Righteousness is not a complicated theological ideal.
We hear much in Christian circles today speaking of righteousness as a state which one has achieved or been placed into through the completed work of Messiah. There is a distinction between the state of the righteous and the state of the unrighteous. This righteous state, they say, is available only through faith in Messiah.
…righteousness is the God-given quality imputed to man upon believing in Christ.
Christianity.com, “What is Righteousness?”
Righteousness is the state of moral perfection required by God to enter heaven…believers receive righteousness from Christ. This doctrine is called imputation. Christ’s perfect righteousness is applied to imperfect humans.
learnreligions.com, “Righteousness”
While partially true, this lofty theological ideal does not convey the essential root of Paul’s argument in Romans 4, as he speaks about the righteousness of Abraham.
Romans 4:3-5 – For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness…
To Paul, faith in God is in itself an act of righteousness. Abraham simply believed God, and this was counted by God as a righteous act. This was controversial to the Jewish ear because they understood righteousness was demonstrated only by being obedient to the law; and technically they were not mistaken.
Deuteronomy 6:25 – “Righteousness will be ours if we are careful to follow every one of these commands before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.’
If someone dutifully followed the law, according to Moses, God considered them righteous. They were then doing righteous things because they were following God’s instruction. By doing righteous things, they demonstrate that they are righteous. This is not an incorrect understanding.
However, where the religious leaders of Yeshua’s day went off the rails was by becoming proud in their hearts; they considered themselves so obedient to the letter of the law that they were better than others who did not follow the law as closely as they thought they were doing. However, Yeshua knew their hearts were not right, even though they were technically doing “right” things. This is what led to the hypocrisy that Yeshua denounces.
Matthew 23:23 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others.
What Paul was trying to convey was that believing God (and by extension, his servant, Messiah Yeshua) was in and of itself an act of righteousness equal to or better than all of the deeds of the law combined. Faith in God was the sum and goal of the law; to generate a heartfelt and sincere trust in God in all things. To Paul, this belief that what God was saying (through Messiah) was true constituted an act of righteousness that was “apart” from the law of Moses (that is, it was not a command in itself), but it was still evidenced within the Tanakh, or the Law and the Prophets, the Old Testament.
Romans 3:21 – But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets.
There was no law in the Torah of Moses that said simply “believe God.” Instead, the Israelites were commanded to have no other gods before him, to make no images, not to defame his reputation; all of these base commandments are predicated on a belief in God; faith in God must be assumed for these laws to make any sense.
Abraham exhibited faith by simply believing what God said; it had nothing to do what he did or did not do according to some instruction; he merely believed that God was trustworthy. Paul’s argument is that Abraham’s simple expression of faith in God was the supreme act of righteousness. This act of righteousness had nothing to do with any law, it was a genuine and unadorned, honest response of the heart toward God.
This is the response that God desires of all people everywhere; not to grudgingly follow some list of commands to get to heaven, but to honestly from the heart desire to follow him in all things.
Yeshua courts us to believe in him, as he represented the one true God in all things.
John 14:1 – “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
This godly faith in Messiah, Paul says, is demonstrated by all who believe.
Romans 3:22 – The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe…
Righteousness is not a complicated theological ideal. It is simply believing God from the heart demonstrated by believing his Messiah.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service.
Trust in Yahweh to genuinely experience the goodness and happiness that only he provides.
Proverbs 16:20 Whoever is prudent and circumspect with the word will find and attain good, and the one who trusts in the LORD, how happy and blessed he is!
Trusting in Yahweh and in his word or instruction allows individuals to find and attain good. The Hebrew word tov implies that which is pleasant and agreeable to the senses. It carries ideas of fruitfulness and prosperity, kindness and ethical goodness, beneficial and valuable things.
When these things are realized through thoughtful consideration of his instruction or his word, then esher or happiness and blessedness results.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 – The person who trusts in Yahweh, whose confidence indeed is Yahweh, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.
Notice that drought may come, but the one trusting in Yahweh has a source of water (strength and nourishment) that is not readily available to others. There is no need to worry about what others worry about.
The words of Yeshua echo this sentiment of Jeremiah:
Matthew 6:31-33 – “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat? ‘ or ‘What will we drink? ‘ or ‘What will we wear? ‘ “For those of the nations eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
When we are truly trusting in Yahweh, we are seeking his kingdom to be expressed on this earth. This provides both an objective and a place of safety, a refuge from which to operate.
