A New Covenant 

The author gets to the point.

     "For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said:" 

     "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord." 

     "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people." 

     "No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." 

     "By calling this covenant 'new' he has made the first one obsolete, and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear." Hebrews: 8:7-13.

Note: Similar language regarding the new covenant: Jer. 31:31-34. 

Next: The blood and the law

 Our Intercessor

The author of Hebrews:

     Now there have been many priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office. But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

     Such a high priest meets our need - one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people.

     He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son who has been made perfect forever. 

Next: Why a new covenant?

     

The High Priest

     In Hebrews chapter 5, the author wrote: 

     "Although he (Jesus) was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation ... a high priest in the order of Melchizedek. 

Another Warning

     Chapter 6: "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened...if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because they are crucifying the Son of God all over again."

Promise to Abraham 

     "When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 'I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.'" 

     "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath." 

     The author wrote: "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest, forever."

Tomorrow: Our intercessor

 

     

Earthly Rest; Eternal Rest

     We know about seventh-day rest.  For Jews the Sabbath begins properly Friday night at sundown and ends Saturday at sundown. Christians rest, if at all, on Sundays, marking the day of the week Jesus appeared alive. 

     The author of Hebrews, sensitive to his Jewish Christian readers, writes of Sabbath rest and of God's rest on the seventh day of creation. God also promised eternal rest, but many will be denied. So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest." Psalm 95:11. (salvation).

     For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day (Heb. 4:8). The author quotes David: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.  

     For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight (4:12-13). 

     Then he writes of "Jesus, the Son of God." Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens...let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. We have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us (4:14-16).

Note: Nothing about earning salvation by good works (worthy as they may be).

Next: High Priest; promise to Abraham

Greater Than Moses

     Having shone Jewish Christians that the Son is greater than angels, the author of Hebrews then compares him to Moses. In chapter 3: 

     Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. Jesus is worthy of greater honor than Moses, as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 

     Moses was faithful as a servant... But Jesus is faithful as a Son over God's house. And we are God's house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. 

     The author reminds his readers of the rebellion and testing in the desert for forty years...and God's anger. He urges the brothers that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart. Encourage one another daily...so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. * 

     He reminds them of all those Moses led out of Egypt...with whom (God) was angry for forty years...and to whom God swore that they would never enter his rest. ** 

* Many Jews encourage one another daily, as children of Abraham.

** Those led out of Egypt saw miracles yet did not believe the promises or heed the warnings. The generation born in the desert entered the promised land.

Commentary: Some ministers fail to encourage believers to continue daily in their faith. They don't preach urgent warnings of the apostles or Jesus himself. 

 Next: Earthly Rest; Eternal Rest

Warning! 

     Having pointed to prophecy in OT scripture...that a Son (Incarnation) would appear, the author of Hebrews claims that Jesus is that Son. He had been born and laid in an animal manger. At age 30 the Father tested him. He taught people what his Father revealed, healed many, and was crucified. On the third day appeared alive, appearing to those he would commission. 

     Jewish believers in the first century facing trouble and persecution needed to be reassured in their faith and warned not to drift away from the truth.  

     The author wrote, "How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? It is not to angels that he (God) has subjected the world to come" (v. 5). Then he quoted Psalms 8:4-6 and 144:3: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor, and put everything under his feet." 

     "But we see Jesus...crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, that by the grace of God he might taste death for all."

     "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death ... that is, the devil. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants...becoming a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, that he might make atonement for the sins of the people." 

Commentary: Christians may become indifferent to God's Word. We may begin to pay less attention, stop persevering, and slowly drift away from God's Son. Our responsibility is to draw near to him, continually. His responsibility is to help us in time of need.

Next: Chapter 3. Greater than Moses

 

The Oil of Joy  

     In Hebrews chapter 1, the author quotes Psalm 45:6-7: You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. 

     Loving righteousness and hating wickedness precisely describes Christ while he ministered on earth. Many scriptures reveal his faithfulness to the Father. Jesus repeatedly emphasized that everything he taught he first received from the Father. 

     The author, quoting Psalm 102:25-27: In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe, like a garment they will be hanged. But, you remain the same, and your years will never end.

