Daniel 3:24-25 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

This section is from Daniel 3, the story in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are cast into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar for not bowing down to his false idols. The story says that Nebuchadnezzar saw "the Son of God" in the midst of them, protecting the three from the flames. Verses 26-27 confirm their deliverance from the flames by the Christ: "Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them."
There's much to learn from this story, but I'd instead like to focus on the phrase "Son of God." This is most clear passage from the old testament that mentions Jesus, but it definitely isn't the only one. There are many passages in the old testament where people see God, but some of them are God the Father, and some of them are God the Son. The easiest way to differentiate between the two is revealed to us in both the old and new testament. Exodus 33:20, with God the Father speaking, reads "And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live." John 1:18 in the new testament reiterates this: "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
Exodus 33:20-23 is the most memorable passage of a man, Moses, seeing God the Father: "And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen." After this had taken place, the bible says in Exodus 34:29:30: "And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him."
Jesus, God the Son, appears quite often in the Old Testament. When Jacob wrestled with God in Genesis 32:24-32, Jacob declares that he had seen the face of God in verse 30: "And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." The other spots with Jesus appearing in the old testament are in the passage from Daniel as posted above, when he appeared as Melchizedek in Genesis 14 (explained in the new testament, in Hebrews 7), as well as in Genesis 1 (the Hebrew text makes this abundantly clear.) The less talked about spot where Jesus appears in bodily form is in Genesis 18. Verses 1-2 read of Abraham: " And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground," Later in this chapter, with the climax being in chapter 19, Jesus orders the destruction of Sodom for their vile wickedness.
We know that Jesus has existed forever, since before the world was created. The old testament prophets spoke of this, notably in Micah 5:2: "But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." John 1:1-2 speaks of Jesus using one of his aliases: " 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." There are many other verses where Jesus declares himself to be eternal, or other people speak of him as such, but in the last book of Revelation, Jesus reiterates this attribute of himself one final time: Revelation 22:13 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."

Edited 3/5/2020 01:43:09

Galatians 4:28-31 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

This is a subject that might not be popular, but it was one of those hangups that I had before taking Christianity more seriously. Most churches today teach that the physical descendants of Israel are still God's chosen people, in spite of their beliefs- whether they believe in Jesus or not. One complete reading of the bible, and especially of Galatians, proves that this is beyond a shadow of a doubt not true. This post will be a quick overview of the six chapters of Galatians, and it will hopefully profit others as much as it did I.

Chapter 1 is an introduction, giving us an idea of the subject matter of the rest of the epistle. Galatians is a letter written to the church of Galatia by Paul, divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, meaning it is without error. Galatians 1:1 makes this clear: "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)" A brief history of Paul is that he persecuted the early church and apostles on behalf of the Jews.
He recounts his actions in 1:12-14 "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." Paul was later called personally by the Lord Jesus Christ to become an apostle, and his lasting legacy is that he wrote over half of the books of the new testament.

Chapter 2 begins with Paul recounting his early days of ministry with Titus, a Greek, and how Titus was compelled to be circumcised by "false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage," as said in verse 4. By this he means Jews who wished to continue the sacrificial and carnal traditions of the old testament, in spite of what is described in Hebrews 7:12: "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law." Circumcision will be visited in detail in chapter 5.

Chapter 3 starts out with a strong reproof of the direction the church of Galatia is taking, in that they are reverting back to what we would today call Judaism. Verses 1-6 read: "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
From these verses it is revealed plainly that salvation has always been by faith alone. Genesis 12:8 is the first verse where Abraham (then called Abram) called upon the name of the Lord: "And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD." Romans 4:3 reiterates that this is the moment that Abraham was saved: "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." Romans 4:10 makes sure that we understand that circumcision had no part of his salvation: "How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision."
Galatians 3:7-11 reads: "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith." These verses should be a great relief to all Christians, in that we are not second class believers to the Israelites solely based on our ethnicity: everyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is a child of God, whether they be Jew, Greek, Congolese, or Filipino.
Verse 3:16 reads: "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." The promise referred to here is found in Genesis 22:18: "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." This states what should be obvious to believers, but is so often misunderstood or just ignored: you shouldn't give money to a foreign, heathen nation and expect God to bless you for it, even if the physical seeds of Abraham are the ones practicing the heathen religion. Verse 16 reveals God's intent of his promise in Genesis 22, in that the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the blessing of Abraham upon all nations.
Galatians 3:23-39 reads: "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." The first of these verses reveal the intent of the Mosaic law. They were set in place as a "schoolmaster," which was necessary in that all believers under the Old Testament were to be looking forward to the resurrection of Christ, which is a much more difficult thing to do than our part, which is to look backwards. This section also shows how we are to treat the Old Testament as New Testament believers: just as one doesn't dismiss and do the opposite of whatever one's childhood teacher taught them the moment they become an adult, we also are not to dismiss the Old Testament without as much as a wink.

Chapter 4:1-7 is Paul's explanation of his schoolmaster metaphor: "Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
Verse 10 reveals one of the church of Galatia's shortcomings: "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." Under the New Testament, we are not to keep the sabbath so rigidly as under the Old Testament. Colossians 2:16 reiterate this: "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:"
Verses 21-24, 28-31: "Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free."
These verses are an intense accusation against the Jews trying to affect or mix Christianity with Judaism, calling them sons of Hagar, Abraham's wife's handmaid, meaning the bastard son of Abraham- not the sons according to the promise of Abraham.

Chapter 5:1-6: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." These verses carry the theme throughout the entire bible that salvation is through faith alone. The very moment you begin to rely on your works to get yourself saved, you are now a servant to the entire Old Testament. Ephesians 2:8-9 needs to be continually shouted from the rooftops: " For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Verse 13 reads "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." This hearkens back to Paul's schoolmaster metaphor, and how the schoolmaster is used to guide us in our entire lives, not just in the moment that we are under instruction. Verses 14-15 read, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." The action described here is what the Jews that killed Jesus the Christ were guilty of: rigid following of the Old Testament to the point of oppression through the law, not in freedom through the law as God had intended.

5:16-25: "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." These verses should be conjunction with 1 Corinthians 15, a chapter which I posted about on February 20. What is revealed in these verses are the distinguishing qualities of the spirit and the flesh. When we walk in the Spirit, we have no need in the law, for the Holy Spirit is now what guides us.



Chapter 6 7-10: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
Here Paul continues his thought from the last few verses of Chapter 5. Our flesh is still weak, and our flesh will still receive the punishment of sins we commit on this earth. Even Paul admits that he sins in Romans 7:19-20: "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."
Verses 13-17 complete the epistle to the Galatians: "For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen."
Paul declares here that those who push for the Judaising of Christianity don't do it for your, the believer's, benefit; they do it for their own: to glory in your flesh, and your works. We shouldn't glory in things of the flesh, or the keeping of holy days- Christ is our glory.



Some Christians don't like Paul's teachings, and openly and flauntingly dismiss them. Fortunately, Jesus isn't silent on this issue, and is much harsher than Paul.
John 8:31-46: Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father.
Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Edited 3/6/2020 05:39:11

Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

Envy is the birth of most of the world's ails. This is a common theme throughout the bible, and this is one of the most pointed verses about it; it is completely the opposite direction of where the modern world wants you to go.
Very few people admit to envy and covetousness, but it is the fuel for all major world economies. Covetousness is defined in Exodus 20:17, and it is the tenth commandment: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." I'm guilty of this, and one would be hard pressed to find someone who isn't.
The second half of this passage deals with people who live alone and work incessantly, just out of a lust for material gain. Covetousness is the fuel for all major world economies, and the people who work for solely their own material gain are the engine. As God's children, we are to be different than the world, or as 1 Peter 2:9 puts it, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people."
Children are a blessing, not a bump in the road that hampers your 30-year-plan of buying a used Ferrari when you're in your late 50's. Psalm 127:3-5, written by or for Solomon, speaks of this beautifully: "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." Solomon had over 700 wives, which is still a sin, but one can see that his ideal of a "quiver full" of children is much different than what the world today thinks is a large family. As a small bit of trivia, the only time "millions" is mentioned in the bible (Genesis 24:60) is when Rebekah leaves her family to marry Isaac, and Rebekah's family's parting words to her are "Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them." God's blessing upon Abraham was not that he should become wealthy, powerful, or wise, but that he should be the father of more children than the sands on the beach or the stars in the sky.
"Neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good?" We should always be asking ourselves this. If you aren't working out of love for someone else, whether it be Christ or family, the bible declares that what you are doing is vanity, and undue vexation of the spirit.

Numbers 32:9-15 For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.
And the LORD’s anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying, Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
And the LORD’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed. And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel. For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.

The Israelites, after being led out of Egypt by God through Moses, never seemed to understand the weight of the promise and the law that was given them unless by constant reminders of violence or miracles, and even the miracles which God showed them often wore off, such as the giving of manna. God often calls them a stiff-necked people, and when they refuse to obey his commandments, his wrath is kindled against them. Just seven chapters ago, in Numbers 25:1-9, God slew 24,000 Israelites for committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab and sacrificing unto their false gods, and they already have again forgotten to respect and fear the Lord by chapter 32.
God isn't afraid to chastise both his children and the unsaved. Luke 12:48 says "But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." Most everyone in the United States has heard the gospel in part or in full, and if they consciously reject it, they will receive the due punishment for their sins. As believers, when we understand and study the word of God and fail to carry out his commandments, we will be chastised- not out of hate, but of love. We need to be careful of how we live our lives, and make sure that in all our ways we acknowledge Him, not just when in view of our brothers in Christ.

Matthew 6:7-13 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Vanity is often mentioned in the bible, and it's used in many contexts. Today we will be looking at vanity in the context of praising God.
Isaiah 1:10-15 reads thus: "Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood."
In these verses, God is likening Israel unto Sodom and Gomorrah. We see that the Israelites are continuing to sacrifice unto God as he commanded them in the Mosaic law, but in this instance he is wroth with them in spite of the fat of rams and blood of bullocks. What has changed from when Solomon and the other good kings of Israel commanded the sacrifices?
The Israelites in these verses were going through the motions of offering sacrifices; they did not mean it in earnest. They were not doing it to please God, but to please man. A companion passage to Isaiah 1 is found in Amos 5:21-26: "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves."
We see that Israel was not worshiping God alone as he demanded, but false gods as well. God demands our complete faith in Him. In the new testament, Jesus makes the law stricter yet concerning offerings, in this case the tithe, in Matthew 5:23-26: "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."
Vanity is a flexible word in the bible, and a large percentage of it's uses are found in Ecclesiastes, where Solomon imbued with the wisdom of God declares most things held in high standing today as vanity, such as "all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour." When we worship God, we are to follow Jesus's model of a prayer: we should not ask for things to fulfill our lusts, but our necessities, and we should praise God for his infinite kindness for allowing us to enjoy his creation, no matter how man may corrupt it, and for his promise of eternal salvation through his Son.

This is getting out of hand lol basically spam at this point

lol, this is their echo chamber

God's Word can never be spam

Numbers 13:26-32 "And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature."

These verses are after the Israelites were brought out of Egypt unto the promised land, prior to them being forced to wander throughout the desert for forty years by God, until all that generation of Israelites passed away, save Joshua and Caleb.
There are many cases of people or groups in the bible failing to put their entire trust in God, and ruining their lives or someone else's as a result. The Israelites, despite being fed manna by miraculous circumstances by God, still had doubts that God was truly in control and would keep his promises. God's promise to the Israelites that he would bring them into the promised land had conditions that they would have to keep, and by doubting and grievously provoking God ten times in the wilderness, God made the promise void. Numbers 14:34-35: "After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die."
When we doubt God and try to accomplish his miracles out of our own strength, we often cause more harm than good. When Sarah, Abraham's wife, doubted that God would keep his promise of making a great nation out of her in her old age, she tried to take matters into her own hands and told Abraham to lay with her handmaid, so that Sarah might have a son through her. In Genesis 16:12, God declared of Hagar's son Ishmael, "And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." After Solomon's heart was turned away from God by his wives, Israel split into two kingdoms, never to be reunited.
When God makes you promises, you must be ready for him to fulfill his promises, and not to doubt him. When Abraham sent a servant to search out a wife for his son Isaac, and when the servant saw Rebekah that she was the wife God had desired for Isaac, he says in Genesis 24:37, "And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren." We must be "in the way," prepared for God to fulfill his promises, and we must be weary of becoming lax and expecting God to fulfill his promises to us no matter what our actions may be. God promises us everlasting life, but we must accept Jesus Christ in order to receive it. God promises us rewards in heaven, but we will receive greater rewards both in this life and the life to come if we keep his commandments.

anything can me spam and am honestly tired of these ESSAYS you guys are passing off as posts. This is overly exhausting to even attempt to read and does not compel one towards reading and even practicing Christianity, actually the opposite




O B N O X I O U S



P.S. I’m a Christian and have probably read the Bible unlike most of you

I somewhat agree with Tac(ky)tical, neodanubian's commentary can get excessive... I just read the verses he posts.
Not sure what the point of your P.S. is... the people posting and explaining verses from the bible haven't read it? Why brag about it anyway? “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."

Anyway, haven't posted here in a while, so here it goes:
Acts 2:3 - And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them,
Mark 9:49 - "For everyone will be salted with fire." [- Jesus]
Colossians 4:6 - Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

From these verses, we can see that before the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, they learned to control what they said to others and in general. We as Christians should be careful about what we say (with help from the Holy Spirit), whether we encourage or reprove someone.

O B N O X I O U S

<< Back to Off-topic Forum

Numbers 16:1-3
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?



In these verses, Korah with several other princes of Israel are trying to overthrow the hierarchy established by God when he rewarded the Levites for standing with Him after the other tribes of Israel made the false god of a golden calf. The priestly tribe of Levi was to have charge over the tabernacle and it's sacrifices, and in this instance Korah and others were covetous of their standing among the tribes. 

The bible in both old and new testament never teach that all people are created to be interchangeable; this is seen in men being forbidden to wear long hair or wear that which pertaineth to a woman, women being forbidden to become deacons, children being commanded to obey their parents, and many other examples. A warning against Korah's actions (his name in Greek being "Core") is found in Jude 1:11: "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core." 

Korah and those that still followed him were then swallowed up by the earth, after God warned them through first signs then by voice. Numbers 16:31-33: "And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation."

God takes pleasure in diversity- whether of animals, plants, geography, languages, or peoples. However, when it comes to salvation, we all have to go through the same door. Galatians 3:28 reads, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." The plan for salvation doesn't change based on your skin, your sins, or your salary; all that is required is your faith in the Lord Jesus.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me

Psalm 23:4

Matthew 13:24-30 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

These verses describe another reason why God doesn't do what many unbelievers think that he should, in that they desire that God should punish the wicked immediately, while they are yet a sprout as this parable would put it. God knows who will be going to hell and who will be going to heaven, but we as humans cannot be sure.
Paul in the new testament is a good example of why having the servants gather up the tares before the whole field is ripe for the harvest is a bad idea. Acts 7:57-60 reads, "Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." The next verse is Acts 8:1: "And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria, except the apostles."
From these verses, our human judgement would dictate that Saul should be punished and would be counted among the tares in the parable mentioned earlier. Yet, as one reads the rest of the new testament, this Saul (renamed Paul) becomes the most well known apostle of Christ. Just because someone we know may commit sins that seem grievous or beyond reproof, does not mean that they will continue to live in that way.

