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Sketched VIII Day 7 Lazarus: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Lazarus!

The Questions

1)  How can we bless God on a daily basis? (verse 2)

2) What does David mean with the words ‘His greatness is unsearchable’? (verse 3)

3) How can we declare God’s greatness to others and why is this important? (verses 4-7)

Psalm 145:1-7

1 I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 I will bless you every day; I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 The Lord is great and is highly praised; His greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts. 5 I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous works. 6 They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts, and I will declare your greatness. 7 They will give a testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Original Intent

1)  How can we bless God on a daily basis? (verse 2)
Although David was Israel’s king, he knew Who had given him this position, and he acknowledged God as his King when he proclaimed, “I exalt you, my God the King”. (verse 1) His view of God was so high that he couldn’t stop himself from praising and blessing Him. In studying the book of Psalms, we find a lovely collection of songs where David is actively blessing God. Very quickly, we see how blessing God goes hand in hand with praising Him. For example, Psalm 34:1 reads, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” He continues by telling the people to join him in proclaiming the Lord’s greatness and exalting His name. (Psalm 34:3). In Psalm 104, the psalmist blesses God for the Creator He is. He begins and ends his psalm with, “My soul, bless the Lord!”. (Psalm 104:1; 35). Between these verses, we hear David praising God for His creation and the wonderful things He’s done. In 1 Chronicles 29:10 we read how David “blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said, ‘May you be blessed, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity.’”  He continues again with praising and exalting God’s name and His character. It’s clear that David blessed God through praises and exaltation from his heart.

2) What does David mean with the words ‘His greatness is unsearchable’? (verse 3)
Since David only used this exact statement in this particular verse, I looked at some other references found in the Bible to understand its meaning in full. Interestingly, I discovered that Job proclaimed similar words. Twice he stated, “[God] does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.” (Job 5:9; 9:10) Just as David proclaimed the greatness of the Lord, so also Job says the same thing (which is incredible, since Job walked through a season of deep suffering and loss). For emphasis, Job adds that God is so great, His wonders cannot be numbered. With this statement, we’re simply told that, no matter how hard we try, we won’t be able to fully understand the greatness of our Father in heaven. This includes the plans He has for us. That’s how amazingly great He really is!

3) How can we declare God’s greatness to others and why is this important? (verses 4-7)
David answers this question within this same passage. He tells us to speak of the Lord’s splendor and glorious majesty, His wondrous works, and awe-inspiring acts. (Psalm 145:5-6) These acts give testimony of God’s greatness and righteousness. (Psalm 145:7) David adds, “speak of the glory of [His] kingdom… informing all people of [His] mighty acts and of the glorious splendor of [His] kingdom.” (Psalm 145:11-12) Later, David writes, “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded, and they were created. He set them in position forever and ever; he gave an order that will never pass away.” (Psalm 148:5-6) Here, he shows us why we should praise Him and bless Him… because He spoke, and everything was created, including us!

Everyday Application

1)  How can we bless God on a daily basis? (verse 2)
At first, it might sound strange to bless God when He’s mainly the One blessing us, but we can bless Him by exalting Him and praising His name. David knew this and praised His name often, daily in fact! He wrote a beautiful psalm that teaches us exactly how to praise God and thus bless Him every day. In Psalm 150, we discover we can praise the Lord

  • In His sanctuary
  • In His vastness
  • For His powerful acts
  • For His abundant greatness
  • With music and dance

David blessed the Lord despite his own feelings or his circumstances. Blessing God was anchored in God’s unchanging character. We can do the same! The Lord is always good, kind, gracious, loving, merciful, tender, gentle, and much more! For which portion of His character will you praise Him today? Let your blessing become a pattern in your everyday life!

2) What does David mean with the words ‘His greatness is unsearchable’? (verse 3)
As we already saw, David used these words to show the enormous magnitude of God’s greatness. Benson’s commentary adds some extra light to this verse by writing, “[God’s] presence is infinite, His power irresistible, His majesty awful, His sovereignty incontestable, His dominion illimitable, His glory insupportable”. In other words, God is so great, it’s impossible for us to fully understand the extent of His greatness. God is so great, He knows the very number of our hairs (Luke 12:7), He knew all of us before we were even formed in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5). His eyes could see us when we were formless, and all our days were already written and planned in His book before a single one began. (Psalm 139:16) How great and marvelous He truly is! Take time to jot down a few things you see around you that magnificent (like, a child’s eyes, the pattern on your skin, the flight of a honeybee, or the silkiness of a flower petal), and let those remind you of the greatness of God!

3) How can we declare God’s greatness to others and why is this important?
In today’s society, we often forget God is the One who blesses and provides for us. He gives us both common grace of our planet, air, and water, and His providential grace to all who trust Him for salvation by shaping them to become more like Jesus. How many times do we take credit for His work? God is the giver of all wisdom (Proverbs 2:6), truth (John 14:6), and strength (2 Corinthians 12:9); they come from the Lord, not ourselves. Yet, we are all guilty of not giving credit to Him, instead keeping it for ourselves. Remember the Old Testament prophet, Daniel (Daniel 2:27-28), and going farther back to Joseph (Genesis 41:15-16)? At the ruler’s request, both men were asked to interpret dreams. Interestingly, both men responded by saying, “No.” They couldn’t accomplish this feat, not on their own power, but God could reveal it to them. Before even stating the dream interpretations, they both gave credit to the One who gave them the wisdom to understand the dreams because God Himself was the giver of both the dream and the interpretation. Similarly, if we want to declare God’s greatness to others, we need to acknowledge His work and power, both in the Bible as well as in our own lives. Our testimonies of what God has done for us will boldly declare of His greatness in powerful and impactful ways to others! Only God is worthy of praise and because of our public praise, people who have yet to know God, may encounter His love and righteousness in personal ways! So, “let our mouths be filled with God’s praise and His honor all day long!” (Psalm 71:8)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Lazarus!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Sketched VIII Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Ten Day 8 Worth Of One

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:13
Genesis 1:26-27
Exodus 21:22-25

Ten, Day 8

Be honest, sister.
Have you ever tried to earn God’s favor?

