Making Things Clear

Yesterday I referred to a study in 1 Corinthians.  We are in 15 (here @ BibleGateway) this week.  14 (here @ BibleGateway) Last week.  12 – 14 is a difficult passage.  This time through I saw something that was tangential to the typical discussion that is usually started when one engages with 14.  

Before we get into that, lets think about one of, if not the major, theme of 1 Corinthians.  In each chapter Paul seems to deal with an issue that is causing division in the Corinthian church.  For instance:

Chapter	Divisive Issue
1	Competition of whose mentor is best
2	Lack of growth
3	Arrogance of conversion
4	Pride or Arrogance toward leaders
5	Misplaced tolerance
6	Mishandling of legal issues
7	male female relationships
8	Liberty misused
9	Rights demanded
10	Forgetting all in the same situation, choosing what one likes without regard for the choice’s impact on others
11	Misbehavior at the Lord’s table, differences about head coverings
12	Spiritual gifts
13	Lack of love

Which brings us to 14.  Most would probably suggest that it is a rehearsal or expansion of chapter 12, and at some level that is correct.  But, I believe there is more going on under the surface of the arguments Paul is making.  There are hints of this all through the chapter but 14:10 - 11 (here @ BibleGateway) is perhaps the clearest example.  Paul remarks that there are many languages and if two people are not speaking the same language one will think the other is a barbarian, they are not communicating.  

As I thought through the chapter, it began to dawn that that issues of not communicating was underlying all of what Paul is saying in this chapter.  Whether it is tongues, either in the charismatic sense, or prophecy, if those hearing do not understand what is being said, there is no edification in the church.

Shortly after thinking this through, I was in several meetings that included both staff at churches and men in Bible studies, I observed miscommunication happening in each meeting.  One person would say something and the person listening would hear something else and respond to what they thought they heard rather than what was said.

That happens between generations as well.  I am a baby boomer.  I have a different language, for the most part, than millennials.  I must work to both understand what they are saying, and work to communicate what I am thinking to them in language that they understand.

This past weekend we had a speaker that used the DISC personality inventory to help those in our church understand the different ways that different personalities communicate and hear what is communicated to them.  It was again a validation of what I saw in 14.

When I read articles on current events, I sometimes wonder from what planet the person writing the article recently arrived.  They are viewing what I see through a completely different lens.  

Interestingly When you consider Paul’s prayer request in Colossians 4:3– 4 (here @ BibleGateway), the main thing he is asking for is to be able to speak clearly, to make the mystery of the gospel clear to those to whom he speaks.  Communication.  James in 3:1 – 12 (here @ BibleGateway), you know the passage, the word translated tongue is the same word that is used in 1 Corinthians that is similarly translated tongue or tongues.  Lastly, in Genesis 11:6 (here @ BibleGateway), the Lord looking at what the people were building in the plain in Shinar, acknowledged that they all spoke the same language, thus they could do anything they chose to do.

If we communicate, across generations, across theological differences, across cultural differences, as believers, think of what we can do in pursuing first the Kingdom, Matthew 6:33 (here @ BibleGateway).

Remember

As we near the end of this year there is another discipline in which we should engage.  Look at Ephesians 2:11 – 12 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Note that the word “remember” is repeated in both verses.  Repetition is one of the literary devices that gives us a clue as to what is important.

It is important that we remember, review, what God has done in our lives.  We tend to forget and forget quickly.  If you have read the Old Testament, you will know that is not a unique or recent problem for those who follow the Lord.

For instance, consider Joshua 24:1 – 13 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Here Joshua reminds Israel what the Lord has done for them.  But then look at Judges 2:7, 10 – 11 (here @ Bible Gateway).  In a relatively short time, Israel forgot.  When they forgot, they turned away from God.  That sequence, reminder, remember, forget is repeated over and over not only in Judges but also in 1 and 2 Kings (here @ Bible Gateway) and 1 and 2 Chronicles (here @ Bible Gateway).

