Comments for March 5

In this chapter, God is giving rules for healthy living, but he is doing it in a way that can be understood by the people to whom he is talking - the mark of a good teacher. If he had been making these rules for us in our day, I am sure he would have couched them in different terms, as our medical understanding is more advanced. These rules are for their continued health. It shows God's inspiration. We can look on them and see the reasons behind them - with even a simple understanding of germs and infections - but no-one there could have known this. These rules must therefore have come from God.

Lev 11 - 15 show Israel that in so many elements of their lives it was impossible for them to be ritually clean for long. The Levitical priesthood had shown its shortcomings and was now marred. Now the people are being shown that they also are unclean in so many ways. Thus the details of the consecration of the priesthood and the laws relating to uncleanness go together to show that the Law of Moses was not able to cleanse a man so that he could stand in God's presence guiltless.
There are standard presentations of the significance of the clean and unclean beast and I suspect that you are already aware of the significance of these things to a greater extent than I am anyway so I will not go into that aspect.
11:44 The whole of the law concerning uncleanness was so that Israel appreciated that they were to sanctify themselves to holiness because their God was holy. This is picked up - 1 Peter 1:15 as something that we must have clear in our minds if we wish to please our Father.

Whatever other implications there are, there is a principle at stake here. Israel are being taught yet again the principle of standing apart from evil. Just like the clean and unclean foods, they were clean on the midst of the unclean nations. We must learn the same lesson and keep ourselves unspotted from the world.

:29 The word translated 'mouse' 05909 only occurs six times in Scripture. The other places are 1 Samuel 6:4,5,11,18 Isaiah 66:17.

The animal that Israel were to avoid as unclean, it seems, was the carrier of the plague the Philistines suffered when they had taken the ark. By the time of the prophet Isaiah - around the time of Hezekiah - the people seem to have taken the mouse, and the pig - another unclean animal - and built up some form of perverse worship around those animals. Given the infrequent mention of the 'mouse' in Scripture one would have thought it easy to conclude that its use in worship was banned. So Isaiah shows us a clear blatant violation of the laws of uncleanness where Israel are giving special powers, maybe like the Philistines did, to the mouse whereas it is Yahweh who brought the ark back to Israel, not the mice.

:44 In all this language about uncleanness we learn that Israel were to 'sanctify; themselves and 'be holy'. These ideas are presented by Peter as instructions to us

:44 sanctify yourselves 1Pet 3:15
:44 be ye holy for I am holy 1Pet 1:16

So it is only when one realises the 'uncleanness' of flesh that one can appreciate the need to sanctification and holiness.

11:24 Clearly there is no physical difference between touching a clean and an unclean animal. However those who touched an unclean animal were themselves defiled. This was to teach that holiness is not something that can be seen and deduced from an outward appearance.

Lev 11:13  These are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; All birds of prey are ranked in the class of unclean. They all feed on flesh. We get the idea that all which are not mentioned were allowed to be eaten. That would be birds that ate vegetable substances.  

Unclean animals were to be avoided by Israel because:

-the practice maintained discipline and separateness from the surrounding nations

-some would easily spoil in a hot Mediterranean climate

-some were physically unhealthy to eat

-they were associated with pagan worship

(An interesting book on the hygienic aspects of these dietary laws is: None of These Diseases by S.I. McMillen, who is a medical doctor).
 
An animal that chews the cud is one that brings food back from the stomach to chew again and then re-swallow. The word cud is from the Hebrew word gerah which connotes the use of the throat. The same word is used of the wicked whose throat is an open grave (Psa 5:9; Rom 3:13).  Perhaps it is indicative that, like cud, the wicked will have to swallow their own words (Matt 12:36,37).

The gerah is also one-twentieth of a shekel in weight.
Ten gerahs amounted to the half-shekel of the sanctuary for redemption (Exo 30:13).  Paying this ransom ensured no plague (v.12).  Eating clean animals (those that chewed the cud = gerah) would ensure against disease.

God had created everything, and had described it as very good, but now His holy people had to observe strict laws as to what they were allowed to eat, or not. This law was repealed in the early days of Christianity Acts 10. Cornelius saw an angel at the 9^th hour, which is the same time as Jesus had died, and the veil of the temple had been torn. Is it possible that Peter had been given his vision of the unclean animals at the same time, the 9^th hour? He had started to pray at the 6^th hour Acts 10:9, and might well have continued for 3 hours.

11:2     Given that these restrictions were not given until Sinai one presumes that Israel had been able to eat whatever they wished up to this point in time notwithstanding that there were clean and unclean animals by implication at the time of the flood Gen 7:2. So Israel would learn that the law of Moses put restrictions upon their daily lives. They would have to think about the law every time they sat down to eat. Of course this would not mean that they should think of the restrictions but should teach the law – Deut 6:7.

For us to be fed and live a clean animal would have to die much as we are spiritually fed  by Christ John 6:27. Lev 11:3 - the split hoof would allow for more sure walking and chewing the cud allows for better digestion; perhaps a spiritual lesson is suggested in that we are to be sure footed in our walk and to fully digest the word. Lev 11:9-10 - fins help direct a fish to go in the right direction through the water while scales are used for protection and tend to not be on bottom dwellers or predators such as sharks;  perhaps a spiritual lesson is we are to swiftly go in the right direction, studying the word, be gentle, and avoid the sinful earthiness at the bottom. Lev 11:13-19 - the birds mentioned that are not to be eaten were predators that killed so again perhaps the spiritual lesson is we are to be gentle and not predatory. Lev 11:29-31 - animals that move about on the ground were unclean so perhaps a spiritual lesson is that we are not to take in the dirt/sin of the earth/world rather we are to set our sites on that which is above.

CLEAN THINKING
 
Paul wrote to the Philippians and gave them some keys for use in keeping themselves pure for God. He said, "Finally, brothers,, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." (Phil 4:8)
 
God gave Israel some very particular laws about the things they should and shouldn't eat. As a consequence the Jews, even to this day, think very carefully about the foods they take into their bodies. Foods can only be eaten if they are "clean" foods, suitable for consumption as prescribed by God.
 
In the same way a Jew takes careful note of the foods he eats, we must take careful note of the diet we feed our minds. While we can make ourselves ill and even die from eating the wrong sort of foods, even more disastrous is making ourselves spiritually ill or dead because of the visual things and thoughts we allow our minds to chew over. It is our thoughts that are going to make the difference as to whether we spend eternity with God and Jesus or not.
 
So let's take Paul's advice, and, like the Jews with their clean and unclean foods, control what goes into our minds and hearts, making sure they stay holy to the Lord.

11:42The instruction that anything that goeth upon its belly is unclean is only the second time that an animal going upon its belly is found in Scripture. The first is in Genesis 3:14.

