WHEN TWO WOULD-BE LOVERS MET...

A LOOK BEHIND THE STORY

Dear viewer: This is by no means a sermon, rather it is an interesting revelation that has come to my attention and I share it F.Y.I. for its unusual enlightenment...And to prove that I'm still alive and kicking although my preaching days may be over.

In Genesis 24, Rebekah a beautiful young girl, makes the incredible, providentially life-changing decision to leave her home and go to Canaan to marry Isaac. At the very end of this chapter, when Rebekah sees Isaac for the first time, she literally falls off her camel! The English translation, she dismounted from her camel (Gen. 24: 64), doesn’t correctly reflect the original Hebrew: vatipol me’al ha’gamal (ותפל מעל הגמל). But the real question is, why did Rebekah fall?

So, what happened before Rebekah fell? Isaac was coming from the way of Beer Lahai Roi (Gen. 24:62), meaning, the Well of The Living One Who Sees Me. This profound name tells us that, even after his binding on Mount Moriah, when Isaac disappeared from everyone else’s sight, he did not disappear from God’s sight. Not his earthly father, but his Heavenly Father Himself, restored him following the terrible shock he had experienced when his father Abraham offered him up as a sacrifice while still a child. 

A dazzling appearance

After the time he had spent with God, some interpretations suggest that Isaac must have been simply glowing with God’s light and shining with God’s glory. Rashi (a well-known Torah commentator) writes about Rebekah and this initial meeting: “She saw his majestic appearance, and she was astounded by him.” Isaac is coming up out of the desert, radiating God’s light and dazzling Rebekah as she laid eyes on him for the first time. 

 

This is how the Standard version of the bible describes the scene in Genesis 24:62-67:

62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate,[a] and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.

66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done (i.e. enticing Rebekah to join/meet his master). 67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Maybe, this is an additional reason why “she took her veil and covered herself.” (Gen. 24:65) Of course, a bride had to be brought veiled into the presence of a bridegroom. However, both her falling off the camel, and covering herself makes more sense if we imagine Isaac shining and dazzling the suddenly coy and discreet maiden Rebekah. This is a wonderful example of the nuances that can only be understood when studying original Hebrew.

There is such a thing as divinely-inspired and magical love at first sight...Even in biblical times. Some people fall hard! That's the way you can tell that God "sees" us too. How else can you account for a union made in heaven?

Personally, I've glowingly been there and experienced that!

Thanks be to God for seeing me!

BE THE CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS

Third Sunday in Advent, Geneva, Chesley
Sunday, December 15, 2019

Today, the third Sunday of Advent is called ‘Guadete Sunday’ which means ‘Joy’ or Rejoice’. The opening antiphon for our liturgy asks us to Rejoice in the Lord always. Indeed the Lord is near. Today, on the Advent Wreath we light the pink candle to mark this day of joy.

St. Paul’s advice and encouragement from the first reading in the liturgy this morning gives the third Sunday of Advent its traditional name." Joy is the central message of our readings and prayers, and indeed the whole of Advent and the celebration of Christ.

Not too coincidentally, one of the most well-known Christmas carols is ‘Joy to the World.’ The words to this carol were written by Isaac Watts in 1719. At Christmas it will be sung all over the world. The music for it comes from Handel’s ‘Messiah.’

The first words that Mary hears when she is told that she is going to be the mother of Jesus are, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured.’ Mary is to be filled with joy because God has called her by her name and her son will be the long awaited Messiah. When she goes to see Elizabeth her cousin, she breaks into song, singing loudly, ‘My souls proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savour’. 

Mary does not keep her good news or her joy to herself, she freely shares them with Elizabeth and the whole world. When the angels appeared to the shepherds they heard this life-giving message, ‘Do not be afraid, I bring you news of great joy.’ The good news of Jesus’ birth is meant not only for the shepherds, it continues to be good news for each of us today.

We are called to wait for the birth of Jesus and we are to wait in hope joyfully. As we wait, we are not to be afraid, anxious or worried; we are to wait in joyful hope. Why? Because, as the opening antiphon tells us, ‘The Lord is very near.’

Like Mary who shared her joy with Elizabeth, today each of us is asked to be a person of joy and we are asked to share that joy with others. There are many people, some of whom we may even know, who have little reason to be joyful at this time of the year. 

As Mary did with Elizabeth, may we follow her example and share our joy with all those we meet during these last few days and weeks of Advent. May we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

You know...Every year around this time, we see news stories and facebook posts and tv coverage of the “War on Christmas.” There’s conjecture about whether or not you can say “Merry Christmas” anymore or if you must say “Happy Holidays.” 

Others urge us to remember that “Jesus is the reason for the season,” and warn against “taking Christ out of Christmas.” Maybe you’ve even been frustrated by the secularization of the season. 

