Asking the Holy Spirit for Understanding

Asking the Holy Spirit for Understanding

 

In the course of our Bible study it is not uncommon for us to find statements or new concepts that challenge our understanding.  Even after searching our Strong’s Concordance and other references we can still encounter difficulties in arriving at a satisfactory / appropriate interpretation or explanation.

Man’s senses and limited mental capacities are not sufficient for discerning / understanding many spiritual truths.  One example is the concept of the One True God / Godhead consisting of God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  (How can three equal One?)  But that concept is probably more understandable, believable and acceptable to most Christians because we have heard it many times in a context which “makes sense”.  Further, it is far less “personal” than the example that led me to think about writing this blog post.

In this next example, which is very personal to Christians, the Bible says that we were crucified with our Lord Jesus on the Cross (Galatians 2: 20), and that we were resurrected with Him. (Romans 6: 4-6; 1 Corinthians 6: 14,17; Colossians 2: 12-13)   Also, we are now seated with Him and in Him, ( https://www.gotquestions.org/in-Christ.html ) at the right hand of our Father in Heaven. (Ephesians 2: 4-7; Colossians 3: 1-3) That concept sounds unrealistic, because “we know” from our senses that we are physically on this Earth. But when we consider the lessons taught us back in the Book of Genesis about the creation of man, (Genesis 1: 26-27; 2: 7) they remind us of the reality that we are truly living spiritual beings with a soul, who only temporarily  “live” in these physical bodies. Even so, the questions arise:  “How can we be in two places at the same time? Specifically, how are we now seated with our Lord Jesus at the right hand of our Father in Heaven?” Further, “how could we be participants in the Crucifixion, burial and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus nearly two thousand years before our “birth” on the Earth?”

Those of us who believe that our Bible is based on truth have been hard pressed to find “wise men” who can  answer many questions raised by the Scriptures. Perhaps it is because we simply haven’t lived long enough to see some of the answers become reality. In other instances, perhaps we aren’t meant to understand until we are with the Lord, and He will make all things clear.  (Mark 4: 22-23; Luke 8: 17; 1 Corinthians 13: 10-12)  Remember, God keeps things secret, until He is ready to reveal them. (Deuteronomy 29: 29)

Can you imagine the mindset of Christians who lived and died only 100 years ago, when they  read in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 11, that was written two thousand years ago.  The Bible says that the dead bodies of two of the Lord’s “witnesses” who had been slain would be seen (visibly) by “the people and kindreds and tongues and (many) nations for three and a half days.” Current day technology makes that prophecy seem highly probable, compared to the “impossible” mindset only a few generations ago. But that is one of the great features of this tremendous Book that God has given us. Given that example among what are many, many others…there are some concepts that are perplexing regardless of the century in which a Christian was (or is) living.

So, what is the method for getting answers to help us understand difficult questions / concepts?

The Scripture notes that “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2: 14) Further, with regard to seeking answers through prayers, the Scripture notes that God does not hear the prayers of those who are not His. (John 9: 31)

However, another perspective was provided for Christian Believers, as the Bible further states: 

“But God  hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2: 10-13)

It is in that context that when we pray, we ask God for the knowledge, wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit that we need to understand difficult passages and concepts in the Scripture.  The answer(s) might come directly or indirectly (possibly through an unexpected source)…immediately or later…or possibly not at all.  Whatever the outcome, the Scripture reminds us:

“Be careful (worry) for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 4: 6-7)

Let’s return now to the questions raised in the third paragraph above, in bold type.

The answer to the question “how we can be in two places at the same time...specifically, on this Earth and with our Lord Jesus in Heaven?” seems somewhat simplistic.  The Holy Spirit has moved our soul / spirit from the current circumstance / situation / environment to a heavenly perspective. That is what has given us a new perspective and reality.  In this Earthly world, and from a most negative sense, psychologists call that “dissociation.”, meaning disconnection or detachment. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dissociation ) 

However, using a less technical terminology, on a short-term basis many have called it “daydreaming”, or “fantasizing”.  Do you remember being in a situation in which your mind “wanders” from whatever is going on around you, bringing you to a place of calm, rest, and peace…a place you’d rather be?

