A few questions to ponder over

Fri 2020.07.24

Reading from 1 Corinthians Chapter 10 KJV

This morning, I ponder over a few Questions from verses 2, 4, and 9 of this chapter of First Corinthians:

1. How were the children baptised unto Moses "in the cloud and in the sea"?
2. How was that Rock, from which the children of Israel drank, the Anointed One, the Christos?
3. How did the children of Israel tempt the Anointed One?

1 Corinthians 10:2,4,9 KJV
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

Run, not uncertainly; Fight, not beating the air

Fri 2020.07.24

Reading from 1 Corinthians Chapter 9 KJV

Run, not as uncertainly. Fight, not as one that beateth the air.

What kind of running, and what sort of fighting is the Apostle writing about in verses 24 to 27 here?

In verse 24 he likens the Christian life to an athletic race where only the fastest will receive the prize. In writing this, the Apostle is calling the believers in Corinth to do their utmost, to live a life that will make themselves worthy of the fastest in a race.

In verse 25 the Apostle gives another analogy, that of striving for mastery in the believer's life. Those who strive to be the best, to master an athletic event, to be the champion, must be "temperate", i.e. self-controlled in all things. They who strive to be masters in this world do so for corruptible rewards, but the believers in Iesou the Anointed do it for an incorruptible crown.

This call to lead a life of self-control is reiterated in verse 27 where the Apostle writes of himself, "I keep under my body, and bring it to subjection", as much as he preaches to others.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us do our utmost to run this race, to strive for mastery by a of self-control, to keep our bodies under subjection, that we may win that incorruptible crown at the end of our sojourn in this world.

Let us run, not as uncertainly, but with single-minded perseverance to obtain the only prize ahead of us. Let us fight, not as one beating the air, but with self-control, as one who recognises the enemy working through our bodies.

1 Corinthians 9:24 - 27 KJV
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

God will likewise raise us

Mon 2020.07.20

Reading from 1 Corinthians Chapter 6 KJV

Only God alone can raise us from the dead.

Just as God raised our Lord Iesou from the dead, God will likewise raise us up from death, "by His own power".

1 Corinthians 6:14 KJV
And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

Anointing, and the anointed

Mon 2020.07.20

Reading from Exodus Chapter 40 WEB

Anointing an item sets an item or a person apart as holy to the Lord. It is an act of sanctification. The Tent of Meeting and all its furniture, the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels and the basin were all sanctified by anointing them with oil. Likewise, Aaron and his sons were anointed and sanctified thereby.

Furthermore, for Aaron and his sons, Exodus 40:15 tells us that their anointing is to set them apart for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

This is why the Lord Iesou the Anointed One is also called the Holy One of God.

Exodus 40:9 - 15 WEB
9 You shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tent, and all that is in it, and shall *make it holy*, and all its furniture: and it will be holy.
10 You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and the altar will be *most holy*.
11 You shall anoint the basin and its base, and *sanctify it*.
12 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tent of meeting, and shall wash them with water.
13 You shall put on Aaron the holy garments; and you shall *anoint him*, and *sanctify him*, that he may minister to me in the priest`s office.
14 You shall bring his sons, and put coats on them.
15 You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me in the priest`s office. Their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

Reviled, persecuted, defamed

Fri 2020.07.17

Reading from 1 Corinthians Chapter 4 KJV

Reviled, persecuted, defamed: Living as fools, for the sake of the Anointed One.

The Apostle tells the Corinthian brethren that he and his co-workers live like fools for the sake of the Lord, the Anointed One. Besides having to endure hunger, thirst and beaten, and having no place to stay in, they were also being reviled, persecuted and defamed by others without fighting back.

What did they do instead?

They blessed those who reviled them, tolerated those who persecuted them and entreated those who defamed them. The Bible in Basic English renders verses 12 and 13 in this way, "when they give us curses we give blessings, when we undergo punishment we take it quietly; When evil things are said about us we give gentle answers . . ."

Such is the reality of living as fools for the sake of our Lord in this world.

1 Corinthians 4:10 - 13 KJV

10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

Compare this passage with the words of our Lord the Anointed One in His Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:11 - 12 ASV

11 Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.

Matthew 5:38 - 41 ASV

38 Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.

All that had wisdom

Wednesday 2020.07.15

Exodus Chapter 36

The work of manufacturing and constructing the Tabernacle and the vestments of Aaron was not only carried out by Beseleel and Eliab, but was also assisted by "all that had wisdom, to whom God gave knowledge in their heart, and all who were freely willing to come forward to the works, to perform them." (Exodus 36:2)

Exodus 36:1,2 LXX

1 And Beseleel wrought, and Eliab and every one wise in understanding, to whom was given wisdom and knowledge, to understand to do all the works according to the holy offices, according to all things which the Lord appointed. 

2 And Moses called Beseleel and Eliab, and all that had wisdom, to whom God gave knowledge in their heart, and all who were freely willing to come forward to the works, to perform them.

Eyes over evil, hands over heart

Wednesday 2020.07.15

Reading from Matthew Chapter 5

Eyes over evil, Hands over heart: It's all in your body.

Our Lord Iesou teaches us in this passage that when a man looks at a woman to lust after her, it is not so much his lust, nor his desires, nor his attraction towards the woman, that causes him to stumble. Instead, it is his eyes. It is that part of his body that he uses to look that leads him into sin. The man who faces such a temptation must deal with this part of his body, namely his eyes.

In other words, he must stop looking at that which is tempting him.

"Pluck it out, and cast it from thee . . . " says the Lord of your right eye, if you have to.

Likewise, if there is a sin that you commit with your hands, you must deal with this part of your body. You must stop using your hands to commit sin. Just as you turn your eyes away from the temptation of looking, you must also turn your hands away from the temptation of doing.

"Cut it off, and cast it from thee . . . " says the Lord of your right hand, if you have to.

Matthew 5:27 - 30 ASV

27 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if *thy right eye* causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.

30 And if *thy right hand* causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell.