obey

Whole Day 7 Oppression’s Source: Digging Deeper

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Whole Day 7 Oppression’s Source: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

May 28, 2022

Christ,Digging Deeper,God,Heart,Holy Spirit,Love,Sin

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Oppression's Source"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

3 For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) “Flesh” is mentioned three times in one sentence. What is meant by this focus-word? (verses 3-4)

The Bible uses “flesh” in different discussions with different meanings based on context and purpose of the discussion. This should remind us that studying Bible words in their original language and context is extremely important. 

The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel spoke positively of flesh when he prophesied of a coming day when the Lord would give Israel a new heart, replacing their heart of stone with a heart of “flesh”. (Ezekiel 36:26)

Paul spoke positively of flesh in a similar meaning of “soft and malleable” when he wrote to the Corinthian believers of Christ’s letter of love written by the Spirit on “human” hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:2)

Of the 140+ times the Greek word for flesh, σάρξ, is used in the New Testament, however, the connotation is overwhelmingly negative. It’s largely associated with sin and often used to contrast the life that is only available through surrender to the Spirit of God at work in a genuine Christ-follower with the life of enslavement to sin that is the default heart-position for every human being. (Romans 7:5, Romans 8:5, 2 Corinthians 7:1)

In some cases, however, σάρξ is a neutral reference simply stating a reality in the same way we might say, “we all have skin and bones”. Paul’s usage in the context of these verses is mixed!

First, he acknowledges a reality that we, speaking to genuine Christ-followers, are living in our human flesh (neutral reality). Then Paul moves deeper and teaches us that our ability to fight against sin and sinful desires isn’t limited by either the flesh of our human reality or the sinful impotence of our former way of life before coming to Jesus for freedom and forgiveness.

We are equipped with a far greater power than anything Sin or Humanity can offer for we have the power of the Almighty God at work within us!

The Everyday Application

1) “Flesh” is mentioned three times in one sentence. What is meant by this focus-word? (verses 3-4)

We see oppression in the broader scope of our culture, cities, and the globe and we ache, knowing it is surely not as it was meant to be. It’s easy to see the vastness of oppression and feel completely incapable to make a difference.

What could we do with one ordinary life against such incredible brokenness? Just as easy to dismiss is the reality of our weaponry as genuine believers in Jesus.

True Christ-followers have recognized the oppression in our own souls by Sin and sought freedom from the Only One powerful enough to provide our forgiveness. Full of grace and truth, this merciful God delivers His own Spirit inside the heart of all who have truly surrendered to Him.

By this power of God Himself inside us, He actively empowers, leads, and equips us to accomplish God’s mission of building His kingdom and pressing back against evil in everyday life. His purpose to give freedom from oppression spans everything from the relationships within our walls to the nations around the world.

If we seek the Lord, pleading His cause of justice, He will move in us as His ministers of reconciliation to bring about His purposes by His power. (Luke 4:18-19, 2 Corinthians 5:19)

The Original Intent

2) What is laid out to be demolished? (verse 4-5)

Paul purposed to describe not only our power source “through God” (verse 4) but also our battle plan for how to use our weaponry against a targeted enemy.

We should also note from this passage the importance of using God’s weapon in God’s way for it to be effective. “[…] weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds.” (verse 4)

The strongholds to be demolished by God’s power are marked by arguments against God which are sourced by arrogant pride. Anything that runs counter to knowing God, which encompasses all that He is and the freedom from sin He offers through the sacrificial blood of Christ, is pure arrogance. In ancient times, attacking enemies would lay siege to a city.

If the attacking army endured long enough, eventually the isolated city would run out of supplies, manpower, and sustenance providing an easy target for victory. This was common knowledge, especially for the strategic trade city of Corinth who fought many battles to protect its location and power by building strongholds.

If victory was more likely for the attacker of the stronghold, how much more effective would the All-Powerful God of the Universe be against any spiritual stronghold? None fights like the Lord God; His victory is sure and certain. No stronghold can sustain His power!

The Everyday Application

2) What is laid out to be demolished? (verse 4-5)

Only when we bring all things under the lordship of Christ, as “captives” from the enemy, can we adjust our mindset to become more like Christ in how we engage the world around us.

We all have “strongholds” in our hearts and lives, areas we arrogantly don’t want to surrender. We will remain captives in these citadels until we decide to surrender to Christ’s ways. Only His weaponry can free captives from the chains of sin, flesh, and pride.

Ask the Lord to reveal the areas of your own pride. As you let the Spirit lead you to reflect, what areas do you bristle at with quick justification?

This is pride, Sister.
Call it out for what it is, surrender it to the Lord Jesus Christ, and be freed from the citadel of your own making. Let the gospel ring out loud and clear in your life and overflowing in your relationships! 

As you survey the landscape of your city, nation, and the world, what strongholds is the Spirit leading you to be heartbroken over because of oppression? Fight these with the weaponry God provides! (Ephesians 6:10-20)

The Original Intent

3) Are believers meant to demolish other’s arguments with decisive verbal victories and claim Christ as their authority? (verse 4-5)

Paul’s language sounds intense with words like weapons, warfare, and demolish! Does this intensity match how Christ commands us to live as His followers? Are we to engage in verbal biting combat until we prove our victory?

Sisters, this is not the Lord’s way, and neither is it Paul’s point!

Again, studying the full context of biblical passages is essential! Backing up to verse 1, we gain an entirely new insight, “Now I, Paul, myself, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble among you in person[…].” 

What a starkly different description Paul gives of himself! Demolish, warfare, meek, and gentle don’t commonly fit together. You might picture Paul as a fierce, stalwart itinerant preacher, but the early church had quite a different perspective. His letters were received as kind, gentle, wrapped in humility, and threaded through with deep affectionate love for the Church. There was even word going around that Paul was too “soft” to lead and didn’t carry any real authority. He was just too gentle to make a real difference or hold anyone accountable.

This section of Paul’s letter addresses this misconception with bold clarity. As gripped with compassion as Paul was for the lost, those who lived as enemies of Christ (Philippians 3:18, Romans 9:3), he had no tolerance for sin and mishandling of Scripture. He would fight tooth and nail to protect right interpretation of God’s Word and identify sin as vile rebellion within the church. (2 Timothy 2:15, Titus 2:1)

The Everyday Application

3) Are believers meant to demolish other’s arguments with decisive verbal victories and claim Christ as their authority? (verse 4-5)

Paul stood on the side of God’s authority by His own Word expressed through His Spirit. There is no higher authority. There is no safer place to be than sheltering behind the God who moves against the oppression of sin.

