You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.

Numbers 5:1-4

You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell. Numbers 5:3

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today, 5:1-4, the Lord spoke to Moses and gave him instructions that unclean people are to be put outside the camp so as to not defile them in the midst of where God dwells.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: While much of the Old Testament focuses on external cleanliness, this interview with John Piper clarifies that we should be careful not to make the mistake assuming that "in the Old Testament impurity was only external, while in the New Testament impurity is internal."  God cares about your heart - see Hosea 6:6,1 Samuel 15:22, and more directly when Samuel seeks a new king among Jesse's family and seeks someone with a righteous heart directed toward God - see 1 Samuel 16:7.  God has always been more concerned with an upright heart vs external action.  God also cares about those who, according to Old Testament law, are unclean.  One of the intents of ceremonial law was to set apart Israel from other nations.  Yet with the doing away of ceremonial law with the New Covenant based on Jesus' shed blood, we should no longer see any distinction between those deemed clean and unclean as all are unclean and only clean through confession and forgiveness in Christ. See Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:23. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: With the New Covenant, being set apart is through salvation and regeneration.  This means the church should not be shunning anyone based on any external appearances, etc.  God wants us to share the gospel with everyone. 
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid focus on external behavior.  Claim the promise that Jesus cleans both the heart and ultimately and for eternity our physical body. Follow the example of those in scripture (e.g. David per 1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22) who had a heart for God.  Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Deuteronomy 6:5, Mark 12:30).

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  Thank You Jesus for cleansing me from the inside out.  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

 John 19:38-42

So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. John 19:40

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 19:38-42, where Jesus is buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God is at work, even in death as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus demonstrate love, care, and respect for Jesus with his burial.  They love, care and seek to honor God. All of this happened according to plan as Jesus fulfilled scripture and the law (ceremonial) - see Matthew 5:17. Ultimately, Jesus cares about our heart condition however - moral law. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: While the text is clear that Joseph of Arimathea is a follower of Jesus, we are not certain about Nicodemus.  It is clear that Nicodemus' heart has been softened by Jesus through his earlier encounter (John 3), as he now brings expensive spices and oils for Jesus' burial, and then helps with the burial. More on Nicodemus here.  Both Joseph and Nicodemus felt respect for Jewish custom and law, per vv40 and 42, as they bound Jesus and laid Jesus in the tomb per custom.
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid focus on ceremonial law or obedience via external behaviors - we cannot earn God's favor.  Claim the promise that Jesus fulfills scripture and the (ceremonial) law.  Follow the example of Jesus by knowing God and through knowledge and love of God seek to honor and please God as a natural response to understanding Him.  In everything we do, do it all for the glory of God. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus for giving me a heart of flesh and for my salvation.  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

 John 11:45-57

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. John 11:49-52

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 11:45-57, where we reach the climax of the story of Lazarus, whom Jesus raises from the dead.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: Jesus' moment for His arrest and crucifixion is near as we reach the beginning of Holy/Passion Week (chapter 12).  Yet as the Pharisees sought to arrest and kill Jesus, Jesus evades and "no longer walked openly among the Jews," instead going near the wilderness to Ephraim (v54).  Jesus has a plan and nothing is going to stop His plan.  Vv49-52 shows that Jesus has providence over all details - including the words of Caiaphas as God spoke through the high priest to prophesy that Jesus would die at their hands for His people (those who believe and followed Him) not just now across all redemptive history as His followers will be scattered all over the world.   
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Some of the Jews who had witnessed Lazarus' resurrection believed in Jesus (v45) while some went to the Pharisees to share what Jesus had done, knowing the Pharisees would use this as further evidence that they should arrest and kill Jesus (vv53, 57).  They were more concerned about their own status and power then they were with following Jesus who fulfilled prophecy as the Promised Messiah. V55 notes how the Jews focused on external cleansing/purification instead of cleansing of their heart which only Jesus can do.      
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): People should avoid focusing on their own efforts to be saved - being good is not something any of us can truly do - we are all sinful and broken and God alone cleanses our heart, gives us power over sin and makes us more like Him.  We should claim the promise that Jesus alone saves.  We should follow the example of Jesus who had a plan.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  I am not deserving of how You give me a heart of flesh, power over sin and eternal life.  My sin is great and it continues....daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Mark 7:1-23

 “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:20-23

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 7:1-23.  Excerpts from the third (of  three) division (vv14-23):

• The title for the third division is: "Legalists Are Confused Concerning the Source of Defilement, Resulting in a Lack of True Understanding."
• "The most deadly contamination is not what I touch. The most deadly contamination is what is in my heart." 
• "When His disciples ask the meaning of this parable, Jesus once again (cf. 6:52; 8:17-18) chides them for their lack of understanding. This is one of the most critically important spiritual lessons in the whole Word of God. Jesus explains that corruption is not external but internal. Impurity is not a matter of the stomach but of the heart. Defilement is not what goes in but what comes out." 
• "The basic problem of fallen humanity is not what we do but who we are! Real filth, impurity, and defilement are inside and unseen, but eventually they will show themselves, as verses 21-23 make clear." 
• "Inevitably, sin’s root will produce sin’s fruit. And it is an ugly, destructive crop to behold. Jesus provides a selective list of sin’s fruit." 
• "There are basically only two approaches to religion, each of which can be summed up in a single word: do or done. The world says the problem is out there, and the solution is to answer the question, What can I do? The Bible says the problem is inside of us, and the answer is what Christ has done! You see, in legalism we think better of ourselves than Jesus does. But in salvation we think the same of ourselves as Jesus does: we are hopeless, helpless sinners in desperate need of a Savior." 
• We are referred to 1 Samuel 16:7 where Samuel is seeking God's anointed king to replace Saul who has lost favor in God's eyes.  In David, God seeks and finds a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).

