Substitutionary Atonement - John 16-18

John 18:37-40 (ESV)

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

We know very little of this Barabbas.  All we know is that he was a criminal, condemned to death.   Pilate, to keep peace with the Jews, had a tradition during Passover to grant clemency to anyone they chose.   In this case he simply gives them a choice.   He was NOT really giving Barabbas clemency, however.   In the past the criminal went free.   That is clemency.  In this case the criminal was going free, but Jesus was taking his place, to pay his debt.   This was lost on all those people that day, but this is the picture of sacrifical atonement.   God designed this from the beginning.  The Temple sacrifices in the Old Testament were to show us about substitutionary atonement.  The lambs and goats and bulls were a picture of something being offered to God for our sins.   They could not permanently remove  sin, however. 

Hebrews 10:4 (ESV)

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Jesus, however, would be that permanent sacrifice.   Jesus would take Barabbas place and pay for his crime, since Jesus was quilt free.   It was declared innocent in Pilate’s court proceedings.  It was also declared by the plan of God.  Barabbas would be free.  His sins were atoned for by a sacrificial lamb, named Jesus.  That is the story of redemption.   We were Barabbas!   We are Barabbas!  Our sins are atoned for by the blood of Jesus.  

Romans 3:25 (ESV)

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Don’t Miss God’s Discipline - Amos 1-4

Amos 4:7-8 (ESV)

“I also withheld the rain from you

when there were yet three months to the harvest;

I would send rain on one city,

and send no rain on another city;

one field would have rain,

and the field on which it did not rain would wither;

so two or three cities would wander to another city

to drink water, and would not be satisfied;

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the LORD.

God’s discipline is pretty accurate.  God does not miss with lighting and knows where to drop mana in the desert.     The nation of Israel were living in rebellion and God used His sovereign discipline to correct them.  But note what it says at the end:

“Yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 

It is amazing that they would miss God’s hand working in their lives.   He actively removed rain from them precisely where He wanted to and they missed it.   Or, at least, rejected it.  This entire section of the book of Amos is a focus on God intervening in the lives and still the same conclusion over and over: “Yet you did not return to me.”    This is the plight of those live in disobedience.  Those who live in disobedience to God do not want to repent.  Note what is written about those in the book of Revelation, who also will be disciplined:

Revelation 9:20-21 (ESV)

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

God sends discipline to correct our walk and the path we are walking.    Some will always just reject God’s correction.   

I Just Need Another Nap - Proverbs 23-24

Proverbs 24:33-34 (ESV)

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest,

and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and want like an armed man.

"If I could just have a nap!"   "If I could just sleep in for a few more minutes!!"   "Just let me take a rest for a minute!!"   These are the excuses, comments and/or thoughts of the sluggard, who will, eventually, be robbed or suffer loss, shortly.   In the entire book of Proverbs, Solomon was quite concerned with the behavior of the sluggard.   Why?  Sloth is a character quality of the foolish; those bound by folly.   Solomon wrote the proverbs to give prudence and discernment and understanding to naive.   He knew how easy it was for anyone to become a person of sloth.   In these two proverbs he simply rehearses what folly sounds like when it takes control of a person through the characteristic of sloth.   It only takes a little lack of industry to find yourself robbed of opportunity, potential and blessing.   When we regularly take time off for just a little more of a break; a little longer vacation; a little longer weekend and we will find ourselves soon robbed of a chance to advance the cause of God's kingdom, just like a man is robbed by an armed man.  He doesn't expect it but still experiences the loss.  Rejecting God results in folly, while folly produces sloth and sloth makes opportunity for only robbery, which leave the person in poverty.    Just a nap can eventually end up being just a bum.

God Rules - Psalm 108-110

Psalms 110:2-4 (ESV)

The LORD sends forth from Zion

your mighty scepter.

Rule in the midst of your enemies!

