September - Reading 4

Good morning -

Our Scriptures for today's schedule are:

Luke 21:20-28

Hebrews 2:10-18

Proverbs 20:1-15

Isaiah 9-10

May God bless the reading of His Word.

 

Good morning -

In tonight's reading of Isaiah the words at the beginning of chapter 9 are very familiar. Again, I reiterate that Isaiah's prophecies were multi-layered. The IMMEDIATE concern was the return from the impending exile but these revelations came from a Sovereign God Who brought about His purpose for the Messiah in the same way. The deliverance of the Jews = the deliverance of the elect, or those who obtained salvation. With this in mind, as we read on into chapter 10, the Assyrians posed the immediate concern (though it was still nearly a century away) but the same prophecy could have applied to Rome at the time of Christ and the early church. The quotes beginning in 10:13 could easily be attributed to the Caesars.

Also drawing on this same concept of eternal recurrence (for lack of a better term), the reading in Matthew can be applied to the Tribulation as well as the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

The gentle writing of Hebrews tonight speaks of the mortality and suffering of Christ as being necessary in that it made his sacrifice perfect. Verse 18 sums up the thought well. He was like us so that He could empathize and sympathize with us. By bringing himself low, He lifted us up.

May God bless you

- Clint

 

Agreed. Again I will stress that we are virtually flying through one of the most intricate and complex Books of the Bible this month. I would strongly recommend that any reader interested in the intense, brilliant writings of Isaiah research the subject through commentaries and study resources. Even then, look for your own insights and allow the Holy Spirit to speak through ALL of our readings.

In the commission of Isaiah which we read the other night, he was called before the omnipresent and omnipotent God. The visions to which Isaiah was exposed reflect this. Hidsight on coming events may reveal even more about these prophecies.

Even seemingly contradictory insights about this Book are just what they are: interpretations. The Lord will reveal what He chooses in His own time. Even the disciples did not recognize Jesus immediately after the Ressurection.

Thanks for the clarification, Aaron.

 

Proverbs

Proverbs 20:6

As humans, we tend to boast about the good that we are and the good that we do. We are quick to judge ourselves "better" than our neighbor and perhaps even righteous in our own sight. As Christians, we must remember to remain humble, to realize that we are unworthy in the sight of God and not justified apart from a faith in Christ. Luke 18:9-14

 

Luke

Sunday School lesson - 2/6/05 continued

Luke 21:20-24 The Destruction of Jerusalem

Now, after the warnings and preliminary teachings surrounding the Parousia are explained, Jesus gives an answer to the question raised in verse 7: when will the Temple be destroyed and what will be the sign? The answer is that when the Roman army surrounds the city, that is the sign of the eminent destruction of the Temple. When that event was upon them, those in the city should flee to the mountains. Ordinarily one would be safest behind city walls, but so sure was Jerusalem’s destruction that one would be much safer in the wilderness. Especially vulnerable would be pregnant or nursing women as the would not be able to move quickly enough to escape and the ruthlessness of the Romans would prey upon them.

In verse 22, that this day of vengeance is “written” indicates that the destruction of the Jewish homeland would be a divine retribution. Just as the Babylonians had conquered the city and destroyed the Temple as a result of the breaking of the Sinaitic Covenant, Jerusalem would once again suffer as a result of rejecting the Messiah.

The phrase “time of the Gentiles” is a concept greatly expounded upon by Paul in Romans (Romans 11:25). In this age between the Ascension and the Parousia we have come to the forefront of redemptive history. It is a necessary course which will run through to the end.

Luke 21:25-28 The Coming of the Son of Man

The apocalyptic teaching now turns towards the Parousia. The key to understanding that the theme has shifted is the reference to the “world” in verse 26 indicating the entire inhabited earth. The fall of Jerusalem, while certainly significant to the land of Palestine, was not necessarily that important to the rest of the planet. Further, the phrasing of “the coming of the Son of Man” in verse 27 clearly indicates that Jesus is discussing the Second Coming.

The “signs” that Jesus speaks of in verses 25-26 can be seen as happening all throughout history. Astrological events are regular occurrences. Modern man still turns to horoscopes to try to discern signs of the future. Nations have always stayed agitated as they plot and war against their enemies while trying to maintain secure borders for themselves. Men have always feared the future and distress is a natural part of life. It is in verse 27 that we see the true sign of the end of the age. Jesus Himself is that sign. When He returns, coming in a cloud, that is when all the world will know.

