The Time The Devil Quoted Scripture At Jesus

September 06, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Some Housekeeping:

Matthew Part 2 begins on Monday! Books arrive this weekend; get your book Sunday at Asbury, or email Sandie and get one in the mail.
I preached on the testing in the wilderness these past 3 weeks. The sermons are here.
Our next churchwide Bible study is NEXT WEDNESDAY, 9/13. 6:30-8:00 PM. It will only have been 2 weeks since the August study, but don’t miss this one. We only have 1 per month. The remaining dates are:
- October 11
- November 8

Here’s the video from last week’s Bible study. I offer it here in case any of you are having trouble sleeping.

Matthew 4:5-7

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they
will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

In the second temptation, the devil quotes part of Psalm 91, and I think it’s fair to assume that the devil’s interpretation is wrong!

Psalm 91 is a beautiful psalm of protection and peace, but the devil wants Jesus to believe that what the psalm means is that God’s Servant will face no problems or difficulties. The devil wants Jesus to see the psalm as a magic formula—if you say it, then God will be forced to do what you want; praying Psalm 91 will call God to send his angels to save you, like, like a divine Bat Signal in the sky.

Jesus again replies with a verse from Deuteronomy when he says that testing God in an attempt to force God’s hand is wrong.

God’s promises are true, but we don’t control God—he’s not a cosmic vending machine that we manipulate. He works on his own timeline.

Where do you need to make a conscious choice to trust God’s timing today?

NOTE: It’s been 150 days since Easter, and today we wrap our our journey through the psalms with Psalm 150. But, I’ve been reading one psalm a day, every day, for years, so tomorrow I’m starting over again with Psalm 1. Join me?

Psalm 150

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens![a]
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent greatness!
3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
    praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
    praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with sounding cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Just Praise - Psalm 150

Today we come to the last psalm, and it’s a simple psalm of praise.

We began reading the psalms with Psalm 1 on April 10—it’s a psalm of wisdom. Now, we conclude 150 days later with a psalm of praise.

The psalter moves from wisdom to praise.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

A Legitimate Need In An Illegitimate Way

September 05, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Some Housekeeping:

Matthew Part 2 begins on Monday! Books arrive this weekend; get your book Sunday at Asbury, or email Sandie and get one in the mail.
I preached on the testing in the wilderness these past 3 weeks. The sermons are here.
Our next churchwide Bible study is NEXT WEDNESDAY, 9/13. 6:30-8:00 PM. It will only have been 2 weeks since the August study, but don’t miss this one. We only have 1 per month. The remaining dates are:
- October 11
- November 8

Matthew 4:1-4

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,
“ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

In yesterday’s reading, we saw how the Father gives the Spirit to the Son at the Baptism of Jesus. The Spirit then leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted.

The Temptation of Jesus is a re-enactment of Israel’s temptation and wanderings in the desert following the Exodus from Egypt, and each of the three temptations involves being willing to trust that God will provide provision on God’s timing.

It seems as if the devil heard the Father’s words at the baptism: “This is my beloved Son.” And it is as the Son that Jesus is tempted:

“Since you are the Son, why don’t you...?”

There is nothing wrong with being hungry and needing food. In fact, Jesus’s response shows that eating bread is not the problem— “Man does not live by bread alone.” The problem is that bread without learning to trust God sets us up for failure.

“The temptation from Satan, then, is that Jesus should distrust God by taking the responsibility for his life on himself. Jesus remembers, however, that trustful submission to God’s word is as necessary for true existence as food itself.” —David Bauer, The Gospel of the Son of God

Jesus replies to each temptation with a verse from Deuteronomy 6-8, which in its original context is a sermon from Moses to the Israelites in the wilderness, preparing them to enter the Promised Land.

As we will see in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’s worldview is that God can be trusted to provide all our needs, no matter what, and so therefore we ought to live without anxiety.

Where do you need to choose to trust God’s provision today?

NOTE: We have been reading through Psalms, and until we get to Psalm 150, I’m going to keep posting at the bottom of each Matthew post daily commentary on that day’s psalm. (On the weekends, it will just be that day’s psalm by itself.) If you’ve read this far, you are an over-achiever. —AF

We Praise Because God is a Just Judge - Psalm 149

1 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of the godly!
2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
    let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
3 Let them praise his name with dancing,
    making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.
5 Let the godly exult in glory;
    let them sing for joy on their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats
    and two-edged swords in their hands,
7 to execute vengeance on the nations
    and punishments on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with chains
    and their nobles with fetters of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment written!
    This is honor for all his godly ones.
Praise the Lord!

