Devotion.al

Tag: sacrifice

  • Silence is Not Always Golden

    Deuteronomy 5:1–31; Matthew 26:57–62; Acts 6:8–15 (read online ⧉)

    Perjury is a crime. Knowingly providing false under oath is a criminal offense, as it should be. Knowing our system, however, perhaps the penalty is not severe enough. People “white lies” thinking they are doing the right thing (again, in a court case). People speak blatant falsehoods to the results.

    Depending on the falsehood can result in a guilty man being freed and an innocent man being sent to death. One of the other oldest legal codes—Hammurabi’s Code—sets the penalty for such perjury as death.

    There is no question that bearing false witness was a sin according to God. Yet, in the 2 instances that we read today—Jesus and Stephen—that “minor” sin, that could easily be blotted out with a “minor” sacrifice, resulted in the death of innocent men.

    Matthew and Luke (the author of Acts) make it a point to state that the witnesses are knowingly bearing false witness. Was this an incidental miscarriage of justice, or was this a systemic one? While we really can draw too firm a conclusion, this is an indication that justice and truth were often not met.

    We often why we have so many laws, and then we read stories like this (and these are not that unique in human history). There were the false witnesses. Those who either paid or otherwise recruited the false witnesses. There were those who were the “lawyers”. Then there were those who were the leaders of this travesty.

    All were party to it. All had culpability in it. By the letter of “the Law”, only those who were “actual” witnesses would be “guilty”. This would also that those who knew they were guilty actually did something about it. Of course, they didn’t for they achieved their goals.

    We all struggle with those who lie. It is that which empowers the lies that is the greater issue. With no culture of lying, lying becomes rare. A culture that disgraces the truth encourages lying. A power structure that encourages lying creates a culture that sends innocent people to death or punishment.

    This is also a culture that ceases to God. Instead, it uses God to strengthen the perception of itself, so that no one will struggle or oppose it. God becomes a —a tool—and the relationship that the word is supposed to represent dies.

    Holy Spirit, as we walk through this , counsel our hearts and tongues to speak truth and to be truth-seekers. Guide our hearts and minds to bring the light of Jesus’ Truth into our lives and the lives of others. May all that we do bring honor and to you, oh, God. Amen.

    Questions

    1) Why is it important to talk about more than just the lier? How does its relative importance to the commandment of false witness mean for you?

    2) What do you think other tribunals in front of these people were like for day-to-day things?

    3) How can and will you encourage a culture of truth?

  • Calling Others

    Calling Others

    John 6:44–51; Acts 15:12–21; Romans 1:16–25 (read online ⧉)

    One of the hardest things for any believer is the understanding that a one may not be with them in Heaven. Whether one believes in Dante’s 7 circles of Hell, the Hell of endless torment, or the Hell of eternal life “merely” not being in God’s , or the Hell that is interim before the Great Day of Judgement and one’s final decision toward life or annihilation (Revelation 20:11–15) it doesn’t matter insofar as not having that loved one with you in eternal life.

    So, in avoidance of this hard truth, many people have developed a folk theology that there is no Hell and no eternal separation from God. It is not just Christianity that is experiencing it. In face, if one were to boil down the religions of reincarnation (mostly Buddhist and Hindu, but not exclusively), it’s that one is not good enough to not be incarnated so they get to start all over again. It’s not Hell in the Christian sense, but repeating lives until perfection can sound pretty close.

    The hardest part for all of us is the tension that we walk. Most of us aren’t “old school” knocking on our neighbor’s doors and barging into their lives to “save” them. Sometimes we are made to feel guilty because we’re not. Yet, if your neighbors are automatically resistant to Christianity because of a lifestyle choice (for example) that they “know” God “hates”, only time will ever work through that. That being said, one has to be will to work through that time.

    Family is often the hardest. Oddly enough, we won’t know all the pieces that brought a person to walk away from, ignore, or even hate Jesus and his church, and that’s even when they’re family. Sometimes, even more -wrenching is that some of the events that solidified our are the very ones that destroyed the faith of others. Shared experiences do not necessarily equal the same results (part of the whole nature versus nurture debate).

    It “used to be” so much easier. We would recite a formula (as I look back on it, almost like a magic spell), and people would be saved. Or we’d follow a “road” in the Bible, that “proved” that Jesus was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is no perfect formula nor is there a perfect road that will finally bring people to Jesus, at least not one that works in every time and place, and for every person. The reality is that this often displays a human sinful flaw…our desire to be the hero…our desire to save…our desire to be Jesus.