11:37-38            The distinction between the effect of an unclean carcass upon ‘sowing seed’ and seed upon which water has been put is that the seed is deemed dead until it has germinated. Uncleanness cannot affect the dead, only the living. The wet seed is alive and germinating.

11:32 Here is a fundamental principle. Uncleanness can be transmitted by contact – the reverse is not true. Holiness is not transmitted by contact. – Hag 2:11-13– which means that we must be careful about the company we keep.

It was not sufficient for Israel to avoid eating the forbidden foods. They had to avoid any contact with a forbidden animal. If they came into contact, even inadvertently, they became unclean and had to wash themselves. If a forbidden animal came in contact with any utensil, or water, they were to be discarded. Even if a clean animal died of itself, one could not touch it without becoming unclean. And certainly, one was forbidden to eat of an animal that died of itself. And so, Yahweh implemented these strict laws to test the faithfulness of His people, especially in the face of the freer practices of their neighbours. Unfortunately, Israel would keep backsliding throughout history, and Yahweh would have to reinforce His standards (Judg 2:22; 3:4).

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11:45  Notice that holiness is required by the God who delivered from Egypt. Israel were bought with a price and. So they had a responsibility to imitate their redeemer. What about us?

Released from Egyptian slavery. Bound by God's rules.

If you'd been set free from slavery and saw yourself as a new, free, man or woman, what would you think if you had to listen to a long list of what you can and can't eat? Perhaps "Here we go again!" or "Moses wants to rule our every waking minute!" or "I wish I were back in Egypt! At least there I could eat whatever I wanted!"

If we take a moment to imagine what it was like for the Israelites, we will understand where their complaining and stubbornness came from. After all, would we be any different? Do we take it well when we are told what to do? The challenge for us in our walk of faith is to align ourselves to want what God wants, so that the more we learn of God's ways, the more beauty we see and the more that we understand why we must accept some restrictions.

For example, if Israel had realized the medical value of these laws (simply washing hands and keeping toilet areas outside the camp in themselves would stop most diseases spreading), they may have been less inclined to complain. And for us, in Christ, there is freedom, but the challenge is to willingly adopt God's principles. When we adopt them, it is not by compulsion, but because we love them (Psa 119:96-98). We must learn to see that the limits set by God’s word are beneficial in this life, and will ultimately lead to freedom from death itself.

MIND FOOD

If we had lived in the time of Israel we would have had to watch what we eat. God gave Israel some strict rules about what foods were clean and what foods were unclean. For instance, cattle and sheep were ok to eat, but pigs and camels were unclean. Fish with scales and fins were good, but shellfish were not. All up, there were a huge variety of animals that the children of Israel could and could not eat. They had to get to know what was acceptable and what was not.

When Jesus came along, he discussed the matter of clean and unclean foods, saying, "Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean'." (Mark 7:15) Then, when the disciples had asked him about what he had said, he added, "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach then out of his body." (v.18-19)

Here we see that Jesus understood the principles of clean and unclean foods in a spiritual way. Just as the Jews had to think about what they put in their mouths, so Jesus tells us that we need to think about what we put into our minds.

Let us concentrate just as hard about the 'clean' or 'unclean' that we feed our minds, as the Israelites would about the foods they ate.

11:4-8  It is all too easy to simply think that certain animals are unsuitable to eat and others are acceptable as if this  simply some sort of practical rule. Israel were to, always, remember that to please God they needed to remember that He is holy and that those who come to Him must also be holy – that is separate. The dietary laws were given to teach that principle. So every time a meat meal was prepared there was an opportunity to reflect on God’s holiness and the people’s separation from unholy things.

11:3   It might seem that the restrictions on what animals could be eaten is arbitrary. We might think that some of the teachings of Christ are, likewise, arbitrary – with no obvious reason. However our duty is to obey unquestioningly. Eventually the reason might become clear to us. We should not decide, using our own reasoning, which of the teaching of Jesus can be discarded.

Lev 11

God gave laws regarding eating animals of land, sea and air.

In verses 1-8, God speaks of mammals that divide the hoof, having cloven hooves and chew the cud. These animals are sure-footed, and meticulously chew the cud. These are classified as clean. The divided hoof is clearly suggestive of our steady walk in the Truth, and chewing the cud on meditating on the Word. These principles can scarcely be over-estimated. These are the clean and pure (see Psa 1:2).
Then God distinguishes those animals the chew the cud, but their hooves are not divided and cloven, and animals that have divided cloven hooves, but do not chew the cud. We see here the principle that one without the other is not acceptable to God. He requires both conditions to be clean. We may walk in the Truth, and not meditate on the Word, or vice versa. These would be those that mix Truth with error - they are unclean.
In verses 9-12, only water animals having fins and scales are clean, all other are considered unclean. The fins give the fish the power to go up or down, and swim against the stream. If we fall down, we have the power to get up, and face the storms of life (Prov 24:16). The scales completely envelop fish, illustrating our putting on the complete armour of God (Eph 6:11). Fish with no fins burrow in muddy waters, and those with no scales are “naked” and exposed to the surrounding influences (cf. Isa 47:3; Rev 16:15). Both fins and scales must be present to be considered clean. This again shows how both conditions of our walk and diligent study of the Word are absolutely necessary to be spiritually clean.
In verses 13-19, only the unclean birds are identified here. But, by comparing the differences between the clean and unclean fowl, we know that if a bird lacks any of the characteristics of a clean bird, it is unclean. Clean birds are not birds of prey, they lack the capacity to injure; they catch food thrown to them in the air, but then bring it down to the ground where they divide it with their bills and then eat it. They represent prudence and purity (cf. Matt 10:16). To be spiritually clean we must rightly divide the worth of Truth, and “eat” the Word (cf. 2Tim 2:15; John 6:53). Clean birds have an elongated middle front toe and a hind toe spreading their toes so that three front toes are on one side of a perch and the hind toe on the other side. This keeps them balanced and steady so they don’t fall off. We must stand firmly in the Truth. If we don’t stand firmly for something, we will fall for anything (cf. 1Cor 15:58).

In verses 20-23, flying insects with jointed legs are clean (e.g. locusts), all others, like spiders have jointed legs, but do not fly, they are unclean. Flying insects with jointed legs facilitate their movement forward in leaps and bounds. It enables them to jump high and fast away from predators. We are to flee from idolatry (1Cor 10:14), and from all those who would hinder us from running the race (Gal 5:7). The opposite elements can never be reconciled.

