Believers are rich in wisdom; generosity is required in our dealings with others.
Believers are rich in wisdom; generosity is required in our dealings with others.
Through the Proverbs and into the New Testament writings, the rich are chastised for oppression of the poor.
Prov 18:23: The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.
Proverbs 22:16 – Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.
Proverbs 28:6 – Better to be poor and walk in integrity than to be crooked in one’s ways even though rich.
Proverbs 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
James 2:6-7 – Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?
James 5:1-6 – Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.
While these passages are based on real class issues that had arisen among God’s people, the central issue is not just that they were rich, but that they were crooked in their dealings, oppressing those who were below them in social status, being rough with those with whom they could have shown greater compassion.
As we have seen in many other lessons, mercy and forgiveness are closely associated throughout the Bible. One of the reasons this is so is because they both have to do with an offset of privilege; a power imbalance is in play. This is most evident between the rich and the poor because of simple economics, but it speaks to a spiritual power imbalance in any relationship.
The “rich” individual is the one who holds the primary rights in a situation between two people. This is the person who has the ability to control an outcome simply because of standing or evidence that backs their position. The “poor” person in the relationship lacks this gravitas and is essentially “at the mercy” of the more strongly-positioned individual. In this case, the “rich” person may have the ability to hurt the less-strongly positioned individual, and this is where mercy comes into play.
Rather than flaunt their right position, this individual can simply forgive the less-strongly positioned individual to end the matter. This is showing mercy: having the ability to exercise a power but refraining for the good of another, or for the continuation of a valuable relationship.
James speaks to this issue and drives home the accountability that the more strongly-positioned individual carries in the eyes of God.
James 2:13 – For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
James says that showing mercy is more important than always being right. This is the way we can view passages like this that speak to power imbalances and draw viable spiritual conclusions. We can also corroborate this type of teaching with the teaching of Yeshua in the Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 5:7: ” Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
Mercy and forgiveness are much more valued than a judgment that proves one’s position to be right. This honors the less-strongly positioned individuals and provides them an opportunity to realize the reality of their position. Perhaps in that light, they will repent of the wrongly held opinion or actions they are promoting.
As responsible believers seeking to honor God, we should always default to mercy and forgiveness due to the richness of the wisdom of God that has been provided to us.
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 on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
Believers by their very existence demonstrate the truth of the Bible: that God’s kingdom will rule the earth.
Believers by their very existence demonstrate the truth of the Bible: that God’s kingdom will rule the earth.
Psalm 96:10, 12-13 – “Say among the nations: ‘Yahweh reigns.’ The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. He judges the peoples fairly. … Let the field and all that is in it exult. Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy before Yahweh, for he has come, for he has come to judge the earth. He judges the world in righteousness, And the peoples in His faithfulness!”
The entirety of this psalm in the totality of its context is speaking of the fulfillment of God’s rule over the entire earth. The psalmist, writing hundreds of years before Messiah, is speaking of the rule of God as even then being present over the entire earth.
However, some commentators view this only as a future time when Messiah returns and will judge all nations. In fact, they view this entire psalm as being descriptive of the messianic kingdom, a point with which I would not disagree. Where I would diverge from these commentaries would be regarding when this kingdom and when the rule of Yahweh over the entire earth is in place. They might place this in the future; I would place it in the present. In fact, from my perspective, I would view this psalm as being indicative of the eternal reign of Yahweh over the entire earth, from the ancient past, through the times of Israel and into the current Messianic kingdom, and further still out into our future. How can this be?
As Creator of all that is, Yahweh has always ruled over the entire earth, whether people have recognized his reign or not. In like fashion, he currently reigns over the entire world whether people recognize his reign or not. The difference in our current age is that Messiah has enabled all people to enter the kingdom of God through the representative sacrifice of himself. As God’s designated agent, he has delivered all people to the rulership of the father, Yahweh. As the Administrator and Mediator of this kingdom, he now rules at the Father’s right hand and represents the God-designated judgment of the Father. This was brought out in John’s gospel:
John 5:22-23 – Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
But this judgment is already in place, even while Yeshua walked the earth. It is not something just relegated to the future, as Yeshua explained to Nicodemus.
John 3:18: “He who believes in him [i.e., the Son] is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. “
Having faith in the Messiah is a demonstration in the truth of Yahweh. Believing in Yeshua shows that one has accepted the light that Yahweh has sent into the world. When one believes in Yeshua, there is a recognition of Yahweh God as the Creator and the kingdom of God being present in the world here and now with Messiah as Lord. The continuation of this process with every new believer is the growing of the kingdom until it fills the earth and Yahweh is “all in all.”
