Bible Study on 1John 2, verses 1 and 2, we have an advocate

 

1John 2:1 ¶  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

I read a commentator who made a note that when John refers to little children he is literally referring to new Christians, new believers in Christ, unskilled and a little naïve but this could just be a reflection of his pastoral care and authority over them addressing all believers. Remember that Jesus referred to His disciples as little children.

John 13:33  Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

Whatever the case may be, whether he is talking to new believers or actual saved children he warns them not to sin. But if they sin they have an advocate in Jesus Christ, who knew no sin and who pleads our case before God the Father.

Romans 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Christ satisfied the righteous wrath, propitiation, of a Holy God when He died on the Cross and we were justified legally when He rose from the dead. This was not exclusive to the Jews of His time but offered to all mankind, if they would receive it.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Bible Study on Genesis 22, verses 3 to 14, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering

 

Genesis 22:3 ¶  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4  Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5  And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6  And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7  And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9  And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Genesis 22:11 ¶  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Without questioning Abraham proceeds toward his obedience to God’s seemingly horrific command. For we know that human sacrifice is forbidden by God as an act of worship from the previously quoted Deuteronomy 12:29-31; Jeremiah 19:5, and Jeremiah 32:35.

Mount Moriah is what we know today as the Temple Mount.

2Chronicles 3:1  Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

The third day represents to us the resurrection of Christ after three days.

Luke 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

This resurrection is a theme mentioned in several places in prophetic verses in the Old Testament.

Hosea 6:2  After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

Isaac as a type of Christ and I would say possibly the same age as Christ when Christ was crucified. No, Isaac was not a child. Verse 8 shows Abraham speaking a prophecy of Christ, the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36), as it is a ram that is provided for this sacrifice as a ram is the sacrifice of Aaron and his son’s consecration as God’s priests in Exodus 29. Isaac is being set apart for God’s purpose and we are being given a glimpse of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.

…God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering…

Notice here that to stop him, God, as the angel of the Lord, the appearance of God, which appearance is Christ as we have seen, calls Abraham out of heaven. Notice the similar scene with Hagar in preceding passages.

Bible Study on 1John 1, verses 8 to 10, we all sin against God

 

1John 1:8 ¶  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2Chronicles 6:36  If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;

Ecclesiastes 7:20  For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

It is important to understand the difference between sinning, which mankind is incapable of not doing, as in having a sinful nature and in the act of committing a sin and being someone who rejects repentance and defines themselves by their sin, reveling in it.

John will say;

1John 3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Paul presents this statement of fact.

1Corinthians 6:9 ¶  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

We cannot help but sin and Christ has provided the remedy for sin’s just and deserving punishment.

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For we are all sinners saved by God’s grace. We are now saved from the power of sin and God does provide us with a way out if we choose it.

1Corinthianss 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

If we confess our sins with a pure heart of repentance He will forgive us and cleanse us.

But don’t say you aren’t a sinner. Don’t dumb down sin and say, well I don’t lie, cheat, steal, murder, or commit adultery. Just because you have never robbed a bank or killed someone doesn’t mean you haven’t lied or taken something that was not rightfully yours. John has made a very explicit point here that we should keep in mind. Sinlessness is not achievable in this life but salvation through Christ is. You who say you don’t sin are calling God a liar.

Bible Study on Genesis 22, verses 1 and 2, God did tempt Abraham

 

Genesis 22:1 ¶  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

The word tempt is carefully defined in the Bible based on the context. It means to provoke when used of man tempting God. This is clear in the word’s usage in many verses talking about how mankind angers God thereby incurring His wrath.

Psalm 78:56  Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

It also means to prove or to test to see if a promise or the power of God is real, to put God to the test.

Psalm 95:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

With regard to God tempting man it is about a test, proving man’s faith or faithlessness, with God already knowing the answer but the person learning the lesson, the reality of his own faith. It is a test or proving something as in proving a sword to make sure it is properly sharpened or strong.

Here, Abraham’s faith was tried, proved, or tested.

Hebrews 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

Now, God never tempts, tests, tries, or proves His people with the express purpose of making them fall. That is what Satan does. Notice the phrasing of the following verse in James.