     If those readers in the first century weren't convinced the Son is greater than angels, he asked, To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?" and "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" 

     We appreciate Abraham, Moses, David and the prophets, even the angel Gabriel. They all had significant roles in OT history, serving the Almighty. Their contributions in service to our Lord paved the way for the arrival of the Incarnation. 

 Next: Sharing in our humanity

The Son Superior to Angels 

     Why would the author of Hebrews begin with prophets and angels? No other New Testament book does so. His readers were followers of Christ, special because they were born Jewish. They had background, beliefs, methods of worship, and practices that gentile converts did not. Angels had played an important role in OT covenant history. 

     These people were suffering and being persecuted (as Jews would for centuries). Our note: Returning to their roots would not have made life any better in the long run. Satan hates both Jews and Christians.

< 45 thousand teachings condensed in 45 words > 

     The author begins: In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets in various ways...but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 

     He continues: The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 

     The radiance: When angels appear in human form - like the two who visited Abraham in Genesis 18 - it's called incarnation. As for the third person - Abraham knew him as the Lord, an Incarnation, capital I. 

     People know of angels appearing as adults. Jesus, the Incarnation, came by birth, as prophesied in Isaiah and elsewhere. The Holy Spirit easily provided what virgin Mary needed to carry and give birth to - the radiance, the exact representation - Savior of the world. 

     The author of Hebrews asks his readers, For which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father?" or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?" 

     And, when God brings his first-born into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."

Tomorrow: Chapter 1 continued

 

 What to Look For

     A few notes before we begin Hebrews. 

     The author explains God's revelation and redemption in Jesus Christ. He shows that God's provisions under the old covenant have been fulfilled and replaced by the new covenant through Jesus' atoning death.

     No more slaughter of animals. 

     He challenges his readers (1) to hold on to their confession of Christ until the end, (2) to go on to spiritual maturity and (3) not to turn back to condemnation. 

Eight major features

1. It begins like a study, then like a sermon, and ends like a letter.

2. Close to classical Greek style.

3. The only writing with the concept of Jesus' high priestly ministry.

4. More than 20 names and titles for Christ. 

5. Key word is "better." Jesus is better than angels. 

6. Foremost chapter in the Bible on faith. 

7. OT references providing insight into early Christian interpretation of OT history and worship. 

8. Warning about spiritual apostasy more than any other NT writing.

Tomorrow: Son superior to angels

A New Covenant? 

     As long-time readers know, occasionally I write a series on one subject. This series may be the most valuable yet, to anyone interested in eternal life. 

     In New Testament times, most Jewish leaders despised the way Jesus was drawing people to himself. Why wouldn't everyone approve this stranger who healed their handicaps and diseases, even raising the dead? 

     Men accustomed to living "above" the masses admitted his miracles were genuine. They acknowledged that Lazarus in grave clothes emerged from his tomb...after four days. 

"Therefore, many of the Jews who had come to console Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him" (John 11:45).

     The chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin, agreeing, "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation" (John 11:48).  

     They didn't share the joy of those who were healed. Reading on, it was the Father's will that Jesus (the Incarnation of God) be crucified - a most horrible death. It would be difficult to inhale and speak, but he did, forgiving those who wanted him dead. Note: It was God who gave Pilate power to crucify his Son (John 19:11).

     After Jesus showed himself resurrected, his Jewish disciples began spreading the news first to Jewish communities. From then on, God wanted and still desires faith, not sight. Jesus did not show himself to the authorities. No one is forced to believe, unlike Muslim practice. Believers were not welcome in Jerusalem. In the year AD 70, Romans took away the Pharisees' place and their nation. 

     There continues to be Jewish and Gentile believers and non-believers. Long ago I confessed that Jesus took my place on that cross of shame, and I strive to follow "the way" to eternal life. 

Next: We explore Hebrews, written to Jewish Christians

who were undergoing persecution and discouragement.

       

  

Overheard... 

Satan asks a demon, "How shall we confuse the people?" He answers, "Tell them there is no God." "No," says Satan, "Most of them believe there is a God." The second demon says, "Tell them there is no hell." "No," Satan says again. "They know there is punishment for sin." The third demon says, "Tell them there's no hurry." "Exactly," Satan grins. 