 

Hebrews

Hebrews 2:10-13 Jesus: Hero and Priest

It is the desire of God to bring many sons into His glory. Therefore, as a salvific act, He gave Himself to us in the form of His Son. He came not to just see what death was like but to actually experience it for all. By this gift of grace, God took heavier hold and made firmer demands on us than the Law, of which the angels were custodians, could ever make.

Man has not yet achieved his destiny, but Jesus has. Jesus is the pioneer of salvation made perfect through suffering. He, who is already glorified, is the ground of the believer’s assurance.

This Passage setting Christ as a pioneer sets Jesus in the position of hero. As stated, the path to glory is through suffering. Angels can not suffer, only mortals can. That makes the incarnation necessary. In the selfless act of grace in the incarnation Jesus met the devil head on and defeated him. On the cross Christ defeated the supernatural powers of this world that held us in bondage of sin and fear of death. Paul insists in 1Corinthians 2:6-8 that had the demons known the wisdom of God they would never have allowed the crucifixion, sealing their fate.

The suffering of Jesus leading to His death made Him adequate for the task of leading us to salvation. Only one, who could suffer, i.e. a man, could do this. It was necessary that He be one of us and suffer for His work to be redemptive. His suffering was humiliating but the preacher here shows us the pride the Son has in the redemptive work He has done. Though lower than the angels, He is not ashamed to call us brethren. Verse 13 shows Jesus as a proud father displaying His children. Through Christ’s redemptive work, we have had our dignity restored to us.

Hebrews 2:14-18 The Heart of the Matter

Whatever achievements, nobility or dignity can be said about man, nothing surpasses the fact that we are loved by God. The love of God for man is the very heart of the Gospel. That love should rekindle the self-respect of the Christian and cause him to have respect for others.

By becoming incarnate, Christ accomplished four things: (1) He defeated the devil, (2) He delivered His children from the fear of death, (3) He became a merciful High priest, and (4) he became a helper to the tempted.

The author is not specific in how Christ defeated the devil. Scholars have speculated on what aspect of defeat the author and his audience may have seen in this statement. For the Jews, the devil held man in a kind of bondage which would eventually result in death. It was part of the Messiah’s work to crush that power.

The fear of death is a universal instinct in man. It holds mankind captive. Yet through our faith in Christ, we see beyond that barrier to something more. Death is not the crisis for mankind but the judgment. The preacher will explore this subject more fully in chapter 9.

Jesus is a merciful High priest because of the experience He had while in corporeal form. He is faithful in that He carries out the purpose of His sacrifice. He makes expiation, that is, atonement or propitiation, for our sins. The Christ of the Judgment is not a merciless Judge, he is a sympathetic reconciler of men to god.

When we suffer, we run the temptation of turning away from Christ. Remember, the preacher’s audience was facing some type of tribulation and in those days, tribulation for Christians usually ran the risk of torture and execution. It must have been a very great temptation to renounce their faith to save their lives. The fear of death was still, and is still, among them.

Jesus knows that fear. The dialogue and the prayers in Gethsemane showed it. It is with that same Spirit we can conquer our temptation. Beyond the fear of death, Jesus faced down other temptations. The trial with the devil in the wilderness proved His worth. Christ knows temptation first hand. As such, He is a qualified intercessor for us as He sits at the right hand of God. It is only through the sympathy He gained in His incarnate form that we can obtain mercy when we fall short of the ideal He showed

 

Our Scriptures for 9/5 are:

Luke 21:29-38

Hebrews 3

Proverbs 20:16-30

Isaiah 11-13

 

Our Scriptures for 9/5 are:

Luke 21:29-38

Hebrews 3

Proverbs 20:16-30

Isaiah 11-13

 

Our Scriptures for 9/5 are:

Luke 21:29-38

Hebrews 3

Proverbs 20:16-30

Isaiah 11-13

 

Our Scriptures for 9/5 are:

Luke 21:29-38

Hebrews 3

Proverbs 20:16-30

Isaiah 11-13

 

Our Scriptures for 9/5 are:

Luke 21:29-38

Hebrews 3

Proverbs 20:16-30

Isaiah 11-13