Meditate on it

Section 26  JESUS SETS OUT FROM JUDEA FOR GALILEE  Subdivision B AT JACOB'S WELL, AND AT SYCHAR  JOHN 4: 5-42 Jesus is passing through Samaria--on his way from Judea where he was stirring up interest from the Pharisees, to Galilee. The name Sychar means drunken-town or lying-town. -VWS One commentary pointed out that his trip through Samaria was not a type of mission to the Samartians--it was functionally necessary in the sense that it was quicker.  Jesus came first to the Jews. "Jacob's Well," Nablaus, c. 1900-1920 -- Library of Congress collection Jacob's well is currently in a contested area in the West Bank.  Its is inside the grounds of a Greek-Orthodox monastery, Saint Photini. Fourfold Gospel: "It is one of the few Biblical sites about which there is no dispute, and probably the only place on earth where one can draw a circle of a few feet, and say confidently that the feet of Christ have stood within the c

This feels like a generic psalm---much of the same imagery in the last few psalms but without distinction.  My summary below is not great, but I'm marking it down as done. David begins by stating that he takes refuge in the Lord. Who is he addressing when he asks "How can you say to my soul, 'flee like a bird to your mountain'"? His enemy? He presents a picture of the wicked shooting at the upright. The Lord is above looking down at all this.  He tests the righteous but hates the wicked. Here's another one of those hard to process images-- "Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup." Psalm 11:6 A stark and war-like culture.

Psalm 10 is not ascribed to anyone in particular and ruminates upon the evil devices of the wicked, imploring God to act upon the behalf of the humble and poor. The wicked are pictured as immovable, prideful of their own power and position. The wicked man is active in evil, cursing, boasting, lying, crouching, and most of all, underestimating and marginalizing God. The psalmist questions why God "standeth far off" under such corruption.  It's a perennial question, as contemporary as it is ancient.  We still struggle with the perceived closeness of the Lord, particularly when we observe evil people go their business, often flourishing, sometimes without any qualms or immediate consequence.  The psalmist longs for consequence: "...let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined" (v2) "Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none" (v15) "that the man of the earth may no more oppre

Psalm 9 A call for righteous judgement and humility---"us" vs. "them"  Personally, there is a sense that David is facing "the gates of death" at the hands of his enemies (v13).  It seems composed amid the distress, with the theme of God's justice front and center. As with many of David's psalms, Psalm 9 begins with a will, a will to proclaim and rejoice in the Lord: " I will praise Thee..." (v1) " I will shew forth all thy marvelous works..." (v1) " I will be glad and rejoice in thee" (v2) The timelessness of God and His ultimate justice is the next theme: But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.  -Psalm 9:7-8 That God is known by His acts of justice is introduced later: Psa 9:16  The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wick

Section 26 JESUS SETS OUT FROM JUDEA FOR GALILEE Subdivision A REASONS FOR RETIRING TO GALILEE A. MATT. 4:12 B. MARK 1:14 C. LUKE 3:19, 20 D. JOHN 4:1- 4  Mat 4:12  When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,   He left Judea and returned to Galilee.  Source: Generation Word The Judean ministry of Jesus, which lasted almost one year, is not discussed by Matthew. This one year period is covered in John 1-4 and fits between Mat_4:11 and Mat_4:12. Matthew takes us from the temptation directly to the Galilean ministry.-BKC But it was not fear that drove Him north to Galilee. Actually He was going right into the center of Herod's kingdom—the same king who had just imprisoned John. In moving to Galilee of the Gentiles, He was showing that His rejection by the Jews would result in the gospel going out to the Gentiles.-BB Mar 1:14  Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where He preached God's Good News. Luk 3:19-20  John also publicly critic

Section 25 FIRST MINISTRY IN JUDEA-- JOHN'S SECOND TESTIMONY Judea and Ænon  JOHN 3:22-36 My comment to Briggs this morning was that John and Jesus are good testament to what happens when you go against the establishment. But, here, we have John in his prime and Jesus coming into his own. I admire the humility and clarity of John's thinking, especially evident in these statements: John 3:27  John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. John’s greatness is revealed in his reply. He said, A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. God is sovereign in bestowing His blessings on one’s ministry. If Jesus’ movement was expanding, then it must have been in the will of God. This principle of God’s sovereignty is stressed in John (cf. Joh_6:65; Joh_19:11) as well as elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g., 1Co_4:7) -BKC John 3:30  He must increase, but I must decrease. From the Biblical Illustrator: 1. For the last ti

"Geese in the Dust," Mike Landwehr "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" -Psalm 8:3-4 Psalm 8 is one of the familiars---like coming home--I know its imagery well.  Verses 3 & 4 are the heart of this psalm, with rest pivoting around them.  I imagine David beneath the stars, out in nature, shepherding perhaps, or recalling his shepherding days, and wondering at His creation--the moon and the stars. In light of that, why would God bother with man? It's a good question and a great honor.  I love David's humility--that instead of wondering why God isn't making his life on earth just the way he prefers it, he is instead wondering why God bothers with us at all. He acknowledges that He brings praise from infants. What does this mean?  I imagine it to be similar to what

FROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND PASSOVER (Time: One Year.)  Section 24 JESUS ATTENDS THE FIRST PASSOVER OF HIS MINISTRY  (Jerusalem, April 9, A. D. 27.) Subdivision  SUBDIVISION A  JESUS CLEANSES THE TEMPLE  JOHN 2: 13-25 It seems confrontational to me for Christ to purge the temple at Passover, but Matthew Henry points out that it was keeping with tradition to purge out the old/bad, repent, and then be cleansed to celebrate the Passover. Comfortingly, Jon Courson agrees with me: "In verse Joh_2:7, Jesus quietly met a need. In verse Joh_2:14, He conspicuously caused a scene. In verse Joh_2:2, Jesus sat at the marriage table. In verse Joh_2:15, He overturned temple tables. At Cana, Jesus created the wine of joy. In the temple, He initiated the work of judgment." His commentary afterward is worthwhile: Jesus exhibited righteous anger… In Mat_18:6, Jesus used strong language to describe the punishment of anyone who caused a child to stumble. In Mar_10:14, J

Psalm 7 is another authored by King David.  It's a cry for help against his enemies but David leads with confidence in God as his refuge. He takes pains to lay himself bare before God, pleading his case, saying if he has sinned, "then let the enemy pursue me until he overtakes me and tramples my life down into the earth; yes, let him lay my honor in the dust." (Psalm 7:5)  From the distance of this culture and time, his statements seem emotionally extreme.  Perhaps some of this is cultural and formula prescribed, but nonetheless, David is an emotional man, willing to put his soul out there for examination by both himself and God. He asks God to judge him (7:8), a request I can't imagine myself making.  The flip side of this is that his enemies would be judged too, "Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and establish the righteous; since you, righteous God, test hearts and minds" (v9).  David does not fear God's judgement,

Section 21 JESUS MAKES HIS FIRST DISCIPLES.  (Bethany beyond Jordan, Spring A. D. 27.)  JOHN 1: 35-51 John the Baptist is with two of his disciples, Andrew and probably John the author,  when they see Jesus walking by.  When John comments, "Behold, the Lamb of God," the two follow Jesus.  Jesus asks them what they seek, and they ask where he is staying.  They follow him home and stay with him the rest of the day. My questions--why do they want to see where he's staying?  What does that have to do with anything? Are they fickle that they jump from John to Jesus, or it more that the action is just concise, and they respect John's comment?  John clearly put Jesus far above himself. I like Jon Courson's comment in this regard: "As the disciples of John shift their allegiance to Jesus Christ, we see that the purpose of his preaching was not to draw people to himself, but to push people to Jesus. Such needs to be the purpose of your service as well. As

Psalm 6 is full of pathos and struggle. David pleads with God not to rebuke him because he is weary and weak. Both his bones and soul are "vexed." He describes restless nights filled with his tears. Yet deep within these struggles, he does not lose sight of God. For David, the question is more God's timing, "How long, O Lord," he asks. Toward the end he expresses confidence that the Lord will receive his prayer and punish his enemies. The concept of the shame and punishment of one's enemies strikes me as very old and very Old Testament. Christ's call to love our enemies is in stark contrast: “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. -Luke 6:27-28

Although I love my new study on the New Testament, I've also been missing the psalms. Psalm study is a rich habit which goes along so nicely with daily reading. For me, they help refocus my mind on Him and the nuances of my relationship with Him.  They read very personally in a way that other portions of the scripture do not.  They are whispers.  They are real.  They are pleas.  They showcase the breathe of human emotion and struggle. This time through them, I have a few novel goals. 1. To document them individually in the labeling section. 2. To write my thoughts on each without consulting any commentary.  (An exercise in pressing into the text more and my ability to express my thoughts without aid or distraction.) 3. One a day would be nice---it's a goal to strive for.  I'd just like to keep moving along lightly, to foster the habit of the writing and reflection.