Likewise, there is no more dangerous place than living in active rebellion against this same God. Paul was widely known for carrying himself with the likeness of Christ’s meekness, gentleness, humility, and broad-sweeping compassion. He urged all fellow believers to do the same in their everyday lives, which includes all Christians today. (Colossians 3:12-17)

Consider how your children, spouse, or neighbor might describe you. How do you respond when your well-laid plans don’t work out? How do you treat those with whom you are angry? When you experience injustice or even simple disappointment what attributes color your face, tone, and body language?

Like Paul, are you widely known for your gentle compassion? Harsh, cold, biting words, tone, and actions shouldn’t describe any genuine Christ-follower.

Arrogance says I must win this argument and prove my point. Confidence in Christ says because I love you so deeply, I am compelled to point you to truth with firm gentleness. (2 Corinthians 5:14)

God will win against sin’s grip for His victory is sure and certain over every stronghold, but how we handle ourselves as His ambassadors will either further His kingdom or stand in rebellion against Him. How will you choose to live today?

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Wilderness Day 12 Lost, Alone, Forgotten: 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 Lost, Alone, Forgotten!

The Questions

1) Why Joseph?

2) Why would Joseph tell his brothers about his dreams if he knew they created tension? (verses 4-5)

3) Why did his family even care about his dreams? Why was a dream so offensive? (verses 8-9)

Genesis 37:1-9

Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2 These are the family records of Jacob. At seventeen years of age, Joseph tended sheep with his brothers. The young man was working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a long-sleeved robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him. 5 Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 “Are you really going to reign over us?” his brothers asked him. “Are you really going to rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

Original Intent

1) Why Joseph?
Joseph was probably thinking the same thing, except he was asking “why me?”. Joseph had no control over where he fell in his family’s birth order or the fact that his father favored him more than his brothers. Yet, here he was, having dreams that seemed to indicate he would hold a position of authority over his brothers. In reality, at least at this point, Joseph’s dreams only seemed to result in harsh treatment and hatred from his family. Honestly, we don’t know, nor is it possible to know, why God chooses to use the people He calls for His purposes. Scripture is full of story after story of God using people who appear disqualified, ill-equipped, sinful, or arrogant. Consider Abraham, David, Peter, and Paul as a handful of examples. Did God use them for mighty work? Yes! Did they begin there? No. Were their lives strewn with stupid choices and disobedience and sin? Yes! Like Joseph, these were not the obvious choice for a huge assignment from God; nonetheless, they were God’s chosen ones. God is supreme and sovereign, and He often works in ways that don’t make sense to anyone else, least of all the person being used. In fact, Isaiah 55:8-9 emphasizes this truth, “My (God’s) thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways.” Joseph and his family likely had more questions than answers as they navigated Joseph’s dreams and tense family drama. Especially when you consider the winding road Joseph would travel to finally see God’s appointed dreams fulfilled.

2) Why would Joseph tell his brothers about his dreams if he knew they created tension? (verses 4-5)
Honestly, I have no idea! Likely, Joseph was simply being a 17-year-old boy who clearly didn’t understand when to keep his mouth shut and not provoke others. Or perhaps, some teenage bravado influenced his decision to push back against his brothers with his dreams of authority over them. However, knowing the end of the story like we do, verbalizing his dreams and documenting them is vitally important to the larger story of God’s chosen people and centrality of the gospel. Joseph sharing his dreams was the tipping point of the dominoes in a way.  This one act of seemingly immature judgement led Joseph to being sold into slavery, which brought him into Egypt at just the right time to provide for his family and the whole country. In turn, this action established God’s people in Egypt, providing them a place to flourish for many decades before the next major event of Hebrew slavery, and ultimately, their freedom. All of this pointed far forward to Christ freeing us from the slavery of sin when He was crucified on the cross, taking the punishment we deserved for our sin. When you think it through, Joseph’s decision to share his dreams set much of God’s plan for His people in motion. If you’ve never explored Joseph’s storyline, I encourage you to make time to read through Genesis and Exodus to see how God used Joseph’s life for His glory.

3) Why did his family even care about his dreams? Why was a dream so offensive? (verses 8-9)
In early biblical history, dreams were viewed as divine messages. Prior to Christ’s ascension and the Holy Spirit’s descension into the hearts of Christ-followers, those who feared God didn’t have direct access to Him through the Holy Spirit. God used dreams to communicate with His people before the onset of prophets in the timeline of Israel’s history, but even after the time of the prophets, we still see occasional dreams showing up as God’s method of directing His people. (Matthew 2:13) We know this because some, like Joseph, were also given the ability to interpret dreams. (Genesis 41:12-13) For Joseph’s family to have both a dreamer and an interpreter was kind of a big deal and only served to provide further reasons for Joseph’s brothers to be jealous of him. Apparently, sibling rivalry was alive and well even in biblical times.

Everyday Application

1) Why Joseph?
Isn’t this the question we all have? Why him? Why her? Why me? Jealousy, pride, comparison, fear of being left out or left behind are real struggles with insecurity, identity, and sin that impact us all on different levels. Today, we have the luxury of knowing the end of Joseph’s story. Even if we don’t see the end of our stories and there are a lot of missing pieces from our perspective, we can confidently know God has a plan He will faithfully fulfill. We can choose to trust God when we find either ourselves or others experiencing circumstances that seem to make no sense whatsoever. Personally, there have been times in my life when I was confident God was telling me to do something that made no sense from a human perspective. Perhaps the biggest example was when I clearly heard God tell me to quit my high paying, long term job. This was absolutely senseless from a worldly perspective, but I knew without a doubt this directive had come straight from God. Choosing to follow and obey God during these times can be a lonely place, especially when others don’t understand. I can also tell you from personal experience that deciding to take that step of faith and obey is completely amazing as the Lord will radically grow our faith!

2) Why would Joseph tell his brothers about his dreams if he knew they created tension? (verses 4-5)
I can relate to Joseph and his desire to share his dreams. When I was confident God was leading me to quit my stupid job, there was nothing I wanted more than to share His prompting with others, especially my husband. But, like Joseph’s brothers, he didn’t understand. He didn’t mock or provoke me like Joseph’s siblings; he understood I had been deeply convicted and was willing to support me, but he lacked my personal experience of hearing from the Lord in a real and personal way. By his own admission, there was a tinge of jealousy present as well. He wanted God to tell him the same thing, which didn’t happen for my husband or for Joseph’s brothers. In studying Joseph’s story, we can learn how to respond when friends or family share big dreams or convictions from the Lord with us. Our first responsibility is to come alongside them and help them seek the Lord and His Word together. If hearing from the Lord runs counter to what Scripture teaches, we have a responsibility to lovingly point this out. If dreams and plans do align with biblical principles, we can encourage and support one another, watching to see what God will unfold in their lives for His glory!