Similarly, even on a continuing basis, Believers under the influence of the Holy Spirit can “see” and experience life from two perspectives. While their physical bodies and senses are limited by what is going on around them, their mind and soul can experience communication with our Creator.

The second question raised above is: “How could we be participants in the Crucifixion, burial and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus nearly two thousand years before our “birth” on the Earth?” The Holy Spirit’s connection to our spirit / soul also provides the key to that answer. As Christians today, we still have no full understanding of our existence here in this Earth, but we have the support of the Holy Spirit in maintaining our faith that these things are true.

One of the attributes of God is that He is Eternal. He exists outside of the constraints of time as we know it. (Genesis 1: 1; Psalm 90: 2) That is the basis for our understanding the concept of eternity. In that context, and in His foreknowledge, our Lord Jesus knew us before the foundations of the Earth. (Ephesians 1: 4) He knew we would become Christian Believers who would become members of His spiritual body, the “Body of Christ”. (1 Corinthians 12, especially v. 27) 

We must always remember that it is more important what God sees than what we see. Through His Scripture we know that He saw us …the “real us” consisting of soul and spirit...crucified with our Lord Jesus, resurrected with Him, and now existing in Him…and He in us. (Romans 8: 9-10; 2 Corinthians 13: 5; Ephesians Chapter Three, especially consider v. 17)  As we were made in His image, we also are eternal beings… (Genesis 1: 26-27)…joined from the Beginning.  

Thank you Holy Spirit, for these perspectives.

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot.com  

God Sees "Good People" as "Sinners" Too

 

God Sees “Good People” as “Sinners” Too

 

In an earlier post to this blog, I shared some of the lessons learned during my Bible study. There are many other lessons I’ve learned, but the Spirit has guided my spirit to revisit this one particular point before moving on to share others.

As Christians we believe the Lord Jesus has redeemed us from the penalty of death / the eternal separation from our Creator God. That is the “salvation” of our souls . In response to God’s love in accomplishing this for us (John 3: 16-17), we have learned that we should return His love by serving as “Ambassadors” for Him, to bring knowledge of our Lord Jesus’ suffering and sacrifices to help save others. (1 Corinthians 5: 14-21)  Key to understanding the significance of what the Lord Jesus accomplished for us as individuals requires the knowledge of how His actions have affected all mankind, not just Christians, even as His Earthly journey happened some two thousand years ago. The essence of this blog message is to share my thoughts on God’s perspectives on “good people”. There is a potentially significant difference between those who see themselves as being “good person”, and how that same person might be seen from God’s perspective.

From a biblical perspective, the term “good’ means “agreeable, excellent, beautiful, best, or pleasing”, as when God found the results of His Creations each day in Genesis Chapter One. (Strong’s Concordance #02896) Further, when applied to a person, the Lord Jesus responded to a reference to Himself being called “good”, He answered: “Why callest thou me good? None is good, save one, that is, God.” (Luke 18: 19)   In that context and for this post, I add another term: “righteous”. (Strong’s Concordance #6662, meaning lawful, as justified and vindicated by God)  “Righteous” was first used in the Scripture in Genesis Chapter Seven, when the LORD used it to describe Noah. In the previous chapter it was noted that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth(v.5)…But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”(v.8) That is what we each strive to achieve…being seen as righteous / good in the eyes of God and thereby deserving of God’s grace and salvation.

Perhaps the most difficult and intriguing challenge when engaging others in this area of Bible study is to convince them to see things through God’s eyes. As noted in my earlier post, many, if not most people feel that they are “good people”, who have lived “good lives”. Further, if they believe in a life after this earthly journey, they likely feel they will have a very positive future. They do not identify with the term “sinners”, which presumably applies to people who have done “bad things”. (Romans 1: 18-32) However, the Bible teaches us that we need to be able to see the world, and mankind, and ourselves through “God’s eyes”, rather than our own human eyes.

The Bible gives the history of the first man’s creation as a perfect being in harmony with God. (Genesis 1: 26-27, 31. However, we soon learned that under the temptation of God’s Enemy Satan, the man Adam committed the offense of disobeying our Supreme Deity and Creator (sin), and thereby bringing sin and death (separation from our Creator) into the world. Even so, our Omniscient God was not taken by surprise. He immediately instituted His Plan to provide for the restoration of man to Himself. (Genesis 3: 14-21; Romans 6: 23).