~ ~ ~

Coming next on Views 

Faith while suffering? 

    More than 20 names and titles?

Beware the dangers.

    Why write about angels?

Powerful words

    Heavens will perish.

Can Jews become Christians?

    Who is greater than Moses?

What new covenant?

    Warnings

Words to live by 

A series on the rich book of Hebrews

 Opposing Israel's Existence 

2nd of two 

     Pastor Pileggi said, "The lie that's being spread in the West is that Hamas is reacting to the occupation. No, they're fighting against the existence of Israel." 

     "I don't know how many times," he said, "thoughtful Israelis have told me they simply suspect that all this Christian love and outpouring of support for Israel is not based on anything, but that it's our way of somehow engineering the return of Jesus." 

     Since its founding in 1849, his church has always had a contingent of Jewish Christians. It also has an Arabic service and a ministry to Arabs and Muslims that includes legal aid, food and medicine, and plans for helping the West Bank's deaf community. Pileggi said the global Church should be careful not to turn all Muslims into enemies. 

     "We are talking about an ideology that's quite dangerous, but also millions of people who are made in the image of God," he said. 

     Heavy Israeli bombing has killed more than 24,000 Palestinian civilians and militants, according to Hamas. Nearly half of Gaza's structures have been destroyed. The enclave likely will take decades to rebuild, and many churches have teams of people ready to go to work. 

     Amid the practical and political planning, Pastor Pileggi said, "Christians should keep the spiritual elements of the conflict in mind. It should drive us to our knees to pray. It should cause us to be more missional and to act ethically and morally, even when those around us no longer do so." 

   Tomorrow: some hints on what's to come

Seeds of Hope  

Source: WORLD magazine

     City of Life is a Messianic congregation in Sderot, a city one mile from Gaza's border. Despite trauma and displacement among his congregation of 50 people, Pastor Michael Beener's church has a mercy ministry, delivering food, diapers, heaters, blankets and other necessities to more than 100 families in Sderot. 

     Across Israel, Christians are stepping into areas of need and suffering, looking for creative ways to minister and provide hope in a time of war. Months of leading from a hotel, sleeping in tight quarters and creating a Bible school structure for the church's kids have left Beener exhausted. 

     But he's grateful to be alive. Terrorists shot out his windows and set fire to cars but didn't enter his home. Hamas murdered all seven Gaza-Palestinian workers employed at an agricultural company...evidence of the group's crimes against its own people. 

     David Pleggi has lived in Israel since 1980, and for the past 15 years has pastored Christ Church Jerusalem, a 175-year-old congregation in the heart of the Old City. Some 30 members serve in the IDF, including one of his sons. 

     Hamas and the wider Muslim community have a view of the last days, that says Muslims will rule the world under Shariah law. Pastor Pleggi said, "In the last hundred years or so, they have imported Western anti-Semitism and conspiracy theories, and they somehow believe that the Jews, and in particular the state of Israel, are hindering (the end times)."

Conclusion tomorrow

 

He Said What??

     In an interview, Pope Francis: "What I am going to say is not a dogma of faith, but my own personal view; I like to think of hell as empty; I hope it is." 

     Along with related references, the word "hell" is used 14 times that we know of. How about: "The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur." Rev. 21:8. Has the pope read the Bible? 

     So, if no one has to fear hell, we can do as we please. Americans (see above) need not fear law enforcement either, for the most part.  

Legacy of terror

     Speaking of hell, 100 years since Vladimir Lenin's death: His 1917 revolution produced privation and bloodshed: 9 million dead. The 1921-22 Soviet famine, some 5 million dead. 

     Communist countries remaining: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Vietnam. I don't think they are "communist" so much as dictatorships. True communism would gradually phase out central government. It's never been tried. Will the USA be next to dictate? We are close. 

Coming up: The book of Hebrews; carefully exploring verses on demons; and then, searching heart, soul, mind, emotion and will.

