God in Christ overrules sin and death

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

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will

Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Devotions: Ps 119:145-76; 128-30; Num 22:41-23:12; Rom 7:13-25; Mt. 21:33-46

My whole being cries out: answer me, YHWH! Save me, that I may observe Your testimonies. I can’t sleep, can’t rest until I am in Your good graces. Let Your steadfast love abide with me; I am challenged by wicked people, but You are near, my Lord, and I know Your word endures forever. Deliver me, as I hold to Your law of love. Redeem and vindicate me, my God. Great is Your mercy, lavish is Your justice. I shun the faithless and hold to Your precepts, Lord. I treasure You and Your words, my God. Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing can make us stumble. Hear my supplication and answer, my God. My lips pour forth Your praise; my tongue sings Your words. I stray, but I will abide in You and I will not forget Your commanments. Blessed are all who fear YHWH and walk in His ways. He provides for me and my family; my wife is a fruitful vine; my children and grandchildren are live olive shoots—such are the blessings of one who fears YHWH. Let peace be upon the Israel of God. May God judge those who oppose Him and who persecute me. I cry from my depths to the infinite God. I wait for YHWH, like an eager watchman longing for dawn’s first traces. With YHWH is steadfast love and generous redemption, to restore all God’s people from our iniquities.

On the morning after Balaam arrived at Balak’s summons, the king took the prophet to a height from which they could see part of the people of Israel. Balaam directed Balak to construct seven altars on the spot, and provide seven bulls and seven rams for sacrifice. They offered the animals, a bull and a ram on each altar. Then Balaam told Balak to stand beside his burnt offering while Balaam consulted with YHWH. God told Balaam what to say, and the prophet returned and delivered this message to the king of Moab and his assembled princes: ‘From Aram Balak brought me to curse and denounce Israel. But how can I curse or denounce those YHWH has not denounced or cursed? I see Israel, a people alone, not reckoned among the nations. And who can count even a fourth of this people? May I died a righteous death, and may my end by like that of Israel!’ Balak was appalled: ‘What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies and you have done nothing but bless them!’ But the prophet replied, ‘Must I not be careful to speak only what YHWH puts in my mouth?’

Paul’s discussion of God’s law and human sin continued: Did the good law, then, bring death to me? Of course not! It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be exposed as sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. The law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. I don’t understand my own actions: I don’t do what I want to do, and I do the very thing I hate. When I regret doing what is wrong, I confirm that the law is good. So it is not really I who act wrongly, but sin which dwells within me. I know, in fact, that nothing good dwells in my flesh. I have power to will what is right, but I have no power to do what is right. I fail to do the good I want; instead, I do the evil that I do not want. If I act contrary to my will to do right, it is no longer I who do it, but sin which dwells within me. So I discover this law: when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. I delight in God’s law in my inmost being; but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, imprisoning me by the law of sin which lives in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks to God through Jesus the Messiah our Lord! I of myself serve the law of God with my mind; but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. [Only God can break this deadlock.]

Jesus told another parable in the presence of the chief priests and elders who challenged His authority: There was a householder who planted a vineyard, set a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower over it, and rented it out to tenants; then he departed to another country. When the harvest season approached, the owner sent servants to the tenants, to collect his portion of the fruit. But the tenants took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. The owner sent another, larger group of servants; but the tenants did the same to them. Finally, the owner sent his own son, believing the tenants would respect his son. But instead, they conspired to kill the heir and to possess his inheritance. Jesus confronted His listeners: ‘Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants.’ His hearers answered, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and rent the vineyard to new tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.’ Then Jesus said to all, ‘Haven’t you read in the scriptures, “The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was YHWH’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”? So I tell you, God’s kingdom will be taken from you and given to a nation producing kingdom fruits.’ When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceive that He was speaking against them. But when they attempted to arrest Jesus, they feared the masses, who believed Jesus to be God’s prophet.