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The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) As Christ-followers, we must hold to truth when it seems hatred is around every corner and division on every billboard. Scripture reminds that our fight is not temporal but spiritual. (Ephesians 6:12) Of course, we battle our flesh daily, but a spiritual enemy uses our physical world to attack our spiritual livelihood. The enemy’s tactics have remained the same since time began: lying, deception, misinformation, distortion, and misinterpretations of God’s truth. How do we fight against that? First, we educate ourselves on the enemy’s battle plans, like deception through social media or the division rising up around us. (1 Peter 5:8) We must study Scripture to understand and identify truth, praying for guidance and wisdom. We can stay informed on world events through multiple sources and strain our responses through the safeguard of Scripture. Second, we engage. We must start a dialogue with those inside and outside our circle with open minds and soft hearts about the brokenness of our world with a willingness to take action. Third, we seek community. God designed us to seek support from our brothers and sisters of all backgrounds. God did not promise us a life free of storms; He promised to be present with us through them. (Isaiah 43:2)

2) It’s easy to acknowledge that we live in a damaged world and that humanity is flawed, but what happens when the finger is pointed at us? The most effective way to attack oppression, hatred, and evil, is by looking inwardly first. Zechariah reminds us to have compassionate hearts for others (Zechariah 7:9-10), and Jesus taught us to love one another as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-39) Isaiah calls for us to repent of our sin, be cleansed, and learn what it looks like to do right in order to stand against injustice. (Isaiah 1:17) All of these Scriptures appeal to Christ’s Church, that’s us! Imagine if the whole of believers around the globe actively lived out these verses in our everyday relationships. What peace and pushing back of oppression would result! Conquering hate and bringing unity to our communities must start at home. We must also pray fervently for leadership in our churches and our world. (1Timothy 2:1-4) Where we have the privilege to elect government officials, do so by searching the Scriptures and using your vote to elect righteous leadership. Have conversations, not debates, about what righteous leadership looks like that protects people, lifts oppression, and promotes justice. (Jeremiah 22:2-3, Proverbs 31:4-5; 8-9, Matthew 20:26-28). It is our duty as Christ-followers to lead and pray with zealous love as God has commanded us to in order to reflect His light in the darkest places.

3) Have you ever heard the saying “practice what you preach?” Better yet, have you ever met anyone who could do it? I can think of one person who practiced everything He preached, and the world was quite literally saved in the process. Jesus. He experienced sorrow, oppression, discrimination, and hatred, as well as taught about it in the synagogues, in boats, in fields and in city centers. Jesus illustrated how to suffer silently with purpose (Mark 15:3-5), but also how to boldly call out sin. (Matthew 21:12-13) He showed us how to lift up the lowly (Luke 8:43-48) and stand firm against the enemy, both spiritual and worldly. (Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 23:1-7) More than all of that, Jesus showed us how to bring our brokenness to God in humble submission. (Mark 14:33-36) In His submission, Jesus was renewed in His mission for God’s glory, for it is in tribulation where we develop endurance; endurance produces proven character, which produces hope. (Romans 5:1-11) I challenge each of us as we face adversity in the next minute or the next week to rejoice at the opportunity God has allowed to further shape us into the image of His Son that we might proclaim Him all the more! (Romans 8:29)

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this pa5sage from Psalm 103:1-6 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

“My soul, bless the LORD, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. My soul, bless the LORD, and do not forget all his benefits. He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit; he crowns you with Faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle.”

Prayer Journal
Yahweh, You have told us we are not of this world (John 15:19) and neither is Your Kingdom of this world (John 18:36), yet we are to remain here, shining as lights in the darkness until Your return. (Philippians 2:15) Please keep my thoughts centered on Your Kingdom, Lord, especially when the darkness seems overwhelming. Use me to reflect Your light so others may be drawn to You and a little more darkness is squeezed out of the broken places. Guide my quiet time with You, still my mind and heart so I may hear Your whispers, God. Yahweh, you are the Shepherd (Psalm 23), the Teacher (Psalm 25:5), and the Lord of Armies (Psalm 46:7). You quench the thirst of my soul like a glass of ice water in the desert (John 4:14). I ache to be close to You, to feel Your love and warmth in my soul. Equip me to reflect this love to Your creation and renew my strength to push forward each morning against the rulers of this world in Your power. (Ephesians 6:12) I pray for opportunities in this coming week to lift up someone who is low in spirit and point them back to You, Father. I move as You command; in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Build Day 7 Building Character: 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 Building Character

The Questions

1) What is Nehemiah’s situation in this passage? (verses 1-5)

2) How does Nehemiah’s response in verses 6-11 demonstrate righteous leadership?

3) What motivated Nehemiah to choose this course of action? (verses 12-19)

Nehemiah 5:1-19

1 There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen. 2 Some were saying, “We, our sons, and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live.” 3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine.” 4 Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

6 I became extremely angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. 7 After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, “Each of you is charging his countrymen interest.” So I called a large assembly against them 8 and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back.” They remained silent and could not say a word. 9 Then I said, “What you are doing isn’t right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies? 10 Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest. 11 Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been assessing them.”

12 They responded: “We will return these things and require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath to do this. 13 I also shook the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn’t keep this promise. May he be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the Lord. Then the people did as they had promised.

14 Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah-from the twentieth year until his thirty-second year, 12 years-I and my associates never ate from the food allotted to the governor. 15 The governors who preceded me had heavily burdened the people, taking food and wine from them, as well as a pound of silver. Their subordinates also oppressed the people, but I didn’t do this, because of the fear of God. 16 Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my subordinates were gathered there for the work. We didn’t buy any land.

17 There were 150 Jews and officials, as well as guests from the surrounding nations at my table. 18 Each day, one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me. An abundance of all kinds of wine was provided every 10 days. But I didn’t demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.

19 Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people.