Psalm 34:8-10 – Taste and see that Yahweh is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him! You who are his holy ones, fear Yahweh, for those who fear him lack nothing. Villages may lack food and go hungry, but those who seek Yahweh will not lack any good.
To fear Yahweh is to trust him; it is an expression of respect, awe, and appropriate reverence for the power and might of the one true God. The psalmist encourages people to “taste,” that is, to perceive with the senses, to see. Trusting in Yahweh is not just a belief or exercise of the mind, but an ongoing act that involves all that we do and say. Trusting in Yahweh means we recognize, act, and abide by the authority of his word. It is not just a head full of abstract beliefs, but a heart from which actions spring with the understanding and wisdom he provides.
Proverbs 16:20 strikes me as addressing one of the deepest desires of mankind: to attain tov or good which brings true happiness and blessedness. The things in this world that we seek to fill that void are vain shadows of this attainable reality. It is up to us to “taste and see,” that is, trust in Yahweh to genuinely experience the goodness and happiness that only he provides.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
True faith provides confidence, assurance, and freedom of access to God.
Ephesians 3:12 – In union with Messiah and through our faith in him we have the boldness to go into God’s presence with all confidence.
The reference to God’s presence that the apostle Paul uses here is an allusion to the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, the compartment of the Tabernacle and Temple of God in which the ark of the covenant resided and God’s presence abode. It could only be accessed through the veil or curtain that separated it from the rest of the structure.
Access to this area was a privilege granted only to the High Priest, and that once a year on the Day of Atonement. He would enter to provide the blood sacrifice of the goat in obedience to the Word of God and in hopes of God’s forgiveness for the community of Israel for the year.
Paul is combining this imagery with union with Messiah through faith in him. This faith, Paul argues, is the catalyst that provides a strong confidence and freedom for believers to figuratively enter that sacred space without the need of any physical High Priest; faith in Messiah is equivalent to the action of a faithful High Priest.
The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews continues this line of reasoning in a long and dramatic build-up to the culmination of his reasoning in the tenth chapter.
Hebrews 10:19-20, 23 – We have, then, my friends, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Yeshua. He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain—that is, through his own body. … Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise.
And what is this promise that he provides to those who have faith in Messiah?
Hebrews 10:14-17 – With one sacrifice, then, he has made perfect forever those who are purified from sin. And the Holy Spirit also gives us his witness. First he says, “This is the covenant that I will make with them in the days to come, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts and write them on their minds.” And then he says, “I will not remember their sins and evil deeds any longer.”
The great promise is that torah obedience from the heart would be the natural operating principle of all believers, and sins and evil deeds would no longer be remembered. Forgiveness and the ability to accomplish God’s will is granted through confidence and faith in the Messiah. This is the vast reward, the promised blessing that believers have for their consistent and ongoing faith in Yeshua.
Hebrews 10:35-36 – Therefore do not cast from you your confident hope, for it will receive a vast reward. For you stand in need of patient endurance, so that, as the result of having done the will of God, you may receive the promised blessing.
The household of God is established solely on this faith in Messiah, the one through whom God had chosen to bring to a culmination all of the promises made to his people. The eternal blessing and ongoing promise for faith in him is forgiveness from past sin and being enabled to do the will of God from the heart.
1 Timothy 3:14-15 – … I have written so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the congregation of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Hebrews 3:6 – the Messiah was faithful as the Son in charge of God’s household, and we are his household if we hold on to our confidence and the hope in which we rejoice.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
Living in this world, we are presented with many dangers that can assault us.
Psalm 62:8 – Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before him. God is our refuge.
Being listed as a psalm of David, this psalm is directed at the faithful within the people of God, at that time, the nation of Israel. Even though it was directed at the faithful of that era, several aspects of what David is encouraging believers to do can bear fruit if we apply these truths today, as well.
Trust in him at all times. The Hebrew word here for trust expresses many aspects of faith and trust: boldness, confidence, security, carefree of anxiety, hope. When we place our trust in God, we can have a sense of boldness and confidence in our thoughts and actions, because we recognize he has always been faithful with his people. Knowing God can provide security since we understand he holds the future. This confidence and security then foster a sense of hope that is anxiety-free and allows us to remain focused on his kingdom and his purpose for today.
Pour out your hearts. The heart is the seat of our deepest emotions and longings. To pour out our heart to anyone, including God, is in itself an exhibition of the deepest trust, as we may rarely let anyone inside the “walls” of our own making.
Albert Barnes writes:
The idea is, that the heart becomes tender and soft, so that its feelings and desires flow out as water, and all its emotions, all its wishes, its sorrows, its troubles, are poured out before God. All that is in our hearts may be made known to God. There is not a desire which he cannot gratify; not a trouble in which he cannot relieve us; not a danger in which he cannot defend us. And, in like manner there is not a spiritual want in which he will not feel a deep interest, nor a danger to our souls from which he will not be ready to deliver us. Much more freely than to any earthly parent – to a father, or even to a mother – may we make mention of all our troubles, little or great, before God.
God is our refuge. A refuge is a place where one flees for protection. The refuge provides security and safety from danger. According to David, this is who God is. Living in this world, we are presented with many dangers that can assault us. These things can either drive us away from God (as we seek to rely only on ourselves and our own designs) or they can drive us toward God. Those who are driven toward God are protected from many of the typical cares and anxieties that plague those around us.
Some view God as a “crutch,” saying that only the weak look to something outside of themselves to “help them through.” To this, the person of faith would say, “a person who is weak and lame and is need of help certainly needs a crutch, it is there to assist them.” In the grand scheme of all that exists, humans are weak, lame, and in need of help, as we cannot control all of our circumstances or know the future. Yet those of faith know Someone who does know the future and can control all circumstances. If that is considered a crutch, then so be it; I will use it gladly and thank God that he has provided it for me.
David encouraged trust in God and pouring out our hearts to him at all times. God has designed us as humans to trust in him. He has placed a yearning within us to pour our hearts out to him regarding all of our needs, hopes, and desires. If we choose not to, we are actually working at cross-purposes with his intent for our lives, and many unnecessary consequences can unfold. However, when we do trust in him and communicate the deepest recesses of our heart to him, we can be safe within the refuge he provides.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
The message of the Bible is clear that God reigns supreme.
Matthew 6:13 …For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’
If God has all power, receives all glory, and the kingdom is his, there is nothing outside of all he is and does. Therefore, why should we, as believers in him, be anxious about anything?
Many scholars believe this doxology to the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:13 is not original to the text, and was a later addition. While this may or may not be the case, it is important to note that it is not beyond Hebraic practice to do so.
For example, one of the most used and loved practices of Jews even to this day is to recite the Shema; or Hear O Israel:
“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
This is a straight recitation of Deuteronomy 6:4, however, in true Hebraic fashion they have added: “Blessed be his Name and his glorious kingdom forever.”
This is almost a word for word parallel to the doxology of Matthew 6:13. Beyond this traditional practice, the Bible supports the content and message it contains.
2 Chronicles 20:6 – He said: LORD, God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, and no one can stand against you. Jeremiah 10:12 – He made the earth by his power, established the world by his wisdom, and spread out the heavens by his understanding. Daniel 2:19-22 – …Daniel praised the God of the heavens and declared: May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him. He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him. Revelation 7:12 – saying, Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Daniel even ascribes the same type of “kingly doxology” to Nebuchadnezzar:
Daniel 2:37 – “Your Majesty, you are king of kings. The God of the heavens has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and glory.
But notice, the sovereignty, power, strength, and glory that an earthly king may have comes ultimately from God; they therefore are inherently his.
Scholarly debates notwithstanding, the Bible makes it clear that to trust God is to know that he has all power and is over all kingdoms and nations, all of his Creation, forever. This type of assurance can ground our faith and trust and allow us to operate from a source of strength and confidence in him, in all we do every day.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
God is the great Provider in many different ways, sometimes even through you.
Core of the Bible Podcast #34: Steps to reducing anxiety that are founded on trusting God
Today we will be exploring the topic of trust or faith, and how God is faithful to provide for all of our needs, reducing our anxiety over that which is unknown when we place our trust in him and follow some simple biblical directives .
Yeshua stated it this way:
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” Matthew 6:26-32
Your life is more valuable to God than all the beauty and provision represented in his Creation; he knows all of your needs.
As believers, we are easily and constantly distracted from what is truly important by our bodily needs and desires. Living on this earth presents us with challenges and struggles that can pull our focus away from God.
REDUCING ANXIETY THROUGH TRUST IN GOD
Trust is about perspective. When we focus on the things of this world more than God, then we have lost our true perspective. Yeshua calls this condition “little faith.”
Yet, the simplicity of trusting God can restore us to the correct spiritual perspective and emotional “center.” A sincere understanding of God and his ability to provide for our basic needs gives us a foundation of trust that we can then build on. When this reality seeps deep inside to our core, it becomes a tap-root that can sustain us through the most adverse conditions.
According to Yeshua’s instruction here in Matthew 6, God cares for what he creates. Whether birds, flowers, grass, or people, he has built into his Creation practical mechanisms for sustenance that allow his universe to thrive. Seeing this provision and beauty within his Creation is his evidence to us, his proof, that he has the ability to provide for our needs. All we have to do is recognize this, and rest safely and securely within his care.
We are urged by Yeshua to ponder these evidences for ourselves. “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.”
When we see birds, we should consider how they can find the food they need without any type of farming or storage of goods. The contrast he makes is stark: day to day provision vs. constant toil and storage which is subject to disaster or thieves.
Is there really a way that we can live day to day, and is this what Yeshua is encouraging all of us to do, to be vagabonds and travelers?
As romantic and idealistic as that sounds, my belief is that Yeshua is emphasizing how we many times will tend to focus on the process and methods of provision so hard that we lose sight of who is the One who is the ultimate Provider.
This is a lesson that I constantly need to be reminded of. As a husband and father of four, I have spent the majority of my adult life concerned with providing for myself and my family. Ultimately, I have known that whatever job or place that I worked was a provision from God, but many times the stress became dominant when I took my focus off of him and sought to provide my own security and provision, or when the demands of the work seemed to overwhelm me.
In those moments, I found that all I had to do was focus on one day at a time, one issue at a time. As I did so, I would find that each new day brought a little clearer perspective and a little more insight, and pretty soon things would be working out.
While this may seem simplistic and a bit naive, it is a method that has allowed me to successfully maintain a career of twenty five years and provide (as well as could be expected) for my family in that time.
That has been my path so far, but it may not be yours. God may be calling you to do any number of things in any number of places; maybe several different places, or hundreds of places, for that matter. The primary thing for believers is to not focus on thinking that you are somehow providing for your own needs all this time, and that whatever you are currently doing is what is expected for the rest of your time here on this earth.
REDUCING ANXIETY THROUGH PRAYER
“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”
Anxiety over things we cannot control not only cannot add any time to our span of life, but actually has been scientifically proven to shorten it. The more we stress over things that have not happened yet, the more we tax our immune and nervous systems to where actual damage can be done to the working of our physical bodies.
Philippians 4:6-7 – Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Another lesson I continue to learn is on the benefits of ongoing prayer throughout the day, asking for God’s involvement and giving over my stress and anxiety to him.
While I have a pretty good routine of praying first thing in the morning to set my mind on the things of God before setting my mind on the things of the world, I confess, my prayer life throughout the rest of the day is practically non-existent. I become consumed in the responsibilities and requirements of my family, my home, and my work, and the things of God easily slide to the periphery of my experience.
However, I am learning that if I maintain an attitude of thanksgiving and continue to present requests to God throughout the day, real requests about real things, he is faithful to relieve my anxiety on those things, and to provide real evidence of his working through those things I have given over to him.
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”
If we are to truly take Yeshua’s words to consider the lilies and let this line of thinking sink deep into us, we can find that we have the ability to look past the latest trends and fashions and know that if we are trusting in God, we will have the clothing we need to do whatever it is we need to do. Whether it is clothing for normal use, work clothing, or specialized outfitting for unique environments, God is able to provide whatever we need.
Recall the provision of the ancient Israelites wandering in the wilderness for forty years, as even Moses reminded them.
Deuteronomy 8:4 – “Your clothing did not wear out, and your feet did not swell these forty years.
While my clothing may not be the latest style, I certainly have what I need, and more. God has been faithful with me and my family. Now, while I have never had clothing that lasted for forty years it definitely illustrates for me that if God is able to do that, then he is certainly able to provide whatever our possible needs may be. My trust and faith in him is strengthened when I consider the lilies of the field.