3) Why did his family even care about his dreams? Why was a dream so offensive? (verses 8-9)
For people living in the western hemisphere, dreams, visions, and interpretations don’t carry as much weight as they did in ancient cultures. Often, we view dreams as nothing more than neurological stories occurring while we sleep. However, in some cultures, dreams are largely significant and carry heavy spiritual connotations. In eastern cultures, where dream messages are more common, many true followers of Jesus came to Christ through a dream encounter. This should encourage us to see how God uses different means to draw people to Himself. For every dream or vision, we must rely on the truth revealed in Scripture in order to gain trustworthy insights. Only when we view a dream through the lens of God’s Word can we gain solid understanding of God. Whether you’ve had a spiritual dream or not, God speaks to all genuine Christ-followers through His Spirit who lives inside us. In John 14:26 Jesus says, “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” Many of us have dreams from God that He has planted in our hearts and souls. These desires are birthed from His Spirit and He guides us to follow these. If you have dreams like this, share them with believing friends, asking them to pray with you for wisdom as you seek the Lord. Many say God doesn’t speak today, but I beg to differ. God speaks, but we often do a poor job of recognizing His voice because we don’t practice listening to Him through reading His word and praying. Psalm 46:10 (ESV) calls us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” James 4:8 instructs, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” Why not make time to be quiet and listen?

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Lost, Alone, Forgotten!

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 Wilderness Week Three!
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.

Sketched VIII Day 14 Tamar And Absalom: 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 Tamar And Absalom!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to “dwell in the shadow of the Almighty”? (verse 1)

2) How exactly can we live under His protection? (verse 1)

3) What does God promise to do for those who dwell in His shadow? (verses 14-16)

Psalm 91

1 The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust: 3 He himself will rescue you from the bird trap, from the destructive plague. 4 He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield. 5 You will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day, 6 the plague that stalks in darkness, or the pestilence that ravages at noon. 7 Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the pestilence will not reach you. 8 You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord — my refuge, the Most High — your dwelling place, 10 no harm will come to you; no plague will come near your tent. 11 For he will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways. 12 They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent.14 Because he has his heart set on me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name. 15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor. 16 I will satisfy him with a long life and show him my salvation.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to “dwell in the shadow of the Almighty”? (verse 1)
First, we’ll need to look at what the definition is for “to dwell”. The Cambridge Dictionary defines the verb dwell as “to live in a place or in a particular way”. The word ‘shadow’ has many meanings, and our first impression may be of a dark place. However, being in someone’s shadow also means you are actively following this person very closely (Cambridge Dictionary). In Psalm 5:4 we read that evil cannot dwell in God. These words tell us that living in the shadow of our God is good because there is no evil that can be near Him. We are safe whenever we continually abide close to our Almighty Father.

2) How exactly can we live under His protection? (verse 1)
In the Old Testament, we can see how God promises protection for those who obey and honor Him. This applied specifically to His chosen people, the Hebrews. A great example of this protection is found in the story of Moses recorded in the book of Exodus. God performed many wonderful miracles to protect His people and lead them out of slavery in Egypt. When the final plague came over the Egyptians, God commanded His people to kill a lamb and cover their doorposts with its blood. The angel of death would then know which houses to pass over when the plague of the firstborn’s death came over the land. Not one of God’s families suffered death from this final plague because He kept them safe as they put themselves under His protection. (Read the full story! Exodus 11:1-12:36!). Two other great examples of God’s loving protection over His people are found in the Old Testament book of Daniel. Three Hebrew friends refused to bow down to a statue (false god), instead choosing to honor the One True God, and keep themselves under His care. This should have meant their death by fire according to the King! (Daniel 3) The faithful God, however, kept them safe in the midst of the fiery furnace! Later, Daniel, the prophet, was protected from the gnashing teeth of the lions after he was punished for praying to God. (Daniel 6) Though the death penalty awaited him, God provided protection supernaturally. When God’s people stay obedient to Him, keeping themselves under His care, He keeps them safe. It’s not always physical safety, as the Bible is full of persecution and suffering for following Jesus, but the Lord’s presence will never abandon us, and He will indeed faithfully preserve us into eternity as we place our faith in Him.

3) What does God promise to do for those who dwell in His shadow? (verses 14-16)
We don’t need to look far for the answer to this question, even just in this passage, let alone the rest of Scripture! God gives beautiful promises to those who seek His company as our hiding place. (Psalm 32:7) He promises no harm will come to us (Psalm 91:9) because He commands His angels to protect us. (Psalm 91:11) When we call out, He promises to answer; He will remain with us in trouble, rescue us, and show us His salvation. (Psalm 91:15-16) In Psalm 138:7, we find confirmation of these words as God extends His hand, saving us from danger. The name of our Lord is a strong tower, and when we run to it, we’re protected and safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to “dwell in the shadow of the Almighty”? (verse 1)
When we dwell in the shadow of the Almighty, we find ourselves in a very close relationship with our Creator. Dwelling with Him means following Him wherever He goes and keeping our eyes fixed on Him, so we can actively remain in His shadow. The best part is, if we dwell in His shadow, He will also dwell with us. What the psalmist referred to as “dwelling”, Jesus referred to in the New Testament as “abiding”. (John 15:4-5) He is always present, never far from us, but it’s our decision to remain in Him and invest in a relationship with Him. Dwelling in His shadow requires an intentional, consistent decision on our part to remain with Him. God tells us so beautifully of His heart for relationship when He says, “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16) Through faith, Christ dwells in our hearts. (Ephesians 3:17) It really is a loving, mutual relationship between us and Him when we stay close beside Him!

2) How exactly can we live under His protection? (verse 1)
The same still stands for us today as it did in the days of Moses and Daniel. When we submit ourselves to God through faith in Jesus, we will be saved for eternity! (Revelation 14:12) When we confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, He saves us from eternal condemnation and separation from Him. (Romans 10:9) Notice though, that these verses speak about the promise of being redeemed one day. This is the hope every believer holds onto. Jesus warns us that Christians will have tribulation in this world. (John 16:33) When we read the book of Acts, we see how some disciples were persecuted, like James (Acts 12:2), and others were frequently rescued, also in the midst of persecution, like Paul. (Acts 28:1-6) Regardless of what struggles look like in our lives, God will always use trials to bring us closer to Him, giving us new opportunities to experience Him and His ever-present grace. No matter what life brings us, there is comfort in the words of Jesus, “I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) He promises our eternity is secure with Him, and that our trials now are worth persevering through!

3) What does God promise to do for those who dwell in His shadow? (verses 14-16)
As we saw before, when we stay close to God, He will keep us safe and protected from danger. Jesus has promised He will never leave us, continuing to be with us even until the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20) Paul reminds us that, because of God’s faithful promises, “we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”. (Hebrews 13:6) Our God will rescue us from evil work and will bring us safely to the heavenly kingdom. (2 Timothy 4:18) These promises don’t mean we will never have trials or hard times. In fact, Jesus warned us there will be difficulties on our way because we live in a fallen world. (John 16:33) But, we will never walk alone! We’re hemmed in safety on all sides when we dwell closely with Him than when we wander far from His shadow. Stay where His hand guards and protects your life and your heart as you walk through trial of all kinds! There is peace and safety with the Almighty God!