I certainly get frustrated by the consumerism, the commercialism, as if spending more and more money will somehow bring us a more joyful and meaningful experience celebrating the birth of Jesus. But I wonder, as we reflect on this season, what might happen if we worried less about how others might try to “take Christ out” of Christmas, if such a thing were even possible, and wondered more about how we, how you and I can produce any evidence that we’re working to put Christ into our preparation for Christmas. 

We can’t control what other people do or think, much as we might like to. But we are, in fact, totally responsible for how we conduct ourselves. And so, when it comes to Christ in Christmas, we have to ask: Are we in fact putting Christ in? 

A clergy friend writes, “Nothing can take Christ out of Christmas as long as I strive to be Christ in Christmas.” And that’s his sort of slogan for the season: “Be Christ in Christmas.” He tries to think of tangible, meaningful ways that he can act and live and interact as Christ in Christmas, and urges others to do the same. How can we be Christ in Christmas?

We’re the messengers of God in these days, the ones tasked with sharing the message, the good news. What kind of messengers are we? Today, we turn our attention to making sure we know exactly what our message is. What is the message that we’re delivering? 

We need look to Luke’s gospel for a little more insight on the message that John the Baptist was sharing. 

As our text opens, crowds are coming out to John to be baptized. Baptism like this was a cleansing ritual, practiced in many traditions. It signified renewal, a fresh start. So folks are coming to John to be baptized. But he’s not exactly warm and welcoming when he sees them: “You brood of vipers!” he hells. “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance.” 

He goes on to say that the crowds should not expect to rely on their Judaism, their families, their history, their cultural identity, to give them a free pass from responsibility. “Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.” 

In other words, yes, God has had a special relationship with His people. But that doesn’t give you the freedom to do anything you want. You still have to hold up your part of the relationship, the covenant. John continues forebodingly: “Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

*John obviously catches the attention of his audience – they begin asking him what they should do. He replies to them, to tax collectors, to soldiers – whoever has two cloaks must share, whoever has food must share, whoever has power, whoever has money must be fair and just. 

The people are filled with expectation at John’s words, and they wonder whether John himself might not be the messiah they are waiting for. But he insists he is not: “I am not worthy to untie his sandals,” John says. But, he leaves them, and us, with a compelling image of the messiah.

“His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” A winnowing fork was a farming tool used to toss wheat into the air, so that the wind would catch the good grain and separate it from the useless chaff. Our passage concludes, “So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.”

Is John’s message “Good News?” There’s such an underlying tone of threat, between the vipers, the ax, and the winnowing fork. And yet, obviously his message was compelling enough to have crowds flocking to him to be baptized, ready to say: I’m changing things in my life starting now. 

John is sharing with the crowds, with us, his vision of what the messiah will be. In fact, John will eventually have to send word to Jesus to find out if he really is the messiah, because Jesus certainly acted differently than John was expecting. 

John sees judgment, just as surely as Jesus comes with salvation – a bit different in emphasis. John has a picture of the messiah that is his own – but the good news still comes because of the core of what John is preaching, as we read last week: Repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 

What John is preaching, at heart, is that all this preparation is for one who is coming, who has the power to free us from the consequences of our sins; one who has the power to cancel out the results of our messes. And that, certainly, is good news.

As Christians, we celebrate what is called incarnational faith. Incarnation means for us first of all the event of Christ’s birth – God became human. It means embodied. Jesus is called God-with-us, Immanuel. As the gospel of John puts it so beautifully, “and the word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” 

Our faith is embodied in God incarnate. Jesus is God-in-the-flesh, come to live among us. We celebrate it as a sign of God’s great love for us, that when we failed to get the message in so many other ways, God made the message tangible, made God’s own self into the living embodied message in Jesus Christ, the light of the world.
But our incarnational theology doesn’t end there. It isn’t just that Jesus is the light of the world. The gospels tell us that we, then, as followers of Jesus, are the light too. We’re the light of the world, meant to shine for others to see, so that they might see Christ within us. 

We are the body of Christ in the world, the hands and feet of Jesus in the world. We are the body of Christ, the embodiment of Christ, in fact the incarnation of Christ that lives in the world today. We’re not just the messengers. We embody the message. We have the potential, the power, the responsibility to be Christ in Christmas.

Here’s the amazing thing. When we seek to be Christ in Christmas, which is exactly what we incarnational folks are supposed to be, called to be, created to be doing, we are not only the messengers of this good news. We actually embody the message itself. 

If we are Christ in Christmas, we become living, breathing, walking and talking messages of good news. And when we do that, when we live and breathe the good news, there’s no way we can miss the meaning of Christmas. 

Friends, if you find yourself worrying that we’re losing our grasp on Christmas, the best thing you can do is look into your hearts, and see if you find Christ there. Is the light of Christ shining from you? Are you not only a messenger, but the message? 

When people meet you, talk to you, interact with you – and by people I mean everybody – are they seeing Christ in you? If they do, we won’t have anything to lament! Be the message. Be Christ in Christmas.

...And have a good old-fasioned merry time doing it in the traditions of your family-- and your faith! -- Amen.

