George Herbert Morrison Would Not Only S.W.I.M., but Drink, from Deep Waters
April 25, 2024 at 10:35 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: 1 Corinthians 2, deep end, deep theology, George Herbert Morrison, George Herbert Morrison quotes, Job 12, Psalm 42, Quotes, The Bible
Whenever the Almighty satisfies his creatures, he gives them drink as abundant as the seas. Think of the Bible – ancient book and yet intensely modern and practical. Think of the ages that have gone since it was written; think of the life we [now] live and of the stress and strain unknown in the quiet East; to me it is wonderful that the Bible should be of any use at all now and not have moved into the quiet of libraries to be the joy of the unworldly scholar.
But one thing is certain – the Bible meets the need of modern life. As a practical guide there is no book to touch it. There is not a problem you are called to face and not a duty you are called to do, there is not a cross you are compelled to carry and not a burden you are forced to bear but your strength for it all will be as the strength of ten – you make a daily companion of your Bible.
The Bible never offers a drink from shallow waters. There, you do not find a set of petty maxims, but the everlasting love of God; you do not find any shallow views of sin, but a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And that is the secret of the Bible’s permanence – when our little systems have ceased to be, for sin and sorrow and life and death and duty, it gives us drink “as abundant as the seas.”
Think of Jesus in relation to His words. If ever words were as water to a thirsty world, surely it was the words that Jesus spoke. How simple they were and yet how deep! How tender and full of love and yet how searching! There are those whose lives so contradict their words that when you know the people you cannot listen to them. And there are those who are so much less than their own words that when you come to know them you are disappointed. But what people felt about Jesus Christ was this, that when all was uttered, the half was never told, for at the back of all His words there was Himself, deeper unfathomably than his deepest speech. That is why the words of Christ will live even when Heaven and earth have passed away. You can exhaust the cup or drain the goblet, but you cannot exhaust the spring fed from the deeps. And just because the words of Jesus Christ spring from the depths of that Divine humanity, they will save and strengthen the obedient heart to the last recorded syllable of time.
George Herbert Morrison
Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
Job 12:22
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
Don’t S.W.I.M. Subjectively
April 24, 2024 at 12:32 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 CommentTags: Biblical Truth, John 14, John 17, objective truth, Robert Golding, subjective truth, swim quotes, swimming quotes, truth
We find ourselves, then, clinging to subjectivity as each person embraces her or her own truth. But, as these various forms of subjectivity begin to harden and we assemble them into creations of our own making, we find ourselves in the rising waves of sanctimony—“this is my truth and you better believe it!” This is what it means to swim in the sanctimonious sea of subjectivity.
Robert Golding
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
When God Breaks Out
April 17, 2024 at 10:03 am | Posted in I Chronicles | 1 CommentTags: 1 Chronicles 13, Ark of the Covenant, commentary on 1 Chronicles, death of Uzzah, Sunday School lessons on 1 Chronicles, Uzza, Uzzah, Uzzah and the Ark, wrath of God
I Chronicles 13 deals with the return of the Ark of the Covenant, one of the two (but vastly different) “arks” in the Bible. The Ark of the Covenant contained the two tablets of the Decalogue, Aaron’s rod, and a little pot of manna.
And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.
I Chronicles 13:1
These were some of the leaders described in the previous chapters. It is interesting that David consulted with men, seeking their opinions, when he often received instructions from God through a prophet.
2 And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us: 3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.
I Chronicles 13:2-3
It seems that maybe, rather than seeking approval (although that’s what it sounds like), what David really wanted was for everybody to recognize the authority of God represented by the Ark. Under Saul’s leadership, decisions were not made by seeking God’s counsel.
Notice that Verse 3 says “let us bring AGAIN the ark.” In I Samuel 4 the Philistines had captured it for a few months. When they got tired of the plagues of mice and “emerods” they sent it back (I Samuel 6). It stayed in Beth-shemesh and Kiriath-jearim for about 100 years, but now the Israelites had a capital city, and David and the people wanted to bring the Ark to Jerusalem.
God had given specific instructions for how the Ark was to be transported (Exodus 25:10-15; Numbers 4:15). It was supposed to be carried by the Levites using poles through the rings built onto it, not touched by the hands of men, and not put on some type of cart. That’s what the Philistines had done, but God clearly did not want his people to disobey His direct revelation.
7 And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart. 8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. 9 And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. 10 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.
I Chronicles 13:7-10
There was ingenuity and cleverness. There was excitement. There was enthusiasm and fanfare. But there was not obedience. As Vance Havner used to say, “It will not do to say of that which is ill-done that it was well-meant.”
