Old Testament for April 3, 2022

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 43:16-21
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage appears to have been written after the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587 BC, when the Jews were transported by the Babylonians into exile.  Isaiah has made this clear in earlier verses:

Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon
and break down all the bars,
and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation (Isaiah 43:14).

The first section of this passage relates to the history of Israel, as Isaiah recalls the deliverance from Egypt some 600 to 700 years earlier:

Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

The “Road Out” (the literal meaning of “Exodus”) was paved through the Red Sea, where the Egyptian army was drowned according to the great story of Jewish deliverance in Exodus 14.

As astonishing as this act of salvation history may be, Isaiah urges his people to look beyond that past event to the deliverance from exile that God is about to accomplish for Israel:

Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

Isaiah assures the Jews who are in exile that God will do a “new thing,”  and bring them back from their latest bondage.  This time it will be from bondage in Babylon instead of Egypt, and their escape route will take them through the wilderness to the west of Babylon, not through the Red Sea.

Isaiah foresees that God will create a new highway that leads back from Babylon to Judah:

I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.

The language that Isaiah uses is a reminder of some of the events in Exodus.  For example, God provided water in the desert of Sinai (Exodus 15:22-25).  Now, God will not simply bring forth water from the rock, he will cause rivers to flow in the desert!

The Lord reminds the people that they belong to him, and their purpose is to worship and praise him.

APPLY:  

When we look back to what God has done in the past, we sometimes get “stuck” expecting that God will do the same thing exactly the same way again.  In fact, God is always doing a “new thing” in a new way.  We need to keep our eyes open for new insights, new guidance, and new opportunities as God reveals the plan to us.

RESPOND: 

In C.S. Lewis’s Christian allegorical novel Prince Caspian, the great Lion Aslan — the Christ figure of the book — says gently to Lucy:

Things never happen the same way twice.

We human beings tend to like to find patterns in life and in history.  We are taught to believe that history repeats itself.  In fact, the philosopher George Santayana is quoted as saying:

 Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Can both of these views be true?  I believe there are events and behaviors that create patterns.  If we can’t learn from history in order to either avoid disaster or to make wise decisions, why study the past at all?

Perhaps the best way to understand this is to recognize that we human beings have a tendency to be boringly redundant.  Our essential character hasn’t really changed all that much since the Garden; the only changes have been in our fashions and our cultures. Like the cliche says,

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

But God is not limited by our boundaries of time and space.  God can and does act in surprising ways. Thus, John writes,

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:50).

When it comes to God’s plans for us, to quote an old Australian Army song from 1944:

You ain’t seen nothing yet!

Lord, thank you for reminding us of your miracles in the past.  But help me to be reminded that you are still very much alive, and there are still miracles all around me today. When I get stuck in redundant patterns, remind me that you will make all things new.  Amen.

PHOTOS:
The “New” graphic by Peggy Marco is licensed under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication license.

Old Testament for March 27, 2022

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Joshua 5:9-12
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

The events described in this passage illustrate the transition of Israel from wanderers to settlers in their new land.

After their parent’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt by the mighty hand of God, and their sojourn in the wilderness for forty years, the descendants of those slaves have crossed over the Jordan River from the East and are beginning the conquest of the land promised to them.

To mark this momentous event, they camp in Gilgal and hold the first Passover in this new land.

This is significant not only because it is the first Passover, but because this marks the end of the provision of manna that they have eaten regularly for forty years.  From now on, they would eat the crops of the land of Canaan. 

God’s original goal for the Israelites was now being realized.

APPLY:  

This passage represents the transition from the uncertainty of life “in the wilderness” to an orderly, settled life in the Promised Land.

And yet, despite the fact that Israel now begins to eat the produce of the land, they remember their slavery and deliverance with the feast of the Passover.

This illustrates the importance of ritual and tradition.  Lest we forget where we have been and what God has accomplished, it is imperative that we celebrate those feasts that anchor us in time and place, and give us our heritage.

As Christians, we are reminded that Jesus takes the elements of the Passover feast and consecrates them to a new purpose.  The bread and wine of Passover become the elements of a ritual of remembrance of death and resurrection.

