A Biblical Conundrum - Day 14 Through the Bible

Hunting is another sport in Western North Carolina.   This state is one of the original 13 colonies of the United States, and this rite of passage and means of providing for the family has been passed down through the generations.  There is a private hunt club not far from Mt. Celo Church.  While many of you may be opposed to this "sport", we see the importance of this - especially in male bonding -  in the father-son relationship in today's daily Bible study.

This passage is one of the Biblical conundrums that I pray and agonize over each time I read it, and I know from other Bible studies that I am not the only one who does this.  That is probably because we see these family dynamics played out so often in our own lives and generation.  Since we are supposed to write what we feel God is trying to teach us in these lessons, I am first going to write my thoughts and then glean what some of the commentaries say on this.

My Lessons

1) The father and mother should work together in the upbringing of the children, not choosing favorites, not giving one child a "leg up" over the other, not deceiving the other spouse.  These patterns are not only generational, they go back to the beginning of time. (Gen. 25:27-28) (Gen. 27) 

2) Children are born with their own natural inclinations and personalities as much as they are born with their own physical features.  (Gen. 25:27)

3) However, God also chooses one person and not the other.  We will see this all through our year of study.  This is the doctrine of election.  God chose His Son.  God chose Israel.  God chose all believers - from the foundation of the world.  It took years of study and underlining these words for me to grasp this difficult truth.

Malachi 1:2-3 declares, “’I have loved you,’” says the LORD. But you ask, 'How have you loved us?' ‘Was not Esau Jacob's brother?’ the LORD says. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals. Romans 9:10-13, “Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’” 

http://www.gotquestions.org/Jacob-Esau-love-hate.html

4)  Our scheming is often turned on our own heads.  We see this throughout the Bible as well.  Haman's genocidal plot against Mordecai and the Jews in the book of Esther is one example.  In the next chapters we will see how Jacob will receive a heavy dose of his own medicine.  And Rebekah will not see Jacob again after he has been sent away.  She will die before his return.  

5)  Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac and now Esau and Jacob - enmity between brothers - gives us pause to consider whether things might have been different had the parents not schemed to bring about God's Plan but had submitted to waiting for God to work in His timing, in His way.

6) Abraham was faithful to God - without conditions.  Jacob says, "IF God will be with me AND keep me in this way that I am going, AND give me bread to eat AND clothing to put on, SO THAT I come back to my father's house in peace, THEN the LORD shall be my God." (Gen. 28: 20-22 - emphases are mine.)  As Dr. Stanley said, "Jacob knew little peace in his life until he learned not to use God to get a blessing, but to obey God to receive a blessing."   Both the Psalm and Proverbs readings follow along with this today.  The wicked bring forth iniquity, trouble, falsehood, fall into the ditches they made, trouble returns on their own heads, their violent dealings shall come down on their own crowns.  We will see this in the coming days with Jacob as God works in his life.  As in the Proverbs, Jacob will learn not to despise the chastening of the LORD, not to detest His correction.  He will understand and experience that whom the LORD loves He corrects.

7) No health, wealth and prosperity gospel in Matthew 10.  No illusions.  Jesus reminds us again of the high cost of discipleship.  Moving from adolescence (in a calmer time in our society) into adulthood (with the challenges of discipleship becoming more difficult year by year), I quickly took this warning from Jesus to heart:  
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you." Matt. 10: 16-19

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Our Greatest Gift to Others - Guest Speaker: The Reverend Bill Dages

The Blue Ridge Parkway - "America's Favorite Drive" - is just up NC State Scenic Highway 80 S from Mt. Celo Church.   Two fathers of our church members helped to build this national scenic highway.  The father of one our Elders would get up at 3 or 4 am and walk over the mountains and back home at night to work on this project - a 6-hour daily walk.  I wish every American could experience this breathtaking drive at least once in their lives.

One of the reasons we have committed as a church to this collective Daily Bible Study during 2013 is that we may more clearly understand God's leading in providing a new pastor for our church.  

We hope you will be blessed by this message to the Mt. Celo Church on January 6th, 2013.  The Reverend William (Bill) Dages was our guest speaker.  Bill attended seminary at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Westminister Theological Seminary.  He was born outside of Philadelphia, PA and has been living in NC for 26 years.  He trusted Christ as his Savior in 1969, and worked with Young Life as an Area Director in Wheeling, W V. He holds a full-time job and has served as Assistant Pastor of Story Presbyterian Church in Marion, NC.  In his spare time he loves to spend time with his family, garden, hunt, fish, hike and tell people about the love of Jesus.

We thought his message went perfectly with the New Testament reading for today:  'But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."' Matthew 9:36-38.

Please Click on the message, "The Greatest Gift of All"  in the sidebar under 

MINISTRY OF THE WORD

Bill's handout accompanying the message:

Our Greatest Gift to Others  (Romans 10 and John 3:16)

A.  The Messenger

B.  The Method

C.  The Message

Diagnostic Questions:

1) Have you come to the place in your spiritual life, where, if you were to die tonight, you would know for certain that you have eternal life?

2) If you were to die tonight and you were to stand before God, and he were to ask you, "Why should I let you into My heaven"?...What would you say?

The Gospel... John 3:16

(For) God                    so Loved                 the World

(that) He                          gave           His only begotten Son

That Whosoever         believes                 in Him

Will not perish               but has                Everlasting life

Suggested Reading List:

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism  by Mark Dever

A Faith Worth Sharing by C. John Miller

The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman

Evangelism Explosion by James Kennedy

The Divine Conquest by A. W. Tozer

Let the Nations be Glad by John Piper

Praying Hope by Francis A. McGaw

God's Way of Peace by Horatius Bonar

Not the Way Its Supposed to Be by Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.

Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp

When God Reigns in Our Lives--Day 12 Through the Bible

January 12
As usual, I found more than a few personal lessons in our study today. God's Word is indeed a treasure trove if we only open the pages and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us to these gems. A person's character is revealed in even the most mundane situation. The account of Abraham seeking to purchase a burial place for his beloved Sara is no exception. I would probably be happy to accept a free burial plot for my loved one and might even see it as a blessing from God. However, Abraham's thoughts were on a much higher plane.  Today, our culture (our godless culture) stresses materialism and getting something for nothing. We can view Abraham's example as the "straight stick" that reveals the "crooked stick" representing our materialistic thinking of today.
Abraham was a wealthy and prosperous man. He was respected by those who knew him, as evidenced by the offer of the burial property by the owner as a gift to him. However, Abraham would not accept the property without paying for it. He wanted to provide a burial place for Sara himself. He wanted to pay for it, to give something he owned in exchange for the property. Abraham valued the privilege of being able to provide the property for Sara's burial place. He embraced a higher system of values that had nothing to do with materialism. (I don't think he was too proud to accept the gift and that is beside the point.)
Today, we have unfortunately sacrificed honor, spiritual values, and that which brings deep satisfaction on the altar of self-centeredness and pleasure. In I Timothy 5:8, God instructs us that: "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel". This verse has its origins in God's value system. Abraham reflected this same value system. Abraham wanted to provide for Sara this one last time. He desired to give of himself, to give of his possessions for Sara.

We are unfortunately so busy chasing "things" we are missing out on the deep, truly satisfying experiences God intended for us. There is so much we don't know about true happiness. I Timothy 6:6, says "But godliness with contentment is great gain". We would also do well to remember that when we lose our lives for Christ's sake, it is only then that we truly find it. Abraham valued the things that matter--God, his family, and his own character. It would be to our benefit to ask God to help us change our focus from materialism to personal responsibility and accountability. In our culture, we are in dire need of a sense of accountability to God and a sense of responsibility for ourselves and to those of our own house. These needs remain unrecognized in our culture, however they hold the potential for personal satisfaction and for bringing us to God's value system--the same values that Abraham evidently embraced!

Persevering Faith - Day 11 of Through the Bible

The South Toe River near Mt. Celo Church where our river baptisms are held.  Fly-fishing, canoeing, kayaking are favorite sports in this area. 

Gleanings from Today’s Readings.

1)   God tests us.  Life throws curves to all of us, but we will see in this year through the Bible, that God Himself will test His men and women of faith.  He will cause them to wait long periods of times for His promises to be fulfilled.  He rewards the persevering faithful.  Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was 99 when the promised heir, Isaac, was born. “Obey God, and leave all the consequences to Him.”  Charles Stanley – Life Lessons

2)   God hears.  God acts – in His time and in His way.  We have already seen this precept many times in just 11 days of this study.  God heard the lad (Ishmael) cry.  He promised the mother (Hagar) that her son would be blessed and multiplied greatly.

3)   God provides – for Sarah and Abraham, for Hagar and Ishmael, for Isaac.  We will see this throughout the year of study – the Providence and Sovereignty of God in the lives of His people – in our lives.

4)   The Scarlet Thread.  There is said to be a scarlet thread that runs throughout the Bible – showing the life and blood of Christ from Genesis through Revelation.  There is wonderful foreshadowing here in Gen. 22:8 and 14.  God’s name is even The-LORD-Will-Provide.  He will provide the sacrificial Lamb Himself on THIS Mount of the Lord.  This is Mount Moriah.  The same mountain where Isaac was to be sacrificed is the mountain where Jesus Christ will be crucified several hundred years later.  The Angel of the LORD speaking to Abraham is thought to be Christ by most NT Biblical scholars.

5)   Faith and Obedience.  Why was Isaac spared? (Gen. 22:18 –“because you have obeyed My voice.)” Obedience is the evidence of genuine faith.

6)   In the Psalm, David pours out his soul before God, knowing that God hears.  I have found that the greatest relief in severe trials and anxiety in persecution is to read the 150 Psalms aloud to God in prayer.  These are wonderful gifts to us when we are so distraught we cannot even find the words to express our thoughts.

7)   This Proverb is one of the most popular quotes from the Bible and perfectly describes the faith life of Abraham and David.  It is also a quote and promise I pray back to God almost every day of my life: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”  Prov. 3: 5,6

8)   The cost of discipleship is high.  This seems to have been lost in much of Christendom today.  It may require the loss of every material possession we have (Matt 8: 20).  It may cost us the relationships we have. (v 22)   It may cost us our lives.  Great love is sacrificial love.

9)   Even demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God who WILL have victory over them and all evil – in “the time.” (v. 29)

10) Regardless of the struggles we face in this life, "we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37  The question is:  What will we do with this Man called Jesus?  Will we ask Him to depart from us as did the people in the country of the Gergesenes – afraid of the cost -, or will we ask Him to stay and come into our hearts as our Lord and Savior?

“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple.   Ps. 27:4

Fire and Brimstone or Kindness--Day 10 Through the Bible

January 10

When reading Genesis 19, Sodom and Lot may seem to be the focus of the chapter. As events unfold, however, the mercy of God begins to take precedence (as always). Then, in the 29^th verse, Lot's circumstances are put into perspective and God clarifies the reason He saw fit to remove Lot from the city marked for destruction. It was because of Abraham. Verse 29 serves to transfer the focus of this chapter from Lot and a culture without hope to God's kindness.

God was sparing Lot because of Abraham. Lot had chosen to live in the city to begin with and was evidently negatively affected by its culture (evidenced by the offer of his daughters to the mob).  He refused to leave the city quickly in order to save his own life and then proceeded to complain about being directed to the mountains for safety. Lot comes across as uncooperative (to say the least) with God's efforts to save him and revealed a pattern of acting on circumstances rather than principles (a tremendous lesson here).

After the destruction of Sodom, we move on to another lesson. How many times do we take matters into our own hands, thinking we have it all figured out, only to discover we are working from a false premise. 

When Abraham traveled to Gerar, he assumed “the fear of God was not in this place”. He acted accordingly and concocted a half truth that resulted in God’s judgment on the king and his household. (Failing to pray first often results in the need not only to pray, but to repent after the fact.) There’s no mention that Abraham sought God regarding this situation before taking matters into his own hands. When the dust had settled in verse 17, Abraham prayed to God and God repaired the damage Abraham's plan had wrought, and healed the king and his household.

The incident here is also a reminder not to answer a matter before knowing the facts. Maybe Abraham should have done a little more research on the beliefs of the king. Nevertheless, "assuming" is something we probably do best and there is much to learn from this example. We set ourselves up to look foolish when we act or offer solutions without having all the facts. Proceeding without asking for God's involvement is also a recipe for disaster. Yet we unfortunately tend to do both. There is usually something in most situations that we are unaware of. If only we could be as quick to show kindness in situations as we are to be judgmental.

Kindness may indeed be one of the most important lessons we can take away from today’s study. In spite of the corrupt scene in Sodom and God’s impending judgment, God—in His mercy and kindness sent angels to remove Abraham’s nephew and family from the path of destruction (the angel literally had to bodily remove them). Neither should we forget that God does not allow wickedness to go on forever. At some point, He will decide it’s enough. 

Making kindness our rule of life serves to shine the light of Christ in a powerful and effective way and may prevent us from unknowingly adding to someone’s despair.  By nature, we tend to be too involved with ourselves to show kindness to others. However, if Christ lives in us, we will be producing the fruit of kindness in our lives. May we prayerfully consider our responses to others and ask God to fill our lives as well as our mouths with His law of kindness (Proverbs 31).

Covenantal Faith - Knowing and Doing God's Will - Day 9 Through the Bible

Roaring Fork Falls - just up the road from Mt. Celo Church

Hiking is one of our favorite sports here.  This is across the road from Mt. Mitchell Golf Course. (See post archive)

One of the amazing things to me in the years I have done these Daily Study Bible readings is seeing how much the lessons taught overlap throughout the Bible on each particular day.