This is a song of praise, and one of the reasons it calls for praise is because God executes vengeance. That might strike us as strange, but can you imagine a judge that refused to address wrongs? The reason we can love our enemies is because we trust that God is the perfect judge and he will make all things right in the end.

Why Did Jesus Need To Be Baptized?

September 04, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

MATTHEW 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Why did Jesus need to be baptized? John is baptizing to prepare the people for repentance because their sins have kept them in spiritual exile. But Jesus isn’t sinful, and in fact, John is troubled when Jesus approaches for baptism: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

John misunderstands the nature of Jesus’s mission and ministry, for Jesus is the fulfilment of Israel’s story and their representative who is taking their covenant responsibilities on himself. He is the Davidic king who intercedes for the people.

“Jesus submits to baptism not because he has sin to confess and repent of, but because it is God’s will that Jesus identify with the people in their need so as to deliver them. Ironically, in this act of identification with sinners Jesus demonstrates his righteousness, for the divine declaration of approval comes immediately in the wake of Jesus’ baptism.” —David Bauer, The Gospel of the Son of God

And it is after the baptism that God himself confirms both Jesus’s act and his identity. It is after he identifies with sinful Israel that Jesus is vindicated.

(We’ll see this pattern reoccur later at the Crucifixion and then Resurrection.)

There is something particularly close to the heart of God when God’s people intercede for those who don’t deserve it—when they step into the gap, so to speak. This was always God’s intention for Abraham and his family (see Abraham’s intercession for Sodom, in Genesis 18:16-33, e.g.), and when God’s people actually do it—when they intercede for others, when they stand in the gap—blessing is released. Jesus is the ultimate example of this, of course, but the same applies today for the followers of Jesus.

For whom can you intercede today? How can you stand in the gap for someone who doesn’t deserve it?

The St. Francis Psalm! - Psalm 148

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his hosts!
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
    praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord!
    For he commanded and they were created.
6 And he established them forever and ever;
    he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
    stormy wind fulfilling his word!
9 Mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all livestock,
    creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
    princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
    old men and children!
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
    praise for all his saints,
    for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the Lord!

I love the hymn attributed to St. Francis, “All Creatures of our God and King.” The words of that hymn remind me of Psalm 148, which calls on every part of Creation to praise the Lord.

Be a part of the choir today, and praise the Lord!

What Pleases the Lord? - Psalm 147

September 03, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 147

1 Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
    for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
    he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
    his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord lifts up the humble;
    he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
    make melody to our God on the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
    he prepares rain for the earth;
    he makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the beasts their food,
    and to the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
    he blesses your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders;
    he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
    he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
    who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
    he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
    his statutes and rules to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
    they do not know his rules.
Praise the Lord!

What is it that pleases the Lord?

The psalmist tells us:

10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.

It is not our worldly success that pleases the Lord, but our submission and trust in him.

This Psalm Reminds Me of Jesus - Psalm 146

September 02, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 Put not your trust in princes,
   in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
   on that very day his plans perish.
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
   whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
   the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed,
  who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The Lord will reign forever,
    your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

Verses 7-8 remind me of Jesus:

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.

The Spiritual Danger of American Christianity

September 01, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

MATTHEW 3:7-12

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

God chose one man—Abraham—and his family—Israel—to be the people who would carry God’s message and blessings to the entire world (see Genesis 12:1-3). But what happens with the chosen people aren’t faithful? What happens when they turn their back on God?

Most of the Old Testament is the sad story of how Israel’s unfaithfulness brings pain and suffering into the world, rather than blessing. But now Jesus, who is the True Israelite who embodies all of Israel, has come to bring God’s blessing to the nations and to free Israel from its spiritual exile. John the Baptist is preparing the way for Jesus’s ministry, and calling the people to change their minds and change their direction (this is what the biblical concept of repentance means) so they will be ready for the coming Kingdom.

The problem is that many of the Jews believe that they are going to be included in the Kingdom just because they are biological descendants of Abraham. John calls them out of their delusional self-righteousness:

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

John is here foretelling how the Messiah will bring into Abraham’s family people from the nations—the Gentiles—who repent and trust him, and that if Israel doesn’t change direction and change behavior, judgement will fall on them.

This is both good news and bad news for us today.

The good news is that Jesus has brought the blessings of God to the nations with his life, death, and resurrection, and now life in the Holy Spirit is possible to all—even people like me, non-Jews—who repent of their sins and trust him.

The bad news is that the message of John applies to us today. Many American Christians are arrogantly confident that because they prayed The Sinner’s Prayer and have their names on a church membership roll somewhere, that they can continue to live in sin and open rebellion to God. But saving faith is obedient faith, and if we are not “bearing fruit worth of repentance,” just like the unrepentant Jews of John’s day, we are in danger of being chopped down and thrown into the fire.

