Ithamar the Accountant
Today’s Passage – Exodus 36 – 38 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 19 – 20; Proverbs 1; Psalms 6 – 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1
Read the 0201 Evening and Morning devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from the passage – “Too Much?”
“21 This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest. 22 And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.” (Exodus 38:21-23)
In this morning’s reading from Exodus 36 – 38, we see a detailed account of the construction of the Tabernacle including all the furniture items as well as the hangings that were used to make up the walls. It is very interesting that God gives us very precise details of the dimensions and descriptions of every aspect of the Tabernacle (See Graphic Below).
My thought this morning is about Ithamar, one of the four sons of Aaron. Ithamar was responsible for overseeing the Merarites and the Gershonites, which were two of the families of the Levites that served as ministers for the Tabernacle. The Gershonites were responsible for setting up, dismantling, and transporting all the “hangings and coverings” of the Tabernacle (Num 4:21 – 28). The Merarites were responsible for setting up, dismantling, and transporting all the “boards, bars, pillars, and sockets” (Num 4:29 – 33). There was another family, the Kohathites, who were responsible for the transportation of all the furniture items, but the Kohathites were not directly under the supervision of Ithamar.
A second duty of Ithamar that we see from our reading passage today in Exodus 38 is that he was responsible for accounting for all the gold and silver that went into the Tabernacle. He had to work closely with the builders, Bezaleel and Aholiab, to make sure that they had everything they needed to complete the project. We learned from chapter 36 that they had collected far more materials than were necessary for the project through the freewill offerings of the congregation. The people were actually told to stop giving. According to most estimates, the amount of gold that went into the Tabernacle was over a ton (approximately $60 Million today), along with approximately four tons of silver (approximately $2.6 Million today), and two and one-half tons of brass (Note – this is likely copper – approximately $20 Thousand today).
There are two thoughts that I would like to point out from this passage:
- The task of accounting is something that we do not normally associate with the office of the priest. Yet here we clearly see that Ithamar was given this responsibility. Sometimes ministers will have to do all kinds of duties that are outside of their main job description in order for God’s service to function properly.
- The priest office was very much a family affair. Moses and Aaron were brothers, and the main priests in the Tabernacle were Aaron’s sons. I once had a man tell me that he left a church because the pastor had hired his son as an assistant. He claimed that it was “nepotism” and that someone outside of the family should have been hired. However, there is no biblical admonition for hiring family members and here in Exodus, it is actually God’s plan for this family to serve together.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Murmuring
Today’s Passage – Exodus 16 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 5 – 6; Proverbs 25; Psalms 121 – 125
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:1 – 4
Read a previous post from this passage – “Sound Advice” and “Remember Sunday.”
Read the “0125 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (Exodus 16:1-3)
Murmuring, griping, complaining, bellyaching. Whatever you may want to call it, people sure do a lot of it. We gripe about almost everything. Human beings seem to struggle with both contentment and problem solving which causes them to just complain when things are not going the way they would like them to go.
The people of Israel were no different. They had already been miraculously delivered by God from Egypt and even saw God part the Red Sea for them and drown their enemy, the Egyptians. Yet, every time they faced a new obstacle, they resorted to griping and complaining. Here in our text, they were murmuring for food. I get it, when I am hungry, I can also be downright difficult to get along with, but rarely do I go too long without eating. God graciously takes care of their need for food by providing manna in the morning and meat in the evening. It is interesting that God only gave them enough manna to last them for a day. The only exception to this was that they could gather double in preparation for their Sabbath. But God met their needs daily.
In chapter seventeen, they were grumbling again for water. Water is important; people need water to survive. I can understand that the people were concerned about where they were going to get water, but to just immediately resort to murmuring was not going to solve anything. Once again, God came through and met their need just as He met every one of their needs as they wandered through the wilderness on their way to Canaan.
We must remember a couple of things about the Lord and His provision for our needs:
- God knows what we need.
“31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:31-34)
- God promises to provide what we need as we serve Him.
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25)
- If God allows you to go through a challenging period with problems or difficulties, or if you really need something, don’t complain – pray!