I’ll be the first to admit I have!

Entrapped in a multi- year-long season of legalism, I believed the Ten Commandments, as well as God’s instruction to the church in the New Testament, were provided as means for pleasing God with our behavior . . . to earn His favor. I subconsciously viewed my obedience as a means to control God. If I obeyed His commands, then surely God would love and protect me and no harm would come my way . . . right?

Wrong.
My limited perspective was nearsighted and false. As I have grown in my understanding of the Word, I’ve learned the commands of God reflect His character. They reveal His nature, His righteousness, His love, His goodness, and His desire for us to be holy, as He is holy. As we live in obedience to Him out of a heart of gratitude for His glorious gospel, we are transformed into His image and reflect Him to the watching world.

In our series on the Ten Commandments, we’ve reached God’s commandment, “Do not murder” (Exodus 20:13). Most everyone agrees murder is wrong, but have you ever pondered why? What makes murder so grievous? Today, we’ll unpack why murder is such an affront to the heart and nature of God.

Our conversation starts at the beginning of time, in the garden of Eden. As God created mankind, He proclaimed,
“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26)

We see the result of this proclamation in the very next verse:
“So God created man in his own image;
He created him in the image of God;
He created them male and female.” (Genesis 1:27)

This is precisely why murder so terrible; when someone murders a fellow human being, they are snuffing out the life of an image-bearer of God Himself.

The sacred nature of human life is further illustrated in this Levitical law:
“When men get in a fight and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born prematurely but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman’s husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment.  If there is an injury, then you must give life for life,  eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,  burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound.” (Exodus 21:22-25)

This law clearly illustrates the importance God places on a human life,
even the smallest and most vulnerable!

For believers living after Jesus’ death and resurrection, who live everyday with the gift of the Holy Spirit within us, this commandment takes on new meaning and a higher level of accountability. As Jesus teaches in Matthew 5, our abstention from murder should extend to unrighteous anger, insults, and denigrating or slanderous speech.

In fact, Scripture explains, such treatment of a fellow image-bearer reveals a heart of hatred. Hatred of another human, even our enemies, stands in direct opposition to the example set by Jesus’ sacrificial death.

Instead, Jesus calls us to love our enemies and offers us a living demonstration: even in the midst of His agony on the cross, He didn’t spew judgement or hatred. His heart of mercy triumphed over the pain of injustice His body suffered as He interceded for His tormentors.

“Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

God’s command to preserve life, working in concert with the other passages we’ve discussed, creates a beautiful picture of the Father’s fierce heart of love for His children. The command truly comes alive and we see, for perhaps the first time, just how highly God esteems us as His creations. We bear the image, the breath, and the Spirit of Almighty God. Therefore, rather than taking a life, we are called to willingly lay down our own lives, in gratitude and love for the One who gave Himself to rescue us.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Ten Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Ten!

Ten Day 6 Family On Purpose

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:12
Genesis 1:1-2:3
Leviticus 19:9-37
Ephesians 6:2-3

Ten, Day 6

Dread knotted in my stomach.

I had done it.
I was sure my parents would not only find out, but also be disappointed.

I had chosen to do what my foolish little girl brain wanted, instead of listening to my parents’ request. I didn’t honor them with my choice, and guilt mixed with remorse was coming on hot and heavy.

I was probably 10 years old when I decided to sneak into the garage refrigerator after dinner one night. It was the spare fridge, the one Mom used when preparing for company.

I took a spoon to my favorite dessert, Éclair Cake, and thought I could get away with helping myself to a few more bites. Somehow though, when I was putting it away, the pan flipped upside down. Even with the lid on, the dessert was ruined. There was no way to keep my secret now. Mom would undoubtedly realize a little snitch had been to her dessert.

You see, Mom and Dad had some rules. There were four of us kids at home. Left to our own devices, we could create lots of chaos. Therefore, the ‘rents had some parameters for us to live within, which allowed our house to have order, stability, and certainty. In their parental wisdom, they demonstrated their love for us by maintaining boundaries.

The Lord our God also has rules and parameters for us, His children.

As we journey through the Ten Commandments, we first see a list of rules. However, if we look a bit closer, we realize what seems to be a list of dos and don’ts is actually a reflection of God’s character. 

“Honor your father and mother so you may have a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

God created the world in a specific order. (Genesis 1:1-2:3) He put in different systems to maintain this order. (Genesis 1:26-30) The Levitical law shows us God doesn’t act on a whim, but has a plan and a purpose for even the smallest part of our lives. (Leviticus 19:9-37)

Returning to Exodus, we see the family unit has order and purpose.
And we learn our God is a God of order and purpose.

Nothing Creator God does is wasted. His actions were purposeful in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and in our lives now. He holds the systems of this world in His mighty hand and works things together for our good.

Life often seems chaotic and confusing. Bad things happen, loved ones become terminally ill, senseless murder continues. Our finances crumble, our children don’t make wise choices, we need to retire before we had planned. Where is order and purpose?

David, the Psalmist, wrestled with similar troubles. He wrote, “Save me, God, for the water has risen to my neck.” (Psalm 69:1)

Yet, by Psalm 71, David was able to declare, “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you because you have redeemed me.”

David recognized God was using the overwhelming parts of his life to draw him near. God was redeeming the mountains of challenges David had climbed throughout his life by giving them beautiful purpose. 

Where have you felt the flood waters rising?
When have you experienced the Loving Father’s redemption?

Just as a loving parent has rules in place for the good of their children, God gives us parameters to guide us. When we honor our earthly parents, we honor our Heavenly Father. He loves us perfectly and completely; He knows what we need and how we may stumble. Honoring our parents is a command we can take hold of, trusting the Lord is creating order and fulfilling purpose.