Original Intent

1) What is Nehemiah’s situation in this passage? (verses 1-5)
“The underlying problem this chapter chronicles sprang from pride. Instead of putting God’s interests first and seeking the welfare of their brethren, the Jews were putting their own interests first and taking advantage of their brethren.” (Constable.NET) In Nehemiah 4:14-20, we see God’s people faithfully doing the work God had called them to do despite all the difficulties and hurdles. There was a wall to be rebuilt! Yet in the following chapter, our focus chapter, there is suddenly no mention of the work of rebuilding. Verse 1 reveals a “widespread outcry” among one group of Jews toward another group of Jews. A famine and taxation were causing financial strain on the people, consequently interrupting the work of rebuilding. This internal conflict among the people resulted in poverty and starvation for many. While there is no mention of the tax itself being unfair, we are told in verse 11 that the rich were taking advantage of the poor by charging unreasonable interest rates. (Enduring Word) Due to the substantial number of Jewish people needing food during a famine (verse 2), many were forced to borrow money at an unfair and extremely high rate. Although the process of borrowing and pledging to a lender was a lawful and customary practice (verse 3), overcharging was forbidden in Jewish law. (Leviticus 25:36-37) Also an acceptable form of paying debt was the practice of slavery. These dire circumstances had demoralized some of the Jews (whose children were already enslaved) and created a never-ending cycle of debt and oppression.

2) How does Nehemiah’s response in verses 6-11 demonstrate righteous leadership?
Nehemiah recognized the people were being exploited by their fellow countrymen and a virtuous anger arose in him that compelled him to speak up. (verses 6-7) Commentator Guzik wrote, “This was great leadership from Nehemiah. He was a man passionate enough to get angry; but wise enough to not act until he had considered the matter carefully.” (Enduring Word) Becoming a voice for the victims of injustice is the sign of a good leader. Especially when, as in Nehemiah’s case, the leader is justifiably able to use himself as an example of what is right. As he confronts the offending parties, Nehemiah presents his personal integrity as a comparison. In his persuasive rebuke, he reminded his fellow Jews how inconsistent it was for them to enslave their own community, some of whom they had liberated from the hands of foreigners. (verses 8-9) Nehemiah references himself as someone who had lawfully and morally loaned to the poor. (verse 10) Although there is no indication he was wrong in lending, he now calls for a complete stop to it, himself included, “Let us stop charging them.” The wealthier Jews agree to “require nothing more” from the poor. Nehemiah’s careful response prompted swift and just action from the people. (verse 12)

3) What motivated Nehemiah to choose this course of action? (verses 12-19)
It is possible that Nehemiah was unjustly accused and was included in this criticism from his Jewish countrymen. Even so, when confronted with what is happening, he demonstrates compassion toward their plight. This passage does not explicitly say, but it would not be too far of a stretch to conclude that Nehemiah leads with humility by dealing with the injustice head on rather than attempting to justify himself to the people. His gripping plea for an oath from the people (verses 12-13) and his extreme anger regarding their misery (verse 6) demonstrates his love for the people. He also exhibited a heart for God in how he instructed the people to fear God (verse 15) and by how he spoke to God in prayer, “But I didn’t demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy. Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people.” (verses 18-19) I don’t see this as boasting in himself. Nehemiah was boasting in God just as the apostle Paul did in the New Testament in his letter to the Corinthians. (2 Corinthians 9-12) Nehemiah believed in a good God who rewards the sacrificial and generous person. He took his desire to a God whom he had come to trust and believe was for him.

Everyday Application

1) What is Nehemiah’s situation in this passage? (verses 1-5)
As I studied this passage, I was ‘feeling all the feels’ for everyone involved. Sometimes we find ourselves in the place of the forgotten ones. Perhaps you are in a circumstance that has left you vulnerable to those caught up in the corruption of money and power. In your oppressed condition, you may be praying for a leader to rise to the occasion, desiring an advocate to speak up for you. Or it could be you are like the Jews who were caught up in their desire for more wealth. Is it possible you have unintentionally allowed yourself to be part of the problem by ignoring the cries of those who have been unfairly treated? Oh, dear Sister, we all tend to be blind to our own sin. Especially when it has subtly taken root in our lives. I’m so thankful for grace-filled leaders who come alongside us with the truth and call us to higher and holy living. But what if you are the leader?! Yes, it could be that it’s you God has called to do the work of Nehemiah. To speak with courage and humility and take the lead in making wrong things right. If so, I pray you will step out in faith with God’s presence going with you!

2) How does Nehemiah’s response in verses 6-11 demonstrate righteous leadership?
Nehemiah was not a respecter of persons but had a foremost desire to honor God and the truth. Good leaders model integrity by confronting those who need to be challenged no matter who they are. One of the reasons we don’t have many biblical examples of righteous anger is because it is nearly impossible to possess! Only by God’s grace can we exhibit the anger Ephesians describes, “Be angry and do not sin.” (Ephesians 4:26-27) Nehemiah demonstrated how to respond to injustice with righteous anger. When circumstances were getting out of control he responded rather than reacted. He hit the pause button to “consider the matter.” A wonderful way to demonstrate mature leadership is growing in the grace of response rather than reaction. One of the ways I evaluate my anger is to ask myself if the anger is for someone else’s justice or my own. When mercy leads our hearts, we can know we are heading in a good direction with our anger. A merciful motive usually signifies unselfish anger. Nehemiah’s pause from the work of building the wall demonstrated a heart for the people over a desire to finish the mission. He led with compassion by calling for a promise from the people to care for those who had been unjustly treated. As a result, the task was completed with a reunified group of people in an astonishing 52 days! If you’ve ever been to Jerusalem, and seen the size of the wall, you also stand in amazement. (Nehemiah 6:15-16)

3) What motivated Nehemiah to choose this course of action? (verses 12-19)
When our motive and mission have God’s purposes at the forefront, we ignite a passion in others. As Sarah wrote, “We need to be inspired by Nehemiah’s approach to leadership, by sacrificing where necessary for the betterment of those under us; be it members of our families, workplace or community.” Entrusting the entire outcome to God will help develop leadership characteristics in us that demonstrate a wonderful blend of confidence and dependence. Others will be motivated to join us because we radiate God’s grace. As we pray and ask God to reveal His heart to us, we will care about the work that needs to be done and we will notice the people who are engaged in the work. Most commentators believe the book of Nehemiah is his personal diary or journal. Following his example, we can remember and pray within our personal quiet time with the Lord, “Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people.” (verse 19) I’m thankful God gave us this personal look at Nehemiah’s heart through the pages of his journal. It shows us that a leader who leads with integrity can pray with boldness. When our public words are from a humble and pure heart, our private prayers can include courageous requests! (Hebrews 4:16)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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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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Kneel Day 11 In The Gap

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 18:20-33
James 2:20-26
Romans 6:15-23

Kneel, Day 11

“Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:23)

Abraham’s question to the Lord hung in the air. The Lord had proclaimed the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah because of the cities’ unrelenting depravity. Abraham knew he had no right to ask, but love for his nephew Lot, a resident of Sodom, drove him to boldly seek mercy, to intercede for him and his family.