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”
This admonition was directed to an audience that for the most part did not know where their next meal might come from. They were an agrarian society that depended on the weather, the success of the local crops, and the avoidance of conflict. Warfare could interrupt that food cycle. Drought could interrupt that cycle. Pest invasions could interrupt that food cycle. Food was a precious commodity that hung by a thread on any given day of any month. With no refrigeration or collective grocery commerce, this was a real and daily concern that faced the majority of the population at that time.
However, for most of us today, food and drink are merely distractions that we toy with as to the newest cuisine or latest fad food. In our American culture at least, we have idolized food and food preparation, food consumption, restaurants, chefs, nutrition, food plans. We have TV channels dedicated just to food and food preparation and consumption. Restaurant eating has become a pastime and an adventure.
The variety and volume of food available to the average American consumer is mind-boggling in the context of historical comparison with past cultures and civilizations. And yet, even though we have plenty of necessary food available, we still spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about different kinds of food and what we will be eating.
Ironically, and quite sadly, with all of this food available, we still have a large problem with hunger and need in America. We have become so lop-sided in our thinking that we are missing the forest for the trees. If we were to simplify our food obsession, reduce our available portion sizes, and focus on focusing in on the quality natural food that God originally intended for us, we would be much better off and our national health and outlook would improve greatly. With the right motivation and logistical preparation, this could also allow for some of that surplus to make it to those who are in real need.
Yeshua is encouraging us to look at nature, these natural examples of birds and flowers to remind us that these necessary things are part of existence in this world. Just as birds need to eat and flowers exhibit their God-given splendor, Yeshua prods us to consider these provisions amidst the many unnecessary cares we carry for these things in this world. We can express the wonder at how God makes it all work, and keeps his people provided for among the seeming chaos of this life.
The ancient believers expressed a similar amazement at the care that God bestows upon mankind within the vastness of his Creation:
“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. … When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:1, 3-4
God cares for us, not because we desire him to, but because that is his role as a parent. Just as we always want to ensure our own children are provided for, how much more God wants to do the same for his own children! One of the main aspects of this provision is expressing trust in God that he will do so.
When we know and trust God, we are considered righteous, certainly as we grow and seek to follow his commands and live according to his Word. We exhibit this faith by praying and requesting for God to be active and involved in our lives, and the lives of those around us. This is where the peace that passes understanding resides, in true faith and recognition of God’s all-encompassing provision for his Creation.
REDUCING ANXIETY THROUGH GIVING
Psalm 37:18-19, 25 – The LORD watches over the blameless all their days, and their inheritance will last forever. They will not be disgraced in times of adversity; they will be satisfied in days of hunger. … I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread.
Where we need to exhibit care is in not condemning those who are hungry and in need, as if somehow they are the cause of their own misfortune by not trusting in the God of the Bible. That may only be a small part of a larger context of areas of the world where they are living through the same issues their ancient progenitors faced: drought, famine, and conflict. As a measure and enactment of our trust and faith in God, we should honor him by sharing with those in need to the best of our ability, whether through personal, hands-on assistance, to local agencies or organizations that are working in those areas to provide assistance to those in need.
Psalm 82:3-4 – “Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and needy; save them from the power of the wicked.”
Just as it was the responsibility of the ancient Israelite judges to act justly with their own people, it may so happen to be that we are the ones whom God will use to provide the justice and rescue that those in need are desperate for. Sometimes, we may be the answer to the prayers of others.
There is no doubt that food and clothing are essential for life; about these necessities, Yeshua even taught that “your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” As we have opportunity amidst our own wealth and abundance, it may be that God is prompting us to share our resources with those who have none.
As we begin to see the larger picture of provision in the world in general, it allows us to get our eyes off of our own needs and anxieties and instead look for answers and solutions to helping others. Our anxiety can be relieved not only by trusting for God’s provision for us personally and through diligent prayer throughout each day. We can also become less anxious as we find ways to helping others in the way we would want to be helped, were we in the same situation.
Matthew 7:12 – “Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Our faithfulness in meeting the needs of others is the surest way to reduce our own anxiety over these needs for ourselves. That, in and of itself, is also a provision of God.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
We are urged to not become overwhelmed with the condition and situation of the outward form of the natural body in this life.