{Let’s talk for a moment about parents who are harming their children. Make no mistake: honoring our parents does not mean submitting to abuse. If you are currently being abused at home, you can reach out here (nationally) or here (locally in KCMO). We, the collective church, support you, even if your abusers are Christians. Even if they’re involved in ministry. Even if they’re pastoring your church. God is not asking you to stay in harm’s way.}

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Ten Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Ten!

Blessed Day 9 Blessed Are The Merciful: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Blessed Are The Merciful!

The Questions

1) How did faith in Christ’s goodness translate into the giving of mercy?

2) Why does our faith make Christ turn towards us?

3) What made Jesus turn around and see the woman hidden in the crowd?

Matthew 9:18-22

While He spoke these things to them, behold a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live. So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well. But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well. And the woman was made well from that hour.

Original Intent

1) How did faith in Christ’s goodness translate into the giving of mercy?
The law was the basis for Israelite society and was a blueprint for mankind to approach a holy God. The law is holy, its commandments are holy, righteous, and good. (Romans 7:12) Knowing the commandment declared a woman like her unclean, she took her life in her hands and made a gamble. The command says, “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, that goes beyond her customary impurity she shall be unclean. Everything she touches and sits on is unclean. Any person that touches her or an object that came in contact with her shall be unclean until evening.” The woman with the issue of blood was a living breathing scarlet letter. The commandment which was to bring life brought death to her relationships and her standing among God’s people. But the goodness of God embodied in the Son of God brought life that day. The laws of uncleanness declared that no one could approach the temple of God and defile it, the penalty was divine retribution or death. Thankfully, we serve a God full of mercy, and God’s mercy is rooted in His goodness. It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. (Romans 2:4) The word had spread that Jesus was near and the woman reached out on the chance that His goodness and mercy would heal even a woman like her. Instead of divine retribution for touching the living temple of God, she received grace, mercy, and healing.

2) Why does our faith make Christ turn towards us?
During Jesus’ day, the Pharisees taught the people a purity code. This purity and holiness code were based on being untouched or undefiled by unclean things or people. “If the holy or unclean came into contact, one or the other ceased to exist: the holy became unholy or it destroyed the unclean thing”. In this culture, the holy is kept away from unclean things lest either one is destroyed. But what is the most important thing to a God that has confined all under sin? (Romans 11:32) The reason all have been confined to sin is so He might have mercy on all! The path of mercy is laid by the stones of faith. For without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) The righteousness which is of faith is not based on outward appearance. It is not based on a set of rules and regulations that keep the marginalized out and away from sight. The righteousness of faith gives us peace with God through Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) Jesus made sure to tell the woman in front of the crowd it was her faith that moved the hand and heart of God that day.

3) What made Jesus turn around and see the woman hidden in the crowd?
In Mark’s version of this story there are a couple more details that give additional context. The first is that a multitude is pressing against Jesus and the disciples. Imagine if the Rock decided to take a stroll through town and word got out he was giving out autographs. As the Rock is making his way to a friend’s house the crowd presses to get a chance to see him. However, the Rock has some bodyguards around him, trying and failing, to keep the crowd under control. In the midst of the chaos, a woman pushes through crawling and getting stepped on for a chance to touch the cuff of his pants. The Rock feels something tugging at the bottom of his pants and suddenly stops and demands to know who touched him? When this happened with Jesus, of course the disciples’ reaction was, “Are you kidding me right now?!” I know you see this crowd of people and you’re asking “Who touched my clothes”? In Mark’s version, the woman knew immediately she was healed and Jesus knew immediately He had intentionally healed. I don’t know what made the woman shrink back into the crowd after receiving her healing, perhaps it was fear or shame at being on public display. Thankfully, Jesus stopped everything and everyone from moving, in order to acknowledge her miracle and call her Daughter. If Jesus did not publicly acknowledge it, the society around her would have still treated the woman as an outcast. I’m glad our Savior didn’t let the woman shrink back into the shadows. That day, she received her healing for her body and soul.

Everyday Application

1) How did faith in Christ’s goodness translate into the giving of mercy?
Many times in life, we have received a message of promise from our God, that defies belief. God has given us a word of healing and restoration, but the circumstances shout a different reality. A marriage that has no hope of reconciliation, a wayward child that has abandoned the faith, or a sick and tired body bound with pain. It can be a struggle to see the goodness of God in the midst of life’s circumstances. Especially if the circumstances have lasted for years, like the woman with the issue of blood; goodness, hope, and mercy can seem like alien concepts. One day Moses had a meeting with the Lord God and asked to see His glory. Instead, the Lord God decided to give Moses a revelation of His goodness, “I will make all My goodness pass before you.” (Exodus 33:19) “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7) Goodness and mercy walk hand in hand. In fact, the roots of mercy are found in the goodness of God. Because we know that God is good, He will have mercy to those that call on His name. One, long ago day, the woman encountered the goodness of God passing before her just like Moses and trusting in Christ’s goodness her faith made her whole. I would implore you to ask God for a fresh revelation of His goodness towards you. Like the psalmist says His goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life (Psalm 23:6), and I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)

2) Why does our faith make Christ turn towards us?
In Hebrews 11:6 it says, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. Have you ever stopped to wonder what did the author of Hebrews mean by the phrase, “He is”? He is what exactly? It doesn’t say it’s almost like a fill in the blank scenario He is ___. It reminds me of when Moses asked God “If they ask for your name what should I say to them? God replies tell them I AM has sent you.” (Exodus 3:13-14) Most gods then and now are known primarily for one thing. In Hinduism if you need help with love or fertility, you would pray to Gauri. In Buddhist teachings, you would pray to Chana Dorje for power. Because Yahweh is all-encompassing, He is everything you need. When approaching the I AM, and the HE IS you must remember that because of Christ’s sacrifice, He has forever proven He is good and He hears you. Once you realize the goodness which leads you to repentance, you know He hears your requests. You can be confident in your position in Christ. “Now this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14) That confidence is your faith in Christ, just like the woman with the issue of blood had confidence in Christ’s ability to heal. You have confident faith that He is whatever your situation needs at the moment. The great I AM is good. The great I AM is loving, and the great I AM is the author and finisher of your faith. That confidence in God Himself is what causes Him to turn towards you.