      Jimmy 

Roots Before Branches 

Blog 2 of 2  

     Let me understand this: first a seed, then roots, then branches.      Got it! Cedar roots spread normally, as deep as six feet. But, one root, the tap root, may reach 25 feet in depth. Cedar trees...figures of speech.

Roots

     The book of Hosea. Punishment ends. The Messiah comes: 

     Chapter 14:4, "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them." 

     Ch. 14:5, "Like a cedar of Lebanon, he will send down his roots, his young shoots will grow." 

Branches

     Ch. 14:6, "His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon." 

     Ch. 14:7, "He will blossom like a vine and his fame will be like wine from Lebanon."

     Ch. 14:8, "I am like a green pine; your fruitfulness comes from me."  

     Ch. 14:9, "Who is wise? Who is discerning? The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them." 

     After punishment, God would heal and restore them. Their life would be like the cedars of Lebanon; the people would be strong, highly prized and deeply rooted in all God's Word. 

     Who is wise? True wisdom involves receiving God and his ways. Wisdom in the Bible is never just intellectual skill; it is always practical and includes a right relationship with the lord. 

     Deepening roots. What roots feed the branches becomes a fragrance for God. 

     Psalm 92:12, "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree; they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon.

     The temple and palace with all their cedar were destroyed. Only those with God in their hearts (roots) would remain.

The promise in Hosea and Psalm 92 is yet to be fulfilled.

     

Cedar Roots & Branches

Do we have roots? Two-part series. 

     Women know about cedar chests.

     Cedar wood is known for fine grain, attractive yellow beneath its bark, fragrance, durability, immune to insect ravages, and essential oil...all metaphors of benefits our Lord offers to his children. 

     Before deforestation, cedar trees were common in ancient Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. Some grow in other nations, along with other varieties. 

     Cedars grow on rocky slopes and ridges, at altitudes 1,300 to 9,800 feet, and in sandy clay as low as 1,600 feet. They thrive with 39 to 59 inches of rain and survive heavy snow. 

     When Solomon was building his temple, he sent 10,000 (conscripted) workers at a time to Lebanon...along with carriers, craftsmen and foremen to collect cedar wood. He and King Hiram had a deal - food for cedar. 

     In 1 Kings chapter 6, the temple was fitted with cedar in rooms, floor-to ceiling, roofs, the most holy place, the altar, and inner courtyard. No stone was to be seen.

     In chapter 7, Solomon's "Palace of the Forest of Lebanon," there were four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams. It was roofed with cedar, and the Hall of Justice had cedar...floor to ceiling. All structures had cedar beams, including the wall around a courtyard. 

     Book of Isaiah, 60:13, "The glory of Lebanon will come to you. The pine, the fir and the cypress together to adorn the place of my sanctuary and I will glorify the place of my feet." 

Tomorrow:  Roots Before Branches

 

Music to Your Ears 

Let's take a break. How many songs can you match with the artist? 

"Sweet Victory"               ..........  Michael Jackson

"Heartbreak Hotel"          ..........  Louis Armstrong

"Fly Me to the Moon"       ..........  Johnny Cash 

"A Day in the Life"           ..........  Dolly Parton

"Monday, Monday"           ..........  the Gaithers

"Stairway to Heaven"       ..........  Cheap Trick

"Ain't That a Shame"        ..........  Led Zeppelin

"Because He Lives"           ..........  the Mamas and the Papas

"Jolene"                           ..........  the Beatles

"Ring of Fire"                    ..........  Frank Sinatra

"What a Wonderful World"  ..........  Elvis Presley

"Rock With You"                ..........  Twila Paris

     Stumped? It's not complicated  😏

Politics: Cover for Coveting

Excerpts from Joel Belz, WORLD magazine.

     Three percent of U.S. taxpayers pay more in income taxes than the other 97 percent combined. And they're accused of not paying their "fair share." 

     Wealthy as our nation is, it isn't wealthy enough to do everything we have committed to. We've far passed a reasonable level of credit, both nationally and individually. Politicians call for higher taxes on the rich (ironically themselves), taking advantage of envy and class covetousness. 

     The Tenth Commandment - you shall not covet - forbids any discontentment with our own estate. Try hanging that on any wall where tax policy is discussed. Anyway, those who covet do not benefit at all even if the rich have to pay more. 