Abraham continued his plea, “What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away instead of sparing the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people who are in it?” (Genesis 18:24)

He knew the character of the Lord, who led him out of Ur of the Chaldees into a new land. God had shown mercy to Abraham again and again. Not only was God just and righteous, He was also Abraham’s friend.

“You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25)

God listened to Abraham’s plea. He agreed to relent from destroying Sodom and Gomorrah if there were 50 righteous people. Abraham continued interceding, because he understood the pervasive immorality of the cities, and the unlikeliness of finding 50 righteous people. Finally, he negotiated down to ten people. Abraham counted Lot, his wife, two daughters, and his future sons-in-law. That was six people; surely, there would be four others.

But there weren’t.

Unfortunately, Lot and his two daughters were the only people saved from the destruction when God rained down burning sulfur on the cities (Genesis 19:24-26), which some scholars believe may now be buried beneath the salty Dead Sea.

Reading about the utter destruction of two cities is very sad. Though the people of Sodom and Gomorrah didn’t know the God against whom they sinned, they still were held accountable for their actions.

Generations before the Law was given in order to make Israel explicitly aware of the depth of their sin, we nonetheless see the stark differences between the heart postures of Abraham, a God-follower (Genesis 18:1-8), and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were bent on immediate self-gratification at any cost (Genesis 19:4-9).

In the residents’ response to the heavenly messengers’ visit, there is not only a total disregard for any holy purpose or message the visitors might bring (check out how Jesus would instruct the disciples to handle such rejection of His call in Luke 10:1-12), but also a revelation of a people devoted to violence and lust and the abuse of power. They were, in fact, a culture built on sin.

And sin results in death. As Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We may not live out the specific sins of corruption and perversion that characterized the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah, but we have been equally corrupted by our own sin. Our definition of good will never be good enough compared to the holiness of God. We are people of unclean lips, stained by our sin, unable to approach a Holy God. (Isaiah 6:5)

God’s perfect holiness demands a consequence for sin. Just as a good and fair judge ensures guilty people are punished for their crimes and restitution is paid to victims, God must hold people accountable for the harm they have caused. If He didn’t, He would be unjust!*

As Abraham was interceding for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, they had no idea of their imminent destruction and need for salvation. Similarly, the people around us may have no awareness of their need for a Savior. Still, like Abraham, we can intercede for them and pray for God‘s mercy despite their sinfulness. We can also pray for our country, state, and city, just as Abraham prayed for those two cities.

This story of justice also shows God’s mercy. He was willing to spare the cities from the consequences if there were only ten righteous people. Abraham‘s plea for mercy shows the power of intercessory prayer. Intercession can unleash God’s mercy and blessing in other people’s lives and alter the course of history. Our prayers can stand in the gap for our country and our city.

How can you pray for God to have mercy on our nation, community, and the people around you?

—

*We would be remiss if we ended the conversation on sin and justice here.
God is holy and just. He is also love (1 John 4:16), as is evidenced by His display of mercy even in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, He spared Lot and his daughters.

Because He loves us with a depth we struggle to understand (Ephesians 3:17-19),
He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the just penalty for our sin. (Hebrews 9:15)

When we acknowledge our guilt before God, seek His forgiveness for our sin, and embrace Jesus’ gift of salvation, our relationship with God is restored through His mercy.

Would you like to learn more, or experience God’s love and mercy for yourself?
Reach out in the comments, or send us an email! We’d love to talk with you!

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Kneel Day 7 On Our Behalf: 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 On Our Behalf!

The Questions

1) What is the “new and living way” inaugurated by Jesus? (verse 20)

2) How are our hearts sprinkled clean and our bodies washed in pure water? (verse 22)

3) How do we hold onto the confession of our hope without wavering? (verse 23)

Hebrews 10:19-23

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus— 20 he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)— 21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.

Original Intent

1) What is the “new and living way” inaugurated by Jesus? (verse 20)
In Hebrews 10:20, we are told Jesus’ blood has made a new and living way to enter the sanctuary of God. Before Jesus’ death on the cross, the high priest sacrificed an innocent animal every year to atone for the sins of God’s people. (Leviticus 16) Because of Jesus, people have a “new and living way” to access the Father. When the sinless Savior took our sin upon Himself, He redeemed our lives and reconciled all who believe in Him back to God. We are no longer separated from God but can come boldly to His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) through the “new and living way” of Jesus. Andrew Murray suggests “Christ’s death was something entirely and essentially new, and so also His resurrection life; a life out of death, such as never had been known before. This new death and new life constitute the new and living way, the new way of living in which we draw nigh to God.” The reason Jesus came to earth and sacrificed His life was so we could live an abundant life (John 10:10) in communion with God (1 Corinthians 1:9). His death made a way for us to draw near to our righteous God without the hindrance of our sin. As David Guzik points out, “Now under the New Covenant we have access because of the perfect sacrifice of the sinless Son of God, and it is as if the living, resurrected Jesus ushers us into the throne room of God.” We can remain in God, and He remains in us (John 15:4-8), because Christ’s work on the cross brings us into relationship with God.