It is not a new challenge.

It seems to be something that we need to continually battle.  Other places in this blog I have recommended journaling (in 57 posts, type journal in the search box to the top right of this post or click the tag journal below to see some of those if you wish).  That is a discipline which, if one chooses to engage, helps one to remember what God has done.  In fact, much of this blog begins with a review of my journals.

It does not have to be complicated.  Simply during your quiet time, or some other regular time, jot down the date, record what the Lord is doing.  It may be passages that He has taken you through.  Note those and what you learned.  Or it could be a life event and what you were thinking and learned.  Or it may be a prayer you record.  Some or all.  Do what fits you.

Then on a regular basis, turn back to earlier pages or volumes, and review what the Lord has done.  You will be encouraged.

Overstating

Take a look at Job 42:1 – 3 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Job is responding to the Lord’s rebuke.  Note the elements of Job’s confession.

He starts with God.  He acknowledges God’s sovereignty and power.  Then he turns to his own reality.  He had made confident assertions about things for which he had no understanding.  Things that were frankly far beyond his ability to comprehend.

From time to time I encounter folks who are certain.  At a significant level they suffer from what Prof called, “hardening of the categories”.  One cannot have a conversation with them.  They see Scripture through what they have decided is true.  In some cases they have taken positions that directly contradict what the text says.  But they are certain that they have not.

Both Paul and Jesus echoed this reality, the reality that there are many of us who are like Job.  In Matthew 15:8 – 9 (here @ Bible Gateway), Jesus decries those who teach their ideas rather than the truth.  In 1 Timothy 1:7 (here @ Bible Gateway), Paul reminds Timothy that there are still those who make confident assertions as Job did, but have absolutely no idea about that which they are expounding.  Unfortunately, their tribe is legion.

For the past 40 years I have been studying the Bible.  I have worked hard at increasing my ability to interact with the text and make better observations which lead to better understanding.  I know some things.  But, the truth is, I am relatively certain that much of what I think I know could be in error.  Why?  Because when we are studying God, we are studying the infinite with finite minds.  He alludes to this in Isaiah 55:8 – 9 (here @ Bible Gateway).  We do not, cannot, think like Him.

There are a lot of great books about the Bible.  There are great men who have written extraordinary works that have greatly helped me.  But, their works are not inspired.  They are not God.  They, as I am, are susceptible to error.  In fact, in some area of their study, I am certain they will discover they are wrong, as will I.

The point is, I have to hold what I “know” with an open hand.  I have to be open to being corrected by what the Text says, not what I want it to say.  I cannot, or better, I have to continually resist the urge to read into the text what I already “know”.

Job’s confession is a great model.  I have to acknowledge who is actually God, and admit that I need His help.  Then I need to follow David’s example in Psalm 119:18 (here @ Bible Gateway) and ask the Lord to open my eyes and help me to see.  Further, I have to be willing to change what I believe I understand.

It seems to me that is what Paul is talking about in Romans 12:1 – 2 (here @ Bible Gateway).

Renewed not Retired

Things hurt today.  Neck, back, etc.  It is probable that I am paying for things, like rugby, that I did when I was younger.  As we mature, things change, work differently or not at all…

However, there is another perspective.

Consider 2 Corinthians 4:16 – 18 (here @ Bible Gateway).  The great news there is, though our bodies may deteriorate, the outer man, we still have growth to pursue in the inner man.  There is no end to what we can learn, what we can experience of our Lord, what we can share with others, what we can observe and apply in the Word of God.

There are no sidelines in the Christian experience.  There is no retirement.  There is no finish line other than being in the presence of the one that enables us to run this race.

That is a journey, an adventure, to which it is worth our complete commitment.

The Timeline of Training

Genesis 14:14 (here @ Bible Gateway) is striking. 

What interests me here is that Moses had built an army capable of defeating four kings.  He had trained them, equipped them when he did not need the force.

