16 January 2016

Scriptures:

• Psalm 15
• Genesis 16
• 1 Chronicles 16:4-43
• Luke 9:51-10:24

Observations:

In the psalm, David is laying out a list of characteristics of a godly man, of one who is able to dwell in the presence of God

• Someone blameless in righteousness
• Someone of integrity & truth
• Someone who neither slanders nor harms his neighbour
• Someone who respects and uplifts his peers instead of scorning them
• Someone who despises evil
• Someone who supports others who follow God
• Someone who speaks the truth of matters and does not vacillate to suit his wants
• Someone who gives freely, not for personal gain
• Someone who will not be swayed by gain in favour of the guilty

David then wraps up his psalm, saying that he who does these things will never be moved.

Looking at that list, the only thing I can say is that I definitely do not deserve to be in the presence of God and yet, in his love and mercy, knowing we could not come to him, he came to us with an offer of absolution so that we could dwell in his presence, should we accept.

In Genesis, we see Abram and Sarai taking God's promise of a child into their own hands, stepping outside of God's will. What is interesting to me is that, although Sarai was the one to suggest it, when Hagar had conceived and begun acting contemptuously towards Sarai, she laid the burden of the consequences at Abram's feet. Another thing that's interesting, though, is God's faithfulness. You see, God promised that Abram's descendants would be numerous and, while the child in Hagar's womb was not the descendant line that god was intending, Ishmael was still of Abram's seed. So, we see God showing mercy to Hagar while she is in the wilderness, promising that the descendants of her child would be numerous and great (and the Ishmaelites have indeed been numerous and great, even up to this modern age. They were a nomadic peoples, divided also into 12 tribes, spreading from northern Sinai to the western borders of Babylon, north into the border between modern-day Saudi Arabia and Jordan, many of them referenced by Greek and Assyrian historians. There is some indication that they may have been traders as well and also some indication that certain Ishmaelite tribes may have been the forefathers of modern Arabs).

In 1 Chronicles, we see the celebration following the Ark of the Covenant being brought into Jerusalem. Most notably, we see David's psalm of praise to God, exhorting the people to seek after God, recalling his covenants, remembering his protections, declaring his greatness and the false nature of idols, encouraging the people to follow the example of nature in praising God, and lastly encouraging the people to turn to God for their salvation.

In Luke, we have a number of incidents along the way to Jerusalem, as Jesus is making his way there for the last time. The first is the refusal of a Samaritan city to host him and his followers, because he was headed towards Jerusalem. What is interesting is that a couple of the disciples, understanding the power of God, but not his purpose, asked if they should call down fire on the town to which Jesus rebuked them. The second is Jesus outlining the cost of following him, sounding almost like he is trying to dissuade people from following him, which is understandable, since many would seek to follow him for the prestige of following a rabbi, not understanding that what Jesus taught often ran counter to conventional wisdom. The third is the sending and return of seventy-two of Jesus' followers. We see his emphasis on taking nothing with them and living at the mercy of whomever they come across. When they return, we see his exhortation to not rejoice in the power given to them over evil, but that their names are written down in heaven. The fourth is Jesus' woe towards the unrepentant Jewish cities, because they have received prior knowledge of God and still do not acknowledge Christ. The fifth and last is Jesus' rejoicing in the Father's will for how God has revealed himself.

Application:

Okay, so these are scattered passages with different foci. In the psalm, we see God's perfect standard. In Genesis, we see God's faithfulness and holding to his word. In 1 Chronicles, we see an exhortation to praise God. In Luke, we see Jesus trying to teach his followers the whole point of his ministry and purpose.

I myself, I see encouragement to praise God for how he has come to me, giving me the opportunity to dwell in his presence, though the sending and sacrifice of Jesus. I see encouragement to praise God for his faithfulness, to trust in him because of the accounts of his past faithfulness. Lastly, I see that there are still many things about God and his purpose that I still do not understand and need to grow in wisdom and understanding of.