A RIGHT CHRISTMAS

Delivered to St. Andrew's Chatsworth, Dec. 8, 2019

For some lay preachers, dare I say preachers in general...the Advent or Christmas season may not be the easiest in the church lectionary calendar for developing meaningful messages that are just a bit different from what you have heard hundreds of times before a this time.

Nevertheless, I could be talking to you this morning exclusively on the subject of Advent -- the "waiting period"; but because, as it turns out, that this will be the only opportunity for me to be with you (St. Andrew's Chatsworth) in the month of December, I choose to place total emphasis on the birth of Christ.

While proclaiming the story of Jesus’s birth is a tremendous privilege, the number of potential preaching texts, in reality, is limited.

Neither the sandwiching gospels of St. Mark and St. John include the an account of Jesus birth. And to make matters more difficult, at least two passages in Matthew’s account do not appear to be listener-friendly. One seems too mundane, the other too disturbing.

But there is another challenge facing preachers. The Gospel accounts of Jesus’s birth have been overlaid with centuries of interpretive misunderstandings and legendary elaborations and assumptions. It is that acknowledgement that I want to expand upon this morning.

Initially, however, it is interesting to observe the reaction of people to the Christmas season which is now fully upon us with Second Sunday in Advent.

Christmas, of course, means different things to different people...Fun, presents, shopping, parties, good food, increased business.

But Christmas, and what it represents, means much more to the real Christian than Santa Claus, tinsel and mistletoe. It means that God loves us. It means that God has regarded his lost condition and has done something about it.

It means God has given the best gift the world has ever known and that the Saviour is born: to set an example with His life, to die for our sins, to be raised for our justification, to ascend on high and make intercession for him, to give him the hope of His coming again to gather all believers unto Himself.

Christmas means to us that we have a Companion for life--a Friend in the hour of death--a loving Brother for eternity.

Christmas has also become synonymous with some assumptions of an interpretive nature, the nativity story being the most common.

We're all familiar with the protrayal of the night Christ was born. We have seen it in Christmas concerts and pageants since we were knee high to a grasshopper. We see it in Christmas cards and religious art and nativity displays of all descriptions.

Through the years artists have portrayed that scene as they have imagined it. Each of us can readily visualize it--the straw on which the baby Jesus lay, the rough-hewn wooden beams of the stable, the animals nearby, and the star-studded sky overhead.

But, how does this compare to the actual word of God?

Scant information about Christ's birth is recorded in the second chapter of Luke which served as our primary Gospel Lesson this morning, and again I read:

"Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." I'LL COME BACK TO THAT IN A MINUTE.

In reality, the Bible does not provide us with many more details than this about the birth of Christ. The passages in Luke 2 discuss the angel's announcement of Christ's birth to the shepherds and the shepherds' subsequent visit to see Jesus, some believe as much as two years after his birth.

A few points must be made as we compare the modern retelling of the birth of Jesus. First, the Bible certainly teaches that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but it does not state that Joseph and Mary arrived in that town just in time for her to deliver.

In fact, this scenario is highly unlikely since it is doubtful that the two would attempt to make the arduous 70-mile trip from Nazareth on foot and in the final stages of Mary's pregnancy. Also, Luke 2:6 implies that they were in Bethlehem for a while before Jesus was born ("while they were there, the days were completed", it is stated in Luke).

The Gospel of Luke also says that Mary gave birth to Jesus and placed him in a manger “because there was no place for them in the inn", but does not explain where Jesus birth actually took place other than a reference to a manger.

It must be recognized that the books of the Christian New Testament are widely agreed to have originally been written in Greek, even though some authors often included translations from Hebrew and Aramaic texts.

Right off the top, it should be acknowledged that we are talking about 2000 years ago when there were no such things as lodges, motels or inns. Travellers from distant locations would normally have stayed with extended families or relations.

The Greek word kat-al'-oo-mah may be translated as either “inn” or “guestroom”, and biblical scholars have speculated that Joseph and Mary more reasonably would have sought to stay with relatives, only to find that the common area of the house where everyone slept, was full; whereupon they resorted to the shelter of a separate lower room with a manger. This could have been be a place to keep the sheep and a logical option for Mary and Joseph to have privacy during the delivery.

Jesus used the same Greek word in Luke 22:11 to refer to a "guest room." This room is now known as the Upper Room—the scene of the Last Supper, the meal that Jesus ate with His disciples the night before His Crucifixion.

It must be remembered that Joseph and Mary returned to Joseph's ancestral home of Bethlehem because of the census proclaimed throughout the Roman Empire and requiring many Jewish families to travel long distances.

Archaeologists have excavated first century homes from the Judean hill country, that was common for its cave dwellings. They have discovered that the upper level served as a guest chamber while the lower level served as the living and dining rooms. Oftentimes, the more vulnerable animals would be brought in at night to protect them from the cold and theft.

