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punishment

Relentless Day 5 A Blessing Removed

September 13, 2019 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 6:1-7
Psalm 46
Matthew 5:1-12
Genesis 2
Genesis 3

Relentless, Day 5

The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord,
and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.
And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel… (Judges 6:1-2)

Israel had been brought into the Promised Land. The place of refuge and bounty promised for centuries to Israel as their inheritance from the Lord.
Yet, here they were, oppressed by their enemies and starving for food.
Enemies they had been told would be given into their hand.

Once they had enjoyed abundance, now they lived in fear, and turned over whatever meager food they managed to grow to their oppressors.
But wasn’t this the Promised Land?
Where was the Promise?

What they, (and if we’re honest…we…) missed was the blessing.
Abundance. Wealth. Plenty of food. Fine houses. Peace from their enemies.
These were not the blessing.
But Israel had her eyes set on the gift rather than the giver.

Adam & Eve had it all.
A luxurious garden, perfect happiness, meaningful work, and satisfying relationships.
All without……
stress or conflict or hurt feelings or anger or brokenness.

But their exit scene consisted of flaming swords waving back and forth by two militant angels, preventing any future return and signaling a permanent, irreparable rift between Adam and Eve and……happiness.

Ever since the Garden drama, we (as in, all of humanity) have been busily attempting to recover this deeply tragic loss of happiness.

Peace.
Health.
Plenty of money.
Deep, meaningful friendships.
Lasting marriages.
Satisfying relationships.
Laughter.
Significance in work.
Being valued.
Having purpose.
Happiness

Why don’t we experience it in ongoing, continuous fashion?
Why is happiness so elusive?
Why does emptiness set in so quickly?
Where’s the Promised Land?
Why the flaming swords barring our return?
Doesn’t God want us to be happy?

Instead of fullness and rich satisfaction, we experience sibling rivalry, an unfaithful spouse, news of tragic death, depression, mental illness, destructive weather patterns, and deadly disease.

If we were made to deeply enjoy as Adam and Eve once did,
why would God remove the blessing?

Because the blessing is found only in one root: the triune God Almighty.

In the beginning, Adam and Eve enjoyed the pleasures around them
because they were already enjoying the greatest Pleasure: God Himself.

Flaming swords blocked the re-entry to happiness because God was honoring our choice to look beyond Himself for total delight.

He knew we wouldn’t find it.
He knew we would be replacing sheer pleasure with utter brokenness.
But because He loves us well, He allowed us to choose.
And we chose us.

BUT HE CHOSE US

So He pursued, right beside us, never forsaking, with hand outstretched as we walked through loneliness, painful wounds, tragic loss, endless sadness, weariness, and massive burdens we were never intended to bear. He stayed. He pursued.
While we kept looking for happiness.

As one blessing was removed after another for Israel, the Lord kept whittling down the pleasures they could see with their eyes and experience with their flesh, in order for them to finally see what they had been missing all along: God Almighty.

The Lord ached handing over Israel to their enemies.
The Lord grieved in sending Adam and Eve from the Garden.
The Lord mourned as He watched His beloved ones choose lesser loves again and again and yet again.

And His heart breaks when we do the same….
A baby to help fix our marriage.
An abortion to help fix my life.
Extra hours to help my bank account.
Another job to give my kids more gifts.
More food to fill my cravings.

Another cut in my flesh to make me feel something, anything.
More time at the gym as I obsess over my body.
More of this, more of that, and the chase for happiness continues
without ever quite grasping it.

All the while, True Delight is waiting for our eyes to adjust and finally see Him as He is:
The Blessing

There exists nothing beyond God Himself that will satisfy.
No riches.
No house.
No well-manicured lawn.
No perfectly shaped body.
No precious child.
No loving spouse.
No thing.
No one.
None is better or fuller or richer or deeper than God Almighty Himself.

We read Judges and we see Israel’s punishment.
We see a blessing removed.
We see a promise withheld.
But what we miss is the God who wanted Israel to see that HE was the blessed gift.

Look around, lovely friend.
See those blessings removed?
See that emptiness lying there?
See the frustration that grates against your soul?
See the wounds which tear your heart?
Yes, yes, we see those.
But do you see the truest Gift who waits for your return?