2) How are our hearts sprinkled clean and our bodies washed in pure water? (verse 22)
In the Old Testament, priests sacrificed an animal and sprinkled its blood on the altar to signify cleansing and payment for sin. They would also wash themselves, signifying holiness, before wearing tabernacle garments to make the sacrifice. (Leviticus 16:4) Kenneth Wuest explains how the “high priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrificial animal seven times on the ground as he approached the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies.” (Leviticus 16:14) The author of Hebrews references this in writing, “Let us draw near [to God] with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22) It is Jesus, our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), who cleanses us from sin through the blood sacrifice He made for us at the cross. We are sprinkled clean and washed pure by His blood. Some, like David Guzik, suggest this passage also references water baptism. “With the perfect cleansing available to us, described in terms of promises of the New Covenant in the Hebrew Scriptures (hearts sprinkled) and the Christian practice of baptism (bodies washed), we can draw near to God in a way never available to someone under the Old Covenant.” Jesus’ sacrifice made a way for us to have a vibrant relationship with the living God! Andrew Murray asserts, “The blood [of Christ] has put away the thought of sin from God; He remembers it no more forever. The blood puts away the thought of sin in me too, taking away the evil conscience that condemns me.” What an incredible reality, that we can commune with the Holy God who frees our conscience from evil and sprinkles our hearts clean, free of condemnation! (Romans 8:1)

3) How do we hold onto the confession of our hope without wavering? (verse 23)
The author of Hebrews 10:23 admonishes readers to “hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.” According to Chuck Swindoll, this letter was written to “Jewish Christians in Rome, who were struggling under Nero’s persecution and were considering moving back toward the Mosaic Law. The writer to the Hebrews showed these Jewish Christian believers that, though they were faced with suffering, they were indeed following a better way . . . and they should persevere.” It can be hard to stay committed to biblical beliefs when doing so incurs mistreatment from others. It can be easy to waver, or even fall away, from truth when following Christ becomes difficult. This verse tells us that, because God is faithful and keeps His promises, we should hang on with hope without faltering. R.C. Sproul explains, “The faithfulness of His Word and His activity through history give us the basis for our hope and confidence that God will do all that He promises. Because of this faithfulness, we too must be faithful to Him.” God’s Word tells us all Christians will face persecution (2 Timothy 3:12), but the hope we are holding onto in the promises and Person of Jesus is worth any persecution we face for following Jesus. In fact, the Bible calls those who are persecuted blessed for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5:10) God grants us the grace (John 1:16) to be faithful to Him as He shows faithfulness to us in all situations.

Everyday Application

1) What is the “new and living way” inaugurated by Jesus? (verse 20)
Recently at church, our fancy printer for checking kids into class wasn’t working, so I told parents we were “kickin’ it old school” using ink pens and stickers instead of technology. Of course, “old school” is relative; when I was a child, kids were simply dropped off without official security measures. Everybody knew everybody else and the street where they lived. The “new system”, even with a downgrade to markers and stickers, was still better than the “old system” I’d grown up under. In relating with God, Jesus has given us a “new system” described in Hebrews 10:20 as “the new and living way” which is immeasurably better than the old system. Instead of relying on a priest to temporarily atone for our sins through animal sacrifice, we can freely access God because Jesus took our sins upon Himself once and for all. (1 Peter 2:24) We don’t need to worry about not measuring up, or working to atone for the impossible debt our sins have incurred, because Jesus paid the debt-price (1 Corinthians 6:20) to cleanse us from “all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Dan Cruver describes what it’s like for us to “enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19) when he writes, “Our confidence to enter is not based upon what we’ve done or not done but upon what Christ has done through the shedding of His own blood. Our confidence is based upon the work of Christ.” There is much freedom in knowing my salvation does not rely on what I do or fail to do. My righteousness before God is because of Jesus’ righteousness; all I need to do is accept His love and mercy made available through the “new and living way”! (John 3:16)

2) How are our hearts sprinkled clean and our bodies washed in pure water? (verse 22)
I was saved from my sin-debt at age 5, so the idea of being made clean and whole didn’t resonate with me as deeply then as it does now. Since then, I’ve grown in understanding of my sin, its offensiveness to the Holy God, and my deep need for a Saving God to cleanse me. There are numerous sermons, songs, books and movies describing the blood of Jesus washing us because it’s a life-altering experience. Hillsong United’s song, Clean, declares, “The highest Name has set me free/Because of Jesus My heart is clean.” In her song, “Clean,” Natalie Grant sings, “There’s nothing too dirty/that you can’t make worthy/You wash me in mercy/I am clean/ Washed in the blood of your sacrifice/Your blood flowed red and made me white/My dirty rags are purified/I am clean.” When your life has been tinged with the guilt and shame of sin, being delivered from the heaviness of condemnation is whole-life-liberating. Only the blood of Jesus, shed for us, cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7) and frees us from sin and death (Romans 8:2). According to author Liz Curtis Higgs, “God doesn’t just clean us up, fix us up, straighten us up. He recreates us in the image of His Son. He starts from scratch. He makes us new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) In Christ, we become “a new being” (Good News Bible), “a new person” (New Living Translation), “a new creature altogether” (Amplified Bible), and have “a fresh start” (The Message Paraphrase).” This freedom is available to all who choose to turn from their sin and trust Christ to pay their sin-debt! Being made new, clean and free, stirs us to share this Good News with everyone!

3) How do we hold onto the confession of our hope without wavering? (verse 23)
I’ve always been inspired by Christians whose lives demonstrate a life that “hold(s) on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since He who promised is faithful.” Corrie Ten Boom was a Christian Dutch woman who hid Jews from the Nazis in the Netherlands during World War II. “In concert with her religious beliefs, her family experience, and the Dutch resistance. Her defiance led to imprisonment, internment in a concentration camp, and loss of family members who died from maltreatment while in German custody” (encyclopedia.ushmm.org) Though she and those she loved suffered much, she was still able to say, “In darkness God’s truth shines most clear”. (Corrie Ten Boom) She held onto the unwavering hope she had in Christ and the truths of the Scriptures in her darkest hours, then emerged to share that hope with others around the world. There are stories from all over the globe like this one, of people holding fast to Jesus in the face of intense struggle. The recent coup in Myanmar left people fleeing into the jungles for survival, but hope persists for those displaced Christians. Lindy Lowry reports, “Like so many situations where God’s people are pressed on every side (2 Corinthians 4:8,) faith continues to survive in persecution. Our local partners [in Myanmar] report that increasing numbers of people are turning to Jesus for their hope.” In Nigeria, Boko Haram has harassed Christians who refuse to convert to Islam, yet “many Nigerian Christians forgive their persecutors, and some even share the gospel with militants” (persecution.com) Stories like these remind me that holding on to my hope in Christ without wavering is important because it keeps me connected to God’s promises and it encourages others who may be struggling.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Advent Day 15 The Beginning

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Hebrews 2:14-18
Genesis 3:13-15
Philippians 2:5-8
Revelation 1:7-8

Advent, Day 15

I know, most people finish their story with the ending, right?

