The Sacrifice

Posted on March 17, 2011 by JohnJ

I finished Revelation last month and started again in the book of Genesis on my repeat reading through the whole of Scripture. I’m up to the 30 something chapter of Exodus. God has met with Moses on the mountain and has given him the Law. He’s promised to keep these people as His own possession if they keep His commandments. They already don’t have a great track record, having abandoned God when Moses was gone for forty days, making a golden calf to worship and to offer sacrifices saying “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Ex 34:4

But God being God has forgiven them as He will for the next several hundred years, just as He does with us daily.

There are some things I don’t understand in Scripture, particularly about the whole sacrifice thing. I do understand the concept of “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” of sin (Hebrews 9:22) in that it takes the sacrifice of the perfect unblemished man, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to abolish the penalty of death and bridge the chasm between God and man. But the Old Testament daily offering of bulls and goats, and the sprinkling of their blood on the alter, to 21st century ears it seems so harsh, so unmerciful. I know that in Western culture only a generation or so ago the daily killing of animals was something many families counted on for sustenance, for the feeding of their families. Today the slaughter of animals is so antiseptic to most of us. We get out meat prepackaged from the grocer or on a plate in a restaurant, and don’t soil our own hands with the ending of a life in order to eat. To a certain degree we’ve become anesthetized to such bloodletting and slaughter that takes place in buildings away from view.

But in the Old Testament, the occasion of sin was to result in taking an offering to the Temple for atonement. The hands had to be laid on the animal and then it had to be slaughtered there. Many Biblical detractors view this as barbaric and hardly worthy of an entity that requires to be worshipped. With great disdain they look upon this blood-thirsty God and are repulsed.

The only thing I can think of is that maybe repulsion was the intended response from a human being. If I had to do the deed myself with knife in hand and end an animals life in such a visceral way I hope I’d feel some revulsion. Maybe that was desired by God. If sin is the horrible thing God tells us it is, that even one sin would still have resulted in the only mitigation, that of Jesus’ death on the cross, if sins was that reprehensible that you had to witness first hand the bloodletting of an animal, maybe it would make you pause before you’d do much sinning. It was repulsive enough to make you think that disobedience was not worth such an act.

I don’t know. There are many things in Scripture I don’t understand, even though very many things I do. I mean, really, who can comprehend the act of God becoming man, coming down to Earth and living among us, and trying to teach us about who we really are and from where we’ve come, and where we should be wanting to go and how to get there. And then being rejected and nailed to a cross, all because He loved us enough to die in our place! If it weren’t for the illumination of the holy Spirit in my own heart that would surely be incomprehensible! And still, even though I understand it now, it still seems overwhelmingly incomprehensible.

But I guess if the omnipotence of God who designed all creation, from the subatomic particles and up building all of creation into a visible universe, how could such a One be fully comprehensible to mere mortals. But like the Scripture says, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law. Deut 29:29

For me, I’m just glad that He has revealed all the wonderful things He has to us all. The Bible is one phenomenally awesome read.

[Scriptures taken from the New American Standard Bible © 1995]

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Divine Judgment, Part 2

Posted on March 15, 2011 by JohnJ

The discussion of Divine Judgement can’t be complete without mentioning the ultimate judgment rendered by God. Only it wasn’t against mankind, instead it was for mankind. It was in the judgement of sin that God finally and solely bridged the chasm between the creature and the Creator that was caused by the original sin in Eden. History, or more accurately written, His Story, is in the main a leading up to the point of this judgement, this redemption, culminating in the act of judging sinful flesh by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus, God’s representation on earth. By a sinless man assuming the penalty of sin, death and separation from God, and then conquering death by His bodily resurrection in glory, God, in Christ, reconciled mankind to Himself.