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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!

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Posted in: Anger, Attention, Broken, Busy, Called, Discipline, Forgiven, Holiness, Judges, Protection, Provider, Purpose, Scripture, Shepherd, Trust, Truth Tagged: discipline, God, hope, Loving, providing, punishment, purpose, training, unhappy

Passionate Day 9
Forsaken: Digging Deeper

April 6, 2017 by Dr. Leslie Umstattd Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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Journey Study?
Check out Forsaken!

2 Corinthians 5:21 English Standard Version (ESV)

For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The Questions

1) Who is speaking in these verses and to whom are they speaking?

2) What is the greater context of this passage?

3) Who is the “our” in this verse and who is the “him”?

4) How did Jesus become sin?

The Findings for Intention

1) Who is speaking in these verses and to whom are they speaking?
In this verse Paul is speaking to the Corinthian church. This is a letter that he wrote to them reminding them of the truth of the gospel. At the time that Paul wrote this, the Corinthians were dealing with false teachers who were persuading many to follow a false gospel.

2) What is the greater context of this passage?
In the greater context of the book of 2 Corinthians, Paul is reminding them of what they knew to be true and reiterating basic theology. Within the first part of this chapter, Paul describes our Heavenly dwelling place and reminds the Corinthians that one day we will be with Christ fully. The second part of this passage, which is where we find our verse, Paul reminds this church of their reconciliation with the Lord. He wants them to never forget the price that Jesus paid on the cross so that as believers they would be eternally right with God no longer under His wrath.

3) Who is the “our” in this verse and who is the “him”?
For our (humanity) sake he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him (Jesus) we (humanity) might become the righteousness of God.

4) How did Jesus become our sin?
In the previous verses Paul explains this. Specifically, in 5:19, Paul says, “that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them,”. God sent Jesus to the cross and poured all of His wrath out for humanity’s sin on Jesus because of that every human has the ability to be in relationship with God if they choose. (John 3:16) Once Jesus died, death and sin were conquered, defeated once and for all.

The Everyday Application

1) Who is speaking in these verses and to whom are they speaking?
In this letter, we see the heart of a pastor, Paul, to his people. He desperately wants the Corinthians to remember what they know to be true, remember the one true gospel. He is going back to the basics so they are reminded of their firm foundation. Without the ministry of reconciliation between God and man through Jesus, we are lost! When we lose sight of the gospel, going back to the simple, authentic, and powerful truth of God’s Word sets us back on track to see clearly the truth of whose we are, who we are, and what God says about how we should be.

2) What is the greater context of this passage?
This verse could stand alone as a simple, yet powerful truth of the gospel message. When we read it in greater context, it makes this one line verse even more impactful. Understanding the reconciliation between God and man is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Knowing and believing what Christ did on the Cross is the transformative trajectory change all creation longs for and needs because without it, we are lost in our sin.

3) Who is the “our” in this verse and who is the “him”?
Paul, in his writing, sometimes makes it difficult to follow with his use of pronouns. It is important that we as readers of the Word know who is being talked about within the context of the verse. When we read it with nouns instead of pronouns, the verse may make more senses. “For our (humanity) sake he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him (Jesus) we (humanity) might become the righteousness of God.” The important thing to remember is God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross so that all of humanity would have the opportunity to be in relationship with God, the great I AM.

4) How did Jesus become sin?
Throughout Scripture we see that through Jesus’s death on the cross God was pouring out His wrath for the sin of humanity. Jesus’s blood was shed so that we might be cleansed of all unrighteousness. When we make the choice to passionately follow Christ, the Holy Spirit lives and works within us, and we are made right and we are set free. “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

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I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
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!

The Community!

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

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

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. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? 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 :-))

The Why!

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.

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

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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Passionate!

Posted in: Accepted, Believe, Digging Deeper, Faith, Forgiven, Generous, God, Gospel, Grace, Hope, Jesus, Lost, Love, Peace, Redemption, Relationship, Sacrifice, Sin Tagged: God, grace, humanity, Jesus, punishment, relationship, righteousness, salvation, Sin, wrath

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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14