Covenant, Judgment, Life

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post in the archives, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog. As you read, I encourage you to add in any reflections or comments you may have.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Devotions: Ps 49, 53, 119:49-72; Gen 16:1-14; Heb 9:15-28; Jn 5:19-29

Let all people hear this, everywhere, in every station of life. I will not fear in times of trouble, when iniquity and malice threaten me, and men who trust in their own wealth and power. But all humans are mortal, fragile, and end in death. God alone can save from death. So don’t fear or envy those who become rich or famous; they can’t take it with them; they will die like all animals. Fools deny God’s existence; they are corrupt, abominable in action; there is none that does good. God is searching for wise, humble people; but he sees depravity everywhere on the earth. God will scatter the bones of the ungodly, and they will be put to shame when God rejects them. But God vindicates and restores His own; we will rejoice in the day of God’s judgment. My comfort when affliction comes is to cling to God and His promises. Your word, Your law, O Lord, gives me comfort and confidence. I become indignant toward those who scorn or ignore God and His words. But I do better when I meditate on God, and choose YHWH as my Portion. I turn my attention and my conduct toward God, and recall His law. I befriend any who fear God and keep His precepts. Then I can see that the entire cosmos is full of God’s steadfast love. Lord, teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in You and in Your commandments. Even my afflictions serve to direct me back to God and His word—more valuable than mounds of gold or silver.

Because Sarai continued barren into old age, she arranged for Abram to father a child with her Egyptian maid Hagar. Once pregnant, Hagar became scornful toward Sarai her mistress. Sarai complained to Abram: ‘May my affliction fall on you! I gave you my maid Hagar, and when she conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May YHWH judge between me and you!’ Abram told Sarai, ‘Your maid is in your power; do as you please with her.’ When Sarai dealth harshly with her, Hagar ran away. God’s angel found Hagar near a spring in the wilderness, and engaged her in conversation. The Lord’s angel told Hagar, ‘Return to your mistress and submit to her. I will greatly multiply your descendants, so that they cannot be counted. You are pregnant with a son; you shall name him Ishmael, for YHWH has heeded your affliction. Your son will grow into a wild ass of a man, in conflict with all others, even his kinsmen.’ Hagar responded, ‘You Are a God of seeing! Have I really seen God and remained alive afterward?’ So the well nearby was named Beer-lahairoi, sited between Kadesh and Bered. Abram was 86 when Hagar gave birth to his son Ishmael.

The Hebrew writer continues to expound the Messiah as Mediator of a new covenant: The Messiah Jesus is Mediator of a new covenant, under which those called to follow Him may receive the promised eternal inheritance, on the basis that by His death they are redeemed from their sins under the first covenant. A will or covenant takes effect upon the death of its maker. Even the first covenant was not ratified without blood. When Moses had fully declared the Torah, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled the book and the people, declaring “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.’ Likewise, Moses sprinkled the tabernacle and the vessels used in worship. Under the law, almost everything is purified with blood; there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. All this pertained to the earthly copies of the heavenly things; but the heavenly things themselves must be purified with a better sacrifice. The Messiah has entered, not into a sanctuary made by human hands as a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in God’s presence on our behalf. Nor did Messiah offer Himself repeatedly, as the human high priest annually enters the Holies Place with blood not his own; otherwise, Jesus would have had to suffer repeatedly, since the foundation of the world. But in fact, Jesus has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. It is appointed once for men to die, and after that comes judgment; just so, Christ has been offered once to bear the sins of many, and He will appear again, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.

Jesus said to the Jews who doubted and opposed Him, ‘I tell you most solemnly, the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing—whatever God does, the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all that He is doing. Greater works than these He will show Him, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will. The Father judges no one, but has given the power of judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son also fails to honor the Father Who sent Him. Truly, truly I tell you, the hour is coming and now is here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. As the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment, for the Son is the Son of man. No need to marvel at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.