The same principle for clean and unclean animals is carried throughout. To be clean, we cannot separate the one from the other! We have been cleansed by the washing of water by the Word (Eph 5:26), and must abide in the Word (John 13:10-11; John 15:3). Then, and only then are we clean, indeed!
The purpose of these dietary laws of Israel was to sanctify them, or set them apart from the nations around them. It was intended to teach God’s redeemed people lessons on holiness, and “to make a difference between the unclean (gentile nations) and the clean (God's nation).”

We are not under the Law, but under Grace, and unclean foods no longer apply to us (Acts 10:9; 1Cor 10:25). God canceled the dietary restrictions that had been imposed on the children of Israel. Still, the spiritual principles for us behind the Law of the clean and unclean remain the same.

Happy munching!

11:45-46        In principle there was little difference between the clean and unclean beasts. God made the distinction and required Israel to observe the laws that they might, in the day to day matters of living, think about separation from sinful activities. The laws regarding clean and unclean beasts would give them a simple but very obvious object lesson. Every time they saw an animal or insect they could reflect on the need to be holy (separate) to God. 

11:14 The way in which the family could eat of the wave offering further show that God desires that His people have fellowship with each other as well as with Him. It is all too easy to live to ourselves avoiding our fellow believers on the basis that we have decided that they are not as “righteous” as we are.

11:42  the word translated “belly” here is only found once more in Scripture – Gen 3:14. So it is reasonable to associate these unclean beasts with the way in which the serpent was to move after it had deceived Eve.

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

There is an interesting principle in the way water is used when it comes to clean and unclean food.

Firstly, water was used for cleansing wooden or cloth food preparation equipment. If an item became unclean through touching an unclean animal, washing it in water would cleanse it. (Lev 11:32). If any food that had water on it became contaminated, then all the food in the same water became unclean. (v.34). A spring or a cistern that was used to collect water would remain clean if it was touched by something unclean. (v.36). If seeds had water on them and were touched by a carcass, they were to be unclean. (v.38).

It seems from these laws that water in bulk, or moving water, was good water, but water that was not moving, or in a pot, or surrounding food, was not so good.

Often water in the Bible is a symbol for the word of God. We need water. But used in the wrong way or letting it sit without refreshing it can cause bad things to happen. So the living water we need to have inside us must be a constant spring of the living words of God, refreshed and replenished at every moment. Even if something bad drops into our spring, it will not cause it all to go bad - in fact any badness will soon be washed away by the cleansing effect of the living water.

So let's not rely on the Bible study we did as a teenager or when we first loved God, but instead constantly refresh it and renew it, to live holy lives before our God.

11:47  The whole purpose of the law of clean and unclean beasts was to teach Israel holiness. Whenever they had to make a decision about what they could eat and what they had to avoid they should have thought about their separation to God.

Lev 11:1-47· ‬reminds us that God has designed creatures to teach spiritual lessons.‭ The clean and the unclean.‭

‬This the evolutionist never sees.‭ ‬He studies a plant or an 
animal,‭ ‬an insect,‭ ‬a barnacle,‭ ‬a fossil as a living or once Living structure with animal behaviours and senses,‭ ‬and reproductive capacities,‭ ‬its genetic relationships,‭ ‬its ecology,‭ endlessly speculates that it all happened by chance collisions of atoms over billions of years,‭ ‬forming some imagined tree of life from the Cambrian or Precambrian age to the present.‭..The clean creatures,‭ ‬which could be eaten,‭ ‬were those that‭ parted the hoof and chewed the cud‭ (‬sheep,‭ ‬goats,‭ ‬cattle,‭ ‬deer,‭ ‬antelope‭) ‬,‭ ‬that‭ ‬ ‬is surefooted in the knowledge of the Word,‭ ‬and power to reflection,‭ ‬mediation.‭ ‬This‭ ‬shows intelligent design to teach spiritual lessons.‭ ‬But excluding animals which did neither or only one‭ (‬pig,‭ '‬camel,‭ ‬cony‭)‬,‭ ‬or.four footed beasts,‭ ‬or animals with paws‭ (‬dogs,‭ cats‭)‬.‭ ‬Amongst the birds,‭ ‬seed eaters like doves,‭ ‬hens are clean,‭ ‬but not ducks or swans‭ or birds of prey‭ (‬eagles,‭ ‬vultures,‭' ‬hawks,‭ ‬owls,‭ ‬cuckoos‭)‬,‭ ‬or corvidae‭ (‬ravens,‭ ‬crows,‭ ‬jack daws,‭ ‬magpies‭) ‬or bats.‭

‬Amongst aquatic life,‭ ‬fish with scales and fins‭ (‬spiritual armour,‭ ‬and pass through the pathways of the sea‭) (‬in shoals‭) (‬multitude in one‭)‬,‭ ‬but not shell-‭ fish,‭ ‬crabs,‭ ‬eels‭ (‬unclean‭)‬.‭ ‬Study of such creatures of Lev.ll all show wonderful design and lessons.

‬- From the Apocalyptic Messenger – by Brother Richard Lister

11:47  The need to see the difference between clean and unclean has been seen already with respect to the priests in Lev 10:10

11:9     When considering the laws relating to what could and could not be eaten we should remember that Israel were in the wilderness when these laws were given and they were being sustained by the Manna. So the people were being taught about how to live in the land, and by implication that a time would come when there would not be Manna to eat.

11:45 We should appreciate that all of the laws relating to clean and unclean things was to teach the need for holiness. Whenever a decision had to be taken relating to these laws the spiritually minded Israelite would consider his position before God and the need for holiness. Whilst we are not constrained by these laws the need to reflect on our separateness is just as important.

11:43 it is not the eating o “unclean” animals that defile. It is that which comes out of the heart – Mark 7:18-19.  The rule here is to teach the individual to think about how they behave. Every meal time the Israelite would have to think about what was acceptable to God else he himself could become defiled before God. So for ourselves the thoughts of our heart can so easily defile us before God and mar our fellowship with Him.

11:1-47 Modern medicine and knowledge will tell us that the Jewish laws regarding clean and unclean beasts has a basis in health and science. This, doubtless, is true. However the reason given in scripture is that there is a distinction between what could and should not be eaten was to teach Israel a principle. There was to be seen a difference between the clean and the unclean.

Whilst gentile believers are not constrained by these laws the basic teaching is still there for us. We should be able to distinguish between clean and unclean activities and thoughts. We learn this, not from looking in detail at the beasts but at the teaching of Jesus as revealed in particular in the gospel records.

Lev 11, Lev 12, Lev 13:14 The earlier chapters record sacrifices for various things that the nation had to go to the priest with But now we move to things that to a large extent very directly affected their personal lives – things not necessarily seen by the priests.  The man or woman in Israel had to decide for themselves whether they were going to follow the, often inconvenient, requirements of the God given law.

