imagine being the priest who saw that? It came right down between the two cherubim facing each other with their wings overshadowing the mercy seat. What a beautiful image of the angels surrounding the throne of God in heaven!
It also points ahead to another time when God in the flesh lay between two angels facing one another. Take a look at what Mary Magdalene saw when she looked inside Jesus' tomb on the day of His resurrection:
"And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet." (John 20:12)
Beautiful--just like the cover for the ark of the covenant behind the veil. Jesus issued in a new covenant for God's people with His death and resurrection.
- the veil in the temple
- the veil worn by Moses
I want you to read the following passages and see if you see the beautiful connections with this other veil. A number of years ago this touched me so much that I based the name for my ministry--Unveiled Ministries (when I speak for women's retreats and conferences or write Bible studies)--on 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 .
- Exodus 34:29-35
- 2 Corinthians 3:12-18
Don't you love that? I do!
I also love how Exodus ends, and I pray this for our body of believers at LifeBridge every Sunday. Not for a literal pillar of cloud or fire (although that would be extremely cool), and not so that it keeps us from entering--because we CAN enter by the blood of Jesus! But I pray that God's presence is so powerfully with us in worship and study each Sunday that we all leave changed. And I pray that we never move or do anything unless directed by the presence of our God.
Because they did everything for the building of the tabernacle exactly as the LORD had shown them:
"Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys." (Ex. 40:34-38)
Dear one, you are now the tabernacle of God, and His presence goes with you by day and by night throughout your journey to your Homeland.
"Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16)
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Ten Commandments and the Tabernacle (Exodus 19-32)
I missed you gals yesterday! And I certainly missed being in worship--just not the same to be at home. Joshua is all better today. He's been sick with a fever off and on since last Tuesday night, and we thought he was over it by Friday. But then it came back Sunday morning.
I hope your reading through the Bible is going well and you are enjoying every minute as I am. This last week was a little harder with the sicknesses in our home (I had a virus, too, and Caleb had bad allergies hit a couple of weeks ago--but thanks to our awesome kinesiologist he is cleared up!) But it was my time with the Lord in His Word that got me through it. Thank you, God!
To catch us up from my last blog, I want to begin with God giving Moses the Ten Commandments. Before He does this, the LORD speaks some beautiful words about His people:
You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Ex. 19:4-6b; emphasis mine)
I love these descriptions!
Read Peter's version of this in his first letter to the followers of Jesus Christ:
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
Yes, indeed, my sister--that description does not just describe the Jewish nation but everyone who belongs to God by faith in His Messiah. YOU are His treasured possession, royal and holy to your God!
What did you think about the smoking, trembling mountain? Did you notice God's instructions for the people?
I hope your reading through the Bible is going well and you are enjoying every minute as I am. This last week was a little harder with the sicknesses in our home (I had a virus, too, and Caleb had bad allergies hit a couple of weeks ago--but thanks to our awesome kinesiologist he is cleared up!) But it was my time with the Lord in His Word that got me through it. Thank you, God!
To catch us up from my last blog, I want to begin with God giving Moses the Ten Commandments. Before He does this, the LORD speaks some beautiful words about His people:
You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Ex. 19:4-6b; emphasis mine)
I love these descriptions!
Read Peter's version of this in his first letter to the followers of Jesus Christ:
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
Yes, indeed, my sister--that description does not just describe the Jewish nation but everyone who belongs to God by faith in His Messiah. YOU are His treasured possession, royal and holy to your God!
What did you think about the smoking, trembling mountain? Did you notice God's instructions for the people?
- What were they to do in Ex. 19:10?
- What were they not to do in vv.12-13?
It seems to me God was ensuring the fear of the LORD and preparing them to receive His commandments, realizing that this was serious business. They began to get a glimpse of the reality of God's holiness. Their unholiness could not be in the presence of His holiness. He would soon give them a solution for this through sacrifices and burnt offerings, which would all point ahead to the final sacrifice of Jesus.