Leadership seems to train people for what may, will come and not what is on their plate now.

Some of the things that I have seen in the past year that people needed to know to navigate well the circumstances of their lives:

• The Love of God
• Trusting God
• The Sovereignty of God

If you need help with these.  Let me know.

On a Mission from God?

If you have seen the Blues Brothers, you know that Jake and Elwood tell people they are on a mission from God (the movie is crude, the music is great); if one were an objective observer, one would probably come to the conclusion that they were perhaps mistaken.

1 Chronicles 17:6, David and Nathan made a similar error as Jake and Elwood.  David feels like he should build a house for the Lord.  Nathan thinks that is a great idea.  One the way home from David’s, Nathan hears from God, “Not so fast!” (it’s in the original).

1 Samuel 13:14 refers to David as a man after God’s heart.  Here, he was wanting to do something for the Lord which the Lord did not want him to do.  Nathan, is the one that confronts David about Bathsheba; he gets it wrong as well.

That made me wonder.  How many times have I engaged in something I thought that the Lord wanted me to do and yet He was not that interested in my doing that for Him?  I suspect that I have.

Two things emerge from thinking through this.  First, the need to seek Him and His heart fervently before I act for Him.  Second, I may, and probably will, like David, get it wrong at times.  The amazing and wonderful thing?  God’s lavish grace covers my errors, just as it did David’s.

More Parallels

Look at Job 35:16 and 1 Timothy 1:6 – 7.

In both cases the notion is that people are speaking without knowledge of what they speak.  If we are honest with ourselves we have all done that at one time or another.  I know that I have.  Or I speak beyond what I know making extensions to the topic for which I have no real knowledge.

Another, error I make is repeating what others have said or written without checking to see if they have used the data in a manner consistent with the intent of the author.

I had a seminal experience in seminary.  In one intercession class, we read two books by well-known Christian authors.  They were on opposite sides of a debate.  We looked at the sources they quoted as well as the passages they cited as support for their positions.

Both authors mishandled their source material; either misquoting or misrepresenting the context or import of their citation.  Both also, at some level, did not handle the Scripture carefully.

That experience emphasized to me that just because a well-known author has written and been published by a reputable publisher, does not mean that what they have written will withstand Biblical examination.  My conclusion was and is that I must lean on the Bible.  I can read and benefit from the thoughts of authors, and I read rather extensively.  But, I am responsible to validate what I read Biblically.  If I quote or use their material without first checking their work, I am in danger of opening my mouth emptily and multiplying words without knowledge…

The Closely Girded Word

Romans 15:4 tells us that what we read in the Old Testament was written both to instruct us and to give us hope.  Many of us do not spend a great deal of time studying or reading through those 39 books.  We spend most of our time in the New Testament…  Remember, though, for the writers of the New Testament, the Scriptures were those 39 books.  So we should be instructed.  We do need do so with care.  We need to make sure that we do not take ideas out of context nor should we allegorize what we read.

That being said, and attempting to follow my own advice, look at Psalm 149:6.  I was stunned by this passage.  The combination of high praise and a two-edged sword was striking.  When we imagine worship, at least when I imagine worship, I think more in terms of guitars than swords.

That terminology reoccurs in Hebrews 4:12.  There the Word of God is referred to as a two edged sword.  In Nehemiah 4:17, those building the wall with Nehemiah are portrayed as carrying their work out with one hand while holding a sword in the other.  In Ephesians 6:10 – 20, where we read about the full armor of God, we read that the Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit.

It makes me wonder if the writer of Hebrews and Paul had Psalm 149:6 and Nehemiah 4:17 in mind when they penned those passages.  What it does bring to mind is the centrality of the Word of God in all aspects of our experience as believers.  Whether in worship, work, or ministry, the Word should be in one hand while we are doing worship, work, or ministry with the other.

A Different Perspective

If you think you understand something in the Bible I would recommend studying that text with someone from another country.