It’s Christmas Eve, Jesus is here!

Angels are singing and stars are twinkling as new parents take in their freshly birthed son… Of The Living God. God Himself wrapped in a 6-pound bundle of wrinkled newborn skin, dark eyes, cheesy vernix, baby poop, and blood.

None would look at this tiny babe and proclaim He is the Great Almighty by Whom and through Whom, the Universe exists.
Yet He Is.

None would kiss His silky head and press their finger to curly toes and consider He is God sent to die as a criminal for humanity’s rescue.
Yet He Is.

None would feel His feeble fingers curl around their thumb and declare Him to be the One sent to crush the head of Satan.
Yet He Is.

He is…
The Arrival of Satan’s Defeat
The One Foretold
The Great Light
Our Immoveable Anchor
The Suffering Servant
Our Perfect Priest
Our One True Shepherd
The Carol of Abraham and Isaac

Jesus is all of these and He always has been. In fact, while today we celebrate the beginning of His life on Earth, the truth is, Jesus has been with us since the beginning of time. If you’ll allow me, I’d like to take you from the side of Christ’s makeshift cradle to the Garden, where it all began.

In Genesis 3, the unbelievable has occurred. God’s perfect garden, His perfect world, has been marred by sin, ushered in by a single act of disobedience. In these verses, God listens as Adam and Eve play a round of the blame game, ultimately pointing their fingers at the serpent, Satan. We can sense God’s heartache and righteous anger as He delivers a curse to each of the guilty parties: first to the serpent, then to the woman, and finally, to the man.

Yet, in this heartbreaking moment, we also find a seed of hope: the first prophecy of a Savior. As swiftly as the curse is given, the plan of redemption is promised. Jesus will come. He will set this wrong to right. There is no hesitation from God. No, it seems in the very moment His creation rejects Him, He chooses to pursue us.

Surely as God, there were infinite paths He could have chosen to save us. Say the word! Snap His fingers! Scrap the whole “Earth project” and start again (this time without the snakes).

But He chose none of those paths. Instead, as Philippians 2:6-8 tells us, Christ chose to humble Himself by taking on the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
So the Christ was born as a defenseless child to penniless parents.

What kind of God chooses to become one of His creations?
What kind of God chooses to come as an infant instead of a king?

God promises the serpent will one day bruise the heel of Adam’s offspring, as Satan does in Christ’s death. But He also promises this Child will utterly crush the head of the serpent, as Jesus does through His resurrection. The reason Christ came to Earth as a baby was to fulfill this very prophecy in Genesis.
He came to crush the serpent’s head.
He came to break Satan’s power over us.
And He will come again.

Friend, we stand in the glorious in-between of two advents: Christ’s birth and Christ’s return. While much of Christ’s story lies behind us, we are invited into the anticipation and longing for the next chapter of His great unfolding when He will come as Victorious King, riding on a cloud, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

So you see, the Beginning we celebrate on Christmas Eve merely points us to another Beginning . . . the beginning of a Kingdom that will never end. In this kingdom, there will be no more tears, no more sickness, and no more shame. (Revelation 21:3-4) Just as in the garden, all those years ago, we will experience perfect fellowship with our God. Finally, we will experience the beautiful, yet mysterious union of the divine and those declared righteous because of the precious blood of the Only Begotten Son of the Living God.

No, I don’t imagine anyone gazing into his sleepy, newborn eyes could believe this child to be the Promise fulfilled and Everlasting King.

Yet He is.

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Advent Day 10 Bridging The Gap

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Hebrews 9:6-15
Isaiah 53:4-6
Romans 3:10-26 
John 14:1-3
Romans 5:12-21

Advent, Day 10

“There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one [. . .] For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:10b-12, 23)

After the first man made the crushing choice of self over God, mankind became warped in their sinful selves, unable to truly stand before a righteous and holy God. They became objects of God’s wrath, and so there was nothing left for mankind except condemnation.

But while man was grubbing in darkness and hopelessness, One came who perfectly fulfilled the role of a mediator between God and man. He was God in the flesh, come to take our punishment and to cover our sinfulness with His righteousness. The Scripture says, “For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” (Hebrews 7:26)

As we celebrate the coming of God in the flesh with our Advent series, today, we journey further back still to examine how the priesthood foreshadowed our Savior’s arrival, generations before His birth.

Consider Jesus, our perfect Priest, Who sacrificed Himself to put away the sin of mankind. As it is appointed for man to die once, and after that judgement, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of the many. (Hebrews 9:26-28) He bore our sins in His own body on the cross, that we, having died to sin, might live for righteousness. (1 Peter 2:24)

What lavish love! What priest would dare love like this?
In His humble coming, He provided access to the Father never before known,
to not just a select few who could enter the holy of holies,
but for all who believe in Him.

In fact, Scripture says of those who have believed in Christ,
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)

No other blood can save except the blood of our Perfect Priest. While the priests in the Old Testament offered animals’ blood for the atonement of sins, their sacrifice could not grant complete access to God’s presence. In fact, it was offered as many times as sin was committed. The perfect Priest, however, offered Himself willingly and freely,
as a sacrifice for our sins once and for all.

The prophet Isaiah expounded,
“Yet he himself bore our sickness, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

Jesus Himself said, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

We may not appreciate this demonstration of great love by our perfect Priest if we do not understand the awful and grievous nature of our sinfulness.

In Ephesians 2:1-3, apostle and preacher, Paul, provides a sobering elucidation:
we were dead in our trespasses and sins,
following the course of this world, according to the ways of the prince of the air (Satan)
fulfilling the desires of our flesh and of our minds,
by nature children of wrath.

By following the course of this world,
we become servants of Satan.
We follow his dictates and crave evil rather than good. 

But this perfect Priest obtained for us eternal redemption with His own blood; He became sin that we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) The payment price to buy us back from the slavery of sin, under the dictatorship of Satan, is His blood.

What love!
What mercy!
Our redemption is in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

When I recall I was an object of God’s wrath, and consider the saving grace of my Redeemer, I shed tears of joy.

When I reflect on my awfulness, and how I deserved eternal death, but Jesus, the perfect Priest, died in my place, I know I owe Him my all.

Willingly, Christ died for us even when we were God’s enemies. (Romans 5:8) Now, He has provided access to God for whoever believes in Him, welcoming all to be reconciled to God. One day, coming still, we will leave our own sin-wrecked selves and find solace in Christ, face-to-face.

Scripture confirms,
“[T]here will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads [. . .] and they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelations 22:3-5) Oh, what great joy awaits those who believe in Christ, the perfect Priest!

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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 Advent Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Advent Day 1 The Arrival

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 7:10-14
John 9:13-41
Mark 2:15-17
John 18:33-37
John 15:18-25

Advent, Day 1

I know, most people start at the beginning of the story.
Advent is really about “leading up to” the birth of Christ, right?

The word “advent” means “coming.”
But, here we are on December 6th, already at the fulfillment.

Jesus is here!
Angels are singing!
Mary holds a shivering infant’s divine skin next to her fallen flesh.
Here, as mama suckles Jesus, tears flowing for both of them, and a terrified Joseph stands in flushed awe, we see the gospel laid out.

This Jesus, this GOD, here with us.
Immanuel, God with us.
The Holy Righteous and Divine in the middle of our biggest mess.

When else has Love looked like this?!

In love, God ordained Jesus, truly man and truly God, to be born like any other person.
“Instead He emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant,
Taking on the likeness of humanity.” (Philippians 2:7)

Although His conception was a miracle by the Holy Spirit, Jesus grew in His mother’s womb and was born a helpless babe, the same as you and me.

God works in the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4-5), and so Jesus was born in the days of Herod, a king who guarded his throne with jealousy and violence. As we will see later in this Journey Theme, Jesus’ coming was foretold by Old Testament prophets, and when Herod learned of those prophecies, he sought to kill Jesus as a potential rival king. (Matthew 2)

Yet, King Jesus didn’t come in splendor and glorious robes.
He came in humility, in a stable, wearing swaddling clothes.
This was the beginning of Jesus’ purpose to serve.
“[J]ust as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

From the beginning, Jesus confounded expectations for the long-awaited King of the World. Much of Jesus’ ministry on earth revealed a new, “upside-down” Kingdom understanding of knowledge, wisdom, service, and culture. He came to bring judgement on those who were right in their own eyes.

“I came into this world for judgement,
in order that those who do not see will see,
and those who do see will become blind.” (John 9:39)

Often, such judgement was addressed to the religious scholars of the day, the Pharisees and Sadducees. These self-righteous, self-aggrandizing men added their own religious laws and heaped legalistic burdens on the Jews. In reality, they were blind and deaf to the Truth when He stood before them. (John 14:6) They thought they were going to heaven because they were ethnic Jews, God’s chosen people. But Jesus came to usher in a new covenant, available to anyone, Jew or Gentile, who would turn from sin and trust in Him.

“When Jesus heard this, He told them, ‘It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” (Mark 2:17)

Jesus Himself declared, “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:37b) And the angel told Joseph, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

Jesus came to bear witness to the truth and to save his people from their sins. Nothing would stop Him from accomplishing His ministry. Before the foundation of the world, God set His plan of redemption in motion. Jesus was born to die, to speak the truth in love so those who listened to His voice and repented of their sin would be saved and bring glory to God.

Against the backdrop of our inky rebellion, God’s beautiful, holy love shines brilliantly, ready to rescue us from the brokenness of our sin.

Jesus came into a dark world as a bright shining light. (John 8:12) We are all born blinded by sin (Ephesians 2:3), but by His grace, He opens our eyes to see the light. Then it is our duty and delight to shine this light before others that they may see God’s glory for themselves. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Tragically, just as Jesus’ light was not welcomed by all, neither will His light in us be embraced by all. And just as Jesus was mocked, ridiculed, and ultimately murdered on a cross, we too will face persecution for carrying His light.

“Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” (John 15:20)

With the confidence of Christ, let us go forth boldly this Christmas season, shining His light and proclaiming His gospel, and not letting anything stop us from this ministry. Let us pray God would open the eyes of the unbelieving around us that they may have eyes to see the truth and light in Christ. Amen!

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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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Worship IX Day 12 Spirit & Truth: 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 Spirit & Truth!

The Questions

1) What is meant by New Moons, festivals, and burnt offerings? (verses 11-14)

2) How does the righteous Lord respond to a disobedient people? (verse 15)

3) What antidote does God give for Israel’s rebellion? (verses 16-20)

Isaiah 1:11-20

“What are all your sacrifices to me?”
asks the Lord.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams
and the fat of well-fed cattle;
I have no desire for the blood of bulls,
lambs, or male goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who requires this from you—
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing useless offerings.
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons and Sabbaths,
and the calling of solemn assemblies—
I cannot stand iniquity with a festival.
14 I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals.
They have become a burden to me;
I am tired of putting up with them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will refuse to look at you;
even if you offer countless prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are covered with blood.


16 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves.
Remove your evil deeds from my sight.
Stop doing evil.
17 Learn to do what is good.
Pursue justice.
Correct the oppressor.
Defend the rights of the fatherless.
Plead the widow’s cause.

