Tag: Fear

Do Not Fear Them

On By TimIn Do Not Fear, Faith, Numbers 14Leave a comment

If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land because they are bread for us. Their defense is gone from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.

Numbers 14:8–9

Musings from my hammock, literally. I am pondering Psalm 95 and the way it connects to different things. Hebrews 3 cites it, and it points to Numbers 14 and other things.

Significantly, the lessons provided to us is that unbelief exists in juxtaposition of all the works of God around us. Inexplicably, people still deny Him.

As the Day Leads

It reminds me of a small conversation with an atheist this morning. He demanded extraordinary evidence for the extraordinary claim that God is. I told him that his question is the extraordinary evidence he wanted, because he first posits the idea of God to then deny.

It was like that for these Israelis who had left Egypt. Some wanted to choose a leader and go back to Egypt. That aside has significance because in the account, it doesn’t happen. God’s great work of Israel’s salvation from Egypt is not to be undone. Even by those who God had already saved.

Yet these rebels grieved God. He graciously let some live for 40 years witnessing His workings as he provided for them. It’s fascinating to see the patience of God, even when He is grieved by those He graciously saved.

The encouragement is to believe in God and to keep believing in God. First, believe in Him to be saved. Then continue to trust in Him enough to enter the place of rest. That is the place to serve God. You cannot do it without faith. Read that last verse of Hebrews 3… One needs belief to be saved, and one needs belief to serve God.

So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.

Hebrews 3:19

Bread for Us

There is that phrase “they are bread for us.” I don’t think that the Canaanites will be literal food, per se. But it is a play on the words of the testimony of the naysayers… The ones that saw God’s great works and succumbed to fear in disbelief.

They gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.

Numbers 13:32

Now, I think their report is real, in that there were real giants. I also believe that those giants did indeed devour the inhabitants literally. I do think that is a reality that is scattered through the Bible and litters the recesses of history.. This is the reality to which Joshua and Caleb are testifying. God is going to overturn those who beset Adam’s race and this is gloriously pictured in this planned conquest of Canaan.

It is a lesson for us today. Like them, we need to believe He is with us.

The Wandering in Sin

As it goes, many of those didn’t believe. They wandered and died. Even Moses grieved God and didn’t enter the Promised Land.

This is still the same struggle for many of us. We wander in a wilderness of sin, never getting to the point in our walk where we serve God.

Does this grieve Him?

Yes.

Does it mean the believer loses salvation?

I don’t think so. The Bible is clear…

Do you despise the riches of His goodness, tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 2:4 (MEV):

It is the riches of God demonstrated in His patience with each of us. Read that again, it’s His perfect patience. If you find yourself wandering in the wilderness of sin, turn around. God is good, patiently waiting on you.

An Odd Aside

There is an old English rhyme most of us know. It comes into the conversation…

Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
Be he alive, or be he dead
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.

That first line is ancient Gaelic that means behold, food, good-to-eat, sufficient. It attests to the witness of Joshua and Caleb, that the land is plentiful and blessed.

It’s also a nod back to the giants who devoured the human inhabitants of the land. That is a grisly reality that has existed from the Golden Age. It was the time before the flood when the gods lived with man. And they took what they wanted. The grim realities of that age have always been with us. They are handed down in lore. They exist to remind us.

Though the powers-that-be work to rush us all into a new Golden Age. Yes, the even plan to have gods living among humans. Remember, it is God who has already defeated the giants. And we can be assured He is with us now. There is nothing to fear as we enter that Promised Land of rest and service!

On this Thanksgiving Day, praise God for all He has done. His work has been finished since the seventh day when He rested from all of His work.

Paneas and Sacrifice

On By TimIn Matthew 16, Resurrection, Spiritual WarfareLeave a comment

But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things that are of God, but those that are of men.”

Matthew 16:23

This is a startling and sharp rebuke to Peter. It is evidence of His emotionally humanistic conception. Because of that, Peter is aligning himself with Satan’s plan. One that would deter Jesus from fulfilling His mission. The rebuke is harsh and demonstrates to us the focus Jesus had on His mission. He was sent to die.