11:44 The call to be holy here give practical ways in which holiness can be seen and is, therefore, an explanation of how holiness can be seen – in keeping God’s commandments even if they are irksome or maybe seem pointless.

110:2 - This whole Psalm points forward to Jesus, as we know from its New Testament appearances. Acts 2:34-36, Heb.1:13, 10:12-13. Here in verse 2 of the Psalm, God is connecting the stretching forth of the rod - surely this is Moses - Ex. 7:19, 8:5 etc. and yet here the rod is coming from Zion - the dwelling place of the saints - the Lord Jesus Christ, who will save us with his rod - Mic.7:14, Matt.28:18-20.

Psalm 110 The promise of the son to David and David bringing the ark to Zion are closely related. This is probably the most quoted Psalm in the New testament. It has its origins in the time when David brought the ark to Zion. For at that time David officiated as a priest after the order of Melchisedec in the way that he gave bread and wine to the people (1 Chronicles 16:3) and wore priestly garments (2 Samuel 6:14) and offered sacrifices (2 Samuel 6:17). At this time David 'sat before the Lord' (2 Samuel 7:18)

Psalm 111 :10 Fearing God and wisdom are seen to be linked even before the days of the Psalmist Job 28:28 - where Job is speaking - sees wisdom being manifest in a fear [respect] of God. Solomon continues this theme [Proverbs 1:7 9:10 Ecclesiastes 12:13]. This 'fear' is manifest in the way that we live. Israel were encouraged in the same way - Deuteronomy 4:6 tells them that keeping the law demonstrates this kind of fear / respect.

Psalm 112 In saying :5 'a good man sheweth favour' and :9 'he hath dispersed …' which is quoted in 2 Corinthians 9:9 we see part of a fundamental principle - Generosity to others is giving to God - Proverbs 19:17

111v.1 - We know from scriptural comment that David was 'a man after God's own heart'. We each have a desire, I am sure, to emulate that very situation. Here is a phrase that says it - that we might praise God 'with our whole heart' - that is, that our heart might not be divided between the praise of God and the praise of our own desires. David, on this occasions and others [Psa.9:1, here, 119:2,10,34,58,69,145, 138:1] clearly believed that he had reached this ideal.

Psalm 110 - In 2 Samuel 7:18 we learn that David 'sat before the Lord'. This Psalm shows that David was invited by God to sit before Him. It a small way David's desire expressed Psalm 27:4 is fulfilled.

111:9 The way that He 'sent redemption' is to be seen in sending Jesus for Mary pick up 'holy is his name' Luke 1:49 and thus, by the holy spirit says this Psalm is speaking about Jesus.

112:6-8 Show way in which problems will not trouble the righteous 'he shall not' is the repeated refrain which is contrasted with :10, speaking about the wicked 'he shall'.

110:6 In speaking of wounding heads we see an echo and fulfilment of Genesis 3:15 So we see that Scripture clearly links the destruction of the serpent power with the exaltation of Jesus as a priest.

111:10 We might think that 'the fear of the Lord …' is language of Solomon (Proverbs 1:7 9:10) but is has its origin - in principle - in Deuteronomy 4:6 and the Psalmist develops it here. The one who fears the Lord will keep His commandments and thus will be 'wise'.

112 - Remember we looked earlier (Psalm 32) at 'blessed is the man. Here we have another example of a man who is blessed. Here are all the blessed man references (Psalm 1:1, 32:1, 34:8, 65:4, 84:5, 12, 94:12)

110:3 The willingness of the people when Christ returns will be the true freewill offering – just as Jesus gave himself as a freewill offering (Psa 40:6-8)

Psa 111 is an acrostic Psalm. That is there are 22 stanzas starting in order with the letters of the Hebrew Bible – as an aid to memory. :4 – He has made His works to be remembered!

112:9 There are three element to this verse. God’s generosity. God’s righteousness and the exaltation of his ‘horn’.  They are interconnected. It is because of His righteousness that he is generous. The exaltation of His ‘horn’ will be when men recognise His generosity seen in His righteousness.

Psalm 110  This Psalm, quoted by Christ in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and by Paul extensively in the Letter to the Hebrews, speaks of Israel's Messiah.

Psalm 112  Here we see the character of a Godly man, a God governed life. V.7 Heart The secret of a God fearing man (stability)  V.10 This man is hated by those who hate goodness.

110:1 see Matt 22:44 for connection.

110:4 see Heb 5:6 for connection.

110:6  shows the terrible destruction that will take place when the Lord exacts retribution. The wicked will be destroyed (112:10).  However, the righteous person need not be afraid of such things (Psa 112:7,8).

In a discussion at Bible class the other night one of the questions that was posed asked, "When our minds are free to think about whatever we like, what do we think about?"  In honestly answering this question for ourselves we will gain a good idea of where our hearts are centred and what we worship.  It could be television, family, gardens, making money or a multitude of other things.  We all have particular things that occupy our minds when we are not pressured to think about other matters.
 
The true believer, committed to God and following in the footsteps of Jesus, should find themselves relating to the words of this Psalm when we ask ourselves where our mind goes when it is free to think what it likes.  He says, "Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them." (Psa 111:2)  Is this where our mind goes when it is free? 
 
Do we ponder the works of the LORD?  His salvation is one of his greatest works, and when we think about it our hearts should overflow with praise and thanks.  His creation is another work that has no end of pondering.  His word, the Bible, is another inexhaustible supply of things to think about and encouragement to glean.  And his care, compassion, power and majesty are absolutely awesome. 
 
Let's train ourselves to keep the works of God on our minds at all times

112:5-9 We see in these verses that generosity, and trust in the LORD, form a character which preserves from the fear of evil, and ensures success against enemies. We clearly see that if a man is God fearing and has developed a Christ like character, he will increase in substance, both spiritually and materially.

Psa 110 is one of the most quoted in the New Testament.  Jesus used Psa 110:1 to pose a difficult question to His questioners in Mark 12:35-37, and then at His trial before the Sanhedrin He again used it, to show the Jews that He was the One to sit on God’s Right Hand.  Can I suggest that this shows how well both Jesus and the Jewish leaders knew this psalm.  There was Jesus quoting to the priests this psalm, which has in Psa 110:4 the fact that the future priesthood is to be taken from Levi and given to Melchizedek’s line – from where Christ Himself takes His priesthood.

112:3 - There seems almost to be a conflict between passages like this and places like that where Jesus said how hard it would be for a rich man to enter into the kingdom, and yet the conflict is resolved by a simple matter of priority.  Which comes first?  The riches or the fear of the Lord.  If, as a result of fearing Him, God chooses to shower us with riches, then they are a blessing.  If we start with the riches and then try to fit God round them, they are a curse.