3) What made Jesus turn around and see the woman hidden in the crowd?
One thing I have noticed as I’ve grown older, is that people are really good at hiding hurt and shame. There is a good reason for hiding because life can be cruel, especially when we are most vulnerable. Over time we put on masks to hide the hurt, shame, and pain of life. Like the woman with the issue of blood, we can become so good at hiding, that those around us can’t see and we get trampled underfoot by the crowd. Part of the process of restoration involves revealing those hidden parts we like to hide and bringing them into the light. Because God looks at the inward heart of man, He is more than capable of healing wounds the eye cannot see. The beautiful part of the story of the woman with the issue of blood and Jesus is that He ended her days of hiding from the crowd. Jesus purposely called her out and, instead of shaming her, gave her double honor. During these lockdowns, protests, and pandemics it can be easy to get lost in the midst of so many social issues, but even in the midst of all these things, you are still the apple of His eye. You are hidden no more.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Blessed Are The Merciful!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Blessed Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Blessed Day 6 Blessed Are The Hungry And Thirsty

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 5:6
John 7:37-39
Psalm 42
Isaiah 55:1-3

Blessed, Day 6

Tacos.
I pretty much need tacos in my life.
My daughter asked me if a Mother’s Day lunch of tacos was too casual.
Um, NO!
Bring the tacos, guac, and all the salsa!

Water, mixed with magical beans, is basically essential in my everyday life.
My rough mornings are dramatically improved by the promised hope of brewing coffee.
I jokingly need tacos and coffee for a happy life.

I’ve been hungry and thirsty, but never impoverished.
I haven’t gone days with only morsels of bread or only sips of water, wondering if I would live or die.

But the Israelites had.
Freed from Egyptian slavery and led into the desert by the very presence of God, they were utterly dependent on the kindness of God for food and drink.

The Jews, suffering under oppressive Roman rule, were also familiar with agonizing hunger and thirst. Would there be enough food for toddling babes to sleep without crying? Would there be enough grain for Jewish families after the Romans took their taxes and lined their pockets with Jewish harvested produce? Suppose the Romans took possession of their wells. Where would they get water?

Unlike my hunger for fried tortillas and cumin infused pork, these people knew exactly what it felt like to go to bed hungry and wake up again with a deeper gnawing of not enough.

The Jews longed to be filled; it was an ache so heavy it consumed their everyday moments of waking and sleeping.

It was set against this ragtag gathering of the impoverished, the overlooked, the diseased, the protruding bellies of malnourishment, the hungry and the thirsty that Jesus, in His gentle, commanding voice cried out with words that resonated deep into hearts,

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink!”. (John 7:37)

While I haven’t experienced a groaning hunger for food, my soul has been wrecked for other desires.

When the kind-hearted, God-honoring son of a friend of mine was bullied to the point of death threats at his high school because of his skin color, my angry, broken heart begged and pleaded for justice.

When my little boy was whisked to the arms of Jesus far too soon and grief and loss etched themselves permanently across my heart, I agonized with the Lord through tears to please, please return. “I just want to go Home with you, Abba,” I pleaded.

When another marital conflict exploded, leaving its shrapnel deep in the hearts of our children and each other, my wounded heart begged and pleaded for our world to be set right.

To be set right.
I hungered for righteousness.

It was like going to bed hungry and waking up with the same, unsatisfied gnawing of not enough.

Jesus saw the crowds quickly gathering as He and His twelve disciples drew near the familiar rocky terrain of the Mount of Olives. He ascended with intentionality, knowing His disciples and the gathering crowd would hear His life-giving words as the sound of His voice carried to the valley.

Midway through His teaching on The Blessed Life, Christ declared with authoritative boldness, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

Everything Jesus did or said was cocooned with purpose. As the Son of God chose human Greek words to descend on the ears of His hearers, He used “peinao” meaning “intensely painful hunger”, and “dispaso”, meaning “painful thirst”. There were other words Jesus could have used, but He specifically chose ones associated with a longing so deep it inflicted pain.

As He spoke, the attention of the audience intensified, as if with one collective sigh, they all deeply related to Jesus’ point.
They knew the pain of bellies from lack of food and of throbbing heads from dehydration.
Deeper still, they knew the gut-wrenching agony of watching unrighteousness play out around them in their relationships, their families, and their nation.

Pain-filled hunger and thirst was palpable.
They could feel it.

Can’t each of us?!.
How we hunger for the wholeness only ushered in by pure righteousness!

In fact, righteousness poured out over our hearts, churches, families, and world would feel akin to standing beneath a powerful waterfall in the dry, dusty heat of a wilderness desert, wouldn’t it?

Fresh.
New.
Alive.
Thriving.

Four words flooded with promise closed out Jesus’ statement on hungering and thirsting for righteousness. “They will be filled.”

We are the empty, the broken, the completely unrighteous.
He is the righteous filler.

As God the Son hung naked and dying on a Roman tool of torture, His flesh beaten to a literal pulp, gasping for His final breaths as the weight of the world’s sin pressed down upon Him, He became separated from the goodness of God.
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?!” (Matthew 27:46)

In His separation from the righteous holiness of God as He carried my sin and yours, Jesus cried out, “I thirst!”. The water of Life had been cut off from its Source rooted in the goodness of Father God’s heart.

He took on our thirst for righteousness and paid for our sin in full, in order to lavish us with the flood of His own abundance so we can stand before the Almighty God spotless, holy, and blameless.