1 Corinthians 15:28 – When everything is subject to [the Lordship of] Messiah, then the Son himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
Then the fullness of Psalm 96 will come to pass, then all nations will honor and worship the one God of the universe, Yahweh, and his kingdom will be firmly established upon all the earth.
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 on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
Regular times of private prayer are where we can have the closest communion with Yahweh.
Regular times of private prayer are where we can have the closest communion with Yahweh.
Yeshua encouraged his followers to practice times of quiet prayer to God. This seems to have been to encourage an intimacy where religiosity had been responsible for conveying something different. We can learn what those religious practices were by the admonition of Messiah to do the opposite.
For example, it appears to have been the practice of the pagan religious leaders to prepare lengthy prayers with the hopes of convincing their gods to pay attention to their petitions.
Matthew 6:7-8 – “When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.”
It must also have been the practice of the Jewish religious leaders to enjoy praying publicly in a measure of show to the crowds that they were righteous. Yeshua names these religious leaders as hypocrites, a Greek word which means “actor, stage player, pretender.”
Matthew 6:5 – “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward.”
These are not the types of prayers that God desires of his people. No, Yeshua mentions how heart-followers of Yahweh should have a private and intimate relationship with him that is not dependent on long, showy prayers. This is the type of prayer that Yeshua himself practiced. In times of great challenge or decision-making, he sought the will of the Father in solitude.
Matthew 14:23 – After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone. Mark 6:45-46 – Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. Luke 6:12 – During those days he went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God.
Of course, Yeshua taught his followers how they should pray by outlining what types of things they should pray for in his model prayer, what we have come to know as the Lord’s Prayer, in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. But it was verse six in which he taught where they should pray:
Matthew 6:6 – “But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
The prayer of the righteous individual is one of the heart. The heart is private and sincere. It must be sought out in solitude, as it doesn’t (or shouldn’t) in any way rely on the approval of others. For believers, the only one we should be seeking approval of is Yahweh, and ensuring that our lives are ones that honor him. This is how we are set apart, this is what makes us holy.
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 on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
A believer’s heart cannot be satisfied without continual learning and growing.
A believer’s heart cannot be satisfied without continual learning and growing.
Yeshua taught in the sermon on the mount that believers need to have an attitude of constantly asking, seeking, and knocking (Matthew 7). There should be an attitude of openness to instruction that is carried within a mindset of vigilant persistence.
This was not a new teaching to the Hebrew ear. In the book of Proverbs, the writer is constantly illustrating the benefits of wisdom over foolishness, and how wisdom is a godly pursuit that should be followed by all who are wanting to draw closer to Yahweh.
While many of the proverbs stand independently of one another, sometimes a string of verses will be highlighting a common theme. The end of chapter fifteen is one of those themes based on the subject of attaining wisdom.
Proverbs 15:31-33: “The ear that listens to reproof lives, and will be at home among the wise. He who refuses correction despises his own soul, but he who listens to reproof gets understanding. The fear of Yahweh teaches wisdom. Before honor is humility.”
It begins by speaking to the attentiveness of the listening ear that becomes familiar with the topics and subjects that are spoken out of among the wise. It implies that wisdom is widely available, but can be missed by those who are inattentive or uncaring.
It then describes the level of discipline required to gain discernment. One who is unwilling to accept correction cannot themselves become discerning. To reject the admonitions of discipline, one is doing oneself a disservice.
And finally, the theme of ongoing discipline is capped by illustrating the need for the fear of Yahweh. This is a recurring topic throughout the Bible, and the Proverbs specifically, relating how central it is to gaining knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 9:10 – “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 14:27 – The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death. Proverbs 19:23 – The fear of Yahweh leads to life; one will sleep at night without danger.
To have a respect and awe of God is the foundation upon which wisdom can be built. It is the vast sea amidst which the eager student can draw limitless understanding. Yet, even having this pervasive and widely available resource, the writer of proverbs wisely adds that humility must be present before one attains any level of honor for having gained this wisdom.
All of these aspects of discipline and schooling and attentiveness illustrate the vigilance that is required of those who are serious in their walk with Yahweh. Merely having a surface understanding of his ways has only limited benefits. It is the diligent student who reaps the benefits of their labor in constantly striving to understand more.