This sounds strange to many of us, since we wouldn't dream of bringing some of our farm animals into the house at night, but even today in some countries of Europe (e.g., Germany and Austria), the farmhouse and the animal quarters are often different parts of the same building.

This is where the manger comes into play. And again, Mary more than likely gave birth to Jesus in the lower level of a crowded dwelling, and in which some of the animals, probably sheep, had been brought in for the night. No "lowing cattle" as mentioned in the late 19th century carol "Away in a Manger".

In fact St. Francis of Assisi, is credited with staging the first nativity scene in the year 1223. According to his biography, St. Francis got permission from Pope Honorious III to set up a manger with hay and two live animals—an ox and an ass—in a cave in the Italian village of Grecio. He then invited the villagers to come gaze upon the scene while he preached about “the babe of Bethlehem.”

The nativity scene’s popularity took off from there.
Keep in mind that the proper understanding of any word is based on its context. In Luke 2: verses 7, 12, and 16, Jesus was born and then placed or laid in a manger. He was not born in the manger. It makes sense that Mary wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and then laid him in a feeding trough carved into a wall, which in turn served as a makeshift crib.

Now, the significance of this reinterpretation of the story is that it undercuts the idea that what made Jesus remarkable was that he was born to humble, outcast parents in a stable, of all places. “In the true sense of the Christmas story, Jesus is not sad and lonely, born some distance away in a stable of some sort, needing our sympathy. Rather, we should see Him in the midst of family, and all the visiting relations, right in the thick of it and demanding our attention.

This should fundamentally change our approach to enacting and preaching on the nativity.

Admittedly, it makes for a less compelling scene than the one most nativities capture. There’s an appealing and fitting degree of vulnerability to these popular Nativity images: the holy family, huddled around a newborn, exposed to the elements, and illuminated only by the light of a bright star. The idyllic visuals may explain why this detail stuck, and was further cemented in the cultural consciousness by the lyrics of countless Christmas carols that have followed.

Paul says that what is extraordinary about the birth of Jesus is that it shows God shifting from the divine to the human. If that happened in a crowded family home, the message is preserved. If it happened in an isolated stable, “that just shows that the descent was from a respected human to a disrespected, lowly human.”

Of course, we should never become so focused on the peripheral details of this account that we miss the most important point. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became a descendant of Adam so that He could ultimately go to the Cross and die in our place...The descendants of Adam saved from an eternity of separation from their Creator.

God gave His Son to this world. Let us celebrate this truth and tell the world about His amazing love.

If you and I are to have a Right Christmas, we must make time to worship Him in spirit and in truth. We, too, need to come with haste like the Shepherds, and bow down before Him in love.

A Right Christmas includes the matter of telling others about Jesus. The shepherds are our models. "And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child ... the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for the things they had heard and seen" (Luke 2:17-20).

When John introduced his Gospel, he pointed out that men were in darkness and Jesus came as the Light.

There is a plan for the spread of the Gospel and that is for us to be witnesses. Success in witnessing is sharing the story of the Lord Jesus Christ and then leaving the results up to Him.

There is no true Christmas without Jesus...He IS the reason for the season.

Let us all acknowledge that the meaning of Christmas is in His birth, His death and resurrection, and His coming again.

In truth, less emphasis should be placed on the questionable interpretation of "inn" and "innkeeper" in our Christmas accounts...Certainly something we should think about in the stories we tell youngsters each year at this time.

It is the "room" we make in our hearts for Jesus that really matters. That is an analogy that we can all accept.

In one of his prayers, St. Augustine is quoted as saying: “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”

I know for some of us who have the nativity embedded in our minds, it may be easier said than done, but let's leave here this morning not preoccupied with the speculative conditions under which the virgin's child was born, but with hearts filled with the spirit of Jesus Christ who ultimately gave His life for us. Only then will we have "A Right Christmas."

IT ALL STARTS WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE

Truthfully, I do not expect this new blog site to attract many return viewers beyond the initial curiosity seekers. People today are just not comfortable with anything religious in general. There has been a noticeable decline of religion in the 20th and 21st centuries and a growing nonchalant, take-it-or-leave-it attitude on the part of even those who profess to be "Christian", as arm's-length as that may be. This has been driven home to me, especially when I have posted religious items on my Wrights Lane blog (https://dicktheblogster.blogspot.ca) and subsequently on Facebook. I get numerous comments and "Likes" on some of my less serious "puff" pieces, but virtually no feedback on more thought-provoking religious stories with bonafide messages, some of which take days to formulate and to compose.

It has been suggested by one authority, that people do not like to read, or comment on, subjects that they do not understand or do not have a personal interest in. This may well be the case, I'm not sure. One thing I do know for sure is that Christianity is declining today and that those of my generation have failed growing masses of young skeptics in today's world.

All the forgoing aside, I chose to publish here a selection of my old sermons for the odd few individuals who look for inspiration in the works of others and appreciate a simple and easy-to-understand explanation of many of the traditional biblical stories.

