And the LORD said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

Jonah 4 

And the LORD said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Jonah 4:10-11

I continue my study in Jonah to supplement my church's current sermon series in this book.  In the text today, Jonah is angry about the grace God gives Nineveh and God scolds him. Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: V2: Jonah describes God is "a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster."  God is sovereign over all creation as He appointed a plant to provide Jonah shade - v6; He appointed a worm to attack the plant - v7; and He appointed a scorching east wind - v8.  In v10-11, God scolds Jonah for using His grace, mercy, patience and love according to His plan.  God's designs and plans are perfect and for good - Romans 8:28
• What do we learn from the text about people?: While Jonah accurately describes God in v2, at the same time, he is angry with God about how his grace, mercy, patience, and love are used to relent from punishing Nineveh.  It is not for us to judge how others deserve or not deserve grace, mercy, love, patience, etc. God alone decides how He want to display these attributes - He alone is judge.  We certainly don't deserve mercy or grace - no one does because all sin and are deserving of death (Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8, Romans 6:23).  We must understand that God is always at work, that His work is perfect and good, and that He seeks to save as many as He can. When God give us a mission our job is to do the mission, not to question it. 
• 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 questioning God's commands or the mission He gives us.  Claim the promise that God is gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love in ALL things!  Follow the example of those who do according to His Word - and not question Him.  Love God and love others - do as He says and see that obedience is not burdensome as we seek to please Him.   

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who alone is sovereign and judge over all creation and all matters.  You hold my life in Your hand and You are so full of grace and mercy, withholding the punishment I deserve but giving the salvation I don't deserve.  Thank You for my salvation and for the blessings You pour out every day for me.  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.

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Jonah 3 

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. Jonah 3:10

I continue my study in Jonah to supplement my church's current sermon series in this book.  In the text today, God gives Jonah a second chance to complete his mission to preach to Nineveh, and the city does. Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: V1: God gives Jonah (and us) second (and third, etc.) chances - He is a God of grace who forgives.  Yet He does not forget our sin - we may still have consequences but we are not slaves to sin nor do we get what we deserve - which is death (Romans 6:23).  He also does not let us off the hook for the mission He gives us - in v2 God gives Jonah the same mission as He did in 1:2.  V10: God responds to the king and the people of Nineveh and how they repented of their sin and believed and He withheld the punishment they deserved - again death.  God is full of grace!
• What do we learn from the text about people?: V3: This time, Jonah did the mission "according to the word of the LORD."  In v5, God's message through Jonah moves the people of Nineveh to believe.  The word and faith even reached the king - vv6-9.  God's Word is for everyone - we are all the same in terms of our sin and need for a Savior.  While the king speculates that God might work to "turn from his fierce anger [so that the people of Nineveh] may not perish," we should not doubt God's sovereignty.  He is in complete control of all Creation, including earthly authorities He places above us.    
• 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 rebellion and when He calls you, say yes to the mission He gives you - do it according to His Word.  Claim the promise of grace that is offered by God and repent and believe and see God work in your life to transform Your heart and life.  Follow the example of Jonah to repent and seek Him.  Serve God and His mission and know that He will never leave or forsake you and will equip you for the mission He gives you.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God whose mercies never cease and are new every morning - what incredible grace You offer.  Thank You for my salvation and for the blessings You pour out every day for me.  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.

So the captain came and said to [Jonah], “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”

Jonah 1:1-6 

So the captain came and said to [Jonah], “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” Jonah 1:6

I completed my study of Hebrews, and I begin a study in Jonah to supplement my church's current sermon series in this book.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: V1: God speaks and works as He is accessible and available to people through various forms - most prominently through His Word, the Holy Spirit, the church (sermons, Bible studies, etc.).  V2: When God speaks, we are prodded into action - this time Jonah is called to go to Nineveh and urge the people to repent of their sin.  V4: Disobedience to God has consequences - for many, when such rebellion persists it will be eternal damnation.  Here, God causes a great wind and tempest - "so that the ship threatened to break up."   Vv5-6: Jonah is so comfortable with his sin that He goes to sleep, feeling deserving of rest.  We may think we will get away with sin but no sin is hidden from God. God stirs fear into the mariners on Jonah's ship - God is seeking to get Jonah's attention and He works through not just the wind/storm but also through the mariners (captain) stirring Jonah to call out to (his) God. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: V3: Jonah rebelled against God's authority and command, as he fled to Tarshish - about as far away as one can go from Nineveh at the time (see this map).  The text is silent why Jonah fled but there are many reasons why someone would flee from God - fear of punishment, fear of failure, disagreement with or objection to God's commands, etc.  What we do know is that Nineveh was the capital city of the of Assyrian Empire - a known enemy of Israel. Vv5-6: Anxiety and panic forces a response, often not the right response.  In the text today, the mariners "each cried out to his god," but this did not lead to the outcome God was seeking, which was for Jonah to preach to Nineveh.  The captain sought for Jonah to call upon God (not even knowing who Jonah's God was) - this was the right move for the captain but God sought for Jonah's heart to move....
• 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 rebellion against God.  Claim the promise that obedience to God is not burdensome (1 John 5:3b) as it is a natural response based on our love and adoration for Him. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who alone forgives and offers eternal life!  I know that when I cry out to You that You not only hear me but respond!  Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of how You love, save, and bless.  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.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