Do not believe that just because you are an American Christian you are exempt from God’s expectation that you live a faithful life.

But it’s not too late! As long as we are breathing, God’s not done with us yet, which means we can change direction before it’s too late.

Psalm 145

A Song of Praise. Of David.
1 I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
    and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
    and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The Lord is faithful in all his words
    and kind in all his works.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
    and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
    you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
    and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
    he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
    but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
    and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

There was a tradition in Babylonian Judaism that Jews should recite Psalm 145 three times a day.

It’s a lovely psalm, full of beautiful affirmations of the character of the Lord.

Can you imagine how your thought life would change if you recited those words three times every day?

P.S. Here’s a final Shane and Shane musical cover of this psalm

What Did Baptism Originally Signify?

August 31, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Bible Study Handout from Last Night:

Here’s the handout. I’ll post the video when I have it.

MATTHEW 3:1-6

3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’ ”
4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

In 586 BC the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar came and completed his conquest of Jerusalem. The walls were broken down, the Temple was razed, and the Jerusalem elite were carried off into exile in Babylon, hundreds of miles to the east in what is present-day Iraq. When the exiles returned to the land of Israel decades later, they had to cross the Jordan River—from the east—to get back home.

Centuries later, a man named John went out to the Jordan River and started preaching. (This was roughly in 30 AD.) His message was a call for the Jews to prepare for the coming Messiah by repenting—changing direction. He immersed people in the Jordan River in a way that signified cleansing and renewal. The idea was that it was time for the people to come home from spiritual exile. And baptism was the sign they took their sins seriously, were eager to repent, and were ready.

John was dressed like the great Old Testament prophet Elijah; the Old Testament foretold that a man like Elijah would come again to prepare the way for the Messiah. Jesus is the one who will finally bring his people out of exile—the rest of Matthew is an explanation of how he will do that and what the coming Kingdom is like. (Hint: the Sermon on the Mount is a description of life in the Kingdom—see chapters 5-7.)

The baptism of John is an immersion of the entire self, because the coming Kingdom of Jesus will require a hokey-pokey level of commitment: you have to put your whole self in.

Find a quiet 15 minutes today and ask yourself, “What am I holding back from Jesus, and why? What am I afraid of?”

By the way, I preached on today’s passage a few weeks ago. If you’re having trouble falling asleep, this video might help.

“Blessed Are the People Whose God is the LORD!” - Psalm 144

Of David.
1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
    who trains my hands for war,
    and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
    my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples under me.
3 O Lord, what is man that you regard him,
    or the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a breath;
    his days are like a passing shadow.
5 Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
    Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
    send out your arrows and rout them!
7 Stretch out your hand from on high;
    rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
    from the hand of foreigners,
8 whose mouths speak lies
    and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God;
    upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 who gives victory to kings,
    who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me
    from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies
    and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 May our sons in their youth
    be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars
    cut for the structure of a palace;
13 may our granaries be full,
    providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
    and ten thousands in our fields;
14 may our cattle be heavy with young,
    suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
    Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Psalm 144 borrows heavily from Psalm 8 and Psalm 18, as well as other psalms we’ve read. It’s a nice summary of many of the themes of the psalms, and it concludes with a statement that echoes the first line of Psalm 1:

Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Indeed.

Herod Was Right

August 30, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

ANNOUNCEMENT

Join us TONIGHT for our first churchwide Bible study on the Gospel of Matthew. 6:30-8:00 PM. Sanctuary, Asbury Church. All ages.
[Livestream available: asburytulsa.org]

If you live in Tulsa, I’m going to stick my neck out and say that these Bible studies are DO NOT MISS events. The Lord is doing something exciting at Asbury, and the Bible studies we’ve had over the past year on Genesis and Revelation were electric. Please do whatever you can to be present tonight.

If you live out of town, go ahead and move to Tulsa. If that won’t work, then join us on the livestream!

MATTHEW 2:13-23

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Today's reading contains the evil story of the Slaughter of the Innocents in Bethlehem, in which King Herod orders all little boys in Bethlehem's vicinity two years-old and younger to be murdered. Matthew then quotes from the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah (who was himself alluding to the Book of Genesis):

"Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 'A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.'" [Matthew 2:17-18]

It's a miserable story, and Herod was an evil man. But he was right.