Some books you can take or leave -- one way or the other, and it won’t make much difference -- if any. The Bible, however, is not in that category. If you “leave” it, you’ve lost the most important body of information in the world—and the key to your access to heaven. If you “take” it (to be the word of God), you labor under the serious responsibility of understanding as much of it as you possibly can.

For many, though, understanding the Bible is a task so seemingly daunting that “making sense of it” lies beyond them—at least in their minds. The wonderful fact is, however, if one has a grasp of a few basic concepts of the plan of the Bible, she/he can, in a relatively brief time-period, achieve an understanding of the overall design of the sacred volume, and watch the pieces fall delightfully into place. God has not made his word so difficult to comprehend that it lies beyond the person of average intellect.

The Biblical Claim

At the very beginning one must understand that the Bible claims to be more than an ordinary book. It professes to be from God! More than 3,800 times in the Old Testament the spokesmen asserted that their messages originated from heaven (cf. Exodus 4:12; 2 Samuel 23:2; Jeremiah 1:9). Christ endorsed the Old Testament as the word of God, referring to it as “the scriptures” (John 5:39), “law” (Matthew 5:17-18), etc., and the New Testament writings were treated with equal reverence (cf. 2 Peter 3:2,16). If these claims are true—and they are, being buttressed by a vast range of evidence—then one must give due attention to the Bible.

Old Testament Divisions

The Hebrew people were accustomed to dividing the Old Testament Scriptures into segments for convenience sake. Jesus referred to “the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms” (Luke 24:44), or “the law” and “the prophets” (Matthew 5:17), or “Moses and the prophets” (Luke 16:31), etc.

In modern times, for expediency sake, we categorize the Old Testament as: Law, History, Poetry, Prophecy, with this final segment being viewed as Major and Minor Prophets (due to their relative lengths). A brief consideration of each of these categories can be helpful to the Bible student.

The Law

The first five books of the Bible (Genesis through Deuteronomy, often called the Pentateuch) constitute the Law section.

Genesis is the “book of beginnings,” providing the record of the world’s origin, the creation of the human family, man’s fall into sin, and the commencement of the unfolding of Jehovah’s scheme of redemption. It especially focuses on the roles of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph in the divine plan.

Exodus tells of the giving of the law of Moses to the Israelite people, and how the law defined moral conduct, the regulation for worshipping Jehovah, etc. Leviticus gives special emphasis to the implementation of a sacrificial system and a priesthood, all of which previewed, of course, the atoning work of Christ centuries later. Numbers is a general record of Israel’s wilderness wandering (as a result of their disbelief) for some four decades. And Deuteronomy constituted a rehearsal of the law for that second generation that was to enter the land of Canaan following the death of Moses. These documents are wonderfully foundational to the balance of Hebrew history.

Jewish History

The next dozen books are primarily historical in thrust.* Joshua* is the record of Israel’s conquest of Canaan, while the book of Judges covers the administration of 15 rulers who governed the Hebrews over a span of some three and one-half centuries. Ruth contains the delightful story of an ancestor of Christ during this era.

The books of First and Second Samuel chronicle the legacies of Samuel, the last “judge,” and the reigns of Saul and David, the first two kings of Israel’s “united” monarchy. The books called First and Second Kings survey the reign of Solomon, and the division of the nation (into Israel and Judah) following Solomon’s death. Then there are the narratives known as First and Second Chronicles. These documents were intended to rehearse (for the post-Babylonian-captivity generation) the administrations of David and Solomon, and the fate of the Hebrew nation (as it divided and drifted from the divine standard into a state of apostasy). As a judgment from God, Israel (the northern kingdom) was vanquished by Assyria, and Judah was conquered by the Babylonians.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah record the three returns of Judah from the 70 years era of Babylonian captivity, while Esther details the providential preservation of the Persian Jews during a time of great danger.

Poetical Books

There are five books in the poetry section of the Old Testament. This is not surprising in that by means of poetry man expresses the depth of his emotions. The poetic books of the Old Testament reveal much about God and how intense human devotion for the Creator can become. The book of Job, largely poetical, has to do with a noble man of the patriarchal era who demonstrated that, in spite of the anguish of human suffering, the Lord is worthy of man’s devotion. Psalms is a collection of 150 songs (73 of which are attributed to David) that emphasize great truths about Jehovah, his redemptive interest in humanity, and the various authors’ relationships with the Lord.

Proverbs represents a collection of wise sayings (many of which were authored by Solomon). They focus on the application of divine wisdom to various life experiences in a world tarnished by sin. The book of Ecclesiastes, most likely written by Solomon, argues the case that earthly goals, e.g., the accumulation of human wisdom, wealth, etc., lead only to frustrating dead ends. Real happiness is achieved in serving God. The Song of Solomon celebrates the joy of wedded love; it illustrates the value of marriage in cementing male/female relationships.