    Paul’s words seem rather harsh to our post-modern ears. Some people read them as, “They don’t believe in God? Then to Hell with them!” However, Paul is addressing a fundamental reality, “they” want proof? It’s all around them, and you (personally) will not that perspective. This is when Jesus’ words of calling people to the make the most sense. The Truth is there. People’s hearts have to be open to see the Truth behind the truth. Only God does that.

    Prayer

    Father God, we know only you, through the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus, and the of the Holy , people to you. Only you can truly call. Help us to surrender that to you. Help us remember that it is not us. Guide us into the places and conversations that you want us to have, that is part of your calling of others to live in and with you. Amen.

    Questions

    1) What was the most recent with a non-believer like regarding Jesus? When you look back on it, how does that make you feel?

    2) Do you feel responsible for someone else’s decision to follow Jesus? How is it your responsibility? How is it not your responsibility?

    3) Knowing that there is no perfect way to bring people to Jesus, how do you react to that? How does that make you feel in regards to the conversation in question 1?

  • Die to Resurrect

    Psalm 98; Micah 7:7–9, 18–20; 1 Timothy 6:11–20 (read online ⧉)

    Micah’s unwavering loyalty and in God can be hard to swallow for many. Micah believes that he can wait for and trust in God.

    What is fascinating with Micah’s words is that he admonishes his enemy who is gloating over Micah’s fallen state. Micah doesn’t defend himself. In fact, he openly and forthrightly acknowledges that he has sinned against God. What a fantastic pattern that we should all follow! When we hide our sins in the dark, they can fester and rot deep within us. Yet, when we shine the on them, they cease to rot. The consequences may be awful and shameful, but the light cleanses them.

    Micah owned his transgressions. Micah owned the consequences.

    Micah believed that God would redeem and rescue him. He had decided to wait upon God’s timing for his restoration. That is often courageous for us when we are in the midst of trials and tribulations. Micah was in the middle of them, too.

    The redemptive expectation that Micah had of God was immense. He understood that God’s and mercy were beyond comprehension. In addition to his own redemption, he looked to the redemption of his people…of God’s people. Micah understood that the people were far off from God. Micah also understood that God’s faithful and unfailing was always waiting to Resurrect the repentant heart.

    While the Jews had the Law to define the particulars of their holy calling, gentiles (non-Jews) still had the (the Image of God) in them telling them deep down what they were doing was not in line with the Creator of the universe, even when they didn’t understand. Hence that is why Paul talks to Timothy about fleeing from much of what is common to the of humankind. Timothy was both Greek and Jew (thus dirty to both “sides” of the ). He probably has some awareness of the Jewish Law, but he would have also been quite familiar with what was common (and considered acceptable) in Greek/Roman circles.

    Thus Paul was calling Timothy to something greater than either bloodline or culture. He was calling Timothy to Jesus Christ. When Paul recalls Timothy’s “good” confession. Instead of confession, a better (and longer) way of saying it would be a strong, firm, public declaration of allegiance. Timothy had (effectively) declared that Jesus Christ was more important than all of that, and Paul was holding him to it. Timothy, as the “successor” to Paul and a in his own right, was to hold on tight to what he “confessed” he believed, and to not let others draw him away.

    Paul reminded Timothy that all that was going on now was in preparation and was before the age to come, the age of . The underlying truth being that if Timothy let go of the faith in the here and now, the age of Resurrection might very well not come to him.

    Timothy may not have had the depths of pain that Micah did, though it’s likely that his heart was broken at the (martyr’s) death of Paul and other Christians. For Timothy, the Resurrection life held hope in the midst of pain. The Resurrection life that Micah was expect was, without question, different in scope than Timothy was expecting. Both, however, were dependent upon a relationship with God.

    God, may we continue to place our sins and failures before you in hopeful expectation, not to avoid the consequences of our actions, but to restore and maintain right relationship with you. May your father’s heart continue to be gracious to us. May the sacrifice of you, Jesus, continue to remind us of the cost, drawing us closer to you through the counsel of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

    1) How do you balance the of and concern for punishing or consequences with hope and faith with God?

    2) The life of a Christian is full of many little deaths. What is the latest death that you have experienced that has drawn you (or is drawing you) closer to God?

    3) There is an old saying that a coward dies a thousand deaths, and a hero only one. What is the difference between that and the deaths that a Christian experiences?

  • Power of Resurrection

    Power of Resurrection

    1 Corinthians 15:1–11; John 5:24–30 (read online ⧉)

    Paul is deeply concerned that the Corinthians have already the . He is right to be. Without the Resurrection, all Christians should be pitied.

