There was a question about the lineage of David to Jesus. This is the skeleton on which the whole Bible is written, i.e., the genealogy leading up to Jesus. The family of Jesus actually begins with Adam, then Seth, on down to Noah, on down to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, then generation after generation through David down to Jesus. The Old Testament records all of this, and it is summarized in Matthew 1. It is interesting to me that the New Testament begins with this summary showing the importance of this family background to the understanding of Jesus Himself. Jesus is described in the N.T. as the Son of David. This is an expression meaning "descendant of", not the direct son of David. David was a type of Jesus; that is, David was a great King, Jesus was more so. And there are a lot more comparisons, Jesus always the better.
In the question it was mentioned that David is a comfort to us in that David had many faults but was also said to be a "man after God's own heart," (referenced in 1Samuel 13:14 & Acts 13:22). I totally agree that this gives us all hope in that we all have sinned and fallen short. On the other hand, we don't want to get too comfortable. I disagree with the questioner that David "constantly backslid." While David's sins were great, with adultery and murder among them, every indication is that David went on to become a more dedicated person and, while not a perfect person, he cleaned up his act. I also disagree with the questioner, a kind and pleasant person though he be, regarding the "probable homosexuality of David with Jonathan." There is no indication of any homosexuality in their case; they loved each other, but that doesn't make one a homosexual. In fact, we know for certain that there was no homosexuality there, for had there been, God would not have tolerated it, or at least would have called them down for it as we see in Romans 1:26,27. Yes, I know that people are sometimes attracted to their own sex, but it doesn't have to be acted upon, and God says "No." There are examples in the O.T. and the N.T. where God forbade it, and that should end the matter. But David is a comfort to us, for there is always hope as long as we seek to do God's will. And the past will be forgiven if we truly repent (change) and commit ourselves to Him.
Enough already. Thanks for reading. Have a God blessed week!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Upper Room
In my recent trip to Egypt, Jordan and Israel, there was one particular point made over and over regarding the "upper room." The leader on our trip was a retired general in the Israeli army and a leader in historical excavation in Israel; he was also a Jew who had converted to Christianity. His point was that ALL references to the upper room in the Bible are well known in Israel to be rooms above a burial place. Historically, the Jews would place a body in an open tomb for decay to begin quickly. The body would soon be reduced to bones and decay. It would then be gathered into a small bundle and placed in a container and left in a lower room for the ages. There would be a room above for relatives to come, at least once a year, visit with one another and remember the dead. This "upper room" was open for lots of uses but was a common meeting place. Over and over again we saw excavations that showed this pattern, both in Israel and Jordan. It was also noted that priests never were allowed to enter the lower room of the dead. They could only go directly into the upper room; this was in accordance with Jewish law.
As I tried to recall examples of the upper room use in the Bible, I could only think of two: Jesus and His apostles took the Lord's Supper in the upper room as they were celebrating Passover just before His death, and in Acts 1, the apostles met in the upper room after Jesus ascended into Heaven. But in further studying the matter, I found many references to the upper room use, two in particular in the New Testament. In Acts 9:36 there is the story of Dorcas who dies and is placed temporarily in an upper room. And in Acts 20:7 it says, "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together." The story goes on to tell of a young man who falls out of the window, but that goes beyond our point here. They were using the upper room for a meeting place, which was common practice. And there are references to the upper room in the Old Testament as well, but that would be exhaustive, so I will stop here.
So, while this information may not change your life, it might provide a little more understanding to your reading of the Bible. Having seen these things certainly has brought better understanding and meaning to me. I hope to pass some of this on to you. Have a good week!
As I tried to recall examples of the upper room use in the Bible, I could only think of two: Jesus and His apostles took the Lord's Supper in the upper room as they were celebrating Passover just before His death, and in Acts 1, the apostles met in the upper room after Jesus ascended into Heaven. But in further studying the matter, I found many references to the upper room use, two in particular in the New Testament. In Acts 9:36 there is the story of Dorcas who dies and is placed temporarily in an upper room. And in Acts 20:7 it says, "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together." The story goes on to tell of a young man who falls out of the window, but that goes beyond our point here. They were using the upper room for a meeting place, which was common practice. And there are references to the upper room in the Old Testament as well, but that would be exhaustive, so I will stop here.