James 1:13 ¶  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

The key phrase here, which defines the verse, is tempted with evil. As God is the standard of all good and evil it is an impossibility for you to provoke Him to go against His own will. And, God, never tempts you, if you are His, to do evil. He proves your faith. If a temptation specifically regarding your faith confronts you by His permissive will He will provide an escape.

1Corinthians 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The context of that verse in 1Corinthians is idolatry, not refraining from drinking a beer or smoking a cigarette although you might make it so.

The key question for a Christian has to do with whether or not you are willing to die for Christ. This is the main question for believers all through the final book of Revelation. You say you believe and you say you trust in Christ but when persecution comes, are you assured enough in your trust to die for Christ?

Revelation 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

The one that overcomes is the one that holds that Christ is and was God in the flesh to the very end.

1John 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

And there are great things awaiting that one that overcomes the world. Read Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21 & 21:7.

This is very relevant here, because as we believe in Christ’s resurrection and in our resurrection because of His, so Abraham, too, believed in a resurrection and was able to overcome at the order to offer up his son of promise because of that faith.

Hebrews 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

He believed God’s promise that in Isaac his seed should be called and believed that God would raise him from the dead. So, the willingness to offer Isaac up and God’s order not to go through with it, which we will see, is a type, a figure, of death and resurrection. Abraham will receive his son back in a type and literally. God, of course, has told us that He never approved human sacrifice, however, Abraham would not have known this.

Deuteronomy 12:29  When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; 30  Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31  Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

 

Jeremiah 19:5  They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:

 

Jeremiah 32:35  And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

Bible Study on 1John 1, verses 5 to 7, God is light, and in him is no darkness at all

 

1John 1:5 ¶  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

John states that he is repeating the message that the Lord Jesus Christ presented to HIM. God is light, pure light, in which there is no darkness. Here are some examples of that thought in John’s gospel and in one of Paul’s letters.

John 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.,,9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

1Thessalonians 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

John is addressing issues of sin within the church and seems intent on correcting errors in thinking and doctrine that have come about. To say that one is in fellowship with Christ when one walks in darkness is to make that person’s declaration a lie. As a preacher once put it, it is impossible to pursue righteousness when one is zealously clinging to error.

But those who walk in Christ’s light have fellowship not only with Him but all other believers and it is Christ’s blood that cleanses us from the taint of sin. Again, an apostle has to weed out the tares, as Paul did in Hebrews, warning those who are only fooling themselves that to walk in sin is to betray one’s confession of faith in Christ. We are saved by the blood of Christ in that Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification. Why then, would we walk in sin, in darkness, and not in the light given by Christ?

Bible Study on Genesis 21, verses 22 to 34, the well of the sevenfold oath

 

Genesis 21:22 ¶  And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest: 23  Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. 24  And Abraham said, I will swear. 25  And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away. 26  And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day. 27  And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. 28  And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29  And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 30  And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. 31  Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them. 32  Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

21:33 ¶  And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. 34  And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.

This good king, perhaps on an inspection tour with his general, stated that he understood that God was with Abraham as he could see how God protected Abraham and blessed him. However, he had reason enough not to completely trust Abraham. So, he wanted to make an agreement that would protect his dynasty from any plans Abraham might have. He wanted Abraham’s promise and Abraham gave it to him. Abraham and Abimelech’s servants had a violent disagreement about a well Abraham had dug and an agreement was made to settle the issue as Abraham convinced Abimelech that the well was his own. The place where this covenant was made, in the land that Abimelech had given to Abraham, was named Beersheba, either after the wilderness of Beersheba in which Hagar was cast, or perhaps both names were added after, as Strong says Beersheba means, “well of the sevenfold oath.”

For men who tended sheep and cattle a well of water was a very important resource and important social and political events revolved around a well. We see examples of this in Genesis 29 and in Exodus 2, as here.

Where people think this occurred was the scene of one of the last great and successful cavalry charges in history during World War One in 1917.

Phichol may have been a title rather than a person’s individual name. Of course, people are often known by their titles, as in your doctor or a person holding a political office, or, as in, “the general said...”

Remember, as mentioned previously, that Abimelech is the name of a Philistine king or means king in that language just as Pharaoh is not a personal name but a title.