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

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 Three!
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.

Ignite Day 4 The Flame: 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 The Flame!

The Questions

1) Some of Jesus’ sayings were hard because they were hard to understand. Some were hard because they were hard to obey. And some were both. What did Jesus mean in verse 26 when He said one must ‘hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters’?

2) Did Jesus make this statement intentionally to whittle down the size of the crowd? (Notice the connection the author, Luke, makes in verses 25-26)

3) How do the two illustrations Jesus used make His point to the crowd?

4) How does the flavor of salt (verse 34) relate to the previous verses and the overall message Jesus wanted the audience to hear?

Luke 14:25-35

25 Now great crowds were traveling with him. So, he turned and said to them: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31 Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.
34 Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty? 35 It isn’t fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

Original Intent

1) Some of Jesus’ sayings were hard because they were hard to understand. Some were hard because they were hard to obey. And some were both. What did Jesus mean in verse 26 when He said one must ‘hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters’?
Verse 26 is set in the context of Jesus and a large crowd of followers, making the statement of Jesus even more dramatic. As always, being full of grace and truth, Jesus did not allow the circumstances to dictate His choice of words. He always knew and spoke the truth. Did it stun the crowd? Maybe they remembered He had spoken about this previously. On one occasion, Peter wondered if it was a message for everyone present. In His answer to Peter, Jesus quoted from the book of Micah, pronouncing division, not peace. (Luke 12:49-53) In the chapter before our focal passage, we find Jesus making His way to Jerusalem teaching this same message and prompting questions from the people: “So, will only a few be saved?” (Luke 13:22-23) Jesus never minced words, though He did often speak in parables. The crowd probably grasped these words much more than we do when we take this verse out of the context of Jesus’ life and ministry. They may not have completely comprehended all He meant, but they understood this was a radical call to commitment that superseded the bonds of their family relationships. Many recognized from their Hebrew Scripture the contrast between “love” and “hate” was sometimes used to communicate preference. (Genesis 29:31, Deuteronomy 21:15-17, Malachi 1:2-3)  This was not a command to an emotion of hate toward family or self. This was a call to self-denial and complete surrender, choosing Jesus above all others. The cost for them to continue to follow Jesus would be deep and wide.

2) Did Jesus make this statement intentionally to whittle down the size of the crowd? (Notice the connection the author, Luke, makes in verses 25-26)
Luke makes special note of the fact there was a multitude present. In chapter 12, he also made mention of the large crowd (Luke 12:1). Although Jesus and His disciples spent time away from the masses, when people heard He was near they usually gathered in droves. We read in the four Gospels of Jesus speaking directly to His disciples, yet much of the larger crowd was often in earshot of His teaching. The enormous crowds following Jesus frequently did so for His miracles. They saw Him heal diseases and provide for needs. Jesus used these opportunities to explain to them the necessity of sacrifice. He did not shy away from the hard truths. In fact, He made difficult and exclusionary statements, knowing the future grim consequences. Although He was popular, for the most part the crowds did not desire to obey Him, nor were they willing to surrender their lives. (John 6) They loved to marvel at the miraculous. (John 4:48) They found Jesus to be fascinating in numerous ways, but He knew their hearts were far from God. He declared His intentions to the people who were listening, and He also exposed theirs. (Luke 11:27-30) Even though He knew their ultimate rejection would bring about His death, He wept for them. (Luke 19:41-42)

3) How do the two illustrations Jesus used make His point to the crowd?
As in His previous teachings, Jesus is warning the eager multitudes that following Him is far more serious than they imagined. Contained in these illustrations are significant lessons concerning the calling of those who would choose to continue to follow Him. In His invitation (“If anyone comes to Me…”) Jesus speaks of the importance to commit fully and not shrink back, even if it leads to death (“even his own life” verse 26). It’s unclear if Jesus has specific instances in mind with these illustrations. Did He look around and observe an unfinished building? Possibly. And regarding a king going to war, was Jesus drawing from the history of the day? A few Bible scholars indicate He was likely alluding to the troubled relationship between Herod Antipas and his father-in-law. But even if this was not a specific reference, the crowd would understand the processes of kings and kingdoms. The point of Jesus’ analogy was clear. He was painting a vivid picture of what it meant to “calculate the cost”. The wise builder and the strategic warrior both take time to consider the consequences of their undertaking. Likewise, the resolve to proceed with Christ would be proven genuine and worthwhile only as there was deliberate fortitude to persevere, not simply a desire to witness miracles or be healed.

4) How does the flavor of salt (verse 34) relate to the previous verses and the overall message Jesus wanted the audience to hear?
Three Gospels record Jesus referencing “salt”. (Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:50 and here in Luke 14) All these verses are similar, but each statement was spoken in a different context. From this passage, how do we understand what Jesus was saying to those listening? We can derive intent from reading and receiving Jesus’ words relative to the rest of His message. The crowd was familiar with the uses of salt. It was a common additive that served two purposes in this area of the world at that time: 1) Due to the lack of refrigeration, salt was utilized to preserve the food, specifically the meat. 2) Like today, it enhanced the flavor of food. Here in verse 34, Jesus draws from this cultural understanding to illustrate a follower’s calling to be useful for God’s purposes – in life or death. Just as salt is useless if it has no flavor or preserving element, it would be of no value for anyone to continue to be His disciple if they were half-hearted in their commitment to obedience and full surrender.

Everyday Application

1) Some of Jesus’ sayings were hard because they were hard to understand. Some were hard because they were hard to obey. And some were both. What did Jesus mean in verse 26 when He said one must ‘hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters’?
For years, well-intentioned voices have challenged Christians to “focus on the family”. Scripture is clear that families are to be a priority. Unfortunately, far too many have misunderstood, misapplied or have even ignored Jesus’ teaching regarding family relationships. Christian families can frequently fall into the trap of becoming self-absorbed. Bible teacher and author David Platt said “I want to love my family well. I want to pass the word and works of God down to the next generation. On the other hand, I see a world of urgent spiritual and physical need — unreached people, on top of physical needs. I want to leverage my life for the spread of the gospel among the nations.” Many Christians, especially in the United States, will never have to sacrifice their familial relationships to follow Christ. What often occurs, though, is an extreme focus on the immediate family, ignoring the call of Christ to be willing to die for His sake. Platt goes on to exhort us: “Lay your life before the Lord every day. Deny yourself. Cry out, ‘Lord save me from myself, save me from my dreams, my plans. Help me want to do whatever You want me to do. Help me to want to go wherever You want me to go.’” This is what Christ meant.