This was something humanity was completely incapable of doing on its own. God gave His creatures His Law but that had no power to justify mankind, only to convict him of sin. But finally, by His death and resurrection God could give us His greatest gift, the actual power to live a godly life because of His indwelling Spirit which He promised a long time ago. “I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring,” He says in Isaiah 44:3, and in Joel 2:28 God declares “I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions.” The ultimate judgement, the judgement against sin and death, is finally rendered, and mankind can be made whole again accepting His gift. This is the divine judgement everyone has been waiting for, but so few accept.

But now is the time, now is the acceptable day of salvation (read 2 Corinthians chapter 6). And in a beautiful chapter in John is written “Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'”

Judgement has been rendered, your burden has been lifted. And in Jesus, God has condemned sin in the flesh. Come to Him and be restored. Accept this divine judgment this divine gift for you.

[Scriptures taken from the New American Standard Bible © 1995]

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Divine Judgement?

Posted on March 14, 2011 by JohnJ

The catastrophe in Japan is heartbreaking to witness as all the world watches the scenes on TV after the recent earthquake and tsunami. Commentators are in concert wishing the Japanese people their best wishes and much hope in the days and months ahead as their society tries to rebuild. Anyone with a heart will concur.

One commentator’s statement made me pause, when he expressed with dismay that maybe some of the Japanese people felt that this tragedy was the result of God’s judgement. The implication seemed obvious, that such a concept should be unthinkable in this modern era.

I can’t imagine that anyone would make such an assertion, that what occurred last Friday was divine judgement, since God Himself would have to have revealed that intent. Those of us who live near the coast are especially alert and sensitive to the understanding that it easily could have been my world and not theirs that was thrown into chaos. Indeed it someday may be!

But I do take exception to the notion that there is no such thing as divine retribution. Anyone with a cursory understanding of the Bible knows full well that in the past God has inflicted cataclysmic events upon His creation. Certainly, to those who don’t believe in such things as the hand of God these are the descriptions of fairy tales. But to those whose hearts and lives have been touched by the divine, we can be assured that if He has told us these things have happened we can rest in that assurance. But God’s great patience does have its limits. I’m sure that anyone reading this can describe in at least outline form the stories of Noah and the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses leading Israel from Egypt. In no uncertain terms, there occurred some of the most powerful examples of history changing acts of Divine Judgement the world has yet witnessed.

In the case of the Noah story, the earth was so completely populated with reprobate and evil people it is even stated that God was sorry He had made humanity, see Genesis 6:5-6. “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” With the exception of Noah and his family, there was no one whose heart was not filled with wickedness. It is uncomfortable to read of all of the depravity that ultimately resulted in such a severe judgement, that God would start over, start fresh with Noah and his family. But He did promise not to destroy the earth in that way again.

In some respects the awful story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is even more terrible. The story starts with Abraham arguing with God about destroying the reprobate people inhabiting the region of those two cities whose names would forever be linked with a shameful act of depravity, that awfully is now made to seem socially acceptable and civilly protected. But in God’s view was so reprehensible as to be worthy of these people’s extinction. It is astounding that such depravity consumed every last inhabitant of that region. With the sole exception of Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family. The story surrounding how “righteous Lot” could have put up with dwelling among such reprobate people I’ll leave for another time, as enticing as that is. But Abraham starts negotiating with the Lord, will God destroy the people even if some righteous citizens are among them? First he starts with 50 and God says no, if 50 good people are there He will not destroy them. And Abraham keeps decreasing the number but God stops him ate 15. Since there were really only 4 He was safe to proceed further in the negotiation. But even with only 4 decent souls, Lot, his wife, and his two daughters, God gives the redemption as an Angel leads them away from the blast zone. And then God’s wrath was released from Heaven and the area was wiped off the face of the earth.

These stories and more in Scripture are written for the benefit of all mankind. They serve to call every one to account, that there is more to life than the little pleasures that drive mankind’s interests and lifestyles. As Jesus plainly stated of what good is it if you gain the whole world and lose your soul? Which is of more value, the things in the world or the soul of man made in God’s image? Why does Jesus ask Peter after His resurrection, when He made breakfast for the disciples who had fished all night catching nothing, “do you love me more than these?” I think the most important thing He was asking Peter was if he loved his previous life, with its certainties, and comforts of food clothing and shelter, more than living a life really centered on the reality of the risen Saviour. If you are serious about being a disciple of Christ, what is going to concern you most, the temporal things of the world or the things that can’t be seen, living life in the passion of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:5-25)?

