- Introduction to Ecclesiastes
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
A Christian's Guide to Studying and Applying the Old Testament
First off, let me say that this post is in no way comprehensive on this topic. Entire thick books have been written on it, and this will but scratch the surface. However, I want this to be a quick, easy place to turn for some simple principles.
- There are two major things for the Christian to be careful of when studying the Old Testament:
- God's promises to His people in the Old Testament (Israel) consistently do not directly translate to the church
- Exodus 19-24 is a record of God's promise directly to the Israelites
- Lamentations 3:22-23 is a statement about God and His faithfulness which is universal; however,
- God's commandments to the Israelites consistently do not directly translate to the church
- Circumcision was a requirement of Judaism in the Old Testament (per the Abrahamic Covenant), but it is not to Christians in the New Testament (Romans 3:30-31 and 1 Corinthians 7:18-19, as two examples amidst many)
- Note, however, that many of the things in the Old Testament are repeated in the New Testament, such as 9 of 10 "Ten Commandments"
- Jesus Christ can clearly be seen in the Old Testament
- While Jesus was not identified by that name in the Old Testament, there are many prophecies and revelations about Him there. From Genesis 1 to Isaiah 64 (see Acts 8, especially verse 35), Jesus is there. Look for Him to know Him more.
- The Old Testament is full of principles that carry over to today
- Proverbs 6:16-19 tells us that there are six sins the Lord hates and seven that are an abomination to Him. God does not change, so these things are still terribly offensive to Him.
- The Old Testament does speak of the us today as Christians, albeit not in that terminology
- For example in God's covenant with Abraham, He said, "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:3, NKJV)." It is through the coming of Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham, that this blessing primarily occurred, and it is Christianity that comes from Jesus.
- The New Testament liberally quotes and alludes to the Old Testament
- Scholars debate exact numbers, but there are roughly 230 quotations and between 442 and 4105 allusions to the Old Testament in the New Testament
- This should remind us just how important that the Old Testament Scriptures are for us today
- The New Testament should be given priority of study for doctrine
- Simply put, the New Testament was written directly for Christianity and the Old Testament for Judaism. The Old Testament is inspired by God and totally accurate; however, it was not written specifically with the New Testament church as the audience
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Introduction to Lamentations
I would suggest starting with reading A Christian's Guide to Studying and Applying the Old Testament.
Survey:
Since there is little question by Jewish or Christian sources as to the authorship of this book, we will accept it as having been written by the prophet Jeremiah. Still, there is no direct statement of such, so this is not absolute.
The first four chapters of the book were written in the form of an acrostic poem (in Hebrew) mourning the destruction of Jerusalem. The style is very complex. There are actually 5 poems in the book, conveniently seen in the modern chapter divisions.
The book is still used liturgically by many in Judaism to commemorate Jerusalem's destruction in 586 B.C. (and A.D. 70).
The setting for the book is the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem from 588-586 B.C., ending on July 19, 586 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar overran the city. On August 15, the city and its all-important temple were burned.
Hermeneutical (Interpretation) Notes:
Understand that the purpose and genre here point to a poem of utter lament for the destruction of Jerusalem. This was an individual writing poetry expressing his deepest feelings, albeit by inspiration of God. Don't let this taint the rest of your understanding of Scripture in a melancholy tone. The reason for the sadness was sin that brought judgment, but there is hope in the Lord. This is a truth that is all over the Bible.
Contribution to the Body of Scripture:
This book is important because it provides very real insight into the consequences of sin and hope for restoration. It also shows the special relationship between God and His nation of Israel (though again, this should not be transferred directly to the church today).
Text for Today: Lamentations 1:1 (NKJV)
How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!
Note how far the "princess" has fallen. Like a saddened widow or a ruler whose role has been reversed to serve, Jerusalem (and more broadly, the southern half of Israel- Judah) is in a sad state. This will be more fully explored, including its causes and hope for relief, in the following poetic dirges.
Survey:
Since there is little question by Jewish or Christian sources as to the authorship of this book, we will accept it as having been written by the prophet Jeremiah. Still, there is no direct statement of such, so this is not absolute.
The first four chapters of the book were written in the form of an acrostic poem (in Hebrew) mourning the destruction of Jerusalem. The style is very complex. There are actually 5 poems in the book, conveniently seen in the modern chapter divisions.
The book is still used liturgically by many in Judaism to commemorate Jerusalem's destruction in 586 B.C. (and A.D. 70).
The setting for the book is the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem from 588-586 B.C., ending on July 19, 586 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar overran the city. On August 15, the city and its all-important temple were burned.