18 “Come, let’s settle this,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;
though they are crimson red,
they will be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land.
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Original Intent

1) What is meant by New Moons, festivals, and burnt offerings? (verses 11-14)
God had instituted these festivals, celebrations, and offerings as tangible reminders of God’s goodness and love towards His people, Israel. He commanded them to celebrate these festivals regularly; to ignore them would have been disobedient. However, Isaiah the prophet records the Lord telling Israel to cease all their rituals and ceremonies that He Himself has instituted because their hearts had missed the point, which was worshipping God. The intention of the festivals was to remind them of God’s goodness toward Israel, while the blood sacrifices were meant to remind them that every sin carried a cost. Even though “It’s impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4), the sacrifices were necessary to show the people that 1) blood payment must be made for sin and 2) God is gracious to accept their offerings while they waited for the Ultimate Sacrifice to come as the Messiah, Christ Jesus, whose blood would pay for all sin. (1 John 2:2) The sacrifices reminded Israel they were a guilty people in desperate need of a Redeemer. Sacrifices also kept Israel in relationship with the Lord by prodding them to confess their sin, repent (turn away), and be made right with God. Over time, the sacrifices became empty rituals and Israel’s heart was far from God. Ritual without heart-change, sacrifice without obedience, gifts without authenticity, these were what God despised. He declared these empty acts to be a “trampling of My courts.” (verse 12) The stinging criticism of worship in verses 11-14, is not an indictment of worship in general. Rather, it is an indictment of worship that serves as a COVER-UP for EMPTY HEARTS. External religion is an easy cloak to disguise sin.

2) How does the righteous Lord respond to a disobedient people? (verse 15)
Verse 15 records the Lord responding to Israel’s sinful rebellion by refusing to look at or listen to them. He paid no attention to their outstretched hands or many prayers; their hearts didn’t desire true repentance or confession. Authentic worship was absent. Though He loved His people, their repetitive decisions to sin were detestable; God couldn’t look upon them because their hearts were not repentant. Without true repentance, sacrifice was meaningless. Isaiah and Amos, among others, warned of coming exile for Israel’s persistent sin. God would send fire to Judah and their cities would become desolate. (Isaiah 1:7, Amos 2:4-5) God’s response to sinful disobedience has consistently remained the exact same from the Garden of Eden, to ancient Israel, to the early church, and our own generation. Justice. (Isaiah 30:18) He is a just God, refusing to allow any sin to go unpunished. He can neither look upon sin nor ignore it. The price for sin must be paid, this is justice. Graciously, He is also infinitely good and loving, which led Him to give Himself for the payment of our sin. He paid the penalty we never could for every single sin when He died on the cross as a blood sacrifice. Only a perfect Being could pay the penalty of sin in full.  He proved He had all authority over sin and death by rising from the dead on the third day. Now, for all who choose to trust Him as Savior, God can look on us and listen to us, even if we still sin because He has taken our condemnation and given us righteousness instead! (Romans 8:1-2, 2 Corinthians 5:21) No amount of sacrifices from Israel could change the posture of their hearts. Without a heart and life reformation, God could not accept their sacrifices, nor would He be manipulated by them!

3) What antidote does God give for Israel’s rebellion? (verses 16-20)
Isaiah was an evangelistic prophet, telling the coming good news of the Messiah. Even his name means “Salvation of Jehovah”. It is quite significant, therefore, that his first chapter contains the gospel invitation. Long before Jesus would come as a babe then die as the Savior, Isaiah wrote, ““Come, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are crimson red, they will be like wool.” (verse 18) Sin was bluntly acknowledged, consequence was justly coming, yet the Lord offers this antidote, “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight.
Stop doing evil. Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice.” (verses 16-17) Cleansing from sin was available to Israel, even now in the heat of their rebellion. Their washing was totally separated from ANY human merit or effort. The goodness they were called to do directly followed the cleaning and did not precede it. Good works have never been able to cover sin, only true cleansing. This washing is found only in the mercy of God. It was His mercy that permitted the blood of animals to act as payment for sin, even though they couldn’t remove sin. The perfect display of mercy came as the Father sent the Son to shed His blood on the cross to perfectly pay for every sin. (1 John 2:2) What lavish mercy! Still, the prophet warns that unless willful cleansing occurs, war and destruction await, “But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” (verse 20)

Everyday Application

1) What is meant by New Moons, festivals, and burnt offerings? (verses 11-14)
As I researched this passage, I found myself focusing on the intricacies of festivals and burnt offerings which comprised the everyday rhythms of ancient Israel. I studied what each offering meant and the detailed directions on which offering to give if you committed this sin or that, knowingly or unknowingly, whether the animal was clean or unclean, and which rituals to follow when. I became entangled in intense detail. It was like a fall corn maze; which route is the right path to obedience and pleasing God? I became anxious and felt trapped. Which way, Lord? Stopping to pray as I studied was essential to understanding this simple truth from the Lord: offer sacrifices of worship. (Hebrews 13:15) Old Testament festivals and sacrifices are no longer required by believers today because Jesus paid the full blood price for our sins on the cross. However, the sacrifice of thanksgiving is evidenced in both Old and New Testaments just in differing forms. (Leviticus 7:12, Ephesians 5:20) Today, we don’t offer grain for thanksgiving, we use the whole of our lives as “living sacrifices”. (Romans 12:1, Matthew 22:37) Daily life can be a maze, and we can feel lost and confused, forgetting to bring the simple offering of ourselves with a childlike faith and repentant hearts before the King. It’s easy to weave a tangled web with daily chores and “to do” lists which pull us away from offering heart worship. If we aren’t intentional, we can end up only offering lip service in prayer and neglecting true worship. Even if this describes you sometimes, as it does me, there is hope! Instead of New Moons, festivals and burnt offerings, rituals in our personal lives and churches, let’s lean into worship in Spirit and truth. Our devoted hearts, genuine love, and faithfulness are exactly what GOD wants.