Can we say that the Japanese people brought this current disaster upon themselves? Only God really knows the answer to that question. I can say, however, that there is coming a time when such judgement is coming on the entire world as a catastrophe such that will dwarf the devastation that is appalingly demonstrated in Japan. And I can unequivocally say that it is incumbent on every person on this earth to make yourselves ready for that day. Just read the Book of Revelation to witness the depiction of the ultimate wrath of God. Where in spite of all knowledge of the cause for that detestation, the torment only serves to turn the hearts of man even more away from the redemption that is offered all the way up to the end. Jesus was clear when He said “of that day or hour no one knows . . . so keep on the alert.” Mark 13:31. We all need to be ready for any such surprise.

Do I think that this catastrophe is a Divine Judgement on the Japanese people. No, bad things happen all the time that are not necessarily divine judgments. Remember when the disciples asked Jesus, when they came upon a man born blind, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Our Lord gave an interesting reply, “Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:2-3). Let us hope that in this sad situation the nation of Japan finds itself that God will somehow be glorified through it all.

[Scriptures taken from the New American Standard Bible © 1995]

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A Unique Message

Posted on December 31, 2010 by JohnJ

I watched the movie “The Book of Eli” last night. It’s nice to see a mainstream film affirm the overwhelming importance of the Bible. I enjoyed the movie in spite of the violence portrayed, though frankly, there is much more violence depicted in the pages of Scripture, and that violence was not Hollywood effects. Sadly civilization was and is not without its bloodthirsty side. But my thoughts here are not about that facet of the film. I was amused by the twist at the end. And putting the Bible on the same stature as all the other purported holy books of the world caught my attention.

I then resumed my own Bible reading. I’m now early in the Gospel of John. It is remarkable that the first three Gospels are in such harmony concerning the words and deeds of Jesus while He walked the earth. Especially considering the multitude of documents from the first couple hundred years after the Resurrection that our translations are now based, and that they come from spoken accounts handed down from the Apostles and written by such a wide flung Church around the early Western Civilization. After reading Matthew, Mark and Luke, it is a wonder to read such a different side of he Gospel story as John’s account. It is immediately apparent that this is a more cerebral and spiritual record. This makes sense since John was no doubt very familiar with the standard accounts of Jesus life and words that bolstered the church and presumably felt no need to duplicate. John plunged deeper into the person of Jesus Christ, who He was and the significance of His mission.

Paramount is the discussion of Jesus’ relationship with His Father. Read chapters 5 & 6 for some of the most remarkable dialog in all the Gospels, especially as He confronts the open hostility of the religious rulers.

John 5:17-21

But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

John 5:36-40

“But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish–the very works that I do–testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

I suggest there is nothing even remotely resembling any discussion like this in any other book in the world. Who else has made claims such as coming down from heaven, who does the works the Father shows Him, raising from the dead and giving life to those whom He desires. That He claimed to be equal with God was so obvious to the rulers that they were immediately furious with Him for such blasphemy. But He confronted them openly and with biting wisdom and condemnation. Little wonder they sought to put Him to death, this would change everything for their position of power.

John 6:35-46

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.”
They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.

This hardly sounds like a message that can be put on the same footing as the “holy books” of Islam or the Hindus or any other book of wisdom of the world One can dismiss this message of Jesus out of hand as delusions and incredible, but if you evaluate His words and deeds in an intelligent manner there are only two possibilities, He was either truthful or telling a lie. And if He was telling the truth woe to those who dismiss this Man and this message that is so completely unlike any other message given to save such a broken world.