The Abrahamic Covenant - Abraham and Sarah (new names for new lives) are talking with God but doubting God’s ability to perform the impossible.  They LAUGHED at what God said.  This was the first reaction of the great man of faith.  God’s answer: Is anything too hard for the Lord? “ Gen. 17:14 Yet, from this beginning of faith, Abraham dares to continue in discussion with God – albeit humbly.  Abraham pleads for the lives of the righteous in Sodom – if there are any. God has come to earth because of the outcries against the people of Sodom.  He has heard prayers, and He is acting.  He hears Abraham.  He hears us.  He acts – in His time – in His way.

In David’s Psalm centuries later, this faithful son still continues the outcries to God with pleas to act to thwart the evil, the wickedness, the destruction - the rebellion against God.  David believes and knows that God can and will intervene to bring down this evil.  He was taught well and learned these lessons well.   But even more wonderful, David – as did Abraham – speaks to God on behalf of the righteous – those who trust in God – that they be joyful and blessed.  God hears.  God acts.

In Proverbs we are told to get wisdom and knowledge into the depth of our beings, that these will lead to discretion and understanding that will preserve and keep us.  The opposite path of this is pointed out, the path that leads to death – those who rejoice in evil, are crooked, devious, immoral - who forget the covenant of God. Thus we commit to this study – to know God – to live in His wisdom, His way.

Jesus continues His Sermon on the Mount about wisdom living. We are not to judge others (Matt 7:1), but we are called to be discerning, “Do not cast what is holy before the dogs.” (Matt 7 6.)  We are to be diligent in prayer – ask – it will be given, seek – you will find, knock – it will be opened to you (notice the progressive intensity in each of these.)  Here are the two crucial lessons: The vertical relationship first – communion/prayer with God, - that pours over into the horizontal relationship –with man and the Golden Rule – “Whatever we want men to do to us, we must also do to them.” Matt. 7:12  But there is a covenantal warning:  Don’t just hear these words – do them.

Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us. Ps. 90:17

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled--Day 8 Through the Bible

Mt. Mitchell State Park can be accessed from Hwy. 80 South via The Blue Ridge Parkway. Mt. Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi, with an elevation of 6,684 feet. It is a popular attraction in summer months for visitors to the area . The observation deck pictured here replaced the old observation tower.

                            

January 8

As I read Genesis 15:1, I am reminded of the many times God, Jesus, or an Angel told someone in the Bible not to be afraid. Fearfulness is listed as one of 8 sins in Revelation 21:8 that warrant the lake of fire (that really makes me fearful!). In the same verse, fearfulness is listed along with unbelief.

 In Genesis 15:1 the Lord explains to Abram the reason he doesn’t need to be fearful—“I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward”. Abram expressed concern because God had not given him an heir. God brought Abram outside and asked him to count the stars—if he could, and told him his descendants would be that numerous.

God always exceeds our expectations (in accordance with His will). Abram’s plan and desire included one heir while God’s plan for Abram involved an innumerable multitude. We just cannot comprehend what God is accomplishing! We cannot fathom His greatness and what He has in store for us. We cannot grasp the “exceedingly great reward” that God says is reason for us not to be afraid.

A shield serves as a source of protection—it comes between the bearer and the enemy. We usually think of it in the Bible in terms of battle. However today, we are familiar with personal protective equipment such as eye shields, face shields, leg shields, etc.  God says He is our “shield”. Shield can also mean to cover. In Psalms 91, God says He will cover us with His feathers and under His wings we shall trust. Today’s scripture in Proverbs 2:7 says, “He is a shield to those who walk uprightly”. The level of our despair would be greatly diminished if we could just grasp the truth that God is with us and provides for us--this includes His provision for our protection!

Although Abram believed God, he succumbed to his wife’s plan and fathered a son by Sarai’s handmaiden. Sarai despised Hagar to the point that Hagar left home. The Angel of the Lord found her and called her by name, then gave her God’s perspective on her situation. Hagar “called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me’?” 

If we are faithful in studying God’s Word, we are on our way to seeing “Him who sees me"! The more our knowledge of God increases, the more we realize God is aware of our situation, and—the more we see God’s perspective on our situation the more our fearfulness diminishes!

Our study wraps up in Matthew with Jesus telling us not to worry about what we need. Worry tends to cross over to fear. He tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added to us. In this passage He addresses His hearers as, “O you of little faith”. Yet, this faith deficit can be fixed and God even tells us how. He says in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing the Word of God!  Daily Bible study evidently covers many bases!