David begins this psalm with a plea for God to "give hear to my words," which is similar to the his petition in Psalm 4, "Answer me when I call."   My best guess is that this is some type of poetic tradition where the speaker calls upon God in the beginning. Whenever I get too far from the King James while reading the psalms, a verse like this pulls me back. Look at the difference between the ESV and KJ here. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3 KJ O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. Psalm 5:3 ESV direct ârak aw-rak' A primitive root; to set in a row, that is, arrange, put in order (in a very wide variety of applications): - put (set) (the battle, self) in array...  -Strongs look up tsâphâh tsaw-faw' A primitive root; properly to lean forward, that is, to peer into the distance; by impli

Section 20  JOHN'S FIRST TESTIMONY TO JESUS.  (Bethany beyond Jordan, February, A. D. 27.)   JOHN 1: 19-34.  John's commission on earth was to draw the Jew's attention to Christ, as the Messiah.  He did so by emphasizing the vast difference in their authority levels: “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,  even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” -John 1:26-27 Fourfold Gospel: "To loose the latchet was a peculiarly servile office. The Talmud says,"Every office a servant will do for his master, a scholar should perform for his teacher, except loosing his sandal-thong." The greatest prophet felt unworthy to render Christ this humble service, but unconverted sinners often presume to serve Christ according to their own will, and fully expect to have their service honored and rewarded." John's perspective also calls the Jews to broaden their understanding of Christ: "His

Psalm 4 in several regards reiterates and develops themes from Psalm 3. "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer."  Psalm 4:1 David declares that God enlarges him when in difficulty (v1).  Many creatures enlarge themselves under stress to appear bigger before their enemy, but David's strength rests in God's expansion, not his own. In what ways could God enlarge us in such circumstances?  A few come to mind: "logical" expansions: expand our understanding of the situation expand our understanding of him "spiritual" expansion: expand our capacity to trust in Him through the unknown Note that David doesn't say that God changed his circumstance---one of our default first-line prayers to the Lord when we face trials.  The change was not in the circumstance but in David. David's urges the listener to focus on their internal conflict:

Psalm 3 finds David fleeing from Absalom, his son. How did God's favored king end up in such a  position?  It's a big wandering question which I'll leave untouched for now.  This morning, I appreciate more the solid volley, the echo, of David's faith in the Lord: "Many there be which say of my soul, `There is no help for him in God'.... .But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me" (v3) "I cried.... He heard " (v4) "I slept... I awakened , for the Lord sustained me (v5) There is a beautiful rhythm, a give and take, to David's walk with God.   In the best of circumstances, sleeping and waking is a small act of faith each evening, a giving over of our will to the demands of our bodies, a concession to our limitations. As His creation, we do ourselves harm when we ignore these natural rhythms and push ourselves beyond them. When under great emotional distress, as David was, I'

Section 17 JOHN THE BAPTIST'S PERSON AND PREACHING (In the wilderness of Judea, and on the banks of the Jordan, occupying several months, probably A. D. 25 or 26.) a. MATT. 3: 1-12  b. MARK 1: 1-8 c. LUKE 3:1-18 John's a maverick of sorts; I admire his candor.  When the Pharisees show up in the desert, he lambast them as a "brood of vipers."  He had no pet causes or fear of the religious establishment.  The gospel of Mark begins with John, not bothering with genealogies or birth narratives.  Straight up Mark--his focus was broad strokes, strong themes. Jen Norton, "St. John the Baptist" His message was forthright and had two parts: (1) a soteriological aspect, repent, and (2) an eschatological aspect, for the kingdom of heaven is near. The concept of a coming kingdom was well known in Old Testament Scriptures. But the idea that repentance was necessary in order to enter this kingdom was something new and became a stumbling block to many Jews. -BK

Old City Jerusalem, A Travel Photography Guide In the King James, this psalm is titled "The Reign of the Lord's Anointed."  It pictures a conflict between the nations and the people, setting up contrast between the Lord's anointed and the kings of the earth.  The kings conspire among themselves, viewing themselves as capable and in-control, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”  In contrast, the psalmist asks why the people bother to "imagine a vain thing" (v2), and the Lord laughs in Heaven at their efforts (v4), knowing His plans: Psa 2:5  Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,  Psa 2:6  “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”  Here, I'm thinking the "he" is God and his King, Jesus. Or is the psalmist alluding to both a literal king (such as David) and a future Messiah?  These double mentions c