In the closing words of all of Scripture we hear this wide invitation,
“The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”
And let the one who hears say, “Come.”
And let the one who is thirsty come;
let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” (Revelation 22:17)

His full righteousness is here for the taking.
In the middle of our broken, our pain, our ache for wholeness,
Jesus cries out, “Come! Be filled!”.

Trust Him with the weight of your life, and let Him fill you to overflowing with His righteousness!

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He Day 13 El Olam

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 90:1-4
Exodus 3:1-15
John 8:48-59
Revelation 4:1-11
Isaiah 40:28-31

He, Day 13

Have you ever studied the names of God? Learning about His names gives added meaning to our relationship with God in profound, breathtaking ways.

But honestly, friends, it took me a hot second to come to this understanding. In fact, I have struggled with this particular study.  Perhaps it was because I was trying to define “everlasting” in terms that make sense to our time-bound minds, or maybe I wasn’t grasping the whole meaning of the name El Olam, “Everlasting God.”

I turned in one version of the study that I honestly didn’t like, crying because I couldn’t put into words what I knew needed to be said. I knew if the study wasn’t making sense to me, it wouldn’t make sense to those who would read it.

But this week in chapel, God put me right where He needed me to embrace a whole new meaning to His name.

El Olam, “Everlasting God.”
Everlasting calls to mind words like:
For a long time
Always
Forever
Never-ending

Hebrews 13:8 declares, “God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Additionally, Revelation 1:8 reminds us He is the “Alpha and Omega [. . .] the One who is, who was, and who is to come.”

In Psalm 90:2, everlasting is described as “from eternity to eternity, You are God.”

In first grade, my teacher wanted us to consider how God is without beginning and He will always be. For a first grader, existence beyond the bounds of time is pretty tough to comprehend. Well, for an adult, it’s hard to comprehend!

We all have our beginning, a moment in time where we became who we are (Psalm 139:13-16). But God is without a beginning; He has simply always been.

For me, the never-ending is significantly easier to understand than never beginning. While everything on earth ends, all will live eternally somewhere. If we believe in God, we’ll spend eternity in Heaven with Him.

Eternity is a long time. Even thinking about it, you can see how I put the constraints of time in the thoughts. But to God, eternity is all the same, a great oneness (2 Peter 3:8-9). He has always existed and He will never cease to exist.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites called God Yahweh, which means “I am.” Yahweh is the most important name of God, in that it encompasses all of who God is. When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, God gave Moses a new insight into who He is.

“I Am who I Am […] the Lord, the God of your fathers.” (Exodus 3:14-15)

“I Am who I Am” could also be translated “I will be who I will be and I will continue to be.”
I am the LORD, Yahweh, forever, changeless God.

What does this mean for us in our lifetime?

The same as it did for Moses. The God whom we turned against in our sin, sent Jesus to cover the debt of our sinfulness. In John 8:58, Jesus says, “before Abraham was, I Am.”
I am the LORD, Yahweh, forever God.
Our Savior is the same eternal God we read about in Exodus, Psalms, and Revelation.
Our everlasting Savior is the same “I Am” today.

Our forever God is forever:
Dependable
Trustworthy
Consistent
Faithful
Good
Love

With time, comes change in our physical, linear world. The seasons change. We see physical change throughout our life. Finances change. Circumstances change.

But God does not, nor will He ever, change.

His character does not change.

His Word does not change.

Isaiah 40:28-31 reminds us of our everlasting God. God doesn’t change; therefore we find strength in Him. When we are left feeling bereft, frightened, or confused by the shifting, time-locked world around us, we can look to our everlasting God.

We can share in His hope, always.

We can share in His peace and His joy, always.

We can share in the unending assurance of His presence, His care, and His provision.
Always.

He holds all from before time began and will hold all when time ceases.
He was, and is, and is to come.
He is everlasting.

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He Day 9 Yahweh M’Kaddesh: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Yahweh M’Kaddesh!

The Questions

1) Why did God say in verse 23, “I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned and I will cleanse them?”

2) What Did Ezekiel mean when he wrote in verse 24, “My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them?”

3) What does the phrase in verse 28, “I, the Lord, sanctify Israel” mean?

Ezekiel 37:23-28

They will not defile themselves anymore with their idols, their abhorrent things, and all their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God. 24 My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow my ordinances, and keep my statutes and obey them.

25 “‘They will live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your ancestors lived. They will live in it forever with their children and grandchildren, and my servant David will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be a permanent covenant with them. I will establish and multiply them and will set my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 When my sanctuary is among them forever, the nations will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel.’”

Original Intent

1) Why did God say in verse 23, “I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned and I will cleanse them?”
This section of Ezekiel 37 starts with a phrase in verse 15, “The word of the Lord came to me.” Scholars estimate Ezekiel started writing his book before the fall of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and, we know from his own writings, that he continued recording prophecies after he was captured and moved to Babylon. God gave Ezekiel this prophecy to encourage the exiles in Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem that was coming in 586 B.C. Long before Babylon invaded Jerusalem, many prophets, including Isaiah and Micah, warned the people of Judah to stop worshiping other gods. But the people persisted in their idolatrous ways. As the fall of Jerusalem drew closer, God called Ezekiel and Jeremiah to warn King Zedekiah, and the people of Judah, of God’s coming judgment for their sinful choices. This passage contrasts the past sinful actions that led to the Fall of Jerusalem, and the resulting Babylonian captivity, to a glorious future with an eternal king. In Ezekiel 37:23, “apostasies” refers to the abominable and filthy things. Throughout the Old Testament, “apostasies” is combined with the word “idols” to describe the idol’s filthy sin nature.  This passage provides hope even in captivity. God said He would save His people from their sins and cleanse them. God’s people needed to be cleansed because their destructive and idolatrous choices had defiled them. After God saved them and cleansed them, He would restore their relationship, they would be His people, and He would be their God. This reference goes back to a promise God gave Moses in Exodus 6:7, “I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from the forced labor of the Egyptians.” It is restated again in Leviticus 26:12, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.”