Uzza’s death may seem overly harsh to some people, but we need to recall that God, at different points of redemptive history highlighted in the Bible, used extreme punishment for disobedience. Some examples include the deaths of Nadab and Abihu after they experimented with strange fire in the Tabernacle, Moses striking the rock twice instead of once, the death of Achan and his family after he buried spoils from the battle of Jericho in his tent, and the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira near the outset of New Testament church ministry. Uzza’s mistake was thinking that his own sinful hand was cleaner than God’s dirt into which the Ark would have fallen if it had toppled off the cart.
12 And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me? 13 So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. 14 And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.
I Chronicles 13:12-14
This blessing on the house of Obededom (who, remarkably, was not even Jewish!) continues the theme of the Lord “breaking out.” Just as His anger had broken out against Uzza, so His blessings break out on those who recognize His exclusive Deity and honor Him accordingly. David had been both angry (at himself) and fearful of God. These attitudes honor God, so, as God’s blessings broke out over Obededom at the end of Chapter 13, the Chronicler will now show that they break out upon David’s life and kingship in even greater ways. God’s blessings will “break out” on us too, if we honor Him. A break-out (or “outbreak”), though, is not something controlled by us, or even expected. It is a work of God that overtakes us and may even make us uncomfortable at times. The key is to trust Him, fearing to sin against Him, but experiencing joy at the blessings He pours out even if they are not what we – in our finite limitations – would have chosen.
Working It Out Together
April 11, 2024 at 3:57 pm | Posted in Philippians | Leave a commentTags: commentary on Philippians, Ephesians 2, fear and trembling, Galatians 2, Philippians 1, Philippians 2, Romans 4, sanctification, Sunday School lessons on Philippians
Previously we looked at the Kenosis in the Christ-hymn which is inserted during the discussion about togetherness in the Gospel and in Christian ministry. This togetherness can be hindered by selfishness and pride. The antidote for selfishness and pride is humility.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Philippians 2:3-5
This was the lead-in to talking about Jesus’s Kenosis, so the purpose of inserting it there was to show Jesus as the ultimate example of humility and the God-given exaltation and glorification which follows true humility.
But this leaves us with a problem. The Apostle says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” That sounds like a great plan – UNTIL we actually try to put it into practice. Who can really think like Jesus, much less act Jesus? Well, in the very next verse, we see that it is going to take serious work:
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Philippians 2:12
What does it mean to work out our own salvation? Let’s start by stating what it CAN NOT mean:
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Romans 4:5
If there is one thing we know from Pauline theology – and, more to the point, from Christian, Biblical salvation doctrine – it’s that we can not save ourselves by our works. Therefore, Philippians 2:12 must be talking about some other type of works: non-meritorious works, works that are coming FROM something that is already there, not works that are earning something or creating something that comes from within the worker. This means that, although the idea of works being commanded in connection with the word “salvation” in the same verse sort of jumps off the page, and may seem like a head-scratcher at first glance, it is not really that uncommon for the ideas to be related in the way that they are here.
Compare:
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
This is very clear, and sounds and seems right, once we have grasped the concept of salvation by grace through faith, but, almost as if responding the objection that a gracious, faith-based salvation means that “it doesn’t matter” what we actually do, the very next verse tells us where “works” do fit in:
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
Now we can see that the “good works” are in a separate category. We are not saved BY good works, but we are saved unto good works, and in most cases it’s easy to differentiate between salvation/regeneration/justification and another doctrine called “sanctification.”
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Philippians 2:12 (emphasis added)
Obedience sounds like sanctification language, but let’s acknowledge that it does say “salvation,” not “sanctification…” and THEN let’s acknowledge that sanctification has two facets two it: Positional sanctification and practical or progressive sanctification. Positional sanctification happens instantaneously at the moment of justification and new birth. In that instant a new Christian is “set apart” – his classification as a “saint” is a fait accompli. He now belongs to God as a child and a servant, with a calling and a classification. And the “He” Who began this work of salvation is the One Who will complete it through sanctification:
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Philippians 1:6
The positional sanctification will result in the PERFORMANCE of practical sanctification, and this is what we might consider a part of the “big picture” of salvation. Although true Christians “have been” saved, we are still “being saved” in the sense that God is still making us into something we were not before. When we trust Christ unto salvation we are instantly saved from the penalty of sin, but we are beginning the process of being progressively saved from the power of sin, and this means work for us – not meritorious work (working for) but motivational work (working out).
