Episode 261 - "Abram obeys the LORD" - Genesis 12:4-9

Gen. 12:4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

The first three verses of chapter twelve give us the LORD’s call to Abram to leave his home and extended family and go to a place the LORD would show him. This command of the LORD reveals how the LORD would bless him by making him a great nation and that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him. As you may remember, Abram and his wife Sarai were unable to have any children. So, from a human perspective, this has the appearance of a shallow and impossible promise.

But as we pick up the story in verse four, “Abram went, as the LORD had told him” (Gen. 12:4). Abram was like Noah in this regard. The LORD spoke to them, and they obeyed his word, even though the LORD’s message to each of them seemed crazy or, at least, contrary to human reason.

We are told that Abram took Lot, his nephew, with him and his wife Sarai. Lot’s dad had died, and Noah’s dad, Terah, had taken responsibility for him. Then, Terah died, and Lot became the responsibility of his uncle Abram. The reader is set up to wonder if perhaps Lot will become the child to Abram through whom this “great nation” will come since Sarai was barren. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran, and Sarai was not much younger. As the life expectancy decreased, the child-bearing years decreased as well and Abram and Sarai were getting beyond that point.

It is at the end of verse five when we learn the direction that the LORD is taking Abram and his family. They had been from (modern day) southern Iraq near the Persian Gulf to Haran in the northwest, up into Syria near or just across the border with Turkey and down into “the land of Canann.” That’s where Terah was originally headed when he left Ur in the south and then settled in Haran in northwest modern day Iraq. Scholars discuss and debate when Abram first received this call from the LORD. Was he still in Ur, and his father was on board? If the chronology of these events has been reordered, it’s probably not that important. What is most important is the LORD’s revelation specifically to Abram and that Abram responded in obedience to the LORD. I would suggest that if we learn nothing else from Abram, we must learn to respond positively to the LORD’s commands regardless of whether it seems a bit crazy or not.

What follows is that Abram came into the land of Canaan. Remember that it was Canaan, the son of Ham, who Noah cursed because of Ham’s sin. In fact, Noah would say that Canaan’s descendants would serve Shem’s descendants. Verse six states that the Canaanites were in the land, and the LORD says in verse seven that he is going to give that same land to Abram’s offspring. (v. 7) What offspring? Is the LORD being cruel? As if to strongly affirm this promise, the LORD didn’t just speak to Abram; he appeared to him. Abram responded by building an altar to the LORD in that place. Instead of complaining or doubting, he worshipped the LORD right there. He understood that it was a holy and sacred event. I think this is a beautiful thing we see here. How often do we sense that God has done something special for us? Do we make an intentional effort to identify it and worship in response? What a wonderful lesson for us!

I find it interesting that Abram didn’t remain there. I take this as the LORD had more to show him. Abram moved on and stopped in between two towns near each other, Bethel (means House of El - El was the name by which God was known from Adam down to Abram) and Ai. Abram built another altar and called upon the name of the LORD. What this is saying is that Abram is proclaiming the identity and greatness of the LORD in the land of Canaan. He is essentially beginning to fulfill the LORD’s promise that he will be a blessing to the families of the earth. Abram is worshipping by testifying to the LORD to people who need to know about him.

What a great lesson we can learn from this by first, obeying the LORD’s commands, secondly, responding to the LORD’s work in our life by commemorating it and acknowledging God’s work in thankfulness, and finally, by testifying to others the greatness of the LORD.

May we learn and follow in Abram’s example.

Episode 252 - "Noah built an altar" - Genesis 8:20-22

20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Sometimes, the Scriptures can raise as many questions as it answers. One of the reasons this happens is due to the vast historical, geographical, and cultural distance that exists between us and those of the ancient world of the Bible. The very idea of animal sacrifices, for example, is offensive to our 21st-century, western sensibilities. That’s true even for those of us who believe the Bible and trust in the God of the Bible. Another reason is that there were many things that happened that the Bible doesn’t tell us about. We are left to make inferences and speculate how people got from “point A to point B” in terms of their worship and ways of life. I’m certain that both of these factors are in play in this section we’re reading today.

