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The conversion of St Paul - Caravaggio

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These studies were complied in the Spring of 2010. Most are full and some are brief

The call of Abraham 1 - Genesis 12:1-9

Genesis 12:1-9 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Review

(consult Dictionaries)

These verses from Genesis 12 are very important for our understanding of the Old Testament.  They contain the story of the call of Abram (later renamed Abraham), the forefather of the people of Israel whose story begins here and continues to chapter 25.  The beginning of the story seems simple enough, though it soon turns into an amazing saga.  Abram’s father Terah had been told by God to leave the pagan lands of Mesopotamia and head for Canaan (11:31,32), and after the death of his father in Kharan (11:31,32), Abram took on himself the burden of this call.  He was obedient to all God said to his father, and this is what is meant by verse 1 of our passage today.  After the story of humanities arrogant collective effort to build Babel (11:1-9), this story strikes us with its richness and human interest (12:1), for we read that God chose one humble servant to be the source of eternal blessing for all people (12:3).  So, instead of allowing people to find Him by reaching up, God chose to reach down and touch a single individual, a man named Abram, and work with him to achieve His will.

There are some important themes here, and they help us understand how God calls people even today. Firstly, Abram was asked to leave everything behind to follow God. Undoubtedly there would have been much more to the story of Abram’s move to Canaan, but the Bible has only passed down to us the fact that Abram was obedient, and he completed the journey begun by his father Terah by following the Lord.  Abram is often described as a nomad, moving from place to place with his family and tent, and this is what is described here in this text (see 12:5,6,8,9).  However, we should not be quick to jump to conclusions.  Scripture says his family came from the city of Ur (11:31), but his journey was only temporary, and he eventually settled in the southern regions of Canaan, near Hebron (and possibly Beersheba, see chapters 22-25), where he stayed for a long time.

Secondly, we are told that Abram was 75 years old when he left Kharan (12:4).  This is an important piece of information, and although people appear to have lived longer back then, Abram was undoubtedly old.  We do not know why God chose Abram at that age, but his call has always been an inspiration to people of older years.  At his age, Abram would have been concerned about who would received his possessions and wealth when he died, and this may be why he took Lot with him, for he was his nearest relative.  However, it was God’s intention to change the nature of Abram’s inheritance, as we will find out, and Abram had to start where he was, as an old man being obedient to his God.

Thirdly, Abram was asked to believe God’s promises not knowing what they could mean for him or for his future.  He was told that he would become a great nation, be blessed and respected (12:2), and be a blessing to others (12:3), even the whole world!  Then, a few verses later, God also made the highly significant long term promise to Abram that He would give him and his descendants the land of Canaan (12:7).  This is remarkable, because all this constituted a new inheritance for Abram, granted by God.  Of course, Abram had to receive this in faith.  He could not have known how his future generations would fare, indeed he had no heir at all because his wife Sarai was barren (11:30); so Abram’s faith in God for the unknown was genuine personal trust and faith.

Through this faith, Abram accepted the greater good of God’s unknown future.  This was powerful faith that trusted all to God, and Abram expressed it in two ways.  Firstly, he did what God told him and travelled into Canaan, even though he could not have known why this was necessary.  How could Abram bless anyone by travelling through an obscure and small area of land?  Abram also showed his faith by spontaneously worshipping of God at Shechem (12:6,7) and near Bethel (12:8).  Obedience and worship are the evidence of true faith in God.

This is how God’s plan of salvation began; through Abram’s call and his faithful response.

Going Deeper

The Bible study goes deeper to look at these issues:

• The call of God
• The three blessing
• Faith, and obedience to God’s call

Genesis 12:1-9 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Going Deeper

(consult Dictionaries)

The call of Abram is one of those passages which is very rich in meaning, and preachers find a variety of ways to present its powerful message.  We will now look briefly at some of the details of this passage, and as we do this we will find the themes mentioned above will be further highlighted, and we will also find some other major themes which deserve our consideration.

The Call of God (12:1-3)

There is some debate as to when Abram was first called.  At first reading, it was Terah who first set out from Ur (11: 31), though God is not mentioned.  The first sentence ‘the Lord said to Abram’ (12:1) is a past tense in Hebrew and could well imply that Abram received the call described in verses 1 to 3 prior to his move from Kharan, perhaps while he was in Ur.  This is what was believed in New Testament times, as Stephen made clear in his famous speech to the Jews ‘The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abram when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Leave your country’ (Acts 7:2-3).  All this heightens the sense of patient faith exercised by Abram, giving the impression that he did not simply walk away from his family alone, but headed in the direction of God’s call and had to be patient whilst family members left him, rather than he leave them!

When God called, he required Abram to change his identity.  This is something we who travel about the world might find hard to understand, but in moving away from his family, his own people and his own homeland of Ur (12:1), Abram would have been left with little.  The closest we can get to what he may have felt would be a situation in which we were in a foreign land, felt that we had no ‘place’ to call home and had no close family to support.  It would not have been easy, even for a nomad, and if this was what God wanted of Abram, then He needed him to hear and embrace His promises, which eventually come thick and fast (12:2-4).

The three blessings

The initial blessings were threefold.  Abram was firstly told that he would become a great nation (12:2), which was an extraordinary thing for God to say to someone who, as we have already seen, knew that he would have no child.  Abram may have been planning to make his nephew his heir (the only logical reason to take him, given the call to leave all his family).  However, the matter of the inheritance was important to God, and the promises given to Abram in this passage are repeated many times over (17:20, 18:18, 21:18) and later to his grandson Jacob (46:3).  Previously, God had chosen to work through one line of ancestry from Adam through to Abram.  Now he was prepared to allow Abram’s descendants alone grow into a nation in order to achieve His purposes of salvation.  Looking back, God was not doing a ‘new’ work, so much as being consistent in how He dealt with people.

The second blessing received by Abram was a personal promise that he would himself be blessed by being made ‘well known and respected’ (12:2).  The Hebrew for ‘blessing’ literally means ‘great’; not necessarily ‘wealthy’ and certainly not ‘famous’ in the sense that we use that word today.  It refers to a man who has earned the respect of his peers and will earn the respect of future generations.  Abram certainly achieved this in his own lifetime, but at the time the promise was given, this was not at all obvious.  Abram had just left his family and he may have felt rather alone; he was travelling with a relatively small family, a wife, a nephew and a few servants but no children.  The promises of God may well have seemed to be too distant to believe, but we are told that Abram accepted God’s promises and acted according to what he had been told.

The third blessing initially sounds strange, because it is extended in an unusual way, ‘You will become a blessing; I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse whoever curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’ (12:2,3).  God promised that Abram would himself become a blessing to others.  This promise contrasts with the second blessing, which was a personal encouragement to Abram.  It returns to the theme of the first promise (that Abram would be made into a great nation), for God knew in advance that he intended to bless the whole world through the ancestors of Abram, the people of Israel, and ultimately through his greatest ancestor Jesus Christ.  Without this perspective, much of this story is meaningless for Christians today.

Faith, and obedience to the call

Verse 4 describes Abram’s obedience to the call of God as he left Kharan.  However, we should perhaps ask whether Abram was as obedient as was required by God.  He took with him a family member, Lot, and also the goods he had come by in his travels, and others (12:5), probably not family members but servants of various kinds as befitted an apparently affluent nomadic group.  However, we should not be surprised that Abram was not perfect in every detail, and we will discover that the long story of Abram’s time in Canaan (Gen 12-24) is full of awkward moments between him and God.  It could be argued, for example, that the delay in the fulfilment of God’s promises to Abram (i.e. the birth of his own son, see 21:1f.) was caused by his disobedience and untimely impatience (see ch 16 and the birth of Ishmael).  Nevertheless, Abram remained obedient to God’s call at heart, and God was certainly faithful to His promises.

The first stopping place to which Abram came in the land of Canaan was Shechem, a settlement between two large hills or mountains, Ebal and Gerazim.  There was an early Canaanite shrine here, and from ancient times it was known as a ‘place of decision’ (see Deut 11:29, Josh 8:33).  This is the significant place at which God first said to Abram ‘I will give this land to your descendants (12:7), and it is the first clear indication that this was indeed the land that would become the home for God’s people in future times.  Abram appears to have had no difficulty with the local Canaanites in setting up an altar with the purpose of making sacrificial acts of worship to God (12:7).  Abram’s worship of God would have seemed very different from the normal (Canaanite) religion practiced there, but we should not read back into this story the later history of conflict between Israelite and Canaanite, which would eventually tear the country apart.  Later generations would see great conflict between the descendants of Abram and the Canaanites who already had a shrine at Shechem (this is known about even in the field of archaeology), and there was also conflict later on between the peoples of Israel themselves.  After the time of Solomon, the tribes of Israel separated between north and south, with Jerusalem as the capital of southern ‘Judah’, and Shechem as the capital of northern ‘Israel’ (1 Kings 12:25) a site chosen probably because of its association with Abram (the capital was later moved to Samaria).

From the central highlands of Canaan, Abram then journeyed between Bethel and Ai, where he built an altar and worshipped again before moving south to the Negev (12:8,9), the southern rocky and desert like regions to the south of the Dead Sea which archaeology tells us was more populated in Abram’s days than later.  The story is now set to describe the way in which Abram is obedient to God and God fulfils his promises.  Much is yet to come.

Genesis 12:1-9 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Application

The story of the call of Abram is the Old Testament’s introduction to ‘faith’.  The word ‘faith’ is not found in this story because it is comes from the New Testament; but we use this word because it is the one that enables us to see what is happening through the general perspective of Scripture.  Faith has its roots in the hand of God on someone for His purposes, and this is clearly the case with Abram, but the response to this is also important.  Abram responded to God with obedience.  He was obedience to God despite the uncertainty shown by his attachment to Lot and the possession of an extended household (12:5); so obedience was a basic ingredient of Abram’s faith, and it is a basic ingredient of ours, today.  Another ingredient of faith shown by Abram is worship, as indicated by his building of altars to God in the land of Canaan.  Abram is often regarded as a rather colourless character because we do not discover much about the details of his life, or of his thoughts and feelings, but what is described is enough for us to agree with both Paul and James, who say he was a man of faith and also a man of action (Rom. 4:2,3; James 2:20-26). 

Another aspect of Abram’s faith is this; God works through people of faith to bless others.  This was fundamental to the calling of Abram, but we should not think of blessing as ‘being nice’.  The blessing God gives is the blessing of His touch and presence, and this is a sign of His work through individuals to bless the world.  God does not grant someone a ‘blessing’ for their own comfort or vanity, but so that other people may be blessed.  This is clearly what God intended by declaring that Abram was ‘blessed’ and that through Him, He would bless the world.

Nothing of which we have spoken, that is, faith, obedience, worship and blessing, is here in this story of Genesis to create a religious system so that in future, people might feel they have done their duty to God by being a faithful Jew or a Christian.  Everything is the result of God’s work to begin the salvation history of the whole world, and to bring it back to its Creator with the terrible consequences of the Fall overcome.  The call of Abram and the faith that he showed in responding to it are the starting point of the great story of God’s work of salvation in the world, and it points us to much that is to come.

Genesis 12:1-9 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Discipleship

Questions (for use in groups)

1. Why did Abram have to leave everything behind in order to follow God?  Is this required of all who follow God’s call today, and what does this mean?
2. How does the call of Abraham help you understand how God calls people today?
3. Abram worshipped spontaneously.  How may we worship God spontaneously, and how can this be done within the context of the worship of God’s people on Sundays?

Topics covered by this text

• The call of God
• Blessing
• The promises of God
• The ‘Promised Land’, and Canaan
• The faith of Abraham

Personal comments by author

The great story of the call of Abram is capable of prompting us in many ways.  Each of the issues mentioned above, faith, obedience, blessing, worship, and other features of the story are all important for our discipleship.  I find it deeply humbling to read about these events of thousands of years ago, and think that God began my salvation at that time.  It is amazing to think that Abram is my own ancestor in faith, and it makes it feel a little strange writing about it all!

Ideas for exploring discipleship

• Listen to God and ask Him what He is saying to you from this passage.  Then, as a result of what God has said, form a plan to put what He has said to you into action, using the ‘lifestyle challenges’ worksheet available from the relevant page in this website.
• Pray for the work of God’s people, the church, and ask the Lord to bless His people today as they exercise faith in everyday life.

Final Prayer

Glorious Lord, thank You for the unreserved help You have given us throughout our lives.  May we give ourselves without reserve to the work of Your Kingdom and its priorities of helping the poor, declaring the Word and setting captives free.  Help us in this task we pray.  AMEN

The call of Abraham 2 - Genesis 15:1-6

Genesis 15:1-6 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Review

(consult Dictionaries)

Abram was at another turning point in his life.  He had been called by God to enter Canaan and live there, but he had much to learn about God.  The passage we have read today is well known because it describes the first occasion Abram demonstrated a faith that brought God’s approval, so that ‘the Lord counted this as his righteousness.’ (15:6).  We will look further at this later on in the Bible study, but the acceptance of Abram’s faith by God was a vital step in Abram’s life, and also in God’s plan for the salvation of humanity.

Abram had just experienced the personal satisfaction of seeing some fulfilment of God’s promise to make his name ‘great’ (12:2).  he had just secured a major military victory (14:1-16), and was now known throughout the region, because he had delivered a significant number of people from their enemies.  Moreover, his name would have come to the attention of the powerful eastern states of Mesopotamia because he had just defeated one of their elite armies, leaving them without income from their extortion (14:14f.)!  Yet nothing of this extended Abram’s faith.  In this passage today, it seems that what weighed on Abram’s mind was God’s promise, ‘I will make of you a great nation …’ (12:2).  How could this be when he had no heir?

To resolve this, the Lord came to Abram at night in a vision (12:5), and the text is quite clear, this was a vision, not a dream.  As with any report of a vision even today, its validity is measured by its effects and consequences, and in this case, God used this vision to draw faith out of Abram.  The vision began with God reassuring Abram of His initial promises (15:1, ref. 12:2,3).  Abram took the opportunity to tell God firmly that there was no earthly prospect of his becoming a great nation; he could not see how the Lord would be able to fulfil His promise.  The strength of Abram’s feelings is clear from the way he addresses the Lord twice, once each in verses 2 and 3, setting out the only options available to him and explaining his concerns in the strongest of terms.

Visions can be profoundly real experiences.  Here, God did not try to justify what He had previously said.  Rather, He refuted Abram’s concern directly (12:4), and then we are told that the Lord’s words ‘came upon’ Abram (15:4).  This describes a spiritual experience in which Abram became aware of God’s words making an impact upon him, perhaps enveloping him.  With this mysterious sense of God’s presence, Abram was taken into the night sky, where the Lord showed him the stars, and asked him to count them.  We hardly need to know any more, for point has been made in a deeply mystical moment almost too marvellous for comprehension; the Lord God would fulfil His promises in His way.  Abram was dumfounded and said nothing, and God broke the silence by reaffirming his promise with words barely different from before; yet now, with Abram’s silent yet obvious acceptance of the vision, it all meant so much more.

It is left to the writer of Genesis to tell us the meaning of this great vision (15:6), and it leaps out at us with the power of a truly awesome Word of God ‘Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted this as his righteousness’.  Abram’s questions were not answered by some obvious or logical reply, however, they were put in the perspective of God’s greatness and power, and God knew what was going on in Abram’s heart, and that His promise was now accepted, not doubted.  Thus faith was born out of Abram’s crisis of faith.

All this sounds paradoxical, but it is what happened, moreover, God accepted the unspoken faith of Abram’s heart.  The consequences of this are enormous, for it lays the foundations for the teaching about faith we find in the rest of the Bible, especially the New Testament. 

Going Deeper

The Bible study goes deeper to look at these issues:

• The strange connection between this story and Abram’s military victory
• Abram’s distress, and the vision
• Prophecy
• Faith and righteousness

Genesis 15:1-6 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Going Deeper

(consult Dictionaries)

The strange connection between this story and Abram’s military victory

Much of what happens in this incident relates strongly to Abram’s previous military victory over the eastern kings (14:1-16).  It is not easily seen within any English translation, but the writers chose words for this story which frequently play on those from the previous chapter, and therefore make a strong link between the two. An example of this is the word ‘magar’ (shield) in God’s greeting to Abram ‘I am your shield’ (15:1).  This is linguistically close to the word ‘miggai’ for ‘deliver’ used by Melchizedek when he blessed Abram (14:20).  Such details as this are a common literary device in Hebrew.  The two chapters (14 and 15) are connected in this way to highlight their connection to the two promises God made to Abram in Genesis 12:3.  Chapter 14 deals with God’s promise to make Abram famous, and chapter 15 deals with the promise about inheritance.