2 Corinthians 5:7 – For we walk by faith, not by sight.
This impactful verse has morphed into a sound-bite of our Christian culture through the pervasive screen-saver and bumper-sticker mentality of this current generation. Bad teachers and charlatans alike have used this verse out of context to justify any number of invisible principles, promising future rewards which currently cannot be seen with the eyes. Promoters of the health and wealth gospel convey how God intends for all believers to be wealthy, even if they are currently in poverty. “Walk in the faith of your future wealth, not by the poverty of what you currently can see, and you will have it,” they falsely claim.
However, maintaining the actual context of this verse (2 Cor 3:5- 5:15), the apostle Paul conveyed this sentiment amidst a lengthy treatise on the believer’s ability and mindset in overcoming adversity and real-life persecution for their faith, not a depressed financial condition. This was an appropriate and necessary statement of encouragement based on the situations and conditions that the believers, especially the apostles, faced every day. In their ministry of growing the congregations and teaching the early believers in their new-found faith in Messiah, they were being persecuted, and by persecuted I mean they were hunted and pursued, most times in fear for their very lives.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.
The treasure they carried was the message of “the light of the knowledge of God’s glory” (4:6) conveyed through “the glory of the Messiah, who is the representation of God,” (4:4). Paul says, “we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us,” (4:7).
Just as the Messiah represented God, the apostles were representing to the congregations the truth of God’s glory and kingdom through his provision of the Messiah Yeshua. Even though their bodies were being debased and abused, Paul conveys that this was only a “momentary light affliction [which] is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory,” (4:17). “For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh,” (4:11).
This is hardly the stuff of mere economic hardship.
Continuing his discourse, Paul begins an analogy of life in the present world contrasted with life in eternity which cannot be presently seen.
2 Corinthians 4:18, 5:1 – So we do not focus on what is seen [i.e., all of the bodily abuse and persecution they were enduring], but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands.
This “earthly tent” is the outward form of the present physical body. This is not necessarily an invention of the apostle Paul, it was a description of the physical body that was prevalent in contemporaneous writings of the time.
Wisdom 9:13-17 For who can learn the counsel of God? Or who can discern what the Lord wills? For the reasoning of mortals is worthless, and our designs are likely to fail; for a perishable body weighs down the soul, and this earthy tent burdens the anxious mind. We can hardly guess at what is on earth, and what is at hand we find with labor; but who has traced out what is in the heavens? Who has learned your counsel, unless you have given wisdom and sent your holy Spirit from on high?
These writings were included in the Septuagint Greek version of the Hebrew Bible in the apostle Paul’s day, and indicate that this idea of the physical body being likened to a tent was not unknown among Jewish thinkers of those times. Ironically, the passage also laments not being able to understand the wisdom and counsel of God unless God sent his holy Spirit, the very thing that Paul is making the case for regarding Messiah Yeshua in the Corinthian passage.
2 Corinthians 5:4-5 – Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.
The direction of Paul’s argument is building toward the distinction between the earthly visible body, this outward physical body, and the eternal, invisible life of the spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 – So we are always confident and know that while we are at home [that is, as in a familiar country] in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight [i.e., outward, visible form]. In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home [that is, as in a familiar country] with the Lord.
To walk by faith and not by sight is to not become overwhelmed with the condition and situation of the outward form of the natural body, that which can be seen. The pinnacle of Paul’s discussion lies in walking by faith (that which is unseen but very real) in distinction with becoming distressed through the seen and known condition of the outward form of the body through all of its current persecutions and abuses.
This is the true hope that believers in Messiah share! Our faith can overcome all situations and obstacles that can be seen, because they are only temporary (4:18). Our faith reaches beyond these temporary things into eternity, even beyond the “tent” of this outward form that we currently have.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
Psalm 91:2: “I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.””
Throughout the Bible, and in the Psalms especially, is a phrase in Hebrew which is variously translated as refuge or trust. This term implies an action based on an intimate and deep-seated bond of faith in Yahweh as creator God.
To take refuge somewhere is to seek safety from danger. It is an action based on the belief that where one seeks refuge one will be safe. This is one of the clearest and most striking depictions of what faith in God is.
By contrast, one does not take refuge in a place where one does not feel safe or does not expect it to withstand an onslaught of aggression.
A refuge is a fortress of protection and safety. A refuge can provide calmness and reduce anxiety of risk or danger. However, a refuge only works when one is within its domain. Once a person leaves a refuge, they are exposed to danger like anyone else. They are liable to lies, dangers, and capture by the enemy.