110:6    He will ‘judge among the heathen’ at the time that the kingdom is established. This judgment will continue into the kingdom when, for example, judgment will be made on nations that decide not to go to Jerusalem annually to keep the feast of Tabernacles – Zech 14:18

111:3   God’s work is ‘honourable’  as we should reflect His character are all the  things we do honourable?

112:8    We previously noted the threefold ‘he shall not’ (:6,7,8). Now this is contrasted with the ‘wicked’ who will – but what he does is not to his glory. He gnashes his teeth.

Psa 110 as noted by others is a messianic psalm. Perhaps V.3 refers to resurrection.

Psa 111:5,9,10 - in v5 "meat" Heb. "tereph" (2964) means "something torn, a fresh leaf, a fragment, prey, meat, spoil" etc. and is an unusual word for meat also used in Mal 3:10  perhaps suggesting the meat is manna/Christ. Psa 111:9 "redemption" being sent could also suggest the covenant through Jesus. The "fear" or reverence of the Lord in Psa 111:10 is the beginning of wisdom and the key to our salvation.

Psa 112:4 - perhaps this light in the darkness refers to God guiding followers to the promised land be it the flame by night, Christ, and/or resurrection arising from the darkness of death unto light Mic 7:8

112:10 The gnashing with the teeth that the Psalmist speaks of is not a literal activity that the wicked do towards the good. This is how the Jewish leaders would react to Stephen – Acts 7:54– when they were ‘cut to the heart – another metaphor to speak of their emotions.

110:4 Melchizedek appears the first time in Gen. 14, now about a 1000 years latter he appears in today's reading, where he is shown to be a kind of forerunner, a type of Jesus. We have to forward another 1000 years to the letter to the Hebrews before we read of him again, here the writer says that he had many things to say but, because of the dullness of their hearing in spiritual matters he would not (Heb 5:10-11). We have always felt that we all would benefit from knowing more about this king and priest. We know however from today's reading that he was a type of Christ. We know that in Christ we have a perfect priest in the sense that he can do all that is needful to provide full atonement and reconciliation of ourselves to God. Let not our hearing become dull. 

111:4God’s works can be remembered but our memories are such that we soon forget. This was Israel’s problem – Psa 106:13– so needed to be reminded. We can be continually reminded through our reading of Scripture and reflection on our own lives of service to Him.

When the Lord Jesus returns, He will begin His campaign to rid the earth of those evil people who will oppose Him (110:6). This campaign will take some time. It is reminiscent of Gideon in his single-minded campaign against Midian, how he was faint, yet pursuing (Judg 8:4). The Lord Jesus will also be single-minded but will not faint. 

110:7 shows that He will be refreshed in His pursuit and never faint, the same condition that He promises for His followers (Isa 40:31).

The KJV says: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (111:10). Fear (Heb. yirah) means awe and reverence. The beginning (Heb. reshiyt) means the principal part. And so, reverencing Yahweh is the chief component to wisdom. But wisdom is acquired by Yahweh's teaching (Psa 25:5; 86:11). If we respect Yahweh, we will listen to (read) His Word. He will then increase our wisdom and understanding. Not reading His Word (listening to what he has to say) is a sign of disrespect, to which He will add nothing.

PARENTING BEGINS WITH OURSELVES

If we want a good future for our children, we need to start with ourselves. Often it is the good education or the great opportunities that we think we need to give our children, especially if we missed out on it ourselves. But there is something far more basic that needs to be put into place first.

The psalmist tells us the secret to giving our children a good future when he says this: "Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed." (Psa 112:1-2)

When we fear the LORD and find great delight in his commands, we will be living a life that is a great example for our children to follow. They need a constant example and parents are the best ones to give that example. Every young boy wants to be like his dad. By modelling the fear of the LORD, honesty, love, patience, kindness, faithfulness and respect, our children will have a much bigger head start than those who do not live by God's moral code, even if those other people have all the education and opportunities they could want.

Our children will grow up to be a lot like us. Let's work on ourselves giving our children the best example for them to follow. May they be blessed by the LORD and become mighty in the land.

110:1 - The Lord [the Hebrew word for "Lord" here is "Yahweh" (3068) which was the Jewish national name of God] says to my Lord [the Hebrew word for "Lord" here is "adon" (113) which means sovereign, lord, master, owner, controller and is a Messianic reference to Christ]: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." - Luke 20:41-44;Acts 2:34-36;Heb 1:13.

110:4  The conferring of priesthood upon Jesus was a consequence of his resurrection from the dead. Likewise those who will be ‘kings and priest’ – Rev 5:10 – will inherit priesthood at the resurrection but only if they have learnt the skills in this life.

 Psa 110:4; Heb 7:17,21.     Psa 112:9;2Cor 9:6-10.

111:5 The fact that God sustains His creation is evidence that He will fulfil His covenant with Abraham and David. So if we ever doubt or wonder about His promises just look at creation.

112:1 We may read the Bible and do other things that God requires of us. But do we ‘delight’ in His teachings?

112:9   God’s mercy is spoken of here. God has given to us. The way in which this verse is quoted in 2Cor 9:9shows that because of the mercy we have received we should be generous in our response to our brethren and sisters – God has provided what we need so that we can give things to others.

1. Psa 110:1 compare with Matt 22:41-46;Mark 12:36;Luke 20:42-43;Acts 2:34-35;7:55;Matt 26:64;Mark 14:62;16:19;Luke 22:69;1Cor 15:25;Rom 8:34;Eph 1:20;Col 3:1;Heb 1:3;8:1;10:12-13;12:2;1Pet 3:22.

2. Psa 110:1 - note the second mention of  "Lord"<113> (i.e. "Adoni")  differs from <136> (i.e. "Adonai").

3. Psa 110:1-2 compare with Acts 2:36;Matt 26:64;Rev 12:5;Psa 2:9-11.

4. Psa 110:3 compare with Isa 26:19.

5. Psa 110:4 - the priest/kings Melchizedek, Christ and to some extent David (Gen 14:18-20;Heb 5:5-6,10;7:1-4,11-25;Zech 6:12-13;2Sam 6:14,13,17,19;2Sam 7:18) - Christ has supremacy over the Levitical priesthood.

6. Psa 110:6 - Christ will judge the nations (John 5:21-22,27).

7. Psa 110:7 - "brook"<5158> - perhaps this verse reminds us of the suffering of Jesus when he crossed the brook Kedron to the garden of Gethsemane.

1. Psalm 111 is an acrostic and may be connected to the Passover and second coming (Isa 26:19-21;30:29-31;31:4-5;33:20;Psa 102:13;Isa 2:2-4).