There is another connection to make if we are to understand this passage.  There are two halves to chapter 15; verses 1-6 and then verses 7-21; and each half mirrors the other.  In the first story, Abram sees a vision in which God appears to him to reassure him ‘I am your shield’ (15:1); Abram is apprehensive and tells God of problems (15:2-3); God then strongly reassure Abram (15:4) and then gives a dramatic sign together with a promise of fulfilment (15:5); finally, the story concludes with a very important statement of principle (15:6).  When we read tomorrows story (15:7-21) we will find almost the same pattern, but whereas the story today is about inheritance, the story tomorrow is about land.  The two are connected of course, which is why God talked to Abram about possession of the land of Canaan shortly after his first promise to him of greatness and inheritance (12:2,3).  This shows that these scriptures have been carefully organised to gradually show us the details and significance of God’s great promises to Abram, and through him, to his descendants in lineage and in faith.

Abram’s distress, and the vision

The appearance of God to Abram in this text is the remarkable first story of a vision in the Bible.  It comes as God takes the initiative to deal with Abram’s personal concerns about fulfilling God’s purposes.  Clearly, the whole issue of his inability to have children with Sarai played on Abram’s mind, and God came to him in a vision firstly as a means of reassurance.  It is typical of many visions throughout the Bible that the first words spoken by God (or angelic messenger) are ‘do not be afraid’ (see Ezekiel 2:6, Zechariah 8:13, Rev. 1:17 etc).  Sometimes God speaks in this way to calm someone’s fears simply because of the vision, but although this vision was a new experience for Abram, he was also used to God appearing to him (see 12:7, e.g.) and the words of comfort therefore concern his troubled thoughts.  The words ‘I am your shield’ were a reminder to Abram of the faith he had placed in God when on the battlefield (14:14ff) and an invitation to maintain faithfulness.

Abram addressed God in the vision in a remarkably new way.  The Hebrew reads literally as ‘my Lord Lord’, and is translated variously as ‘my Sovereign Lord’ or ‘O Lord God’.  I have used the first because there is a clear indication in the Hebrew that Abram was talking to God personally, and this gives the vision a distinct sense of reality and the feeling this is indeed a highly personal encounter.  It is yet another example of how the Bible uses a variety of names for God, reminding us that we cannot tie God down with some kind of verbal definition. 

As Abram spoke freely to God, he explained the complex situation he faced if he died without an heir.  He spoke of the possibility of his estate going to a nominated heir, Eliezer (we do not know who this person is), as was the custom in such cases; and he then addressed God even more boldly (15:3) to remind him that this person would not be his descendant, but simply a member of his household.  What was to become of God’s promise of a nation?

Prophecy

Then something extraordinary happened, for verse 4 begins with words which, again, we have not as yet heard within scripture ‘the Word of the Lord came to …’.  This is a formula used by the prophets, centuries later!  Abram not only had the first vision in the Bible, but was the first to receive a prophetic word!  The general promise of God to Abram that he would become a nation (12:2) was now replaced by this great prophetic ‘Word of the Lord’ which declared to Abram that he would have ‘a child’ of his own!  We can only imagine what effect this prophecy may have had on Abram.  As much as the sight of the stars in the sky which God led him to next, it could well explain his silence from this point in the vision onwards.

This specific prophetic word could well be at the heart of this story, for a man of Abram’s standing would have been expected to have a considerable number of sons and daughters, and the high death rate amongst children of ancient times made it imperative that many children were born in order to safeguard the future of an extended family.  Abram’s complaint was that such a family, for him, did not exist.  God’s answer through this prophecy was of the birth of ‘a child’, that is, one son who would be Abram’s own.  For an elderly couple who had doubtless lived years in the hope that they would bear a child, this promise was wonderful and truly awesome; yet it was full of risk.  It would take great faith in those days to believe that one child alone would survive to bear an inheritance.

As God led Abram out into the night sky and challenged him to count the stars to estimate the great number of his subsequent descendants, I wonder whether Abram was as much ‘blown away’ by the bright light of the promise of one son as the impossible task of counting the stars!  No wonder he was speechless!

Faith and Righteousness

We have already commented above on the unspoken faith of Abram seen by God and accepted by him as ‘righteousness’ (15:6).  What does righteousness really mean in the Old Testament?  It has the general meaning of ‘what is right in God’s eyes’, but is frequently associated with morality and behaviour, for example, Noah was described as ‘righteous’ before God (Gen 6:9) because of his goodness.  Psalm 24:4 also describes a code of what is acceptable to God ‘who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully’ (see also Deut 10:12ff).  These codes of ‘righteousness’ were required of people in order to be ‘like’ God, and therefore acceptable to Him.

Genesis 15:6 is distinct within the Old Testament because it goes behind mere behaviour to ascribe righteousness to Abram on the basis more of his silence than on his actions or words!  What God saw in Abraham which made him acceptable, and therefore ‘righteous’, was a heart of faith which trusted God absolutely to fulfil his promises.  It was not simply trust in God to do the impossible, but faith that God would achieve His purposes within his own life, even though it appeared to be impossible.  Despite the long gap between Abram and the coming of Christ, Genesis 15:6 remains one of the best narrative descriptions of pure faith not just in the Old Testament, but the whole Bible.

This famous verse is used principally by Paul in Romans (1:17, 4:11) and in Galatians (3:7) to explain to the early Christian Church that God accepted people on the basis of their faith, rather than compliance with Mosaic Laws.  His argument was that righteousness in God’s eyes was based on Abram’s faith long before Moses established the laws of Exodus which the people of Israel moulded into the religion of Judaism; therefore, faith that Jesus was the Messiah was the only ‘righteousness’ God required.  We are now familiar with this theology, which lies at the heart of what is generally called the ‘Evangelical Faith’.

Genesis 15:1-6 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Application

Genesis 15:1-6 is relatively easy for us to read, because we are used to reading about faith in the Bible due to our general use of the New Testament.  When we read this passage in its full Old Testament context, however, we are reminded that faith lies at the heart of Christian theology, and at the heart of our understanding of the work of God to bring salvation to the world.  God accepted Abram totally on the basis of his unspoken heart of faith, and the trust he had in His promises.  This is the kind of faith that now accepts Jesus as Lord, and it brings salvation to many more.  Those who have this faith are the true descendants of Abram, as Paul argued in his famous letter to the Romans (see chapter 4).

This crucial story began with a man who was struggling in his own mind over the promises he believed God had made to him.  Abram had been called and begun a journey of faith, but this incident seems to be an additional and crucial part of his development as a man who accepted the call of God on his life.  At the beginning, Abram felt it was possible that God could or would deliver on his promises, and it kept him awake one night.  As he turned this over in his mind, God came to him in a vision, reassured him, and gave him a prophecy that the promise would indeed come true.  You could say it was only a dream, only a vision, only a word; but Abram believed God.  One child would be born to fulfil God’s purposes, and God accepted Abram’s faith.  This, in itself, is prophetic of God’s whole remarkable plan of salvation through Jesus, and it is why Genesis 15 remains an important passage of scripture for all Christians.

Genesis 15:1-6 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Discipleship

Questions (for use in groups)

1. Share in your group any personal experiences you have in which a crisis of faith has turned into a true expression of faith.
2. Consider those things that you believe to be impossible for God.  Which of these might be something the Lord wishes to do?
3. What are the features of faith that come out of this story which help us understand faith in Jesus Christ?

Topics covered by this text

• Faith and righteousness
• The promises of God
• Prophecy
• Visions

Personal comments by author

This passage of scripture is famous and has been used to explain faith for centuries.  However, the faith of Abram in this passage is a deeply personal thing, which impacts on the whole of his life.  Abram would not be at this place before God unless he had travelled a long journey of obedience and learned important lessons along the way.  I know that I have had to travel a long way to begin to feel that my faith has ‘grown’, because for too long, I thought that faith was just like one thing, I either had it or I didn’t.  To a certain extent this is true, but this idea can too often stop us accepting that faith starts and then grows as we apply it in real life.

Ideas for exploring discipleship

• As a lifestyle challenge, consider evaluating your own faith according to the qualities of faith that scripture has so far revealed through Abraham.  It might take a week or so of looking through some scriptures and thinking through where you stand with some issues, but it may well be something God can use to show you the way forward for your personal and practical faith.
• Pray for the church and pray that God’s people will show faith throughout everything they do in worship and in service.

Final Prayer

Bless me I pray, Lord God; and may I then be a blessing to others.  Enable me to be consistent in my faith for the sake of those who depend on me, and help me to be focussed on You, the source of all good things.  Thank You, Lord God, for the blessings You give me and all humanity through Jesus Christ our Lord.   AMEN

The call of Jacob 1 - Genesis 28:10-22

Genesis 28:10-22 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Review

(consult Dictionaries)

This is a well known passage, and it is a scriptural text that is both deeply human and spiritually awesome. Jacob’s vision of angels ascending and descending on a ladder between heaven and earth is unique in Scripture, and it has inspired artists for thousands of years.  This event triggered Jacob’s inner search for God, a search that was to last for many years and was completed only when he finally returned to the Promised Land many years later after decades of living a life of servitude.  We will read about the second major spiritual event in his life, tomorrow.

To begin with, however, we must appreciate the character of the man whose life God was about to change forever.  Jacob had experienced something of a troubled childhood, and he appears to have been rather independent-minded and self centred.  Jacob was doubtless aware of the faith of his father Isaac and the Covenant of which he was the guardian, but his own faith was under-developed (see, for example, how he spoke to his father about ‘your God’ - 27:20).  Although a man of nearly forty years of age, there are no signs that he had yet accepted the faith of his father and he did not appear to have a relationship with God.  His father Isaac had prophesied the Lord’s Covenant blessing on him (28:3,4), but Jacob had deceived his father to obtain this blessing, and he gave no indication of understanding the spiritual significance of the Covenant.  After a family altercation, Jacob was dismissed from his family, but was given instructions to go and find a wife from the family of his great-grandfather Terah, by looking for the house of his mother’s brother Laban (27:43; 28:2). 

All this did not stop God working powerfully in Jacob’s life, for as soon as he left his parents home, our passage today shows that God began His work of bringing Jacob to a place where he would be worthy of the Covenant blessing.  As Jacob came one evening to a place where a boundary was marked by stones (a detail we will examine later on), he re-arranged the stones to protect himself.  Then, as he slept, he had a vision of angels ascending and descending on a ladder.  This is remarkable, for thus far in Scripture we have only ever met angels in ones or two’s, acting like people and doing the Lord’s work (e.g. 16:7f.; 19:1f.).  In this dream, however, Jacob could see a multitude of angels moving between heaven and earth.

Clearly, Jacob was observing some mystery, but the angels did not interact with him personally.  Suddenly, however, the Lord Himself spoke!  God said to him, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac …’.  This awe-inspiring revelation was given only to a few people in Scriptures, such as Isaac (his father - 26:24) and Moses (3:4,16f.).  God then gave Jacob his personal guarantee of the Covenant (28:13,14), but it came with a condition.  Jacob was told that he would have to travel on a long journey and accept the guidance of God (28:15); the Lord’s presence would guide Him on his journey.

Upon waking, Jacob was immediately aware of what had happened, and set up one of the stones he had used for protection (28:11) to mark this special experience.  He made a vow that if God fulfilled his promise and gave him safety in his travels, then he would build a temple there (‘God’s house’ – 28:22).  This indicates something of the journey of faith Jacob would travel, he was testing the Lord’s promise.  He did not respond to the revelation with unreserved obedience or worship, but with a bargain.  Jacob was only prepared to accept the Lord if He did what was promised, however reasonable that was!

This was the start of a long a complex relationship between the Lord and Jacob through which Jacob would have to be broken before he would truly be the Lord’s servant worthy of the Covenant.  It is a reminder to us that we often treat the Lord in the same way; yet the Lord is always drawing us, like Jacob, to deeper obedience.

Going Deeper

The Bible study goes deeper to look at these issues:

• Setting out for Haran
• Where was the Lord’s ‘presence’?
• What did Jacob do upon waking?
• Jacob’s vow

Genesis 28:10-22 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Going Deeper

(consult Dictionaries)

There are plenty of details within this text which are of great interest.  Going deeper we will find out about the meaning of the boundary stones and the angels going up and down the ladder; none of this was co-incidence! The Covenant Promise itself was also extended by the Lord, and the bargain that Jacob asked of the Lord is very important for the future of Israel.

Setting out for Haran

The previous Scriptures in Genesis 27 and 28 explain why Jacob was on this private and lonely journey.  He had been central to a deceitful incident that had torn apart his family, and both his father and mother decided that for his own good and the stability of the family unit, he should leave and go to Mesopotamia, to Haran (28:10) where he should find himself a wife from the family of his mother’s brother, Laban (28:2).  Now, if this was to be the way that Isaac’s son would find a wife, it stood in stark contrast to what happened when Abraham sent his most senior servant to find a wife for Isaac (Gen 24).  On that occasion, the heir apparent stayed with his father, and a wise and trusted servant went to Haran with a rich and glamorous camel train to negotiate for Rebekah to become the next matriarch in Abraham’s family line.  Now Jacob left the family home for his own safety, alone and apparently without even a tent within which to sleep at night.  He was the pampered favourite son of his mother who needed to learn something of real life if he was to become a man.

Jacob travelled north from Beersheba, and his journey to Mesopotamia in the far north and the regions of Haran would have taken many days, being several hundred miles.  On his way he would have travelled through large sections of Canaan, the ‘Promised Land’ of the Covenant God had made with his father Isaac and Grandfather Abraham (13:14-18).  Our passage describes what happened on one of the nights of this journey, at a place we now know as Bethel (28:19) 50 miles north of Beersheba, in the middle of Canaanite territory.  Jacob came across some stones that marked a tribal boundary, a common sight in those days, but because it is not something we are familiar with today, it is often translated as ‘a certain place’. 

Jacob had already shown that he was a somewhat irreligious man (see above) and his next actions typified this.  Boundary stones (clearly referred to in the Hebrew of v11) were set up in honour of the gods of the tribes to whom the boundaries belonged, and were regarded as sacred.  Jacob had the temerity to take them down and arrange them around his head as a form of night protection from wild animals.  Old translations of the Bible such as the Authorised Version have ‘under’ his head – hence the wrong idea that he used the stone as a pillow!  Nevertheless, the tribes-people who would have set up these stones in the first places would have said curses against whoever moved the stones (there are many ancient records of such treatise) and this may have been playing on Jacob’s mind as he went to sleep.

Where was the Lord’s ‘presence’?

The general popular beliefs of the day were that angels protected the different tribes within their own agreed areas, and Jacob had gone to sleep on a boundary within Canaanite tribal lands after having dismantled a sacred boundary marker and (according to beliefs of the day) upset the local gods!  It is in this setting that Jacob had his famous dream of angels ascending and descending to heaven on a ladder!  Some believe the angelic activity represented a fearsome picture of Jacob’s unsettling the local deities by his dismantling of the sacred stones.  This is not in fact a negative picture, but a positive one.  Unknowingly, Jacob had done something very significant; by doing this, he gave the Lord a chance to break into a small part of the Promised Land and to make an appearance to him at this very place.  The angels could be the Lord’s angels coming into the Promised Land from heaven and the demonic angels of the local deities departing!

In verse 13, it says ‘the Lord stood beside him …’ and then spoke to him a new version of the Covenant Promise.  On this occasion, God identified the Promised Land as ‘the land on which you lie’, He promised Jacob not just many descendants as he had done to his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham before, but more specifically, many ‘children’ (28:14,15).  Abraham and Isaac had only passed the Covenant on to one child, and at some point, these small families had to come to an end and the inheritance pass on wholesale to large numbers of children and their generations; this was to happen to a fearful, lonely and somewhat sceptical Jacob!