“6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. … Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:13 &16)
- Learn to be content. As much as we want everything to be more than perfect or ideal in our lives, there are still going to be problems. This is not Heaven. We are living on a sin-cursed earth for the purpose of glorifying the Lord and leading other people to the Lord; lost people laden with more problems than us. God is good. Learn to appreciate and be grateful for all the wonderful blessings that He gives us every day. And then, look forward to Heaven which will be beyond anything we could ever dream of.
“11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Philippians 4:11)
“6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Excuses
Today’s Passage – Exodus 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 13 – 14; Proverbs 21; Psalms 101 – 105
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8
Read a previous post from this passage – “Expect Opposition“
Read the “0121 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.” (Exodus 4:1)
“And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but Iam slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” (Exodus 4:10)
“And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.” (Exodus 4:13)
It has always amazed me how our human nature kicks in when we are asked to do something, even when we are asked by God. There is something inside of us that immediately begins to reason that it cannot be done, or should not be done. We begin to figure out ways to get out of doing it. We don’t come right out and say that we don’t want to do it, at least not initially. We just say that it can’t be done, or shouldn’t be done, or that it will be way too difficult. Most projects get shut done by negativity before they even get off the ground.
Moses did the same thing here in Exodus 4. The first excuse that he gives is that the people will not listen. Basically he is telling God that it can’t be done. This is really nothing more than unbelief when it comes to things that God calls us to do. If it is truly of God, He will bring it to pass. All we need to do is obey Him. The results are up to Him. God does not need advisers, He needs obeyers.
The second excuse that Moses offers is really the root of the problem. I know that it is the same thing that often keeps me from fulfilling God’s will. Moses says that he is not the man for the job, that he is not able to do it. Now he is no longer doubting God’s ability or anybody else, he is merely doubting his ability to do what God asks him to do. This is not necesarily bad. We need to realize that we can’t do the work of God in our own power or ability. It can only be done through the power of God. What Moses needed to do (and what we need to do) is believe that if God asks us to do something, He will also equip us to do it. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) We truly can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us.
Finally, Moses is exasperated. He just doesn’t want to do it. He tells the Lord to send somebody else. God finally convinces him to do it, but he certainly was not a willing servant initially. If we refuse to be obedient to the calling of God He may just choose somebody else, but we will miss out on the blessing of being used of God. Know this, though, that if God asks you, you are the man (or woman) for the job. Don’t refuse Him. Stretch your faith. Allow Him to show you what you can do in His strength when you are yielded to His will.
Posted in Thoughts from Exodus by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
The Joseph Principle
Today’s Passage – Genesis 43 – 44 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 5 – 6; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
Read the “0117 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s reading passage – “Bereaved Again,” “Passed the Test,” and “People Can Change.”
“And the famine was sore in the land.” (Genesis 43:1)
Back when I was in Bible college in Texas, our pastor would teach a principle and refer to it often when he was counseling people regarding finances and stewardship. He called it the “Joseph Principle,” which basically teaches that money needs to be saved in the plentiful years so that there will be enough to last during the lean years. In these chapters that we have been reading here in Genesis, God miraculously revealed to Joseph through the dream of Pharaoh that there would be seven very plenteous years where there would be an abundance of food produced in Egypt and the surrounding area, which included the land of Canaan where Joseph’s family lived. Unfortunately, those seven very good years would be followed by seven very bad years when the crops would fail and food would be scarce. Note – the story of Pharaoh’s dream and the plan of Joseph is found in chapter 41. The implementation of the plan and the results of the famine are in the following chapters including the portion for today.
Joseph came up with a plan that would dramatically increase the strength and prosperity of Egypt through those lean years. He advised Pharaoh to purchase as much food as he could during the plenteous years, when it was cheap, and then store it up for the lean years. When the abundance ran out in the land, people were then forced to go to Joseph and purchase food from him at a much higher price, and then when their money ran out, they were forced to turn over their land to Pharaoh in return for food. The wealth of Egypt increased while all others who were unprepared suffered tremendous losses.
