They Mean Something (Radio / Podcast)

…And Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber…
(1 Chronicles 1:18)

When we are committed to reading our Bibles through, all the way through, not skipping a word, we are tempted to wonder why God saw fit to include some things. Like the genealogies, and the details of travels, why are these in the Bible at all?

Well, you can be sure they are there for a reason, and perhaps we won’t know all of the richness of why in this life, but let me give you some things to think about. When we study we find out certain things have their rightful place in being included. For instance, notice that the two different genealogies in Matthew and Luke point to the two different lines of Jesus through Mary and Joseph, but both have roots in David. So these seem a necessity, in a sense.

What about those seemingly endless genealogies in the OT books, what are they there for? Well, when we see those endless names, think about the fact that God cared enough to put them there. Then think about this. When you are nothing but a name to everyone else, you are still important to God, important enough to be included even if no one else thinks you are worth the time. When you see where the Bible talks about the travels of the old timers and said they pitched a tent here or there, and then here or there again, and so on, think about the fact that when no one else cares where you are God knows exactly where you are, and He does care, every step of the way. God is interested in individuals.

When we see the personal greetings of Paul to certain individuals, think about the fact that although we don’t have much more information than their name, they were important to Paul, and they got their names in the Bible; don’t you wish that were you! Beside the Book of Life, that Bible is the one book I would want to get a recommendation in, it is better and more prestigious than any who’s who list you will ever get on this earth!

When someone takes an interest in you and your details, whether they know it or not, they are acting like Jesus. He has your hairs numbered, and even if you're bald, He counted each one as it fell off your head. Use your head, and realize that those words in the Bible, they mean something. You may not care but God does. I may not ever know what all those names mean, but I know this, God wanted them included, and He wants you included, so be glad that God wants your name included when no one else thinks you're worth the time. That means something to me.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

They Mean Something (with audio)

USE THE PLAYER ABOVE TO LISTEN TO THIS POST

…And Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber…
(1 Chronicles 1:18)

When we are committed to reading our Bibles through, all the way through, not skipping a word, we are tempted to wonder why God saw fit to include some things. Like the genealogies, and the details of travels, why are these in the Bible at all?

Well, you can be sure they are there for a reason, and perhaps we won’t know all of the richness of why in this life, but let me give you some things to think about. When we study we find out certain things have their rightful place in being included. For instance, notice that the two different genealogies in Matthew and Luke point to the two different lines of Jesus through Mary and Joseph, but both have roots in David. So these seem a necessity, in a sense.

What about those seemingly endless genealogies in the OT books, what are they there for? Well, when we see those endless names, think about the fact that God cared enough to put them there. Then think about this. When you are nothing but a name to everyone else, you are still important to God, important enough to be included even if no one else thinks you are worth the time. When you see where the Bible talks about the travels of the old timers and said they pitched a tent here or there, and then here or there again, and so on, think about the fact that when no one else cares where you are God knows exactly where you are, and He does care, every step of the way. God is interested in individuals.

When we see the personal greetings of Paul to certain individuals, think about the fact that although we don’t have much more information than their name, they were important to Paul, and they got their names in the Bible; don’t you wish that were you! Beside the Book of Life, that Bible is the one book I would want to get a recommendation in, it is better and more prestigious than any who’s who list you will ever get on this earth!

When someone takes an interest in you and your details, whether they know it or not, they are acting like Jesus. He has your hairs numbered, and even if you're bald, He counted each one as it fell off your head. Use your head, and realize that those words in the Bible, they mean something. You may not care but God does. I may not ever know what all those names mean, but I know this, God wanted them included, and He wants you included, so be glad that God wants your name included when no one else thinks you're worth the time. That means something to me.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

God Knows Your Heart

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
(Psalm 139:23-24 – ESV)

How many times have you thought, said, or heard, “well, God knows my heart”? This happens often with people who want to justify themselves from the fact that they are blatantly ignoring the teachings of the Bible. We must be careful, for our motivations are not always as pure as we think them to be, and even if we are sincere, this doesn’t mean we are right. In fact, some might think that they want to do what is right but what they actually want is to get out of having to do what is biblically right. They say, well God knows my heart, and I say yes, He absolutely does, they are right about that (1 Samuel 16:7 / 1 Kings 8:39 / 1 Chronicles 28:9 / Proverbs 15:11 / Jeremiah 17:10 / Acts 1:24, 15:8 / Revelation 2:23).

Read through those scriptures and realize something important here. The problem is that while God knows your heart, YOU don’t know your heart, and let me further prove it to you.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

You say God knows your heart, and God says the Bible is how you know what He is thinking about your heart. God knows your heart and He shows you what He wants you to know about it in His Word. In His Word your heart is revealed. His Word reveals the condition of your heart, and so no matter what you think your heart looks like, God says that if you are directly disobeying some explicit command of His, then you are not as pure an innocent as you assume your sincerity makes you. Sincerity is no substitute for truth. The truth is that just because no one else is fulfilling their obligations, this doesn’t excuse you from fulfilling yours. Their disobedience doesn’t justify yours.