In addition, the Lord’s appearance to Jacob was a powerful mystery.  The Hebrew word ‘beside’ him (28:13) could equally mean ‘above’, ‘alongside’, ‘around’, or ‘adjacent’ or anywhere ‘near’ him.  From the point of view of the Hebrew text, the Lord was all around him, protecting him!  God’s very actions were a fulfilment of his promise that he would ‘be with’ Jacob wherever he went, the crucial Covenant blessing that God gave to his people irrespective of their deserving!

What did Jacob do upon waking?

It was the presence of the Lord that Jacob remembered from his dream; he said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it!’ (28:16); and he seems not to have been bothered by the angels themselves, but the fact that they were ascending and descending!  To him it was proof that God Almighty was with him at that time and at that place, and in response he did something that was highly provocative in his own day.  He set up a cairn of stones and anointed it with oil (28:18), for this was a formal way of staking a claim to a piece of land.  What Jacob did was to make a unilateral claim for this piece of the Promised land, so that it might belong to him and his descendants!

The first piece of the Promised Land owned by God’s people was the field of Machpelah at Mamre, purchased by Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, from local inhabitants as a burial ground for himself and his wife Sarah (23:9; 25:9).  Jacob’s actions were far more rash; the Scriptures record for us that the place Jacob slept was near a city called Luz, and the boundary stones he used (28:11) would therefore have been an outlying marker for the city boundaries.  Jacob called the place ‘Bethel’ meaning ‘house of God’, but as happened in many parts of the Promised Land, both names were used in future years for the same place (see Joshua 16:2, Judges 1:23,26).  In later years, Bethel became very important to the religious life of Israel, because of its association with Jacob and this famous experience (see Judges 4:5, Amos 5:5).  It was the first religious experience that Jacob had, and it affected him deeply.

Jacob’s vow

Jacob was still not someone who was given to showing the same kind of blind faith shown by his grandfather Abraham, or the obedient faith of his father Isaac.  He wanted proof that God was going to look after him well beyond the one night near Luz, and this is why he made a vow.  When we read the story, we think that what he did sounds a very ‘holy’ thing to do sounds a very holy thing to do.  To some extent it was, but it was still a contract that worked on the principle of proof; ‘if You, O God, do what you have promised for me, then I will do …’.  This shows that Jacob was still unsure of the Lord’s will and purpose for him.  God had spoken to him directly and personally, but Jacob started from the premise that God might not yet fulfil his promise!  His scepticism was not yet removed!

Jacob made it clear that he would only accept the Lord as his God if he kept His side of the bargain, and added a number of items to the agreement.  He wanted ‘bread to eat and clothes to wear ...’ (28:20) while he was on his journey, as well as the promise of a safe return.  Again, this is proof to us that at this point in time; Jacob still held back from total commitment to the Lord God.  Jacob also promised that he would build a temple of some kind to the Lord at Bethel, and would ‘give one tenth to you’ (28:22) the same principle of the tithe offering exampled by his grandfather Abraham (14:20).

The physical journey that Jacob was about to embark upon was far more extensive and challenging than he could possibly know, but so was the spiritual journey that lay ahead.  He had begun a path of faith, but it would be a long time before he was in a position to say his vow had been completed and accept the Lord as His God, formally.  However, though God’s providence, he would.

Genesis 28:10-22 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Application

Jacob’s dream is a fascinating story, and one that reminds us in a graphic way of God’s desire to break into our world in order to achieve His purposes.  In Old Testament times, this happened only occasionally as God appeared to great people; forefathers, kings and prophets, and led them through their lives.  He did this most frequently to those who were of His chosen people, but not always.  In New Testament times, God broke into the world through His son Jesus Christ, and then more extensively by His Holy Spirit through the Christian church which now extends the realm of the Kingdom that Jesus has begun on earth, as a foretaste of the glory of Heaven.  However, in the Old Testament, Jacob’s vision of angels ascending and descending between earth and heaven is an Old Testament foretaste of the connection between heaven and earth that exists for us now in Jesus Christ.  Jacob could not possibly have known that, but God used this vision of a time in the distant future to catch Jacob’s attention and lead him on his journey of faith.

It s important that we read this passage with spiritual discernment and observe that Jacob was only just beginning to learn to trust God.  Some people are like Abraham, and find blind faith easy or natural.  Some are like Isaac, and exercise faith quite happily through being faithful and obedient.  Yet others are like Jacob; they need to test God out and travel an extensive road of spiritual experience before coming to the place where they will accept God’s call.  Initially it seems as if like Jacob, such people are asking for God’s attention on their own terms.  However, as we shall find out, God accepts this as a starting point for life’s spiritual journey, but he never accepts a relationship with anyone on this basis.  Jacob would have to discover more about God and learn to trust Him, just as people have to do this today, and we should remember that Jacob was the man God eventually chose to be called ‘Israel’, the man whose children truly became the ‘children of Israel’..  Jacob’s life story is one that has much to teach us today.

Genesis 28:10-22 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Discipleship

Questions (for use in groups)

1. What did the vision of the angels ascending and descending mean to Jacob?  What do you believe it means now?
2. If you have access to a Bible Dictionary or Concordance, look up the town Bethel, and try to find out some more about its history in the life of Israel.
3. What does ‘making a vow’ mean to people today, and how might this be used to help people on their journey of faith?

Topics covered by this text

• Visions
• The ‘marking’ of spiritual events in specific ways
• The journey of faith
• Trusting God and making vows

Personal comments by author

I have spoken to many people today who have struggled with their journey of faith, and I suspect that if the story of Jacob was better known or understood, then it could be used to help people understand how their relationship with God develops over time.  We need to make sure that people known Jacob’s story has an end in which he is completely at one with his God, he does not remain in doubt or in any state of detachment from God.  He may have been cautious and bargained with God, but the Lord accepted this and it did not compromise the end results of his faith.

Ideas for exploring discipleship

• Measure yourself against the categories of faith that have been identified in the Bible study as belonging to Abraham (blind faith) Isaac (faithful obedience) and Jacob (sceptical faith which needs proof).
• Is there any prejudice against anyone those with different experiences of faith within the church today?  This can be very damaging, yet it seems that God worked differently through the three forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to bring His people into existence!  What does this mean.

Final Prayer

In the midst of all that happens to us each day, may we stop and give thanks to You, Lord God, for your sustenance and power.  May we thank You for Your spiritual and physical sustenance, and for the heavenly power by which everything we hold dear is embraced by Your love and care.  We praise You, Lord God: AMEN.

The call of Jacob 2 - Genesis 33:22-32

Genesis 33:22-32 (get text)   Study inks:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Review

(consult Dictionaries)

Jacob began his spiritual journey when he was thrown out of his home, and was sent away from the Promised Land in search of a wife (28:10-22).  After many years of servitude and struggle with his father-in-law, Laban, he returned to Canaan a different man.  After hearing about the approach of his brother Esau, with whom he had quarrelled bitterly (27:41f.), he organised his household to go ahead of him over the Jabbok stream, a minor river on the eastern side of the Jordan marking part of the perceived boundary between Canaan and the north.  He made the symbolic crossing alone, but found his way barred by a man, with whom he fought (32:24).

After an immense struggle Jacob was injured, but would not give up.  He demanded that his opponent ‘bless’ him, which probably meant that he should do him the favour of yielding.  As the two men spoke, Jacob’s opponent demanded to know his name, and when Jacob replied, we discover for the first time that his opponent was more than a man; this was God who had power to rename Jacob, ‘Israel’ (probably meaning ‘God rules’).  The fight came to an end as God blessed Jacob and yielded to his desire to cross the Jabbok to rejoin his family, but Jacob limped away in awe of his meeting with the living God, and with the physical scars to prove it (32:30,31)!

There is extraordinary dramatic tension in this compelling story.  At Peniel, Jacob faced the God of his fathers alone in a physical and spiritual struggle; this was the climax of his journey of faith begun so many years ago.  We cannot easily analyse what happened, because it was a certainly a mystery to Jacob (32:30).  As with many Biblical stories such as Creation, the Exodus, or the Resurrection, the physical facts are hard to tie down, yet the consequences are immense.  We should surely expect this; for Scripture does not merely record facts for a religious system; it advocates the truth about God and His relationship with real people, and we can never reduce this to the level of who did what in a fight.  These things defy our attempts to rationalise them because God is infinitely bigger than we are; we are but observers of what God does in His world and privileged to be His partners according to His will and blessing.  Perhaps this is what Jacob learned that night at Peniel.

Some writers describe this passage as little more than an ill-defined wrestling match between two men, one of whom happens to be God.  How tragic!  This is a deeply spiritual event in which Jacob, a man who knew already what God’s purposes for him were, became the true spiritual forefather of God’s people Israel; and it happened not because of his strength to withstand, impressive though that was, but by the blessing of God.  I will explain the text as much as I can, but the truth is this, through the struggle, Jacob completed his struggle to know God and have a truly personal relationship with Him.  Consequently, God was able to use him as the father of the nation of Israel.  This may not satisfy our modern desire to know ‘the facts’, but it helps us find the truth; and the two are not the same. 

The mysterious nature of this passage is clear.  As we read through verses 25 to 29, we can be unsure who is saying what, and the text of the Hebrew at this point is not as clear as we would like.  It is only later, when Jacob limps away and acknowledges that he has met with God that we can go back and try to work out what was happening.  Indeed, the ‘man’ who fought with Jacob is not identified as God until afterwards, just as Abraham only realised he had been speaking with God’s angels after they had left (see Genesis 18).  By the end of the encounter, Jacob certainly knew he had met with God, naming the place ‘Peniel’ meaning ‘the face of God’. 

Going Deeper

The Bible study goes deeper to look at these issues:

• Jacob, alone, and facing the future
• Jacob’s struggle
• The names of Peniel and Israel

Genesis 33:22-32 (get text)   Study inks:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Going Deeper

(consult Dictionaries)

There is more to this text than we can explain.  Why did Jacob ensure he was alone to pass over this insignificant river?  What does the struggle mean for Jacob or for us?  What does the name ‘Israel’ mean?  These may be mysteries, but to where do they point?

Jacob, alone and facing the future

‘Jacob was left there alone’ (32:24) is the important starting point for this story.  Jacob had made all the preparations he could in order to face his own ‘past’ in the person of his twin brother Esau.  Although he knew the blessings of God and trusted in them, he also knew that he had to accept personal responsibility for what he had done in the past.  He had to deal with the deceit and trickery he had meted out on Esau, which, for all he knew, had severely affected his twin and prevented him from finding happiness and fulfilment.

None of this, however, was the fault of anyone but himself.  His own spirit had acted in treachery and his own spirit needed healing from Almighty God, and it was not something that could be put right for him by either good deeds, standing up to Laban, being a good father to his eleven sons and a daughter or even a good husband of two wives!  Neither could this spiritual sin be healed by forgiveness from the person who had received its spite, Esau, the man causing panic by approaching his family with four hundred men.  God alone could heal Jacob’s spirit, and Jacob needed to be by himself for God to do this work.  We are not talking about a ‘rule of thumb’ which we can lift and copy in healing ministry; this was the spiritual logic of Jacob’s situation and he perceived it correctly by sending his family and all his possessions ahead of him over the river Jabbok (32:22).

Jacob had prepared for a confrontation with Esau, and yet suddenly stood alone in the dark, facing a man who ‘wrestled with him until daybreak’.  We do not yet know who this man was, but if we read on in Scripture we will gradually discover the general picture.  However, by not telling us, God’s Word invites us to experience the tensions felt by Jacob as he fought his way through this strange experience.  God was with him, but not as he might have expected!

Jacob’s struggle.

There is a close connection between the Hebrew word for Jacob, ‘YACOB’ and the Hebrew for the stream, ‘YABBOK’ and the Hebrew verb for struggle ‘YABOC’.  When we know about this word play within the text, a great deal begins to make sense.  Even the stream (because of its name) is caught up in God’s purposes, for we should be in no doubt that the future of the world and God’s Covenant plan for the redemption and salvation of the whole world was at stake.

The struggle took place in the darkness of the night, which meant that Jacob could not see clearly who he was fighting, and during the struggle, neither Jacob nor the man gained advantage.  The difficulty we have in interpreting this lies in our competitive notion of ‘wrestling’, and although I have used both the words ‘wrestle’ and ‘struggle’, they both translate one Hebrew word (‘YABOC’) which includes spiritual struggle as well as physical; hence the use of ‘wrestle’.

One way of understanding this is to focus on the sequence of events, in which one person injured the other on the hip (we discover later that Jacob took the injury) and then the man sought to leave before he could be physically recognised because of the coming sunrise (32:26).  With the struggle unresolved, Jacob demanded a blessing before he would release his hold.  The man replied by demanding that Jacob reveal his name, and when it was revealed, he then gave him a new name which was both for him and all his descendants; Israel.  The name implies victory through struggle, and appears to be like a commendation for Jacob’s effort!  The wrestling ended when the man refused to give a name, but blessed Jacob as requested!

If you merely read this passage in this way, then it appears that Jacob wrestled with an angelic messenger of God, and despite receiving a permanent injury, won the tussle and with it a new name and the Covenant blessing of God!  The trouble with this is that by simplifying it in this way we have almost wholly omitted the spiritual aspects of what was going on, and ended up with Jacob apparently winning the Covenant blessing of God by his own efforts.  This is surely at odds with the build-up Scripture has given this great event!

Instead, try reading the passage as if it is a spiritual parable of Jacob’s life.  Jacob’s struggle with the man was like his struggle with God ever since his youth.  Jacob chose to go his own way and God would not prevent him or stand in his way; but He never left Jacob and the spiritual struggle continued unresolved (see ‘the man saw that he did not overcome Jacob’ 32:25).  The physical injury received by Jacob (32:25) was equivalent to the deep pain and hurt he suffered at the hand of Laban.  From this time onwards, Jacob began to seek the blessing of God with whom he struggled (32:26), which was the birthright of the Covenant.  God’s reply to this was the same as the man who demanded of Jacob ‘what is your name’ (32:27), and by replying, Jacob spoke out a confession of sin, for his own name meant ‘one who grasps’.  Jacob had grasped and stolen God’s blessing through Isaac; that was the problem, and Jacob needed to confess this before he could be so blessed.  God’s declaration that he would be given a new name was God’s acceptance of Jacob’s confession of sin, and the words which explain the name of Israel ‘you have struggled with God and have overcome’ does not mean that Jacob had overcome God; Jacob had, by his own confession and God’s grace, overcome his own sin! Once this confession and ‘absolution’ had happened, then the Lord was free to give Jacob the full Covenant blessing (32:29).

This begins, but only begins, to uncover the surface of the spiritual significance of this passage.  Once this very physical struggle is explored from a spiritual perspective, much is found.

The names of Israel and Peniel

There is enormous debate about the meaning of the name ‘Israel’.  The Scriptures themselves here say that Jacob is called ‘Israel’ because of Jacob’s spiritual victory granted by God, after years of struggle.  But what does the word really mean?  Linguistically, the options are ‘God fights’, ‘God is just’, ‘he struggles with God’, ‘God rules’, and ‘God struggles’.  None of these seem satisfactory, and though few scholars agree, the interpretation ‘God rules’ is probably best.  In the light of this, we are wise to keep close to the spiritual meaning of what happened to Jacob when he was given the name.  The people of Israel are the people with whom God struggles to achieve His purpose to bless both them and through them, the whole world.  More than that, despite the pains of the struggle, God does it victoriously!

You may not like this, preferring to find a few single words for a definition.  However, this spiritual understanding cannot be set aside for the sake of our desire for a few words.  When understood like this, Israel is the name of God’s people and which contains their humanity, Gods blessing, and the salvation of the world through His Covenant!  In that light, we may be proud to be part of the New Israel in Jesus Christ, His people, the Church!

At the end of the day, Jacob named the place where this mysterious spiritual experience happened, ‘Peniel’, which means ‘the face of God’.  Within the strange circumstances of this day, Jacob became one of a number of people in the Old Testament who could say that he had met God (Moses, Ex. 24:9f.; Gideon, Judges 6:22 etc.).  Each of them anticipating the time when God’s Covenant plan would be completed in Christ and we would all have access to the Father through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-6).  The naming of the place ‘Peniel’ was a reminder of the spiritual truth that Jacob had witnessed.