The very obvious stewardship principle that we should learn from this story is that we also need to store up wealth and other resources when it is abundant so that we will have enough when the lean years come. Right now, in America, we are still experiencing incredible prosperity. God has blessed this nation abundantly. I know that we are in a period of inflation and that interest rates have increased somewhat recently, but there are still plenty of jobs out there and much income to be earned for people who are willing to work hard. As a matter of fact, in this lazy culture that we are living in, if you are willing to be diligent and work hard you will be an absolute hero at your workplace and will likely advance very quickly. There is really no excuse today for people to be struggling, unless they have health issues, etc., that are hindering them from being able to work.
But during these prosperous times, you must prepare for the lean years that will surely come our way in the future. You cannot squander all that God supplies you with today. You need to save some of it for tomorrow. My recommendation to you who are able to work and earn income for your family is to earn as much as you can today while still maintaining your family and spiritual priorities. In other words, don’t spend so much time working that you are neglecting your time with your family and your service to the Lord.
Once you have a good source of income, you need to budget your money carefully, making sure that you are giving back to the Lord. I am a believer in giving at least a tithe to the Lord’s work as well as offerings to special projects. You also need to be saving for the future and for the rainy days that surely will come. There are a lot of great Christian resources out there that can help you in the area of stewardship, but one in particular that we have used to help the folks in our church is Ramsey Solutions, a ministry headed up by Dave Ramsey that has helped many people get out of debt and prepare for their future. There are other good resources available as well.
Don’t put off preparing for the future. If you start now, you will be in a strong position when the times get hard and you may even be able to help others who are not as prepared as you are. The Joseph Principle is a great nugget of wisdom that all of us should put into practice before it is too late.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
Give God the Glory
Today’s Passage – Genesis 41 – 42 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4; Proverbs 16; Psalms 76 – 80
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
Read a previous post from this passage – “In His Time“
Read the “0116 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (Genesis 41:16)
In chapter 41 of Genesis, we hear about Pharaoh’s dreams of the corn and the kine. He knows that these dreams mean something, but he has no clue what the significance of them is. He learns that there is a man named Joseph down in the dungeon that has been known to interpret dreams for other people. Joseph is hastily summoned to appear before Pharaoh, and Pharaoh questions him about his supposed ability to explain the meaning of these of these dreams. Joseph is very quick to deflect the focus from himself to the Lord. He doesn’t take any credit for his gift but immediately gives the glory to God. In fact, five times in Joseph’s discussion with Pharaoh Joseph mentions God to Pharaoh. (vs. 16, 25, 28, and 32) Pharaoh gets the message also, because in vs. 38 and 39, he acknowledges that the interpretation of the dream can from God also:
“And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:” (Genesis 41:38-39)
This heathen king was introduced to the God of the Universe all because Joseph took an opportunity to use a gift that was given to him by God and acknowledge the fact that it was God who enabled him to do it.
How many opportunities do we get each day to display our God-given abilities to the lost world around us? But, when we do a good job and we are recognized, do we give God the glory by letting everybody know that it is God who is working through us? Let’s not steal God’s glory, and let’s not waste opportunities to be witnesses for the Lord. Our sole purpose in life is to make God look good and to glorify Him in front of a lost and dying world. If we meet Pharaoh in Heaven someday, it will likely be because Joseph made God look good. How many people do we point to God?