2) What Did Ezekiel mean when he wrote in verse 24, “My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them?”
This prophecy about King David is fascinating because Ezekiel lived nearly 500 years after David was king of Israel! This phrase mirrors verse 25, which says, “My Servant David will be their prince forever.” Often phrases or words are repeated in the Bible to give extra emphasis to a point. God wanted to grab the attention of the people of Israel who were listening to this prophecy, underscoring its importance by pointing to the past, while also pointing forward to the future. King David was a shepherd of sheep when he was chosen to lead the people of Israel and anointed as their next king. David was the model of a godly king, a man after God’s own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14) Under David’s rule, the nation of Israel was unified and successful in battle. Ezekiel’s prophecy pointed to a time yet to come when God’s people would be unified under a perfectly righteous leader who would lead His people as a compassionate shepherd. They would be successful in battle and live in peace. This Good Shepherd could only be God Himself wrapped in human flesh, Jesus Christ.

3) What does the phrase in verse 28, “I, the Lord, sanctify Israel” mean?
The word “sanctify” relates to being made holy. The NIV translation of the Bible uses the phrase, “I the LORD make Israel holy,” and the Good News translation explains, “I, the LORD, have set Israel apart as holy.” The word “holy” means “set apart.” Being holy is a characteristic of the Lord God. In Leviticus 19:2, God commanded Moses to “Speak to the entire Israelite community and tell them: Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” In order to be in relationship with a holy God, the entire community was required to be holy. However, it was impossible for the people to sanctify themselves because they were unholy. They were defiled by sin, so being sanctified required action from the Lord. As Ezekiel 37:28 illustrates, it was the Lord Himself who would sanctify the people of Israel. In Exodus 31:12-13, “The Lord said to Moses: ‘Tell the Israelites: You must observe my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, so that you will know that I am the Lord who consecrates you.’” Keeping the Sabbath wasn’t a way to become holy, but a way to be reminded it is only the Lord who made them holy. On Sabbath, the people were commanded to do no work, as a reminder that only God’s work could purify them. Leviticus 20:8 states, “Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sets you apart.” 

Everyday Application

1) Why did God say in verse 23, “I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned and I will cleanse them?”
God has always desired to have a relationship with His people. Contrary to what we may feel, God is not carrying a big stick, waiting for us to mess up. He isn’t looking for us to be perfect before He gives His nod of approval, because we will never reach perfection! He wants to be our God and for us to be his people. He isn’t looking for performances put on like a mask, He wants our hearts knit with His in oneness of deep relationship. Alas, He is holy and set apart. We are corrupted by sin, just as the people of Judah were defiled by their apostasies and idol worship. Our efforts cannot save us, only God’s redeeming work through the cross of Jesus Christ can save us. As Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.” Look at your sin head on for what it is without sugar coating it as a “mistake”, call it out for the apostasy and idolatry it is, then turn to God, Yahweh M’Kaddesh, who promises to make us holy, even in spite of our sin!

2) What Did Ezekiel mean when he wrote in verse 24, “My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them?”
Ezekiel’s prophecy was looking forward to a time when a descendant of David, an eternal king would rule. As the genealogy in Matthew 1 shows, Jesus is a descendant of King David. As a Rabbi and teacher, Jesus was familiar with this prophecy in Ezekiel. He explained to his followers that He was the fulfillment of the prophecy in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” In John 10:14-16, Jesus continues, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.” The people listening to Jesus would know that “sheep” often referred to Israel. However, Jesus added a new dimension by stating, “I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen.” Jesus was referring to those who were not descendants of the tribes of Israel. King Jesus would shepherd people from all over the world to encompass every nation, every tribe, and every tongue. One glorious day, all who trust Him as their Shepherd, will live at peace for eternity! (Revelation 7:9-10) For all to live together in beautiful unity, restored to a righteous relationship with God, His people would need to be made righteous. Jesus magnificently exemplifies Yahweh M’Kaddesh as the God who makes us holy so we can all dwell with Him!

3) What does the phrase in verse 28, “I, the Lord, sanctify Israel” mean?
Just as Israel couldn’t sanctify themselves, none of us can make ourselves holy. Even one single sin disqualifies us from ever becoming holy on our own. This is bad news for all of humanity, but the good news is that Jesus came to sanctify all people and make us holy for us! Hebrews 10:10 says, “By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” The nation of Israel was given the Law, the Ten Commandments, to make it abundantly clear what holy righteousness looked like. Israel proved over and over they couldn’t keep the whole law, and neither can we. Any deviation from the Law makes us a sinner, and the punishment for sin is death and eternal separation from God. It is only through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who took that punishment on Himself, that we can be made right with God. In John 17:17, Jesus asks God to sanctify His disciples, making their lives reflect His holiness, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. I sanctify myself for them, so that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” God will use His word and truth to sanctify the believer to make us holy. It is not our efforts that will make us more like God, but the Holy Spirit’s power through the word of God that sanctifies us.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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Our Current Study Theme!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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He Day 6 Yahweh Jireh

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 22:10-18
Matthew 6:5-8
Matthew 6:25-34
Ephesians 3:20-21

He, Day 6

I have never felt more “unseen” than in my first few years of motherhood. With my husband coaching late night games and my son often rising before dawn, I spent most mornings wondering how I was going to make it through another fourteen hour day alone with the kids.

Those were difficult, yet fruitful years, as I leaned into my desperate need for God. I needed Him for strength, grace, peace, and joy, and He provided me all of those and more. During those long, lonely days, I came to know Him as Yahweh Jireh, “The Lord Who Provides.”