Genesis 33:22-32 (get text)   Study inks:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Application

There is a great deal more that could be said about this great text from God’s Word.  I have limited myself to focussing on the struggles of Jacob to be the man God intended Him to be; and although he did not give in physically, he submitted to God spiritually in this struggle, declaring his sin and dealing with it before God.  Perhaps what really happened between God and Jacob on that day will never be truly known by anyone.  Scripture tells us only what we need to know, and here, we are told what is necessary to understand the origins of the new name of Israel given to Jacob.  This name was untainted by his past sin, and it indicated the Covenant purposes of God to do His will through His people, and that will is the Salvation of the whole world.

This passage contains a certain amount about the confession of sin and the forgiveness of God, but at the heart of it is Jacob’s obedience to the Lord, something that led him to the right place to deal with his sin.  We are mistaken if we think that God’s forgiveness of people’s sin is something that can be done according to formulae.  Church prayers and liturgies which talk of these things are aids, which remind us of the spiritual truths of the Christian journey we travel, but they can never replace the need for us to be obedient to the Lord’s call to sort out the consequences to our past sins.

Finally, there is every reason for all of us who read this to feel empowered and encouraged because it explains to us the name of Israel by which all who are God’s people may be known.  It is, perhaps, a shame that we live at a time when people commonly use the word ‘church’ to mean a building, rather than a gathering of God’s people (its proper meaning), and the name ‘Israel’ is tied to a modern state which is largely, but by no means completely, made up of the historic Old Testament people of God.  This should not prevent us from knowing how to use both words properly and glorying in them, particularly the name ‘Israel’; for all God’s people are His ‘Israel’, because God rules in this world through us, because of Christ.

Genesis 33:22-32 (get text)   Study inks:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Discipleship

Questions (for use in groups)

1. Discuss in your group the sequence of events of the ‘wrestling’ of Jacob.  Who gains most from the outcome?  God or Jacob?
2. If you have Biblical resources, look up the meaning of the name ‘Israel’ and discuss what it means.
3. How was Jacob a different man after the experience at Peniel, and what difference did this make to the future of God’s people?

Topics covered by this text

• The mystery of personal contact with God
• Struggling with God and yielding to Him
• Confession of sin and its consequences.
• The meaning of names, especially the name of Israel

Personal comments by author

It is hard to write about someone else struggles with God!  Each of us has a personal relationship with our God, and there are some things about it that are very personal and we do not feel that others should know.  Yet Jacob was a man who God chose to be the forefather of the Israelites, so the details of his personal relationship with God are important to us, and Scripture allows us to pry!  We will not find complete spiritual answers in any single passage of Scripture of course, but only in our wider reading of its treasures.

Ideas for exploring discipleship

• Think back through your own experience of Christian faith.  When have you confessed sin?  At church on Sundays?  On special occasions when God has called you?  When other people have confronted you and challenged you?  As you think about what has happened, ask yourself whether there are things you ought to confess.  God will lead you on from there!
• Pray for the church as it struggles to help people deal with sin properly.  Pray that God’s people will become a witness for the truth against the forces of sin in the world

Final Prayer

Jesus Christ, You struggled with people throughout Your ministry as You sought to explain the truths of God and His eternal purposes.  May we be prepared to be submissive to Your will and therefore able to hear Your Word, to receive it, and to put it into action; in Your name we pray, AMEN

The call of Joshua - Joshua 1:1-9

Joshua 1:1-9 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Discipleship /

Review

(consult Dictionaries)

Today’s Bible study is brief, and contains a review and discipleship notes only

At the end of Deuteronomy, God took His servant Moses to Mount Nebo (Deut 34:1f.), where he died.  Moses had been Israel’s enigmatic and powerful leader for a long time, through the extraordinary Exodus (Ex 12-14) and the formative years of the nation’s life whilst travelling in the desert (as in Exodus 16f., Numbers and Deuteronomy).  Moses was a unique man of God and leader of the people, but who would come after him?  The answer is that God had been preparing someone to take over from Moses; and this was Joshua, the son of Nun (Josh 1:1f.).  It is not easy for us to understand, but in ancient times, the power vacuum created when a great leader passed away could be disastrous.  A quick succession was necessary, and God moved swiftly to appoint Joshua with a prophetic word which connected Joshua seamlessly with the rule of Moses (Josh 1:1,2).

We have already met Joshua in previous stories of Israel’s wilderness experiences.  He led the people of Israel against the Amalek (Exodus 17:9f.), accompanied Moses on his spiritual pilgrimages up various mountains (see 24:13 etc.), and was one of the ‘spies’ who entered the Promised Land.  At the time, Joshua advised entering the land, but the people were scared because of the presence in Canaan of ‘Nephilim’, who appeared to them to be huge (Numbers 13:33).  As a consequence, Joshua escaped the great judgement that came on Israel because of this sin of unbelief (Numbers 14:1f.).  Joshua was a man marked by the favour of God (Deut 3:28, 31:3f. etc.), so when Moses died and Israel stood poised to enter the Promised Land, Joshua was ready and willing to step into Moses’ shoes.

Joshua may have been ready and willing, but he still needed God’s specific blessing and anointing for service.  Just as Moses met with the Lord at the burning bush (Exodus 3) and was commissioned to act, so God spoke to Joshua here at this critical moment of time in Israel’s history.  He was given a specific commission to complete the work of Moses and bring the people into the Promised Land (1:2-5), and to do this, he was given the blessing of God’s presence (1:5).  Then, to complement this, God spoke to Joshua to give him a personal word (1:6-9).  He was told to be ‘strong and courageous’ (1:6,7,9), and was also told to keep the ‘Book of the Law’ close at hand, physically and spiritually (1:7,8).  The last words of this commission have now become famous; ‘be strong and courageous, do not be frightened or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go’ (1:9).

The commission of Joshua was a remarkable event, because God revealed to Joshua the extent of the Promised Land and the area of land he had to conquer to fulfil the commission (1:4,5).  The description of the Promised Land found here is very different from the vision given to Abraham (13:10,14), and also different from the land eventually invaded by Joshua (see at the end of Joshua and the beginning of Judges).  In reality, the promise of God was never acquired in full, despite the valiant efforts of Joshua; but Joshua himself need this great promise of God to enable him to take on the great task of winning a homeland for the people of Israel.

The most interesting feature of God’s call and commission of Joshua is the combination of a threefold command of God to be strong (1:6,7,9) and the command to keep close to the laws of God.  The promise of God was that if Joshua kept God’s laws and did so with boldness, then he would become ‘prosperous ... and successful’ (1:8).  Now it is too easy for some to suggest from this that if we are completely loyal to the Lord and do His will boldly today, then we will have the same rewards.  However, we must remember that Joshua was not called to personal benefits.  The result of ‘success and prosper’ was for God’s people as a whole, not for Joshua personally, as later generations of Israelites discovered.

Nevertheless, we can learn from the call of God to Joshua, which required him to be obedient and utterly grounded in God’s law.  The scrolls he obtained from Moses were the only ‘Scripture’ of the day (1:8), and even in those times, God required that it be a natural part of Joshua’s speech and thought at all times.  We too, can learn to be God’s people by being obedient to the revelation He has given us in Christ, and being people who are grounded in the His Word as we now have it, which is the Bible.

Joshua 1:1-9 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Discipleship /

Discipleship

Questions (for use in groups)

1. What can we learn from this passage today about obedience?  What obedience does our Lord God require of His people today?
2. The church is sometimes coy in talking about ‘success’.  What success should we seek, and how should we go about it?
3. How does this passage of scripture assist the faith of ordinary Christians today?

Topics covered by this text

• Strength and courage as God’s servants
• God’s call to obedience and to knowing Scriptures
• God’s promise to reward our faithfulness

Personal comments by author

I find it fascinating that God called Joshua to be someone who was immersed in the Word of God.  Joshua only had the works of Moses by which to know God’s ways, possibly in the form of a scroll, but God knew that this was sufficient for him.  Joshua needed to be single minded and clear in his vision, and God gave him clear and precise instructions; how often do we long for life to be that simple!  We often make life more complex than it need be, when our Lord has a clear plan for us if we would but follow it!  One thing is certain, however, which is that being courageous and strong is important, but perhaps not the heart of Christian faith.  However important these characteristics truly are, it is more important to start with obedience to God’s Word.

Ideas for exploring discipleship

• How do you go about being a man or woman of God’s Word?  We hear the Lord speak to us in many different ways today, and scripture itself tells us to listen to the preached Word, to read the written Word, to live with Jesus the Word and to study the revealed Word.  How do you know what God’s Word for you is?  Look for a specific and prayerful answer to your question!
• Pray for all who need true leadership today.  Many of God’s people languish for want of a good and godly leader, so pray for those who train leaders and those who are called to leadership.

Final Prayer

Thank You, heavenly Father, for the call that You have placed upon our lives.  You have loved us, given us Your love, and revealed Your truth to us; help us therefore to give you the best of our time and energy so that we may be used in Your service.  All praise to You, heavenly Father.  AMEN

The call of David - 1 Samuel 16:11-13

1 Samuel 16:11-13 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Discipleship /

Review

(consult Dictionaries)

Today’s Bible study is brief, and contains a review and discipleship notes only

This passage comes from the heart of the story about Samuel’s anointing of David as king over all Israel, while he was a youth, and in front of his whole family.  There would be many years before David’s call would be realised, so the anointing is in some way prophetic; a promise of what was to come when David was 40 years old, and had fought to bring peace to the divided and spoiled nation of Israel (see 2 Samuel 5).

But how and why does God put his hand on some people’s lives to guide them for a purpose such as this?  We can never fully answer this mystery, because none of the stories in the Bible give us an answer to our questions about why God uses one person and not another.  However, it is clear that God does chose individuals for special tasks, and always has done, though how he does this, we will never fully know.  If there had been a blueprint for God’s method of selection for a King of Israel, then the prophet Samuel would surely have known it.  When he first selected Saul as King over Israel (1 Sam 9), he thought that all had gone well.  He had followed the Lord’s instructions, but things had gone wrong and Saul had turned out to be a tyrant (1 Sam 15).  Samuel was distressed and confused by this, but he followed the Lord’s leading again, and went in search of a King of Israel again.

If you read through the first thirteen verses of 1 Samuel 16, you will notice that Samuel was very cagey about what he was being called to do, and was very impatient.  Saul was still alive and becoming dangerously aggressive and isolated as a king whose authority was not fully respected by all Israel.  What Samuel did in selecting David from the family of Jesse was done undercover; it was treason, and everyone knew it.  I am not sure whether Jesse was scared of Samuel, or Samuel of Jesse, for they both knew that Saul’s authority as King was becoming non-existent, and they both knew that Samuel was choosing another king at a time when everything was going wrong in Israel and the monarchy.  But Samuel persisted in following the  Lord’s command, even if he did leave and go to Ramah immediately after the anointing without even offering any advice to the elect David.  Samuel had been faithful, but it is easy to see that David was probably left wondering what had happened. 

The Bible does not record what David felt.  It is content for us to observe that he was a handsome young man, full of the knowledge of sheep and of the field, and full of potential, which at this stage was evident to God at least.  David was probably aware of what had been done to him, and we can only imagine what it must have been like for a young man to come to terms with being anointed king of his people in such a manner.  What would he do?  Would he tell everyone about him to be obedient to him and grasp all the authority he could?  The shepherd boy knew that if he tried to act in an authoritarian way with sheep, they would all run away from him.  David knew that people’s respect had to be gained through care and over time, so he made no move at all; he followed his life as it panned out before him, confident that the Lord who had kept him safe in the fields and had led him safe thus far would do so in the future.  It is not often that people are so wise, but this clearly marks out David as one of the spiritual ‘greats’ of the Old Testament.

The spiritual faith of David is an inspiration to us, and we do well to follow in his footsteps.  For this reason, church tradition regards David as a ‘type’ of Christ, that is, one who points to the life of Christ in both word and deed.  Inspired by David, we should do whatever the Lord asks of us, and especially do what is before us to do, even if it is just to ‘feed the sheep’.  David may have gone from his anointing to do just this, with little knowledge of how he might win the nation over whom he had just been anointed.  However, he did not bemoan the task or stand back from it.

Centuries later, when Jesus said ‘Feed my sheep’ to Peter after the resurrection (John 21:16,17), it was a simple instruction, even though Peter did not fully understand what Jesus was saying at the time.  Eventually, through time, the saying has come to signify the pastoral role of a leader of God’s people throughout the church.  God can create immense good out of humble obedience.

1 Samuel 16:11-13 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Discipleship /

The call of Moses 1 - Exodus 3:1-6

Exodus 3:1-6 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Review

(consult Dictionaries)

This is the beginning of one of the most important chapters of the Old Testament.  Exodus 3 begins with the famous story of God’s revelation of Himself to Moses, and the chapter continues beyond this to describe God’s call to Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and set them free.  The chapter begins with the famous incident in which Moses was called aside by God through the sight of a burning bush.  This event completely changed Moses’ life, and it altered the course of history of Israel, and ultimately of the whole world.  The great act of God’s deliverance of Israel, recorded in Exodus, stemmed from Moses’ obedience to this call, and the personal relationship he subsequently had with the Lord.

At the beginning of the chapter, however, scripture does not paint a promising picture.  Moses had spent half of his life as a pampered princeling in the court of Pharaoh and half of his life as a shepherd for his father-in-law (Ex 7:6,7); he was certainly not rich and had not gained wealth through his conversion to the life and faith of his forefathers.  Then, in the course of his duties as a shepherd, Moses took Jethro’s flock to Horeb, possibly part of a mountain range in the Sinai peninsula, though it is almost impossible to be certain about exactly which mountain is called ‘Horeb’ (see the main Bible study).  Most scholars reckon ‘Horeb’ (as here) and ‘Sinai’ (as in Exodus 19 etc.) to be the same mountain, but whatever we think of this and wherever the mountain might be, God used it as a place to reveal Himself to Moses.

Moses then saw a burning bush.  Now, the sight of a flaming bush in the desert has been the subject of intense speculation and attempts at rational explanation, as if it was merely some natural phenomenon.  Such arguments are of little value.  Even now, few people have spent as long as 40 years shepherding in the area as Moses had done, and he would have known the difference between what was impressively natural and what was not.  He responded to the sight of the burning bush because what he saw was uniquely and mysteriously impressive, and he saw ‘the angel of the Lord ... in a flame of fire’.  Moses’ natural instincts drew him to the sight, but God stopped him in his tracks and called out to him, ‘Moses, Moses’.  This was no picturesque bush flower, or beautiful sunset seen through the haze of a desert mountain, it was the voice of God speaking directly to Moses.

Moses was commanded by God to ‘take your sandals from off your feet’, and this was the first direct commandment God gave Moses; the instruction indicated that Moses should stop and worship.  It was common in those days for people to remove items of clothing or shoes in order to worship, so Moses knew what was being asked of him. Throughout Genesis, the forefathers had worshipped the Lord wherever God had met them, and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had built altars and named places to remember these great events (see Gen 12:7; 13:18; 26:25 etc.).  Moses’ experience on Mount Horeb was just like this, but different.  Previously, God had revealed Himself and His Covenant to the forefathers in order to guide them towards becoming a great nation; but now, God needed Moses to be obedient to Him by taking radical action on His behalf, and we will find out in the rest of chapter 3.  At this, Moses felt the awesome power of God’s presence, and he hid his face in fear (3:6).

Many years had passed since the time of the forefathers; depending upon which Old Testament passage you use, Moses lived between 200 and 500 years after them, but the exact time period between the two does not matter.  We learned yesterday that the Israelites were in desperate need (2:25), and the time had come for God to save His people.  Moses’ task was to be God’s servant and save His people; and for that, God needed him to be totally obedient.  Our passage shows that Moses was now ready to hear God’s call.

Going Deeper

The Bible study goes deeper to look at these issues:

• Moses and the Mountain of God
• Moses and the burning bush
• Coming into the presence of Almighty God

Exodus 3:1-6 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Going Deeper

(consult Dictionaries)

Enormous amounts of time and energy have been spent on trying to locate the ‘mountain of God’, and the detailed text does give us some clues about location.  This whole passage is full of symbolism; fire, commands, worship, but it is all focussed around the amazing call of God; ‘Moses, Moses’.  God previously had a fascinating relationship with some of the forefathers, but the contact He established with Moses was of a new order.  It was a relationship which had to be strong enough to withstand the testing of many great events in the future!