By the way, the opposite of this story is also true. When we do wrong things in front of the lost people around us, we are making God look bad. What an awesome responsibility and privilege we have to represent the Lord in this world. Let’s be sure to give Him the glory when we get things right and take the blame when we do things wrong. Let’s make God look good to the world around us.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
Sowing and Reaping
Today’s Passage – Genesis 29 – 30 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 21 – 22; Proverbs 11; Psalms 51 – 55)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read a previous post from this passage – “Surprise,” and “Moving Forward“
“25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?” (Genesis 29:25)
“7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)
Today’s passage reveals the principle of sowing and reaping. Jacob, whose name means “supplanter” or “deceiver,” had been guilty of deceiving his father Isaac and his brother Esau back in chapter twenty-seven. Now in chapter twenty-nine, the shoe is on the other foot. In this passage we see that Jacob who had deceived his father is now being deceived himself. He had left Canaan (Israel) and travelled back to the place where his family originated (near Babylon) in order to escape the wrath of his brother and also find a wife. He arrives and meets a beautiful young lady named Rachel who happened to be his cousin (OK back in those days – really wierd today). He falls in love with her and strikes a bargain with her father (his uncle) to work for him for seven years as payment for his daughter. Oh how I wish that we still followed this program today. I have three beutiful daughters and I would have been rich. Anyway, after his seven years of hard labor is completed, Jacob wants his wife. However, when he wakes up in the morning after the wedding celebration the night before, he does not find beautiful Rachel lying next to him in the bed, but instead he sees Leah, Rachel’s older sister. You can imagine the surprise that must have been on his face when he laid eyes on Leah who the Bible describes as “tender-eyed”. That was the phrase you used in Bible days when you wanted to be kind when describing someone who was ugly. Jacob was tricked by his uncle Laban. The deceiver was deceived.
I have two thoughts regarding this passage of Scripture. The first is the principle of sowing and reaping. Jacob reaped deception because he was a sower of deception. In fact, I think we learn in the coming chapters that Jacob reaps a little more than he sowed regarding deceiving and being deceived. We sure have to be careful in our lives because this principle is certainly in effect today as well. The Bible says be sure your sin will find you out; and the way of the transgressor is hard. It will eventually come back to bite you. I have seen this principle often in my life and ministry. Many of the problems that I have dealt with as a pastor have been areas where I have been guilty in the past. However, the principle works for good things as well as bad. Sow some good things in your life and you will reap some good things back. Sow a little mercy toward others and you will reap a little mercy from others. Sow a little kindness, and reap a little kindness; sow a little compassion, and you will reap a little compassion. You get the idea.
The second thought is that you cannot trust the world. Laban was not a saved man, and Jacob was trusting him to be faithful and trustworthy in his dealings with him. Laban is a type of the devil. If you make a deal with the devil or the world for Rachel, you are going to wake up someday with Leah. Satan is a liar, and this world is completely out for itself. Even God’s people can be downright untrustworthy at times, but know this: you can trust God completely. He will always deliver what he promises, and He will always do right. Even when we don’t understand what He is doing, or why, we can be assured that He loves us and that He has our best interests in mind.
One added thought regarding sowing and reaping. Praise God, for the Christian, we will never reap in judgement what we sow in our lifetimes in sin. We deserve to reap Hell for eternity, but Jesus took that punishment for us by going to the Cross. So, in the most important sense, Jesus reaped what we sow. What an awesome God we serve!
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
The Earth Was Divided
Today’s Passage – Genesis 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 7 – 8; Proverbs 4; Psalms 16 – 20)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1
Read the 0104 Evening and Morning devotion for today by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Finding, Obeying, and Staying in the Place of God’s Will;” “Don’t Move Unless God Moves You;“ “The Beginning of Globalism; ” and “The Land Belongs to Israel.”
“16 And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: 17 And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. 18 And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: 19 And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.” (Genesis 11:16-19)
If you were paying attention to the lifespans of the descendants of Noah’s son Shem given in chapter eleven, you noticed that they dropped dramatically in the generation of Peleg. In the four generations preceding Peleg, the average lifespan was 491.5 years. In the four generations after Peleg, the average lifespan dropped rather dramatically to 205.5. What happened? Though I cannot prove it, I think the answer may be found back in chapter ten where God give the genealogical information of the descendants of Shem:
“And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.” (Genesis 10:25)
The Bible says something similar while giving the genealogical information for Japheth:
“By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.” (Genesis 10:5)
What does it mean that the earth was divided? There are two theories. The first is that the continents shifted during this time. According to this theory there was at one time a large super continent, called Pangea, which was broken up and drifted apart in what has been referred to as “continental drift,” but later was called “plate tectonics,” which involves a very gradual shifting and separation of the continents. Though I am not a scientist, it seems to me that a dramatic division within one generation as seems to be indicated here in Genesis does not fit within the description of a gradual drift. If something like this were to have happened in one generation, it would have had to have been caused by some sort of cataclysmic event, which is not revealed here. The only biblical event that would have made sense to have caused a rapid division of land masses was the flood, but that occurred three centuries prior to Peleg’s day.