2. Psa 111:1 - "Praise"<1984>, "praise"<3034>.

3. Psa 111:1 - Christ will lead the assembly and the great congregation when he returns (Psa 22:25-28;Matt 5:5;Psa 109:30;Acts 1:9-11).

4. Psa 111:3 - "his righteousness (and Jesus) endureth for ever". 

5. Psa 111:4-5 - NIV "the Lord is gracious and compassionate. He provides food for those who fear him" - compare with Psa 37:25.

6. Psa 111:5 compare with John 6:35,48-51;Heb 13:20.

7. Psa 111:5 "fear"<3373>, Psa 111:10 "fear"<3374> - these previous mentions of fear focus on reverence and awe as opposed to Psa 119:120 "fear"<6343>.

8. Psa 111:9 - his people are redeemed in the kingdom age.

9. Psa 111:9 - who is entitled to be called "reverend"?

1. Psalm 112 is an acrostic.

2. Psa 112:2 - "His seed" perhaps refers to the redeemed (Psa 22:30;24:6).

3. Psa 112:3 - could this refer to the kingdom of God with Christ as king?

4. Psa 112:4 - compare with Matt 4:16-17;John 8:12.

5. Psa 112:5 - Christ is the ultimate "good man".

6. Psa 112:5 - "discretion"<4941>.

7. Psa 112:6 - "moved"<4131>.

8. Psa 112:9 - "his horn shall be exalted with honor" when the kingdom of God is established on earth with Christ as king.

9. Psa 112:9 compare with Psa 75:10.

10. Psa 112:10  compare with Matt 8:12 (weeping and gnashing of teeth).

111:3-4          Notice how the characteristics of God are echoed in the next Psalm – Psa 112:2-4. There are other similarities which you might enjoy noting.

BLESSED AND HAPPY

"Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands"(Psa 112:1). This is an instruction as to how we can be happy people.

Firstly we need to fear the Lord, and secondly we need to find great delight in his commands.

How do we fear the Lord? The word fear means to fear, to be afraid. We need to understand how awesome, powerful and holy he is. He holds our life in his hands. He is our God, our creator, and in one moment he can take it all away. We cannot fight against him and win. If we fight against God who is destined to win, we will be miserable because we are fighting a losing battle. But if we join him and we are on his side, though we fear him, we will have nothing to fear because we are at peace with him. We need to fear him and walk with him because his love in our lives casts out all fear.

How do we delight in his commands? We do it out of an overflowing love for God. We don't do what he wants because we need to keep his rules, but because we want to do what pleases him. Read his word and find out how he wants us to live to please him. Obey him because we want to rather than because we have to. As a good friend of mine says, replace the "Must I?" with "May I?" .

Let us fear God and take delight in his commands and be the blessed and happy people God planned for us to be.

110:6   The wounding the heads over “many countries” speaks of the world wide dominion of the risen Jesus when he returns and reflects Psa 72:8

112:4   That God is gracious and full of compassion has already been revealed to Moses – Exo 34:6-7. The Psalmist can have confidence in God because He has already revealed Himself. We, likewise, can take comfort. 

Giving to the poor and allowing God to reimburse

Notice in Psa 112:9 the phrase "He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor". This phrase is quoted in 2Cor 9:9, and matching the two chapters together is quite instructive. In the Corinthians passage we are being told that we can safely spend everything in working for the good of others, because God will ensure we don't go without:

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" 2Cor 9:8

Then in the next verse it quotes the Psalm. So how could the writer to the Corinthians get that conclusion from this Psalm? In Psa 112:5, "A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth" is followed with, in v6-7 "He shall not be moved... He shall not be afraid of evil tidings". Putting ourselves in the shoes of those living in Old Testament times, where there was no government provision for the poor, giving our goods away could bring very real concerns for our welfare. This means that only those who had faith in the power of God could give liberally. Do we believe the Psalm and the Corinthians passage, and do we believe in God's power to reimburse?

111:4    That God is gracious and full of mercy repeats what Moses was told – Exo 34:6. We see the same point in Psa 112:4

Psalm 110

"He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head." (v7)

This verse which is in the context of the dead bodies of v6 could be a reference to Deut 21:1-9 where a Heifer is slain by cutting off its head in a valley with water.

Psalm 111

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." (v10)

The first part of this is repeated in Prov 1:7 and 9:10, but the specific slant here is that, not only is the fear of the LORD the beginning of wisdom, keeping His commandments will grow that wisdom. We have only to look at the context of the Psalm which is Israel's possession of the land of Canaan (v6-9) to see an example of the truth of these words. In the wilderness God gave them a law which thousands of years before its time kept disease at bay by washing of hands, safe disposal of waste, and isolation of infectious cases.

STILL WAITING

Have you ever prayed and waited for something to happen? Passing school or university exams, finding the right spouse, having children, the opportunity for a career change, the ability to afford a house, or the call to serve God in some way, can all be times when we have to wait for God. And if you are anything like me, we  can get a little impatient over it.

In a psalm that is a prophecy about Jesus, David wrote this, "The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'" (Psa 110:1).

Two thousand years ago Jesus was raised from the dead and taken up to heaven where he sits at the right hand of God. But that was two thousand years ago! He is still waiting for the promise of God to come into effect when he will be king over all the earth. It will happen. And it will happen at just the right time.

It's no different for us. It may not yet be the right time for the things we wait for to happen right now. So let's not get impatient with waiting, but stay in God's presence doing what we can with what we have until he is ready for the work he has planned for our lives.

110:1    At God’s right hand is where Jesus will enjoy the pleasures of eternal fellowship – something in spirit he looked forward to as can be seen in Psa 16:11

112:3,9 If  we manage to behave in a right manner we can only manage for a short length of time. By contrast our God is unchanging.

111:6   The guarantee that God will give His children the kingdom is evidenced by the way He worked for Israel in the past. If we do not see God at work in His ongoing care for Israel we will not be as sure of the future blessings.

THE GREAT WORKS OF THE LORD

Some people think that Bible study is one of the greatest keys to godliness. It probably is. After all, how can we truly learn to obey if we don't read the instruction book? How can we learn how much God loves us if we don't read His love letter?

There is more to a godly life than merely reading and studying the Bible. God has given us each vastly different personalities, some of which are not at all suited to academic study. So the psalmist gives another approach. This is what he says: "Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them." (Psa 111:2).

This is a little different to poring over books and the meanings of words. Just look around you, think back over your life, remember the stories you have heard of God's works being done, consider His creation just outside your window.

The works of God are all around us. No matter where we look we see evidence of what He has done. The psalmist is saying that we shouldn't just gloss over them, but we should think about them, see God in them, marvel over them, rejoice in them, wonder about them, delight in them. God's works are there to point us toward God.