RESPOND: 

I wonder if there was something a little melancholy about the celebration of the Passover at Gilgal.

After all, for forty years, the Israelites had developed a child-like relationship with God, depending on God directly for provision and protection.  Now they were being challenged, by God and with his full approval, to take responsibility for taking possession of the promises God had made to them.

I wonder what it means for us to “come of age” in our relationship with God?  Certainly we must take responsibility for our lives — but it is also important that we remember who we have been and who we are through the rituals of our spiritual family.

In one of my churches years ago, we welcomed a woman who was Jewish by birth and who had come to embrace Jesus as her Messiah.  She led us through the Passover Seder meal, much like what she had experienced as a girl.

She reminded us of the symbolic meanings of the foods and the liturgy that hearkened back to the days of Exodus.  However, she also pointed out that for Jesus and his disciples (also observant Jews), this feast had taken on a new meaning for all who believe in Jesus.

It struck me that my relationship with the Bible isn’t “either/or,” but it is “both/and.”  As I read the New Testament, I am reminded of my heritage in the Old Testament as well, and my faith is enriched.

Lord, for all that you have done in the past, I give you thanks, and I claim my heritage by faith.  And for all that you promise to do, I look forward with the same faith.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“No More Manna!” uses these photos by Counselman Collection: “Drama3” and “Drama1“. They are both licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for April 7, 2019

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 43:16-21
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage appears to have been written after the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587 BC, when the Jews were transported by the Babylonians into exile.  Isaiah has made this clear in earlier verses:

Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon
and break down all the bars,
and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation (Isaiah 43:14).

The first section of this passage relates to the history of Israel, as Isaiah recalls the deliverance from Egypt some 600 to 700 years earlier:

Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

The “Road Out” (the literal meaning of “Exodus”) was paved through the Red Sea, where the Egyptian army was drowned according to the great story of Jewish deliverance in Exodus 14.

As astonishing as this act of salvation history may be, Isaiah urges his people to look beyond that past event to the deliverance from exile that God is about to accomplish for Israel:

Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

Isaiah assures the Jews who are in exile that God will do a “new thing,”  and bring them back from their latest bondage.  This time it will be from bondage in Babylon instead of Egypt, and their escape route will take them through the wilderness to the west of Babylon, not through the Red Sea.

Isaiah foresees that God will create a new highway that leads back from Babylon to Judah:

I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.

The language that Isaiah uses is a reminder of some of the events in Exodus.  For example, God provided water in the desert of Sinai (Exodus 15:22-25).  Now, God will not simply bring forth water from the rock, he will cause rivers to flow in the desert!

The Lord reminds the people that they belong to him, and their purpose is to worship and praise him.

APPLY:  

When we look back to what God has done in the past, we sometimes get “stuck” expecting that God will do the same thing exactly the same way again.  In fact, God is always doing a “new thing” in a new way.  We need to keep our eyes open for new insights, new guidance, and new opportunities as God reveals the plan to us.

RESPOND: 

In C.S. Lewis’s Christian allegorical novel Prince Caspian, the great Lion Aslan — the Christ figure of the book — says gently to Lucy:

Things never happen the same way twice.

We human beings tend to like to find patterns in life and in history.  We are taught to believe that history repeats itself.  In fact, the philosopher George Santayana is quoted as saying:

 Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Can both of these views be true?  I believe there are events and behaviors that create patterns.  If we can’t learn from history in order to either avoid disaster or to make wise decisions, why study the past at all?

Perhaps the best way to understand this is to recognize that we human beings have a tendency to be boringly redundant.  Our essential character hasn’t really changed all that much since the Garden; the only changes have been in our fashions and our cultures. Like the cliche says,

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

But God is not limited by our boundaries of time and space.  God can and does act in surprising ways. Thus, John writes,

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:50).

When it comes to God’s plans for us, to quote an old Australian Army song from 1944:

You ain’t seen nothing yet!

Lord, thank you for reminding us of your miracles in the past.  But help me to be reminded that you are still very much alive, and there are still miracles all around me today. When I get stuck in redundant patterns, remind me that you will make all things new.  Amen.