Books of Prophecy

“Prophecy” is the forth-telling of a message from Jehovah. It may entail the recording of ancient events unknown by personal human experience (e.g., the creation of the Universe). Prophecy may take the form of a survey of current events (with a view to correction), or it may be predictive in thrust, i.e., it may reveal things of the future that only deity could know. As noted earlier, the first five prophetic books are longer.

The book of Isaiah foretells judgments to be visited upon Israel due to the nation’s transgression of the law of God. Happily, however, it also previews the great spiritual deliverance to be effected ultimately by the work of the Messiah. Jeremiah depicts the tender invitation from the Lord to the people of Judah who had dredged themselves deeply into sin. It foretells the coming Babylonian captivity, but also offers hope in view of the eventual era of the new covenant. Lamentations is really a sequel to Jeremiah, expressing poetical anguish over the fall of Jerusalem in connection with the Babylonian assault.

The book of Ezekiel was written in Babylon during the days of the captivity. It rebuts the testimony of false prophets who argued that Judah’s confinement would not last the full 70 years, as Jeremiah had predicted. It also is highlighted with Messianic hope. Daniel, likewise written in the day of the captivity, affirms the sovereignty of the Almighty over the world’s super-powers. In spite of the Hebrews’ affliction, the kingdom of God will come and triumph over its foes.

The concluding twelve books of the Old Testament are called the “Minor Prophets.” Some of them address conditions in the northern kingdom of Israel; others are directed principally to Judah. Some are more generic in direction.

The book of Hosea is a document of great pathos. Jehovah, with deep love for his people, pleads with northern Israel to return to him from the nation’s gross wickedness. Hosea’s unfaithful wife is used as the background for the narrative. Joel, in a general vein, speaks of the coming “day of the Lord”—under the figure of a locust plague. A happier time will come when the Spirit of God is poured out in the Messianic age.

Amos addresses the kingdom of Israel with stern rebuke. The nation is morally flawed and religiously corrupt. Punishment is coming—upon Israel and other nations; but so is redemption—in the days of the Messiah. The little book of Obadiah warns the complacent descendants of Esau (Edom), so unbrotherly to Judah, that Jehovah will bring these arrogant rebels down from their lofty hideouts.

Jonah was the Lord’s missionary to the people of Nineveh. The book reveals Heaven’s interest in the Gentiles, as well as the Hebrews. Jonah’s stubborn resistance was typical of the Israelite people. Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, prophesied against corruption and injustice in Judah.

Nahum is a sequel to Jonah. The latter prophet had warned of Nineveh’s impending doom. But the Assyrians had repented, hence had been spared—temporarily. Nahum, a century and a half later, announced the nation’s overthrow. The book of Habakkuk explores a problem: how can a just God use an evil nation (like Babylon) to punish his people? The answer is to be found in the mysterious ways of providence. Babylon will be used as a divine rod of punishment, but the day of Chaldean destruction is coming as well.

Zephaniah’s ministry was just before king Josiah’s great reformation in Judah. The prophet warned of punishment to come—upon the people of the Lord and their heathen neighbors. Only in the coming Messiah would true deliverance be effected. Haggai preached in the post-captivity period encouraging the Jews to rebuild their temple. Zechariah accompanied Haggai, only his message urged Judah to rebuild their shattered lives by adhering to God’s law. Malachi, in the final era of Old Testament history, attempted to stir the Jews from a state of spiritual laziness. His message concludes with a preview of the Messiah’s forerunner, John the Baptist.

Value of the Old Testament

The thrust of the Old Testament is to demonstrate the development of God’s plan of redemption, as such was worked out through the Jewish people and their interaction with other nations. Old Testament history is, therefore, highly selective. The value of the Old Testament is seen in: its prophetic preparation for the coming of Christ (Galatians 3:24), its great moral lessons that are timeless (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6,11), and its cultivation of an awareness of the heinous nature of sin (Romans 7:7,13).

The Old Covenant, as a binding legal system, was restricted to the nation of Israel (Deuteronomy 5:1-5), and was abrogated with the death of Christ on the cross (Galatians 3:25; Ephesians 2:11ff; Colossians 2:14ff).

Four Silent Centuries

As the Old Testament ends, revelation from Heaven ceases. Four hundred years pass before the Savior is born. Many developments occurred during this era, e.g., the Jewish sects, the synagogue, the rise of Greek culture, etc. Much providential preparation was being done in view of the arrival of God’s Son (Galatians 4:4).

New Testament Divisions

The 27 books of the New Testament easily divide themselves into four sections. Each segment has divinely-designed purpose and is marvelously correlated with the others.

Biographical Documents

The first four books of the New Testament are biographical in nature—though none of these professes to be a complete biography of Jesus Christ. Each is divinely selective in its aim, yet it supplements its Gospel companions.