Peter’s fear is revealed at the thought of Jesus dying. That fear also gives an opportunity for offense. Peter stumbles. This Foundation the church is built upon is not Peter, but it is the Rock of offense. In the last post, the idea of the Rock Jesus spoke of would be Himself. Testified to previously by Peter himself.

Long after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Peter expounds on this theme by cutting the Tanakh.

Coming to Him as to a living stone who is rejected by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house as a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:4–6

Peter now understands the issue clearly. Jesus is the Rock chosen by God Himself and would give the greatest sacrifice. Jesus is the Foundation the church is being built upon. Peter is one of those living stones, as is every believer. Like every believer, we are like Jesus, kings and priests working for God.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 1:5b–6

The Acceptance of Obedience

Just as Jesus laying down His life was a spiritual sacrifice; we believers are called to do the same.

I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1–2

The idea of sacrificing ourselves to the work of Jesus is the same as that of living stones in a spiritual house. Like Murray’s, or denial of ourselves comes with gifts for service to Him and others. Paul explains it this way.

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sound judgment, according to the measure of faith God has distributed to every man. For just as we have many parts in one body, and not all parts have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and all are parts of one another. We have diverse gifts according to the grace that is given to us: if prophecy, according to the proportion of faith; if service, in serving; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with generosity; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Romans 12:3–8

Just as each stone is selected and purposefully cut to fit into the overall structure, the same is with the spiritual house (or body of Christ.) A stone crafted to be a lintel does not fit as a doorpost or wall stone. Each has a carefully crafted purpose. This is the idea, that we yield ourselves to be conformed to the purposes God has chosen for us. In this, we prove His perfection.

The Rejection of the Disobedience

For also it is contained in the Scripture, “Look! I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes in Him shall never be put to shame.”
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious. But to those who are disobedient, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, to which also they were appointed.

1 Peter 2:7–8

As believers, we will never be put to shame no matter what we may do. That is a simple truth.

The same is not valid for those who disobey and never believe. These are offended at the thought that the Anointed King would have to die. Let alone Him dying for their sins. Obedient belief is appointed to Israelis. Yet they reject it stumbling in their own disobedience.

Jesus calls all of us to a living sacrifice, just as He did. We know He died and rose again. And we can expect the same for us because of His promises.

Sacrifice at the Gates of Hell

The sacrifices offered at the Gates of Hell stood in stark contrast. The pagan gods worshipped there completely consumed the dead sacrifices offered to them.

The Grotto of Pan is a cave. It was the reason the nearby sanctuary was built. A natural spring gushed water into what is now called the Banias River. This river feeds the Jordan River. In ancient times, water entered the cave and disappeared into a deep fissure in the rock. It is estimated to have been over 800 feet deep. Subsequent seismic activity destroyed much of the features of the cave.

When a sacrifice was made, the dead carcass was thrown into the mouth of the cave. The waters carried it into the natural abyss at the back of the cave. The victim disappeared into the water. If no blood appeared in the nearby springs, the offering was thought to be accepted.

Panic and the Cure

It is fitting in this setting to speak of these things as a rich backdrop to what Jesus is saying and doing. This is the Gates of Hell, the Grotto of Pan. Pan is considered by some to be one of the first deities. He is a fertility god and is the embodiment of nature. He is also known for enticing fear with panic. The word panic is derived from his name.

Way back in the garden, the idea of death was whitewashed by the shining one (serpent.) Even was persuaded to partake of the forbidden, and in turn, gave to her husband. Something changed. They knew they were naked and covered themselves. When God called, they hid in fear. Death came to humanity, and with it came fear. Death became the bondage of Adam’s race.

Yet Adam was not supposed to know death. This bondage to death is the very thing the enemy has used to shackle people. When people are confronted with sudden death, fear and then panic take hold. The shining one brought war to God through humans. The mythologies of old subtly obscure the truth.