Jeremiah 16:19: “Yahweh, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, vanity and things in which there is no profit.”
According to Jeremiah, outside of the refuge there is nothing but lies, vanity (or emptiness) and things in which there is no profit. Jeremiah continues in the next verse to speak of the tendency of men to manufacture artificial alternatives to the true refuge of Yahweh.
Jeremiah 16:20: “Shall a man make to himself gods, which yet are no gods?”
Whether the idolatry of graven images, or of placing one’s trust in the weakness of men, both options are fraught with danger.
Psalm 118:8-9: “It is better to take refuge in Yahweh, than to put confidence in man. It is better to take refuge in Yahweh, than to put confidence in princes.”
It is a comfort to know that Yahweh knows those who have placed their trust in him and he honors their commitment by fulfilling their needs for safety and deliverance.
Nahum 1:7: “Yahweh is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knows those who take refuge in him.”
Through his Messiah Yeshua, Yahweh has been shown to be a God who keeps his promises. Because he keeps his promises, we can have confidence that our trust in him is not misplaced. Our faith can be securely established in him.
Hebrews 6:11-12, 18-19: ” We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end, that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherited the promises. … that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast…
For believers today, we can know that our faith in God provides safety and security beyond the reaches of this world and its designs against us. God desires all men to place their faith in him, and so be under his protective care and watchful eye.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
Trusting in God is where true joy and blessing resides.
The Bible has an abundance of passages that are familiar to many, extolling the benefits and joy of trusting in God.
Psalm 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 25:2 O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. Psalm 31:14 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, “You are my God.” Psalm 33:21 For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name.
Yet the Bible also abundantly cautions us about where we should not place our trust.
Job 15:31 “Let him [the wicked man] not trust in emptiness [vanity], deceiving himself; For emptiness will be his reward. Psalm 44:6 For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me. Psalm 62:10 Do not trust in oppression And do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them. Psalm 146:3 Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. Jeremiah 7:4 “Do not trust in deceptive words… Proverbs 28:26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.
Each one of these verses is easily a sermon or lesson in itself. Yet collectively they illustrate the futility of many of the things we find ourselves continuing to place our trust in day after day.
Our trust or faith is that which we have confidence in or rely on. If our confidence resides anywhere besides God and his provision, then we place ourselves, our lives, our countries, in jeopardy.
God desires us to place our confidence in him, not because he is narcissistic, but because as our Creator, he knows what’s best for us. As a loving parent or a protective eagle, he watches over the faithful to protect and guard our way. Ultimately, he wants what’s best for us.
Psalm 91:1-4 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
Psalm 40:3-4 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD. How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Trusting in God is where true joy and blessing resides, because God does not change, and our faith and trust in him has lasting consequences that far outweigh any current circumstance we may be enduring.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Psalm 52:8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive here. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
Faith in the words of Yeshua is faith in the words of the Father.
“”Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.”
John 14:1
The disciples had many reasons for their hearts to be troubled. They were following an itinerant preacher, one who was being shunned by the local synagogues and who was calling out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. They had given up essentially everything, their livelihoods and their social status, if they had any, to follow him.
Yeshua reassures them that to have placed their faith in him was equivalent to believing God; that is, in the fulfillment of his purpose and plan for Israel and the nations.
Yeshua is speaking here of the validity of his ministry as the spokesman for Yahweh God. Trusting in the words of Yeshua is equivalent to trusting the words of the Father, because he spoke exactly what the Father wanted him to say.
John 12:49-50: “For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.””
To have faith or to believe is to place one’s trust in some thing or someone. The disciples had demonstrated where their trust was placed by following Yeshua wholeheartedly and completely. Their lives were bound together with his, and therefore with the life of the Father. This unity with him in all things is what caused their faith and understanding to grow.
For those of us today who are placing our faith in the words of Yeshua, we can be assured that we are believing the very words of God himself. In the same way as those early disciples, our lives should be bound together with his. When we are faithful in this way, we can rest secure in the knowledge that his words are continuing to come to pass. When we commit our lives to his purpose, as the disciples did, we can know that his kingdom is being established throughout the world. And knowing that God is continuing to accomplish his purpose in this world should prevent our hearts from being troubled.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive here. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
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