So, while this information may not change your life, it might provide a little more understanding to your reading of the Bible. Having seen these things certainly has brought better understanding and meaning to me. I hope to pass some of this on to you. Have a good week!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Question regarding Christians, Jews, and Muslims
A question has been submitted regarding Christians versus Jews versus Islamic faiths. It is true that all are descendants of Abraham. Actually, Jews and Muslims are blood kin of Abraham, Jews through the line of Isaac and Muslims (Arabs) through the line of Ishmael, Isaac's half-brother. The Old Testament (OT) teaches that Isaac was the chosen of God, and thus Jews are the chosen people of God. This does not mean that non-Jews in OT days could not find God; it just means that God chose the Jews to carry out His purpose. What was His purpose? To provide a plan of salvation down through time, a bloodline; note Genesis 12. That would ultimately bring a savior under a new covenant (note the genealogy of Matthew 1). In this age, it doesn't matter about Jew or Muslim, Jew or gentile, slave or free, man or woman (be sure to read Galatians 3:23-4:7). Everybody is an adopted relative of Abraham through Jesus Christ, if he follows Jesus.
And I must conclude EMPHATICALLY, in the emphatic words of Jesus Himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6). If one tries to get to God without Jesus, as the Jews do, or though Mohamed, like the Muslims do, the effort, however sincere, will be a LOST CAUSE. The New Testament is clear on this. Jesus is the only way! And there is no special provision for anyone else, Jew, Muslim, or any other who rejects Jesus as the Son of God, and who does not obey Him. This may seem narrow-minded to some, but God so loved us (John 3:16) that He sent His only son to die. That was a big gift and He means for us to appreciate it....... Hey, thanks for reading. And remember that I am happy to do private study on any of these topics. Just let me know. See you next week. m
And I must conclude EMPHATICALLY, in the emphatic words of Jesus Himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6). If one tries to get to God without Jesus, as the Jews do, or though Mohamed, like the Muslims do, the effort, however sincere, will be a LOST CAUSE. The New Testament is clear on this. Jesus is the only way! And there is no special provision for anyone else, Jew, Muslim, or any other who rejects Jesus as the Son of God, and who does not obey Him. This may seem narrow-minded to some, but God so loved us (John 3:16) that He sent His only son to die. That was a big gift and He means for us to appreciate it....... Hey, thanks for reading. And remember that I am happy to do private study on any of these topics. Just let me know. See you next week. m
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The Holy Land
Having just returned from the Holy Land, I must say a bit about the experience compared with Bible verses. It truly is amazing to see first hand the areas that I have for so long only imagined by reading the Bible. This was a once in a lifetime trip. I didn't see it all, but saw enough to get a feel for the geography.
The trip was run by two archeologists and thereto was the emphasis. We began in Egypt, seeing Cairo and Alexandria, as well as the Sinai Peninsula. We started where the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and followed the travels of the Israelites as God led them out of captivity (note Exodus 13). They were led by God to Mount Sinai where Moses met God on the mountain (Exodus 19 and 20). While we cannot be exactly sure of the location, we were quite close. We climbed up the mountain just as Moses did. It was all rock, no trees, with rarely a small bush.
The most amazing and informative view of the whole trip was my first time in Jerusalem. I had seen pictures, but seeing it in person made quite an impression. We stood at a spot, high on the Mount of Olives, looking west across the Mount of Olives, and the Garden of Gethsemane (which is low in the valley between the Mount of Olives and Old Jerusalem), to ancient Jerusalem itself. About 65% of the Bible occurs right in this small area; so to see it is to bring to life the verses that mention this area. Here is an example: In Mark 11, it talks about Jesus walking and teaching in the courtyard of the temple in Jerusalem. He spent a lot of time in this temple; it was a place where he could get an audience and where the truth needed to be heard. In Mark 13:1 it says, "Then as He went out of the temple......." And in 13:3, "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple..." He left the temple (right in the middle of the old, walled Jerusalem), walked down the hill, through the Garden of Gethsemane, and up the Mount of Olives. This might sound like a long hike, but actually was quite close. He could have done all of this in less than an hour, perhaps 30 minutes. The mountain, Mt. Moriah, upon which sits the city of old Jerusalem, is more like a large hill, rather steep on the sides. Jesus walking down this hill would be on rocky terrain with only a few trees and bushes. Then He would pass through the valley at the bottom of the hill, but the valley would be very narrow, likely less than 100 yards. He walked through the garden, which probably was rather thin like an orchard, and up on the Mount of Olives, which is, and likely was, rather thinly populated with trees and bushes.