There were three prevailing cultures in first century Palestine. It is not surprising, therefore, that there should be a Gospel narrative directed to each of these populations. The Gospel of Matthew is intended to influence the Jews. It emphasizes the fact that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah of Old Testament prophecy; thus, there is a significant appeal to the text of the Hebrew scriptures. Mark, a close companion of Peter, penned a narrative adapted to the Roman mind; he stresses the urgency with which Christ “served” his heavenly Father. The concept of servitude was keen in the Roman world.

Luke’s Gospel account was fashioned for the Greek culture, and its aim is to highlight the human nature of the Lord Jesus. In Greek thought, “man” was exalted. The book of John is altogether unique. It is cosmopolitan in appeal and provides strong evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Thus, there is an emphasis on the “signs” (miracles) Christ performed.

The Book of Church History

The book of Acts is an abbreviated history of the church of Christ for about the first 30 years of its existence. The record begins with the ascension of Jesus back to heaven, and concludes with Paul’s first Roman imprisonment. The church had its commencement on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), 50 days following the Lord’s resurrection.

The Acts account may be divided roughly into two segments—the labors of Peter and John among the Jews in Jerusalem (1-12), and the ministry of Paul among the Gentiles (13-28)—with three missionary campaigns and the voyage to Rome.

Letters to Churches and Individuals

The next section of the New Testament embraces a series of epistles (letters) written to various congregations of the Lord’s people, or to certain individuals. Paul is known to have written 13 of these books (Romans through Philemon), John wrote three short letters, Peter penned two epistles, while James and Jude authored one each; the book of Hebrews remains anonymous, though many speculate regarding its authorship.

Romans was directed to the saints in the city of Rome. Paul discussed God’s great plan for saving man by means of “the faith” system, i.e., the message of the good news concerning salvation through Christ.

The letters known as 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians were sent to a troubled church in Corinth (in southern Greece). The first letter deals with theological and moral problems plaguing that congregation, while the second epistle largely contains a defense of Paul’s apostleship against a faction opposed to his influence. Galatians was written to a group of churches in Asia Minor, most likely those established by Paul on his first missionary journey. It argues against a Judaistic ideology that attempted to bind Moses’ law upon the Gentiles.

The book of Ephesians was dispatched by Paul to the church in Ephesus. It focuses upon God’s eternal plan for human redemption by means of the “in Christ” relationship. Philippians was addressed to Paul’s favorite church. It expresses great joy for these brethren and urges them toward unity on the basis of serving one another. Colossians deals with a heresy in the church of Colossae (in Asia Minor). The book exalts the deity of Christ and rebukes false worship. The little book of Philemon has to do with a runaway slave, Onesimus, whom Paul converted in Rome. It contains the seeds for the abolition of slavery. These four books were penned during Paul’s Roman confinement (Acts 28).

The two Thessalonian epistles were addressed to the church in Thessalonica (in Macedonia, Greece). First Thessalonians dealt with Paul’s apostleship, admonitions for Christian living, and issues related to the return of Christ. Second Thessalonians sought to correct a misunderstanding of the first treatise; the Lord’s second coming would not occur before a significant apostasy from primitive  Christianity developed.

First Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy (in that order) were written to help churches qualify for greater maturity in leadership. First Timothy deals with the qualifications of elders and deacons, as well as the responsibilities of an evangelist like Timothy, one of Paul’s closest companions. The letter to Titusinstructs this brother on how to set in order certain matters that were yet lacking in the churches on the island of Crete. Second Timothy was written from Paul’s final Roman confinement, as he was awaiting execution. It offers warm words of instruction and encouragement to his young “child in the faith.”

Hebrews was written by an inspired writer whose aim was to curb the defection of some Jewish Christians who were being encouraged by false teachers to abandon the teaching of Christ and return to the Mosaic dispensation. The book highlights the “better” way of the covenant of Jesus.

James, written by Christ’s half-brother, is a practical little book, revealing the value of the Lord’s gospel message for the everyday trials of Christian living.

The two epistles of Peter, written to Christians dispersed throughout the Mediterranean world, are designed to inoculate the child of God against the rigors of persecution, and to warn against the pernicious efforts of false teachers. The three epistles authored by John are intended to: 1) refute gnostic errors (a first century heresy that assaulted the nature of Christ); 2) commend faithful Christians, like the elect lady (2 John) and Gaius (3 John); and 3) issue a warning about church dictators, e.g., Diotrephes (3 John) Jude, written by another of Christ’s half brothers, also warns about false teachers and the danger of apostasy.

A Book of Prophecy

The book of Revelation presents a fitting conclusion to the New Testament record. It reflects a series of visions seen by John on the island of Patmos. The message of the book is “victory.” All who “overcome,” thus maintaining their faith, will share in the great victory of the Lamb, who will ultimately triumph over all enemies of truth.

The Value of the New Testament

The Gospel records document the identity and mission of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. They produce faith in the honest heart. Acts demonstrates how people became Christians under the guiding hands of inspired men. The epistles protect against false doctrines and help mature God’s children in the faith. Revelation promises a glorious eternity, in spite of the persecutions of this life.