Proverbs 2:1-6 – My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding; furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of Yahweh and discover the knowledge of God. For Yahweh gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
The believer’s heart should constantly be asking, seeking, and knocking. This is the discipline of wisdom.
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 on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
It is the responsibility of God’s people to rule with the highest integrity.
It is the responsibility of God’s people to rule with the highest integrity.
Psalm 82:2-5: ““How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk around in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.”
When we review the denunciation of these leaders by Yahweh, we can gain some understanding about how he desires his people in roles of leadership to honor him.
For example, we can see that Yahweh desires fairness and justice without showing partiality to those who may benefit unequally from favored rulings. Additionally, those who are weak and in need typically require assistance in overcoming the oppression of the wicked.
What I find interesting also is the way that the stability of the society being described hinges on the measure of justice being provided. When there is no justice, it’s as if the foundations of the earth are shaken. The societal balance is undermined, and chaos then rules.
There are many different opinions about whom this psalm is speaking. Is it human judges, or heavenly rulers of some sort?
Psalm 82:1 – God stands in the divine assembly; he pronounces judgment among the gods:
The word that is translated as gods, depending on the context, can also mean mighty rulers. In that ancient society, it was not uncommon to view the rulers as being held to a higher standard. This is also where rulership of nations became intertwined with the worship of divine rulers. This would ultimately lead to world leaders being viewed as divine.
As far as this psalm is concerned and who this chastising is being directed to, I believe the answer can be found in the response of Yahweh to these individuals when he says:
Psalm 82:6-7: “I say, “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince.”
To me this intimates that Yahweh was mocking their elevated status of themselves and reminding them that they were mortal and would die and be accountable for all of their actions and deeds.
To corroborate this view, Yeshua himself challenges the rulers and teachers of his day by quoting this very passage in denouncing their rejection of his authority.
John 10:34-36: “Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?”
Yeshua says that the ones “to whom the word of God came” were looked upon as “gods.” He leverages this passage as a way of substantiating his own rightful position as the Son of God, because he really was carrying the true Word of God. This type of logic would have been a crushing argument against those religious leaders and their thinking.
Regardless of how one views the subjects of this psalm, what remains are principles that can still be applied within the integrity of believers who have any measure of authority in this life. We can see how it is God’s view that it is the responsibility of believers to rule with the highest integrity and fairness so that they may represent the God whom they serve with honor and dignity. They must be mindful of their own mortality and recognize their duty to be fair in all of their conduct and teaching, as they will be even more accountable because of the weight of their responsibility.
James 3:1 – Not many should become teachers [that is, one who is fitted to teach, or thinks himself so], my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.
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 on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
We must extend the love and forgiveness of God that we have received to others.
Core of the Bible podcast #77 – We have an obligation to forgive others
Today we will be looking at the topic of forgiveness, and how a recognition of the depth of our forgiven state should motivate us to forgive others.
Colossians 3:13 – “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Paul is here reminding the Colossian believers of an obligation they have to forgive anyone who offends them.
The faults that Paul mentions here in this verse speak of those who have complaints or blame to assign to another. In my experience, there will always be blame to assign to someone, and there will always be complaints about others. The exhortation that Paul gives for overcoming this blame and complaining attitude of others is that those who are to forgive need only to recognize how much God forgave them.
If we are honest about this kind of thinking, we have been in this same condition before God; grumblers and complainers, assigning blame to others. Like our natural parents Adam and Eve, we have looked for excuses as to why we have not obeyed God, and we have been quick to assign blame to another:
Genesis 3:11-13 – “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then Yahweh God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
In our natural state prior to coming to faith in Messiah, if you’ll pardon the expression, the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree. And yet, even in our new relationship with God, as we seek to grow the “new man” within us, sometimes those old tendencies rear their head and cause us to stumble.
Now, at this point, many believers may agree with this challenge of being led astray by our old, sinful tendencies and be reminded of Paul’s monologue in Romans seven. This is where he describes the challenges of overcoming the flesh to be obedient to the word of God. It’s a long quote, but worth reviewing in the context of our current discussion:
Romans 7:14-23 – For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold as a slave to sin. For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate. Now if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one that does it, but it is the sin that lives in me. So I discover this law: When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me. For in my inner self I delight in God’s law, but I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
This passage has been used by many to justify the condition of sin in their lives, saying, “See, even the apostle Paul struggled with sin so much that he couldn’t always faithfully follow God’s law, even though he wanted to.”
