God is our Valiant Hope - Psalms 108-110

Psalms 108:12-13 (ESV)
Oh grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.

There are four points in these two verses from Psalm 108.   Each line gives us something to be encouraged and/or instructed by:

1.  We can find help against our foes!   God is available, ready and desirous of helping us against those who oppose us.  Psalm 109 is completely about someone who opposed King David.   God knows our foes.  God wants to help us with our foes. He is waiting to hear from us and our request for help.  

2.  Mankind can’t be dependable.   David states that “vain is the salvation of man.”   He was often hunted by Saul and tried to find refuge with others.  They would often betray him.   David learned that turning to man in the time of great need is nether profitable or dependable.   As he was run out of his own kingdom by his own son, those who were once for him deserted him.    When we put our trust in mankind we will be extremely disappointed. 

3.  God is a help that provides victory.   The Hebrew word for “valiantly” in the above text is, “chayil.”  According to Vine the word means: “strength; power; wealth; property; capable; valiant; army; troops; influential; upper-class people (courtiers).”  “First, this word signifies a faculty or “power,” the ability to effect or produce something. The word is used of physical “strength” in the sense of power that can be exerted: “If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength...” (Eccl. 10:10). Quite often this word appears in a military context.”   So, through God we have power to conquer.  

4. God is the best person to conquer our foes.   We have prejudice, bias and ill-will, especially toward our foes.  We are not a “righteous judge” to correct our foes.  God is the perfect judge and has pure righteousness.  When we give our foes to Him, He has the power to “tread down our foes” and the righteousness to do so without prejudice, bias and ill-will.   God’s wrath and discipline are as pure as His love and care.  

We are to go to God for help in times of need.  Especially when that need is because of how others are engaging with us.   He is the perfect help in times of these troubles.  

Wisdom for Our Vision vs Permission for Our Vision - 1 Chronicles 25-29

1 Chronicles 28:19 (ESV)
“All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD, all the work to be done according to the plan.”

The above verse comes in the section of 1 Chronicles where King David is preparing all the material goods, all the labor, all the leadership and all the plans for his young son, Solomon, to build the Temple in honor of God and for Him to dwell in Jerusalem instead of the Tabernacle tent in the wilderness.   David had it in his heart to build the Temple.   He even convinced Nathan the prophet that it was a good idea and Nathan, at first, gave David a blessing to build it (1 Chronicles 17).   But, God did not want David to build the Temple.   God told David he would not build the Temple because he was a man of war and had shed blood (probably a reference to his having Uriah killed in regard to taking Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba). But, even though God may have told him he couldn't build it, God still provided him the vision and the details of the plan.  This is so, so important for us to learn about our own lives and our own walk with God.   God may tell us know on something, but that does not mean God shuts us out and/or closes us off to service for Him.   We might be disqualified for one thing, but God can and does give wisdom for another.   In this case, David’s past prevented his future path, but it did not prevent him from preparing others for that same path.   God gives wisdom and gives opportunity for that wisdom to be used for His glory.  David didn’t sulk and pout.   David continued to glorify God in a way that would see his vision come to fulfillment in the life of His son, Solomon.  God may say no to one thing but give us wisdom to navigate and see that thing come to life in the life of another.   

God is a Consuming Fire - Numbers 18-20

Numbers 19:20-22 (ESV)
“If the man who is unclean does not cleanse himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, since he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. Because the water for impurity has not been thrown on him, he is unclean. And it shall be a statute forever for them. The one who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening. And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean, and anyone who touches it shall be unclean until evening.”

Holiness and purity matter to God.  The central aspect of God’s relationship with Israel is that holiness was required throughout the camp.   The Tabernacle was at the center of the camp and that was the seat of God.  God was holy, therefore the entire priesthood and community were to be holy. In the above text we are reading about what happens when someone comes in contact with dead body and “becomes unclean.”   Purity matters to God.   Since God is holy any act, situation or circumstance that produces unholiness is a matter of concern for God.  This is so serious to God that anyone who does not cleanse themselves will be “cut off” from the people.   God is not passive when it comes to His holiness.  God is very much demanding that we, too, are holy.    Notice a couple of verses from the New Testament that speak to us in a similar manner:

1 Peter 1:15 (ESV)
but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

Hebrews 12:28-29 (ESV)
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

God, as a consuming fire, is holy.  He demands that our worship also be holy.   We can not live a life of impurity and believe God will simply look the other way.   God is a holy, consuming fire!

Truth Protects Us! 2 Timothy 3-4

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (ESV)
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

We are in this “time!”    Paul started chapter three of this book telling of a time when the following will occur. People will: 

1. ... love themselves ✅

2. ... love money ✅

3. ... become proud ✅

4. ... become arrogant ✅. 

5-20. ... become abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swolllen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having an appearance of Godliness ✅ ✅ ✅ etc.  

We are in this “time!”   The reason for the long list in chapter 3, is the turning away from the truth as stated in chapter 4.    When we turn from sound teaching we turn to ungodliness.   Sound teaching of truth is the brakes that prevent society from crumbling. When people reject truth this list begins to unfold. It has happened in every nation that crumbled.  You can look at this list and say, “Wow! That is exactly what is happening today.”   You would be correct.  But, this is also what happened to every nation that is no longer in existence.  They are not because they rejected truth.  God’s truth is used by the Spirit of God to hold back the wickedness in this world.  When we refuse to recognize God’s truth we turn to useless myths that stir up the mind but do not turn the heart to God.   This has been true of any generation and any nation.   The only resolution is to continue to speak truth.  When truth is shut down we will turn to other ways of behavior that are rejected by God.   This is the point of Paul telling young Pastor Timothy in the very next verse to:

2 Timothy 4:5 (ESV)
As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

The Spirit has a Job - John 13-15

John 14:25-26 (ESV)
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

God sent the Spirit to teach us and enable us to remember all things the Son taught and sacrificed.  The book of John is about the teachings and the final life of Christ.   It was written so that we could have assurance that Jesus was the Son of God.   In the above passage we read that before Jesus left to return to the Father, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to His disciples and, subsequently , to us.   The Spirt came on the day of Pentecost.   He has a specific role to play in the life of a believer.  We are told in the above text that the Spirit of God is to be:

1. A “Helper.”  The Greek word here is: paraklētos.  It actually is better transplanted as “counselor, or advocate.”   We know that the Spirit of God is to come along side us (para) and comfort us, guide us, speak to us and on our behalf.  