Herod wasn't right because he had those boys murdered; Herod was right because he rightly understood that this Jesus is a threat to all dictators and demons. Even today, the Chinese totalitarians are using the vast resources of their hellish surveillance state to stamp out peaceful followers of Jesus. Why? Because if Jesus is the true King, then the powers of this world will be held to account; if Jesus is the true King, then one day his Kingdom will come fully on earth as it already is in heaven.

Don't be fooled: all the rival powers are mere pretenders and will one day be finally overthrown.

What would it look like for you to worship the true King today?

See you TONIGHT at Bible study.

“Let Me Hear in the Morning” - Psalm 143

A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    give ear to my pleas for mercy!
    In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
2 Enter not into judgment with your servant,
    for no one living is righteous before you.
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
    he has crushed my life to the ground;
    he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;
    my heart within me is appalled.
5 I remember the days of old;
    I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you;
    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
7 Answer me quickly, O Lord!
    My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
    lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to you I lift up my soul.
9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
    I have fled to you for refuge.
10 Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
    on level ground!
11 For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
    In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
    and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
    for I am your servant.

I think this is a beautiful prayer, and one to which I want to hold tightly and pray over myself.

“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love.”

“Deliver me from my enemies.”

“Teach me to do your will.”

“Lead me on level ground.”

Amen.

P.S. Here’s Shane and Shane’s version of Psalm 143, “Revive Me.”

What Different Route Do You Need To Take Today?

August 29, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Bible Study THIS Wednesday, 8/30. 6:30-8:00 PM. Asbury Sanctuary. All ages. Livestream: asburytulsa.org. Dinner beforehand—18 and under eat free! I’m only doing this 4 times this fall. Don’t miss this first one. —AF

MATTHEW 2:7-12

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

I think the Magi are among the most interesting characters in the Bible. Probably some kind of Persian or Babylonian stargazers--"wise men"- -they saw something in the heavens so compelling that they left their homes and temples and libraries miles away to the East, and journeyed toward Bethlehem. And when they got there, what did they see?

Whatever it was, it changed them. I love how T.S. Eliot imagines them on their return home:

We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
—from "The Journey of the Magi," by T.S. Eliot

Matthew is more matter-of-fact: "They returned to their country by another route." See, here's the truth: encounters with Jesus are always like that. You can't meet Jesus and continue on as before, unchanged.

What different route or path do you need to take today?

Pray This When You Are in a Bad Way - Psalm 142

A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.
1 With my voice I cry out to the Lord;
    with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I pour out my complaint before him;
    I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit faints within me,
    you know my way!
In the path where I walk
    they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see:
    there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Attend to my cry,
    for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
    for they are too strong for me!
7 Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will deal bountifully with me.

The psalmist finds himself in a bad way, and calls on the Lord to deliver him.

File this away and pray it the next time you are in trouble.

Gold And Frankincense In The Old Testament

August 28, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

MATTHEW 2:1-6

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

We were told that Jesus was the son of Abraham, that is that Jesus
is the descendant that will bring God’s blessings to the nations (see Genesis 12:1-3). Here at Jesus’s birth we have the first representatives of the gentile nations coming to worship Jesus—and they are pagan astrologers from Babylon!

Remember that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament story. This passage in Isaiah foretold the nations coming to worship:

60 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and exult,
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord. [Isaiah 60:1-6]

THOUGHT FOR DAY

Isaiah foretold what would happen! I just can’t get over this passage— foreigners who come bringing gold and frankincense. That’s exactly what happened!

Tell someone about this cool connection today.

(Why didn’t Isaiah mention myrhh? This is because God is always adding something new and unexpected, like a jazz artist riffing on a familiar theme, but also creating something new. When myrhh was given by the Magi to the Holy Family, it signified the death that Jesus was to die.)

Psalm 141

A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!
    Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
    and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
    keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
    to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity,
    and let me not eat of their delicacies!
5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
    let my head not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are thrown over the cliff,
    then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
    so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
8 But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
    in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
    and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
    while I pass by safely.

“The singer of Psalm 141 recognizes how seductive wrong paths in life can be. So while in Psalm 140 the psalmist asks for deliverance from the lips and wicked ways of malicious people and persons of violent ways, in Psalm 141 the psalmist asks for deliverance from the psalmist’s own lips and own learning toward malicious speech and deeds of wickedness. The words of Psalm 141 are timely for twenty-first-century Christians. We are surrounded by seductive temptations to follow others in pursuits and lifestyles that are self-centered and harmful to or neglectful of others. May our prayers for deliverance from such temptations be an ever-present part of our coming before God.”--Nancy deClaisse-Walford

A Violent Prayer for Non-Violence - Psalm 140

August 27, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 140

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
    preserve me from violent men,
2 who plan evil things in their heart
    and stir up wars continually.
3 They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's,
    and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah
4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
    preserve me from violent men,
    who have planned to trip up my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
    and with cords they have spread a net;
    beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah
6 I say to the Lord, You are my God;
    give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
7 O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
    you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
    do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah
9 As for the head of those who surround me,
    let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10 Let burning coals fall upon them!
    Let them be cast into fire,
    into miry pits, no more to rise!
11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
    let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
    and will execute justice for the needy.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
    the upright shall dwell in your presence.

