15 October 2015

Scriptures:

• Romans 8:1-17
• Ezekiel 37
• 1 Kings 9:1-9
• Psalm 75

Observations:

In Romans, we're following from yesterday's passage, further expounding on how those who have transferred their allegiance from sin to Christ are set free from the law of sin and death and no longer are to receive condemnation. He then goes on to distinguish between those guided by the spirit being under Christ and those guided by the flesh being under sin.

In Ezekiel, we see God demonstrating his power to bring life. We also see him promising to bring the two nations of Israel and Judah together once more, under David. It's pretty safe to assume that these are two messianic prophecies and very likely regarding the return of Christ. Having skimmed a couple commentaries, the scholars suggest these two are exilic prophecies, with the dead bones representing the Israelites in exile. Who knows. This may be a case of double fulfillment.

In 1 Kings, we see God speaking with Solomon in reference to his prayer, saying that, if he [Solomon] and his descendants continued to follow God, then God would be present, establishing the kingdom with blessing. If they turned away, then they would be made an example of.

The psalm today is one praising God for his justice, showing how God maintains the world and lays low the haughty, before pouring out punishment on the wicked.

Application:

In Ezekiel 37:13, God says that Israel will know that he is God when he opens up the grave and  raises them from the grave. Jesus himself raised a couple individuals from the dead - none more dramatically than Lazarus. Jesus wasn't just demonstrating that God had given him power over death, but that he was God and, not only that, but he is the one to fulfill the prophecy in v12, raising Israel to life and bringing them back into the land that they would not be cut off (v11).

All of that, of course, to bring us to yesterday's Romans passage and today's as well, talking about how Christ has set us free and those who now claim allegiance to him are no longer bound to is and death, but have the opportunity to be able to reject sin and are no longer bound to the punishment of sin, which is death.

God's response to Solomon in 1 Kings, then, makes sense in light of it being pre-Christ. Where now, Christ is the measure of righteousness, then, the law was the measure. How then do we explain how Moses and David and other such individuals who broke the law were still counted righteous? They did not merely keep the law as external affectations, as actions, but, as the psalmist writes in 119:11, they bound the word of God in their hearts. They aligned themselves with God over and above anything else.

Side tangent: I find it funny how the application section has become less and less how I can apply it in my life, but how can I apply the observations I have made into my understanding of God, faith, and biblical doctrine. How typical for an ENTP. My wife would shake her head at me right now - seeing the abstract, theoretical constructs and concepts, but failing to see how to apply it in life.

So, how does this apply into my life today? Well, the only thing I can really think of is to continue to try and engage God with my heart, to align myself with him in that manner. My head is, for the most part, following and my head is what I use to think, but my feelings, my emotions, underdeveloped though they are, could be better in alignment with God, especially on the matter of feeling as God feels in response to my sin and the plight of others.

Prayer:

Well, God, this was a pretty cool revelation - thank you very much for that insight.

Help me to have a better sense of you, that I would respond as you would to the world around me ad to the world within me. I know I am very calloused and relatively inured to my sins and others' needs, but I ask that you would pull back my callouses and expose my heart to your pain and the pain of this world, though I fear and do not relish the sensation. Cub my flesh, that I might be able to draw closer to you.

Give my wife courage as well. She's in the process of a making a very difficult, but important step. Help her to face her fears and ask for what she needs and help her to receive what help will come.

Give my parents wisdom as the deadline for their decision grows closer.

Be with my one brother as he faces exams - give him the endurance he needs to follow through with both his exams and his applications.

Be with my sister as she is clouded in her judgment. Break through the fog surrounding her and show her the way back to you. Be with my other brother, as he makes his steps forward in school. Show him more of you and draw him more closely to you.

Be with the people of Afghanistan - Those who know you, keep them safe and give them the boldness to share your word. Provide them with sound doctrine and encouragers in their faith. Those who do not know you, I ask that they would come into contact with believers. Prepare their hearts ahead of time, that they would be ready for you. Reach out to the hardened and speak to them. Send them missionaries and visions, that they would begin pondering in their heads and hearts about you. For those under oppression, Lord, I ask deliverance, though I do not know what more may be done.

Protect your servants around the world and equip them to serve you more boldly.

Amen