Now here is the issue. As a result of Adam’s sin, all future generations of mankind inherited the trait of a “sin-nature” when we were born. In God’s eyes we are not “sinners” because we have sinned as Adam did. He sees us as sinners because we were born as sinners.  (Romans 5: 12-19; 3: 23)     Just as Adam was given the choice to believe His Creator God or suffer dire consequences (Genesis 2: 15-17), so have each of the rest of us been given a choice. If we are willing to admit that we are sinners, the next step is to understand the implications / consequences of bearing that designation in God’s eyes. Then we have the choice to either believe or not believe what the Bible scripture teaches.

Before we go further, let me establish that the Supremacy of God’s Kingdom is that it is based on truth, justice and righteousness.  (Deuteronomy 32: 4; Psalms 89: 11-14. 97: 2; Isaiah 30: 18)   However, if there is anything that God hates more than  the sins of untruth, unfairness / injustice, and evil, (https://www.gotquestions.org/God-hate-sin.html ) ... it is Unbelief….the lack of faith in what He has said. It was Adam’s unbelief that brought sin and death into the world. (Genesis 2: 16-17, 3: 6; Romans 5: 12). It was Cain’s unbelief that led him to bring a bloodless sacrifice to the LORD; then reject the LORD’s offer of assistance; and commit the first murder. (Genesis 4: 1-8) It was Israel’s unbelief that caused a 40-year delay (and countless lives lost) to their entrance into the Promised Land when they rejected the LORD’s instructions at Kadesh Barnea. (Deuteronomy 9: 23) These are only a few examples of man’s unbelief.

The reason that God is so adamant / unwavering  about man’s unbelief is that He has established His Plan for the salvation of mankind, with the basis being that He Himself would place all the punishment for man’s sins onto His dear and beloved Son, our Lord Jesus. (Matthew 3: 16-17, 17: 1-5; John 3: 11-21) God’s Supremacy and Divine Law mandate that evil / disobedience be punished, with no exceptions…no loopholes. That is why even the Archangel Lucifer (a previously trusted leader of God’s angelic hosts) was evicted from Heaven. (Isaiah 14: 12-17; Ezekiel 28: 12-19) Remember, that as a God of Truth and Justice, His wrath and judgment are His punishments for sins, not because of a hatred for the sinner.  In the Old Testament, the many instances of God’s wrath against the Nation of Israel and others was punishment for sins, even among His Chosen People. (https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/what-is-the-biblical-understanding-of-the-wrath-of-god.html ) 

So, contrary to what many might believe, we as Christians were not saved from eternal death by God’s “mercy” or "forgiveness".  It was His overwhelming love for man that led Him to take out the wrath of His judgment on Jesus, His Dear Son, instead of us. Our sin debt had to be paid. That was the price of our redemption / restoration to Him. All that God asks of mankind is that we believe in His Son Jesus, and what He accomplished for us as individuals through His tremendous suffering, Crucifixion death, burial and Resurrection. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13)   

In His Omniscience, God knows that we all have sinned.  He also has made available to each of us message of salvation.  Some will believe that message and receive His righteousness.  Unfortunately, many more, including many “good people”, will ignore or reject that message.  Fortunately for us, He has given us the freedom of choice…belief, or unbelief.

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot.com 

Some Lessons Learned During Bible Study

 

Some Lessons Learned During Bible Study

 

·       Remember why the Bible was written and search within it for answers. From our various teachers we have learned that the Holy Bible was written by a number of authors who wrote under the influence of the Holy Spirit to bring to mankind God’s message for the salvation of our souls through our Lord Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3: 16-17; 2 Peter 1: 20-21; 3: 15-16)

·       The answer to each question invariably raises other questions, but the Scripture will contain those answers as well. We just need to know where to look. There is an important scripture verse that gives a clue as to why we should study. God keeps things secret, in life and even within the Scripture, until He is ready to reveal them. Then He expects man to believe them and act accordingly. (Deuteronomy 29: 29)

·       Rather than reading the Bible from Genesis 1: 1 straight through to Revelation 22: 21, don’t hesitate to “look ahead” by reviewing the scriptures “out of order”. For example, the first three chapters of the Book of Genesis raise questions about mankind and our eternal future that are not fully answered until the final chapters of the Book of Revelation. Read them together. Also, the Book of Daniel contains great messages of prophecy that link to the future as described in the Book of Revelation. Note especially Chapters 2, 7, 9, 11 and 12.