Genesis 20:2  And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

And later, we will be shown;

Genesis 26:1  And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

The Philistines, as a plural, is also Philistim.

Genesis 10:6 ¶  And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.…13  And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 14  And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

Casluhim is the son of Mizraim, who is the son of Ham. The nursery, in a manner of speaking, where Isaac was brought forth, like the Hebrews later, will be in a land ruled by Ham’s descendants, as Mizraim was the founder of Egypt.

Genesis 50:11  And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan.

Strong’s dictionary, and I am not saying that it is the only authority, but Strong’s says that Abelmizraim is translated from, “a meadow of Egypt,” as Mizraim was the name for Egypt. We get the word Egypt from the Greek word, Aigyptos, and the Latin, Aegyptus, for the Roman province of Egypt. But, we can be certain that the country was named after its founder at first, Mizraim. Mizraim is also inscribed in the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and is in the Armana tablets so it is, of course, of much older date than the word, Egypt.

Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite a while. What happens next is one of the most profoundly meaningful passage in terms of prophecy in the entire Old Testament.

Bible Study on 1John 1, verses 1 to 4, part 2, how God has appeared to people

 

1John 1:1 ¶  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2  (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

God appeared to people in different ways. There is a vision, as in Genesis 15:1 where we see the angel of the LORD is God and elsewhere where the person is in a trance but fully awake and God has taken over the person’s consciousness. He spoke to Samuel, Isaiah, Nathan the prophet, Ezekiel, Ananias of Damascus, Peter, Paul, and others in this way.

Genesis 15:1 ¶  After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward… 4  And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

Some Targums suggest that the word of the LORD that came to Abram and spoke to Him was the second part of the Godhead, also fully God, as He was in the Garden of Eden before the Fall.

Numbers 12:6  And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

Numbers 24:4  He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

He also appeared as an angel of the Lord, with an angel being a presence, something tangible you could interact with, the preincarnate Word, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 63:9  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

Judges 2:1  And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

Judges 13;21  But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD. 22  And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

Exodus 3:1 ¶  Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4  And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5  And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6  Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

In this passage in Exodus the angel of the LORD, that is Jehovah, appears in a flaming bush and yet calls Himself God.

God also appeared in a dream, as to Solomon.

1Kings 3:5  In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee…15a  And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream…

Now, also see some appearances of the Word, the second part of the Godhead but fully also God as John states. This requires a complete study but notice the following and consider what I have to say.

Genesis 1:26 ¶  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:

The Targum Neofiti says that the Word of God was part of that as an individual not just spoken syllables or the writing of a text as it does in verses in Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and Numbers. For instance, in a Targum here it is said that the Word of God is actually walking in the camp, not God the Father.

Deuteronomy 23:14  For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

Jesus is that Word of God, The Divine Word, the second part of the Godhead and still fully God, as John insists.

John emphasizes that, unlike the statements of Gnostics who denied that God could take on matter and be in the flesh as matter itself was evil, that Christ came in the flesh and they saw Him and talked to Him. This is eyewitness testimony certifying and confirming Christ’s physical presence.

John 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

1Timothy 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

He confirms also that eternal life is found in Christ.

John 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  

John testifies of this and that Christ is the way to God the Father.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Because He is God the Father in the flesh.

John 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

John wants to complete the joy of the disciples, that we should all experience, by confirming and attesting to these facts. Are you not joyful at these promises?

Bible Study on Genesis 21, verses 14 to 21, for I will make him a great nation

 

Genesis 21:14 ¶  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15  And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. 16  And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. 17  And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18  Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. 19  And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. 20  And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21  And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

Hagar and her son are put away. It seems strange that a man possessed of such wealth as Abraham would provide her with such meager provisions. It seems rather heartless, wouldn’t you say? When all seems lost, though, God does not let things go too far. To say God heard the voice of the lad is much like the earlier statements about God remembering. It doesn’t suggest that He was reading a book and happened to hear Ishmael’s cry by chance. It means that He responded to the plaintive pleas of Hagar and Ishmael as He often does not make things better for us until we acknowledge our need and weakness.

