While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him.

Numbers 15:32-36

While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. Numbers 15:32-34

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today - Numbers 15:32-36 - where a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day, deemed a Sabbath-breaker by both the people and God, is executed.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God takes His commandments seriously, and the 4th commandment from Exodus 20:8-11, to observe the Sabbath through rest and worship, is just one example of how He takes these commandments seriously.  More broadly, the intent here is that God is seeking love and worship of Him, and love of others as the most important set of commandments (Matthew 33:34-40).  The punishment here could be considered harsh, yet God's justice is perfect and only He knows the heart of the man punished.      
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Some may point to Jesus and accuse Him of also being an Sabbath-breaker (see Matthew 12:9-14, John 5:1-18), yet Jesus was healing on the Sabbath and for this there is no law (see Galatians 5:22). Those who accuse Jesus of Sabbath-breaking focused on man-made rules that went beyond scripture and God's intent. Healing on the Sabbath reflects love of others. 
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): See also this video on the Sabbath from John Piper and DesiringGod.com. Avoid legalistic focus on the Bible or adding to or subtracting from the Bible.  Claim the promise that Jesus came to fulfill the law and to make us more like Him.  Follow the example of Jesus who healed on the Sabbath and by doing good, etc. Seek God, allow Him to renew your heart and mind such that obedience to Him is not burdensome and such that pleasing Him is your desire. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves, forgives, and saves. You entered my heart and mind and transform me daily in more of Your image. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love and save!  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.

“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

Mark 7:1-23

“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” Mark  7:6-8

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 commentary's introduction for the entirety of the text, and for the first (of  three) division (vv1-8):

• The main idea for the entirety of the text is "Jesus calls us to trust not in our own external righteousness (legalism) but in His perfect work on our behalf." 
• "Amazingly we can have a passion for God yet not know God. We can be deceived, captured, and enslaved by the deadly lure of legalism. Tragically, those who have been raised in the church are the most susceptible to this deception. Our pride in our religious rituals, church practices, and cultural traditions blind us to both our great sinfulness and the great Savior who alone can rescue us from our sin."   
• The commentary describes how a false belief of faith, confidence in doing all the right things (particularly in our own powers) above all, is based on pride and how this leads to all other sins.  We are referred to Psalm 31:23, Proverbs 15:25, 16:18, Isaiah 13:11, Jeremiah 49:16, Luke 14:11, and James 4:6.
• "Why is God so opposed to pride? It is because human pride is in opposition to God. It thinks more of itself than it should. It thinks more of itself than God does!" 
• The title for the first division is: "Legalists Honor God with Their Lips, Resulting in False Worship." 
• "All [the Pharisees'] religious washing had a good intent, namely to remind Jews that they were unclean before God. But they were completely off base on the true source of their impurity. Their problem was not outside but inside. It wasn’t their hands but their hearts." 
• "Jesus begins with a scathing indictment, calling the Pharisees and scribes “hypocrites”! They were nothing more than religious actors and pretenders. The prophet Isaiah also condemned their hypocritical religion (Isaiah 29:13). They say the right things about God, but their hearts are still ungodly. Their religion is all words and show. The result was vain, purposeless worship—worship that God neither welcomes nor receives." 
• "Some potential examples of this legalism in the contemporary church can be found in church business meetings, deacons meetings, church discipline, and religious practices (e.g., church names, meeting times, dress, worship styles, public invitation or no invitation)." 

Of course humility is the anti-dote for pride.  There is nothing we can do to earn our favor from God - we must recognize that God alone saves and God alone moves at His discretion in all things.  Colossians 1:16-18 informs us that God created all things and He holds all things together.  God is provident over all matters and all details big and small.  He is all powerful, all knowing, and ever present - since the beginning and until the end.  We must start here and recognize that God holds our lives in His hands and it is only by and through Him that we are able to do anything (John 15:5).

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that loves and who saves....not because of anything I've done but solely because of Your grace and mercy.  Thank You Jesus!  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. 

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus,to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.