Moses and the mountain of God

The more you look at this passage of Scripture, the more amazing it becomes.  Moses left Egypt a prince, having discovered his origins and chosen to take the tough road of identifying with his downtrodden ancestors.  After committing murder and escaping from Egypt (2:11-15), he found himself living a nomadic life in the spartan deserts regions of Sinai doing the one form of work most despised by the Egyptian culture from which he came; shepherding (Gen 36:32-34; 37:1-6)!  Nevertheless, shepherding was the occupation of his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and although it would have come as a shock to Moses at first, he spent forty years working at it, not even earning anything from it, as Jacob had done (Gen 30:37f.).  Moses was still looking after his father-in-laws’ sheep at the age of eighty!

So it was that Moses led his flock in search of pasture-lands on the mountain slopes of the Sinai range.  Interestingly, the Hebrew text of verse 1 hides a small directional guide as to where the mountain might be.  The phrase I have translated ‘through the desert’ (3:1) is more literally translated ‘behind the desert’.  This would not mean much to us, but to this day, the ancient Bedouin people, and probably the Midianites and other Semitic tribes from which they are descended, take their directional bearings from facing eastwards.  This means that it is probable that the phrase means something like ‘westwards’, but there are too many presumptions about this to make it a direct translation.  What this does indicate to us is that the range of mountains containing ‘Horeb’ could be on the western side of the Sinai Peninsula, which is where the traditional ‘Jebel Musa’ or ‘Moses Mountain’ is found to this day.  Other sites have been suggested in the Middle East, but I am not convinced that any stronger arguments have been produced for anywhere other than the traditional site.

In the book of Exodus, this mountain is called Horeb in three places; here, at the ‘striking of the rock’ incident (17:6) and before the Israelites set off on their wanderings after worshipping at the mountain (33:6).  The mountain is also called ‘Sinai’, but this name is used on the occasion of the giving of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19,20), when Moses went ‘up the mountain’ (24:16), and other incidents around the giving of the first and second set of Commandments (31:18 and 34:2f.)  The confusion has never helped, but most people have settled down to accept that we have another incidence of two names for the same place (as with the two names of Moses’ father in law – Reuel and Jethro - see yesterday’s study).  There are similar numbers of references to both Horeb and Sinai in the rest of the Old Testament, notably the occasion when Elijah fled to Horeb in 1 Kings 19:8 to hide in a cave and find God.

Moses and the burning bush

The phrase the ‘angel of the Lord’ is another way of talking about the presence of God (3:2).  Moses saw the fire coming from ‘within’ the bush and perceived something of the presence of God, and it was an entirely new revelation.  From this point onwards in the Old Testament, God is described as like a fire, guiding the Israelites through the desert as a pillar of fire, for example (Ex 13:21 etc.), and also purifying the people of Israel (Malachi 3:2).  Fire is a symbol of purity and holiness which represents God’s opposition to sin and also his ‘wrath’, an image which continues into the New Testament (e.g. in the prophetic words of John the Baptist; Matt 3:10) eventually coming to be associated with the Holy Spirit, coming as ‘fire’ on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3).  It is impossible for us to fully appreciate what Moses must have felt like, seeing God within fire, for the first time.  The awesomeness of the experience captivated his attention, and he approached the fire.

Moses approached the burning bush (3:3) intent upon investigating the angel he saw in the fire; it was a brave thing to do!  God needed a man who would not be afraid of anything, someone who had an enquiring mind and was prepared to investigate things.  In his younger days, Moses had keenly felt the injustice of the sufferings of his people; now, God needed to know whether his senses and judgement had been dulled by the years.  They had not, and the next verse clearly indicates that the Lord was looking for Moses to respond (3:4) before he took the next step. 

God then called out to Moses by speaking his name two times; ‘Moses, Moses’.  This form of address is common in many cultures today, but in Scripture it was a term of endearment.  The fact was that God was calling Moses not simply towards the Covenant established with his forefathers, but a personal relationship through which he would lead his people out of slavery.  This was a new type of contact, of a kind we have not seen so far in the Old Testament.  It is even possible to say that by expressing endearment in this way, God was expressing love towards Moses, and although God had always acted out of love for His people, this was the first time in Scripture that He expressed it in words directly to the person concerned.

God’s call of Moses also points forward to other great ‘calls’ in the Old Testament.  Samuel was called in a similar way, for example (1 Sam 3:4), and the theme of fire was strongly present in God’s call of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1f.).  Coming forward to the time of the New Testament, we find that Paul speaks of being ‘called’ to be an apostle (Romans 1:1 and many other places), and Christians in general are those who are ‘called’ according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).  What we often forget is that Moses was the first person God ‘called’ in this way.  God had been working in his life for some time, but in a moment which was God’s timing alone he was called to respond; and he did, he said ‘Here I am’ (3:4)

Coming into the presence of Almighty God

The command of God came as soon as Moses responded; ‘stop coming closer ...’ (3:5). It was another test of Moses’ obedience, as the Lord set boundaries about what Moses could do in his presence.  God was holy and pure, and Moses was certainly a sinner (and a murderer). The command God then gave was probably well understood by Moses, who would have known that it required him to worship God; ‘take your sandals from off your feet’ (3:5). Sandals were usually taken off when entering the house of another person, either as a guest or as a servant on an errand, and it was normal for people to take their sandals off when coming into the presence of God; that is, into any place of His dwelling.  For that reason, God said; ‘... the place where you are standing is holy ground.’ (3:5).  This should not be thought of as saying that the place on the mountain or the mountain itself was holy, only that God’s presence at that place at that time made it holy.  The rest of Scripture is clear in saying that the Lord God is present everywhere, and not to be identified exclusively with any place (despite his special attachment with the Temple in Jerusalem).

Later on in the story of Exodus, Moses was required to convey precise instructions to the people of Israel about what they should and should not do in order to offer acceptable worship to Almighty God.  The beginnings of this lay in Moses’ call, and from this point, Moses was clearly required by God to be obedient in every detail of what he did.

Lastly, God revealed Himself by word to Moses as the God of his Fathers (5:6).  This was perhaps what Moses had been looking for all his life.  He had sought his ancestry and paid the price of that with forty years of servitude.  Now, God was calling him to a different form of service!

Exodus 3:1-6 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Application

This amazing story has a great deal to offer us because it is the first Scripture which identifies personal call, love, and faithful response as part of a relationship between God and His people.  Alongside this relationship comes the responsibility to do what God requires, just as Moses had to be obedient to the Lord.  The way that God’s personal attention to Moses fits together with His requirement of obedience takes the idea of a personal relationship with God to a new level.  Throughout Old Testament times, the people of Israel looked up to Moses and were in awe of the relationship he had with Almighty God, however, they did not fully appreciate that what God wanted was to have this kind of relationship with all people!  In Christ, we are now in a place where we can have this personal relationship with God.

Reading the story of Moses, however, we are reminded that this personal relationship is not ours to do with as we wish, as some may think who have not been schooled into understanding the true Christian heritage of Scriptures.  Our proper response to God is that of obedient worship and service, as symbolised in this passage by God’s command to Moses to take off his sandals.  We are also required to be obedient to every aspect of His call, for the Lord does not have a personal relationship with people for the sake of it.  He has work to be done for the Kingdom, and He has made us to do this work.  He calls us to be obedient to Him and do what He asks of us.  Above all, He loves us, and longs for us to respond to His revelation.

Exodus 3:1-6 (get text)   Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Discipleship

Questions (for use in groups)

• Try to imagine the scene described in this passage.  Discuss with your group the pictures that come to you.
• Are the angel and God one and the same?  If not, what are the differences; what does the angel do and why is he present?
• Discuss within your group the significance of the ‘holy ground’ in verse 5.  Is there such a thing as ‘holy ground’ today, and if so, where?

Topics covered by this text

• Miracles
• The call of God
• Obedience to the call of God

Personal comments by author

God showed love and understanding to Moses in this event, even though it is something we  cannot easily spot.  All of us need His love, and even a small hint of it can be enough to help us; just a few words that show a small degree of love can dramatically change a situation and make it better.  Moses responded to God because he was addressed personally, and the Lord always calls us personally and with care, knowing how we will respond.  There is no need for us to fear Him.

Ideas for exploring discipleship

• Have you read the story of someone’s call?  There are many books telling the story of people’s call, and they can be helpful to read.  If you have not read the life story of someone else, which describes how God has used them, then try and get hold of such a book and read it.
• Think carefully how you can best bring God’s love into the different work and home situations in which you find yourself.  It is not always easy, but sometimes, with God’s help, just a few words will suffice!

Final Prayer

Make us fruitful in Your Kingdom, Holy Lord, God of power and of might.  May all we do contribute to the universal effort of all Your saints to bring Your Word of Salvation to all peoples, so that they may have a chance to hear the Good News presented in a reasonable and appealing way.  Bless us in all our endeavours we pray: AMEN

The call of Moses 2 - Exodus 3:7-12

Exodus 3:7-12 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Review

(consult Dictionaries)

It is impossible for us to guess exactly how low Moses was after the failure of his futile attempt to lead the people of Israel (2:11-15) and the forty years he spent in the service of his father-in-law.  At the heart of the book of Exodus lies God’s call to this broken man to do His will and achieve the impossible, the liberation of His people from Egypt, the greatest Empire of the day. When God drew Moses’ attention, he had sufficient faith despite his bruised spirit to reply (3:1-6), but the extraordinary gap between Moses and Almighty God was enormous, and it is not something people often comment upon today.  Many preachers like to draw attention to the way God prepared Moses for the task ahead through his quality training at court and his awareness of history and his ancestry, for example.  Too many people assume that Moses was a ready-made leader, merely awaiting God’s call to take up his rightful place as the leader of his people.

However, the more we read about Moses’ call in Exodus 3 and 4, the more we realise that he was like a man who had experienced emotional breakdown.  He was not merely reticent about doing God’s will because it was right to be humble before the Lord (3:11), he was genuinely broken before the awesomeness of God and the task he was called to do.  As we will discover, Moses’ call was not just about the ‘burning bush’ (3:1-6) or the great revelation of the name of God (3:13-15).  It was an extensive conversation with God in which Moses was laid bare, with all his personal inadequacies exposed.  The task required was extraordinary, and God had to do a great work in this old and bruised man in order to prepare him for the spiritual task ahead.  Up to this point, Moses’ spiritual preparation for the role of liberator was non-existent, but the seed of faith was present in him as he responded to the burning bush. It was all God required.

Today’s reading contains a clear and astounding statement of intent by God.  He had heard the plight of the Israelites (3:7,9), He intended to rescue them and lead them to a ‘good and spacious country’ (3:8), moreover Moses was the man he wanted to do the job for Him (3:11)!  The breadth of this vision was probably not beyond Moses’ grasp, as there can be little doubt that it was once Moses’ own desire to see his people set free.  However, Moses was not able to see that the task was achievable; ‘who am I ... to lead the Israelites,’ (3:11) he said, haunted by the knowledge of his own past failure.

The reply God gave was crucial.  The words ‘I will be with you’ (3:12) were not just a form of re-assurance to Moses.  They were the exact same words spoken to the forefathers Isaac (Gen 26:3) and Jacob (31:3) when they needed a word from the Lord to help them face the future, and they were words which were closely associated with God’s Covenant promises to His people.  One of the main features of the Covenant promise given to Abraham (13:15) was that his ancestors would take possession of their own land, and this promise was one which God intended to keep.  It was now that the Israelites needed their own land, and they needed to be delivered from slavery so that they could move there and take it.  This holy task was given to Moses, and God was not going to take ‘no’ for an answer!

All of us feel small next to the great works of God, indeed, if we did not, then we would have turned true faith on its head.  Moses could no more ‘fake’ humility than we can, for the Lord knows all things.  We now look back on Exodus, knowing that God’s prophecy in this passage was fulfilled, and Moses did indeed accomplish the great task of deliverance.  This should encourage us to follow the Lord’s guidance, for He will indeed do what He intends.

Going Deeper

The Bible study goes deeper to look at these issues:

• Deliverance from slavery
• Deliverance into the Promised Land
• The continuing conversation between God and Moses

Exodus 3:7-12 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Going Deeper

(consult Dictionaries)

There is great deal to study in this passage.  We know all about the plight of Israel, but the description of the land to which God wanted to take His people is powerful and revealing (3:8). Then the commissioning of Moses in verses 10 to 12 has much to teach us about Moses, and indeed ourselves; and the final promise of a sign is intriguing.  Who would normally think of ‘worship’ as a sign of God’s work?

Deliverance from slavery

God had always intended His people to live in the Promised Land of Canaan, but it appears that whilst they were in Egypt, in slavery, they lost sight of this, having settled into life in Egypt.  This was a key part of the Covenant promises of God to the forefathers (see above, and Gen 17:8, 22:17 etc.) which God needed to bring home to Moses in a clear and memorable way; but in speaking about it, God emphasised His compassion for the people where they were.  They needed to be liberated and moved on, but they would probably not go unless they knew that their God cared for them in their distress.

There are two verses in this passage which speak of Israel’s slavery (3:7,9).  Each tells us that God has heard the plight of His people and intends to free them.  This is clear from everything in Exodus so far, so why is it repeated like this?  Each verse contains some strong language in Hebrew, and not the strong language of swearing or oaths, but the strong language of emphasis.  For example, in verse 7, the word for ‘I’ is emphasised, telling us that there can be no mistaking God’s attention to His people’s plight.  If you compare my translation with other Bibles, you will see that I have placed the words ‘plainly’ and ‘truly’ to express this feature of the verse.  We are to be in no doubt about God’s intentions.  What follows in verse 8 is a prophetic description of God’s deliverance; but before we study this further, we should notice that the next verse (3:9) echoes verse 7; ‘now, indeed, the outcry of the Israelites has come to me ... I have taken notice ...’.  The thematic repetition, which occurs each side of verse 8, draws our attention both to God’s intention to save his people and the prophecy that it surrounds.  Most people are not used to literary structures today, because people write or say things as they please; but most languages have patterns giving emphasis, and we need to study them to recognise them!

Deliverance into the ‘Promised Land’

The real emphasis is on verse 8.  This is God’s prophetic promise of a ‘good and spacious’ land, ‘flowing with milk and honey’.  The second of these descriptions has transferred into English as an image of luxury and opulence, but that is unfortunate.  These phrases tell us a great deal about God’s intentions for His people.  Firstly, God promised His people that their land would be ‘good’.  This comes from the very character of God who made all things, and saw that they were ‘good’ (see Genesis 1:4,10,12,18,21,25,31 etc.).  Exodus 3 is the first passage in which God’s Covenant promises are spoken of in this way, and it reminds us that God always intended His plan of salvation to re-establish the original ‘goodness’ of the world and its people.  Secondly, the land promised was ‘spacious’ or ’broad’.  This is one of the many places in Scripture which tell us that God’s salvation is like being brought out of a restricted area into wide open space (see also psalm 66:12 and Psalm 23:1,2).  The cynic could suggest that Egypt was a far larger country than Canaan, and Canaan was always a rather crowded country; but this passage is not about blunt facts but about vision, and the language is poetic and draws us in to believe that God has something better for His people.

Exodus 8:3 is the first place in Scripture where we find the idea of the Promised Land as a place ‘flowing with milk and honey’!  It is such a common phrase today, we read past it without realising the significance of its first use.  The word translated ‘flowing’ is the one used to describe the oozing of milk from a sheep or goat’s udder, and honey was a naturally occurring food which abounded when the land was fertile and well-vegetated (allowing bees to thrive).  It was therefore a very powerful image which God intended should draw the imagination of the people of Israel in their captivity, as He needed the Israelites to want to leave Egypt.  At the time, the people of Israel were shepherds and goatherds, and they lived from the produce of their animals.  However, the labour forced on them (probably with taxes) would have made it difficult for them to sustain their herds, their traditional way of life, and means of support.  A ‘land flowing with milk and honey’ would be just what people wanted!