Well, that is certainly how it appears by reading this passage in isolation. However, if we place it back into its context within the overall message of Romans, we may see that it is teaching something completely different. In a moment, we’ll take a look at what this passage looks like within the wider context of Paul’s letter to the Romans.
When we step back and take a wider view of Paul’s line of reasoning starting back in the beginning of chapter six of Romans, we can get a better perspective of where this line of reasoning goes, and how he illustrates various points along the way.
In the opening verses of chapter six, Paul writes, “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”
With this plain statement, we can already see how Paul is of the opinion that believers should not be continuing to struggle with sinful lifestyles. This is the opening salvo in the argument which follows, in which Paul attempts to show how believers are no longer subject to the sin they have become so used to.
In one of his first illustrations, he describes how the believer has in essence died with Messiah, and therefore should be living a new life.
Romans 6:11-12 – “So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Messiah Yeshua. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.”
He then uses the example of slavery, and declares how believers have been set free from the slavery of sin.
Romans 6:22 – “But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification – and the outcome is eternal life!”
In the beginning of chapter seven, he then uses an illustration from marriage, saying how death of one partner releases them from the bonds of marriage, and the survivor is free to marry another without committing adultery.
Romans 7:2 – “For example, a married woman is legally bound to her husband while he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law regarding the husband.”
This is an illustration of moving from the letter of the law in Moses to the spirit of the law in Messiah.
He then even goes so far as to demonstrate how the very law of God itself, that which was intended for life, can produce death because of the sinful tendencies of the unregenerate human heart. That long passage in chapter seven which we have already reviewed is the continuation of that thought. It’s as if he is expressing the thoughts, not of a believer, but of an unregenerate Jew who is still attempting to hold to the law of God by their own merit, through their flesh.
But the culmination of all of these examples and illustrations comes in the triumphant exclamation of verses 24-25 of chapter seven: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Messiah Yeshua our Lord!”
He comes to the conclusion that God, through belief in Messiah, has the ability to overcome all of these challenges. He raises believers to life, sets them free from sin and marries them to a new husband!
Then, it’s as if Paul, taking one final look over his shoulder at all of the illustrations he has just made, re-states the problem of the one who is not born from above:
Romans 7:25 – “So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but the flesh, the law of sin.”
As the narrative then moves into the next chapter, his line of reasoning then ascends to the beautiful reality of the regenerate believer, one who has become born again through a vibrant faith in the Messiah:
Romans 8:1-5 – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Messiah Yeshua, because the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua has set you free from the law of sin and death. What the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit.”
The answer to the problem of sin and the flesh, Paul says, is to live by the empowering of God’s Spirit. This should be the reality for the believer, not the see-saw of frustrated obedience in Romans chapter seven; no, that is the result of trying to serve God in the flesh and not through his indwelling Spirit.
This teaching on living by the Spirit actually dovetails perfectly with our current discussion regarding forgiveness of others, because when we are attempting to serve God in the flesh, we open ourselves to all of the negative connotations of worldly religion. Among other things, we can fall prey to a measure of hypocrisy, something hated by all and cautioned against by Messiah.
Matthew 6:14-15 – “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
When we refuse to forgive, it’s the flesh that is rising up because it has been offended by something that it does not approve of. That is the natural reaction of the natural person, the one who has not been regenerated by the Spirit of God. But it is hypocritical of us to be subject to the flesh and to remain unforgiving of others. Why? Because the admonition of Paul in Colossians 3:13 says because “the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” A literal rendering of this instruction would be “in the same manner or to the same degree that God has forgiven you, you should do in like fashion to others.”
When we tie this admonition to the realization of the believer’s new and empowering life in the Spirit, we can see how this instruction can be observed and followed in our lives today. Our flesh may recoil at the idea of forgiving someone who may not seem to deserve it, but the Spirit living inside us can empower us to provide that forgiveness anyway. This is not only a suggestion but an urgent command: “you must forgive others.”
This is how believers can be witnesses to those around them that they have been regenerated by the Spirit of God. This is how the kingdom of God continues to grow: through our faithful obedience to the commands of God, and through extending the love and forgiveness of God that we have received to others.