"....nor sits in the seat of scoffers" -Psalm 1:1 Do I sit in judgement on others?  It's a difficult question.  Of course, I would prefer to simply say "no." And how do I reconcile "not judging" with some of the injunctions of the scriptures?  If I am called to repent (John the Baptist's laser cry), then does that not suggest there is a right way to live.  It takes effort to live "right."  It's difficult not to set my right up against my neighbor's right and judge it alongside my own.  In fact, it's easier to judge him than to judge myself. What does it mean to not sit among the scoffers? The answer is the focus of my efforts--- "but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night."  Psalm 1:2 The focus is on Him and His law.   When I hear law, I see a policeman with a bat in his hand, but it's not that kind of law.   It's His way.  His principles

Section 16 JESUS LIVING AT NAZARETH AND VISITING JERUSALEM IN HIS TWELFTH YEAR (Nazareth and Jerusalem, A. D. 7 or 8.) LUKE 2: 40-52 More cognitive dissonance--how is it that Mary and Joseph don't understand why their 12 year old son would hang out in the temple?  Joseph had four dreams with visions of angels.  Mary had a direct visit with an angel.  Both were aware of her conception without intercourse.  I struggle with their cluelessness here.  Did they forget all of the early circumstances? Matthew Henry's comments here help in this regard: "It was his errand into the world, and his meat and drink in the world, to do his Father's will, and finish his work: and yet at that time his parents understood not this saying, Luk_2:50. They did not understand what business he had to do then in the temple for his Father . They believed him to be the Messiah, that should have the throne of his father David; but they thought that should rather bring him to the royal pala

Section 13 EASTERN WISE-MEN, OR MAGI, VISIT JESUS, THE NEW-BORN KING  (Jerusalem and Bethlehem, B. C. 4.) MATT 2: 1-12 Differences between the gospels-- Luke is the only gospel to include the trip to Bethlehem and all its detail. Matthew's focus is different than Luke's.  He begins with the genealogy, recounts Joseph's visit with the angels. God comes to men in the spheres with which they are most familiar; to Zacharias in the Temple, to the shepherds in the fields, to the Wise-Men by a portent in the heavens. He knows just where to find us. “Lift the stone, and I am there.” Be sure to follow your star, whatever it be; only remember that it must ultimately receive the corroboration of Scripture, as in the present case, Mat_2:5. A miracle may be wrought to awaken and start us on our great quest, but the miraculous is withdrawn where the ordinary methods of inquiry will serve . The news of Jesus always disquiets the children of the world; they know that it means divis

Section 10 THE BIRTH OF JESUS (At Bethlehem of Judea, B. C. 5.)  LUKE 2: 1-7 The birth of Christ in Bethlehem fulfills Micah's prophecy: "But thou, Bethlehem 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." Micah 5:2 Section 11 THE BIRTH OF JESUS PROCLAIMED BY ANGELS TO THE SHEPHERDS (Near Bethlehem, B. C. 5.)  LUKE 2: 8-20 Luk 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  "came upon" = stand upon, before, beside, over, appeared Fourfold Gospel: "He stood upon the earth at their side, and did not float above them in the heavens, as he is usually pictured. His standing upon the earth shows a fuller fellowship and sympathy with men--comp. Acts 1:10 Acts 1:10 is Christ's ascension to Heaven. And whil

Section 9 ANNUNCIATION TO JOSEPH OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS  (At Nazareth, B. C. 5.)  Matthew 1: 18-25 Mat 1:20  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “ Joseph , son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. From the Fourfold gospel, a small but significant detail: "We are known to angels, and they address us by name. Much more does the Lord know our names." "He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius ." -Acts 10:3 "And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter ; kill, and eat." Acts 10:13 "Saying, Fear not, Paul ; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee." Acts 27:24 Regarding Jesus knowing our name: "To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth

Section 7 MARY, FUTURE MOTHER OF JESUS, VISITS ELISABETH, FUTURE MOTHER OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (In the Hill Country of Judea, BC 5) LUKE 1:39-56. Luk 1:39  In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, Such was the intense desire of Mary's mind to visit and communicate with her relative Elisabeth, that she scrupled not to undertake this long journey to effect her purpose. -TSK Cross Reference She went, meta spoudēs - with care, diligence, and expedition; not as young people commonly go abroad and visit their friends, to divert herself, but to inform herself.-Matthew Henry The word "haste" suggests careful diligence and seems consistent with Mary's reflective nature.  Matthew Henry asserts that Mary sets off on her visit to Elizabeth just short time after the angel visited.  RWP points out that she probably went to be affirmed and surrounded by those who would believe her. The exact town Zechariah and Elizabeth live