I meet weekly with a pastor in a country that is predominately Muslim.  He is the pastor of several underground churches.  We have been meeting together for about four years.  We meet on line using the third video conferencing vehicle in four years.  The government there has blocked the three others we have used.

I have been there five times.  Three of those trips were to help him equip the people in the churches in the word and for leadership.  We finished our study of Acts a few weeks ago and we started a study on 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus last week.  Last week we did an overview of the three books as a whole and this week we were in Titus 1.

His observations in Acts were much different than the observations of the men with whom I was studying the book here.  Why?  He is living through many of the same issues.  He is facing some of the same issues in his churches that I am working on in a church I have been asked to help.  Namely, developing and equipping leaders.

I thought I had a pretty good handle on the qualifications for the role of elder in Titus 1.  Then he started asking about some of the specifics of the requirements that Paul outlined as they applied to a Muslim convert.  I found myself hesitating with my answers.  I know the people about whom he was asking.  I know the struggles they have being converts in a Muslim family.  My response after we talked for a while was that I needed to spend more time in that passage and the others that deal with elders and I needed to pray about his questions.

So do the issues in the culture mean that we set aside certain of the requirements as they pertain to the family?  Or do we follow what Paul outlined trusting in what the Word says is right and that the sovereignty of God is over that ministry condition?

I am struggling with this.

Another All In

I was challenged the other day by something I read in 2 Kings 3:7.  Look at the passage.  Jehoram asks Jehoshaphat for help against Moab.  Jehoshaphat’s response is a model of how we should be as servants of one another is it not?

• I will go up
• I am as you are
• My people are your people
• My horses are your horses

Total commitment.  Total support.  Jehoshaphat was “all in” in his support of Jehoram.

When I accept an assignment, I need to accept it as from the Lord.  Probably would be a great idea to pray and make sure that the Lord wants me to engage, but when and if that is the case, Jehoshaphat’s attitude and commitment should be my model.

Starting Well, Ending Poorly

What do you think of when you think of King Saul?  First image I get is him begging his armor bearer to kill him, and when that did not work falling on his sword.  He did not end well.  But he started really well.

Look at these passages:
1 Samuel 9:21
1 Samuel 10:16
1 Samuel 10:23
1 Samuel 10:27
1 Samuel 11:13

The picture painted is one of a humble man who is surprised and resistant to the attention.  He does not seek attention or acclaim.  Rather he hid from it.  What happened?  How did he get off track?

He did so quickly.

Now look at:
1 Samuel 13:8 – 9, 11
1 Samuel 13:14
1 Samuel 15:7 – 21

Saul either forgot or never realized the purpose of authority (more on that tomorrow).  He became more interested in what people thought of him, whether they esteemed him and followed him, rather than doing what the Lord had commanded him to do.

That is a subtle trap.  A couple of weeks ago I was working with a group of people in another country.  The first day the conversation, although in a language I do not speak, was spirited and the feedback from the interpreter was encouraging.  The next day the energy in the room was significantly less.  I could not tell how they were responding to the passages we were discussing.

My initial reaction was to wonder what was going wrong.  I wrote about that in my journal – by the way, that is one of the best ways for the Lord to get my attention.  It slows me down and I am able to hear His prompting much better.  The key for me is to be honest about what I am thinking and with what I am struggling – the Lord reminded me that it was not about their reaction.  It was about my obedience to Him.  My doing what He had laid on my heart to do.  The result was not my responsibility, it was His.

That is partially what Saul forgot.  It is a trap for any leader.  It is easy to get focused on the result of what we are doing rather than whether we are doing what God had directed us to do.  Sometimes we can get so focused on doing, that we forget to ask what it is He wants.

It is then that we are beginning to walk in Saul’s path.

Not a good direction.

Trusting Omnipotence

Take a look at 1 Samuel 14:6.  The context is that Jonathan and his armor bearer are sneaking up on the Philistines.  Jonathan is doing this on his own.  He has neither told his father nor asked permission.  He just went.