Much has been made by some people of the list of nations occupying the Promised Land (the Canaanites, the Hittites etc – see verse 8).  There is a possible explanation of each of the different people represented, some more than others; and clearly, they all occupied parts of the Promised Land around 1500 years BC.  The list may be representative rather than purposefully accurate, as other similar lists of nations have different nations and numbers of nations (see Genesis 15:19-21 or Deuteronomy 7:1f.).  It will take a long time to describe each of them here, so I will leave any detailed description of them until our studies reach those parts of Joshua and Judges where Israel faces these nations directly in competition for the land.

The continuing conversation between God and Moses

Many things within this part of Scripture are new, and we now meet another major topic.  It is essential to our understanding of God’s work with people throughout ancient times and through until today, and it is this: God wants to do His work of salvation through the people He calls.  Now, we are used to hearing this said in a Christian, New Testament context, but here it is in Exodus!  Having called Moses and obtained his response (3:4) and worship (3:5,6), God then called him to do the work of deliverance He wanted to have done (3:10).  Even the words used in this verse, ‘Now, go! I am sending you ...’ are typical of Scriptural words used elsewhere in which God sent prophets and kings, and eventually apostles (in the New Testament) to do His will (see Numbers 22:20, Jonah 1:2, 3:2 etc.).  But although we can look back on these words and be inspired by the power of them over centuries to achieve God’s great works of salvation, Moses only knew that God was calling him to go back and face his previous failure.  He was called to go and do what he had previously tried to accomplish in his own strength and failed.  It was a daunting task.

Moses’ response was understandable, and the circumstances of what happened make it extremely unlikely that his reticence was some kind of false humility (see above).  Moses’ words ‘who am I?’ prefigure David’s identical and famous response to God’s Covenant promise to him to make of him an ‘everlasting house’ from whom would come a king who would ‘establish a kingdom for ever’ (2 Sam 7:13,18).  The deliverance of whole peoples from slavery and the establishment of kingdoms can only be the consequence of godly commissions and ministry; works of God which have a purpose on the world stage and which affect our own, real, history.  There is only one response any person can give to such a call; ‘who am I?’

God’s final promise to Moses is not new to Scripture, however, having been given to Isaac and Jacob before (Gen 26:3, 31:3).  God said to Moses ‘I will be with you.’  The great importance of this text, however, is to reassure us that in the midst of doing new things and revealing more of Himself to Moses than any man previously, God was not acting differently than He had before.  His desire was always to be ‘with’ His people in the midst of the tasks He required of them.  By promising to be with Moses, God was continuing a pattern of revelation that would lead, one day, to the revelation of His own son Jesus Christ, Emanuel ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23).

Lastly, God offered Moses a sign for his own benefit, as a guarantee of his presence and a promise of success in the days to come.  He prophesied that if Moses would follow His commands, then he would return to the mountain on which he stood with the people of God, to worship Him.  This kind of ‘fulfilment’ sign is not one with which we are familiar today, for it takes a great deal of faith to believe.  Nevertheless, the idea that God would add on a blessing to the fulfilment of the deed He asked of Moses was simple enough in its day.  Certainly, after Moses eventually agreed to work with the Lord, his initial objective does appear to have been to return to the mountain to worship God (Exodus 19).

Exodus 3:7-12 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Application

There are a number of features of this passage which we can relate to as Christians without too much difficulty.  Some pastors and theologians have made a living out of developing the ideas of ‘liberation’ contained in this and other texts, relating it to the saving work of Jesus and describing their work as ‘liberation theology’.  However, the more obvious connections we see are to do with the nature of Moses’ call, and the idea that God wants to do His work in the world through His people.  It is not that God cannot work with sovereign power; He does this all the time, and in ways that we do not always know about.  However, His greatest desire is to bring the saving work of Jesus to the attention of all peoples, and He does this primarily through calling people to do His will in the world, and promising to be with them; just like Moses.

All too often in the life of the church, we have the habit of protesting our humility or lack of qualifications, or our limited availability to do the work of the Lord.  If we claim to have faith in God and His son Jesus, however, no protest is ever sustainable, for it only exposes our lack of obedience and faith.  If God is calling us, then it is absolutely right, if not essential, that we should feel inadequate and unworthy.  That is precisely the right qualification for doing the work of God, for us as it was for Moses.  In addition, if we protest further, this is not self-effacement or humility, but sin; the sin of unbelief in the power of God to do as He pleases with us.  Our aim must be to follow Moses’ example, and submit to God’s call, whatever the cost.

Exodus 3:7-12 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Discipleship

Questions (for use in groups)

1. Discuss in your group your own reaction to verse 8.  It is a complex verse full of God’s promises, but what do they mean for us today?
2. Have you ever felt the hand of God on your life, or the voice of God, calling you to serve Him?  Share your answers with others in your group.
3. In what ways do we experience the presence of God with us today?

Topics covered by this text

• The saving heart of God
• The call of God to individualsThe presence of God with His chosen servants

Personal comments by author

The passage we have studied today is at the heart of the Bible’s description of how God works with His people to fulfil His purposes.  Each of us can only respond to what we know of God’s call upon our lives, but it is fair to say that if someone has been a Christian and has never experienced the Lord’s call to do some work or task, then there is something wrong.  It is also possible for people to believe that once they have completed a task, then they have ‘done their service’, and nothing else is required.  Remember, Moses was called at the age of 80!

Ideas for exploring discipleship

• What is the Lord calling you to do now?  Are you too old or too young, or too occupied, or too cautious for the Lord’s call?
• Think and pray about these things.Read through the words of this passage a few times and seek the meaning to be found in it for you.

Final Prayer

You have called many good people over the years, Lord God, and many have responded and done Your work.  We praise You because You are always calling people to do Your will, and we ask You to make Your call clear for each of us who pray.  May we make ourselves available to You without condition.  AMEN

The call of Moses 3 - Exodus 3:13-15

Exodus 3:13-15 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Review

(consult Dictionaries)

This awe-inspiring text is probably one of the most significant and well-studied theological texts in the whole Bible, because it contains a most powerful description of the character of God.  People remember this passage today because it is the story about when the name of God was first revealed to Moses.  The famous four lettered name of God JHWH (normally written as ‘the LORD’ in most Bibles – see later Bible Study) was previously used by God about Himself when He spoke to Abraham (15:1f.), but after it was revealed to Moses in the special way described in this passage (3:13-15), it became central to the life and worship of God’s people.  The revelation of this name of God indicated to the people of Israel that a new and powerful work of God was at hand, and later generations looked back and rejoiced in the God who had saved them from slavery in Egypt.  They used this sacred name as a reminder not just of God’s nature and character, but of His presence and His active work amongst them for their liberation.

As we read this passage, however, we cannot fail to notice that it is not at all straightforward, and much of it appears to be mysterious.  Moses asked God for a name to give the people, but God responded with what appears to be a riddle; ‘I Am the one who Is’ (3:14).  He then gave what appears to be two versions of His name; ‘I Am has sent me to you’ (3:14) and then ‘the LORD, the God of your fathers ... has sent me to you’ (3:15).  It is therefore extremely difficult for the ordinary reader to make sense of what is going on, and this is an important reminder to us that in order to understand God’s Word, there are times when we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit found in the wisdom of others who have studied the Scriptures in detail.

The rest of the Bible study will explain more, but in summary, what happens is this.  Moses asked for a ‘name’ of God, but his request was for more than mere identity, for ancient peoples regarded names as a route to understanding something of the character of the person or the god who had that name.  Moses was therefore not asking for a name that would enable him to explain which ‘god’ he was talking about to the Israelites, but a true name which revealed something of the character of God and also something about what He intended to do to help and save His people!  Whatever Moses’ personal state of mind and evident timidity at other points in the story of Exodus, this was a very bold request.

God’s answer was essentially twofold. Firstly, He used a simple but enigmatic Hebrew word to describe Himself, which is most simply translated ‘I AM’, and He said it twice.  The effect in Hebrew is extraordinary.  Because of the nature of the language, ‘I AM’ is not a statement about abstract ‘existence’ as we might think today; but it conveys the idea of God’s presence and His action.  This is rather like the phrase, ‘Here I am’ in English, because when someone says this, it implies that they have come, are present, and waiting to do something. This is exactly the message that God was giving Moses in verse 14; however, this was not God’s ‘name’.

The ‘name’ of God is revealed to us in verse 15, where God said to Moses ‘the LORD, the God of your fathers ...’  Here, the Hebrew letters for the word ‘LORD’ are ‘JHWH’, which is a different form of the same word God used to say ‘I AM’, but the tense of the verb has been changed to mean ‘HE IS’; the on-going present tense!  There is much more to discover about this amazing name, and some considerable dispute, but we must not lose sight of the overall nature of this word, now changed into a name for God, and what it meant for Moses.  The famous word/name JHWH meant that God was present and active in His world, ready to do His will and bring salvation to His people in slavery!

In Old Testament times, the people of Israel came to realise that God’s name was a clear statement of His presence and His love.  Now, through Jesus Christ, a real person and the Son of God, we have the tangible evidence of both the presence of God and His love, within our world.  The name of God has been fulfilled in everything Jesus came to do one earth for our salvation, and the work of the Holy Spirit makes this real for us now!

Going Deeper

The Bible study goes deeper to look at these issues:

• Moses’ question (3:13)
• God’s identity (3:14)
• The Holy Name (3:15)

Exodus 3:13-15 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Going Deeper

(consult Dictionaries)

In order to study this short but important passage in more detail, we will look at it verse by verse.  The intense nature of the conversation is extraordinary in itself, but the more we look at each part of it, the clearer picture we will have of the power and majesty of God in this revelation to Moses.

Moses’ question (verse 13)

Verse 13 comes as the climax to a series of quite extraordinary statements and questions in Exodus 3, which build up to the great revelations of God in verses 14 and 15.  In order to understand this, we will briefly look back.  When Moses first heard God speaking to him from the burning bush, he replied ‘Here I am’ (3:4).  This was the response that God was looking for, and He revealed Himself to Moses as the ‘God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ (3:6).  This was an important revelation, because it enabled Moses to have confidence that he was being addressed by the One who had worked through these ancestors to create ‘the Israelites’, his own people, but it was not sufficient.  After Moses heard that the Lord was asking him to go to Pharaoh and obtain the release of the Israelites (3:7-10), he was clearly unsettled, and asked the question ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh ...’ (3:11).  He obtained the personal assurance from God; ‘I will be with you ...’ (3:12).  Moses may have been satisfied that the Lord was indeed guiding him, because his next question (verse 13) asked the Lord not about himself or his own personal needs, but about how he would explain what was happening to the Israelites.  His question nevertheless seems a little strange to us; why would Moses feel the need to ask God for His name, after having heard that He was the God of his ancestors?

Generally, people of those times had a keen sense of religion and of various deities, and the names of the different gods in whom they believed reflected what they were believed to do.  From Moses’ point of view, if God was about to do a new work amongst His people (3:7-10), it was logical for him to ask God to identify a name that would reflect that task.  It is fascinating however that the identity and name revealed by God to Moses (in the next two verses) did not do this, but instead, it summarised everything about Him.  It was truly unique to Him ask God, the Creator of the World.  This is why the name revealed is so important for us today.  God stands above human history and He is involved in everything, working to achieve His purposes.  This is what was revealed, and it is no surprise that Moses subsequently found it hard to understand and accept what God was doing, as we see later in Exodus 4:1f, where Moses prevaricates about the whole mission to save the Israelites.

God’s identity (verse 14)

God did not answer Moses simply by telling him His name.  Those who have read a little of the Hebrew Bible know from elsewhere that the name of God used in Scripture is ‘JHWH’, and this is not what is found in verse 14.  God said three words in Hebrew which when translated literally mean ‘I am that I am’ (in Hebrew, ‘’ehyeh asher ‘ehyeh’); however, the English language does not do justice to what the Hebrew means.  Over the years, scholars have performed endless research on these words.  Some regard the phrase as vague and elusive, and others have even argued that it is a ‘pun’!  There is no reason, however, not to read this exactly as it is written.  In Hebrew, strictly, the present tense, ‘I am’ could also be the future ‘I will be’, and it could also be what is called the ‘continuous present’, that is, ‘I am being’.

Now, if we put all this together, there are a wide range of possible translation, and if you look in some Bibles, you will find that alternative translations are often offered for this phrase, most commonly ‘I will be what I will be’.  The reason why I have translated it ‘I AM THE ONE WHO IS’ is because God was addressing Moses about Himself, and I do not believe He was prevaricating or intending to talk in some kind of mystery code.  He was telling Moses that He was alive, He was active, He was present and real, and He was not going to change, for the nature and character of God was fixed and eternal.  You could also say that when speaking about being the ‘God of the forefathers’, God was speaking about the past, but His words in verse 14 told Moses that He was present with him in a new and powerful way.

It then appears that God used the single Hebrew word ‘I AM’ (Hebrew, ‘‘ehyeh’) rather like a name, telling Moses to say to the Israelites ‘I AM has sent me to you’ (3:14).  The message was obvious.  God said He was present with His people, was with them in their suffering and was in the process of doing something about it. 

The Holy Name (verse 15)

The problem, however, was that these were God’s own words, and Moses had to report this to the people.  So God went further by instructing Moses to use a new name which is translated ‘the LORD’ in verse 15.  The reason for this change is not obvious to us, because in English this looks quite different from ‘I AM’.  However, it is obvious in Hebrew, because the word we read as ‘the LORD’ is ‘JHWH’.  As I pointed out in the introduction, these letters in Hebrew mean ‘HE IS’, as they are from the same word as ‘I AM’, but a different tense.  Moses could therefore say to the people of Israel that he was sent by the God of their forefathers, whose name was ‘HE IS’, and the meaning of this name was everything we saw in verse 14.  God was not only a God of their past, but a God of the present and of the future.

When you read this, you might well ask how it can be that the Hebrew word for ‘HE IS’ has come to be written in the Bible as ‘the LORD’.  The history of the word JHWH is complicated, but over the centuries, the Israelite people came to regard this word as so holy, it should not be spoken or pronounced when reading Scripture.  For this reason, wherever the letters JWHW cropped up in the Hebrew text, they were not spoken; they were replaced by another word, meaning ‘Lord’ (in Hebrew, ‘ADONAY’)!  This is why you will often find in your Bibles that the word ‘Lord’ is written with some form of capital letters (often what is called ‘small’ capitals), and this tells us that the original Hebrew at this point is the holy name of God JHWH. 

We do not know how the ancient Israelites would have pronounced the word JHWH, and over the centuries, some people have tried to work this out, the best guess being the term ‘Jahweh’.  You may be familiar with this name for God which is used in some Bibles and translations (in particular, the New Jerusalem Bible).

All this intrigue about the name of God is important for us to understand, as it is only when you peel away the layers of language that you discover what God was really trying to say to the Israelite people.  In truth, the LORD was their God, and had been since the beginning; since the time of their forefathers.  However, He was not a God of the past, He was alive and active, and this meant that He was about to do something in their lives.  His activity was not to be confined to the past.  As is clear from the last part of verse 15, God wanted it made clear that He was God of the past, the present and the future, ‘and this is how I am to be known for all time’.

Exodus 3:13-15 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Application

If you have managed to read this far and understand the study, you will realise the complex nature of language and how God used it to tell the Israelites about Himself.  It is perhaps unfortunate that the Israelites became concerned about the holiness of God’s name and replaced JHWH (‘HE IS’) with ‘LORD’, for although the term ‘the Lord’ is important in its own right, we have perhaps lost sight of the name of God by which He told His people He wanted to be known.  This is either ‘I AM’ (from verse 14) as when God speaks about Himself, or ‘HE IS’ (from verse 15) when we speak about God.  It is helpful, however, that the Gospel of John records Jesus as saying in seven distinct ways ‘I AM ...’ about Himself, as, for example, in ‘I am the Shepherd’ (John 10:11).  Because Jesus did this and identified Himself with God, we do not need to feel that God’s name is so holy it must not be spoken, for Jesus’ presence with us as Saviour means that we have no need to be so distant about God.  Jesus has won access for us to the presence of God Himself!