I have seen first hand how God has entered my heart and changed me from the inside out - into more of His own image.  What an incredible blessing it is to be saved and one of God's elect.  I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time.  God also gave me a desire to know and pursue Him.  Thank You Jesus!  An answer to prayer indeed!

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My Prayer: Father God, thank You for my salvation, thank You for giving me a desire to know and pursue You, and thank You for the blessing of growing in my heart and transforming me into more of Your image.  I am not deserving of any of this!  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  I also know there is more work to do and that You are not done with this transforming work.  Please keep going and use me - fully.  Help me grow in my faith.  Please give Lisa and myself wisdom and energy.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

Mark 7:1-23

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person. Mark 7:21-23

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 7:1-23, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God cares about our heart condition not about what we do that we think pleases God - our motives and our heart condition towards God matter most.  The Pharisees were more concerned about washing of hands and external cleansing - but this did not matter to God as much as love of Him and others.  It is our heart that requires cleansing and only Jesus can forgive us and cleanse us from the stain of sin.       
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: The Pharisees were more worried about being right about tradition than they were about pleasing God.  God does not seek empty rituals that are devoid of any love of God.  The Pharisees are not alone in what they do as we often do the same thing.  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): People often chase things to do thinking they are pleasing God - instead we should understand that we cannot earn God's love or His favor.  Nobody can do this - we should all understand that we all sin, we all need a Savior, Jesus is that Savior and that God saves not because of anything we do but because He is full of grace and compassion.  This should drive us into the arms of Jesus for us to know, love and surrender to Him such that the Holy Spirit does a work in us to make us more like Him....and this will be Him doing the work!

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome that saves - not because of anything we do but because You are full of grace and compassion towards us.  Thank You Jesus for this grace and compassion!  I am not deserving of such grace and compassion and for my salvation.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

 Haggai 1:14-15

And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.  Haggai 1:14-15

I continue my study of Haggai - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For this morning, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Haggai 1:14-15, which the commentary outlines these verses as both the the third and final subdivision of 1:13-15.  The commentary title for this subdivision: The Lord Stirs the Spirits of the Leaders and the People to Encourage Them and Equip Them to Obey.  Here we get a glimpse of how God works as he "stirred up the spirit" of the governor, the high priest, and the remnant of the people.  If we surrender to God, God is not only with us (v13), but He is in us and directing our thoughts and ways.  Romans 12:2 is instructive here for how we are called to "be transformed by the renewing of our mind" and how we "may discern what is the will of God." It is then God who brings about our obedience to Him - see also Romans 1:5. Excerpts from the commentary for this subdivision:

• Here the commentary focuses on leadership - the governor and the high priest - and how the influence of leadership works among the people.  God equips, enables and works through leadership - even though all leadership is prone to sin as we all are.  God places earthly authorities in our lives - see also Romans 13:1. Leaders should recognize their role and surrender their own hearts to God...and the people will follow - see also 1 Corinthians 11:1. 
  
• Heart condition is key and it is the Lord that works in our hearts. Leadership should recognize that heart condition is what drives change and action. 
  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who has placed Godly leaders in my life to direct me to You - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of You stirred up the spirits and hearts of people who lead me who in turn lead me to You. Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of these blessings nor my salvation or any other blessings You pour out for me daily.  My sin continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

As I am in between studies, having just wrapped up my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul, I lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional, which today looks at where Paul focuses to remain hopeful as he grows old and more feeble.  Piper describes how Paul gains hope by focusing on how his inner self is renewed daily - this is also unseen. Piper then points out how this somewhat contradictory focus is further clarified by Paul in the next chapter of 2 Corinthians 5:7: "for we walk by faith, not by sight." Piper shares that this clarification "doesn’t mean that [Paul] leaps into the dark without evidence of what’s there. It means that for now the most precious and important realities in the world are beyond our physical senses.  We “look” at these unseen things through the gospel. We strengthen our hearts — we renew our courage — by fixing our gaze on the invisible, objective truth that we see in the testimony of those who saw Christ face to face." Piper wraps the devotion by pointing back to chapter 4:6 where Paul writes: " [f]or God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." This previously unseen knowledge of the glory of God is now seen by us because God revealed it to us - praise God!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me and who revealed Yourself to me and gave me the power to see things unseen that provide eternal hope!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings...my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.