In these few verses, we might ask ourselves, “Why did Noah build an altar and sacrifice animals on it?” “Why did this please God? Didn’t God instruct Noah to take the animals on the ark to preserve them?” “How did Noah know what animals were ‘clean’?” And more.

Let’s examine this. First, unless I’m mistaken, the only specific acts of sacrifice in worship recorded in the Scriptures up to now are those of Cain and Abel. Abel brought an animal sacrifice, and Cain brought a sacrifice of food. God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but rejected Cain’s. It’s not uncommon for people to infer that God accepted Abel’s sacrifice because it was an animal sacrifice and rejected Cain’s because it was a food offering. But the text doesn’t tell us that. Instead, it suggests that the reason for God accepting Abel’s sacrifice was because it was the best of what he had. Conversely, Cain brought “some” of his produce, suggesting that it wasn’t the best. In other words, the difference between the sacrifices was not about what was offered as it was how it was offered. Abel’s attitude about the LORD was of gratitude and awe of God, and Cain’s wasn’t. This is confirmed when God approaches Cain to correct him and Cain refuses to listen to the LORD.

It seems that this is what we are witnessing in Noah’s sacrifice. God has fulfilled his promise and delivered them safely through this flood, and Noah is expressing his thankfulness and awe of what God has done.

How did Noah know which animals were ‘clean’? We don’t. What we do know is that this story was written by Moses long after the flood and after God had given the Law to Israel that designates what animals were clean or unclean. What this account does is confirm to Israel that the God who has delivered them out of bondage in Egypt has revealed Himself previously to their ancestors. This God who has just given them the Law has not just come up with a new, arbitrary set of rules. God had revealed this before. It was just not important enough to document exactly when that happened. What is revealed is that God had seven pairs of the clean animals and birds on the ark versus the one pair of all the other animals. Noah didn’t seem to question this. Perhaps Noah understood the “extra” animals were God’s provision for such a sacrifice. Perhaps Noah even recognized this as a sign that God really would get them through this ordeal.

This sacrifice pleased the LORD, and, in response, he made a threefold promise “in his heart.” How would Noah or, later on, Moses know what God had said in his heart? Again, we don’t know. However, if we apply one of our common principles of interpretation, examining the context, we discover in the next chapter that God reveals his resolve to Noah through a covenant promise. (See Genesis 9:11-17) What God promised to Noah and all humanity in this covenant is consistent with what he resolved “in his heart.”

The first part of this threefold resolution of God is interesting. He had just judged the earth by water because of the evil of humanity in the world. God resolves to “never curse the ground again because of man.” The interesting part is the reason he gives for this resolution. He explains, “for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Wow! There’s a statement we should not jump past too quickly. We so often want to assume the best in people. But God doesn’t. What this means is not that God has abandoned his value of humanity. If that were true, he would not have bothered to spare Noah and his sons and their wives. While Noah is declared righteous, God hasn’t overlooked that he is not perfect, and neither are his sons and daughters-in-law. The sin problem will continue and God is acknowledging that. Yet, God had a plan and “the seed” was still to come at that point. God would still execute his plan despite humanity’s tendency to do what is “evil.”

The last question I’ll raise for this section and attempt to address is, “Does the apocalyptic prophecy in Revelation contradict the LORD’s resolution here in Genesis? I believe the answer to that is “no.” Revelation speaks of a final judgment for the very same cause that brought the judgment by flood. Yet, the final judgment is a fiery destruction of the earth and the creation of a new heaven and new earth. Those whom the LORD deems righteous will be delivered eternally to an eternal life on the new earth where sin will be eradicated because “the seed” will have made that possible. The point then of this promise is that Noah and all people who live after him are not to live in fear every time it rains or every time there’s a drought. The LORD will sustain his creation and life within the earth until he has fulfilled all that he’s promised, despite the ongoing problem of humanity’s evil tendencies.