Christian people, therefore, have every reason to be grateful for this powerful Old Testament text.  When God revealed Himself to Moses, He revealed Himself as alive and active and present within His world, willing to work with His people for salvation and liberation.  We now know that God continued to work in His world through History, that He worked His salvation through Jesus Christ, and He is now present in His world through us.  ‘I AM’ or ‘HE IS’ may not be a ‘name’ in the way that we think of a name, but the words certainly tell us a great deal about God.

Exodus 3:13-15 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Discipleship

Questions (for use in groups)

1. Discuss in your group what the presence of God means to you.  How is God’s presence made known to you?
2. Make sure you understand everything written in the Bible study, and check it out against what is written in any other Bible or study Bible you have.
3. Discuss how you think Moses would have responded to this revelation from God.

Topics covered by this text

• The nature of God
• The self revelation of God in His name
• Salvation and the purposes of God

Personal comments by author

It can be hard to work your way through texts like this if you are not used to dealing with the complexities of language.  However, we have to realise that translation from one language to another, particularly from an ancient one to the present day as is true in using the Bible, often creates the potential for great misunderstanding.  Also, it is only when you have to translate or change from one language to another that you realise the importance of things such as verb tenses!  We must not rely on our own understanding of God’s Word, but on the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into all truth; sometimes through careful study!

Ideas for exploring discipleship

• Write down a list of things you believe about God, and compare this with what you have read about His name here in this passage.  What can you learn, and what ought you to learn from God’s Word?
• Pray that all God’s people will seek to learn from the meaning of His name, and the revelation of His saving grace through His eternal name.

Final Prayer

Dear Jesus.  You came to earth and lived amongst Your people and saw their pain and heartache, and You worked to set people free from illness, pain, bondage, suffering, prison and every other form of captivity.  Come amongst us now, and do the same, we pray. AMEN

The call of Isaiah 1 - Isaiah 6:1-8

Isaiah 6:1-8 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Review

(consult Dictionaries)

This story has inspired millions, and there can hardly be a Christian who has not heard this passage and been profoundly moved.  Strictly speaking, this is not prophecy but the story of a call, yet the power of the vision blurs the boundaries between story and prophecy.  It is an unparalleled prophetic vision of the presence of Almighty God, it is the personal experience of Isaiah who was drawn to a place of total submission to God, it is a description of the holiness of God that transcend time and place, and it is so much more.  For us, it is also one of those most precious of commodities in Scripture; the record of a personal testimony describing a life changing encounter with the Lord.

There is no doubt that this vision changed Isaiah’s life and redefined his future prophetic call.  Isaiah was already a prophet who lived and worked in Jerusalem, and this is why a series of his prophecies are recorded in Isaiah 1-5, before his great call.  As a faithful servant and prophet of God, this passage records his calling to a different and special prophetic ministry, and we will discover the details of this new prophetic ministry tomorrow, when we have read the strange second half of Isaiah 6 (6:9-13).

The vision seems to have happened in the Temple, but this is only a presumption.  Isaiah’s vision describes features of the Temple (6:1f.), but there is no reason why the vision could not have been seen elsewhere.  Some conclude that Isaiah was a priest engaged in Temple duties rather like Zechariah in Luke 1, but the text does not say this.  Most people in Jerusalem knew the layout and function of the Temple even if the high priest alone was allowed to enter the holy place, and most could picture the inner sanctuaries (see Exodus 35-40).  Yet ultimately, it does not matter where Isaiah saw the vision or what he was doing.  The vision profoundly affected the whole of Isaiah’s life and through him, has affected all God’s people, as we will increasingly discover.

As the vision began, Isaiah was filled with concern for the people of God, as his earlier prophecies show, and he was deeply aware of both God’s righteous judgement and His love for His people.  But at a critical time in the life of the nation (when king Uzziah died – 6:1) what would God do?  While thinking about this, Isaiah was confronted by a vision of the glory of God in awesome magnificence (6:1-3), and while caught up in the vision, the Lord purified him in power and authority by the touch of a burning coal (6:6,7).  It dawns on us, as it gradually dawned on Isaiah, that in this way, God had chosen him for a special task.  We discover later on that He intended to use Isaiah to prophesy the answer to the problems already revealed to him (chapters 1-5), the conundrum between His absolute justice and His love for Israel and all people.

However, God wanted to work with Isaiah in a genuine partnership, and not use him as a puppet.  So the Lord called Isaiah from the awesome council of heavenly authority, and gave him a choice; ‘Whom shall I send and who will go for us?’  Without hesitation, Isaiah replied with words that have become precious to all God’s people, because they encapsulate Isaiah’s heartfelt response to God’s call; ‘Here am I! send me.’ (6:8)

There is much here to inspire us.  This is a story of God’s call, which is deeply meaningful to all who have been called to God’s service.  The passage helps us learn more about God’s nature, His holiness, His presence, His authority over heaven and earth, and supremely, His authority over us and over sin.  Isaiah 6 happened more than two and a half thousand years ago, and the sights, sounds and smells of the Temple of Solomon are unknown to us.  Yet through the record of this vision, we catch a glimpse of God working in power in the life of the man God chose to prophesy the coming of His Messiah; and by His grace, it speaks to us as well.

Going Deeper

The Bible study goes deeper to look at these issues:

• The vision of the Lord on His throne (6:1)
• ‘Holy, holy, holy ... the earth is His glory!’ (6:3)
• ‘Woe is me’ (6:5)
• Cleansed by the seraph’s coal (6:6,7)

Isaiah 6:1-8 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Going Deeper

(consult Dictionaries)

There is an enormous amount of literature written about this passage, and almost any commentary you can find will explain the details of the passage.  There are a number of features to the story which are in fact quite strange to us, moreover, the translation of them from Hebrew is far from straightforward. By looking more fully at a few interesting points, we will develop our understanding of this passage considerably.

The vision of the Lord on His throne (6:1)

Isaiah had his vision of the Lord ‘sitting on His throne’ in the year King Uzziah died.  It was a time of uncertainty, and the records in scripture (2 Chronicles 26:3-23) tell us that King Uzziah although in many ways a good king, had committed a terrible sin by going into the Temple sanctuary himself to perform sacrifices to God.  Such actions by a king were expressly forbidden since the time of Saul and David (1 Sam 13) to ensure that the king in Jerusalem knew his place under God’s authority.  Isaiah would have witnessed these events, and deeply felt the desecration of the Temple by Uzziah.  In his vision, however, Isaiah saw the Lord gloriously seated in authority again; emphatically ‘raised and exulted’ and with His presence filling the whole Temple (signified by the ‘hem of His robe’).  The Lord Himself was higher, more authoritative and more majestic than any king who tried to usurp his authority!

The Old Testament often describes God as accompanied by heavenly being.  In Genesis 3:24 they are ‘cherubs’, and these human-like but winged characters were carved into the details of the Temple and in particular, the ‘mercy seat’, a bench which covered the ‘ark of the Covenant’ in the centre of the Temple; the ‘Holy of Holies’ (Ex 25:18f. and 1 Kings 6:24f.).  Most people think of them as representations of some kind of angelic being, but in reality, ‘seraphs’ are only mentioned here in the whole Bible, and no-one is very sure about what they were or what they represented!

There is one clue which we should follow about these ‘seraphs’, which is that there is some evidence in the ancient world that ‘seraphs’ were the names of angelic beings in which some nations believed, and they were strongly related to ‘fire’ (see 2 Kings 17:31).  The Hebrew word ‘seraph’ comes from the word for ‘fire’ which is ‘sarap’.  The significance of this is not obvious, but will become clearer as the passage unfolds.

 ‘Holy, Holy, Holy ... the earth is His glory!’ (6:3)

Isaiah saw these angelic beings, and like most others (for example Abraham or Moses) who came cross God’s angels or other angelic beings, he would not have been sure what he was seeing even though he could describe them visually!  The seraphs called out to each other to affirm the holiness of Almighty God (6:3).  ‘Holy’ means that God is different from us by His very nature, and the word means ‘separate’; as the creator of the world, He is also perfect and pure.  In comparison, we are God’s creatures and different from Him because we are not perfect, and we can only become ‘holy’ if God makes us so.  Throughout the Bible the concept of holiness is reserved for God and for those things or people God chooses to bless, and therefore ‘make holy’.

The great cry of the seraphs ‘Holy, holy, holy ...’ has been one which Christians have taken up in hymns and songs over centuries in order to give glory to God, and most of us remember the words.  The verse is even more interesting however, because of what comes next; ‘everything in all the earth is His glory!’  Now, you will probably find that your own version of the Bible says ‘all the earth is full of His glory’, but the reason I have translated this slightly differently is because the Hebrew makes an important point.  What it says is that all of creation is a demonstration of God’s glory; not that God’s glory is something which ‘infuses’ creation.  It can change our view of the world radically if we think of it not as something into which we have to delve in order to find the mysteries of God’s glory; but rather that everything we come across in the world is already evidence of God, just as we find it and just as it is, and whether it seems easy or hard to see.

You may recall from earlier studies that Isaiah hints in chapter 5 that God is able to use all creation to do His will, not just His people.  It is extremely important that we find this theme carried over into this passage of scripture, announced by the seraphs!

‘Woe is me!’ (6:5)

While the seraphs could call out their praise to God, Isaiah knew that he was compromised.  As a Judean person he stood before God as not as a self righteous prophet with his rehearsed complaints about the people, but as one of God’s sinful people himself.  From our point of view it is as if we had a vision of God and instead of opening our mouths to complain to God about all the other Christians in the world, we immediately felt guilt at the church’s divisions and sins today!  Some commentators feel that because Isaiah accepted this ‘representative’ role, he must have been a priest, but this is not said anywhere.  It may well have been that God found Isaiah an acceptable servant and prophet because he did not take a ‘holier than thou’ attitude towards other people of his day.  He knew his place before God, and he knew that he was, as we would say, a sinner (6:5), and as such, the vision clearly frightened him.  A Judean such as Isaiah would not have felt comfortable ‘seeing’ God even in a vision; from their understanding of God, He might consume any human being because of their sin.  There were a number of stories of such happenings in the ancient stories of Moses and the forefathers (e.g. Lev 10:1, 2 Kings 1).

Cleansed by the seraph’s coal (6:6,7)

One seraph, or angelic being of unknown origin, came and brought a burning ember from the fire on the altar (6:6) with which to cleanse Isaiah.  Two things are worth bearing in mind about this.  One is that people have often assumed Isaiah was in the ‘Holy of Holies’ when having this vision, but there was no altar in the inner sanctuary (if you have some maps in your Bible you may well find that it has a ‘plan’ of the Temple).  The altar on which animals were killed and offered up to God was in the sanctuary of the Temple, but not the ‘Holy of Holies’.  This vision transcends the ‘geography’ of the Temple and we should be wary to assume too much from the little information Isaiah gives us, particularly in a vision.

Secondly, Isaiah may well have been disturbed by the sight of seraphs coming on God’s authority to cleanse him; Isaiah would have recognised a cherub or an angel; but six winged seraphs appear nowhere else in scripture or Israel’s history!  What did they represent?  Merely another form of angelic being?  It is possible that the Lord used these heavenly beings for the task of cleansing because Isaiah would only have known about them through contacts with other nations.  In other words, in accepting the cleansing by the touch of the seraph, Isaiah had to trust God to use an angelic being he had not come across before, perhaps one related to another nation!  You may think this strange, but if you have followed these studies in Isaiah, you will know that the scandalous theme which developed in the previous chapter was that God would judge his people through the nations!  Perhaps God was asking Isaiah to experience for himself something which was central to his own prophetic message; the fact that God was bigger than the confines of the Temple and the concepts of His own people.

God cleansed Isaiah and made him worthy of a higher calling by atoning for his sins, unilaterally (6:7).  This is a unique moment in scripture, because God had done this for no-one else.  Now if God did this for Isaiah, then it is fairly certain that it was His intention to do the same for others; if sins were to be overcome, then God would do it through atonement.  How this was to work we have yet to find out, but it is here above all that the lines between story and prophecy become blurred.  Isaiah was experiencing himself what God would one day do for all who had faith in Him.

Isaiah 6:1-8 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Application

It may be that you have had an experience of the majesty and authority of God and have been ‘transported’ in a visionary sense to see things which were otherwise unknown to you.  In this case, you will have some idea of what Isaiah went through and the complex and apparently contradictory things which happened and yet were still important for God’s revelation to you.  Such things happen in different ways to different people, sometimes more often than we imagine, and many people who have had such experiences can be very cautious about speaking of them for fear of ridicule, particularly by church leaders or authorities.  It is important however that we do all we can to give each other permission to share our experiences of such ‘supernatural’ experiences of God.  He will often show us things which are deeply important for us and for others, and unless we talk about it or use such experiences as a springboard for other things, then we may well fall short of the Lord’s will and purpose for our lives.

What happened to Isaiah was that at the conclusion of this great experience of the majesty of God, he heard the Lord’s voice saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ and he replied positively without hesitation (6:8).  Whatever doubts Isaiah had about his own people, or perhaps even seraphs, he was able to demonstrate his trust in God and show his willingness to act immediately on his call.  This manner of readiness is what God calls His people to all the time, and it is a challenge to both you and me.

Isaiah 6:1-8 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Discipleship

Questions (for use in groups)

1. Discuss in your group what is meant by the word ‘holy’.  What do people think it means, and what does the Bible say it means?
2. If you found yourself in the presence of Almighty God, how would you react?  What might God do to cleanse your sins?
3. How does this famous passage of Scripture affect you, and what does it say to you about the glory of God and the sinful nature of people?

Topics covered by this text

• The awesome holiness of God
• The power of God to forgive sins
• God’s use of heavenly means to forgive sins.
• God’s call on the life of the individual

Personal comments by author

The story of Isaiah’s call is a powerful reminder to us that God is always at work doing things in ways we do not necessarily expect.  I have certainly heard the Lord’s voice in unexpected ways.  I  was thinking about car engines one evening, when He suddenly spoke to me about the ministry he wanted me to perform, telling me that I had to work in Bible study, prayer, teaching, deliverance and prophecy.  From being half asleep, I was immediately wide awake and amazed at what I had heard, and that God had spoken to me!

Ideas for exploring discipleship

• You cannot make God speak, you can only be ready, yet often we are unprepared to hear the Lord either because we do not think He will speak to us, or our minds are captivated by sin.  Seek the Lord about this and submit to Him
• Talk to others in the life of your church about how they have heard the Lord speak to them.

Final Prayer

Bless us, Lord God, so may we be a blessing to others.  Enable us to be consistent in our faith for the sake of those who depend on our example and our service, and help us to live a lifestyle which is a true witness to You, the One in whom we believe. Sustain us in Your power we pray; for Your name’s sake: AMEN.

The call of Isaiah 2 - Isaiah 6:9-13

Isaiah 6:9-13 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Review

(consult Dictionaries)

Isaiah 6 is very famous passage of Scripture.  In verses 1 to 8, we read the first part of Isaiah’s call, and he responds to the Lord’s call in a remarkable and moving way, ‘Here am I, send me’ (6:8).  In the second half of this great chapter, the Lord reveals to Isaiah what he must now prophesy, but it is an astonishing, and almost incomprehensible message, and we are mostly confused by its meaning, especially the first part (6:9,10).  Nevertheless, we will discover that these extraordinary words are not only important, they are essential to God’s plan for the salvation of the world.  If you find this hard to believe, then remember that verses 9 and 10 are quoted frequently in the New Testament (e.g. Matt 13:10-15, John 12:39-41 and Acts 28:26-7); the Gospel writers clearly understood that this message from the Lord to Isaiah was a crucial passage of Scripture.

The Hebrew text of this passage is very difficult and almost untranslatable.  For years, scholars reckon that those who heard it first changed the passage because it was too scandalous!  However, my translation attempts to keep an eye on the logic of the wider story of Isaiah, and the evidence of what God says to Isaiah throughout his prophetic ministry.

Up to this point, Isaiah’s prophecies have been similar to his contemporaries.  His message typically passes judgement on Israel for her sins yet longs for God to show mercy, and he demonstrates a passionate belief that God will do something new to redeem His people (e.g. chapter 4).  However, God now commissions Isaiah to deliver a unique message about how He will deal with Israel, and he gives Isaiah an essential clue about this in the words ‘the holy seed is the stump’ (6:13).  We may not easily understand what this means, but the more we read Isaiah, the more we will realise the importance of this prophecy, and why God marked out Isaiah as a unique prophet by giving him this message.