Abraham was the first to call God by this name. He did so just after an enormous test of faith, when God asked him to sacrifice his one and only son, the son born of God’s promise to make Abraham a great nation. 

In Genesis 22, we watch as Abraham binds his son, Isaac, and lays him on an altar. Abraham raises his arm, fully prepared to use the knife he holds, only to hear the Lord call out and stay his hand. As Abraham looks up, he sees a ram caught in a thicket of thorns. It is God’s provision, a substitute sacrifice to stand in Isaac’s place. Abraham’s son no longer needed to die, God had Abraham’s full attention. 

Yahweh Jireh can be defined as both “The Lord Perceives” and “The Lord Provides.” These definitions may seem at odds, but as we will see, they are really two steps in a single action.

A great example of this is found in Numbers 11:4-23. In this passage, the nation of Israel is grumbling against their leader, Moses, and ultimately against the Lord. They are tired of the manna God has provided them and desperate for meat. They are so desperate, in fact, they begin to long for the land of their captivity, Egypt. 

The Lord hears their complaints and His righteous anger is aroused. He declares He will provide them meat; in fact, He will provide them so with much meat they will be sick of it. He informs Moses He will send them quail for a month.

Moses seems indignant and replies, “I am in the middle of a people with six hundred thousand foot soldiers, yet you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat, and they will eat for a month.’ If flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?” (Numbers 11:21-22)

The Lord responds, “Is the Lord’s arm weak? Now you will see whether or not what I have promised will happen for you.” (Numbers 11:23)

The Lord makes it clear He will be the one to provide for Israel, not Moses, and indeed He does. Not only does He perceive both the Israelites’ “need” and its origin in attitudes of ungratefulness, but He provides remedies for both.

If we fast forward to the New Testament, we see another instance where Yahweh Jireh perceives and provides. In John 6, Jesus is wrapping up a full day’s teaching alongside the sea of Galilee, when He looks up at the gathering crowd. Moved with compassion, He looks over at Philip and asks, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?”. (John 6:5)

I imagine Philip’s pulse quickened at the question, his mind reeling with the impracticality of finding, much less affording, enough bread to feed the thousands before him. 

“Two hundred denarii [nearly a year’s wages] worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little,” Philip responds, despairingly. (John 6:7)

But Jesus never intended for Philip to purchase bread. The text tells us before Jesus asked the question, He had determined a solution. He would provide the food and He would do it through the meager offering a small boy’s lunch: five loaves of bread and two fish.

In both of these instances, God perceives a need and determines He will meet it.
Both times, man perceives the need and despairs.

Are you in a place of despair? 

Do you find yourself surrounded by overwhelming problems and unmet needs? Be encouraged! There is nothing, not a moment, of our lives that goes by unobserved by Yahweh Jireh. Unlike an uninterested bystander, the Lord not only perceives our needs, He moves on our behalf to meet them. 

Nowhere is this more true than in our need for a savior. Just as God provided a ram to stand in the place of Abraham’s son, He provided Jesus to stand in ours. 

Our salvation is a need we couldn’t possibly satisfy on our own;
our sin is a debt we could never repay.
Thanks be to Christ, we no longer have to. 

His death ensured our forgiveness;
His righteousness became our own.

Whatever you are in need of today, bring it before Yahweh Jireh. He has met our greatest need through salvation. How much more can we trust Him with the rest?

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He Day 4 Adonai: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Adonai!

The Questions

1) The title “Lord” is all throughout this passage, what is the difference between Yahweh, Adonai, and Elohim?

2) According to this passage, what sets apart Adonai from all other adonai?

3) What is our response to this Adonai of adonai?

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you except to fear the LORD your God by walking in all his ways, to love Him, and to worship the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul? 13 Keep the LORD’s commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good. 14 The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to the LORD your God, as does the earth and everything in it. 15 Yet the LORD had His heart set on your ancestors and loved them. He chose their descendants after them—He chose you out of all the peoples, as it is today. 16 Therefore, circumcise your hearts and don’t be stiff-necked any longer. 17 For the LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing. 19 You are also to love the resident alien, since you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt. 20 You are to fear the LORD your God and worship him. Remain faithful to him and take oaths in his name. 21 He is your praise and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awe-inspiring works your eyes have seen. 22 Your ancestors went down to Egypt, seventy people in all, and now the LORD your God has made you numerous, like the stars of the sky.

Original Intent

1) The title “Lord” is all throughout this passage, what is the difference between Yahweh, Adonai, and Elohim?
Because the Bible was originally written in Hebrew (the Old Testament) and Greek (the New Testament), it’s extremely important for us to always study Scripture through the lens of its first languages and culture. For some practical examples of why, check out our Reasons for Digging Deeper. Adonai is a commonplace Hebrew title for “lord”. In the Old Testament, we see plenty of examples where adonai is used as a title of respect as in the passage where some men addressed the prophet Elisha, “My lord (adonai) can see that even though the city’s location is good, its water is bad.” (2 Kings 2:19) However, in a much fuller sense, we also read Scripture passages comparing the Lord God to all other “lords” by using the phrase, “Adonai of adonai”, literally translated as Lord of lords. This is intended to signify that only the God of the Bible has true authority and rights to rule as sovereign Lord of all things. Joshua says of the Lord God, “(He) is the Lord (Adonai) of all the earth.” (Joshua 3:11) The psalmist centers his entire praise song around God’s total rule and authority as God and sovereign Lord, “Give thanks to the LORD (Yahweh) for He is good (…), Give thanks to the God (Elohim) of gods (elohim) (…), Give thanks to the Lord (Adonai) of lords (adonai) (…).” (Psalm 136:1-3) Granted, it is quite difficult to simply pick up our English Bibles and know precisely when each different name of God is being used because our English words don’t take on various forms as the Hebrew words do, Bible translators do provide some help when it comes to distinguishing between Yahweh and Adonai. For most translations of the Bible, when the Hebrew name, Yahweh, is used, you will notice all 4 letters of the word LORD are capitalized. Comparatively, when you read the title Lord with only one capital, it signifies the title Adonai.