     It doesn't matter much anymore how we change things. All taxpayers together haven't enough money to change the fact that we've spent ourselves into oblivion. There's not much left to covet, even if "the rich" paid 100 percent.

 October 2012     13+ years ago

      

The King is Coming 

Me: Thank you, thank you, holy angel. You came to answer my questions. I'll never deserve his grace and forgiveness, but I'll never again let the Lord's suffering be in vain on my account. I do have one more question; the book of Hebrews, who wrote it? 

Angel: Fix your mind on what he wrote: "By faith, Abel... by faith, Enoch... by faith, Noah... by faith, Abraham... All these people were still living by faith when they died. They were aliens and strangers on earth. They were looking for a better country. By faith, Issac... by faith, Jacob... by faith, Joseph... by faith, Moses' parents... by faith, Moses. 

Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets. There was torture, flogging, chains, stoning, persecution, mistreatment, poverty and such. These were all commended for their faith, yet not one of them received what had been promised. God planned something better. 

Me: Oh...I'm glad we aren't being tortured and such. 

Angel: Beware. That ancient serpent (Genesis 3), who is the devil, or Satan, has not yet been bound. There will be wars and rumors of wars, nation vs. nation. People of Israel will be handed over to be persecuted ...hated by all nations. Expect betrayal, until the gospel has been preached in the whole world. 

Me: We detest this hatred toward Israel.  

Angel: You believers are despised as well. The world seeks tyranny over your will, your life and your liberty. Despotism seeks to replace consent. Trust only in my Lord, your Savior. 

(2,000 years ago) He says, Yes, I am coming soon. His disciple John, in old age, was granted a vision...heaven standing open, a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True. His name is the Word of God. With the armies of heaven, he will strike down the nations - and rule them from Jerusalem for a thousand years. KING of kings, LORD of lords.

     Silence......     No more questions......      

     

      We will post the grand conclusion to our visit from an "angel" 😜 on Sunday night and Monday. Meanwhile, sometimes we can imagine our circumstances by reading the Psalms, written from the 10th to 5th centuries B.C.  

Psalm 44    author unknown

vv. 12-14 "You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale. You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us. You have made us a byword among the nations. The people shake their heads at us."

vv. 17-23 "All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant. Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. But you crushed us and covered us over with deep darkness. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever." 

     Commentary: The psalmist finds no evidence of significant sin that would account for such rejection. Though the people are upright like Job, they still undergo adversity, dark periods of testing. 

     "For your sake...God?" The Holy Spirit reveals that suffering comes to God's faithful people because they remain loyal to him in a hostile world. Paul quotes this verse in Romans 8:36. Believers who refuse to conform to the evil world will undergo suffering. They are assured of victory through Jesus Christ, knowing that no adversity can separate them from God's love.

     "If we are children, then we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his suffering in order that we may also share in his glory." - Romans 8:17 

 

Note: When I marked this for Friday night, I misspelled it, "Fright night." Be not afraid. 😞

How Can We Be Saved?

Angel: The righteous will live by faith. Christ redeemed you from the curse of the law by becoming a curse in your place. He suffered so that the blessing given to Abraham might extend to the whole world by faith. The law, introduced 430 years later, does not replace the promise. If the inheritance depends on the law, then it no long depends on a promise. 

Me: Then, why did God make laws?

Angel: He added law because of transgressions, until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. Law does not impart life. The whole world is a prisoner of sin. Before faith came, men were held prisoner by the law, to lead them to Christ. He came as the Son, born of a woman, died, and rose again, that men might be justified by faith.  

Me: Does this include everyone, regardless of family origin? 

Angel: Those who believe are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, both the Root and the Offspring of David. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heir, according to the promise. 

Me: And we don't have to follow laws? 

Angel: There are commandments. The greatest is this: Hear, O Israel ... the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and prophets hang on these two commandments.

Next: our conclusion, the King is coming 

What About Gentiles?

Recalling that a single angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, I reminded myself to remain agreeable. 

Where were we? 

Me: There was Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Daniel...

Angel: And Matthew, Mark and Luke. Our Lord told Israelites though the Gentile: "You are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your father." Luke then reminded them what God said to Abraham, "Through your offspring all people on earth will be blessed." 

Me: (smiling) And who is the offspring of Abraham? 

Angel: (ignoring me) There was James, Peter and also John, who received the end-time revelation. Of all the spiritual truth God provided through those disciples, well after the ascension, he spoke through Paul, the former Pharisee, regarding Abraham: 

"He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. ...those who believe are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. All who rely on observing the law...and do not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law..."

Me: (timidly) Sir, you don't need to say it. I know. 

to be continued

An Eyewitness Report

Who can we believe? Our "visiting" angel said he doesn't know everything. 

Angel: We know that a man, formerly a tax collector for Rome, chosen by Jesus to be a disciple, wrote the genealogy from Abraham to Christ. Decades after the ascension, most fellow Jewish believers belonged to the next generation.

Me: I would want to know more about this Son of God claiming to be my Savior! 

Angel: Relying on Jewish revelation, promises and prophesy, Matthew used Jewish terminology such as "kingdom of heaven," rather than "kingdom of God," in reverence for the name. His was an eyewitness report. Most people rejected the Son, despite his miracle power. He came as spiritual rather than the political messiah they expected. They knew him to be born of a woman, raised in little Nazareth.     

Me: So, while many agree somewhat on the records from Genesis to Malachi, those who accept the spiritual Christ/Messiah, follow "the way." Not there aren't endless differences among men. 

Angel: Sadly so. 

Me: Some emphasize philosophy, wisdom and learning.   

Angel: We don't use that word.

Me. What word, sir?

Angel: Where is the wise man? the scholar? the philosopher? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? Beware deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and basic principles of the world. In Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

to be continued

So, What's God's Purpose?

A once-in-a-lifetime visit from an angel - he could return to Jacob's ladder at any moment - and I'm still not seeing the promise to Abraham and "all nations" fulfilled. Will the angel - friendly as he is - explain this or not? 

Me: Kind angel, sir. There was the exodus, Moses and Joshua, Samuel, Nehemiah and... 

Angel: Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Joel and...

Me: Jonah and the big fish...

Angel: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah, up to David, 14 generations in all. From David, 14 generations to the exile to Babylon.  And 14 generations from the exile to another Jacob, father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. 

Me: As I read, Joseph is the 13th. 

Angel: In the 14th generation from exile is the Christ, the legal, not natural, son of Joseph. 

Me: (collecting my thoughts) Sir, you speak of genealogy in the Old Testament, and now you quote the first chapter in the New Testament, which most heirs of Abraham don't accept. 

Angel: Indeed. The old scriptures don't emphasize two comings of the Messiah. However, there is intimation. During the troubled years before exile, Isaiah the prophet heard from God: Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel. Later, the Lord told Isaiah: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He will reign over David's throne and over his kingdom...from that time on and forever."     

Me: (eyes wide open) Is this it? Is this the kingdom, the blessing promised to Abraham? 

Angel: First, the sacrificial Lamb. As for His Kingdom on earth, none of us know when.

to be continued

 

   

I Can't Believe This 

I mean, I believe the angel; just, how can this happen to a nobody/blogger? 

Me: Angel, sir, did Abraham know about Noah and the flood?

Angel: I know only what I'm told. Certainly, Abraham saw rainbows.

Me: Sir, did Abraham know about Moses, who lived much later? 

Angel: The Lord said to Abraham, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here..." Moses was born at a time when Pharaoh had ordered that every boy born to Hebrew women be thrown into the river. Eighty years later, the Lord chose Moses, a humble, reluctant shepherd of his father-in-law's flock, to lead Abraham's children out of Egypt. 

Me: Moses' staff became a snake...and all the plagues... Holy cow! ...oops...  Sorry, holy angel. It's just so exciting. Back to Abraham, when he fell into a deep sleep and the 'firepot and torch' - not himself - passed between the halves, didn't God intend that to be his covenant with all Abraham's descendants? 

Angel: Yes.

Me: And a blessing for all time for all nations?

Angel: Yes. 