2) Did Jesus make this statement intentionally to whittle down the size of the crowd? (Notice the connection the author, Luke, makes in verses 25-26)
In his commentary on the book of Luke, Alexander MacLaren said “He desired every soul in that crowd for His own, and He knew the best way to attract is sometimes to repel; and that a plain statement of the painful consequences of a course will quench no genuine enthusiasm, but may turn a mere flash in the pan into a purpose that will flame through a life.” (studylight.org) It wasn’t that Jesus wanted people to stop following Him. His very presence on earth indicated His desire for all people to have a relationship with God. (1 Timothy 2:5) Jesus’ purpose in making radical statements was to stir the crowds of people to consider their motives. The coming of the kingdom of God was not what they imagined. Genuine faith would be reflected in an extreme commitment to obedience. Even now the message is clear: there’s a great cost. But the reward is greater! (Mark 10:28-31)

3) How do the two illustrations Jesus used make His point to the crowd?
Ponder yourself in this scene yet make it present day: You have been gifted an all-expense-paid life on the tropical island of your choice, complete with full-time housekeeper. You could spend your time bragging about this offer. You could dream about it constantly and make all the plans for a new life. But until you fully engage by relocating, the exotic life never becomes a reality. You can’t have both a full-time life here and a full-time life there. Many people view following Christ this way. They love the idea of eternal happiness, of eternal fulfillment, of escaping hell, and of having Jesus satisfy their needs. But they are not willing to abandon the life they have. It’s more tempting than we may realize to hold tightly to our desires, comfort, and sinful habits. Releasing them, even for a glorious eternity, takes faith and courage. Our lives may exhibit a temporary modification—attending church more often or giving of our time and money to good causes—but if we have no real desire to relinquish ownership of everything, then we are more like the crowds who followed Jesus. That cost is just too great for most. (Matthew 7:14,  John 6:66 )

4) How does the flavor of salt (verse 34) relate to the previous verses and the overall message Jesus wanted the audience to hear?
In the context of obedient discipleship, the loss of saltiness occurs when those who call themselves followers of Christ are not living for Him wholeheartedly. Jesus’ words to the crowd that day are relevant to us today. Our very reason for being in the world, as believers, is to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). The purpose for which we became followers of Jesus (Matthew 4:19) may be hindered or prevented when we choose to compromise, or settle, for what is more convenient and comfortable, rather than giving our lives to whatever will bring the most people into the kingdom of God. Becoming and remaining ‘useful salt’ happens when we maintain a life of humble obedience to Christ. When we deviate from Spirit-enthused sacrifice and submission, the distinctions between ourselves and those of the world are blurred and we allow our testimony to become empty words – useless for producing genuine life change in others. By focusing on and following Christ, even in inevitable suffering or loss, we will have opportunities to proclaim Him to all who witness our lives. (Colossians 1:24-29)

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

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 Ignite Week One!
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.

Seeds Day 4 Will You Say Yes?: 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 Will You Say Yes?!

The Questions

1) Who was the author and who was the audience?

2) What does a “heart of stone” indicate?

3) How does keeping rules differ from obeying them?

Ezekiel 11:19-20

19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Original Intent

1) Who was the author and who was the audience?
Ezekiel (meaning “God will strengthen” or “God will harden”) was a prophet-priest whose father was named Buzi (Ezekiel 1:3). His ministry was within the nation of Judah during its time of Babylonian captivity under Nebuchadnezzar. The entire Israelite nation was the audience for Ezekiel’s prophecies though he proclaimed them specifically to captive Judah. The majority of the prophecies from God concerned His coming judgment of the nation.
This passage actually lies in the middle of the judgment prophecies. God, speaking through Ezekiel, tells the Israelites that after His judgment of them there would come a time when He would make such a radical change within them to bring about right obedience. The new heart He would give them would be tender towards and faithful to Him. This heart would be an entirely new creation; a heart of flesh and not stone. (Ezekiel 11:19)

2) What does a “heart of stone” indicate?
God through Ezekiel described the Israelite nation as having a heart of stone. This describes their spiritual condition: sinful, rebellious, prideful, and unwilling to be malleable and change. They had chosen idolatry and worship of false gods over dedication to the One True God. They were blind to the damage they had done, the havoc it was wreaking all around them and the quickly coming judgment. A stony, hard heart is selfish! As long as their tiny little world is twirling in perfect harmony to meet their needs, they do not care what wreckage lies in their wake. In the Israelites’ case, they had wrecked the most precious relationship of all, the one with their Creator.

3) How does keeping rules differ from obeying them?
Sometimes another translation helps to enlighten the meaning of Scripture. The NAS (New American Standard) puts verse 20 this way, “they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.” But even then, the meaning can be vague and we aren’t sure of the differences in words. This is where a word study of the original language plays a key role. Plug the verse reference into studylight.org and click “Strong’s interlinear Bible” to see the verse in its original language. Scroll over each word to see the Greek or Hebrew correlation.
“Statutes” is defined as a prescribed limit; this would be similar to guardrails on the highway in our modern day. To go beyond the guardrails spells disaster, damage, and even death; the same is true for God’s statutes.
“Ordinance” carries the idea of a judgement declaration, or the ruling outcome of a judicial case. Because the Lord God is perfectly righteous and just, all of His rulings are flawless and perfect. When He enacts a ruling, we can be assured it is the very best, the most perfect rule that is possible.
To sum up, the original language points us to a reality where God’s design for life, His paths, His judgement calls on how to live life are the absolute best. No one can improve upon them. But neither can we actually live them out. His ways are perfect and ours are sin-wreaked. How could we possibly hope to live out our lives in the way God has perfectly designed? This is exactly Ezekiel’s emphasis.

Everyday Application

1) Who was the author and who was the audience?
While most prophets only proclaimed verbally the messages they had received from God, Ezekiel employed a variety of techniques. He even put on some street performances (Ezekiel 4:1 – 5:4) to demonstrate the judgment God would surely bring if the people did not turn from their sinful ways and acknowledge Him.
If you’ve spent any time involved in children’s ministry or teen/young adult ministry, you know that some creativity is needed in order to reach these groups. Mere words do not seem to reach through to their hearts; they need visual aids. (Moms, can I get an amen?) Perhaps Ezekiel was the most forward-thinking prophet of the Bible! His methods did finally reach the people…after seeing with their own eyes the prophecies being fulfilled. So have faith, sisters, your kingdom work is making a difference, even if you can’t tell yet. Continue to serve in the capacity that the Lord has called you; He will bless the work and He will bless you for your obedience.

