Regarding Abraham's promises from God during his lifetime:
True, he does not have, in terms of personal realization, all the promises of God, but he does have the God of all the promises. God himself is Abraham's shield and reward (15:1). The giver; not the gifts, is Abraham's highest reward and his consuming obsession. Not without reason, therefore, is Abraham referred to three times in the Bible as "the friend of God" (2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8; James 2:2-3).
Handbook on the Pentateuch, Second edition by Victor P. Hamilton, p. 87.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
To Your Holy Mountain
Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
Psalms 43:3-4
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (R), Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
let them guide me;
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
Psalms 43:3-4
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (R), Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Friday, January 04, 2008
God Prevails (1 Samuel 31)
A fallen priesthood (Ch.2), a disobedient people (Ch.8), and their headless king (Ch.31). Had Israel become the great nation that they desired through Saul?
1 Samuel leaves me speechless, staring at bodies hung on a wall by the Philistines. A grotesque mural of victory, it was a warning to Israel. God had promised Saul the loss of his throne through disobedience, and later the loss of his life and that of his sons (15:26-29; 26:10; 28:19). He did not heed or repent, but continued in His ways - his body and his seed a testimony to God's word.
Israel fled the battle and watched in shame - not quite what they expected. They were God's chosen nation. Named after Him (Israel = God prevails), God had caused them to prevail in conquering most of the Promised Land. Generations later their boundaries were threatened by raiding peoples and a nation fighting back for territory. Much like God had warned Saul, the nation of Israel was also warned. Blessing comes with obedience. Curse without. (Deuteronomy 11)
Israel has their warning hanging on the wall:
1 Samuel leaves me speechless, staring at bodies hung on a wall by the Philistines. A grotesque mural of victory, it was a warning to Israel. God had promised Saul the loss of his throne through disobedience, and later the loss of his life and that of his sons (15:26-29; 26:10; 28:19). He did not heed or repent, but continued in His ways - his body and his seed a testimony to God's word.
Israel fled the battle and watched in shame - not quite what they expected. They were God's chosen nation. Named after Him (Israel = God prevails), God had caused them to prevail in conquering most of the Promised Land. Generations later their boundaries were threatened by raiding peoples and a nation fighting back for territory. Much like God had warned Saul, the nation of Israel was also warned. Blessing comes with obedience. Curse without. (Deuteronomy 11)
Israel has their warning hanging on the wall:
God prevails.
His word is accomplishing exactly what He said it would.
Take in your warning, reader. It is God who prevails. What has he commanded you in His Word? What has he desired of you or warned you away from? Your body may not be strewn lifeless on the wall as a result of sin, but His holiness should stir in you a holy fear, and a love for what Christ has done. What will you do with the Words of a holy, pure, loving, wrathful, perfect, intimate, enthroned, seeing, wonderful, terrible and awesome God?
Studylight.org used for the meaning of "Israel."
(C) 2008 by Kendra Hinkle.
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