There are two parts to the prophecy.  Firstly, we read the Lord’s message of absolute justice; Israel cannot and will not repent of her sins, and words of prophecy will only make her more unrepentant (6:9,10)!  The news for Israel is bleak, for she is destined to be punished for her sins by exile, and is unable to receive her heritage of covenant blessings!  God has drawn a cloud over Israel to dull her sight and muffle her ears, and she is unable to receive healing and forgiveness from God.  What an extraordinary message!  The Lord told Isaiah that his message would not be received, but he must still give it! 

Yet it is likely that Isaiah understood what the message meant, and he expected nothing less from a God of absolute justice!  But this did not stop Isaiah from being heartbroken and asking ‘How long?’ (6:11).  In answer to this, the lord went on to reveal that punishment would last until His people endured exile and Jerusalem was utterly destroyed (6:11).  More significantly, Isaiah was told that beyond this destruction, the Lord God would save a significant ‘tenth part remaining’ (6:13); so despite her punishment, Israel held within her a small but significant ‘holy seed’ (6:13) that would be the hope of salvation!

We are so used to the message of God’s love that we find it hard to appreciate how revolutionary it was for Isaiah to prophecy as he did.  Historically, this message was born out of the heart of ancient prophets who were led by the Holy Spirit to perceive this truth, and Isaiah was the prophet who first began to prophecy how this would be done.  Starting here with the message given to him at his ‘call’, Isaiah continued to prophecy about the coming of this holy seed as a child ‘God with us’ (7:14), as an infant king (9:6), and ultimately as a suffering servant (53:1f.).  Although it is hard for us to understand Isaiah 6, God’s call to Isaiah was to tell the people what God would do; He would pursue justice, but through the ‘holy seed’, bring a saviour.

Going Deeper

The Bible study goes deeper to look at these issues:

• Israel’s misunderstanding due to sin, and lack of healing
• Isaiah’s prophecy of ruin and exile
• What will be left of Israel for God to use?

Isaiah 6:9-13 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Going Deeper

(consult Dictionaries)

Looking carefully, we find that the Lord said two things to Isaiah, firstly in verses 9 and 10, and secondly in verse 11.  The last two verses are Isaiah’s prophetic comment on what he has heard, in which he reaffirms his belief that the Lord will bring salvation to His people not by re-establishing the past, but only through a new ‘holy seed’.

Israel’s misunderstanding due to sin, and lack of healing

When Isaiah replied to the Lord by saying ‘Here am I, send me!’ (6:8) he could not have known that he would be given the most impossible of tasks, which was to tell the remaining people of God in Judea and Jerusalem that their relationship with God was irretrievably damaged.  The first message God gave Isaiah for the people of Judah is in the second part of verse 9 and also verse 10.  At first, these words read as if God is instructing His people to search for Him but they will not find Him (6:9b)!  How can God be so heartless?  The Lord then goes on to tell Isaiah to confuse the people so that they do not know what He is doing, and it is not His intention to heal them from their sickness!  It seems very ‘out of character’ for God even though the people had sinned.

We might expect God to announce a powerful deed or sign to draw the people back to Him, like He had done many times before in times past, as with Moses (Ex 34:27-35) or Samuel (1 Sam 7:7-11), but those times had passed.  Before God could do anything to deal with the sins of His people, He had to make it clear that if the people persisted in them, then they broke their covenant relationship with Him, and they could not simply turn back again ‘to receive healing’ (6:10) as if there was not a problem; there was.

If we are to understand what God was saying, however, we must recognise that these words were not an announcement of judgement, but a prophetic description of what was going on in Isaiah’s day.  The people were ‘listening but not hearing’, in other words, they were attending their worship and religious ceremonies, but not knowing what they meant nor being receptive to God.  In the vision (6:1-8), Isaiah heard the Lord calling out ‘who will go for us?’ but no-one replied except Isaiah.  Who knows how many other people had been called by God but failed to respond because they were spiritually deaf?  It is said today that ‘history is written by the victors’, but the history of God’s salvation is written by the ‘God inspired’ deeds of those who have responded to His call!

When Jesus used this passage of scripture (Matt 13:10f.), he used it to explain why the common people who heard Him listened to the parables he taught and appreciated them, but did not understand them.  In fact, they explained how Jesus was bringing into existence the eternal Kingdom of God in their midst.  Something of God’s power was stirring in the world around them through Jesus and the people did not perceive it; just as in Isaiah’s day, when God was beginning to set in motion a plan of salvation for the world which his own covenant people did not recognise.  Following this revelation, Isaiah knew this, but the people as a whole did not.  It was Isaiah’s job to announce it.

Isaiah’s prophecy of ruin and exile

Isaiah’s reaction to what he had been told was to ask a question; ‘how long, O Lord?’  Isaiah wanted to know how long it would be before God would act.  The words which the Lord said were chilling, speaking of a time after war had laid waste the land of Judah and Jerusalem.

It is understandable that Isaiah should have received these words, and they confirmed what Isaiah had already prophesied about the coming of war as God’s means of cleansing the land (see 5:25-30), but we must remember that Isaiah spoke at a time when the Assyrian hordes were gathering to the north of Judah and Israel, threatening both nations.  In reality, the Assyrians invaded and destroyed the north (721BC), but Judah was saved (see Isaiah 36-39).  The word God gave to Isaiah about invasion and exile (6:11) did not come true until many years later and Judah was invaded by Babylon.  However, we must be clear that at the time when Isaiah received his call it was around 740 BC, and more than a century would pass before Jerusalem itself was decimated in the manner this prophecy described.

It is vital that we learn the lesson that God sometimes works in a timeframe beyond our experience and we must have the faith to hold on to what He tells us even though we may not live to see the answers.  What we do and say may affect future generations, and we should not imagine that God gives prophetic words just for the present.

What will be left of Israel for God to use?

Some scriptures indicate through their editing that they believe the Lord’s words continue until the end of verse 13.  However, the Hebrew suggests that the Lord’s answer to Isaiah’s question is contained in verse 11, and from verse 12 it reads more naturally as if Isaiah speaks (prophetically) after hearing what the Lord has to say.  He concludes that when the Lord comes to destroy the Promised Land, the very sign of His covenant relationship with His people, then He will do so completely, so that ‘if a tenth part remains ... it will be burned’ (6:13).  The only hope for God’s people will come through the way that life springs up again on the land after any fire or drought or disaster, which is through seed, the ‘holy seed’ (6:13).

Verse 13 is notorious as one of the most difficult passages of Hebrew in the Old Testament.  The original text does not make literal sense at all; an attempt to provide a literal reading would be something like this; ‘if yet in a tenth part, it turns, it will be for burning; like the terebinth or like the oak which is felled – a monument of it. The seed of the holy will be a stump.’  The only way that scholars or translators can arrive at meaningful English (or any other translation) is to make assumptions about what may have been meant, and I have taken the simplest route to this (though your version of the Bible may read quite differently).

The idea behind the verse is relatively simple (see above), but we should remember that the tribe of Judah is sometimes referred to as a ‘tenth’ of all Israel (not counting Levi, the tribe of priests, and leaving out the tribe of Simeon which is often included with Judah).  If this is taken into account, then it seems that Isaiah was specifically concerned that even if the northern tribes of Israel were invaded by Assyria, it was his opinion that the time would come when God’s justice would fall on Judah and Jerusalem, and all that would be left would be ‘holy seed’, like a ‘stump’.

Isaiah 6:9-13 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Application

The amazing conclusion of this passage is that the only hope for the salvation of God’s people (and through them the whole world) is through this ‘holy seed’.  The scriptural word ‘seed’ may seem strange to us because it is often used to refer to a ‘descendant’ or ‘a child born’; as in the expression ‘the seed of Abraham’.  So although Isaiah 6 is full of talk about the devastation of the Promised Land and of cities, and the exile of people from Jerusalem, this ending is incredibly dramatic.  What does it mean, how would Isaiah have understood it, and how might we understand it?  The whole of Isaiah 6, with its spectacular call of Isaiah and the affirmation of his prophetic call is remarkable enough; but these last few words are more important than the rest!  They indicate to us that in the light of what God said to Isaiah, it was revealed to Him that a new ‘holy descendant’ of God would be the ‘stump’ from which the new Israel would grow, now that both Israel and Judah had shown themselves to be corrupted by sin.  In coming days we will see how this is born out in what happened next to Isaiah.

From our perspective, this conclusion points us to Christ.  Isaiah had much to learn about the ‘holy seed’, but his prophecy reminds us that God sometimes gives one person the essential ‘seed’ or ‘germ’ of an idea about His intentions for the future, for this message is found nowhere else in the scriptural records of Isaiah’s day.  Consequently, we should realise that if we remain faithful to our Lord, then He may reveal something to us which is important for all God’s people and for the future.  Too often, we assume that our own lives are insignificant; when in God’s great plan of things, what we do for Him is important.  When the church is functioning well, we learn to treasure what God does for and says to each individual, because it may be something deeply important.  Let us respect each other accordingly and be open to hear the ‘seed’ of His Word through whomsoever He wishes to give it.

Isaiah 6:9-13 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Going Deeper / Application / Discipleship /

Discipleship

Questions (for use in groups)

1. Read what Jesus says in Matthew 13:10-17 and discuss this in your group in the light of this passage.
2. To what extent does verse 10 describe people today?
3. Isaiah prophesied about God’s new beginning through a ‘holy seed’.  What did this mean to Isaiah, and what does it mean to us?

Topics covered by this text

• Barriers that prevent people from coming close to God
• God’s eternal plan of salvation
• The remnant

Personal comments by author

I find this to be a fascinating passage of scripture; moreover, it is one that has been glossed over by too many.  Even today, commentaries skip by this part of Isaiah 6, as if it is just a rather annoying addendum to the story of Isaiah’s call.  In fact, without this message, Isaiah’s call is irrelevant.  Isaiah was called to deliver a tough message about judgement, but out of this would come his great prophecies of the coming king (chps. 9,11) and suffering servant (ch. 53).  Like Isaiah, I have found that when I follow through those things that seem unimportant, then I find God’s gold!

Ideas for exploring discipleship

• What was it like when you first felt the presence of God and received His Word spoken to you?  If it is a long time since you knew this, then seek the Lord in prayer and ask Him to reveal what He would say to you.  He is always willing to engage with us, that is, if we are open.
• The Lord has words of judgement for today, but how does the Lord judge the world, or His people today?  Think about this, and talk about it with others at your church.

Final Prayer

Thank You Lord Jesus, for the many ways in which You support us.  We appreciate Your help and we hope to learn from You, not so that we do not need Your help again, but so that You can teach us more and lead us on to greater things.  Fulfil Your purposes in us we pray: AMEN

The call of Jonah - Jonah 2:1-10

Jonah 2:1-10 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Discipleship /

Review

Today’s Bible study is brief, and contains a review and discipleship notes only

(consult Dictionaries)

You may well think of the story in Jonah 1 as the ‘call’ of Jonah, but this is only the prelude.  Jonah 1 is the story of Jonah’s rebellion at call and its consequences, but chapter 2 is the poetic story of Jonah’s ‘conversion’ to God’s will.  The man who was swallowed by the large fish (or whale) as a rebellious prophet, was spewed out on to the ground three days later as an obedient, though nervous, servant, ready to do God’s will and fulfil his unique call (2:9,10).

Jonah had been thrown into the sea after admitting to the sailors of the boat that he was running away from the Lord.  With a remarkable respect for human life, they had done their best to avoid killing the man who had brought near catastrophe on them, but in the end, they threw him overboard, as Jonah himself requested.  Jonah knew that he deserved punishment for running away from the Lord; he had been called to prophesy and God had not yet given up on him.  It sounds improbable to us, but the large fish that swallowed Jonah (1:17) turned out to be his means of salvation (2:10), and although three days inside a whale was surely enough to kill a man, Jonah survived.  But God had saved him for a purpose!

Today’s passage describes Jonah’s time in the belly of the whale by means of a classic Hebrew poem.  Indeed, if you were to read Jonah 2:2-9 you would probably think you were reading a psalm about deliverance, straight from the Psalms.  Some scholars have thought that chapter 2 is an addition to the story of Jonah, but there is no evidence that these verses ever existed as anything other than a part of this prophecy.  Many psalms are similar, but none say anything quite like this.  The poem is unique, and fits Jonah’s story perfectly, even though its words are similar to many psalms.  It describes Jonah as coming near to drowning in the sea (2:5), perhaps before being swallowed by the whale, and it seems that Jonah was unaware of Lord’s desire to save him.  When in real trouble, people do not always notice what God is doing to bring about their salvation!

The passage follows the traditional pattern of a thanksgiving poem or psalm, of which there are many in the book of Psalms (e.g. 18, 30, 103, 108 etc.) and it begins and ends with thanks to God for deliverance (2:2, 2:9).  Verse 3 describes Jonah’s drowning, and as the psalm moves from verse 3 to 4, Jonah’s feelings break through as he asks a question of penetrating insight.  Will those who die lose sight of God forever?  The question itself is profound and unusual, for traditional Israelite belief was that once a person was dead, they were separated from God in the underworld (‘sheol’) forever. Amazingly, Jonah questioned this when facing death, and the answer to his question only came when Jesus died and was raised many centuries later.  Jonah was more of a prophet than we sometimes think! 

Much of the rest of the psalm describes Jonah’s ‘descent’ towards death in the depths of the sea (or the belly of the fish!) until his prayer came before the Lord ‘in His holy Temple’ (2:7).  I suggest that Jonah’s prayer is found in verse 8, which I have translated differently from other Bible versions.  In my translation, it is clear that Jonah recognised he had sinned by self-centred vanity, and therefore lost the protection of the Lord’s ‘covenant’ love.  This was Jonah’s confession of sin, and together with his promise of worship made in verse 9, this indicates a significant spiritual change in him.  Consequently, the Lord was able to enact His plan of deliverance; the fish ‘saved’ Jonah and spewed him out alive onto dry land (2:10).

Jesus refers to Jonah several times when speaking of his own death and resurrection (Matt 12:39; 16:4 etc., and it is easy to think that this is due to the ‘three days and nights’ of Jonah’s time in the fish (1:17), and the same time spent by Jesus between His death and resurrection.  However, there is much more to the story of Jonah than this.  Jonah 2 describes Jonah’s repentance at the point of death and his acceptance of the Lord’s salvation.  Through this, Jonah was able to continue to fulfil his call and preach God’s Words to the Gentiles in Nineveh, centuries before the saving work of Jesus enabled missionaries to announce God’s love to the world through the missionaries of the early church!

The story of the call of Jonah has a far more important place in our understanding of the history of God’s salvation than most people assume!

Jonah 2:1-10 (get text)  Study links:  / Review / Discipleship /

Discipleship

Questions (for use in groups)

1. Read some of the psalms of thanksgiving mentioned in the Bible study to see how similar the psalm is to other Psalms
2. Go through each verse and identify some of the spiritual features in the psalm of significance for Jonah’s deliverance.
3. In your group, discuss what the great declaration ‘deliverance belongs to the Lord’ (2:9) means.

Topics covered by this text

• Death and resurrection
• Confession and salvation
• Deliverance belongs to the Lord

Personal comments by author

I have always loved this psalm, and have sometimes used it in worship.  People always assume it to be a psalm from the book of psalms!  The reason it is useful and can bear being used for preaching, is because it tells a story of salvation.  It therefore contains most of the elements needed for preaching about salvation and deliverance.  It is certainly a reminder that salvation and deliverance are two words that mean roughly the same!

Ideas for exploring discipleship

• Read through this psalm and ask yourself whether it speaks to you of any experiences you have had.  You may find connections you did not expect.  As a consequence, let the Lord speak to you about the meaning of your own salvation.
• If there are any people in your church who are struggling to find ways of coping with life at the moment, consider whether it would be helpful to send them a note of encouragement containing words from Jonah 2.  Use discretion.

Final Prayer

Lord God Almighty.  You enable us to keep going when everything seems impossible. You enable us to show love when we do not feel very generous, and you place hope within our hearts even when the future looks dim.  Complete Your work in us we pray, for Your name’s sake: AMEN