 2) What does a “heart of stone” indicate?
A “heart of stone” or a “hard heart” cannot comprehend the ways of the Lord because it has chosen self over Christ. After Pharaoh persisted in stopping his ears against the Lord, continuously choosing himself over the Lord, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart even farther than Pharaoh himself had already done. (Exodus 9:12) Despite Pharaoh’s hard heart, God still used his idolatry of self to display God’s glory through the redemption of the Israelites from slavery. Scripture warns us not to harden our hearts and be aware of those times when we are actively pushing against God. In fact, Proverbs 28:14 states, “Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” Dear ones, I know life is messy and difficult and hurtful, but we are to focus on Jesus, not the world around us. By giving our attention and our devotion to the Lover of our souls, He will ensure we are not destroyed and will bring us deep life in the process!

 3) How does keeping rules differ from obeying them?
God said Israel’s heart was stone cold, dead, to God’s life-giving ways because all they sought after was themselves. The Lord declared that, as Israel is punished for her rebellion, God would indeed bring her back to Himself. There would be a day when He would remove Israel’s heart of stone and give her a heart of flesh, a heart filled with God’s desires to walk in God’s ways.
This prophecy for Israel was fulfilled as their time of exile ended and they returned back to God and His ways for a short time. This prophecy foreshadowed a time when the Holy Spirit would dwell within the heart of every believer, making them new and transforming their hearts. One day, the prophecy will be fulfilled in its fullest sense as every believer will dwell personally with God for all eternity and we will sin no more!
Are there any among us who can say that we have always obeyed God – or our parents, for that matter? That old sinful nature gets in the way all of the time, doesn’t it? How wonderful it is that Our Heavenly Father is compassionate toward us just as He was to Israel! He continually chastens us (gently) to remind us of our waywardness and guides us back into right relationship with Himself.
Dear sisters, let us pray that we would be aware of the condition of our hearts. If hardness starts to set in, let’s allow the Lord to replace it with tenderness. If we find ourselves disobeying, let’s repent of it and ask God’s forgiveness and His help to obey. And, like Merry, let’s choose obedience even before we know exactly what the Lord asks of us…because we know He is Good!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Will You Say Yes?!

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 Seeds Week One!
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.

Glimmers Day 9 Hope; It’s Coming: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

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 Hope; It’s Coming!

The Questions

1) Did the vision given to Habakkuk (verse 2) offer him any hope?

2) When people talk about their hope, especially non-Christians, they are most often referring to a feeling or mindset regarding their future. With this in mind, what is the difference between biblical hope and the hope we frequently observe in many people?

3) Are we, as people of the new covenant, still waiting for that “appointed time” (verse 3) of which was spoken to Habakkuk or was this vision fulfilled?

Habakkuk 2:2-3

2 The Lord answered me:
Write down this vision;
clearly inscribe it on tablets
so one may easily read it.
3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time;
it testifies about the end and will not lie.
Though it delays, wait for it,
since it will certainly come and not be late.

Original Intent

1) Did the vision given to Habakkuk (verse 2) offer him any hope?
The context of Habakkuk 2 places the people of Israel in a predicament they had created for themselves. Because of their disobedience towards God, they are experiencing the consequences of being among godless people (Chaldeans, aka the Babylonians). In the first chapter (Habakkuk 1:3, 3:1), the prophet is literally questioning God’s plan for His people in Judah. He recognized their unfaithfulness, but He believes God is good. God’s answer, through a vision, is probably not the answer that initially produced in Habakkuk a hopeful heart. In essence, God said it would get worse before it got better. When God told Habakkuk He was going to deal with Judah’s rebellion by using their enemies to do so, Habakkuk had to rely on the kind of faith mentioned by the author of Hebrews (Hebrews 11:1-2). The kind of faith that doesn’t have all the answers. Though we aren’t given much information about Habakkuk’s vision itself, the kind of ‘hope’ it apparently offered was the waiting and trusting God’s character and His Word kind.

2) When people talk about their hope, especially non-Christians, they are most often referring to a feeling or mindset regarding their future. With this in mind, what is the difference between biblical hope and the hope we frequently observe in many people?
One of the ways Webster defines hope is “to want something to happen or be true … without any basis for expecting fulfillment”. Typically, we have this in mind when we hope for something. It’s more like a wish. But biblical hope is much more than a wish. In verse 3, God tells the prophet that it “will certainly come.” Biblical hope centers our desire in “someone … accompanied by expectation of fulfillment.” The Bible dictionary connects hope to words like “trust” and “confidence” and “eager expectation”.
“The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth…He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and become weary, they will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 20:28-31)
Peter reminds us that “after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)
Biblical hope is about Who. In Luke 2, Simeon waited expectantly for God’s promised One for many years. God was faithful to allow him to see the promise unfold. God will always accomplish His good purpose, even if we have to wait for it.

3) Are we, as people of the new covenant, still waiting for that “appointed time” (verse 3) of which was spoken to Habakkuk or was this vision fulfilled?
Reading Old Testament prophecies can leave us wondering if they were meant only for the specific reader/hearer or if they had future application. We study the context of a passage to help us understand what is occurring. In verse 3, the ‘appointed time’ would come specifically, and will come ultimately. Though there would be waiting, God was faithful in His judgment against Babylon (Isaiah 13; Jeremiah 50-51) and the enemy kingdom would certainly fall. (Daniel 5:28-30)
As we meditate on these words of God to Habakkuk in context of all of Scripture, I believe we can also conclude that God was communicating His ultimate judgment and redemption. At the ‘appointed time’ God will render His judgment on His enemies and He will save His people through His Son. Every single word of His will come to pass exactly as He has spoken. The God of Habakkuk never changes. Just as He told the prophet, he spoke similarly to John. “Mark my words: I AM TRUE AND FAITHFUL.” (Revelation 21:3-5)
So, the answer to the question is YES! “For every one of God’s promises is ‘Yes’ in Him. Therefore, through Him we also say ‘Amen’ to the glory of God!” (2 Corinthians 1:20-22)

Everyday Application

1) Did the vision given to Habakkuk (verse 2) offer him any hope?
In verse 3, Habakkuk was told to wait, but that God would certainly fulfill His plan. This is what biblical hope looks like for us in our daily lives. We are to trust in who God is even when we can’t understand what He’s doing. We believe His word and can expect Him to keep His promises. The vision gave hope to Habakkuk only as much as he was willing to trust and wait patiently for God’s fulfillment. God’s perfect plan will happen. But it will happen in His time. Maybe you’re experiencing suffering and confusion. Like Habakkuk, you are wondering how long it will take for God to reveal what He’s doing. (Habakkuk 1:2)
Even though it took some time, Habakkuk ultimately learned to rest in God’s sovereign plan for himself and the nation. In the waiting, he learned to hope in faith. In our waiting, we can unveil a present and very real hope by seeking the faithful and true God Himself. Who was. Who is. Who is to come. (Revelation 1:8)
When we’re tempted to fret and ask God for a timeline, it is our sure hope that gives us the strength to wait.

