THE LORD SPOKE (March 13)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 5-6

The commandments are placed in an envelope that emphasized the faithful carrying out of what they say. At the beginning of Deuteronomy 5, Moses tells the people to “learn them and be sure to follow them” (Deut. 5:1). Again at the close, he reminds them to “be careful to do them” (Deut. 5:32). Throughout there is an emphasis on doing all that they command (Deut. 5:27,29,31,33) for, as James later explains, “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (Jas. 2:10).

So what should we do? Abandon the ship because there’s no possible way to stay afloat? Give it all up because it’s not humanly possible? Toss the baby out with the bath?

No! A Baby came to help us. More than help us. That precious Son of God has made it possible to keep all the commandments. Not in our own strength. Not by our own effort or goodness. But through simple trust in Him as our righteousness. He is our hope and our salvation. He is “the end of the law” (Rom. 10:4) both in the sense of fulfillment or completion and in the sense of goal or purpose. He is “become our salvation”.

He is both our motivation and our strength to follow through. He reminded us, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (Jn. 14:15) and this is not burdensome, for He says:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Mat. 11:28-30)

New Testament: John 4

Her progression in terms of direct address is noteworthy. The Samaritan woman in John 4 starts with a put-down and is moved steadily toward believing respect:

• “a Jew” - vs. 9
• “sir” - vs. 11, 15, 19
• “a prophet” - vs. 19
• “a man...the Messiah?” - vs. 29

Jesus begins where she is spiritually and moves her forward by means of metaphor and penetrating propositions:

• water ➔ “living water” (vs. 10)
• well ➔ “spring of water welling up” (vs. 14)
• husband ➔ “five husbands” plus one (vs. 18)
• this mountain ➔ that mountain ➔ no mountain (vs. 21)
• “Messiah is coming” ➔ I am the one! (vs. 26)

Much of what the Lord said must have been very startling to her. One of the statements that Jesus makes to her is rather startling to us, unless we take the time to think about it clearly. Well into the conversation He says, “Salvation is from the Jews” (vs. 22). Sure, we know that the OT comes before the NT but we don’t usually think in those terms. Our view of the Church and of the superior nature of the New Testament (i.e. New Covenant - see the book of Hebrews!) is such that we don’t often consider from where we’ve come.

The metaphor Paul uses in Romans 11 is of an olive tree root with ingrafted branches and he made it very clear, “You do not support the root, but the root supports you.” (Rom. 11:18). Consider what Jesus means when He says, “salvation is of the Jews”:

1. Our Bible was entirely written by Jews - both OT and NT - with the single exception of Luke/Acts. However, the Gentile Luke was actually a Jewish proselyte.
2. Our Savior is (not was) a Jewish man, born of a Jewish virgin in Bethlehem, of the house and lineage of King David, and seated today at the right hand of the Father in heaven, interceding for us.
3. Our theology comes directly from the Jewish Old Testament - “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sins.” God has righteous standards and we are accountable to Him. “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
4. Our faith must be that of Abraham who “believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6)). Thus, we become the children of Abraham (Rom. 4:1; Gal. 3:7).
5. Our glorious hope is in the return of the Jewish Messiah who will sit on the Jewish throne of His father David, in Jew-rusalem, and will establish His millennial kingdom.

Everything that we hold precious spiritually, has come to us through God’s chosen people, the Jews. He has worked out His plan through them since Abraham, He is doing so now, and He will do so in the future.

THE LORD SPOKE (August 27)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Psalm 111-116

“He will have no fear of bad news” (Ps. 112:7a). Does that sound like you? Would you be interested to know how that could be true? Just back up to see who is the antecedent of “he” and you’ll find the clue: “him who is generous and lends freely” (Ps. 112:5a). Keep backing up and you’ll find that it’s the man who fears the Lord (Ps. 112:1a). Take a look at his characteristics:

• finds great delight in the Lord’s commands (Ps. 112:1b)
• righteousness (Ps. 112:3b, 4b, 6b, 9b)
• gracious (Ps. 112:4b)
• compassionate (Ps. 112:4b)
• generous (Ps. 112:5a, 9a)
• just (Ps. 112:5b)
• unafraid (Ps. 112:7a,8a)
• trusting in the Lord (Ps. 112:7b)

That’s quite a listing! Are those qualities you’d like to have characterize your life? Take a second look. Twice it links righteousness with being generous (Ps. 112:4-5,9b). Twice it says he will have “no fear” (Ps. 112:7,8) and twice that he will have a strong heart (Ps. 112:7,8). Does that also include the physical heart? Take another look at the list of benefits:

• children who also love the Lord (Ps. 112:2)
• wealth and riches (Ps. 112:3)
• good in a variety of forms (Ps. 112:5)
• honor (Ps. 112:9)

All that and more is promised to “the man who fears the Lord” (Ps. 112:1). So how can a person access that truth?

1. Start by thinking of Him at all times. He should be a factor in every equation of your life.
2. Learn all you can about Him and His ways. This comes from the Bible. So you should read some Scripture every day. Read consistently; read meditatively; read hungrily.
3. Speak often to Him. Tell Him what you think, what you fear, what troubles you. Ask Him to help you.
4. Determine to follow through on what you’re discovering and learning about Him. Obey His commands; follow His ways; think His thoughts.

New Testament: Revelation 1

Any portion of Scripture will bring a blessing to those who read it but this part of the Bible makes a special promise to that effect. First to the reader but even more so to the one who “keeps” this prophecy. How do you “keep” prophecy? After reading it, you “take it to heart” (NIV), meaning, you live it out expectantly. You look for His coming and you long for the fulfillment of that which is promised.

Revelation 1:13-16 provides the only physical description we have of the Lord Jesus anywhere in the Bible. A few clues can be picked up in the Gospel accounts (He didn’t look strikingly different from others, He had a beard) but not much is known before this point. What we’re given here is a view of Him already in His glorified state, after His return to heaven. Jesus was...

dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. (Rev. 1:13-16)

When John, His best friend on earth, saw Him (Rev. 1:17), he fell at His feet as though dead. We’ll likely do the same. His blazing eyes will see right through us (could that be the fire of I Cor. 3:13-15?) and His thundering voice will rattle us in a way we’ve never yet experienced. What glory that will be!

John tells us that he was “in the Spirit” on “the Lord’s Day” when this happened (Rev. 1:10). This is most likely a reference to the day of Jesus’ resurrection (i.e. Passover season), not any given Sunday. That use of the term “Lord’s Day” comes into Christian practice much later. At this point, it referred to a yearly observance of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, not simply the first day of the week. Being in exile on the island of Patmos because of his witness for Christ, John was commissioned to write what he had seen (chapter 1, and everything that preceded in his Gospel account), what he was seeing (chapters 2-3), and what was yet to be seen (chapters 4-22).

What follows is the most staggering vision of the future that has ever been given to man. For 2000 years it has kept us captivated and wondering at many of the details. We see “through a glass darkly” something of what the future holds and we stand in awe. We tremble. We wait. And we say, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”