This text affirms God’s right to judge evil. It reveals his desire to offer life and provision revealing his patience, love for his living creatures, and resolve to fulfill every promise he makes. This is a God that is worthy of our thankfulness and awe and to whom we should direct our best worship.

Episode 214 - God is not an author of confusion, but of peace - 1 Corinthians 14:26-33

1Cor. 14:26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

As I read this segment of 1 Corinthians 14, I must admit that I don’t have a clue whether Paul is serious or perhaps using sarcasm in the first part of verse 26. If we take it as a factual description of their meetings of worship, this would probably freak me out if I were present. With non-stop switching from one person singing a hymn to the next speaking in tongues, followed by a lesson, and so forth, this sounds more like a poorly planned variety show than Christian worship.

Regardless of Paul’s tone and intent, it seems to me there are two very important statements by Paul that must be understood and received by the Corinthian believers and believers today as well. The first one is at the end of verse 26, “Let all things be done for building up.” What follows is instruction on what that looks it. Strangely enough, it may appear to some as quenching or not following the leading of the Spirit. Paul says that only “two or at the most three” should speak in tongues, and there must be an interpreter. Otherwise, the one speaking should manifest their gift quietly or privately to God. (vv. 27-28)

The same is true for the one prophesying. Paul instructs to use some self-restraint or control. Why? “So that all may learn and all be encouraged.” (v. 31b) Paul explains in verse 32, “the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets.” I believe this means the gifts of the believers, which are being led by the Holy Spirit, are to not be unbridled and driven by emotion and feeling but manifested under control through wisdom and an interest for everyone present to be edified.

The second important statement Paul makes is found in verse 33. “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” Why is this so important to us today? We can get excited and caught up in the emotion of what God is doing in and through our lives. That’s good! We should be excited about that. However, if we aren’t careful, God’s blessing to us can quickly become all about us. That is not good. When God told Abraham how He was going to bless Abraham, He also told Abraham that he would be a blessing to others. Likewise, as the Holy Spirit distributes gifts to us, they are intended by God for us to use to bless and edify others.

God communicates clearly, and we should not confuse God’s message to the world through disorder and emotional chaos. We must prayerfully seek discernment and how we should build up others with what the Lord has given us.

Episode 197 - "Honoring the Lord in worship" - 1 Corinthians 11:2-3

1Cor. 11:2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

So last week, I kicked the “1 Corinthians 11 can” down the road partly because I needed to digest it a bit more. It should be no surprise that the Roman Empire during first century A.D. was culturally quite different than 21st century United States. While there are gender biases in our culture today, views of gender identity and roles would have significant variations between the times and the cultures. So, what does that mean when we are interpreting the Scriptures? Can we completely ignore things in the Bible if we don’t like what it says or if it goes against our own cultural values and norms? I don’t think so. Is it possible that some things in the Scriptures speak more of the cultural values of the day and might, in the most strict literal sense, be irrelevant to our culture today? Yes. I do think that’s possible. How do we handle such passages? I think we examine them carefully for the underlying principle of what is being prescribed or mandated and ask ourselves how we might best adopt the principle in a culturally relevant form. In other words, we can pursue following the spirit of the Law rather than the letter of the Law.

Rather than handle the entire chapter in one big bite, I think it’s best to break this down into smaller pieces. Understand that Biblical scholars disagree on various points of interpretation of this section. There is nothing in particular that makes my interpretation more right. Hopefully, I can make a reasonable defense of how I read this section.

Verse 2 seems pretty straightforward. The Corinthian believers remembered Paul and maintained the traditions that he taught them. Whether these traditions were common in the synagogues, the early churches, or both is not obvious. But the idea is that there was some continuity in the customs in early Christian worship.

In verse 3, Paul expresses the importance that they understand three specific relationships. The first is man/husband to Christ. The second is the woman/wife to her husband. Finally, the third is Christ to God. In each relationship, one member is the “head” of the other. What does that mean? Looking at other passages where Paul uses the same terminology (Eph. 1:22, 4:15, 5:23, Col. 1:18) the head is that which has a position of authority or prominence.