2) When people talk about their hope, especially non-Christians, they are most often referring to a feeling or mindset regarding their future. With this in mind, what is the difference between biblical hope and the hope we frequently observe in many people?
Proverbs 13:12 tells us that “delayed hope makes us heartsick.” In our human frailty, when we must wait for something we can succumb to feelings of hopelessness. When we continue to pray without receiving the answers we long for, we tend to despair. But biblical hope is connected to faith. It’s not just wishful thinking. Biblical hope helps us rest in the reality of a future we can’t yet see because of the God who controls it. The old hymn says it this way: Standing on the promises that cannot fail when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail; by the living Word of God I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God.
God’s promises CAN’T fail. Faithful in His character and true to His Word, He will give us the strength to prevail. This kind of hope is sure and steady in the midst of long days that might otherwise tempt us to doubt.

3) Are we, as people of the new covenant, still waiting for that “appointed time” (verse 3) of which was spoken to Habakkuk or was this vision fulfilled?
God was faithful to do what He told Habakkuk He would. The appointed time for the destruction of the enemies came. But in another way, it hasn’t yet come completely. In the New Testament book of John, Christ says on several occasions that His time “has not yet come.” He was referring to the first part of His coming to earth. The time when He would die and be raised again. But there’s a second part to the story. And God will be faithful to see it to the very end. The final fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the judgment and redemption of Lord will come at the end of history when Christ will return to claim His Bride, the Church. God will punish evil and fulfill all His promises. To make it clear, the writer of Hebrews points us to Jesus: “For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. But my righteous one, will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him. But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.”
Christ has come and will come. It is in Him we have a working faith, believing in what is not yet fully known. He is our living Hope!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Hope; It’s Coming!

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 Glimmers Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
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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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Worship IV, Day 6 Praise You In My Pain

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Peter 2:21-25
Matthew 5:38-48 
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Worship IV, Day 6

In my Christian journey I’ve learned a lot about myself, about God, and how those two go together. I’ve learned more of who God is and the intricacies of His character.
The more I know Him, the more I crave to be like Him.

How?
The answer is always follow Jesus’ example.

How again?
The answer is always taking in Scripture.

In 1 Peter 2:21-25, we see Jesus reviled by people, but He didn’t choose retaliation.
There were no evil threats spewing from His mouth.
He chose to entrust His life to the Father.
And then died for the salvation of the very ones who reviled Him.

In my everyday life, this example is just one Jesus is calling me to follow.
He’s teaching me to sit and be still in His presence.
He invites me not to worry about peoples’ opinions of me.

Because if He, the perfect spotless Lamb of God, was persecuted
then I should expect the same.
And if He upheld His testimony, boldly declaring unfathomable love for me
then so should I.
So should we.

And because He trusted His life to God,
then I should do the same.
So should we.

“But continued entrusting Himself (Jesus) to Him (Father God) who judges justly.”
1 Peter 2:23

It’s easy to lose sight of entrusting our lives to God in the middle of suffering.
It is as if our pain blinds us to the deeper spiritual battle,
keeping our sights set on our selfish entitlement.

Where is your suffering, Sister?

Maybe you’re fighting for a precious relationship, facing rejection, grieving a loved one, having your dreams crushed, or undergoing character assassination.

Regardless of your suffering….
Jesus’ example is to worship through it.
So should we.

Worship is not simply singing a song,
but entrusting our lives to the Almighty God.

When I was younger, I would listen to worship songs day and night.
One of my favorites was Casting Crowns’ Praise You In The Storm.

And I’ll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
That you are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this storm

“That You are who You are… no matter where I am.”

Sisters, Our God is constant!
Who He is today is exactly Who He will be tomorrow. Hebrews 13:8
He will never leave us or forsake us. Deuteronomy 31:6
He will uphold us with His righteousness. Isaiah 41:10
We will never be tempted to sin without a way out from it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Throughout experience I’ve come to understand what praising God in my pain means, through all kinds of stages and seasons of suffering.

I’ve been the girl sitting in the bathroom stall during lunch crying because no one wanted to sit with me.
I’ve been the girl grieving the deaths of those closest to me.
I’ve been the girl sexually assaulted multiple times.
I’ve been the girl lying awake with nightmares from the trauma I’ve experienced.
I’ve been the girl ready to take her life
because I felt like death would be better than the pain.

But, Sisters.
I’m also the girl whose life was interrupted by the God who saved me and walked with me in every single one of those seasons of suffering.

God has wrapped me in His arms so tightly I had no other option but to
praise Him through my pain.

And as I look back on my suffering, I see how God used it.
Not to accomplish what I wanted most.
But to bring me closer to Him.
To shape my heart like His.

I don’t know about you, but for me I experience God in an entirely different dimension when I am cloaked in painful suffering.

I crave His presence
I crave His love
I crave His promises
I crave His comfort

Suffering is the sweet tool the Shepherd of our hearts uses to point away from our weakness and towards His everlasting strength.

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content
with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

When we worship Him through our suffering we declare His Name.
When we worship Him through our suffering we find peace and comfort.
When we worship Him through our suffering we tell the world our God is good and worthy of praise!

He is still good, gracious, merciful, and just even when life is not. Therefore, He is worthy of our praise.  

So Sisters, let’s choose worship, just as our Savior did as He gave His life for us.
Let’s choose to praise Him in our pain, entrusting our lives to the One who loves us best!

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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 Worship IV 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 Worship IV!

Dwell Day 8 Come Away

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 46  
Isaiah 6:1-8 
Exodus 34:29-35 

Dwell, Day 8

The chaos screamed louder with every shrill screech of my 3-year-old.  
He flung his body violently backwards despite my attempts to hold him.  
My water cup flew as his foot knocked it from the counter, its crash adding to the epic disaster of my kitchen.  
I was exhausted, frustrated, and knew I was quickly losing it.  
I was too far behind, in too many things, the hurricane wave-like pressure to be more than I was, crashed down on me fast.  
 
“Come away with me.” 
The whisper in my heart offered an oasis, cool water in the tornadic fury of my hot emotions.  
No, it wasn’t an audible voice, but it was one I had been learning ever more steadily to listen to. It was the voice of One who loved me, who delighted over me, and in that moment of supreme chaos that bordered on insanity, He called me away.  
 
Not to more stuff.  
Not to remind me of the important things I hadn’t done yet.  
Not to chastise me for being angry.  
He called me to come away.  
With Him.  
 
With water dripping from the counter, the dog eating scraps on the floor, a dirty dish tower threatening to topple, smelly laundry spilling from the washer, crackers crunching under my feet, and 4 other children continuing to play in their shocking oblivion,  
I obeyed the voice of my Savior.  
 
Gathering my still shrieking preschooler, I turned a blind eye to it all, and with laser focus on the face of my Jesus, I ran upstairs, not caring in the slightest who called out after me for more snacks. I knew exactly where I was going.  
 