These events followed the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey, and His driving out the money changers from the Temple. Perhaps one can see how much is going on right here in this one small area. And since I was there a couple of days ago, I wanted to share these thoughts with you. Perhaps a few more will be discussed in the next blog entry. Until then, have a blessed week.
The trip was run by two archeologists and thereto was the emphasis. We began in Egypt, seeing Cairo and Alexandria, as well as the Sinai Peninsula. We started where the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and followed the travels of the Israelites as God led them out of captivity (note Exodus 13). They were led by God to Mount Sinai where Moses met God on the mountain (Exodus 19 and 20). While we cannot be exactly sure of the location, we were quite close. We climbed up the mountain just as Moses did. It was all rock, no trees, with rarely a small bush.
The most amazing and informative view of the whole trip was my first time in Jerusalem. I had seen pictures, but seeing it in person made quite an impression. We stood at a spot, high on the Mount of Olives, looking west across the Mount of Olives, and the Garden of Gethsemane (which is low in the valley between the Mount of Olives and Old Jerusalem), to ancient Jerusalem itself. About 65% of the Bible occurs right in this small area; so to see it is to bring to life the verses that mention this area. Here is an example: In Mark 11, it talks about Jesus walking and teaching in the courtyard of the temple in Jerusalem. He spent a lot of time in this temple; it was a place where he could get an audience and where the truth needed to be heard. In Mark 13:1 it says, "Then as He went out of the temple......." And in 13:3, "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple..." He left the temple (right in the middle of the old, walled Jerusalem), walked down the hill, through the Garden of Gethsemane, and up the Mount of Olives. This might sound like a long hike, but actually was quite close. He could have done all of this in less than an hour, perhaps 30 minutes. The mountain, Mt. Moriah, upon which sits the city of old Jerusalem, is more like a large hill, rather steep on the sides. Jesus walking down this hill would be on rocky terrain with only a few trees and bushes. Then He would pass through the valley at the bottom of the hill, but the valley would be very narrow, likely less than 100 yards. He walked through the garden, which probably was rather thin like an orchard, and up on the Mount of Olives, which is, and likely was, rather thinly populated with trees and bushes.
These events followed the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey, and His driving out the money changers from the Temple. Perhaps one can see how much is going on right here in this one small area. And since I was there a couple of days ago, I wanted to share these thoughts with you. Perhaps a few more will be discussed in the next blog entry. Until then, have a blessed week.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Worship
I am reporting in from the nation of Israel, more technically, the southern tip, Eilat, which is on the Red Sea. I was with a group of Christians who worshipped on the sand by the Red Sea tonight. It was great! We have been fortunate to see some of Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, into Israel, over to Jordan to see the ancient city of Petra, and now back into Israel. More on these matters in a later blog.
I want to mention worship in this blog. There are so many places that reference worship to God in the Bible. But I want to cite Revelation chapter 4 & 5. In chapter 4 we see worship to God in a vision straight to Heaven. The creatures around the throne are saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Later it is said, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." This is a beautiful sight of worship in heaven!
And chapter 5 is just as great! Chapter 4 is to God, simply. Chapter 5 is to the Lamb, Jesus. Verse 6, "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if slain..." And those around the throne were saying, "....you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." And later, "In a loud voice they sang: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!' "
Our Lord is worthy, for sure, to be praised and worshipped; and He wants to be. Let us do this here on earth as it is in Heaven. Praise be to God who offers us salvation through His only Son. Shalom.
I want to mention worship in this blog. There are so many places that reference worship to God in the Bible. But I want to cite Revelation chapter 4 & 5. In chapter 4 we see worship to God in a vision straight to Heaven. The creatures around the throne are saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Later it is said, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." This is a beautiful sight of worship in heaven!
And chapter 5 is just as great! Chapter 4 is to God, simply. Chapter 5 is to the Lamb, Jesus. Verse 6, "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if slain..." And those around the throne were saying, "....you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." And later, "In a loud voice they sang: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!' "
Our Lord is worthy, for sure, to be praised and worshipped; and He wants to be. Let us do this here on earth as it is in Heaven. Praise be to God who offers us salvation through His only Son. Shalom.
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