What strikes me about this passage is the last part of the verse, “…perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.”  In this statement Jonathan places himself in sharp contrast with his father, Saul.

Jonathan was willing to risk his life and the life of his armor bearer on his faith in the Lord’s ability to act.  Saul did not think this way.  Later in the chapter, 1 Samuel 16:37, Saul inquires of the Lord, but the Lord does not answer him.  Already, the relationship between Saul and the Lord is blocked.

Jonathan’s action is based on his belief in the omnipotence of God.  There is no force that the Lord cannot defeat.  Numbers are not the issue.  The issue in whom Jonathan trusts.

I wonder what application, if any, that has for our missions.

On the surface Jonathan’s action may seem presumptuous, reckless.  But his action is evidence of one who has placed himself completely in the Lord’s hands and is sold out to doing whatever the Lord wants.

If I had to choose I would follow Jonathan’s example rather than Saul’s.

More Results of Hope Misplaced

Skim through 1 Samuel 9:1 – 10:27.  As you see it is the story of Samuel following the Lord’s direction in picking Saul to be the first king of Israel.

Note what we read about Saul:

Verse	Saul's Response
9:21	Saul does not understand the attention Samuel is giving him.
10:16	Saul did not tell his uncle he had been anointed king.
10:22	Saul hid by the baggage rather than be introduced as king.

This reads like a man who is humble and not impressed with himself.  He was overwhelmed by the attention and did not promote himself as king.

What happened?  Although he seemingly started well, he finished incredibly poorly.

Instead of humble and overwhelmed, he became self-centered and entitled.  The office became his focus, his identity, his hope.  Not the Lord that placed him in that office.

Regardless of what the Lord does for us.  Regardless of the opportunities He gives us.  Regardless of the things He enables us to do for Him.  It is He who is our focus, our identity, our hope.  To begin to revel in what He enables us to do for Him, is to follow hard after Saul.

Not a good plan.

Short Sighted Selfish

Hezekiah was one of the good‘ens.  There were not a lot.  Look at how the Holy Spirit describes him in 2 Kings 18:1 – 6.  I was especially impressed with verse 6, “…he clung to the Lord…” that is high praise.  But…

I am not impressed with how he ended.  For two reasons.

First, look at Isaiah 39:5 – 8.  Hezekiah’s response is on the order of, “that is just dandy.”  What?  The nation is going to be defeated, overrun, and carried away into exile – that is a good word?  What was he thinking?

The Spirit tells us.  He was pumped that it was not going to happen on his watch.  Unbelievable.

Second, his son.  Manasseh was one of the worst kings of Judah.  Look at how he is described in 2 Chronicles 33:1 – 9.  Verse 9 got my attention, “…Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.”

The contrast is stark, cling to the Lord versus lead the nation into more evil than those Israel drove out of the land.

Hezekiah was focused on himself, he was short sighted, he did not invest, pass on his faith to his son.  So even though he is considered one of the good kings of Judah, from my perspective he was an abject failure.  His legacy was evil and the destruction of the nation.

As fathers and leaders we have to do more than just obey.  We have to do what the Great Commission demands.  We have to look past our time and pass on the truth of the gospel and the heart to cling to, abide in the Lord.

If we do not, we may be good in our life time, but our legacy will be like Hezekiah's, disaster.

Getting Answers

Moses was leading a large group of people through a difficult transition and landscape.  One of the things that the Lord wanted them to do was to remember the grace that was given them when they were brought out of Egypt.  So He instructs Moses on how the nation is to celebrate Passover, Numbers 9:1 – 5.  But there was a challenge…

There were those in the nation who, because of their duty, had to deal with those who had died.  Because of that they were ceremonially unclean.  They wanted to honor what the Lord had done for them, but how?

Moses reply to them in Numbers 9:8 is instructive.  He did not know.  He told them to wait, and he would go check with God.  He would listen to what the Lord would command about this situation.