·       Take special notice of the advice given by Myles Coverdale, who produced the first complete English translation of the Bible in 1535. He said “It shall greatly help ye understand the Scriptures if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what extent, with what circumstances, considering what goeth before and what followeth after.”

·       Remember that the Scriptures were written by numerous authors over a period of thousands of years.  The Bible itself advises us that: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15: 4-7)

·       Bible study is not a race towards completion. Take your time and consider not only the words of Myles Coverdale, but also that many words and concepts can have both a literal meaning / interpretation but also a potentially deeper spiritual one.

·       Do not be afraid to use the “King James Version (KJV)” as the basic translation for study. It was the initial translation, and most lends itself to compatibility with other Bible study tools. Studying as though the King James Version were written in a foreign language, I supplement the text with my key reference: The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible – Red Letter Edition , James Strong, LLD, STD, (1822 – 1894), published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, reprinted and expanded in 2010.  This reference contains a Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary, and a Greek Dictionary of the New Testament. Every word of the Bible is indexed, and there are several useful Tables at the end. (Available through “Amazon” and other sources)

·       Also do not be afraid to make use of other reference materials to aid in study.  For example, more recent translations of the Bible might provide different perspectives on the original text, but remember, they are secondary to the original translation. Another more non-traditional reference that can be helpful is the Internet.  I use the Google search engine to search for certain phrases or concepts whose location in the Bible does not come readily to mind. I do not count on the results I find there to be definitive, but they are generally broad enough to be helpful guides, and frequently they expand my knowledge base. Again, they are secondary, or even tertiary reference leads.

·       Take advantage of lessons and concepts stressed by Bible teachers who are more learned in the Scriptures. Not every teacher is well-grounded in what the Lord would have us know and believe, but the Scripture itself reminds us that “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10: 17) As Christians who have believed the Gospel, we have received the in-dwelling Holy Spirit who will help us differentiate that which is true from that which is not. (Romans 8: 26-28; 1 Corinthians Chapter Two)  For example, some key points stressed by a few of my teachers include:

 

1.      Les Feldick’s Two Bible Timelines - Revisiting the quote from Myles Coverdale above, it definitely helped my understanding of the Scriptures after Les Feldick (Les Feldick Ministries) stressed the importance of “rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2: 15) His reference led to the important differentiation between how the Nation of Israel viewed the events and prophecies of the Scripture, as compared to how we as believers in Jesus Christ today view them. Those separate views relate to how each group sees Israel’s Messiah / the Son of God, and God’s Plan for mankind. (See: https://www.lesfeldick.org/lestimel.html)

 

2.      More than One Gospel: One of God’s Mysteries Revealed – Both Les Feldick and Joseph Prince (Joseph Prince Ministries: https://www.josephprince.org/) have stressed that as Christian believers today we have received the eternal salvation of our souls through the Grace of God. God’s Grace (unmerited / undeserved favor) is based on our faith in what our Lord Jesus accomplished on our behalf when He suffered, was crucified, died and buried, and was resurrected on the third day. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4, Romans 10: 9-13) It isn’t what we do…but what He accomplished as our substitute, by shedding His holy blood to atone for our sins. (Hebrews 9: 11-22)  Prior to those events, only Israel understood the Gospel of the Kingdom, (Matthew 4: 17-23), which was based on their acceptance of the Son of God (belief in the name of Jesus) as their Messiah who would fulfill the Covenants made to Abraham and their other patriarchs. (Genesis 12: 1-3)

3.      As Christians, we are now “Ambassadors for Christ – ( 1 Corinthians 5: 14-21) .   (https://www.gotquestions.org/ambassador-for-Christ.html ) Another of my teachers, Rev A. R. Bernard, (Christian Cultural Center:     https://www.cccinfo.org/about-page ) introduced me to the concept of “hermeneutics”, which is the study of the general principles of biblical interpretation. (https://www.logos.com/grow/biblical-hermeneutics-guide/#:~:text=Biblical%20hermeneutics%20is%20the%20method%20of%20interpreting%20Scripture,reader%20interprets%20the%20Bible%20through%20their%20own%20hermeneutic.) As representatives of our Lord Jesus in this fallen world, it is vital that we remember that we engage non-believers on a daily basis. Some will have no knowledge of the Bible. Others (even some who profess to being “Christian”), will have various degrees of knowledge of the scriptures, but also various degrees of interest in learning more. Hermeneutics teaches us to both consider and acknowledge that these differences exist. Also many / most of those perceptions related to the Bible have a basis of origin in their prior life experiences, whether they be educational, cultural, religious or otherwise.