I thought this was a helpful comment on Psalm 140:

“Evil, injustice, and oppression must be confronted, opposed, hated because God hates them. From this perspective, the psalmist’s desire for vengeance amounts to a desire for justice and righteousness in self and society….The anger is expressed, but it is expressed in prayer and thereby submitted to God…. This this vehement, violent sounding prayer is, in fact, an act of non-violence.”
--J. Clinton McCann

Spiritual Examination - Psalm 139

August 26, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 139

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
    O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies take your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!

Psalm 139 is a psalm of spiritual examination.

The psalmist knows that the Lord knows him better than he knows himself. In fact, God has known him before he was born. And so the psalmist asks God to search him out and show him areas of his life that need to change.

Lord, show us our errors today, and lead us in the right way.

Here’s a beautiful version of Psalm 139 by Shane and Shane:

A Small, Quiet Act of Integrity

August 25, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

MATTHEW 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 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. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

I’ve always found v. 19 to be a quietly moving line: “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” That decision of Joseph was a small, selfless act of kindness on which the fate of the world turned—if he had made a public spectacle of Mary, then history would have been different and the Jesus story might not have happened.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a small, unnoticed act of selfless kindness today. Who knows what hangs in the balance?

P.S. The act of naming a child is de facto adoption, so when Joseph— per the angel’s instructions—calls the child “Jesus” he is adopting him into the Davidic line.

Psalm 138

1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

An important Hebrew word occurs several times in this psalm, a word we transliterate into English as hesed. It’s difficult to translate into English, but it means something like “covenant-faithfulness and steadfast kindness and commitment.” In our translation above, it is translated as “steadfast love.” (In some older English translations it is translated as “loving-kindness.”)

Hesed is a key biblical characteristic of the Lord. God can be trusted because he demonstrates hesed over and over.

Remind yourself today: God can be trusted!

There Is No Such Thing As An Ordinary Life

August 24, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

MATTHEW 1:12-17

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

What the genealogy of Jesus does is show us something very important: it shows that Jesus came from a particular people in a particular part of the world. Jesus was Jewish, a son of Abraham, an Israelite. This point cannot be overstated: God chose one particular family to be his means to save the world, and when the time was right, God came as a baby in a particular manger in Bethlehem. God uses the ordinary realities of everyday life as part of his ultimate plan. This means that God wants to use your ordinary decisions today as part of his plan. Either you are working with God, or against him. Which will it be today?

P.S. Note how Matthew breaks the pattern “X was the father of Y, Y was the father of Z” when he gets to Joseph and Mary—he is setting us up for the miracle of the Virgin Birth.

Psalm 137

1 By the waters of Babylon,
    there we sat down and wept,
    when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows there
    we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors
    required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
    “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing the Lord's song
    in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    let my right hand forget its skill!
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
    above my highest joy!
7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
    the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare,
    down to its foundations!”
8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
    blessed shall he be who repays you
    with what you have done to us!
9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
    and dashes them against the rock!

In 586 BC, the Babylonia Empire razed Jerusalem to the ground and removed its people into exile in Babylon, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Psalm 137 comes from the time immediately following that cataclysm; it closes with what is perhaps the nastiest verse in the entire Bible.

1 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.

Unsurprisingly, the exiles first action upon arriving in Babylon (between “the rivers”) is to lay down and weep.

2 On the willows there
    we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors
    required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
    “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

Willow trees grow alongside rivers, and when the exiles arrived their oppressors taunted them to “sing about Zion!” It wasn’t just that Zion had been their home; it was that Zion was the home of the Temple, the Lord’s “house.” Did the Babylonian victory mean that the Babylonian god was stronger than the Lord?

And so the Israelite exiles resisted and hung up their harps and refused to sing.

4 How shall we sing the Lord's song
in a foreign land?

This is the central question of exile, isn’t it? How can we stay faithful even when it looks like we’ve been abandoned by God?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    let my right hand forget its skill!
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
    above my highest joy!

And so the psalmist declares: if I forget from where I came, then let my hand cease to work and my mouth cease to speak.

7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare,
down to its foundations!”