Paul writes first that “the head of every man is Christ.” That seems ok. Then he says, “The head of every woman (wife) is her husband.” This is where the PCF (politically correct factor) goes off the rails in our culture. Why? Because in our culture today, we are inclined to read this statement to suggest that a wife/woman is less valuable or not equal to her husband, and that is not a culturally valued idea in much of our society. But is it possible that’s not what it means? Is it possible the husband can have a position or role of authority over his wife in a relationship where both spouses are equal and valuable to God? Let’s take a look at the third relationship Paul mentions.

He says, “the head of Christ is God.” What? Doesn’t Christianity believe that Jesus Christ is God? Yes! Check out the Nicene Creed. They make a point to refute the heresies of the day that diminished Christ from the Father. But notice the description of the relationship. Christ is the only begotten of the Father. Then speaking of the Holy Spirit, who we also believe is truly and fully God, they write the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. There is a sense of headship or authority in the role of the Father and the Son over the Spirit.

Jesus himself said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19) Jesus treated the Father as his authority even though he was equally God.

It appears that within the divine Trinity, there is an order of roles and responsibilities that does not translate into a power structure. Therefore our cultural problem is not “headship” of one over another; it’s that we have a skewed sense of what it implies. We naturally tend to believe it means there is necessarily a disparity of value between the members of these relationships. But that seems theologically untenable because Christ is not less God or less important than the Father.

We will continue to examine this as we continue to work through 1 Corinthians 11. For now, understand the context of Paul’s instruction has to do with worship. Paul wants the Corinthian believer's practice of worship to honor the Lord. As we continue through this study, let us pray that we can learn something that will inform our worship.

Episode 82 - Mary anoints Jesus' feet - John 12:1-8

John 12:1   Six days before the Passover, Jesus, therefore, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

Once again, we find Jesus back in Bethany, a rural suburb of Jerusalem. His friends Martha, Mary, and their resurrected-from-the-dead brother Lazarus are among the participants at a dinner. Martha is cooking. Lazarus is at the table with other guests, and Mary is doing something that is in sharp contrast with one of Jesus’ twelve disciples named Judas Iscariot. 

John mentions that this Judas Iscariot was the one who was about to betray Jesus. John did not know this at the time of the dinner. However, he adds this to clarify who this person is and to show his character.

What Mary is doing is anointing Jesus’ feet with a very expensive and aromatic ointment or perfume. John records Judas’ words which may have even reflected what some others were thinking in response to this act. In verse 5, he says, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” In these words, we learn two things: first, the value of the ointment (300 denarii) appears to be understood by everyone, and second, that Judas is voicing a belief that something more righteous and good could have been accomplished with the value of this ointment.

Let’s break this down. What is the value of denarii in Jesus’ lifetime? In Matthew 20:2, we learn that one denarius was offered and accepted as a day’s wage. If a denarius was a daily wage of the average working person of Jesus’ time, then 300 denarii were equal to approximately a year’s wages. Wow! That is significant, and we can begin to understand perhaps the shock in the mind of Judas and possibly others as well. 

Looking at the context, however, we get a more accurate picture of what is happening. The first thing we need to come back to is that not only has Mary taken the precious ointment and began anointing Jesus’ feet with it, but she is also using her hair as the towel. This is a picture of great personal sacrifice and humility on behalf of Mary. Why would she do this? The answer must be in the fact that Jesus has restored the life to her brother’s dead body, and she is responding in extreme gratitude for this act and overwhelming awe of Jesus’ power and authority. This is worship.

Contrasted with this is Judas Iscariot, who John tells us was about to betray Jesus. Then, John informs his readers about Judas’ true motives in making this statement about selling the ointment and giving it to the poor. Would it have been a good thing to sell it and give it to the poor? Certainly! Throughout the Scriptures, we see God desiring His people to take care of the poor, the widows, and the orphans, those who could not reasonably take care of themselves and had no one immediately connected to them with the ability to care for their needs. 