2) How does the righteous Lord respond to a disobedient people? (verse 15)
God is holy and righteous; He cannot be in the presence of sin. (1 John 5:18) Once we trust that Jesus has paid the penalty for our sin, and accept His righteousness in place of our rebellion, we are declared righteous. Even if we sin after we have trusted Christ, we are still covered by His blood sacrifice. (1 John 1:9) Without the covering of Christ, however, we stand condemned; we have rejected Christ. (John 3:18) When we choose to sin, we are walking away from a close relationship with God, even our prayers are hindered. (Psalm 66:18) Our hands are bloody with our sin, and though we offer countless prayers, if our hearts are not contrite before Him, He will reject us. Without faith and repentance, it’s impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6, Mark 1:15) While under our sin-nature, our natural bent is to rebel and disobey God, but when we surrender to Christ, He gives us a new nature. (Romans 5:5) God the Spirit lives inside us, teaching us to obey God (John 14:26), equipping us to follow Him (Hebrews 13:21), and giving us the desire to do His work (Philippians 2:13). Following God in obedience is the practical acceptance of the authority of God in our everyday lives. Our surrendered hearts to Christ allow His Spirit to rule in our lives, giving us the ability to step away from sinful rebellion and into obedience. We can halt our disobedient trajectory by reading God’s Word and asking the Spirit to open our eyes to our sinful patterns. Every Christian should evaluate all of life against Scripture through prayer. Marriage, career, relationships, our words, thoughts, actions, and even our body language should all reflect a heart of surrendered worship! Once the Spirit convicts us of sin, we are to confess it for the Lord promises pardon. (1 John 1:9)

3) What antidote does God give for Israel’s rebellion? (verses 16-20)
Isaiah’s prophecy depicts a severely fractured relationship between God and the people of Israel because of their sin. However, verses 16-20 make a way for restoration through the mercies of God. Israel’s “sins were as scarlet”, but so are ours. Israel rebelled against God by serving and loving themselves. Their greatest sin was rejection of the One True God. They were called upon to follow Him, but they spurned Him. So we turn the mirror on ourselves and inspect our lives for sin. Have we ever refused the ways of the Lord? Have our lips ever rejected His truth by telling a lie? Have our hands ever taken what was not ours, even just a pen or an extra item from the store at check out? Every single act of rebellion against the Lord will carry a just punishment. You and I are just as sinful as Israel, but God’s mercies are just as lavish. No matter how detestable Israel’s sin, God was willing to forgive and cleanse, and so He is with us. Will we choose to be clean? Will we live by faith and allow Christ to sever our ties to sin? The choice is ours just as it was for Israel. Will we come to Christ the Forgiver and confess our sins against Him? Or will we remain in sin with God’s wrath upon us? God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and You shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 7:23) If we will heed God’s call to come and be washed, apart from any self-proclaimed “good deeds”, we have His guarantee that we will be His. Through the blood of Christ, God will make us white as snow; His presence will comfort and delight for eternity. Take the antidote for rebellion and be cleansed by the Judge who longs to make you righteous!

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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)
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in your everyday!

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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.

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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.

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Worship IX Day 8 Misplaced Worship

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 2:13-17
Exodus 20:1-6
Psalm 95:6-7
Isaiah 40:12-26

Worship IX, Day 8

“In the temple [Jesus] found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and he also found the money changers sitting there. After making a whip out of cords, he drove everyone out of the temple with their sheep and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. He told those who were selling doves, ‘Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!’ And his disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:14-17, emphasis mine)
When I first read this passage, I struggled to understand Jesus’ reaction.
Why was Jesus so angry these people were selling stuff inside the temple?
Weren’t they providing needed sacrifices to those without?

Thankfully, God placed some mature Christians in my life who taught me it’s ok to ask questions when we don’t understand, regardless of how long we’ve been following Jesus!

So, I asked questions about this passage, and learned Jesus was angry for a couple of reasons. First, the “marketplace” was located in the outermost court of the temple, which is where the Gentiles (non-Jewish believers) and Jewish women came to worship. A busy market made it impossible for these men and women to properly worship God.

Second, Jesus saw the motivation behind the selling of sacrifices, self-profit.
Sellers overcharged needy worshipers, making a huge profit from those traveling to the temple to worship. Consider the modern-day analogy of attending a sporting event. You wait in line to purchase a bottle of water, only to discover they cost $6.00/bottle. Vendors have a captive and thirsty audience, and they know we will pay the price. We may complain, but most will usually end up paying because of the need to quench our thirst.

So, what does this mean for us today? In order to answer that question, let’s dig a little deeper and understand the heart behind Jesus’ anger.

Exodus 20:4-6 tells us not to make or worship idols, for “I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.” Thus, we see Jesus’ righteous, jealous anger when He witnessed people worshiping money and profit over His Father, God. The same is true for us today. If we are honest, we all tend to create idols we worship more than God.

Pastor, speaker, and author Dr. Paul David Tripp explains,
“We are all worshipers, and we all attach our identity, our hopes and dreams, our sense of well-being and our meaning and purpose to something.
We all give functional control of our hearts to something.
We all live after something.
We all tend to surrender to serve what we think will give us life.”

While our idols may look different from those in the Old Testament (think cell phones and sports teams rather than golden calves and Baals), we all have them, because anything or anyone we place before God is an idol.

I just returned from a week of summer camp with students from church. With the prompt for this study on my mind, I entered into our first night of corporate worship. God, as He so often does, met me right where I was with questions and unexpected conviction. As I sang loudly, hands raised, thrilled to be back at camp after last year’s covid-cancellation, His gentle question hit me like a ton of bricks, “Hey Lori, are you worshiping Me, or are you worshiping camp and the experience it brings?”

What?! As I pondered this question, I had to admit my worship was misplaced. At that moment, I was not worshiping Jesus, but the experience I had been craving for over a year.

Matthew 22:37 echoes the first commandment given to Moses hundreds of years earlier, instructing us to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds. God desires all our worship and praise, because He knows how fickle our wandering hearts really are. He gives us these instructions to keep us focused on Him and the eternal, versus the worldly and temporary.

Today, I urge each of us to honestly ask ourselves if we’re worshiping someone or something other than God. Let’s pursue God’s heart on this with thought and prayer, because, as I recently learned, it’s easy for seemingly good and right things to sneak in and steal our worship away from Jesus.

I often turn to Isaiah 40 and 41 when I need reminders of Who deserves my worship.

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand?
Who has gathered the dust of the earth in a measure
or weighed the mountains on a balance
and the hills on the scales?” (Isaiah 40:12)

Would you join me in digging into these chapters, asking God to show us our idols, and then worshiping Him alone?

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