Edited 3/12/2020 02:38:58

Matthew 27:22-24 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Pilate is a picture of the choices one might make in regards to salvation. As Pilate did, you must make a choice concerning Jesus.
We all know that Jesus was the blameless, sinless, son of God- the only thing all Christian denominations agree upon. Even Pilate in his day knew that Jesus was blameless, as we see in Luke 23:4: "Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man."
Pilate's first course of action was to try to ignore the problem of Jesus. The Jews had delivered Jesus unto Pilate for envy, and Pilate's immediate reaction is to push the problem of Jesus back whence he came. John 18:31: " Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:" You cannot avoid Jesus. God is real, and you are accountable to Him.
Pilate then tried shrugging off the burden of making a decision concerning Jesus unto Herod. Luke 23:5-7: "And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilæan. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time." Jesus remained silent unto Herod, who sent him back to Pilate. You cannot expect someone else to make the decision concerning Jesus on your behalf.
However, regardless of Pilate's conscience, he still delivered Jesus to be crucified. We are even told why he delivered Jesus to be crucified in Mark 15:15: "And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified." James 4:4 is a powerful verse with Pilate's desire to appease the people in mind: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." You cannot "pocket veto" Christ and be blameless.
Your final route of avoidance is declaring that you are not guilty concerning Christ's death. Pilate tried this in Matthew 27:24: "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it." However, we are all undeniably sinners. Romans 5:17 reads, "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." Sin is part of our fleshly nature, and because of your, my, and everybody else's sins, Jesus had to be crucified on the cross. You are not blameless concerning the death of Christ.
Accepting Christ as your saviour is the easiest, most rewarding, and most important decision you will ever make. Rejecting Christ through one of many ways as we discussed above, whether of avoidance, delegation, or outright rejection, meaning you're one of those in the crowd wishing that Jesus was dead, you are condemned. Jesus in John 3:18 says it thus: "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." You must make a decision, and you must make the right one.

James 2:1-7
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

These verses are a strong rebuke against the culture of the godless millionaire celebrity which prevails in society today. God doesn't hate all the rich- some he blesses with riches: 1 Samuel 2:7 reads "The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up." Yet we are warned often of pursuing riches for wealth's sake, as in Matthew 6:19-20: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal."
There are many verses proclaiming that enjoying the fruits of your labor is a blessing from God, such as Ecclesiastes 7:18-19: " Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God."
But in many other verses the rich are displayed as wicked and deceitful if they have gotten their riches through unjust practices, such as in Micah 6:10-12: "Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth."
Jeremiah 5:27-29 is God's warning towards nations who allow unfettered greed to occur: "As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?"
In Jesus's ministry, he always had a focus on reaching the poor. Mark 11:4-5: "Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." Note that the poor having the gospel preaches unto them is in the same category as miracles curing others of their infirmities, in Christ's eyes.
We are told that when we bless the poor- not for our own gain in job application padding or social standing- we will be blessed in heaven, which is far better than the blessings the earth can provide. Luke 14:12-14 "Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."

The riches of this world will pass in the twinkling of an eye, but God's word is eternal, and that is what we should glory in.
Psalm 119:13-16:
With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Proverbs 23:6-9 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

As believers, we need to be careful of who we associate with. Jesus did eat with sinners and publicans, but never with those who He knew had no hope of accepting salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 reads, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
When you get saved and get deeper into your walk with God, you will lose interest in the humor or hobbies you used to partake in; even seemingly innocuous things begin to lose their appeal on the basis of them being a waste of time. Ephesians 5:15-16 reads, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

Matthew 5:7 NKJV

Commentary: This kind of echoes the idea that you will reap what you sow. Those who are merciful are more likely to receive mercy themselves, because, let's face it: who wants to be nice and kind and forgiving to a mean and unforgiving person? (Though in this situation, mercy would be giving them what they don't deserve: mercy)