Edom was an historic enemy of Israel, located to the south and east of the Dead Sea (in present day Jordan). We don’t know to what v. 7 is specifically referring, but it seems the Edomites rejoiced over Jerusalem’s fall, and the psalmist wants to be sure they receive punishment for their gloating.

8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us!

The prophets had said that the Lord would use Babylon to punish Israel, but that Babylon would itself subsequently be punished for its wickedness. The psalmist says that whoever punishes Babylon will be blessed! (Historical note—Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC, not even 50 years later.)

The Nastiest Verse in the Bible?

And then we come to the nastiest verse in the entire Bible. After the psalmist sings of his misery at living in Babylonian captivity, he closes his psalm:

9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock!

The psalmist pronounces blessing on anyone who beats out the brains of Babylonian babies. Presumably, he is saying this in a language the Babylonians don’t understand, as a bitter ironic response to the Babylonian guards’ taunts that the Israelites “sing”.

What do we do with that kind of language?

Let us not clutch our pearls and imagine ourselves to be so much above such emotions. It is literally unimaginable for us to consider what it would be like to have your city razed, women raped, children killed, and to be carried off into exile.

The psalms are our prayers to God. Because honesty in prayer is so important, there are times when are prayers to God will disclose just how evil are some of the thoughts of our hearts.

If we keep these sorts of emotions in, they will still be there, festering. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Evil produces evil. Babylonian wickedness provokes Israelite hatred. This is one of the many reasons our evil actions toward others are so dangerous—they provoke them to hate me, thereby doubling injuring them, both body and soul.

The only way out of this trap is grace, and the only way out of the evil of the world is Jesus. Jesus died for his enemies, thereby showing us what God is like.

It seems counterintuitive, but the more we consistently pray our true emotions and read scripture, the more the Spirit will conform us into Christ’s image.

The Failures of David and His Sons

August 23, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

MATTHEW 1:6B-11

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

Remember that Jesus is introduced to us in v.1 as “son of David.” He is the fulfillment of David’s royal line, the promised King who will deliver God’s people. Which is a good thing, because the history of David and his sons is one of (almost) complete failure. The descendants of David on the throne in Jerusalem break God’s law and lead the people into idolatry and even (at times) human sacrifice! (See 2 Kings 16:2-4, e.g.)

Matthew makes a point of reminding us that King David himself was an adulterer and a murderer:

David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah [1:6].

Great art shows more than it tells, and the Bible is great art. Propaganda hits you over the head, but art makes you use your head. Look at how elegantly Matthew causes us to remember the moral failings of Israel’s greatest king, David, without coming out and saying so directly—he expects us to know the story and draw the accurate conclusion.

If you know the story, you’ll know that David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband Uriah murdered. It’s a shameful story (see 2 Samuel 11), but the story of David’s descendants isn’t any better, and ultimately their failures lead to the Babylonian conquest in 586 BC.

But God is faithful to his promises, and the story doesn’t end there.

Today, the temptation is to believe that we can extrapolate from our current circumstances how the future will occur. But God is working in history in surprising ways, and The End will be good. Don’t be discouraged!

NOTE: We have been reading through the psalms, and until we get to Psalm 150, I’m going to keep posting at the bottom of each Matthew post daily commentary on that day’s psalm. If you’re read this far, you are an over-achiever.

Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him who struck down great kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 136 is obviously a call-and-response song from Israel, with the leader working through the song and the congregation singing the refrain “for his steadfast love endures forever.” It’s fun to imagine the ancient Israelites singing this back and forth at the top of their lungs!

THE SCANDALOUS HISTORY OF THE FAMILY OF JESUS

August 22, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

MATTHEW 1:2-6A

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

The reason modern Bible readers find genealogies so boring is because we read them the wrong way. We read them as if they are there just to give us a family tree, but for the biblical authors, genealogies are theological statements, and each name is a hyperlink1 meant to evoke the complicated stories and lessons that each name signifies. Our problem is that we don’t know the biblical story well enough to get the hyperlinks. (The only solution to our ignorance is just to start reading the Bible!)

For example, Matthew mentions the names Judah and Tamar in the genealogy of Jesus. The reference is to a truly scandalous story whereby Judah fathers twin boys with his daughter-in-law Tamar who is posing as a roadside prostitute! (Read it in Genesis 38.) Why would Matthew mention such an outrageous story?

Matthew is deliberately reminding us of the long, morally convoluted history of Israel so as to show us both that Jesus will save his people from their sins and show us that there is nothing that God can’t use for his purposes.

Nothing.

P.S. The entire genealogy works like that. Here’s a great article from Bible Project that goes into some detail about the names Matthew mentions: bibleproject.com/articles/jesus-genealogies/.