Think of it the way we think of math problems. 6246 ÷ 347 = 18. This is a math problem I “worked out.” Did my calculations make it true? Did they make it happen? No, they demonstrated what was already a reality. But does this mean that I played no part in it? No, I needed to think, and scratch and scribble, and use an eraser and start over. This was part of the solution to the math equation for me personally, and hopefully I made progress in getting better at division, but the ultimate reality behind the numbers is something that came from somewhere else – some greater power. Which is why Paul could barely get out the idea of working out our salvation before he hastened to add:
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13
Our “workout” is empowered by God’s work, so that even if we classify sanctification (and our cooperative effort) as part of salvation, God still receives the glory for all of it.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
Covenantal Praise and Worship
April 2, 2024 at 2:33 pm | Posted in I Chronicles | Leave a commentTags: 1 Chronicles 16, 1 Chronicles 17, Biblical singing, Biblical worship, commentary on 1 Chronicles, Davidic Covenant, Sunday School lessons on 1 Chronicles
After bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, David began to appoint Levites to be in charge of leading worship.
And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel:
I Chronicles 16:4
This was to be a more long-term arrangement than just the immediate celebration of the Ark coming into Jerusalem.
Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
I Chronicles 16:6 (emphasis added)
“Continually” here has a connotation of “regularly” rather than nonstop 24/7. There are some names in the lists which are familiar from the Psalms, such as Asaph (Psalm 73) and Heman (Psalm 88). If you were looking for support for having an official ministry position called “worship leader” you could find that here.
Some of the Levites were to minister at Gibeon where the altar was still located. The altar and the Ark had not yet been brought together the way they would be in the Temple.
Between the naming of the worship-leading Levites near the beginning and end of Chapter 16, sandwiched in the middle is a variation of Psalms 96, 105, and 106. It makes sense for these particular Psalms to be incorporated because they share a theme of God coming to His people as not only a deliverer, a rescuer, a provider, a sustainer, a promise-keeper, a defender, and a warrior, but also as a judge and a king.
Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because he cometh to judge the earth.
I Chronicles 16:33
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth.
I Chronicles 16:31
This looks ahead to the Messiah, Who would come to His people as the presence of God and as King and Judge incarnate.
It may sound obvious, but here is the point driven home: It’s important to praise God.
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.
I Chronicles 16:25
And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.
I Chronicles 16:35
It is not only important to praise and worship God for Who He is, but the Bible is also full of praises to God for what He has done. We should praise Him for what He has done for us in the past, and we should give Him thanks.
Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
I Chronicles 16:8
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
I Chronicles 16:34
Singing is a form of vocal praise. It should be thoughtful and artistic praise. Singing can also involve thanksgiving, and it can be a form of witnessing.
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
I Chronicles 16:9
Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation.
I Chronicles 16:23
I Chronicles Chapter 17 sets forth the Davidic Covenant – one of a handful of covenants in the Bible that God introduces and sets forth and enters into with human beings. Other Old Testament covenants include the Noahic Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant, and the Mosaic Covenant. God’s covenants are comparable to covenants between powerful kings and subjects, or between suzerains and vassals, with the exception that the covenants of God are 100% pure grace. They place obligations and conditions on the lesser parties, but they are supported by God’s infallible promises, and we must remember that He receives nothing truly beneficial to Himself from the recipients of His grace.
This is the prelude to the Davidic Covenant:
1 Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord remaineth under curtains. 2 Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee. 3 And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,
I Chronicles 17:1-3
Marital Multiplication
March 28, 2024 at 2:44 pm | Posted in I Chronicles | Leave a commentTags: 1 Chronicles 3, Absalom, Bathsheba, commentary on 1 Chronicles, King David, polygamy in the Bible, Solomon, Sunday School lessons on 1 Chronicles
1 Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess: 2 The third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur: the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith:
I Chronicles 3:1-2
David had seven or eight wives – it’s hard to be sure – and some concubines. From the account in II Samuel and here in I Chronicles we can see that some if not all of these marriages except for Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba (Bathshua) were for the purpose of political alliances. Absalom was the son of the princess of the foreign king of Geshur, and she is the example given here to indicate that David most likely married her for political reasons.
This practice of “multiplying wives” was forbidden by God’s law, but David – and to a ridiculous extent his son, Solomon – violated this law. However, we should not take their doing so as a basis for trying to justify the sinful practice of polygamy. David had many sons (and a great deal of trouble) because of this. It wasn’t hard for Satan to figure out how to tempt David with Bathsheba. He simply watched and saw his obvious weakness. No man should ever believe that he is beyond temptation.
The Messiah descended directly from Solomon’s line, and Solomon was the son of Bathsheba. When the pattern of listing the descendants of each tribe in I Chronicles, starting with the father of each tribe, is interrupted, it signals to the reader that something noteworthy occurred in the history of God’s people, which the Chronicler injects to remind people that he is not listing mere natural descent, genealogy, and family lines, but is demonstrating the hand of God at work, controlling and guiding this process.