PHOTOS:
The “New” graphic by Peggy Marco is licensed under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication license.

Old Testament for March 31, 2019

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Joshua 5:9-12
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

The events described in this passage illustrate the transition of Israel from wanderers to settlers in their new land.

After their parent’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt by the mighty hand of God, and their sojourn in the wilderness for forty years, the descendants of those slaves have crossed over the Jordan River from the East and are beginning the conquest of the land promised to them.

To mark this momentous event, they camp in Gilgal and hold the first Passover in this new land.

This is significant not only because it is the first Passover, but because this marks the end of the provision of manna that they have eaten regularly for forty years.  From now on, they would eat the crops of the land of Canaan. 

God’s original goal for the Israelites was now being realized.

APPLY:  

This passage represents the transition from the uncertainty of life “in the wilderness” to an orderly, settled life in the Promised Land.

And yet, despite the fact that Israel now begins to eat the produce of the land, they remember their slavery and deliverance with the feast of the Passover.

This illustrates the importance of ritual and tradition.  Lest we forget where we have been and what God has accomplished, it is imperative that we celebrate those feasts that anchor us in time and place, and give us our heritage.

As Christians, we are reminded that Jesus takes the elements of the Passover feast and consecrates them to a new purpose.  The bread and wine of Passover become the elements of a ritual of remembrance of death and resurrection.

RESPOND: 

I wonder if there was something a little melancholy about the celebration of the Passover at Gilgal.

After all, for forty years, the Israelites had developed a child-like relationship with God, depending on God directly for provision and protection.  Now they were being challenged, by God and with his full approval, to take responsibility for taking possession of the promises God had made to them.

I wonder what it means for us to “come of age” in our relationship with God?  Certainly we must take responsibility for our lives — but it is also important that we remember who we have been and who we are through the rituals of our spiritual family.

In one of my churches years ago, we welcomed a woman who was Jewish by birth and who had come to embrace Jesus as her Messiah.  She led us through the Passover Seder meal, much like what she had experienced as a girl.

She reminded us of the symbolic meanings of the foods and the liturgy that hearkened back to the days of Exodus.  However, she also pointed out that for Jesus and his disciples (also observant Jews), this feast had taken on a new meaning for all who believe in Jesus.

It struck me that my relationship with the Bible isn’t “either/or,” but it is “both/and.”  As I read the New Testament, I am reminded of my heritage in the Old Testament as well, and my faith is enriched.

Lord, for all that you have done in the past, I give you thanks, and I claim my heritage by faith.  And for all that you promise to do, I look forward with the same faith.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“No More Manna!” uses these photos by Counselman Collection: “Drama3” and “Drama1“. They are both licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for March 13, 2016

Start with Scripture:

Isaiah 43:16-21

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage appears to have been written after the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587 BC, when the Jews were transported by the Babylonians into exile.  Isaiah has made this clear in earlier verses:

Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon
and break down all the bars,
and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation (Isaiah 43:14).

The first section of this passage relates to the history of Israel, as Isaiah recalls the deliverance from Egypt some 600 to 700 years earlier:

Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

The “Road Out” (the literal meaning of “Exodus”) was paved through the Red Sea, where the Egyptian army was drowned according to the great story of Jewish deliverance in Exodus 14.

As astonishing as this act of salvation history may be, Isaiah urges his people to look beyond that past event to the deliverance from exile that God is about to accomplish for Israel:

Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

Isaiah assures the Jews who are in exile that God will do a “new thing,”  and bring them back from their latest bondage.  This time it will be from bondage in Babylon instead of Egypt, and their escape route will take them through the wilderness to the west of Babylon, not through the Red Sea.

Isaiah foresees that God will create a new highway that leads back from Babylon to Judah:

I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.

The language that Isaiah uses is a reminder of some of the events in Exodus.  For example, God provided water in the desert of Sinai (Exodus 15:22-25).  Now, God will not simply bring forth water from the rock, he will cause rivers to flow in the desert!

The Lord reminds the people that they belong to him, and their purpose is to worship and praise him.