Your people will offer themselves freely

on the day of your power,

in holy garments;

from the womb of the morning,

the dew of your youth will be yours.

The LORD has sworn

and will not change his mind,

“You are a priest forever

after the order of Melchizedek.”

Psalm 110 is a royal psalm and is similar in nature to Psalm 2 (also a royal psalm).  It was meant to be song when a new king was put in place (although through the act of men but by the power of God).   Portions of it would latter be applied to Jesus and His coming to set up His kingdom over all mankind.  This psalm demonstrates for us several aspects of God’s reign and God’s control over mankind and their affairs.  

1. Even in the midst of our battles and our enemies God reigns.  

2. We are to worship God and His power in holiness and honor to Him. 

3. We are to worship from the first aspect of the dawn and from youth. 

4. God does not forgo His promises.  He keeps His word. 

5. God has the power and sovereign rule to establish kings and priests.  

This is a song to be song over the leaders of the day but to God to declare that any leader, no matter the title, stands where they stand because of God’s sovereign rule.  

Do Good Works - 1 Chronicles 25-29

1 Chronicles 29:19 (ESV)

Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision.”

If you wanted to pray something over your children, spouse, friend, church leader, etc. the above would be the prayer to pray.   The above words are the secret for all mankind to walk in blessing and honor before God.  That does not mean with no harm or suffering.  It simply means that God wants to grant to us the power to walk in His ways and commands and statues.  God has created us for good works:

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

God want us to live our lives doing these good works to bring Him glory and draw others to Him:

Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

God wants us to be like David and to be zealous for good works:

Titus 2:14 (ESV)

who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Pray this verse over yourself and others.  

Keeping Pure - Numbers 18-20

Numbers 19:11-13 (ESV)

“Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him.

The above is found in the context of purification for the nation of Israel.   There are at least three aspects that should be noted.  There first is that death in a camp of a million plus people, traveling in a desert for 40 years, was not healthy.   Remember, there was no refrigeration for them.  There were no Yeti coolers.  They had to be careful everyday of disease.   Not purifying yourself after touching a dead body could bring diseases into the camp and more people would die.  In this case, God’s command was for their personal safety.  

A second reason for the command requires us to remember that they are traveling in the wilderness for 40-years because they had disobeyed God.   All those who did disobey had to die before their children could come into the promise land.   So, over 40-years over one million people had to die.   That means there was going to be 50-70 people die every day.   That is a lot of possible diseases coming into the community.  Purification was necessary to keep the next generation safe.   

The last reason for the purification was to keep the Tabernacle holy.  Death is the ultimate sign of unholiness.  Jesus would come and defeat death by dying.  He would be laid in the tomb and the women and friends would cover Him with herbs and spices to cover up the smell of the decay. But there would still be decay.  The reason for the purification was to symbolize victory over death. It was a shadow of what Jesus would do.   Jesus purified us from death by dying for us.  The Tabernacle in the nation was the symbol and shadow of Jesus’ presence.   It had to be kept holy.  

There are reasons for God’s commands in the Old Testament. Some for us simply to be safe. But all for us to see the glory of God.  

Beware of People Carry False Teaching - 2 Timothy 3-4

2 Timothy 3:6 (ESV)

For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,

2 Timothy 3:8 (ESV)

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.

2 Timothy 3:2 (ESV)

For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

2 Timothy 3:13 (ESV)

while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Sin has no respect for gender or age or group.   As Paul writes to young pastor Timothy, he outlines what Timothy is up against.   He does not rule out anyone as someone who will turn away from God.   Children (disobedient to parents), woman, evil men, evil people, will all turn away from God.  As a pastor, Timothy must be aware that there are those in the church and in the world around him that will attempt to lead others astray.   We are to be on guard about them.   Part of 2 Timothy 3:5 adds this statement to this thought:

2 Timothy 3:5b (ESV) 

Avoid such people.  

Timothy is to be warned.  So, too, are we.