I hope you took time to carefully read through the Ten Commandments in Ex. 20. The future of God's people, and all people to come, is changed by this event. They now have laws to obey, and God expects obedience. Some people think that because these laws were given in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant they don't apply to New Testament believers who live under the New Covenant. That is not the case!
Let's take a look at Jesus' words regarding this misunderstanding: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matt. 5:17)
You see, the Ten Commandments are laws for our protection. They are rules for moral living, written on the conscience of every human being. Jesus did not do away with the Law; He fulfilled it. No human being has ever or will ever keep the Law perfectly. Jesus was the only human who ever did this. That is why He was the only one who could take our place to forgive our sins. He fulfilled the Law when He lived a perfect, sinless life on earth.
So take your time to carefully read through those Ten Commandments. Then continually rely on God's Spirit within you to help you keep these laws that you can never keep on your own. Your flesh desires to disobey, but the Spirit of God will help you overcome.
In Exodus 21-23 God gives His people laws to govern their lives. These are all good laws given as "boundaries" to protect their lives and keep them holy. God especially focuses on the Sabbath and three feasts He tells them to keep. Later He will add more feasts, and all of these have HUGE significance for us as New Testament believers. If you would like to know more of their meaning to us as Christians, I recommend the book The Feasts of the LORD: God's Prophetic Calendar from Calvary to the Kingdom by Kevin Howard and Marvin Renthal. VERY interesting!
Another good book that we would all do well to read (including me, because I started it but never finished) is Keeping the Sabbath Wholly by Marva J. Dawn. As God's people, we have gotten way too far away from keeping Sunday as a day set apart and holy to the Lord. God gave it to us as a day of rest because He knows we need it, and He wants us to put regular time into our worship and relationship with Him and each other. We lose out on so much that God wants for us because we think we know better than Him. We have lots to do, afterall, so how can we set aside a whole day for God? I think the stress, depression, and lack of health in many people today, not to mention marriages falling apart and parents and children struggling in their relationships, are a sad result of our "knowing better than God."
Well, I need to wrap this up and put my precious children to bed. But there's one more thing I want to share. This will touch on the beautiful images of the Tabernacle that God gives Moses instructions to build. There is SO MUCH rich imagery with the Tabernacle that points ahead to Jesus and to us as His people--it's incredible. And I don't want you to miss any of it!
I think that on Sunday during Bible class we are going to get to watch an awesome video about the Tabernacle that I used with my gals in Colorado when I wrote a study on the Tabernacle. I found this video at Focus on the Family, and we all really enjoyed it. So be sure to be there in case we get to watch it!
But for now, I want to share this shorter video with you so that you can get a glimpse of all the amazing correlations between the Tabernacle and Jesus.
But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Hebrews 9:11-14)
Friday, February 18, 2011
Crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14-18)
"And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.'"
"The LORD said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.'" (Exodus 14:13-18; emphasis mine)
What a mighty God we serve! I hope you enjoyed reading about the powerful arm of the LORD who delivered His people out of slavery.
About a year ago a friend shared the following video with several moms so we could let our children see the power of our great God...just as God told His people to do with future generations. So, for your enjoyment and for the passing on of this incredible story to your children and grandchildren, I would like to share it with you. The scientific research behind this presentation shows just how intentional and detailed is our God. He did not randomly choose the Red Sea for the children of Israel to cross. He planned it in His foreknowledge and wisdom. Take a look... (open it full-screen so you can read it)
"The LORD said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.'" (Exodus 14:13-18; emphasis mine)
What a mighty God we serve! I hope you enjoyed reading about the powerful arm of the LORD who delivered His people out of slavery.
About a year ago a friend shared the following video with several moms so we could let our children see the power of our great God...just as God told His people to do with future generations. So, for your enjoyment and for the passing on of this incredible story to your children and grandchildren, I would like to share it with you. The scientific research behind this presentation shows just how intentional and detailed is our God. He did not randomly choose the Red Sea for the children of Israel to cross. He planned it in His foreknowledge and wisdom. Take a look... (open it full-screen so you can read it)
Blown away? I was.