 

·       The importance of explaining to others that we are not “sinners” because we choose to sin, but that we are sinners because we were born that way. Many “good” people will lose their eternal salvation, as well as many blessings in this earthly life, because they have not accepted the concept that they are “sinners” in the eyes of God. (Romans 3: 23)  It is because they feel that they have lived “good lives”, and therefore have “earned” eternal life…or they are indifferent. They do not identify themselves with the people who have done “bad things”. (Romans 1: 18-32) The reality is that when Adam sinned against God, he brought sin and death into the world. All mankind inherited that sin-nature when we were born. (Romans 5: 12-19) That is why our Lord Jesus told Nicodemus that “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  (John 3: 1-7) Our sinful soul / spirit cannot co-exist with God. (Romans 8: 1-8) As “Ambassadors for Christ”, Christians have an obligation to help close that knowledge gap. More will be discussed on this subject in a future post to this blog.

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot.com 

Lord Jesus Met Two Women – Opposite Reactions

Lord Jesus Met Two Women – Opposite Reactions

 

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”  (2 Timothy 3: 16-17)

 

One of the most important lessons that we learn during our Bible study is how to read the words of our Lord Jesus. We need to know and understand not only the meaning of His words, but also the context.  One good example of this concept is found in the Book of Matthew, Chapter Ten.

In the previous Chapter Nine, it was noted:

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages , teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith He unto His disciples, ‘The harvest is truly plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest’.” (Matthew 9: 35-38)

Now in Chapter Ten, Scripture notes that when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, “He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” (Verse One). After giving the names of the Disciples, the Scripture then reveals (in Verse Five) one of the more controversial statements made by the Lord, saying:

“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them , saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Verses 5 – 7) (Emphasis added.) A number of Christians mistakenly believed that from the beginning of the New Testament and the Lord’s Earthly Ministry, He came to save all mankind.  Of course in His foreknowledge He knew the ultimate outcome. However, this command to His Disciples shows that His focus was on fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant for Israel first… (https://www.gotquestions.org/Abrahamic-covenant.html), with His focus on the Gospel of the Kingdom. (https://doctrine.org/the-gospel-of-the-kingdom )

With that background, in this blog post I’d like to look into why the Lord commanded His Disciples to shun both the Gentiles and the Samaritans. And then, if both were to be excluded from His blessings…why did He react so totally differently when He separately met two women, one woman representing each of those groups that He had commanded must be avoided. Specifically I’m referring to women commonly referred to in our Bible as the “Samaritan woman He met at the well” (John 4: 1-42); and the “Canaanite woman” who came to Him seeking healing for her daughter. (Matthew 15: 21-28)  First, let’s look at how God’s Chosen People had come to look at the groups they represented.

The Samaritans:

Rather than generating a new narrative to describe the Samaritans, I’d like to provide excerpts from another author (Alyssa Roat) whose research I’ve found to be most helpful.  The entire article can be found at the following website:  https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/the-samaritans-hope-from-the-history-of-a-hated-people.html

She wrote:

“To explain the origins of the Samaritans, we must go back to the days of the kings. After King Solomon ruled over the Israelites – God’s people –  the unwise actions of his son Rehoboam in the tenth century BC led to a schism in which the kingdom was split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, each with its own king.” “Samaria as a city was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.”

“Both kingdoms devolved into corruption and sin, despite repeated warnings from prophets sent by God. Thus, God warned, they would be overtaken by conquerors. The northern kingdom fared worse than the southern kingdom, with a long line of wicked rulers. It didn’t help that the temple, where God’s people were to worship, was located in the southern kingdom. 