God opened her eyes so that she could see something that was hidden from her before as He often does to us although we do not acknowledge that he has done so. There is something in front of us which should be obvious but we just cannot see it until He reveals its presence to us. This opening of our eyes is also apparent in understanding.

Psalm 119:18 ¶  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Ephesians 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

The skilled workman, even the unbelieving, suddenly sees a solution to a problem, the cunning inventor suddenly has a flash of insight, the student quickly sees the answer to a dilemma that he could not previously see. Of course, we all think that this surprising inspiration, this understanding, comes from something deep inside of us, as if an idea, the problem, or a solution was a living thing just hanging around waiting for us to pick it. We attribute it to our superior reasoning ability. But, if we acknowledge that God opens our eyes things become clearer.

Satan, as well, can blind men from seeing something that is true.

2Corinthians 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

But, typically, in the Bible, it is God that blinds men whose hearts are opposed to Him so that they shall not see the truth because they will not see the truth. Think about the shall as being a consequence of the will.

Isaiah 44:18  They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.

2Thessalonians 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The skilled craftsman, the student, the inventor has prepared himself by training, interest, and vocation to receive something from God, perhaps whom He does not know, because of God’s purposes, not that person’s own. So, it is that the person who seeks God prepares his own heart by his or her yearning to know the truth and then, at some point, God opens that person’s eyes and they believe that Jesus is and was God in the flesh and that He rose from the dead and our salvation lies only with Him.

Here, in this passage, God reveals something to Hagar regarding her and her son’s deliverance that was not visible to her in her despair.

Ishmael grows up to be an archer and an Egyptian wife, like his own mother, is provided for him. The bow, representing the archer, plays a part in the latter days in that part of the world as the beast arises who conquers bringing death, famine, pestilence, and much sorrow with him.

Revelation 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Bible Study on 1John 1, verses 1 to 4, the Word of life

 

John was the youngest of the Apostles and survived all of them. He penned a gospel account, these letters, and the book we call Revelation.

1John 1:1 ¶  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2  (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

The apostle John here gives a summary of his experience with Christ as God walked on the earth in the form of a man. From John’s Gospel

John 1:1 ¶  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  The same was in the beginning with God. 3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 ¶  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

The Targums were translations and commentaries on the Hebrew Bible from Hebrew into Aramaic, the language of the common man in first century Judea and environs. They present to us an understanding of their understanding of the scriptures as they even changed the text itself at times to reinforce their beliefs in what the text meant. Several verses in the Old Testament where God is mentioned it is added that it is the Word of God that is being referred to. The Word of God even visits mankind in the form of a human repeatedly in the Old Testament, also called the angel or appearance of the LORD, Jehovah. A study of the Targum referencing the concept of “The Divine Word” will show you this. John makes it very clear that Jesus Christ is that second part of the Godhead, The Divine Word, and whereas God the Father is invisible to us the Word of God walked in flesh as in the Garden of Eden before the Fall. The Jews know all about this theological concept, this Theophany, but denied that Jesus’ and His apostles’ claim that He was that divine Word was true.

A Psalm for Sunday, Psalm 59, Deliver me from the workers of iniquity

 

Psalm 59:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.» Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. 2  Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. 3  For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD. 4  They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold. 5  Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah. 6  They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. 7  Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

 

1Samuel 19:11 ¶  Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain. 12  So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. 13  And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. 14  And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. 15  And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. 16  And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster. 17  And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?

 

    18 ¶  So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.

 

David has had a close call with the agents of Saul but Saul’s daughter, David’s wife, saves him from certain murder. I think about this from Christ’s experience and from the experience of those persecuted Christians in countries like Nigeria where they are hunted like beasts. Like David we might pray ourselves one day for deliverance from wicked men. In fact, I think of this when I consider some of the people operating in our own country today.

 

John 15:25  But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

 

Psalm 59:8 ¶  But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. 9  Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence. 10  The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. 11  Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. 12  For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak. 13  Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah. 14  And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. 15  Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied. 16  But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. 17  Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

 

Psalm 2:4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

 

Psalm 37:13  The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

 

Proverbs 1:26  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

 

David has an abundance of faith and trust in God, who will deliver him.