Let's ponder the great works of the Lord!
 

112:2  The sentiments about blessings for the man and his faithful seed is seen also in Psa 25:13

110:5 The Psalm talks of Jesus sitting at God’s “right hand” Psa 110:1 which happened after Jesus’ resurrection. Up to that point God was at David’s “right hand”. David trusted that his God was his saviour. Is this how we view our heavenly Father?

112:2 delighting in God’s commandments will be seen in the way a believer puts into practice the things scripture teaches. It is not good enough to say one delights in His word but then be unwilling to take on menial tasks to help fellow believers.

110:4 God’s oaths are rock solid. Jesus, knowing this Psalm, could rest assured that the status of being a priest after the order of Melchizedek was guaranteed. There is little value to be had in striving for something promised only to find that the one making the promise fails to keep their word. We know of our father’s plans. It is His good pleasure to give the kingdom to His faithful servants (Luke 12:32) Because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2) we can share the confidence that Jesus could have in his father.

112:5 the “discretion” is careful judgment. The “good man” evaluates the situations he has to deal with rather than coming to a hasty decision. Is this how we behave?

112:5-7  Even the faithful believer is not protected from problems. However their attitude differs from general mankind. The faithful, rather than dwelling on the current problems, look beyond the “here and now” to the future blessings that their Father has promised. That is what motivated Jesus – Heb 12:2

3:5, 4:7 - We have here (and in the intervening verses) a clear description of where our strength lies. It is entirely in God, and we must never feel that we are sufficient in ourselves. We need to use our 'treasure in earthen vessels' to this end. We need to abide in him - John 15:5. See also 2Cor.12:9, Phil.2:13, 4:13.. Moses said he was not sufficient - Ex.4:10, but look at God's answer - v.11-16. Jeremiah said the same - 1:6, and again is given power - v.7-10. The same is given to the disciples - Luke21:15.

3:12 The 'plainness of speech' contrasts the 'dark speeches' of the law of Moses.

4:1 Whereas the thunders and lightning at the giving of the law of Moses caused even Moses to 'fear and quake' (Hebrews 12:21) the ministry in Christ we 'faint not' because of the mercy we have received.

ch 3 - As comment a number of times when talking about 1 Corinthians this year we have seen that the Corinthians were undermining the authority of Paul. 'Ye are our epistles' is another of Paul's rebuttals of this attitude. If Paul was not an apostle and did not preach the true gospel then, implies Paul, you as those I taught the gospel, are not true believers.

4:4 The God of this world is materialism - it blinds us, as it did the Corinthians, to the value of the gospel and leads us to be deceitful and be deceived. Eve was deceived because the god of this world appealed to her.

2Cor 3:6  Paul is a minister of the new testament, not by the letter, but by the spirit. We see the contrasts below.

4:4 Everyone worships a god.  The god (theos ) of this world is that which appeals to the flesh (1John 2:16).  The God (Theos) of the spirit is the one who is reflected in Christ (4:4).
Which theos do we choose to follow, the True or the false? Let us choose as Joshua did (Josh 24:15).

2Cor 3:2 If all men 'know and read' us what do they see? A reflection of Christ or Adam?

2Cor 4:8-9 It is common - fuelled by the erroneous superficiality of some Christians - to think that those who are committed to Christ will have a happy life. Indeed it is almost as if unhappiness is an indication that the love of Christ has not touched our hearts. However notice that Paul was 'troubled' 'perplexed' 'cast down'. True these emotions did not overwhelm him, but he still had them.

3:15 - The amount of space given in the New Testament to showing us the problems that we will suffer if we remain slaves to the Old is staggering.  I personally find that the more I start to notice it, the more of it there is.  What a wonderful contrast to view the New against the Old in this way.

3:17 Liberty is only there with the Spirit of the Lord. One ceases to be a slave to the letter of the law, which they were while the veil was on their heart. They are free to serve God, and rejoice in Christ (Phil 3:3); they have no longer the spirit of bondage, but of free son ship (Rom 8:15, Gal 4:7) "Liberty" is opposed to the letter, and to the veil, also to the fear which the Israelites felt in beholding Moses' glory unveiled  (Exo 34:30, , 1John 4:18)

3:5 Having highlighted our elevated position in Christ Paul is now careful to emphasise that this is ‘of God’ not of ourselves, lest those who were ‘puffed up’ in Corinth might think more highly of themselves than was appropriate.

4:1 The ‘ministry’ that Paul speaks of is a consequence of the ‘hope’ (2Cor 3:12). The blessings of the gospel bring responsibilities.

The veil over Moses’ face not only hid the glory of God from the Israelites, but also hid the fact that the shine, or glory, was diminishing. We would not know this latter information from the record in Exo 34:33, so again it demonstrates how important it is to read the whole of the Scriptures.  Paul then makes a play on the word “veiled”, and we find it in 2Cor 3:14-18 about the veil being on their hearts, or understanding; “open face” is unveiled face; and in 2Cor 4:3“hid” is also veiled.

4:4 In saying that Jesus is the ‘image of God’ we are being directed to reflect on God’s plan when He created Adam – Gen 1:26

3:3      In calling the brethren and sisters ‘epistles of Christ’ Paul is reinforcing the point he has made in verse 2

We are sure to experience troubles in this life. But, they only exist for a short time in relation to eternity (4:17). Let us dwell on the future reality when all shall be made perfect and the troubles of this world will be long forgotten (Luke 12:36; 4:18).

3:3-15 This is the first time that Paul has directly and in detail approached matters to do with the Law of Moses. Given that the letters that Paul wrote to Corinth were, to a large extent, a response to their questions and wholly a response to their circumstances it would be reasonable to conclude that those who sought leadership in the Church had Judaistic leanings.

Believe, therefore speak

Amongst Paul's reminiscences of his troubles he thinks of a Psalm of David. In 4:13 he quotes "I believed and therefore I spoke". Paul's troubles were directly because of the words of the gospel which he spoke. He was willing to spread those words, even though others wanted to silence him, and often appeared to succeed. So he quotes David because it is David's belief in the saving power of God that allowed him to keep on declaring God "in the presence of all His people... in the midst of Jerusalem" (Psa 116:17-19). Jerusalem was the city that killed all the Prophets for speaking out (Luke 13:34), most notably Jesus, because they didn't want to hear him.

So when Paul says he is "carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus" he appears to refer to the danger that exists for those that speak out. It is only by trust (faith) in God's power to save that we can continue doing so, and we can take heart knowing that it was difficult even for a great preacher like Paul. God is even able to deliver us from the jaws of certain death, as He did for both Paul and David (Psa 116:8, 2Cor 1:9-10).