In 721 B.C., the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians. Many of the people of Israel were led off to Assyria as captives, but some remained in the land and intermarried with foreigners planted there by the Assyrians. These half-Jewish, half-Gentile people became known as the Samaritans.” (Emphasis added)

“The Samaritans, being a mix of already spiritually corrupt Israelites and pagan foreigners, created a religion for themselves that the Jews considered heresy.   (Underlining added)

They established as their center of worship a temple on Mount Gerizim, [(miles North of Jerusalem), (Added by this author)], claiming it was where Moses had originally intended for the Israelites to worship. They had their own unique version of the five books written by Moses, the Pentateuch, but rejected the writings of the prophets and Jewish traditions. The Samaritans saw themselves as the true descendants of Israel and preservers of the true religion, while considering the Jerusalem temple and Levitical priesthood illegitimate. 

When Jews returned to rebuild Jerusalem (after their 70 years of slavery to the Assyrians and Babylon up to the Persians), they were opposed by Samaritans. This led to further ill-will as the two sects were established in the land in opposition to one another.

To the Jews, a Samaritan was more revolting than a Gentile (pagan); Samaritans were half-breeds who defiled the true religion.”

Now with that background, it is apparent that the hatred that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans would not be short-lived. By the time of the coming of the Lord Jesus, those feelings had not eased.

              Resolution:

Even so, the Scripture reports in the Book of John, Chapter Four, that it was the Lord Jesus who made the overture to reconcile the Samaritans to Himself under the Gospel of the Kingdom. While the common practice of that time was for Jews to bypass the territory inhabited by the Samaritans, the Lord and His Disciples “left Judea and departed again into Galilee. And He must needs go through Samaria.” (Verses three and four) If you haven’t already done so, I strongly recommend that you read about the Lord’s encounter with the Samaritan woman he met at the well there and the profound impact their conversation had on many others. (John 4: 1-43). The Lord’s presence in Samaria for two days prepared many of the inhabitants for the subsequent visits by His disciples Philip, and later Peter and John. Their visits came after His death, burial, resurrection and Ascension. Further, their preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom led to the salvation of many more Samaritans. (Acts 8: 1-17, 25)

 

The Gentiles:

The background for Israel’s visceral negative reactions towards Gentiles cannot be traced to any particular event of commission or omission by the Gentiles as a homogeneous group.  If anything, the behaviors and reactions of both groups go back to the Garden of Eden. After man failed the three temptations of Satan, specifically “the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2: 15-16), and inherited the resultant sin-nature, the hostile reactions that followed could almost be seen as “predictable”.  That would apply to people as individuals, as well as to groups of people who selectively identified with others based on any number of characteristics, such as gender, age, family of origin / nationality / ethnicity, culture, dominant language, proximity of residence / neighborhood, or religion.

Our Bible describes many such groups of people, but the ones which are critical to this discussion relate specifically to the Nation of Israel and those with whom they interacted before the Lord’s Advent. Apparently Satan’s temptation of the “pride of life” influenced the attitudes of the people of Israel after they recognized that God had made them “His Chosen People”. They had “power”. Over time, the arrogance of having been regarded as “special” by none less than God Himself grew into outright contempt for those who “didn’t even know the true God Jehovah” (my words). Further, as a group, the Gentiles did not regard or practice the laws of moral, personal (cleanliness, etc.), ethical or other behavior that had been entrusted to Israel by God for them to serve as examples. (Exodus 19: 1-6; Romans 3: 1-3); https://www.biblequestions.org/bqar659.html ; https://www.gotquestions.org/pride-of-life.html   That was Israel’s mindset when the Lord Jesus was beginning His Earthly Ministry. https://christianquestions.com/bible-questions/why-did-jesus-refer-to-gentiles-as-dogs/

 

Even so, in His Omniscience, the Lord Jesus knew His Ministry was to fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant given to Israel, and the Old Testament prophecies. He was aware of the suffering that awaited Him (torture, Crucifixion, death and burial) (Isaiah Chapter 53, and others) so that He could redeem all mankind from their death penalty because of our sins. After His Resurrection and Ascension, He could continue to have His disciples focus on the salvation of Israel. (Acts Chapters One through Seven) Further, then He would be able to initiate His Ministry to the Gentile world through the Apostle Saul / Paul. (Acts Chapters Nine and beyond)

Resolution:

By demonstrating indifference, even immediate rejection of the Gentile Canaanite woman who sought His healing for her daughter, the Lord was able to confirm the limits of His Ministry to Israel. Then, as she persisted, He conceded and granted her request, In that manner He was able to  teach us a lesson about the power of faith in God, even in the face of an apparent rejection of our request.