APPLY:  

When we look back to what God has done in the past, we sometimes get “stuck” expecting that God will do the same thing exactly the same way again.  In fact, God is always doing a “new thing” in a new way.  We need to keep our eyes open for new insights, new guidance, and new opportunities as God reveals the plan to us.

RESPOND: 

In C.S. Lewis’s Christian allegorical novel Prince Caspian, the great Lion Aslan — the Christ figure of the book — says gently to Lucy:

Things never happen the same way twice.

We human beings tend to like to find patterns in life and in history.  We are taught to believe that history repeats itself.  In fact, the philosopher George Santayana is quoted as saying:

 Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Can both of these views be true?  I believe there are events and behaviors that create patterns.  If we can’t learn from history in order to either avoid disaster or to make wise decisions, why study the past at all?

Perhaps the best way to understand this is to recognize that we human beings have a tendency to be boringly redundant.  Our essential character hasn’t really changed all that much since the Garden; the only changes have been in our fashions and our cultures. Like the cliche says,

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

But God is not limited by our boundaries of time and space.  God can and does act in surprising ways. Thus, John writes,

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:50).

When it comes to God’s plans for us, to quote an old Australian Army song from 1944:

You ain’t seen nothing yet!

Lord, thank you for reminding us of your miracles in the past.  But help me to be reminded that you are still very much alive, and there are still miracles all around me today. When I get stuck in redundant patterns, remind me that you will make all things new.  Amen.

PHOTOS:
The “New” graphic by Peggy Marco is licensed under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication license.

Old Testament for March 6, 2016

Start with Scripture:

Joshua 5:9-12

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

The events described in this passage illustrate the transition of Israel from wanderers to settlers in their new land.

After their parent’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt by the mighty hand of God, and their sojourn in the wilderness for forty years, the descendants of those slaves have crossed over the Jordan River from the East and are beginning the conquest of the land promised to them.

To mark this momentous event, they camp in Gilgal and hold the first Passover in this new land.

This is significant not only because it is the first Passover, but because this marks the end of the provision of manna that they have eaten regularly for forty years.  From now on, they would eat the crops of the land of Canaan. 

God’s original goal for the Israelites was now being realized.

APPLY:  

This passage represents the transition from the uncertainty of life “in the wilderness” to an orderly, settled life in the Promised Land.

And yet, despite the fact that Israel now begins to eat the produce of the land, they remember their slavery and deliverance with the feast of the Passover.

This illustrates the importance of ritual and tradition.  Lest we forget where we have been and what God has accomplished, it is imperative that we celebrate those feasts that anchor us in time and place, and give us a our heritage.

As Christians, we are reminded that Jesus takes the elements of the Passover feast and consecrates them to a new purpose.  The bread and wine of Passover become the elements of a ritual of remembrance of death and resurrection.

RESPOND: 

I wonder if there was something a little melancholy about the celebration of the Passover at Gilgal.

After all, for forty years, the Israelites had developed a child-like relationship with God, depending on God directly for provision and protection.  Now they were being challenged, by God and with his full approval, to take responsibility for taking possession of the promises God had made to them.

I wonder what it means for us to “come of age” in our relationship with God?  Certainly we must take responsibility for our lives – but it is also important that we remember who we have been and who we are through the rituals of our spiritual family.

In one of my churches years ago, we welcomed a woman who was Jewish by birth and who had come to embrace Jesus as her Messiah.  She led us through the Passover Seder meal, much like what she had experienced as a girl.

She reminded us of the symbolic meanings of the foods and the liturgy that hearkened back to the days of Exodus.  However, she also pointed out that for Jesus and his disciples (also observant Jews), this feast had taken on a new meaning for all who believe in Jesus.

It struck me that my relationship with the Bible isn’t “either/or,” but it is “both/and.”  As I read the New Testament, I am reminded of my heritage in the Old Testament as well, and my faith is enriched.

Lord, for all that you have done in the past, I give you thanks, and I claim my heritage by faith.  And for all that you promise to do, I look forward with the same faith.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“No More Manna!” uses these photos by Counselman Collection: “Drama3” and “Drama1“. They are both licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.