 

Isaiah 40:31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

 

 In verse 10 to prevent means to pre-event, to go on before. See how it is used elsewhere with that meaning.

 

1Thessalonians 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

 

In verse 11 David seems to be praying for those enemies that they not be killed but that their plans be destroyed as an example to others, that they be scattered.

 

David also prays for his enemies, those that seek to kill him, are frustrated as they search for him. Notice the metaphors and analogies he uses regarding scavenging dogs.

 

And yet in verse 13 David says something that sounds an awful lot to me like something Paul noted in 1Thessalonians about the end.

 

2Thessalonians 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

 

This can be a prayer in the Tribulation to come for those suffering believers who flee the Beast’s wrath unless, of course, you believe that there will be no followers of Christ left alive in the Great Tribulation.

 

Revelation 18:20  Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

 

It may also be our prayer in times of trouble to come as enemies seek to destroy those who follow Christ here, as they do in other countries even now.

 

Psalm 9:9  The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

 

Psalm 46:7  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Bible Study on James 5, verses 12 to 20, the prayer of faith

 

James 5:12 ¶  But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. 13  Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14  Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17  Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

James concludes with several admonitions. First, our word is to be our word and we are not to swear. Our word should be drawn from such upright character that it would not be questioned. Christ said in the popularly called ‘Sermon on the Mount’.

Matthew 5:33 ¶  Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34  But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35  Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36  Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

From verse 13 onward the power of our communication with God is elevated. I take this passage in connection with all of the other passages and verses on prayer in the Bible which tempers these statements. Whether in sickness or health, praying for forgiveness or healing is very powerful. This is a great principle that is not lessened when the answer to your prayer is no. God sees things from the point of view of eternity, as if they are events that have already happened. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much shows that prayer is honored particularly when made by someone who is obedient to God even though God already knew who the righteous person would be and what their prayer would be and their need or concern before time began. I’ve read it explained this way.

“Theologians explain that prayer doesn't change God's mind because God is eternal and unchanging; instead, prayer is seen as a means for God to work through in accordance with His existing plan. Prayer is not about persuading an unwilling God, but rather a way to participate in His will and see His plan unfold in specific ways, often by God responding to changes in human behavior like sin or repentance, which He foresaw from the beginning.” 

He responds to your prayer, as He has always responded to that prayer He knew you would make and don’t think that He’s going to change a million other people’s futures or circumstances because of your prayer. Your prayer acknowledges God’s sovereignty over your life and should line your thinking up with His will, always taking the long view of eternity. You may not be healed in this life. You may even die but if you belong to Christ you will live forever. James finishes in verse 20 with the statement that when you pray for someone leaving the path of righteousness because it is, indeed, impossible to pursue righteousness when one is zealously clinging to error, and they turn back to the right path, you have done a great thing. You delivered them from their sin and changed their mind and their lifepath.

So, James is complete and this bold letter warns us to walk the walk and not just talk to talk. This is a nuts and bolts view of our faith. We pick up our Christian “toolbox” each day follow the path that Christ has laid down for us. It is worth reading again whether you agree with my interpretation or not.

Genesis 21, verses 9 to 13, Cast out this bondwoman and her son

 

Genesis 21:9 ¶  And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 10  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11  And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son. 12  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. 13  And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

I mentioned the rabbinic opinion that the four hundred years of bondage began with this mocking back in Genesis 15:12-16. Sarah does not want Ishmael, who is not her offspring, to share the inheritance with Isaac. Sarah, to Abraham’s dismay, wants him to send Hagar and his son, Ishmael, away. God confirms that Isaac will be the vehicle through which He performs the covenant. He tells Abraham to listen to Sarah and God will make a nation out of Ishmael because he, too, is Abraham’s son. It is just that he is the son of Abraham and Sarah’s presumption, not the son of God’s promise. Abraham’s presumption will cause a great deal of trouble right down to this very day if you examine history.

Paul uses this in his argument in regard to comparing the Law to Grace. He likens those under Grace to be like Isaac, son of a free woman, while those under the Law to be like Ishmael, son of a slave. The Law is bondage, Grace is freedom.

Galatians 4:21 ¶  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar [Hagar] . 25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

So, why do so many fundamentalist preachers keep trying to put their congregations back under the Law?