Two women. One Samaritan, one Gentile.  Opposite reactions to each from the Lord. Both outcomes were blessings. That is the love of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot.com 

God Wants to Know - Do We Believe Him?

 

God Wants to Know – Do We Believe Him?

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”  (2 Timothy 3: 16–17)

 

The first man Adam didn’t believe God. There were dire consequences. (Genesis Chapter Three) Adam’s son Cain didn’t believe God, and there were dire consequences. (Genesis 4: 1-16)

As Christians and other Bible students read the Scripture, they are sometimes confronted with concepts or recordings of man’s history that bring them to pause. They question: “Did that really happen?”; or say to themselves: “I find that hard to believe.”  In reality those are normal reactions when we hear about things that took place thousands of years ago, because we generally do not have a current point of reference to be able to relate to them. In fact, many of us grapple with similar questions about life or man’s history even several decades or a hundred years prior to our birth.

But that circumstance lays the groundwork for the title question: “God Wants to Know – Do We Believe Him?” The Scripture noted above in the sub-title provides the basis for our understanding that the Bible we read is not the product of a series of “recollections” or “conjectures” made by numerous authors over a period of time. We have been taught that the knowledge gained by those various authors (prophets, disciples, Apostles, and others) was imparted to them through the Holy Spirit. Further, God has provided this Holy Bible as His message to guide us to the eternal salvation of our souls. (1 Peter 1: 9)

Through our studies we’ve learned not only the history of mankind, but also how we (even today) have come to need the “salvation of our souls.” Further still, we’ve been taught that the pathway to that “salvation” is based not on what we do, but what we believe. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13)  As spiritual beings made in the image of God (Genesis 1: 26-27; 2: 7,), our believing what God has said is a spiritual concept that unfortunately many people will not accept.

In His Omniscience, God foreknew that man would be faced with challenges in accepting even this basic concept of the importance of believing what He has said. For example, to address this issue He included in the Scripture three of the most significant events that negatively affected His Chosen People, the Nation of Israel, with consequences for all of us.

Remember from earlier studies, after mankind had proven unsuccessful over many centuries in controlling their sin-nature, God made a Covenant with Abram / Abraham that resulted in the formation of the Nation of Israel. (Genesis 12: 1-3; https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-the-abrahamic-covenant.html#google_vignette ; https://www.gotquestions.org/Abrahamic-covenant.html ) The three major outcomes of that Covenant were to be:

1.     Israel established as a nation of priests to evangelize and instruct the rest of mankind (Gentiles) on God’s Moral Law and His Righteousness – Israel believed and agreed (Exodus 19: 1-8); but then through their lack of personal power to control their actions, they failed to live up to their part of the agreement.

2.     Nation of Israel established in its own land – “The Promised Land”. (Genesis 13: 15; 15: 7-21; 17: 7-8) – Israel did not believe what God had said. Unbelief had consequences we / all mankind still live with today; and

3.     Through Israel, all the families on Earth would be blessed – the Messiah / Son of God who would establish His Kingdom on the Earth, and take away the sins of mankind.   (Genesis 12: 3; Daniel 2: 44; John 1: 1-37; 3: 16-18) – Israel did not believe what God said. They conspired with the Romans to crucify our Lord Jesus. (Psalm 2: 1-5; Acts Chapter Seven)

As Christians, we are very familiar with the third point above related to Israel’s rejection of our Lord Jesus Christ, leading to His terrible suffering to pay for our sins; His death by Crucifixion;, burial, Resurrection and Ascension. Therefore I won’t address those specifics further in this blog post.

Also, we are familiar with the many, many examples of Israel’s inability to keep God’s Moral Law / Ten Commandments, even as it was being given to Moses. (Exodus Chapters 20 and 32) As noted in the first point above, as God’s Chosen People and a “nation of Priests”, they were to be examples of righteousness for the Gentile world. But the Old Testament is rife with examples of their violations of God’s Law that resulted in all manner of sinful behaviors including idolatry, murders, sexual immorality, and more. Again, I won’t address those specifics further in this blog post.