2) According to this passage, what sets apart Adonai from all other adonai?
This passage is full of beauty and depth of God’s character as Adonai of adonai (Lord of lords)! He is ruler of all creation, nothing is beyond His authoritative reach, rule, and reign. (verse 14) As Jesus says thousands of years later, not even a sparrow falls to the ground, or a strand of your hair, without the Father knowing. (Matthew 10:29-30) Also unlike other adonai who demanded sacrifices for their own selfish gain, Adonai of adonai, gives no such ultimatums because this Adonai loves. He has called apart a people, sin-wrecked though they were, and He willingly set His love upon them. (verse 15) This Adonai is just, never coy or able to be “bought” as was often the case with ancient “so-called-deities”. Whoever held the most power, could also be bought at the right price, but this was clearly not the case with Adonai of adonai. He is utterly just and righteous in His judgements, while also acting with compassionate benevolence to the foreigner, the outcast, and the weak. (verses 17-18) There is none who holds both love and justice along with incredible humility like the Lord of lords who, though holding all authority, uses His power for tender loving compassion. Who is like Adonai of adonai?!

3) What is our response to this Adonai of adonai?
I love this passage in Deuteronomy because not only does it lay out who our God is, why He is worthy of the title Adonai of adonai, but it also succinctly clarifies our response. “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you except to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul?” (Deuteronomy 10:12) The core of God’s desire is to be in relationship with each of us individually and corporately as a whole so we can experience His love and delight in Him as He delights in us. (verse 15) Though He holds all power and authority, He will not use this sovereignty to force us into obedience because His goal is love. He invites us to experience fullness by submitting to His rule; when we do, we respond by walking in His ways, loving Him, and worshipping Him with every aspect of our entire lives. (verse 12) We love this Adonai, moving far past title of Lordship to the intimacy of experiencing Him as Yahweh, Savior, and even, Abba Father. The deeper we enjoy this love relationship with Him, the more we will love others just as He has loved us. When we love God and love others, we are reflecting the beauty of submitting to the Lord of lords. (verses 18-19)

Everyday Application

1) The title “Lord” is all throughout this passage, what is the difference between Yahweh, Adonai, and Elohim?
Each name, or title, of God reveals more of His character, helping us to more fully understand who He is. When we read of the Lord of lords (Adonai of adonai), we are reminded that nothing is beyond the rule and reign of the Lord our God. There is nothing beyond His power, no mystery that will confound Him, and no aspect of our humanity that is beyond His ability to save and rescue us from. What a refreshing, powerful gift to apply this truth to the believer’s life! There is no sin He does not have the ability to forgive. There is no place we can flee from His presence. There is no circumstance where He does not have absolute control. As a God who infinitely loves and treasures us, this reassurance goes far beyond any comfort a human being could provide, no matter how wealthy or powerful they are! Yet, for the unbeliever, the one who hasn’t chosen to surrender everything to this Adonai of adonai, the idea of such limitless power, authority, and lordship should bring a sense of dread fear. Without the sacrificial blood of Jesus to forgive our sins, the fullness of God’s just wrath is upon us because we have rightly earned it for every instance when we chose sin over holy living. Adonai is indeed Lord of all, “the great, the mighty, the awesome God who is not partial and takes no bribe.” (Deuteronomy 10:17) On the day when this earth passes away, each of us will stand before the throne of God whose fierce Name is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16). Either we will be declared righteous because we have trusted in Christ for salvation, or we will receive the just punishment we deserve for our sins, which is eternal living death in Hell. Turn to Him, love Him, worship Him, and follow His ways for your own good! (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

2) According to this passage, what sets apart Adonai from all other adonai?
In today’s culture, and in your everyday life and mine, there are a million and one things that vie for our attention and devotion. Our children’s education, the dream home (or even a clean one with folded laundry!), a spouse who fills our expectation, a friends’ approval, or maybe it’s a position and title that holds our lust for more. We are much too quick to “bow down” to these lords, these adonai, and willingly surrender our sanity, and our peace, for the allure they dangle before our eyes. None of us are immune to insatiable pride. Hope for this condition of our hearts is found only in total surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. When we align our lives, our everyday mundane moments, under the Lordship of the Adonai, the doorway is open for Him to pour out abundance and fullness through our humble surrender. This surrender is not a squeezing to fit into a snug box of “dos and donts”, rather this is a pathway of freedom to live as we were originally designed to live. Only under the Lordship of Adonai do our lives truly begin to flourish! It is nothing short of miraculous when we begin this process of surrendering every detail we give over to Adonai, is redeemed and repurposed in His time and His way, precisely because He Is Lord! Then, these details are returned to us to use in fullness and beauty. This is the work our Lord Jesus Christ, Adonai of adonai!

3) What is our response to this Adonai of adonai?
The reality of God being Lord of all is true regardless of whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. We do have a choice in how we respond to that unchanging reality. We can either live in arrogant rebellion of the One who answers to no one, or we can choose to submit our will to His. (verse 16) This act of surrender follows naturally as we glimpse the all-surpassing power and authority of the Lord God while also considering how small and insignificant we are in comparison. (verse 21) As we understand and experience His love wash over us, our hearts respond with adoring worship. As His Holy Spirit shapes us to become like Christ, we begin to experience what it is to love like this magnanimous God Himself who generously loved us first. We begin emulating the Adonai of adonai in beautiful reflection of love and grace on display in our everyday moments. (verse 12) Like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle fitting flawlessly together, when we follow God’s intended pattern for living, we experience the best of life and relationships. (verse 13) Our parenting, our marriages, our relationships with co-workers, the way we view ourselves, and our priorities all fall into place with God as our Adonai ruling over every other false, self-seeking adonai. Who will be adonai of your life?

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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