Work for food that endures to eternal life

Sunday 2021.10.31

In my New Testament reading today, I read chapters 5 and 6 of the Gospel according to John.

In John chapter 6 verses 27 to 29, our Lord Iesus told the crowds of people who came to him for more food after he had fed 5,000 of them with five loaves and two fish on the previous day, not to work for food that perishes but instead for food that brings about eternal life. When the people asked him what kind of work this is, Iesus replied, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent".

John 6:27 - 29 NRSV New Revised Standard Version

27Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ 28Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ 29Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’

Further on in verses 47 to 51, our Lord told the Jews who were murmuring against him that he is the living bread that came down from heaven, and that whoever believes in him has eternal life.

John 6:47 - 51 NRSV

47Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

Over the last nine years, I have written my observations about the words of our Lord Iesus in John chapter 6 in my devotional blog, links below:

• The Heavenly Man (2010)
• The Heavenly Man (2012)
• Words of Life (2017)
• Iesus, ascending to where he was before (2019)

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesus the Anointed One, let us work for food that endures to eternal life. Let us hold fast to our belief in our Lord Iesus, the Living Bread from Heaven, whom God has sent.

In the Beginning was the Word

Friday 2021.10.29

Today is the Sixth Day of the Biblical Week. It is Preparation Day. Let us make preparations to rest for the Seventh Day Sabbath which will begin after sunset this evening.

In the New Testament today, I began reading the Gospel according to John, covering the first two chapters.

The Gospel of John begins with a detailed description of the origin, advent, and purpose of the Word of God. The first eighteen verses of chapter one tells us at least eight things about the Word of God.

(1) The Word was with God in the beginning.

John 1:1 - 2 ASV American Standard Version

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.

(2) All things were created through the Word.

John 1:3 ASV

3 All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.

(3) Life and Light was in the Word

John 1:4 - 5 ASV

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.

(4) The Word came into the world but the world did not recognise him. His own people rejected him.

John 1:9 - 11 ASV

9 There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not.

(5) Whoever received him by believing on his name was given the right to become children of God.

John 1:12 - 13 ASV

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

(6) The Word came into this world physically, "in the flesh".

John 1:14 ASV

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.

(7) John the Baptist bore witness of the Word and the Grace and Truth of God that came by the Word.

John 1:15 - 17 ASV

15 John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me.
16 For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

(8) The Word was in the bosom of God the Father, was the Only Begotten Son of God, and had declared God to us.

John 1:18 ASV

18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

They rested according to the Commandment

Thursday 2021.10.28

In the New Testament today, I finished reading the last three chapters of the Gospel of Luke from the King James Version.

Luke chapter 23 verses 54 to 56 tells us that, after the crucifixion and burial of our Lord Iesus the Anointed One, it was approaching sunset of Preparation Day (the Sixth Day) and the Sabbath was drawing near. Having looked at how the body of our Lord was laid in the tomb prepared by Joseph of Arimathea, the women who followed Iesus returned home, prepared spices and ointments and rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

Luke 23:54 - 56 KJV

54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, tomorrow will be Preparation Day, the Sixth Day of the Week. Like the women who followed Iesus in Luke chapter 23, let us prepare to rest on the sabbath according to the Fourth Commandment after sunset tomorrow.

Job lost all he had in one day

Wednesday 2021.10.27

Today in my Old Testament reading I read began reading the Book of Job, covering the first five chapters.

Job chapter 1 tells us that Job was a wealthy man. He had 7 sons and 3 daughters. He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 she-asses, and very many servants.

All these were taken away from Job in one day.

Verses 20 to 22 tells of Job's well known response to his great loss:

Job 1:20 - 22 RSV Revised Standard Version
Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshipped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Job was a patient man. In the Epistle General of James, a reference is made about the steadfastness of Job in chapter 5 verse 11, how his steadfastness brought forth the purpose of God in his life:

James 5:11 RSV Behold, we call those happy who were steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Brothers and Sisters in Iesus the Anointed One. Let us learn from the example of Job, to remain patient and steadfast in times of great loss and adversity.

Three things, and four

Tuesday 2021.10.26

This afternoon I read through Proverbs 28 to 31 for my Old Testament reading using the New International Version.

