Good News Bible Chapel

So we talked Sunday (Jan 22, 2012) about the parallels between Isaac, the son of Abraham who was rescued  from death by a substitute at the last moment (See the complete story in Genesis, chapter 22) and Jesus Christ, our substitute. Here are the 13 parallels between Isaac and Jesus in a list…

1. Both fulfilled promises:
        Isaac was the long-promised son to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 12:3)
        Jesus was the long-promised Messiah (Genesis 3:15; 13:3)
2. Both were miracle babies
        Isaac was born when Sarah was more than 100 years old! (Genesis 21:1-7)
        Jesus was born to a Jr High-age virgin named Mary! (Luke 2:1-7)
3. Both were the only son of their father
        God said that Isaac was “Your son, your only son, whom you live…” to Abraham(Genesis 22: 2)
        God said “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased!” (Matthew 3:16, 17)
4. Both were loved by their fathers (Genesis 22:2; Matthew 3:16, 17)
5. Both went from peace to brutal sacrifice
          Isaac from a peaceful  life in Beersheba to the altar on Mt. Moriah
          Jesus from the glories of heaven to the cross on Golgotha 
6. Both had a 3-day experience
          Isaac had a 3-day hike to Mt. Moriah
          Jesus had 3 days from the cross to the grave to the resurrection
7.  Both accompanied by 2 men
          Isaac by two servants (Genesis 22:3)
          Jesus by two thieves (Matthew 27:38)
8. Both carried their own wood
         Isaac carried the wood for his own sacrifice (Genesis 22:6)
         Jesus carried the crossbeam of his cross (John 19:17)
9. Both submitted to their father
           Isaac willingly laid down , submitting to his father (Genesis 22:9)
           Jesus submitted to his Father’s plan and will (Luke 22:42)
10. Isaac needed a lamb; Jesus is the Lamb 
            Isaac needed a substitute or he would surely die (Genesis 22:10)
           Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)
11. Both asked a question of their father
           Isaac asked Abraham “Here is the fire and the wood, Father, but where is the lamb for the burned offering? (Genesis 22:7)
           Jesus cried “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” from the cross (Matthew 27:46)
 12. Both were brought back from the dead 
           Isaac was “brought back” figuratively (Genesis 22:12)
           Jesus rose from the dead 3 days after he was crucified (Matthew 28:6,7) 
13. Both took a bride
         Isaac took Rebecca for his bride (Genesis 24)|
         Jesus died as a sacrifice to purify his own “bride,” the church (Ephesians 5:25-32) 

Pretty neat!

Resting in Him,
Steve

 

We talked Sunday (Jan 15, 2012) about “Turning trials to trust” with the narrative of Abraham and his only son Isaac from Genesis 22. As they approach the mountain of sacrifice, Isaac asks his dad, “Here is the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for the sacrifce?” And Abraham answered “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering” (v. 8). 

And we saw that God indeed provided the lamb that Isaac desparately needed in the form of a ram, caught by his horns, in the thicket.

That concept — God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering — is a story that is born out over and over again throughout the Scriptures — from Genesis to Revelation — as God always provides a way out. Here are some suggestions for you to meditate on…

• After Adam and Eve fall in temptation to sin in the Garden, God provided the animal skins for their first clothes — which required a … Sacrifice. See Genesis 3 and notice verse 21.
• When God chooses to judge the entire creation with a universal flood because of their defiant sin, God provided a way of escape for Noah and Mrs. Noah, their sons and their wives … the Ark. (Once on dry ground again Noah and his family offered a sacrifice to God.)  Read about it in Genesis chapters 6-8.
• When God judged the nation of Egypt that had enslaved the descendants of Abraham fo 400 years with the Angel of Death, God provided a way of escape for the Isrealites with … the lamb taking the place of the first-born son in each household.  Read about it in Exodus chapters 11 and 12.
• When the Israelites moaned and griped, complained and whined in the dessert on their way to the Promised Land, God sent poisonous vipers among them. When they pleaded for mercy God provided a way for healing — a bronze serpent lifted up on a pole in the center of the camp. All who turned and looked at serpent on the pole would be healed and live! (Numbers 24:4-9). Jesus later would say that just as the serpent was lifted up, so the Son of Man would be lifted up and that all who looked to Him would be saved (John 3:14).  
• And at the other end of the story of God’s grand eternal plan for redemption of His creation, we see the Lamb that God provided as our substitute … “a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain…” Read Revelation chpater 4 and 5.

“Behold Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29

Face it, God is gracious to you. God loves you deeply. And just when you need it the most, He has provided the Lamb that you and I desperately needed. Jehovah-Jirah, my Provider indeed!

Resting in Him,
Steve

 

Last Sunday we spent some time talking about a few instances of remezim in the New Testament. By way of reminder remez (hint) was a technique used by Jewish teachers where they would quote only a portion of a scriptural text in a discussion, with the assumption that the hearer would be able to take the partial reference and fill in the larger context- kind of like Bible shorthand. This of course required that the hearers had an extensive knowledge of the scriptures, which was the case in the Judaism of Jesus’ day.  Some scholars believe that Jesus used this method well over 200 times in the gospels. The value of remez is that it calls us us to “network” the scriptures and have a broader overall understanding of God’s word.

Here are some examples of remez that we didn’t consider last Sunday.

1.  Jesus uses the title “Son of man” 85 times in the New Testament. Many have used this title to argue that Jesus was not divine but only a man and a great “moral teacher” completely missing the point of the reference. The title ”Son of man” hearkens back to Daniel 7:13-14:

“As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.”