Hermeneutical (Interpretation) Notes:
Understand that the purpose and genre here point to a poem of utter lament for the destruction of Jerusalem. This was an individual writing poetry expressing his deepest feelings, albeit by inspiration of God. Don't let this taint the rest of your understanding of Scripture in a melancholy tone. The reason for the sadness was sin that brought judgment, but there is hope in the Lord. This is a truth that is all over the Bible.
Contribution to the Body of Scripture:
This book is important because it provides very real insight into the consequences of sin and hope for restoration. It also shows the special relationship between God and His nation of Israel (though again, this should not be transferred directly to the church today).
Text for Today: Lamentations 1:1 (NKJV)
How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!
Note how far the "princess" has fallen. Like a saddened widow or a ruler whose role has been reversed to serve, Jerusalem (and more broadly, the southern half of Israel- Judah) is in a sad state. This will be more fully explored, including its causes and hope for relief, in the following poetic dirges.
Devotional Thoughts on Lamentations
- Introduction to Lamentations
- 3/9/2011 Devotional Thoughts from Lamentations... The Misery of Jerusalem (Lamentations 1
- 3/11/2011 Devotional Thoughts from Lamentations... God's Anger with Jerusalem for Sin (Lamentations 2)
- 3/13/2011 Devotional Thoughts from Lamentations... Hope Based on God, Part 1 (Lamentations 3:1-36)
- 3/14/2011 Devotional Thoughts from Lamentations... Hope Based on God, Part 2 (Lamentations 3:37-66)
- 3/16/2011 Devotional Thoughts from Lamentations... The Leaders' Fall (Lamentations 4)
Friday, March 4, 2011
3/5/2011 Devotional Thoughts from John... Another Sign for the Jews (John 4:43-54)
Text: John 4:43-54 (NKJV)
43 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.
46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” 49 The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” 52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household. 54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.
Devotional Thoughts and Commentary:
Verses 43-45 are really a different sub-section than what follows, but they are lumped in here due to size and content. This section is a transition between the previous and following large sections, and it is particularly scrutinized by interpreters. It is seemingly nonsensical, in that, Jesus's maxim and the reality did not match up. The best understanding of it that I have seen is that, "all will be simple and natural if we fill up the statement thus: 'He went into the region of Galilee, but not, as might have been expected, to that part of it called ‘His own country,’ Nazareth (see Mk 6:4; Lu 4:24)."1 Basically, he went into the region of Galilee (think a county in modern America) but not his hometown. I can't say definitively that this is the best interpretation, but I believe it is the best that I have seen.
Moving on to the meatier section of this second sign in Cana, we see Jesus's first documented healing miracle in John, who applied this as more than just a miracle but a sign from God to clarify the authenticity of who Jesus really was. Here, Jesus demonstrates that He is more than a physician or someone with just power that could be physically transferred. Jesus heals the nobleman's son simply by the power of His word. This hearkens back to Creation in Genesis 1, where God spoke and it was. This is a sign of His divinity. As is typical of Jesus's miracles regarding healing, belief is associated with the one making a request. This belief in Jesus spreads to his entire household.
This sign is not only just a proof of His divinity, but it is given specifically for the Jews as a sign (verse 48 and 1 Corinthians 1:22).
1. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments (Jn 4:44). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Applications:
Again, belief, specifically in Jesus as the saving Son of God, is the primary application here.
Other Studies from John
43 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.
46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” 49 The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” 52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household. 54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.
Devotional Thoughts and Commentary:
Verses 43-45 are really a different sub-section than what follows, but they are lumped in here due to size and content. This section is a transition between the previous and following large sections, and it is particularly scrutinized by interpreters. It is seemingly nonsensical, in that, Jesus's maxim and the reality did not match up. The best understanding of it that I have seen is that, "all will be simple and natural if we fill up the statement thus: 'He went into the region of Galilee, but not, as might have been expected, to that part of it called ‘His own country,’ Nazareth (see Mk 6:4; Lu 4:24)."1 Basically, he went into the region of Galilee (think a county in modern America) but not his hometown. I can't say definitively that this is the best interpretation, but I believe it is the best that I have seen.
Moving on to the meatier section of this second sign in Cana, we see Jesus's first documented healing miracle in John, who applied this as more than just a miracle but a sign from God to clarify the authenticity of who Jesus really was. Here, Jesus demonstrates that He is more than a physician or someone with just power that could be physically transferred. Jesus heals the nobleman's son simply by the power of His word. This hearkens back to Creation in Genesis 1, where God spoke and it was. This is a sign of His divinity. As is typical of Jesus's miracles regarding healing, belief is associated with the one making a request. This belief in Jesus spreads to his entire household.
This sign is not only just a proof of His divinity, but it is given specifically for the Jews as a sign (verse 48 and 1 Corinthians 1:22).
1. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments (Jn 4:44). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Applications:
Again, belief, specifically in Jesus as the saving Son of God, is the primary application here.
Other Studies from John
3/4/2011 Devotional Thoughts from John... The Conversion of the Samaritans (John 4:39-42)
Text: John 4:39-42 (NKJV)
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
Devotional Thoughts and Commentary:
So, here we pick back up into the narrative of the Samaritans. Looking back to verses 29 and 30 from two days ago, we saw that the original woman was not totally convinced but excitedly called the villagers out to meet Jesus. They people of Sychar rushed out to meet Jesus. In the intervening minutes (?) between her departure from the well and their arrival, Jesus taught the disciples a thing or two.
Anyway, verses 39 and 42 paint an interesting picture. How is it that the people believe because of the word of the woman but then say they believed not because of what she had said? We have to follow the chronological pattern here. First, they had casual, superficial belief because of what she said. Basically, "Oh wow. That's amazing. I need to go check that out." After they talk with Jesus, they really believe. Their knowledge before Jesus was incomplete, but He has now taught them what they needed to know. These people became the foundation of the church in Samaria.
A key phrase for the author of this book, John, is "Savior of the world," occurring only here and 1 John 4:14. This is a very important phrase but needs to not be misinterpreted. This "Samaritan Confession" does not say that Jesus is the Savior of the world in the sense that everyone will actually be saved (universalism). It is theoretically possible, but we know from the entirety of the rest of the Bible that all people are not saved. In fact, there are more who will go to Hell than will go to Heaven (Matthew 7:13-14). What this attribution does mean is that Jesus is the only one who can save the world. He is their Savior, whether or not they accept Him and thus enjoy the benefits of Him.
How powerful the words of Jesus to turn this village to Him from this encounter and what compassion to spend such time with people that the Jews rejected!
Applications:
Do not judge people by anything but the Gospel. Spiritually there are only two categories that matter: Saved followers of Jesus and those on their way to Hell. Ethnicity, race, socio-economic status, smell, gender, and everything superficial must be laid aside for the Gospel. This sounds really easy to get behind, but it can be harder to apply. When that "less desirable" person comes into church wearing clothing you feel is inappropriate and smelling like alcohol, do you simply see a person who needs to hear the truth in love? That is where the rubber meets the road.
Praise Jesus today for who He is. He is God, He is the promised one, and He is the Savior of the world. Without Him, you and I would be on our way to Hell with no hope.
Other Studies from John
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
Devotional Thoughts and Commentary:
So, here we pick back up into the narrative of the Samaritans. Looking back to verses 29 and 30 from two days ago, we saw that the original woman was not totally convinced but excitedly called the villagers out to meet Jesus. They people of Sychar rushed out to meet Jesus. In the intervening minutes (?) between her departure from the well and their arrival, Jesus taught the disciples a thing or two.
Anyway, verses 39 and 42 paint an interesting picture. How is it that the people believe because of the word of the woman but then say they believed not because of what she had said? We have to follow the chronological pattern here. First, they had casual, superficial belief because of what she said. Basically, "Oh wow. That's amazing. I need to go check that out." After they talk with Jesus, they really believe. Their knowledge before Jesus was incomplete, but He has now taught them what they needed to know. These people became the foundation of the church in Samaria.
A key phrase for the author of this book, John, is "Savior of the world," occurring only here and 1 John 4:14. This is a very important phrase but needs to not be misinterpreted. This "Samaritan Confession" does not say that Jesus is the Savior of the world in the sense that everyone will actually be saved (universalism). It is theoretically possible, but we know from the entirety of the rest of the Bible that all people are not saved. In fact, there are more who will go to Hell than will go to Heaven (Matthew 7:13-14). What this attribution does mean is that Jesus is the only one who can save the world. He is their Savior, whether or not they accept Him and thus enjoy the benefits of Him.
How powerful the words of Jesus to turn this village to Him from this encounter and what compassion to spend such time with people that the Jews rejected!
Applications:
Do not judge people by anything but the Gospel. Spiritually there are only two categories that matter: Saved followers of Jesus and those on their way to Hell. Ethnicity, race, socio-economic status, smell, gender, and everything superficial must be laid aside for the Gospel. This sounds really easy to get behind, but it can be harder to apply. When that "less desirable" person comes into church wearing clothing you feel is inappropriate and smelling like alcohol, do you simply see a person who needs to hear the truth in love? That is where the rubber meets the road.
Praise Jesus today for who He is. He is God, He is the promised one, and He is the Savior of the world. Without Him, you and I would be on our way to Hell with no hope.
Other Studies from John
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