    We often tie everlasting life to the Resurrection, but the reality is that without the Resurrection, Jesus’ life and death are merely interesting points in history. The Resurrection is proof that Jesus was/is who he said he was. The Resurrection proves that death brought through the Fall of Creation can be overcomed (and is being overcomed). The Resurrection proves that Jesus did live a sinless life that that was qualified to be the necessary for all of humanity’s .

    So, yes, the Resurrection is kind of important.

    Also tied to the Resurrection is the Final Judgement that comes with it. At the Resurrection of humanity, Jesus will be the judge. Jesus died. If Jesus did not live again, then the judgment is just an empty threat. If judgment is an empty threat, then the necessity of Jesus’ death on the cross becomes cruelly needless bloodshed.

    The Resurrection is proof that God did, does, and will continue to turn the world upside down.

    The Resurrection is also what should be empowering us to bring the of the World (Jesus Christ) to others. It is the of Resurrection that brings new life to people. It is the power of the Resurrection that restores people from a place of death. In other words, if you don’t believe in the Resurrection, why would you share about Jesus? Why would you believe a murderer, adulterer, thief (like the one Jesus said would be with him in Paradise) could be by God and be transformed into Christ-likeness. Oh, and why would you think Jesus matters to you, or that Jesus made a difference in your life?

    Today is Monday (it’s actually a holiday in some places). Last year it was a normal workday for many, who would just set aside the Resurrection and go to work. In today’s COVID climate none of us (even those of us going to work remotely or on-site) is looking at Easter Monday as “normal”. COVID-19 shows us our need—in fact, the need of humanity—for Resurrection. Economies, societies, cultures will all need Resurrection power to restore things that are now dead. It’s not as if we all didn’t need Resurrection power as it was, it’s that we are aware of just how much we need it.

    Father, self-sacrificing Jesus, all-empowering , we give you thanks for the ever-present and ever-working power of the Resurrection. Help us to keep in our hearts, souls, and minds that Resurrection power is not something we had or will have. Help us to understand and believe to the core of our beings that Resurrection power is something we have right now, and to live lives that show we know it to be true. Amen.

    1) How does Resurrection power affect you? How do you think about it?

    2) If there was no Resurrection, would you believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior? Why or why not?

    3) While Easter Monday is uncommonly used in the USA, it is incredibly important. Why is the concept of Easter Monday important for our daily lives?

  • Loving Intercession

    Psalm 51:1-12; Exodus 30:1-10; Hebrews 4:14-5:10 (read online ⧉)

    was used as part of the priests’ daily of God. It was a prescribed practice. Priests had a number of prescribed practices that they were regularly responsible for. They were constantly doing their tasks before God, both to him and be the representative of the Israelites before God.

    Before a priest could do their duties, they had cleansing rituals that had to be completed. By virtue of their post, they didn’t get to be cleansed. They are imperfect beings, too, just like us. This remains the case today, whether they are in the other traditions where the priestly role retains much of the intercessory nature of the Israelite priests, or in ours.

    This is where the author of Hebrews gives us pause and . The author informs us that Jesus Christ [perfect, of God, Son of Man, Eternal, begotten of the Father] has now taken the role of the ritual priest, and by his very nature and is the eternal offeror of the sacrifice he was.

    The author of Hebrews goes so far as to elevate Jesus to the High Priest (highest person of religious authority in both culture and law), and then tie Jesus to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17-14), who was the first person scripture calls “priest”. The author, then, is tying Jesus into the priestly realm before ever the person called Israel (let alone the tribes) even existed. By doing so, it is being established that how and what Jesus does in regards to priestly things overcomes, is superior to, and is the ultimate expression of the priestly sacrificial system.

    While the author of Hebrews is showing Jesus’ rightful place as (ultimate) priest and intercessor, the author also speaks to Jesus’ humanity. Jesus was fully . Jesus was and is fully divine. The two natures of Jesus laid bare for all to see. God as fully human. God who knows and lived with all our weaknesses and temptations, stands with us and for us.

    1) How do you understand Jesus as God and human?

    2) If you could avoid punishment, would you?

    3) What does it mean to you that Jesus—who could have not to die—chose to die to take your punishment, ?

  • What Say You?

    Numbers 21:4–9; Ephesians 2:1–10; John 3:14–21 (read online ⧉)

    You may recognize the description of the snake on a stick. This is almost identical to the Rod of Asclepius, which is often used (along with, erroneously, the caduceus) to symbolize medical organizations or people. Asclepius was the Greek god of , so it makes sense. It is quite interesting that the making of this staff, though instructed by God, would seem to be a violation of the commandment against idols (Exodus 20:4). Yet, as it was intended, it was to be a and symbolic reminder that it was their sin (speaking against God) that brought the of the snakes upon them and the of God by which they were healed.