2. A “Teacher.”  The Greek word here is: didaskō.  It means what it means in the English, to teach us things.  In this case the Spirit of God is to teach us about the things of Christ.   That is the subject of every lesson He does in our lives. 

3. A “Reminder.”   The Greek word here is: hupomimnesko.  According to Vine it means: “to cause one to remember, put one in mind” (hupo, “under”), is translated “put (them) in mind” in Titus 3:1. See remember, remembrance.  It is so easy to forget the things of God and the things of Christ.  The Spirit is not a reminder on your phone to pick up milk.  The Spirit is the indwelling conscious of the believer that is constantly reminding them of the things of God; the fruit of the Spirit.   

When Jesus left to return to the Father, He stated to the disciples that He would not leave them as “orphans” (John 14:18).   He told them the Spirit of Truth would come and abide in them for a specific purpose that will enable us to live for Christ.   

God’s Wrath is Quenched by God’s Son - Joel

Joel 2:1-2 (ESV)
The Day of the LORD

Blow a trumpet in Zion;
sound an alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains
a great and powerful people;
their like has never been before,
nor will be again after them
through the years of all generations.

The “Day of the Lord” is the heading for this section and probably all of the book of Job.  Those that put the ESV Bible together, stated this as the introduction to the book of Joel:

(ESV) The day of the Lord was a time greatly anticipated by the Israelites because they believed that God would then judge the nations and restore Israel to her former glory. Yet, said Joel, God would punish not only the nations but unfaithful Israel as well.

The book of Joel is full of disaster and God’s wrath.   We don’t always look at God through the lens of His wrath.   Our modern, contemporary church would prefer to talk mostly about God’s love, grace, mercy and care.  That is not wrong, as God is full of love, grace, mercy and care.   However, God is also a God of wrath and vengeance and justice and anger toward sin and those who reject His love, grace, mercy and care.    In the book of Hebrews we have many warnings to not give up on our faith.   In the last warning of the book we read about how Moses himself trembled at the presence of God:

Hebrews 12:18-21 (ESV)
For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”

We can be assured that if Moses “trembled with fear” that the average Israelite would have been terrified.   God is a God of love and we can never diminish that thought.  But, we can not and should not diminish that God is a vengeful God who will destroy His adversaries.    God is the God of Peace, as well.  He reaches out to mankind to make peace through Christ.  Once we put our faith in Christ we have peace with God (Romans 5:1) and no longer have the condemnation of God (Romans 8:1).   That is what we rejoice over!  That is what we praise God for!  We don’t fear God any longer because God has quenched His own wrath with His own Son!

Guard Your Path - Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22:5
Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards himself will be far from them.

I remember when I was young running through the woods without a care in the world. Then it happened.  As I aimlessly went off the beaten path and the terrain grew rougher the briers grabbed at my bare flesh.   Blood was my reward for not following the path.  I learned a valuable lesson that day ... The path was easy and safe and off the path is often dangerous and disastrous.   If I would have memorized and internalized Proverbs 22:5 I would have avoided that lesson.   Solomon wants us to realize that real danger is in the path of those who forsake God's Word.   If we "guard" ourselves (by God's Word) we can avoid the perverse.   We can stay on the path God has provided for us or we can step off the path into thorns and snares.   Blood and pain will await us when we fail to guard ourselves from the perverse way.   The only way to avoid those dangers is to stay on the prescribe path God has outlined for us in His Word.  When we yield to temptation we have to realize and recall the path we were on when that happened.  We often repent over the sin but we don’t always retrace the path we took that lead to the sin.  We have to realize that when we get off the path it will lead to sin.   When we “guard” our path we can keep ourselves from the steps that ultimately lead to sin.   If we are perverse in our steps we will have thorns and snares in our walk.   Think of those in God’s Word who have gone off the path God designed for them and paid the consequences:

1. King David strayed and it cost a child his life. 

2. Jonah strayed and it cost a ship its cargo and a fish indigestion. 

3. Absalom stray and revolted agains his father, King David, and it cost him his life. 

4. Esau strayed and sold his birthright for pot of stew and it cost him his soul. 

5. Adam and Eve strayed and it brought sin into the world onto all mankind. 

We ought to realize that going off the path.  There is a cost to be paid.   But, he who guards his soul will not have that happen.  Think of those in God’s Word who guarded their soul and the blessings that followed:

1. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and was the ONLY man of his day that was pure before God. 

2. Abigail, wife of Nabel, was a virtuous woman who eventually became King David’s wife. 

3.  The woman of Proverbs 31 is known far and wide for her virtuous ways. 

4. Paul was persecuted and beaten and imprisoned, but he so walked with God that he became the face of Christianity. 

5. Job guarded his tongue and eventually was vindicated by God. 

Those who guard their ways will be blessed in the end.  We ought to watch our step and guard our ways.   That is when we see the blessing of God in our lives.