 Psalm 116:12-19

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15

I pause my study of Numbers to take a short detour to accommodate my Friday morning men's Bible study where this AM we focused on Psalm 116:12-19.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: In vv1-11, the unidentified psalmist praises God for many of His attributes: how He hears our cries, protects and provides refuge during times of struggle, He is gracious, righteous, and merciful, He preserves and saves, He offers rest, He provides bountifully, and how He saves - eternally.  V15 and the preceding v13 require careful thought and upon reflection my read is that God sees us as precious - even in death - as this points to the coming Messiah Jesus Christ who is saving a place for us in Heaven (see John 14:2-3).   
• What do we learn from the text about people?: For those that believe in Him and know the attributes described by the psalmist, it is a natural response to worship and praise Him.  We will not only praise Him, we will do so publicly (vv14, 18, 19).  We will serve Him (v16).  We will thank Him and call on Him to be in fellowship with Him (v17). 
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Claim the promise that God is good and He saves!  Follow the example of the psalmist who praises and worships His name.  Proclaim God's great name publicly for all the world to hear!  

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My Prayer: Father God, You ARE an awesome God, worthy of all praise, honor and glory.  You save!  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.

For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.

 Numbers 32

For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people. Numbers 32:15

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today - Numbers 32 - where the people of Reuben and Gad petition Moses to occupy land east of the Jordan River, an alternative to entering the Promised Land.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God often turns us over to our earthly desires and sin as a means to discipline or chasten His people (see also Romans 1:24-28, Psalm 81:11-12, Acts 7:42).  God's will was to bring all of His people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, and He would lead the people in battle to overcome those who inhabited the land.  In the text today, the people of Reuben and Gad propose an alternative to remain east of the Promised Land because they see that this land was good for their livestock - vv1,4.  Moses, speaking on behalf of God, initially rebukes - see vv6-15 - the people of Reuben and Gad, but they share in vv16-19 that they will not abandon the mission to work with the other tribes of Israel to conquer the Promised Land, and Moses relents to the request of the people of Reuben and Gad - v33.    
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Very often we, just as the people of Reuben and Gad did, seek to bend God's will in our direction, failing to completely trust and surrender to His plan. Although God, through Moses, allowed for this with the people of Reuben and Gad, we should remind ourselves that God seeks complete dependence and obedience to His will - see also this search in scripture for the string "just as the LORD commanded."  Jesus did not propose anything to the Father short of a brutal beating and crucifixion...He simply said in Luke 22:42 "not my will, but yours, be done."
• 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 seeking to bend God's direction and will to suit your own desires and agenda.  Claim the promise that God's will is "good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2) and that obedience to Him is not burdensome (1 John 5:3).  Follow the example of Jesus and follow the Father's will completely. Abide in, trust, follow Him.   

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus. I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and I know my desires and sin often pull me away from You.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome 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.

Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me.

Numbers 22

Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. Numbers 22:31-32

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today - Numbers 22 - we see one of the more odd passages of scripture where God works through a donkey to deliver His message to the pagan prophet Balaam, who was hired by king Balak to curse Israel.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: In v12, God is clear to Balaam that Israel is blessed and that Balak’s desire to curse Israel will not be allowed.  We must understand that once we know God’s will, nothing we can do will thwart God’s will.  To emphasize that God is at work in chapter 22, we see God refer to His will as “angel of the LORD” ten times in the text. It rarely is clearer that God is at work – when we see God at work so clearly, we must pay attention – perhaps there are distractions that blind us.  In fact, we see Balaam disobey God in v21 and leave on his own accord.  In v22, God shows his anger for this disobedience, and in vv23-30 we see God work through an angel of the Lord and Balaam’s donkey to prevent movement.  God even goes to the extent of speaking through the donkey to be clear to Balaam.  This apparently was not enough for God to get his message (and will) across to Balaam.  So in vv31-35, we see God open the eyes of Balaam so that there is no question that God does not want Balaam to pass. In v33, we see God’s great mercy as He shares that Balaam deserved to die (as we all do as we all sin and the wages of sin are death – Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8, Romans 6:23). 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: God’s will is pervasive in scripture, including the ten commandments (Exodus 20), and the most important of these commandments – to love God, and to love others (Matthew 22:34-40).  When we understand God’s will in our lives, we better be sure to follow His will.  When we willingly controvert His will, be prepared for harsh punishment – God will do what it takes to get your attention.  When you don’t have clarity regarding God’s will, saturate yourself in the word – see Romans 12:2 where Paul encourages us to be transformed by the renewing of the mind “that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  Study God’s Word, wrestle with it, pray for wisdom (as Solomon did in 1 Kings 3:9), and practice spiritual disciplines (corporate worship, fellowship with other believers, etc.).
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): If God’s will is clear, do not willfully disobey Him!  Claim the promise that renewal of the mind will help you understand God’s will.  Follow the example of Solomon who asked God for wisdom.  Love God – and if you love God obedience to God’s commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3).

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves, saves, and is full of mercy that never ceases, providing new mercies every morning.  I am not deserving of Your mercies nor 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.