He did not try to solve the problem.  He did not propose any options.  He listened.

Not my first response.  My first response is to plan or strategize.  Moses listened.

God had an answer.

I wonder how many things I have missed because I did not ask and did not listen.  It is relatively difficult to get an answer if I am not listening.

Sound or Tickled

In 2 Timothy 4:3 – 4 Paul warns us that there will come a time that people in the community will not endure sound doctrine.  That raises the question, “Why?”

Have you thought about that?  I have been for the past several weeks, actually years.  I wonder if it is because what the Bible says sometimes makes people uncomfortable.

This week I had a conversation with a person that resulted in their reading Romans 9:14 – 24, apparently for the first time.  They could not believe it said what it did.  Why?  I am not certain but, it seemed part of the reason was that the passage has God’s choices in the center of things rather than ours.  That is troubling.  That is especially troubling for those who see themselves in control of their lives.  See themselves as the center of the story.  For in reality, they are not.

So it seems that when they find passages of Scripture that trouble them; that do not align with their view of how things should work; either much energy is expended to change what a simple reading of the text would indicate, or they dismiss the passage as one that should not be in the Bible at all, not because of text criticism but because it does not fit their agenda.

One thing about this journey we are on as followers of Christ that is so difficult, is that we are engaged with a God who is far beyond our comprehension.  Unless He deigns to reveal Himself to us, we have no hope of understanding Him.  So as we come face to face with Him in the Scripture, it is little wonder that we are uncomfortable.  We should be.  After all, we are separated from Him.  Except for His grace demonstrated through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, we would stay in that state.

By His choice, we do not.

WARNING: You May be Guarding the Wrong Thing

I heard a great message last weekend.  One thing in particular got me thinking about what I care about on this journey.  Look at 1 Timothy 6:20.  Paul exhorts Timothy to guard what has been entrusted to him.

If you follow the word “entrust” through the Pastoral Epistles you will find these references:

• 1 Timothy 1:11
• 1 Timothy 1:18
• 1 Timothy 6:20
• 2 Timothy 1:12
• 2 Timothy 1:14
• 2 Timothy 2:2
• Titus 1:3

All but 2 Timothy 1:12 refer to the gospel.

So what we are to stand guard over is the truth and accuracy of the gospel.  That does not include a number of thing about which I have heard people really angry.  Things like the type and volume of music.  The fact that the coffee machine has been moved.  That the time of the early service has changed by 15 minutes.  Those things seem to be guarded with unbridled passion, while things that may be said in Sunday school classes or from the pulpit that do not align with what the Bible says are ignored.

What is it that angers us?  What is it that we are guarding?

Crippling Help

This is probably a corollary to yesterday’s post.  Have you ever read or heard the story about the man who was watching a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon?  He watches the insect attempt to get out of a tiny hole.  With compassion he attempts to help by cutting the cocoon open.  The result?  Without the struggle the butterfly’s wings are not fully developed.  The butterfly is crippled by the man’s help and is never able to fly.

Yesterday I suggested that we may be in a situation similar to that which existed around the time of the start of the Reformation.  Similar, in that the Bible, while now available to most all of us, is not studied deeply except by pastors and seminary professors.  As I shared there are those leaders who suggest that as believers we should come to church and listen to the expert and then apply what the expert tells us.

If it was not clear from yesterday’s post, I consider that to be an abhorrent misreading of the Biblical text and mandate given by our Lord in Matthew 28:18 – 20.  All of us as believers are responsible to study our Bibles and apply what we learn there to our lives.

For those of us who are privileged to lead others in this journey, our task is to equip those the Lord has given us too lead to study and apply the Bible.  In that process it is not important what one knows.  What is important is helping those in one’s charge learn to dig out and apply the truth for themselves.