I love Moses' song! This was actually made into a praise song years ago, and I found a simple version of it to share with you. The Horse and Rider Song
Some of my favorite words for praising God are found in this song:
"Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" (Ex. 15:11)
"The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him." (Ex. 15:2)
I personally think all us girls need to bring some tambourines and our dancin' shoes to church and help out the praise team this Sunday the way Miriam did. :)
Then we come to the beginning of what will be the norm for the children of God for the next 40 years...and really for the rest of history up to this very day. The Israelites forget what God has done for them and begin to grumble against Him, thinking they were better off in slavery. Yea, right. Sure you were. But don't we do the same thing?
The first time this happens after the crossing of the Red Sea is when they have gone three days without finding water. God shows Moses a log and tells him to throw it into the bitter water, and the water turns sweet. What a lesson! If we'll wait for God and do what He shows us, He will turn our bitterness into something sweet and refreshing!
At this time God also calls Himself by a new name: I am the LORD, your Healer (Ex. 15:26). The Hebrew name is Jehovah-Rapha, which means "the God who heals you." That is a wonderful name to use for God when you are crying out to Him for healing for yourself or someone else. He is our Jehovah-Rapha!
The next time they grumble, God gives them quail at night and manna (bread) in the morning.
- How much manna were they to collect?
- How often were they to collect it?
- What was the exception to this each week?
- What happened if they collected too much and kept it until the next day?
- Why didn't that happen on the Sabbath?
There is much to learn about obedience and about keeping the Sabbath holy just from this section alone. The Sabbath is a gift from God: "See! The LORD had given you the Sabbath." (Ex. 16:29) Who are we to refuse God's gift and disobey?
- What else did God tell Moses and Aaron to do with the manna in Ex. 16:33-34? Are you fascinated that it lasted all those years, yet the extra they collected for themselves when they disobeyed His command went bad and had maggots? This jar will later be placed inside the Ark of the Covenant when it is built.
- How many years did the Israelites eat manna?
I hope you took special note of the battle that God told Moses to have Joshua fight in Ex. 17:8-16.
- In verse 9b, what did Moses tell Joshua he would do?
- Who went up the hill with Moses?
- What happened when Moses' hand and staff were lifted, and what happened when they were lowered?
- What did these men do to solve this problem so Joshua and the Israelites could prevail?
This is a beautiful example of the importance of a leader having other men around him to support and encourage him. This image is used by Focus on the Family for their ministry to pastors
How thankful I am that my husband Michael has his "Aaron" and "Hur" to hold up his arms!
After this victory, Moses called God by the name "the LORD is My Banner"--Jehovah-Nissi.
Moses is blessed with a wonderful father-in-law who brings Moses' wife and two sons back to him (he must have sent them away during the plagues in Egypt). Jethro celebrates with his son-in-law the victory of God and says, "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods." (Ex. 18:11) Yes indeed--that is exactly why God allowed all of that to happen for 430 years, why He hardened Pharaoh's heart, and why He performed miraculous signs and wonders. God did it so that all men might know He is the one true God.
While visiting with Moses, Jethro notices that Moses has taken on a job way too big for one man. In his fatherly wisdom, he advises Moses to do something very smart.
- What does Jethro say in Ex. 18:17-18?
- What does Jethro tell Moses to do in vv. 19-20?
- What further advice does he give in v. 21?
- What are these men to do, according to v. 22.
"If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace." (Ex. 18:23)
Moses was blessed with a wise father-in-law, and he was smart enough to listen to him. May we also be willing to listen to the wise counsel of our elders when it comes from God.
"Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." (Titus 2:2-5)
May those of us older in years share much wisdom in mentoring the young according to God's Word, and may those of us who are younger receive their wisdom and mentoring eagerly and put it into practice. Also realize that you might be younger in years but spiritually more mature (as Elihu was). Seek God's wisdom in this. He longs to bless you with wisdom and use you for His glory.
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