As I hurried through my still messy bedroom, I grabbed my “pretty candle”, the one no one is supposed to touch, and a hidden matchbox. By the time I shoved my closet door closed behind me and the darkness quickly enveloped us, my little boy was still mad, but intrigued.  
I struck the match, breathing in the acrid scent, my soul already quieting. 
I knew Who was waiting for me and Whose presence I was entering.  
 
“Look! Look!” I whispered to my dry-sobbing boy.  
His eyes wide, tears gone, I held him as I began praying simple phrases.  
I had learned that here, in the silence and solitude of this meeting place, short phrases packed with truth kept my heart and soul in the moment rather than wandering.  
Truth anchored me in His presence.  
 
“You are good. You are good. You are good.” 
“You are for me. You are for me. You are for me.” 
“You are glorious, Yahweh. You are glorious. Glorious.”  
“Oh Majesty, Majesty, how breathtaking You are.” 
“Majesty. Beauty. Grace.”  
“Grace. Grace. Grace.” 
“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” 
“Lord Jesus. My Lord Jesus.” 
 
Sometimes my words whispered, sometimes they flowed quickly as the Spirit moved, sometimes my tongue was still as I drank in the exquisite beauty of His presence.  
Silent and still, holding my son, watching the light,  
my soul was swept away by the Supreme Lover of my heart. 
 
There was no magic in the candle, no extra-ordinary spiritual experience of my closet location, there was simply an invitation to sit in silence and behold Majesty.  
 
Time seemed to stand still for both me and my son.  
Eventually, like every mama-story, a knock beckoned from the other side of my closet door.  
But my spirit didn’t sag in response, peace pervaded. Joy swept in.  
Truth anchored my soul as my eyes had re-focused on the Glorious One.  
 
The idea of Silence and Solitude as an actual discipline of the Christian walk had never ever occurred to me.  
Quiet time where you sit and read Scripture, yes.  
Journaling your prayers and thoughts during quiet time, yes.  
But no one had ever taught me to practice Silence & Solitude.  
 
The discovery literally revolutionized my entire walk with Jesus, taking me from the playful shores of Christianity into the deep-sea dive of intimacy with the Love of my Soul.  
Practicing regular silence and solitude changed the entire trajectory of my life.  
I can absolutely guarantee you that where I am today, how I see people, the ministries I’m involved in, and the way I commune with Jesus is a direct result of silence and solitude.  
Yes, it’s that critical!  
 
After reading selections from Ruth Barton’s book, “Invitation to Solitude & Silence”, I was flabbergasted that I had never heard of this aspect of Christianity and began adopting it immediately.  
It wasn’t always my closet, it wasn’t always using a candle, but those became my favorites.  
I’ve shared intentional silence with the Savior, glorying in His presence, in my car before driving to “next”, in my “God Time Chair” as my pen has stilled and all else fades as I simply sit with Him, listening and responding to His Spirit, or in bed before I fall asleep. This isn’t just being quiet and restful, it’s intentional prayer-focused intimacy as we are drawn in to deep worship! 
 
In words on paper, it’s utterly indescribable.  
Astoundingly, the invitation comes again and again as He invites me to know Him deeper, delight in Him more intimately, to call Him Abba Father, to sit with tears streaming at His all-surpassing glory, and to live in light of that glorious encounter. 
 
Here’s the sweetest thing, Jesus longs for all of this with each of us!  
It doesn’t matter what your doubts are, how long or how short you’ve believed in Him as Savior, or whether you’ve ever crossed the line of faith in the first place, His invitation beckons right now, right here, in the middle of your crazy, busy, messy everyday life.  

Will you go to Him?! 

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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 Dwell 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 Dwell!

Character Day 2 Faithful One: Digging Deeper

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Character Day 2 Faithful One: Digging Deeper

Brie Brown

March 6, 2018

Adoring,Beauty,Digging Deeper,Faith,Hope,Peace,Power,Praise,Prayer,Scripture,Truth,Worship

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Faithful One"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 96

1 Sing a new song to the Lord;
let the whole earth sing to the Lord.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
proclaim his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his wondrous works among all peoples.

4 For the Lord is great and is highly praised;
he is feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
bring an offering and enter his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.

10 Say among the nations: “The Lord reigns.
The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken.
He judges the peoples fairly.”
11 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and all that fills it resound.
12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate.
Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy
13 before the Lord, for he is coming—
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with his faithfulness.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What commands are given in this Psalm?

There are all kinds of verbs in this Psalm that command how we are to respond to God:  Sing, bless, proclaim, declare, ascribe, bring an offering, worship, tremble before Him, and say to name a few. 

We are to tell of God’s greatness and respond in worship, reverence, and offering.

The Everyday Application

1) What commands are given in this Psalm?

This Psalm is all about praising God.  What a great example to us!  We can praise God, no matter what our circumstances, because He is great, powerful, and unchanging. 

Which of the verbs in this Psalm do you need to emphasize in your own life this week?  Do you need to proclaim his salvation to people?  Do you need to ascribe to Him the credit He is due?  Do you need to worship Him?

Take the psalmist’s challenge and Speak His Praise out loud! Amazing things happen in our hearts when we verbally proclaim the goodness of the Lord!

The Original Intent

2) What attributes of God does the Psalmist emphasize?

God’s glory is mentioned in verses 3, 7, and 8; His works are mentioned, from salvation (v. 2) to creation (v. 5); His strength (vv. 6, 7), His holiness, splendor, majesty, and beauty are mentioned in the middle of the Psalm, and His faithful and righteous judgments (vv. 10, 13) conclude the Psalm.

The Everyday Application

2) What attributes of God does the Psalmist emphasize?

This Psalm briefly touches on a number of God’s attributes, without really digging deeply into any of them.  While it’s good to really study different aspects of God’s character, sometimes just listing as many descriptors of God as you can will help you to see just how great He really is. 

Follow this Psalmist’s example and list all the praiseworthy attributes of God that you can. Create your own psalm of praise, focusing on WHO God is, your love for Him will grow just by this simple act of truly adoring Him!

The Original Intent

3) How does creation respond to God?

Verses 11-12 personify the world that God created, saying that the sea, the fields, the trees, etc. will shout for joy and resound. 

Even the earth itself was created to bring praise to its Maker.

The Everyday Application

3) How does creation respond to God?

Romans 8 tells us that creation itself is longing for the day when God will put all things right again.  This psalm points to the manner in which creation praises God. 

Everything God made reflects His lordship, declaring simply by their intricate design He is in control. He will one day bring all of creation back into submission to Him, and creation points to His authoritative design. it is only human beings that dare to speak out against His authority!

Learn from the creation that God created us for worship Him; join with creation and gladly worship Him too!

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