However, I do want to focus on the second point above, related to the “Promised Land”. It is a subject that remains even today a continuing source of worldwide anxiety and concern…all because of Israel’s unbelief.  The question many would ask is: “What if Israel had believed God?” But the reality is they didn’t, so let’s look further into it.

For some context, remember that Israel became a full Nation of people in Egypt from the relatively few sons of Jacob and their families, totalling seventy souls. (Exodus 1: 1-5)  There is not consistent agreement as to how long their descendants lived in Egypt (before and during their slavery), or how many comprised the Nation that left and were part of God’s miracle that parted the Red Sea. ( https://www.thetorah.com/article/how-many-years-were-the-israelites-in-egypt ; https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-many-israelites-exited-egypt/ ; https://www.gotquestions.org/Israelites-exodus.html )  However, the Scripture clearly states: “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.” (Exodus 1: 7)  Further, that statement was made before the Egyptians came to fear the numerical strength of the Israelites and brought them into slavery. (Exodus 1: 8-14) Final estimates of their numbers ranged up to several millions. (https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/6324155/jewish/11-Facts-About-Counting-the-Israelites-in-the-Desert.htm )

Moving hundreds of years ahead in Israel’s history, after the LORD had brought them safely from Egypt, the Bible reports: “And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses” (Emphasis added.)(Exodus 14: 31) Unfortunately that sense of belief / faith / trust did not last.

Only a few days later, when faced with their first hardship, the people demonstrated their unbelief / lack of trust by murmuring against Moses and the LORD. Then they repeated this insult against God more than once. For details, I strongly encourage you to read the Scripture verses from the Book of Exodus 15: 22 – 16: 1-35, found at the following link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+15%3A22-16%3A35&version=KJV

The LORD tolerated Israel’s unbelief, even as He guided Moses to lead them to the border of the Promised Land at a place called “Kadesh-Barnea”. However, in spite of His love for His favored people, it was there that His patience wore out.

Note that the Scripture had recorded the LORD’s commitment to give Israel safe passage into the Promised Land. He would send an Angel to fight their enemies there, and follow with hornets to drive out any who remained so that the land would be preserved for Israel’s takeover without having to fight. (Exodus 23: 20-33; Deuteronomy Chapter Seven) But rather than believing what the LORD had said, the people requested that they be allowed to “send in spies” to be able to see for themselves whether they could indeed occupy the Land. The LORD granted their request. Of the twelve spies Israel sent, ten reported back to the people that it would be an impossible task. Only Caleb and Joshua believed the LORD. Note the scripture:

“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him  said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land…(saying) it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature…And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak,…and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13: 30-33) (For a more complete account, read Numbers Chapters 13 and 14.)

As a result of Israel’s unbelief at Kadesh Barnea, the LORD required them to wander in the wilderness for forty years until all the unbelieving generation had died. Then He allowed the others to enter the Promised Land, but not without their having to fight the inhabitants to achieve what God had already set aside for them.  (https://www.gotquestions.org/Kadesh-Barnea.html ) Can you imagine how much mankind’s future might have been altered if Israel had only believed God at that time?

Romans 15: 4, advises us that “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” The Holy Spirit continued to give Christians and other Bible students the knowledge of examples of man’s failure to believe what God has clearly said. Ironically, we know that God loves man, and has loved us since the Creation when He gave man dominion over the Earth and all its creatures. Having been made in the image of God, man is a spirit, designed to have eternal life with God. (Genesis 1: 26-28) Through unbelief (a sin against God), the first man Adam fell and lost his favored status. Fortunately for us, the LORD God implemented His plan to overcome the death / separation of man and to redeem all future generations (Genesis 3: 15-21), through the high price of the precious blood of His Dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  (John 3: 16-18)

Now all that God asks is that we believe the Gospel of His Grace, that “Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13)

Just as the Scriptures cited in this blog post were given by the Holy Spirit to guide our learning, there are numerous scriptures to explain and support that Gospel of Grace. In one or more future posts I’ll focus more on the components of the Gospel. Hopefully we can see more about the love of God for those who believe Him.

Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson

https://christianityandbiblestudy.blogspot.com