The second theory, which I believe to be the correct one, is that God scattered the nations during the time of Peleg. This was after Nimrod who was a descendent of Noah’s son Ham built the Tower of Babel (see Genesis 10: 8 – 10 & 11:1 – 9). This theory makes the most sense when considered with Genesis 10:5 where the Bible specifically connects the division with the word, “tongue.” For some reason when God scattered the people throughout the earth and confounded their languages, their life expectancies suddenly and dramatically decreased.
An even more interesting fact about this passage is that Noah was still alive and was 940 years old when Peleg dies. He would live an additional ten years after Peleg’s death.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Seen as Righteous
Today’s Passage – Genesis 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Proverbs 3 ; Psalms 11 – 15
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 18:3 & 46
Read the “0103 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s passage – “It Doesn’t Take Long, Does It?;“ “A Token;“ “Too Old To Do Something for the Lord?;” “The Law of First Mention Regarding Wine;“ and “The Dove Flew Away.”
“1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” (Genesis 7:1)
Noah lived in a time when people were extremely wicked, so much so that God stated that he was grieved that he created man in the first place. Consider these verses from the previous chapter:
“5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. … 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:5-6, 11-13)
Noah was not a perfect man and neither were his wife and sons, but God saw Noah as righteous. Chapter six stated: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8). Why was Noah, an imperfect man, seen as righteous when others were not? Was it because Noah was less imperfect than they were? No, it was because Noah had faith in God. God said something similar about Abraham:
“6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
Noah had faith before God commanded him to build the ark and his obedience to God’s command was evidence of the faith that he already possessed. The New Testament sheds some light on this fact:
“7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” (Hebrews 11:7)
The New Testament also tells us that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, meaning that he tried to get others to have faith in God:
“5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;” (2 Peter 2:5)
It is very comforting to know that those who have faith in God, and more specifically, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, are also seen by God as completely righteous or sinless. Consider the following verses:
“21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” (Romans 3:21-22)
“8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)
“18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)
Now let me caution all of us. Just because God sees us positionally as sinless and completely righteous does not mean that we are to give up on trying to live a life for the Lord that represents the righteousness that God has given us. The faith that we have should be driving us toward a practical righteousness. We will never be sinless while living in these fleshly bodies, but hopefully as we grow in grace and get closer to the Lord, we should be sinning less.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Respect
Today’s Passage – Genesis 4 – 6 (Click on the reference to listen to the audio. Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 3 – 4; Proverbs 2; Psalms 6 – 10)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Joshua 1:8
Read the “0102 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “Walking with God,” “Sin Lieth at the Door,” “Shining Brightly in a Dark World,” and “Grieving God.”
“1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.” (Genesis 4:1-5)
The story of Cain and Abel is very sad indeed. Unfortunately, the friction between these first brothers that led to the tragic murder of Abel is something that is all too common still today. Many families are torn apart by petty jealousies and squabbles over things that matter very little. Even among Christians sibling rivalries abound and it just should not be. Christ has forgiven us every offense that we have committed against Him and yet we find it so difficult to forgive others, even within our own families.
When we examine the difficulty between Cain and Abel, we can easily see that the root problem was not necessarily a problem within their relationship with each other, it was a problem with Cain’s relationship with God. This reminds me of an important point: usually relationship difficulties are two-sided, but it can be that one person is completely innocent of any wrong doing. This seems to be the case with Cain and Abel. There is nothing recorded here about Abel doing anything amiss toward his brother. Cain’s problem was with God, and it overflowed into his relationship with his brother.