Jesus in rebuking Peter, hoped to shock him from panic. It was Jesus on His mission to end the war of the gods and free humanity. Jesus was going to do it by dying. His resurrection destroyed the power of death. Fear and panic are decimated. We know that by hindsight. Think of how many times the Bible tells us to not be afraid, even in the presence of God.

So then, as the children share in flesh and blood, He likewise took part in these, so that through death He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver those who through fear of death were throughout their lives subject to bondage.

Hebrews 2:14–15

It is my opinion that the eventual devastation of this grotto is proof that God destroyed the power of death. The sacred places of the old gods are in ruins now.

That fear of death that binds no longer has power. Jesus died to give us precious respite from the justice due to us for our sins. He rose again to give us victory over sin. It is in that freedom we have an opportunity to be reconciled to God Himself.

Rest assured, though… If one dies in their sins, the destiny is everlasting perdition.

Run Away

On By TimIn Faithfulness, Jonah 1Leave a comment

But Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found there a ship going to Tarshish. He paid its fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

Jonah 1:3 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

God had called Jonah to go to Nineveh, the great city. He was to warn them of their wickedness, and impending judgment. The wickedness of the Assyrians was renowned, they were a formidable people. I am almost certain that Jonah considered this service to God a sentence to his own demise.

Jonah instead chose to flee, in the exact opposite direction from Nineveh. As he writes it, to escape from the presence of the Lord.

Great calamity fell upon the boat Jonah booked passage upon. He tried to rest, but the sailors awoke him to help and to seek favor from his God. If they only knew the grace of God, and there was a man present who could tell them of it.

Jonah admitted his heritage to the sailors, and the real reason he was in their company. He implored them to throw him overboard… After their situation became direr they eventually did.

Before they did, they pleaded for grace from Jonah’s God.

Then they cried to the Lord and said, “Please, Lord, do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not make us guilty for innocent blood, for You, Lord, have done as it pleased You.”

Jonah 1:14 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Jonah was tossed into the sea. The sailors sought reconciliation to God. The waves calmed for the sailors. And the ship continued to Tarshish without Jonah.

In the meanwhile, Jonah was swallowed by a fish sent by God.

Run!

In Jonah’s mind… Going to Nineveh would be a fatal danger for him. Who could really escape the presence of God?

The fatalism we encounter is stark. It weaves its way through the entire book. That is probably why he resigned himself to the watery grave. He was better off dead. (He attests to this later.)

Jonah is often called the reluctant prophet. In my opinion, he ought to be called the fatalistic prophet. Still, Jonah knew of the grace of God and sought it.

“When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered the Lord;
and my prayer came to You,
into Your holy temple.

“Those who follow vain idols
forsake their true loyalty.
But I will sacrifice to You
with the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the Lord!”

Jonah 2:7–9— Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Jonah learned a valuable lesson. One that is for us. We can trust God, even when He calls us to do something daunting. Something that makes us so fearful we run the other way, and may even reckon ourselves as good as dead if we follow God.

What’s wrong with that?

Perhaps… a lot if done the wrong way.

Jonah instructs us that we ought not to live for ourselves, but for God. Seeking to relieve himself of selfishly perceived calamity, he brought himself right into it! He didn’t believe God. I mean, he didn’t trust God. Believe, put your faith to action and trust God. Trust that He has a plan.

Reckoning our lives as not our own is the very essence of Christianity. We have a reasonable service to worship… Doing what God asks us to do. We are not our own.

I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship.

Romans 12:1 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Jonah learned the hard way. If God has a call on us, He means it. Jonah’s exploits are recorded for us.–they’re a quick read. Jonah couldn’t check out of this life without God’s permission. He was preserved by God explicitly for that mission of service assigned to him by God.

Instead… Jonah ran. He even tried to end his life on his own terms. God still had a purpose for him and sent a fish to intervene.

What are you afraid of that keeps you from serving God… Fear of dying?

Come on! Stop it. Stop thinking of yourself. Set your mind on serving God and others, it’s reasonable service.