Funny Names in the Bible
March 25, 2024 at 2:20 pm | Posted in Biblical names, I Chronicles | Leave a commentTags: 1 Chronicles 1, 1 Chronicles 2, Biblical genealogies, Biblical names, commentary on 1 Chronicles, significance of names, Sunday School lessons on 1 Chronicles
When I’ve taught through certain books of the Bible which have chapters containing long lists of names, it can be tempting to see a little humor in how some of the names translated or transliterated from Hebrew sound in modern English. However, it’s unlikely that the names listed in Scriptural genealogies or compilations of land inheritances or Temple vocations to the people who actually had those names or saw their ancestors listed there. In fact, the Holy Spirit included these sometimes lengthy genealogies and lists of names and roll calls in the eternal Word because:
1. Names are important to God.
2. Names are important to people.
3. Names sometimes have meanings.
4. Names establish connections to past generations.
5. History is “HIS-story,” and God’s history is accurate, and we need to know that the reporting in the Bible – even in the less spiritually instructive passages – is accurate and true.
And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.
I Chronicles 2:33
The name Zaza (not one of the Gabor sisters) meant brightness or fulness. Perhaps he was born around noontime, or maybe his parents hoped he would be “bright.”
And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth: her sons are these; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.
I Chronicles 2:18
Azubah meant forsaken (what an odd-sounding name for a child, to us!). Maybe her mother felt forsaken by her husband, or maybe she loved her other children better, we can only speculate, but it would be nice to think that she overcome her “forsakenness,” realizing that she was not forsaken by God, and, in fact,” would be included in His Bible.
And the sons of Shechaniah; Shemaiah: and the sons of Shemaiah; Hattush, and Igeal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six.
I Chronicles 3:22
Hattush meant “assembled.” He probably made a good husband. His wife wouldn’t have needed an instruction manual to get him to work right. He came into the marriage already put together.
Or perhaps his parents hoped he would be a good organizer or leader – that one day he would put together an assembly of workers, or that he would speak or preach to an assembly of people and hold their attention.
Presently Chronicling the Past with an Eye toward the Future
March 21, 2024 at 11:59 am | Posted in Biblical names, I Chronicles | 2 CommentsTags: 1 Chronicles 1, 1 Chronicles 2, 1 Chronicles 3, Biblical history, commentary on 1 Chronicles, history of God's people, Jewish history, Sunday School lessons on 1 Chronicles
1 Adam, Sheth, Enosh, 2 Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, 3 Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech, 4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
I Chronicles 1:1-4
The Jewish people tended to think of Abraham as the father of their nation and heritage, but Chronicles reminded them that God traced their beginnings to THE beginning. Over the centuries Chronicles has sometimes gotten a bad rap as merely the leftover bits that were not included in I & II Samuel and I & II Kings. This is partly due to the name given to it in the popular Greek version of the Bible known as the Septuagint. In reality the Chronicles, although perhaps tedious to modern readers in the genealogical sections, have their own purpose. They offer commentary on, and motivation based on, the entire Old Testament.
The descendants of Shem are the ones that lead to Abraham, but Shem, in the verses shown above, is listed last after Ham and Japheth in order to highlight that Shem is the thread to follow, and to segue into the most key figures in Jewish history.
The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.
I Chronicles 1:17
27 Abram; the same is Abraham. 28 The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael. 29 These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
I Chronicles 1:27-29
These “generations” statements (“toldot“) are meant to the mirror the style of Genesis. While the original Hebrew name for Chronicles is something like “The Times of the Days” or “The Things that Went on in Those Days,” it is important to remember that they are more than a mere reporting of history. They are designed to highlight God’s directions to those He has chosen from the beginning, and to remind the people of the nation of Judah that, despite many setbacks, His ultimate promises would be fulfilled.
The Bible’s historical books, and the stories of its historical figures, from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob (Israel) to David, instruct us in the present and point us to the future, even as they chronicle the past.
The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the Lord; and he slew him.
I Chronicles 2:3
Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:
I Chronicles 2:15
Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess:
I Chronicles 3:1
The Deep End 
Enquiring of God
April 23, 2024 at 12:36 pm | Posted in I Chronicles | Leave a commentTags: 1 Chronicles 14, commentary on 1 Chronicles, envy, fame, inquiring of God, inquiring of the Lord, King David, Sunday School lessons on 1 Chronicles
I Chronicles 14:1
This shows God blessing David by causing a pagan king to recognize his might and seek his favor. This is how David responded:
I Chronicles 14:2
He gave the glory to God.
I Chronicles 14:3
Polygamy was never condoned by God, but children are always seen as blessings in the Bible.
I Chronicles 14:10
Fame and recognition can bring bring positive favor and influence, but they can also bring envy and trouble. This idea of enquiring of God is one of the major themes in I Chronicles’ narrative of David. A divided Israel posed little threat to the Philistines, but a unified Israel provoked them to attack.
I Chronicles 14:11-12
This burning of idols was in obedience to the law stated in Deuteronomy.
I Chronicles 13-14 (emphasis added)