Me: The trust, obedience and effort to be righteous...is this required of Abraham's heirs and all who follow his example of true saving faith?

Angel: The Lord calls on all men to follow his precedent, and to be aliens and strangers on earth, as was Abraham. 

Me: This is starting to connect the dots.  

Angel: It has always been so. Nevertheless, God has his purpose. 

to be continued

Angel to the Rescue 

     Abraham passed the test, and his descendants and "all nations" would be blessed. 4,000 years later, we look around. And we say, "huh?" 

     If only we could get the attention of an angel on Jacob's ladder...anyone up there who might shed light on our darkness.   

     A voice! 

     What's that? Who is this?

Angel: We knew your request before you asked. I have been sent to help, though you will not see me. 

Me: (now on my knees, shaking) I...I...I...ah...who are you sir?

Angel: My name is not important. My God and your God sent me. Is it Abraham you wish to know? 

Me: (collecting myself) Well, I can hardly think. Ahhhh... Okay. Yes. Did Abraham, that is Abram, after all those centuries, know about Adam? 

Angel: Abraham told Melchizedek, king of Salem, "I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth." 

Me: (?? okay) Did Abraham actually meet God? Does God ever appear as a man? 

Angel: In the record you call Genesis, chapter 18... The Lord appeared as a man to Abraham 25 years after he first promised he would father a great nation. Two other men with God were angels. These visits occur, but you men are mostly unaware. 

Me: (getting bold) You know, after Abram knew the awesome promise, to save his life he told Pharoah that his attractive wife Sarai was his sister. Later, God said Sarah would have a son, though both of them were beyond 'the age,' you know. Abraham told King Abimelech the same thing he told Pharoah. As if God wouldn't protect him. 

[There being no response, you know, I hadn't asked him a question]

To be continued

  

Really?

After all that study of Abraham and all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed... Genesis 22:18...

I don't get it. Abraham's descendants - they mind their genealogies - have not been blessed. Israel (Ephraim, the 10 tribes), invaded Judah, 2 tribes. Assyria conquered Israel and Babylon conquered Judah. The next generation rebuilt, only under foreign rule, and only to be rousted out by the Romans. Eighty years ago - the Holocaust.

So, Abraham's descendants are finally back in the promised land. Name one nation that claims to be blessed. Jewish rabbis say their better way of living is available for the world to see. Who's looking? People, even some in the U.S., call for their extinction. 

My reputation depends on the truth. If Genesis 22:18 is not truth, I'm done blogging. Help! Do I have to climb Jacob's ladder to find help? 

     Jimmy

 

Abraham! Abraham! ...it's Time! 

     The man God called knew God, served him and obeyed him. Could he go beyond? Could he be the foremost example of faith, trust and obedience not only for his descendants, but for the world? 

     Genesis 22: Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering..." 

     On the third day as they came near the place, Abraham told his servants to stay put. "We will worship and then we will come back to you." We? 

     Isaac noticed they had fire and wood, but where is the lamb? "God himself will provide the lamb (Yahweh-Yireh) for the burnt offering," his father answered. He built an altar and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

     "Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son."

     "But the angel of the Lord (thought to be God himself) called out to him from heaven. 'Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 

     "A second time the angel of the Lord called to Abraham and said, ...because you have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. 

 ~ ~ ~

Where can we learn more about this? 

Such as, "all nations on earth?" 

     

Abraham Deflects to Save Himself

     Sarah, the princess, future mother of the nations, scheduled to birth Abraham's son, the first of many descendants, is in the hands of Abimelech, king of Gerar. What can her husband, a fellow human being, do about it?

     We all need God, at times more than others. Here, God saved the covenant himself by scaring Abimelech in a dream. He took another man's wife (unknowingly). God had not let the king touch her.  

     The next morning, Abimelech summoned his officials and called Abraham in. He read the riot act: "How could you...?" Then he cooled down and gave Abraham cattle, slaves and silver "to cover his offense" against Sarah. 

     Genesis 21: "Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah...and did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah bore a son to Abraham at the very time God had promised him."

     "Sarah said, 'God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.'" 

     They stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time. Happy days.

Next: The curtain rises on the last act. 

Isaac, then probably a young adult.