However, that was not Judas’ true motives. John tells us that Judas kept the money bag for Jesus and his followers, and he was “a thief.” He would help himself to what he wanted. Judas, in all likelihood, had witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. He was undoubtedly aware of it and now in Lazarus’ presence. Yet he was not thankful or in awe of Jesus’ power and authority. He was only interested in serving himself.

Jesus not only defends Mary but adds that she will use some of this for his burial. He also explains that throughout their lives, they will have ongoing opportunities to serve the poor. But, they will not be able to dine with him, listen to him teach, watch him perform miracles, or tangibly show him gratitude in his presence because he will not be there. He is prophesying about his imminent death and ascension to the Father’s side. 

It seems to me that the application to us couldn’t be more obvious. Are our motivations that drive our actions more like that of Mary or more like that of Judas? Do we have such overwhelming gratitude and awe of Jesus that we might sacrifice something valuable to the world to honor the Lord? Are we so humble before the Lord that we do not care what others might think? OR . . . Are we more like Judas, self-serving thieves who say and do things to make others believe we are selfless and righteous?

Our priority must first be to honor the Lord. When we do that, our motives to serve the needs of others will be right as well.

Episode 33 - We must worship in spirit and in truth

John 4:16-26

16   Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

In the last episode, Jesus began a conversation with a Samaritan woman by asking for a drink of water. Due to a widely held prejudice that many Jews had toward Samaritans, she is first and foremost interested in knowing why he would talk to her. In response, Jesus indicates that if she knew who he was, she would have asked him for living water and he would give it to her. In spite of the fact that she doesn’t know who he is, she soon arrives at the point where she does ask him for the living water. In spite of her ignorance about what he is really talking about, the offer is appealing to her and she asks him for it. Her response stands in sharp contrast to that of Nicodemus who, along with his peers, recognizes that he is from God, but does not appear to accept anything Jesus has told him.

Jesus’ response to the woman in verse 16 almost sounds like he’s changing the subject: “Go call your husband.” When she responds that she doesn’t have a husband, we quickly understand how Jesus is about to increase her understanding of who he is. In the latter part of verse 17, he says, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband.” How can he possibly know that? She immediately has an answer: “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet... “ Earlier in the conversation, she seems cynical that he could be as great as their ancestor Jacob. Now, she recognizes that he is a prophet. At this point, all discussion and consideration about literal water in a well are set aside and she wants to discuss spiritual matters. Jesus has drawn her into the real conversation he wants to have with her. Her concern appears to be where is the proper location for worship (v20)? Jesus instructs her that worship is not about a physical location. True worship is spiritual and is based upon truth. People cannot truly worship the true God on their own terms and ideas. Notice that the woman remarks that the Jews say that worship must occur in Jerusalem and by implication at the temple. But, what have we seen in this book about the temple so far? We’ve seen that people have made it a marketplace and a den of thieves. They desecrated its purpose. But, when Jesus says, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” he was saying that he is the true temple of God. His body is where God dwells. This is consistent with John’s statement in the prologue that the Word became flesh and “tabernacled” among us. The tabernacle was the predecessor to the temple. It was the place where God dwelt with His people. Now, God is dwelling among people in the person of His Son Jesus. To worship God is for the Spirit to give us a spiritual birth from above in which we recognize the truth of Jesus as God’s Son. Notice the repetition and force of verse 24 “those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” 

At this, the woman now asserts something she “knows,” that Messiah is coming and will teach them all things. Jesus responds by claiming to be the Messiah. Effectively, he has just clearly and strongly answered her question, “You aren’t greater than our father Jacob are you” Answer: Yes. Had he given her this direct answer right away, it’s likely she may have scoffed and walked away. Instead, he graciously leads her to faith in him and then to a recognition that he is at least a messenger from God. But, he completes the lesson by demonstrating that he knows intimate details about her life and claims to be the Messiah prophesied in the Scriptures. How will she respond? We’ll see that in our next episode.

For right now, let us not miss the point that the Father is seeking those who will worship him in spirit and in truth. We must come to Jesus who is the true temple of God.