I am often asked for answers to help a brother or sister understand a passage of Scripture.  I rarely will answer such a question.  Frankly, it doesn’t matter that I know the answer.  What matters is helping that person at that time progress in their ability to discover the answer for themselves.  So my response to a question like that is usually something like, “What are some of the answers to that question that you have considered?” and then, “Which of those do you think answers the question most completely?”  and finally, “How did you come to that conclusion?”

Helping a person struggle through the text properly is helping them grow their wings in their study of the Bible.  To give them the answer, even a well-crafted and Biblically supported answer, is cutting open their cocoon and crippling their ability to stand alone in the text.

It does not seem that our assignment from the Lord is to make cripples. 

Spilling Over

A few years back I was assigned 1 John for a Sunday school class.  To prepare I studied 1 John.  I followed my normal practice, overview of the book, section by section analysis, finally summary of the book.

During my analysis of 1 John 1, I was overwhelmed.  After announcements and other pleasantries in the classes there is about 20 minutes left for the content.  Add that to the fact that I do not lecture but engage a class by asking questions about the text, and I despaired of being able to share or lead the group through a tenth of what I was seeing in those ten verses.

The sensation was that of flood waters building up behind a dam.  I was about to burst with what I saw.  But I knew that it was both impractical and impossible to cover it all.  So I started writing.  I did not want to lose what I had seen.  That writing ended up in the workbook that accompanies Your Walk, their walk.

The point of sharing this experience is that as leaders of our families, our churches, or whatever charge the Lord has given you, we are to lead them from the Word.  In the case of my work in prep for the 1 John class, what I did in class spilled over from the flood that was behind the dam.  There was so much more.  My observation is that is not the case in many of the classes I have attended and many of the messages I have heard.

Rather than the individual’s time in the Word spilling over into the lives of those for whom he has been given charge, it seems that the preparation has been focused on the presentation.  Rather than reveling in the presence of God in His Word, work is done to support the points the teacher or speaker wants to share.

Instead of spilling over from their time in the Word, they backfill their message or lesson.  By that I mean that they find verses that they suspect supports the points they want to make.

That seems bassackwards to me.  If I am reading the charge that God has given those who are charged with teaching and speaking to His people, He expects them to come spend time with Him in His Word.  He expects that Word to overwhelm them.  To fill them with such a magnificent vision of His glory that it cannot be shared or contained.  That must spill over into the lives of those with whom they speak.  Check out Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 34, see if I got it right.

It seems that is what should be our experience.  Is that yours?

Burnt

This morning I was in Leviticus 6.  In most of my reading programs Leviticus does me in.  This time through I am looking with a different set of eyes.  I am looking for the why of things.  As always in my study or reading I am constantly looking for repetition.  This morning was no exception.  I found some.

Look at Leviticus 6:12 – 13, note that the phrase, “The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out,” at the first of verse 12 is repeated, somewhat more strongly, in verse 13.  Only the last few words change in my version from “It shall not go out,” in verse 12 to “it is not to go out,” in 13.

That intrigued me.  Why was that fire not to go out?

First I looked at the Hebrew.  I noted first that the changes in the language from 12 to 13 was a decision of the translators and did not reflect the original.  The phrase is essentially identical in the Hebrew text.  The Lord does not want that fire to go out.

The purpose of the sacrifice is atonement.  Atonement for the nation and individuals.  Atonement for the sin of the nation or an individual.  As I thought through that it perhaps the reason for the fire never to be allowed to go out, is the need for continual atonement for both the nation and individuals.

The sin of the nation remains.  The sin of the individual remains.  Even after a sacrifice for sin, the essential nature of the nation and the individual remains the same.  So to atone for that state, the fire could not go out.

Think of it.  On the cross Jesus declared, “It is finished,” John 19:30.  The atonement was complete.  There was no longer a need for a continual sacrifice, a fire that was never to be allowed to go out.  Why?  2 Corinthians 5:17, gives us a clue.  We are made new in Christ.  Our sin nature is crucified with Him, Romans 6:1 – 7.

That is very good news.