Notice here that God had “respect” unto Abel and to Abel’s offering, but did not have respect unto Cain and his offering. It was not just the offering that was the problem; it was the one doing the offering that God also had an issue with. The word, “respect,” is an interesting word. It means to regard with favor, or to behold. In the following verse, the phrase “had not respect” means that God turned His gaze away from Cain and Cain’s offering. Many have stated that God had respect unto Abel’s offering because it was a blood sacrifice, which pictured the shed blood of Christ. That may be true but it does not fully explain why God had respect unto Abel as a person and not Cain. However, when we examine the New Testament we learn that Abel’s sacrifice reflected his faith in God, and resulted in his receiving God’s righteousness:
“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” (Hebrews 11:4)
The New Testament also reveals more about Cain:
“Not as Cain, [who] was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” (1 John 3:12)
“Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.” (Jude 1:11)
The passage in 1 John 3 tells us that Cain’s works were evil and that he was “of that wicked one,” clearly indicating that he was not saved. The passage in Jude speaks of the ungodly men who had crept into the church, denying the Lord and turning His grace into lasciviousness. Jude tells us that these ungodly men had gone in the way of Cain. Cain’s offering was a reflection of his lack of faith in God and His provision of salvation. Cain rejected God’s way and was determined to work his way through his own merit into God’s favor. Cain’s murder of his brother further revealed that Cain was completed controlled by the flesh and was not living by faith.
God can only have “respect” unto those who are living by faith. Saved people have, by faith, received the blood sacrifice that the Lord paid on their behalf when He died for their sins on the Cross of Calvary. They are no longer trying to justify themselves with God. Christians are not only saved by God’s grace through faith but they also should live by faith. The Bible repeats often that “the just shall live by faith.” If we have been saved by faith, we should also live by faith, meaning that we no longer do things our way but rather we yield our lives to the will of God. In this new year, let us yield our lives to what God wants.
One more thought: if God respects faith, then we should also respect acts of faith and people of faith. Unfortunately, many believers today are “gazing upon” or “looking upon with favor” many things that are not consistent with our faith in God.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Before It’s Too Late
Today’s Passages – Revelation 11 – 15 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 136 – 140; Proverbs 28)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Deuteronomy 32:4
“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:6 & 7)
I have always been fascinated with the Book of Revelation. In it, we see the final destruction of the earth, and the judgment of all of those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ. However, in the midst of all of the judgment and destruction are many invitations for people to come to Christ. Chapter 14 in particular reveals this truth. The last verse in the chapter is traditionally understood to be about the final battle in the Tribulation Period known as the Battle of Armageddon. Not much of a battle really. Christ is going to return and completely destroy all that oppose Him. Notice, though, that prior to this great battle, even right before the final destruction, God was inviting people to come to Christ. The chapter begins with a discussion about the 144,000 who are evangelists covering the earth with the gospel of Christ. Next, we read about three angels that are flying around the skies warning people about the impending judgment, and inviting them to trust Christ. You see, God is not willing that any should perish. Even at the very end, He is inviting people to turn to Him.
I am no history expert, but I think I remember hearing that before we dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki we warned the people of the coming destruction by dropping leaflets from planes. I may have my facts mixed up a little, but I have heard that our government is known to warn the innocent, so that they can be saved. It kind of reminds me of what God is doing here in these passages. Yes, the judgment is certainly coming, but God is willing to save any and all that will come to Him before that day comes.
How about you? Have you heeded the warning from God regarding the coming judgment? You see, my friend, the wages of our sin is eternal death; but God in His mercy and grace is willing to save anybody who is willing to turn from their sin unto the Saviour. If you haven’t yet trusted Christ, I encourage you to read the “Are You Saved?” page on this blog.
Now to those of you who are saved, don’t ever give up on your unsaved loved ones. Keep praying for them, and preaching to them. As we have seen in this passage, God is going to keep giving them opportunities to repent, even at the very end. We should have the same attitude. Keep trying to win them, keep inviting them, keep reaching out to them, keep loving them, even until the end of our earthly lives. It may be that last try that convinces them that Christ is their only hope.
Posted in Thoughts from Revelation by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.