Yes God knows your heart, and He uses His Word to reveal to you the condition of it.

Proverbs 28:26 (KJV) – He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Proverbs 21:2 – Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.

Perhaps it is time to pray in accordance with Psalm 19:12-14 / Psalm 139:23-24, and ask God to show you from His Word about that “heart surgery” you need.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Follow the Leader

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him…
(1 Chronicles 13:10)

This passage in 1 Chronicles 13 is paralleled in 2 Samuel 6. The presumption here isn’t immediately clear, but after carefully searching the Word the teaching is: If an idea or action is against the clear direction of God’s Word then even if it is done with good intentions, reverence, sincerity, and joy to the Lord it will not please Him. We cannot skip over what seem to be minor details to us. This passage is testament to that fact.

David had consulted with the leaders of the people to see if they thought the idea of bringing up the Ark of the Covenant would be of God (vs.1-2). They unanimously agreed that it was (vs.4), and they performed the deed with great joy (vs.8). These men held the Lord in high esteem (2 Samuel 6:2). So we have great men of God doing with all their might and sincerity something that they wished only to do for the glory of God. But God was not pleased. Why, and why such a seemingly harsh punishment?

We can find that God had given specific instructions regarding the Ark and the priestly things. Appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof: they shall bear (carry) the tabernacle (Numbers 1:50). Uzza was a Levite, and so we see no error here.

However, later we see that the priests were given carts to carry things on, but we also see that the sons of Kohath were not: they were to carry the Ark upon their shoulders (Numbers 7:9). And yet David had the Ark placed on a cart (vs.7). This was in direct violation of God’s holy order.

Because David was king, he was responsible for his people, much like teachers and pastors will be held accountable for teaching error. We cannot do holy things in unholy ways. But why did Uzza have to suffer the consequences of David’s poor decision? Wasn’t God punishing the wrong guy? Indeed, David was offended at God for His judgment (vs.11).

No, God wasn’t wrong. God had given warning concerning the vessel-bearers touching the Ark of the Covenant (Numbers 4:15 / 18:3). His commandment was clear. Perhaps God orchestrated the tipping vessel because of the disobedience of the people in putting the Ark on a cart. In the “real world” of everyday life, we can forget to apply God’s commandments, thinking that there are exceptions to the rule. We may feel that we are only doing what is right, but who are we to judge, especially in light of God’s decree.

Obviously this chiefly applies to concrete statements, the “thou shalt not” type. Uzza was probably convinced, at the moment of his action, that he was doing what God would have wanted. He had reverence for the Ark, and it was about to spill open upon hitting the ground. But here is the critical lesson: If God has given us a command, or instruction, and He is the Sovereign Lord of the universe, He knows what He is doing. We dare not presume that He had not thought of a particular situation that we have encountered.

Do not use your duty, responsibility, or a desire to “help” as justification for going outside the expressed will of God. Perhaps God would have miraculously “floated” the Ark back into place, showing the Holy nature of His covenant, and that no earthly trouble could interfere with it.

Of course, that is pure speculation, but the lesson applies: Do not presume that you know the right thing to do when God has instructed otherwise, regardless of the circumstance. We cannot presume that a good intention will justify a bad action. David realized this in 1 Chronicles 15:13, when he stated that he knew that the punishment was because they sought God in the wrong way. We must learn as David did.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

They Mean Something

…And Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber…
(1 Chronicles 1:18)

When we are committed to reading our Bibles through, all the way through, not skipping a word, we are tempted to wonder why God saw fit to include some things. Like the genealogies, and the details of travels, why are these in the Bible at all?

Well, you can be sure they are there for a reason, and perhaps we won’t know all of the richness of why in this life, but let me give you some things to think about. When we study we find out certain things have their rightful place in being included. For instance, notice that the two different genealogies in Matthew and Luke point to the two different lines of Jesus through Mary and Joseph, but both have roots in David. So these seem a necessity, in a sense.

What about those seemingly endless genealogies in the OT books, what are they there for? Well, when we see those endless names, think about the fact that God cared enough to put them there. Then think about this. When you are nothing but a name to everyone else, you are still important to God, important enough to be included even if no one else thinks you are worth the time. When you see where the Bible talks about the travels of the old timers and said they pitched a tent here or there, and then here or there again, and so on, think about the fact that when no one else cares where you are God knows exactly where you are, and He does care, every step of the way. God is interested in individuals.

When we see the personal greetings of Paul to certain individuals, think about the fact that although we don’t have much more information than their name, they were important to Paul, and they got their names in the Bible; don’t you wish that were you! Beside the Book of Life, that Bible is the one book I would want to get a recommendation in, it is better and more prestigious than any who’s who list you will ever get on this earth!

When someone takes an interest in you and your details, whether they know it or not, they are acting like Jesus. He has your hairs numbered, and even if your bald, He counted each one as it fell off your head. Use you head, and realize that those words in the Bible, they mean something. You may not care but God does. I may not ever know what all those names mean, but I know this, God wanted them included, and He wants you included, so be glad that God wants your name included when no one else thinks your worth the time. That means something to me.