    We can readily tie the passage of Ephesians to this story. We (like the Israelites) lived according to the flesh. We often allowed our desires and the world’s influence guides our decisions. We may even have spoken against God. Yet, as Paul points out, God still held out the hand and of grace through Christ. Through the life of Jesus, and his on the cross, we have the opportunity to accept a gift we could never make or work for on our own. By accepting the gift, we accept Christ as our way of life, and the of the Living God dwells in us.

    Jesus was explaining this to Nicodemus and brought into his explanation the story of the bronze snake, relating the lifting of the snake on a stick, to his own crucifixion. The crucifixion, just like the bronze snake was God’s grace in action. The difference between the two was that one preserved life here on earth, and one gave life here on earth and life eternal.

    1) Are you too focus on the here and now to look for the eternal?

    2) Have you ever done something where God brought you back into focus on him in a way that was unpleasant or painful?

    In many respects, we can see COVID as a plague. While it is not a same situation, there is a single similarity. We can look around and be consumed, or we can look to and and in God to be free. Which will you choose?

  • Temple by Proxy

    2 Chronicles 29:1–11, 16–19; Psalm 84; Hebrews 9:23–28 (read online ⧉)

    King Ahaz, King Hezekiah’s , destroyed utensils used in the of God, and shut the doors of the (prevention of worship), and put altars all around Jerusalem to worship other gods. King Hezekiah sought the of the temple and the right worship of God. Hezekiah knew that the priests—those charged with the care and work of the temple—had not been fulfilling their duties.

    King Hezekiah commanded the priests to properly prepare themselves and the temple for worshipping of God. The priests did so and informed the King of the completion of their tasks. They had to be directed to do what their entire tribe had been assigned by God to do.

    The temple was supposedly the of Hebrew and the heart of Jerusalem. However, just based on the kings, it really wasn’t the case but for a few. There was a lot of ritual that went with that worship, and a lot of effort. While the restoration was important, for it was a symbol of God, for a time, being the rightful center of Hebrew life, it wasn’t the .

    The writer of Hebrews takes a key element of Hebrew religious life—the temple with its rituals—and flips it on its head. The author interprets them as foreshadowing the tabernacle in Heaven. The author interprets as the true expression of the priestly rituals of sacrifice. The shadows of the true temple of Heaven are important. It is the reality that Christ is both the offeror of sacrifice and the sacrifice itself that is essential to our understanding of our . It is foundational (see yesterday’s devotion). It is essential.

    1. Do you see Jesus as your sacrifice to God to atone for your sins?
    2. How does Jesus being the eternal sacrifice affect your appreciation of it?
    3. How do you understand Jesus’ sacrifice in regard to the sins you have committed since you were saved?

  • Giving and Moving

    Genesis 22:1-19; Hebrews 11:13-19; Psalm 105-37-45

    The almost of Isaac is, for many, one of the hardest passages of scripture to read. Those who are parents cannot imagine being God asking Abraham to do this. Those who are parents cannot imagine being Abraham and being asked to do this. Note the ““. In English translations, we often lose a Hebrew grammar article, נָא (na’). It makes the “take” into, “please take.” Then God says, “…your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you …”.

    As the child of God’s , Isaac is Abraham’s “true” son. There is no other child of the promise. Isaac is not just a child of the promise to Abraham, but also to God. And God knows how much Abraham loves Isaac.

    Isaac. We don’t know much about either’s thoughts during their trip to Moriah. Isaac trusted his . At this point, too, Abraham was quite old—his prime behind him—and Isaac was probably an older teenager—entering his prime. Scripture doesn’t say that Isaac fought his father. Isaac trusted his father and allowed (it seems) himself to be bound and placed on the pile of sticks. Culturally, this was not abnormal. Child sacrifices to harsh and unpredictable gods was .

    As Christians, looking back, we cannot help but see Abraham as a vision of God the Father, and Isaac as God the Son (). The loving father sacrificing his son; the loving son his father.

    As the author of Hebrews notes, Abraham was promised that his descendants of the promise would come from Isaac. Abraham probably didn’t understand, but he had walked long enough with God, that even in the time of trial, pain, and confusion, he still trusted.

    1) Have you, or someone you know, had a crisis of belief, where your choice was to follow God or up on your dreams or hopes?

    2) What did that crisis teach you about God?

    3) What did that crisis teach you about ?

    4) What did that crisis teach you about yourself?