Psalm 135

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
    give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 who stand in the house of the Lord,
    in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
    sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
    Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great,
    and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
    in heaven and on earth,
    in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
    who makes lightnings for the rain
    and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt,
    sent signs and wonders
    against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 who struck down many nations
    and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    and Og, king of Bashan,
    and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as a heritage,
    a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
    your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
    they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear,
    nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them,
    so do all who trust in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
    O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
    You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
    he who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord!

It’s part of our national identity—forget the past, and look ahead. Almost all of our ancestors came from over the oceans (whether by choice or not) and made a new life in this country, and so Americans have been a forward-looking people, cut off from our past by thousands of miles of grey water. But the digital age in which we live is even more relentlessly-focused on an eternal NOW than were ages past: there’s no past and not really any future—just NOW.

The problem is that humans were not made to live disconnected to our past, because each of us is a product of the world that’s come before us. We will never be able to understand ourselves if we don’t acknowledge that we came from the past. One of the reasons modern man is so unhappy is because he is disconnected from his historical roots.

The Israelites knew this truth—they knew they lost a connection to the past at their peril. And so they sang songs to remind themselves—and teach their children—of who they are, from whence they came, and of whose they are.

Because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, someone like me—who comes from the pagan peoples of northwestern Europe—has been adopted into Israel. Which means that Israel’s stories are now my stories.

Which means Psalm 135 is my family’s song!

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
    give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 who stand in the house of the Lord,
    in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
    sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
    Israel as his own possession.

The Lord chose “Jacob” and “Israel” for himself, not because they deserved it, but because of the so-called scandal of particularity—that the One God would use one family—that of Abraham—and through that family would bring blessing to the whole world.

The church is the New Israel, and we are blessed so that we can be a blessing to everyone.

5 For I know that the Lord is great,
    and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
    in heaven and on earth,
    in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
    who makes lightnings for the rain
    and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

“Whatever the Lord pleases, he does….” How great is that?!

Pray BOLDLY today—nothing can stop the Lord Almighty.

8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt,
    sent signs and wonders
    against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 who struck down many nations
    and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    and Og, king of Bashan,
    and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as a heritage,
    a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
    your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants.

Israel could never forget Egyptian slavery or the difficult journey to the Promised Land. There was opposition, yes—”Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan”—but by the mighty hand of God, Israel prevailed.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
    they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear,
    nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them,
    so do all who trust in them.

There but for the grace of God go I. If it weren’t for God’s grace, I could think that sex and money and power are gods, and I could give my life to them. Thanks be to God I know who the Creator is and am blessed to live my life for a worthy purpose!

19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
    O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
    You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
    he who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord!

AMEN!

It's All About Jesus

August 21, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

The Gospel of Matthew is a priceless treasure, a masterpiece, a work of beauty, mystery, and incendiary power. It is without question one of the most influential documents in the history of the world, perhaps the most influential document in the history of the world. This Gospel has been pored over by candlelight, smuggled into prisons, and stored in the memories of people who wanted to learn more about one extraordinary man, Jesus of Nazareth.

The claim that Matthew’s Gospel makes about Jesus is explosive: that Jesus is Israel’s Messiah, that the God of Israel has come to save his people (and through them the whole world) in the person of Jesus, and that Jesus’s Crucifixion and Resurrection has permanently defeated death and evil.

This Gospel opens with a genealogy that connects Jesus to the long line of Abraham, thereby showing that the entire Old Testament has led to Jesus, who is the fulfilment and culmination of Israel’s story, and it ends with the Risen Jesus commanding his followers to go to the entire world to teach other people to obey and follow him.

Matthew set all this down in his Gospel for exactly that reason: so we could understand, obey, and follow after Jesus.

Matthew 1:1

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Matthew begins by giving us a one-sentence overview of the entire book that will follow.

The word here translated in the English Standard Version [ESV]
as “genealogy” is the Greek word genesis, which means “origins” or “beginnings.” Jesus’s story really begins way back at the beginning, with Abraham. To Abraham God gave a promise and said that through Abraham, all the people on earth would be blessed (see Genesis 12:1-3). Finally, thousands of years later, that promise is coming to fulfillment. By telling us that Jesus is the son of Abraham, Matthew is telling is that Jesus is the culmination of Israel’s story. This means that the entire Old Testament has been leading up to Jesus. The first key to understanding Matthew is to see everything about Jesus as connected to and fulfilling the Old Testament story. Or, to put it another way, the entire Old Testament story was always about Jesus, and the entire story of Israel is now embodied in Jesus.