[Scriptures taken from the New American Standard Bible © 1995]

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Finishing the Old Testament Reading

Posted on December 2, 2010 by JohnJ

Yesterday I finished reading the Old Testament for the umpteenth time. I immediately continued to the New Testament reading the first 10 chapters of the Gospel of Matthew. I had hoped to comment on some of the prophetical books during my journey, from Ezekiel and on through Malachi. Ezekiel is fascinating in that he was given the gift of some interesting visions. “. . . . the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.” Ez 1:1. How can a believer not hope and wish for such visions, to be able to see God revealed; and the impact that must have on the believer’s perspective of life and spirit! Maybe someday in this life I’ll be so blest! Or like Samuel as a little boy, sleeping “in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was,” (1Sam. 3:3) “that the LORD called Samuel; and he said, ‘Here I am.'” This happened to Samuel three times and each time he thought that Eli near him was calling out to him, until finally Eli caught on and told him how to respond next time God called him. Wouldn’t that be a marvelous thing, to hear God audibly calling out to us?

But the common thread of reading all of the prophetic books is the utter dismay God feels for His chosen people because they have rejected Him after receiving so many blessings! But not just the Jews have gone astray. It is plain that all the nations, all the peoples of the whole earth are in a constant state of rebellion against God and are warned about the impeding and awful justice that is to be portioned out to all who rebel. So let’s see God’s longsuffering: the prophetic books are 17 in number if we count Lamentations. Add to that the dozens of times in the historical books of the Old Testament where God continually calls to His people and all the nations to seek Him that they may live, or reap the consequences. And especially considering that He paints a most powerful picture of how awful those consequences will be, it is a wonder that so few are depicted as repenting! So many times God calls to warn people, that His grace will be not be prolonged indefinitely. And then finally comes the dismantling of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah by the Assyrians, the Babylonians and the Persians; it is painful to read this in the latter chapters of Kings and Chronicles and the Prophets. But this makes starting the New Testament with its hope and promise and fulfillment so refreshing.

Last night I read a sermon of Martin Luther. 1 It was the second sermon for the Second Sunday after Trinity (Trinity Sunday being the first Sundays after Pentecost). 2 Luther’s text is Luke 14:16-17 (following is 15-24:)

When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But He said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ “Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ “Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ “And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.'”

Luther equates this scenario to God’s chosen people, upon whom the gifts of God, the Law and the Blessing, were showered. This is the banquet prepared by God in the parable. Yet instead of accepting the gracious invitation, those invited found other things of their own creation to devote themselves to. God brought them into the Promised Land by His awesome power demonstrated time and again, and yet once in the land they grew fat and forgot how they got there and then wanted to be like all the perverted nations around them; wanting a king, wanting to give their sons and daughters to their neighbors and exchange for their sons and daughters, worshipping their strange gods. All things God expressly and vehemently warned them not to do!

So, rejecting God’s invitation to a ready banquet they each make excuses why they can’t come. More lame excuses can be hardly imagined, “I just bought land and need to look at it,” “I just got married,” “I bought some oxen and need to try them out,” just like in the Old Testament His people exchanged the glory of God for inanimate things that couldn’t possibly be of any benefit to them! How could that have made any sense!

So God rejected the invited and called the poor class come to enjoy the banquet.

Prior to Luther’s elaboration on the text he wrails against the Papists and the Roman Church, the Pope and bishops. He equates them along with the Jews as those to whom Christ refers in this story. It had not been 20 years since Luther published his Ninety-Five Theses catapulting the Reformation into high gear, and in 1535 his animosity is still fully heated, and he spares no one who masquerades as a Christian while obfuscating the truth and power of Christianity.

I thought it particularly relevant to have finished reading the Old Testament to then read a sermon on a New Testament topic that was sum and substance of all those books, distilling in a few verses all that the Old Testament concerned.

[Scriptures taken from the New American Standard Bible © 1995]

1 Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther. Edited by John Nicholas Lenker, Translated by John Nicholas Lenker and others. Grand Rapisa, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1988. pp. 39-57

2 Luther’s sermon can be read on-line at Bible Explore.com.

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