Amazing Coordination

One of the truly astounding features of the Bible is the fact that these 66 documents, written over a span of some 1,600 years (from at least 1500 B.C. to A.D. 100), all fit together in such a stunningly coordinated pattern. Every book has its place and its unique contribution to make to the body of sacred literature. Each narrative, either directly or indirectly, is Christological in its thrust. A magnificent chorus of three-score and six masterpieces, collectively providing evidence of our great Creator and his redemptive love for humanity.

THE BOOK OF NUMBERS

What does the Book of Numbers teach us about God?
This piece of scripture teaches us some very important things about God.

1. God is with us always, if we are His people. He guides and protects us.
God guided the *Israelites by means of a cloud (Numbers 9:15-23). They carried the *Ark with them wherever they went. The *Ark showed them that God was with them always. He protected them from their enemies (Numbers 10:33-36).

2. God wants us to trust him.  God had chosen Moses as the *Israelites’ leader. But they opposed Moses many times. They complained about the food in the *desert (Numbers 11:4-6). They refused to enter the *Promised Land. They believed that the people there were stronger than them. They did not trust God to help them (Numbers chapters 13 and 14). God loved them. But he had to discipline them (to teach or to control, sometimes by means of a punishment) (Numbers 14:26-35). God disciplines those people whom he loves (Hebrews 12:6).

3. There is only one real God. We must *worship him only. God never allowed the *Israelites to *worship false gods (Numbers chapter 25).

4. God always *keeps his promises.  God had promised to give to the *Israelites their own land. He rescued them from the *Egyptians. He guided them through the *desert. They arrived at the *Promised Land. But they were afraid to enter it.  However, God did not take back his promise. Instead, he gave the *Promised Land to their children.

5. God is *holy.  God is different from people, whom he made. He is good completely. But all people are *sinful. *Sin is like dirt because it spoils our lives. *Sin makes us dirty inside, in our hearts and minds. In other words, it ruins our thoughts, our attitudes and our behaviour.
The *Israelites washed themselves in special ways before they *worshipped God. They made their bodies clean. They offered *sacrifices. They believed that the blood from these *sacrifices washed their *sins away. So they felt *clean inside their hearts. There were many special rules about how to *worship God. All these rules showed that God is *holy.

But we do not need to follow these special rules still. We do not need to kill animals as *sacrifices. God has given us a new way to come to him. That way is by means of his son, that is, Jesus *Christ. When Jesus was crusified on a *cross, he became the *sacrifice for our *sins. This *sacrifice was for all people, for all time. Jesus’ blood washes our *sins away. When we believe in Jesus, God forgives our *sins. Jesus suffered the punishment for our *sins.

Jesus is *holy. When we believe in Jesus, God considers us *holy, too. We can come to God at any time, in any place. God is our friend because of what Jesus did.

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It is essential that we know that building healthy relationships is essential and vital and what our Church is here on earth is all about. First, developing and encouraging a personal relationship with Christ as Savior and Lord, teaching His precepts in an uncompromised Way and leading others to Him by our word and example through His Word, Example and Spirit.

The key to the success of finding and building quality relationships in life and in a church is simple: obedience, the willingness to know and serve God over our needs, and even before we know what the call may be, taking this mindset into our personal and public life and to family and to others! God's will for our lives is for us to totally surrender and trust in His power and authority. Abide in Him. He will shape our destiny if we allow Him. He will teach us His ways if we will walk in His ways. Trust yourself and your church to our LORD and receive His call to build yourself and your church up because you are building others up too!

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I am not in a position to answer what this particular Old Testament scripture teaches us about "leadership in the church", but I can tell you about what it tells me.

1) God's will for us is to fully give ourselves to Him and to trust in His power and authority.

2) I draw a number of lessons from this rather complex, and often overlooked, account (Numbers).  We learn from the mistakes of others...There is a message connected to every lesson in the Bible.  God promised to give the Israelites their own land,  He rescued them from the Egyptians and guided them through the desert to their promised land.  But the Israelites opposed Moses (their appointed leader).  They were afraid and lacking in faith and did not trust that God would continue to help them (Numbers 13 & 14).  When they arrived at the promised land, they could not bring themselves to enter it and they retreated.  God, however, did not back down on His promise -- He gave the promised land to their children.  Lesson:  God is with us always, He wants us to trust Him and if we do he will guide and protect us.

Our churches today, and we as lay leaders, are complelled to develope and encourage personal relationships with Christ as Savior and Lord, teaching His precepts in an uncompromised way and leading others to Him by our word and example through His word, example and spirit.  We must receive God's call to build ourselves up and in the process build others up too.  We build up our churches, one person at a time. It is essential that we know that building healthy relationships is essential and vital...That is what our churches today should be all about, building trust and advocating obedience to God's word.

Quite honestly, one cannot do justice to this subject in a few brief paragraphs.  Readers are invited to view some of my sermons as a lay minister by clicking on the "pages" displayed to the right, just under the above blog masthead.