Month: September 2022

God Asks Questions

On By TimIn Daily Walk, Exhortation, Genesis 16Leave a comment

Genesis 16:7–8 (MEV): The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness. It was the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from and where are you going?”
And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”

I love the patterns established in Genesis. This particular exchange leads us back to God seeking Adam and Eve after they sinned.

Genesis 3:8–13 (MEV): Then they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
He said, “ I heard Your voice in the garden and was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.”
And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?”
And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

There is a simplicity here that is often overlooked. When God seeks a lost one, one that has sinned, He seeks them out. Let’s remember that all of this happens before the law was given and before Jesus came. God seeks the sinner in order to restore the broken relationship.

When He finds the one, He gently leads to the problem by asking a question. He’s not asking for information, there is another purpose to His questions.

In each of these examples, God asks a question and it is followed by a confession of sin.

Oh, I know some of you are going to scoff. You’re going to say that there is no contrition or sorrow in the responses… As if feelings have anything to do with a confession of truth.

Sometimes just a simple acknowledgement of our foibles in the presence of a Holy yet loving God is all that is needed. We don’t have to pound our chests, or cry rivers of tears. A simple confession saying this is the problem is the first step to conquering the problem together.

When you sin, don’t wait until you actually feel sorrow or remorse for what you did. Go to your Heavenly Father and confess it. He’s waiting.

The King of Nineveh

On By In Jonah 3, RepentanceLeave a comment

When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself in sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he made a proclamation in Nineveh:
“By decree of the king and his nobles:
No man or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not eat or drink water. Both man and animals shall cover themselves with sackcloth and cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. Who knows? God may relent and change His mind. He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”

Jonah 3:6–9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Jonah continues in his service to God. As the people’s hearts changed, word eventually came to their leader. Can you imagine any of our political leaders in the US covering themselves in ashes, in repentance of their own proclivities and those of the people they lead?

It is an interesting picture to ponder in your mind.

Consider the decree of the king that went forth. It was a national fast for food and water, even to the extent of not feeding and watering animals. People afflicting themselves with no food and water have a choice in how to react, an animal doesn’t. The crying mightily from the people would also be punctuated by that of the animals who had no choice.

We aren’t given much about what Jonah preached to Nineveh. I think we can glean some ideas from the proclamation. As a prophet, he surely spoke the truth, “In forty days’ time, Nineveh would be overthrown.” The judgment of God was coming. Perhaps this is another example of Jonah’s reluctance in his preaching. Was there any good news?

Who knows. Perhaps God may see our acknowledgment and repent (change His mind.)

The Bible tells us the wages of sin is death. The folks in Nineveh were given a respite from that debt. They were also given a preacher. They availed themselves of his words to them and turned from their evil ways on the chance that God might relent… And He did.

When God saw their actions, that they turned from their evil ways, He changed His mind about the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

Jonah 3:10 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Nineveh was saved from destruction by a merciful God.

Now this greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord! Is this not what I said while I was still in my own land? This is the reason that I fled before to Tarshish, because I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in faithfulness, and ready to relent from punishment.

Jonah 4:1–2 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Maybe in Jonah’s reluctance to proclaim what he knew God to be… Gracious, merciful, and slow to anger… He neglected that part of the message.

Jonah serves as a reminder to us. Some of us are more than willing to proclaim the destruction coming upon people as a result of sin. We must be careful that doesn’t become the gist of our message.

God is gracious. He’s waiting for each of us humans to come to Him.

The Debt, and the Perfect Satisfaction

On By TimIn Genesis 03, SinLeave a comment

Way back at the beginning, we have the short account of Adam and Eve. God made both of them and placed them in His garden to tend it. They were welcome to eat of every tree in the garden save one, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

As the account goes, the woman is beguiled and deceived and eats. She gives to Adam and he eats. It’s that action that is the source of suffering in this world.

We pick up the account here…

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Genesis 3:7 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Something immediately changed. Though it’s not explicit in the text, they lost a covering they had before. That will be for you to explore.

Then they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

Genesis 3:8–9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I love when God asks a question. He’s not looking for information. The question is intended to get to the root of the problem.

He said, “ I heard Your voice in the garden and was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.”
And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Genesis 3:10–11 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Adam answers with a confession. God follows up with two other questions.

The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Genesis 3:12 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Adam again confesses what he did. There are those that read it only as a sort of blaming… I used to think the same way. Now I view it as a confession of the truth. One that comes encumbered with the knowledge of suffering and how to alleviate it. Adam transferred the attention from him to Eve.

God then asks Eve a question. She answers.

Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?”
And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Genesis 3:13 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It’s that answer that needs examination.

The word deceived is the Hebrew word nasha which means to cheat, to deceive. To dig beyond the text, we need a Hebrew lexicon. In examining the word, there is another identical word with a different meaning. That word nasha means to lend on interest or to credit someone.

If we look at it that way, Eve became a debtor at interest. The Bible has another word for that kind of transaction… Usury. The English word comes from a Latin root that means to use. It makes sense.

Eve was in a debt only satisfied by death. As long as she lived, she was a debtor to her sin. And she was used to getting to Adam and placing him in the same predicament.. Both became indebted to sin.

Think about debt and how it enslaves. Our whole modern existence is based on debt. But that is an advanced topic for another post.

The Perfect Satisfaction

Of course, we reap what we sow, and it was no different for Adam and Eve. They were expelled from the garden. But God left a hint in the curse to the deceiver.

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”

Genesis 3:15 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The pronouns are important, and for our purposes, I only point out that the woman’s Seed is a singular He… Not her, not they.

That He is Jesus.

His whole life was purposed for one thing. To satisfy the creditor. That happened at the cross. It is John who tells us clearly what happened at the moment Jesus died.

After this, Jesus, knowing that everything was now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst.” A bowl full of sour wine was placed there. So they put a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it to His mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

John 19:28–30 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

There is a Greek word that appears here two times. It is tetelestai. In the above text, the first usage is translated as accomplished. The second by Jesus… Translated to “It is finished.”

Yes, tetelestai means those things. But there is an expanded idea. In the times the New Testament was written, the word tetelestai was written on business receipts to show they were paid in full.

When Jesus cried “tetelestai!” It signaled that the debt had been completed and satisfied.

Because Eve was the way to Adam. Adam ate, enslaving himself to sin that only death could satisfy. The enemy’s hope was that God would exact justice and humans would be gone. Yet, there was a reprieve of justice… A reprieve from the last Adam, Jesus.

Jesus is the Perfect Satisfaction of the debt of death incurred by every single sin that humans do.

When the enemy tries to shame you and hold the claim you to sin… Tell him “Paid in full by Jesus.”

Sarah Laughs to Herself

On By TimIn Genesis 18, GraceLeave a comment

They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”
And he said, “There, in the tent.”
One of them said, “I will certainly return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”
And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

Genesis 18:9–10 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I assume some of you may be familiar with this account of God visiting Abraham. Three men (the they) come to Abraham where he had pitched his tent near the Oaks of Mamre. He makes them a meal and they eat. It is at this point that we get an indicator as to the identity of One of those.

The group asked after Sarah. But One of those made a promise to come a year later with the intent to fulfill the promise of God. God Himself made a promise to Abraham and Sarah they would have a child. And by the personal pronouns, we now know that One of these me is God.

As was the custom of the time, women remained unseen and Sarah was in the tent. She overheard the conversation.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old and very advanced in age, and Sarah was well past childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am so old and my lord is old also, shall I have pleasure?”

Genesis 18:11–12 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Sarah has a moment of surprise, she laughs at what God said to Abraham. This is similar to Abraham’s reaction upon hearing the same promise from God that he and Sarah would have a son.

As Abraham was challenged to stretch his faith, the promise came as God changed Sarah’s name. God was showing Abraham her importance in that promise.

Now Sarah had the same surprise. She too now heard the promise from God Himself. Sequestered away from the men, she heard for herself that she is an important part of God’s plan. Yet there is an intriguing difference in the responses each gave. Can you discern what it is?

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man that is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Genesis 17:17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Abraham laughed out loud but spoke his surprise silently. Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am so old and my lord is old also, shall I have pleasure?”

The different reactions teach us about God.

Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I surely bear a child when I am old?’ Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Genesis 18:13–14 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

God heard her secret laughter. Could there have been a bit of disbelief?

Perhaps, but God asks Abraham why she laughed. God then says is anything too difficult for Him?

It was her turn to exercise her faith. Now, the account turns a bit.

Then Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid.
But He said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Genesis 18:15 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Sarah denied the truth and spoke a lie right back to God. Who could do such a thing and live?

Sarah did. God corrected her.

It is an awkward turn, Sarah sins before God and lives to tell about it. God does correct her. But what is not recorded here is any confession of Sarah for the wrongdoing.

This is an important concept. Eve confessed her sin to God. Adam confessed his. Even Hagar confessed hers as she was met by God.

I think the grace of God is pictured here. The very grace that Jesus extends to all. I mean all humans by His death on the cross. It’s the fact that the penalty for sin has just satisfaction.

It’s like God silently says to Sarah, I know what you did. You are free to go.

It is in that exchange that points straight to Jesus. This is the same loving God we k ow from the New Testament. He has not ever changed. Jesus is not God 2.0.