Proverbs chapter 30 is written by Agur ben Jakeh. It contains a set of utterances meant to be read in the hearing of Uthiel. Among the most notable words of wisdom in this chapter are classifications of things in life that come in sets of four, namely

1. Four things that never say enough v.15 - 16
2. Four things too amazing to understand v.18 - 19
3. Four things that make the earth tremble v.21 - 23
4. Four things small but exremely wise v.24 - 28, and
5. Four things that are stately in stride v.29 - 31

Proverbs 30:15 - 16 NIV

‘There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say, “Enough!”:
---- the grave
---- and the barren womb;
---- land, which is never satisfied with water,
---- and fire, which never says, “Enough!”

Proverbs 30:18 - 19 NIV

There are three things that are too amazing for me,
four that I do not understand:
---- the way of an eagle in the sky,
---- the way of a snake on a rock,
---- the way of a ship on the high seas,
---- and the way of a man with a young woman.

Proverbs 30:21 - 23 NIV

Under three things the earth trembles,
under four it cannot bear up:
---- a servant who becomes king,
---- a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
---- a contemptible woman who gets married,
---- and a servant who displaces her mistress.

Proverbs 30:24 - 28 NIV

Four things on earth are small,
---- yet they are extremely wise:
ants are creatures of little strength,
---- yet they store up their food in the summer;
hyraxes are creatures of little power,
---- yet they make their home in the crags;
locusts have no king,
---- yet they advance together in ranks;
a lizard can be caught with the hand,
---- yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

Proverbs 30:29 - 31 NIV

There are three things that are stately in their stride,
four that move with stately bearing:
---- a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;
---- a strutting cock,
---- a he-goat,
---- and a king secure against revolt.

Why did the master praise the dishonest steward?

Monday 2021.10.25 15:33 hrs

Today, for my New Testament reading, I read through chapters 16 and 17 of the Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:1 - 12 records the Parable of the Dishonest Steward (or Dishonest Manager), a parable that I had for many years found rather puzzling, even disturbing, because of two things mentioned in it.

Firstly, in verse 8 our Lord tells us in this parable that the Master praised his dishonest manager for "doing such a shrewd thing". Why would the Master praise his employee after getting cheated by him?

Secondly, in verse 9, our Lord tells his followers to "make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out, you will be welcomed in the eternal home". What friends do we make with our worldly wealth? Who are these friends who will welcome us in eternity?

Luke 16:1 - 12 GNB

1Jesus said to his disciples, “There was once a rich man who had a servant who managed his property. The rich man was told that the manager was wasting his master's money, 2so he called him in and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Hand in a complete account of your handling of my property, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ 3The servant said to himself, ‘My master is going to dismiss me from my job. What shall I do? I am not strong enough to dig ditches, and I am ashamed to beg. 4Now I know what I will do! Then when my job is gone, I shall have friends who will welcome me in their homes.’

5“So he called in all the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6‘100 barrels of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Here is your account,’ the manager told him; ‘sit down and write fifty.’ 7Then he asked another one, ‘And you — how much do you owe?’ ‘A thousand sacks of wheat,’ he answered. ‘Here is your account,’ the manager told him; ‘write 800.’

8“As a result the master of this dishonest manager praised him for doing such a shrewd thing; because the people of this world are much more shrewd in handling their affairs than the people who belong to the light.”

9And Jesus went on to say, “And so I tell you: make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out, you will be welcomed in the eternal home. 10Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones. 11If, then, you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth? 12And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what belongs to you?

Eight years ago in September 2013, after pondering over this passage, I came to two conclusions about the parable which I discussed in detail in a devotional blog post, linked below:

• One Parable, Two Lessons

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?

Sunday 2021.10.24

On this First Day of the Biblical Week, I read Proverbs 22 to 24 from the Old Testament using the New King James Version.

Proverbs 23 contains a poetic passage about the perils of being addicted to wine. It concludes with the statement, "When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?", a poignant reminder of the endless whirlpool into which a drunkard descends.

Proverbs 23:29 - 35 NKJV
Who has woe?
---- Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
---- Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
---- Who has redness of eyes?

Those who linger long at the wine,
---- Those who go in search of mixed wine.

Do not look on the wine when it is red,
---- When it sparkles in the cup,
---- When it swirls around smoothly;

At the last it bites like a serpent,
---- And stings like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange things,
---- And your heart will utter perverse things.

Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
---- Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:
“They have struck me, but I was not hurt;
---- They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.

When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”