We have to remember that we have been disobedient before God in any number of ways that only we know within ourselves, yet somehow God was willing to overlook these rebellious faults and still call us to himself. If his same Spirit resides in us, then is it not reasonable that he wants to extend that same forgiveness through us?
With what measure and how much has God forgiven you? When we realize the depth of that forgiveness, it should reveal our ability, and our obligation, to forgive others in a new light.
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 on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
Compassion and obedience are not just for this life only.
Compassion and obedience are not just for this life only.
John 10:14-15, 17-18 – I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. … For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
In teaching his disciples of how he is to be likened to a good shepherd, Yeshua reveals how God had provided him the authority to not only lay his life down for the sheep, but to take it back up again. With this obvious reference to the resurrection, we gain a small but tremendously powerful insight into the compassion and obedience of the Son of God to his Father.
Yeshua’s connection with God was so close that the bond of obedience surpassed life itself. Yeshua had received the command of God that he would have the ability to take up his life on the other side of the grave. This demonstrated a huge measure of trust and confidence that Yeshua placed in his Father. He was to demonstrate a compassion so extreme on behalf of his brothers that it would cost him his life.
Yet he was to trust in the resurrection on the other side, and not for himself, but that God’s purpose would be completed through his resurrection. Yeshua was not simply trusting God that he would be restored to life for his own benefit, but that he was being restored to life for the benefit of others. He died for others and was restored to life for others. Everything about the death and resurrection of Yeshua was for others; it had nothing to do with his own personal survival for himself.
We don’t understand this principle enough. We struggle to grasp an obedience to God that is so complete that it willingly succumbs not only to death on behalf of others, but to continued service for others on the other side. That is what compassion looks like to God. It does not have any selfish ambition whatsoever, and yet when it is accomplished, God provides every honor and glory upon that individual.
I believe we have erred when we look to God for our own continued survival, that hoped-for eternal life, based on the fact that we believed in him and served him to the best of our ability during this life. Then we hope to enjoy peace and security for eternity, a kind of spiritual retirement allowing us to enjoy the privileges gained for sacrifices made during this life.
But this is not the message of the gospel. The good news of the kingdom is that we serve God and accomplish his purpose here and now, and we serve God there and accomplish his purpose then and there. Believing in God should never be about ourselves or our personal security. If we are following the example of our Messiah, it should always be about others; we should be constantly laying our lives down on behalf of others, dying to ourselves over and over again.
Romans 12:1 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
This is what it means to be a living sacrifice. It is a dichotomy of two contradictory principles: a sacrifice is to die yet somehow remains alive. The believing life is one of paradox: living in a kingdom that exists in eternity, yet is present here and now; dying to ourselves yet living for God; existing in a world of darkness yet being a light to those around us. We are reconcilers of opposites, peacemakers of things that are at war with one another. Just like our Messiah obeyed in death and life, we are to remain obedient in dying to ourselves and living for him. The life that feeds on the resurrection power of the Messiah is a life of obedience and compassion.
1 John 3:14, 16 – We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. … By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
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 on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
Only when we rise above do we demonstrate we are born from above.
Only when we rise above do we demonstrate we are born from above.
Matthew 5:44-45: “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”
Two qualities are here spoken of by Yeshua: one is being like your Father in heaven, and the other is doing good equally to those who are good and those who are evil. The conclusion is that in mimicking the good actions of God to all people, we demonstrate we are his children.
In view of these qualities, a couple of other observations become apparent, as well. Firstly, God is the one supreme Being over all, since everyone in this world experiences sun and rain to varying degrees. This demonstrates God’s sovereignty over his creation.
Secondly, there is also an element of good in those provisions of sunlight and rain as opposed to common misconceptions of God’s indifference or dispassionate separation from that what he has created. Closely aligned with this “indifference” mindset, but worse still, is the idea that everything we see and experience is the result of chance and random mutation. This type of worldview leads individuals to act in accordance with the hopeless lack of meaning throughout life. Following this logically, if the natural conditions of the weather are purposeless effects of a random physical process, then this analogy that Yeshua arrives at loses its meaning as well.
By contrast, the believer in the God of the Bible can take heart that even the ubiquitous nature of weather is imbued with a sense of purpose from the Almighty Creator. The mere act of existing within this cosmos is a gift beyond measure. Living with this type of Creation worldview imbues all experiences with meaning and purpose. Because of this purpose and meaning, Yeshua then urges his hearers to copy the gracious purpose of their Father by bestowing favor on all others.
As much as we may desire to act and react to others in the like fashion in which we are treated by them, Yeshua urges us to rise above these petty differences and treat others with the same blessing and provision that God bestows on all men. This involves forgiveness when we have been wronged and turning situations around by inserting gracious energy back toward those who, by all natural appearances, may not seem to others to deserve it.
This is what it means to be a child of God, not just in what we believe, but in what we do and how we act. Believers are to be better, more noble than others in the world who do not know God. However, this is not to be a distinction of prideful privilege, but a recognition of duty to always represent the best of Yahweh as we are created in his image and likeness. As we conform more fully to him, we demonstrate we are truly his children.
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 on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
When we trust Yahweh for all we have, providing resources to others, both physical and spiritual, becomes a way of life that honors him.
When we trust Yahweh for all we have, providing resources to others, both physical and spiritual, becomes a way of life that honors him.
Matthew 6:21: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Yeshua warns how all of the glittering things that attract our attention in this world are things that can divide our heart and purpose from the things of God.
Matthew 6:19-20: ““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
When it comes to earthly riches, Yeshua warns about two factors that can affect what we have: the moth, and also what is here called rust. Interestingly, although we use the word rust in English, the Greek word simply means “that which consumes until it disappears.” Of course, rust is a consumer of metals and anything that may seem to have some stability and longevity in this world. Surely anyone who has had a vehicle in a climate where roads are salted in the winter is familiar with the effect of rust on something as tangible as a vehicle.
In reality, rather than talking specifically about the effects of rust on metal, Yeshua is explaining how everything that we can possess in this life, whether it’s money or tangible goods, are all consumed in one way or another. Ironically, in our current market-driven culture, the populace is known as “consumers.” Economically speaking, we even have a “consumer index” to determine how the economy is performing. We consume food, we consume entertainment, we consume housing, we consume energy; just about everything in this life is about using up resources.
By contrast, the life of a believer is all about generously giving: to give to those in need, to give back to God, to create new opportunities and second chances, to give freely and with cheerfulness. This is the contrast that Yeshua is placing before his hearers.
This teaching about earthly treasure is less about stuff and more about attitude. When we as believers can have the right attitude, and switch from selfish consumerism to generosity and giving, then God knows our heart is in the right place. It is then that his will can be accomplished through us.
1 Timothy 6:17-19: “As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.”
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 on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
When we are outside of the commands of God, we cannot bear fruit for him.
When we are outside of the commands of God, we cannot bear fruit for him.
A life of holiness is one in which the believer is purposefully and continually set apart from others. In the book of Haggai, the prophet confronts the priests with some of their practices and poses a question that illustrates how purity is something that must be maintained by the individual.
Haggai 2:11-14 – “This is what Yahweh of Armies says: Ask the priests for a ruling. “If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy? ” The priests answered, “No.” Then Haggai asked, “If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled? ” The priests answered, “It becomes defiled.” Then Haggai replied, “So is this people, and so is this nation before me — this is Yahweh’s declaration. And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled.
In this instance, God is confronting the nation with their impurities. They were going about reestablishing themselves in the land after their captivity, yet they were not giving the due respect and honor to the temple of Yahweh. They had assumed that because they were God’s people, that they were somehow automatically holy. But there is no such thing.
In the example provided by Haggai, the meat that had been consecrated had only become consecrated because it was in the presence of Yahweh. It was meat that had become dedicated to the purpose of Yahweh by the offerer, however the meat itself did not contain the ability to make anything else holy. On the contrary, defilement easily spreads from object to object and place to place when something becomes corrupted. Through this example, Haggai shows how closely a believer needs to remain in the presence of Yahweh in order to remain sanctified and holy.
This principle was carried over even into the teachings of Yeshua. He explained that the keeping of his commands and his teaching would allow believers to remain in God’s presence, which would be evidenced by the holy Spirit of God living within them.
John 14:15-17 – “If you love me, you will keep my commands. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. “He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.
John 15:4-6, 8, 10 – “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. “If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. … “My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. … “If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
The application of this principle becomes clearer when we recognize that we, as believers, do not have the ability to create holiness by our own efforts. We become holy only when we are imbued with that which is holy. The holy Spirit of God is most evident within us when we abide by the commands of God and teachings of Yeshua. In this way, we have the ability to bear fruit for God which honors him and grows the Kingdom 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 on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
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