In using the title “Son of man” Jesus was in fact not affirming his humanity but his divinity.

2.  Another example is what we read in Matthew 5:1-2 as Jesus prepares to deliver the Sermon on the Mount.

“When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying…”

The Sermon on the Mount was Jesus’ introduction as an authoritative teacher. In fact when Jesus finished the teaching Matthew relates that “the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” (Matt. 7:28-29) The concept of authority (shmikah) was an important one in the Judaism of Jesus day. Rabbis generally reiterated the teachings of the rabbis before them. A teacher with “authority” would make his own pronouncements. Very few rabbis historically were said to have had shmikah. We see Jesus exercising this authority for example when he says “you have heard this said… but I say… .”

There are several “hints” of note in the Matthew 5:1-2 passage. First of all “he went up on the mountain.” This is meant to call to mind Moses going up Mount Sinai to receive the law from God. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is presenting a new interpretation of the Law.

Next, the verse says “after He sat down.” Why is this important? Why mention it? Sitting has an important connotation in the scripture. For example, the Bible says that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God- not standing but sitting. In our culture a teacher will stand to deliver a message. In Jesus’ culture a teacher would sit. This is a sign of authority. Synagogues in Jesus day would have the figurative “seat of Moses” where a rabbi would teach. In fact at the ruins of the synagogue at Capernaum you can still see the “seat of Moses” today. When Jesus is condemning the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23 he says: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.” (Matthew 23:1-3).

By mentioning Jesus sitting Matthew is again drawing a parallel to Moses delivering the law.

Finally, the text says: “He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying….”  This seems superfluous right? Have you ever said anything without opening your mouth? Maybe if you’re a ventriloquist. Why mention this? Again, this is a remez, it is the Biblical indicator of “speaking authoritatively” adapted from the Hebrew “VaYa’an vaY’omer.”

3. One more. In Matthew 11:2-6 we read:

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

John’s disciples ask Jesus a simple question: “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” The phrase “one who is to come” is from the Messianic Psalm 118

“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD!” (Psalm 118:26)

It seems that a “yes” or “no” answer would be appropriate but instead Jesus offers a bit of a cryptic response. Again this is an example of a remez. The various parts of Jesus’ response would bring a number of Messianic passages from the Old Testament to the mind of the hearers that would answer the underlying question “are you the one” with a resounding “Yes!”

Let’s look at these parts:

The blind see, deaf hear and the sick are healed:

“In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel. ” (Isa 29:18-19)

“Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.” (Isa 35:4-6)

The poor have the Gospel preached to them:

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God.” (Isa 61:1-2)

These are all powerful verses that speak of Jesus as both Messiah and as God. Cool stuff.

These are just three examples but there are many, many more instances of remez in the NT.

Challenge: Why don’t you find one and share it with the readers!

Blessings

wes

The idea of turning worry to worship (1/1/12) is powerful and has struck a deep need in a lot of us as we walk through difficult life stuff or watch the ones we love struggle with difficult issues. 

In her blog piece, Elizabeth Burgard Fulgaro writes…

In our hearts we know the root of worry is fear – a fear circumstances will not turn out in the way we hope.  The opposite of fear (and worry) is trust.  This is not trust in our own abilities or a blind hope which chooses to believe that everything will turn out the way we want simply because we believe it will.

In order to conquer worry we are faced with the decision of whether or not we believe God is the God of the Bible.  If He is, then He is worthy of our trust.  In fact, He is the ONLY ONE worthy of our trust.

The bottom line is, will you trust God? Will you trust Him to BE God? Will you trust Him to do what only God can do? Will you rest in that trust and give up your fear? 

Read and soak in these promises from God to you in the middle of your fear…

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again!” – Exodus 14:13

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. – Deuteronomy 31:8

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. – Psalm 55:22

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  – Philippians 4:5-7

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  – Matthew 6:25, 26

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28

Here’s a suggestion to help turn your worry to worship: pick out 2 or 3 — or more — of these verses, write them out on a sticky-note or 3×5 card, and then stick them to your bathroom mirror, over the kitchen sink, on the dashboard of your car, or the edge of your computer monitor, wherever you’lll see them throguhout the day.

Soak in them. Rest in them. Trust God to be God. Then worship Him for His faithfulness in the past! Worship Him for His constant presence in the present. Worship Him for His purpose to be God in your future.

Resting in Him,
Steve

Happy New Year Good News! Here’s your chance to read through all of God’s Word in a year! We passed out two different Bible Reading Plans (1/1/2012).   There are paper copies of them — plus a new one that mixes OT and NT readings throguout the year — available in the Lobby. You can also use one of these two Reading Plans online:  E-Word Today or One Year Bible Blog. So,  it’s not too late to start!

A number of people were sucessful in reading through the whole Bible last year! Roger Viellieux and Dave Stebbings did it for the third year in a row! And a long list of folks made great progress — even if they weren’t able to read every single chapter and verse.

There is the promise of great blessings that come with reading God’s Word. Here’s just five of many…

You are blessed for reading and heeding (conforming your life to) what you read…
- Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

Plus, you enjoy the blessing of God on your life when you are obedient…
- Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” 

Plus, He promises protection from temptation to sin…
- Psalm 119;11 ”Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

Plus, there is the blessing of increased spiritual and emotional strength…
- Psalm 1:1-3 “ Blessed is the man…in His law  he meditates day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; His leaf shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.”

Plus, there’s the blessing of instruction for dealing with all of life’s circumstances…
- 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the (wo)man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

So there are plenty of good reasons to read the Word of God. Have fun!

Resting in Him,
Steve