Mark 3:1-6

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus,to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. Mark 3:1-2

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 3:1-2, which is the text for the first (of three) division per the commentary.  Excerpts from the introduction for this chapter of commentary and the first division:

•  "It is always right to bless others and do good, no matter what the enemies of God’s kingdom might say or do." 
• "The religious leaders of Israel are certainly tiring of Jesus humiliating them and asserting His own authority. The worst part is He continually backs up His claims with acts of undeniable power and teaching with inherent authority."
• "The hostility now reaches a climax in this fifth controversy, resulting in anger on both sides. For Jesus the anger stemmed from the religious leaders placing limits on when it was right to do good and to save a life. For the Pharisees and the Herodians, it was over the young Rabbi’s continuous undermining of their traditions, their religious rules, and the overall status quo."
• "Jesus will not back off, though He understands where this will lead. Consumed with the will of His Father and emboldened by an uncompromising conviction, He will move ahead with His face set toward the cross, unalterably convinced that it is always right to do good!"
• "Jesus seems to be deliberately provoking a confrontation with the religious leaders. Don’t claim to forgive sins (2:5), they effectively tell Him. Don’t consort with sinners (2:16). Don’t neglect fasting as we dictate (2:18). Don’t work in order to eat on the Sabbath (2:24). Their hardness of heart is almost overwhelming, and Jesus’ frustration has reached a boiling point. Undoubtedly He is overtly inviting their critical judgment by what He is about to do!"
• "In the synagogue Jesus sees a man with a withered hand. This man was disabled and in need of love and compassion. One can imagine the repeated embarrassment he endured every time he lifted up his hands in prayer, as was the custom. Some may have drawn the conclusion that his deformed hand was a curse from God for a sin by him or his parents, as the disciples assumed concerning the man born blind (John 9:2-3). And just like the blind man, this man needed Jesus’ attention, and his healing would be the occasion for God’s power to be put on display. Jesus, with sensitivity and compassion, took notice of this man."
• "The Pharisees permitted healing on the Sabbath only for the sake of saving a life. This man’s problem was not life threatening, so he and Jesus should wait. If Jesus healed him today, they could accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath, an offense punishable by death according to Exodus 31:14-17."
• "The Pharisees were enslaved to their own critical hearts, and they did their best to enslave others as well."    

As I posted yesterday, legalism is of course not confined to the Pharisees of Jesus' day - there are those in every church that have strong opinions about how faith, worship, church practices, must work and we must all be aware of how we as believers bring about and practice this legalism - it is a form of elitism that I know for certain how faith, worship, church, must work.  Scripture may be clear on certain aspects of faith, worship and church life, but where it is less clear and silent - we can all agree to disagree about approaches based on church, denominational, etc. differences.  Let us all unite around what is important and agreed upon that we all exist to bring to glory to God. Church unity is a significant theme in scripture and we should be mindful to follow scripture on this key topic. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me.  Thank You for Your grace and mercy that You pour out ceaselessly and every morning.  I am not deserving of such grace and mercy.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such 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....

[H]e looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Mark 3:1-6

[H]e looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. Mark 3:5-6

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 3:1-6, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary.  Observations from the text using the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God does not seek strict rules around worship or the Sabbath.  His intent with the Sabbath is for God's people to be together in corporate worship.  The Bible does not say God's people shall not heal anyone on the Sabbath - note Jesus' anger and grief at the Pharisees hardness of heart (v5).  See also Galatians 5:22-23 where Paul notes there is no law for believers that demonstrate fruit of the Spirit.     
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: The Pharisees are not simply history - they represent any group of people that seeks legalism or elitism in church such that they know the proper way to worship.  Such arrogance creeps in the church in more subtle ways with intolerance about different worship styles - we should be mindful of different styles.  See also this article per DesiringGod.com.  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey)?: We should be careful to seek and know God's intent - carefully studying His Word and gaining guidance from church leadership on difficult questions where it is less clear.  We should not add or subtract anything from the Word.  We should never tire of doing good works with an intent to glorify God.

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion for me - loving me while still an enemy and hostile to You, saving me, and pouring out an inexhaustible supply of grace daily.  Thank You Jesus!  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. 

One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

Mark 2:23-28

One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Mark 2:23-24

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 2:23-28, looking at the first of three divisions, starting with vv23-24.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction for vv23-28 and the first division: 

• Highlighting the Pharisees response to Jesus' disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath, the commentary shares: "[f]ew things are more destructive, seductive, and deceptive to a true and vital relationship with God than the deadly poison of legalism.  It is destructive because it breeds death rather than life. It is seductive because it has a natural allure for the flesh that causes us to look to ourselves rather than to Christ for our spiritual status before God. It is deceptive because it makes us think we are the spiritual elite when actually we are spiritual slaves."
• "This is the fourth of five controversies with the religious leaders. First, they complained that Jesus claimed to be God and to forgive sins (2:1-12). Next, they were offended because He consorted with sinners (2:13-17). Then He did not fast according to their religious traditions (2:18-22). Now they take issue because He does not honor the Sabbath the way they believe He should (2:23-28 and 3:1-6)."
• The intent of the Sabbath per the commentary: "[t]he general rule was, “Do no work that is not absolutely necessary.” It was understood that nothing was “absolutely necessary” except those tasks that could result in loss of life if left undone."  Additionally, work for good was always acceptable - such as serving others, etc.  
• "Perhaps with good intentions the Pharisees had constructed a mountain of rules that enslaved those who tried to follow them. In a reversal of Genesis 50:20, what God had meant for good they had turned to evil. In a sense the clash is not over the rules but over who makes the rules. Jesus will gladly honor the law when it conforms to God’s intentions."  

Arrogance and pride are indeed dangerous sins.  As believers grow in knowledge of God and His Word, we should not use it to belittle people or hinder people's own faith journey.  Peter, for example, defended his work sharing the Good News with the Gentiles even though they were not circumcised - see Acts 11:1-8.  Paul (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23) recognized that people less mature in their faith must be met where they are - in their circumstances.  We must acknowledge and accept people where they are and encourage them to grow in their faith - not beat them up by comparing them to yourself.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible compassion and love for - sacrificing Your own life and pouring out mercies ceaselessly every morning.  I am not deserving as my sin continues and it is great.  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.

“Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

 Malachi 3:13-15

“Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’” Malachi 3:13-15

I return to my study of the last four books of the Old Testament, having already covered Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and most of Malachi.  My study leans on the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series volume which covers these books. This morning I start a focus on a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 3:13-18. The commentary for this text provides two divisions as well as a main idea, an introduction and conclusion - today I focus on the main idea, introduction and the first division.

Excerpts from the commentary's main introduction and for the text's first division:

• Main Idea: "God’s commitment to His covenant demands a response from His people, and those who fear God are set apart as His treasured possession."
  
• Introduction - The Fear of God: Believers are reminded that God's promises always come true and these promises equip us to weather all trials and suffering.  We are also reminded that we belong to God, are sealed by Him with our salvation and this is the core promise to which we should remain anchored. We are referred to Luke 24:36 where after his death and resurrection Jesus appears to His disciples sharing "peace to you" encouraging the disciples (and us) to be free from fear and anxiety. We are commanded to live in reverent fear of God - this should be out of respect of who He is and how He reigns over all - we should certainly be obedient to Him.  This reverent fear should not however, drive us to be afraid of God Himself as He encourages us to approach Him confidently (Hebrews 4:16), knowing He wants us to be in relationship with Him.  
  
• The Wicked Respond in a Spirit of Legalism, Expecting Reward for Obedience (3:13-15): God sees a heart problem with His people and the commentary describes how God sees those who are following Him, and those who have wandered from Him.  V13 shares how those who have wandered see obedience as "vain" or useless.  However, God sees through this because their obedience was not a result of reverent fear of God but instead out of a feeling of obligation, and expecting something in return.  We should all remind ourselves that we deserve death for our sin (Romans 3:23, 6:23).  God wants us to treasure and love Him above all and it is out of this love where we week to please Him through our obedience.  Our heart condition and our motives are most important.  See Romans 12:1 where God does not want us to go through the motions, but He wants all of our lives to reflect a love and worship of Him. The commentary then defines both license and legalism - both of which reflect an inaccurate understanding of what God seeks from us. "License is the idea that, since we’ve been saved by grace through Christ, we are free in the Spirit to do as we please and indulge whatever we want, even if it opens the door for sin. These individuals see the promise of God’s forgiveness as justification to do whatever they want. The law seems useless....On the opposite swing of the pendulum from license is legalism—putting fences around the law to protect yourself from breaking it."  The commentary points us to scripture that warns us about both license and legalism: see Matthew 23:23-24, 5:17 then shares that "[t]he people of Israel in Malachi’s day did not understand this, and therefore they saw the law as burdensome."  We are encouraged to know God as deeply as we can (through spiritual disciplines) and as we deepen our knowledge of God we grow in relationship with Him and seek more and more to become more like Him, submitting our lives to Him.  This of course prevents us from wandering.   
  

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My Prayer: Father God, what an incredible God You are that You free us from the law, give us Your Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and Your Word so that we can know You, love You, and please You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings....my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me turn from such sin and turn 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.