But not only is Jesus the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham, we also learn that the way Jesus will bring blessing to the entire world is by fulfilling God’s promise to King David; God promised David that

16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever. [2 Samuel 7]

The Israelites held onto the hope that a king from the line of David would come and deliver them from all their enemies and troubles.

David was king in Jerusalem around 1000 BC, and over the long centuries after his death, his descendants on the throne failed to live up to God’s covenant promises. As a result of their failures and the idolatry of God’s people, in 586 BC the Babylonians came and conquered Jerusalem. Israel ceased to be an independent kingdom, and the line of David went underground. But the line continued and ultimately led to Joseph, the (adopted) father of Jesus.

Jesus, then, is the culmination of Israel’s story and the long-awaited king from the line of David who would deliver his people.

With one sentence, Matthew sets us up for all that will follow.

Let’s GO.

Psalm 134

A Song of Ascents.
1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
    who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
    and bless the Lord!
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
    he who made heaven and earth!

A Good Verse to Add to Text to Someone Today - Psalm 134

This is a quick little psalm, and I think the final verse is a perfect blessing to send to someone:

May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!

Did You Know that Unity Is One of God’s Highest Values? - Psalm 133

August 20, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 133

A Song of Ascents.
1  Behold, how good and pleasant it is
    when brothers dwell in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
    running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
    running down on the collar of his robes!
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
    which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
    life forevermore.

Psalm 133 is about the beauty of unity among God’s people.

Unity among God’s people, says the psalmist, is like luxuriant oil on the head (in the ancient world, it was a good thing and a sign of prosperity to be anointed with oil). It’s like the life-giving dew that gathers on Mount Hermon, north of the sea of Galilee, and gives water to Israel.

SOME SIMPLE WAYS TO MAINTAIN UNITY AND FIGHT OFF HATE

Pray for friends who vote differently than you.

Pray for political figures by name.

Avoid social media as much as possible—it will just get you riled up.

Remember:

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

In other words, loving the people who are wrong is more important than being right!

The Danger of Overconfidence - Psalm 132

August 19, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 132

A Song of Ascents.
1  Remember, O Lord, in David's favor,
    all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to the Lord
    and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house
    or get into my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
    a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
    we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
    let us worship at his footstool!”
8 Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
    and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
    do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath
    from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
    I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
    and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
    shall sit on your throne.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
    he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;
    here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;
    I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
    and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
    I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
    but on him his crown will shine.”

Psalm 132 is about the Israelites’ confidence in the Lord’s commitment to Jerusalem generally and David’s line specifically. That’s good, and the Lord was committed to Jerusalem and David.

The problem is that the Israelites then behaved as if God’s grace toward them came without any expectations. They thought, “We can behave however we want—worship foreign gods, even practice child sacrifice—and the Lord won’t punish us, because we’re the Chosen People.”

That’s a dangerous way to live. Yes, the grace of the Lord is inexhaustible, but God’s grace doesn’t mean we will be exempt from the consequences of our unrepentant actions.

What do you need to turn away from today?

The Sweetest Psalm in the Scripture? - Psalm 131

August 18, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 131

A Song of Ascents.
1  O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
    my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore.

I think Psalm 131 might be the sweetest psalm in the scripture.

The imagery is simple:

I’m not allowing my mind to wander into fears or worries, and I’m not trying to be somewhere else—I’m just totally present and totally calm. In fact, I’m like a little child, sleeping on his mother.

I’m trusting the Lord, and things are going to be okay.

When’s the last time you had that sense of calm?

SOME HOUSEKEEPING:

Matthew begins on Monday!

Starting on Monday, 8/21, we will begin reading through the Gospel of Matthew. Each particular day’s passage is short—less than 5 minutes. I’ve divided Matthew into 3 parts, and Part 1 runs for 4 weeks. The Part 1 books are out now. Asburians can pick them up at church this week.

Live out of town but want a book?

Email Sandie Tomlinson ASAP and she’ll mail you however many copies you want. If you live in Dallas, please let Sandie know—we’ll arrange a central pick-up spot in the M Streets (East Dallas) for East Dallas folks.

WHAT ABOUT THE PSALMS?

All along, I’ve intended the psalms daily reading to be something that carries on, indefinitely, from now until forever: one psalm a day, every day—when you reach Psalm 150, start all over again the next day with Psalm 1. There is a simplicity and a clarity to that plan that’s been helpful to me the past 4 years I’ve been doing it.

So, we’ll keep reading through the psalms every day. BUT, once we get to the end of this batch of psalms, I won’t be posting daily commentary on them. The Matthew reading plan will overlap with the Psalms for a couple of weeks, and I’ll just post that day’s psalm at the bottom of my Matthew commentary.