3:14 The blinded minds quotes Isa 6:10 which is not simply saying that the people did not see what God was saying. Rather they had shut their eyes to the message which is what Paul was saying had happened in Corinth amongst those who would have the rest of the believers following the law of Moses.

4:6   Seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus contrasts Moses’ experience –Exo 33:20 – where he was unable to see God’s face. Jesus ‘declared’ God to us – John 1:18

3:16    The taking away of the vail echoes the ideas we see inExo 34:34. Whilst Israel were blinded to the message God certainly was not and so Moses did not wear the vail before God.

3:9 The contrast between the law of Moses and freedom in Christ should not be underestimated. Faithful observance of the law of Moses brought life. In a much greater sense the righteousness imputed to faithful believers should cause us to glory in the forgiveness available now.

2Cor 4:6-9 – God has commanded the light  to shine out of darkness on another notable occasion, prior to the coming of Jesus.  We see the spirit of Christ in the divinely directed actions of Gideon. 

Three hundred men selected empty pitchers and put lamps (fire brands) within each of them (Judg 7:16-17). We are earthen vessels that should contain the Word of God as a lamp within burning within us (2Cor 4:7).

The light remained concealed in the pitchers until the darkest part of the night, the divinely appointed time, when it would break forth on the Midianites (Judg 7:19-20). Jesus was the light that suddenly appeared among the seed of Abraham who that sat in darkness (Matt 4:16).

When the pitchers were broken around the camp of the Midianites, the Israelites were to shout, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon”.  For us “the excellency of the power” of the Gospel message is “of God and not us.” (2Cor 4:7).

The Apostle Paul continues the comparison with the deliverance of Israel from their enemies. Our witness to the truth of the Gospel message is opposed on all sides (2Cor 4:8-9). Israel were troubled on every side by their enemies but through faithful obedience, God delivered them (Judg 7:12,17,21). 

Each of the 300 men were required to let their light shine from their pitcher. A further action was required, they were to simultaneously blow their trumpets (Judg 7:20).  We must let the light of the Gospel shine out in our lives, this must be by what we say and by our actions.  Our witness must be seen (light) and heard (trumpet).   

2Cor 3:7-11.

2Cor 4:16-18

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day...”

In context with the previous verses, the trials of life, its perplexities, afflictions, persecutions and solitude cause our outward man to slowly decay, but as it does, the inner man is being strengthened by these same trials and the heart affected by regenerating grace. Paul pointed out that yielding to God expends our physical energy, but in so doing we will be transformed more and more each day into the image of Christ. In submitting to God in the little things day by day, we will be accruing spiritual fruit day by day.

Life is filled with troubles. Job said, “... man is born unto trouble... “(Job 5:7); Jesus said, “

“... In the world ye shall have tribulation... (John 16:33); James said, “... count in all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2). None of us will dispute that life brings disappointments, discontent, pain, grief, loss, slanders, broken dreams, broken bodies, broken homes, broken lives, and broken relationships. The longer we live, the wider our experience that this is true.

How can we be afflicted, but not crushed, perplexed, but not despairing, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed (2Cor 4:8)?  Paul gives us the secret on how to endure all these things in our lives, and that secret is in not giving up, in not fainting, but in looking ahead because at the end of these trials we will receive a crown of life. Paul endured an amazing amount of suffering and it would be quite an amazing person who could match their suffering to that of Paul (cf. 2Cor 7:5; 2Cor 11:23-33).  The apostle Paul suffered through it all that he may win Christ (Phil 3:8-11).

Paul was a man of faith, he lived by his faith and proclaimed he could go through it all through Christ who strengthened him (Phil 4:13). For this cause he did not lose heart. He endured the worst because he was more devoted to the spiritual than the physical, to the future rather than the present. It is said of Jesus “... who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2). All of God’s children walk by faith and not by sight for the things that are seen no matter how bad are only temporal, but the things we do not see are eternal (2Cor 4:18; 5:6).

There is a relationship between suffering and glory (2Tim 3:12; 1Pet 4:13). Moses endured “... as seeing him who is invisible” and forsook the “pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb 11:25-27); Christ looked at his future glory in faith, Paul looked at his future glory in faith, and we should stay focused, never giving up, and be looking at our future glory in faith too, as did all the heroes of faith in Heb 11.

4:11  In saying that he was “delivered unto death” Paul is quoting Psa 44:22

2Cor 3:3  It is so easy to misread this verse. The word fleshy is different to the word fleshly. Their hearts were prepared to receive the word of God. They were not like stone as those who Jeremiah spoke to.Jer 17:1 whose hearts were so hard it took a diamond even to scratch the surface. Their hearts were hearts of flesh... tender to receive the word of God. Their hearts could be a repository for the word of God. Paul was not saying they were fleshly as this means to follow all the natural instincts, the desires and lusts which are contrary to the mind of Christ. Strongs makes the same mistake <4560> is wrong when it says it is translated as fleshly as the word is only used once and translated fleshy. Thayers Greek lexicon says consisting of flesh, composed of flesh.

4:16-18           We learn that the events in our day to day life of our decaying body are orchestrated of God that we might learn how to apply His teachings that we might mature spiritually. If we do not use Scripture to instruct us as to how to respond to those events the “light affliction” will be pointless.

TODAY'S TRANSFORMATION.

Before I read 2 Corinthians 3 this morning, I asked God to show me what He wanted to tell me from it, as I often do. It was the last verse of the chapter that made the biggest impact on me today. "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2Cor 3:18).

The question that popped into my mind as I read this was. how much transformation is going on in my life at the moment?

Sometimes it seems as though life goes on with an auto-pilot. Everything I do happens because it usually happens. But transformation means change. And while it is not us that transforms us - we are being transformed by God, we still need to provide Him with as much willingness and opportunity to transform us as we can.

Transforming my own stubbornness or my auto-pilot routines is much harder than if I put myself in God's hands, look and listen for His guidance, and respond to Him.

So join me in giving God opportunity to transform our lives into His likeness. Watch for the changes He makes, and give Him praise.

3:3     When Paul, under inspiration, writes about “fleshy tables of the heart” he is quoting God’s promise of the New Covenant from Jer 31:33

I AM A LETTER

Paul described the believers in Corinth as a letter. Listen to what he says: "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." (2Cor 3:2-3).

Everyone could see, both from the way of life that the believers lived and from the affection Paul had for them, that they belonged to Christ. It was obvious. Just as obvious as the message of words written in ink on a piece of paper.

So if the believers in Corinth were a letter to be read by others, then what sort of letter do people read when they observe our life? What are we telling them in our words and actions? Do people see Jesus in us? Or do we display a completely different sort of message in the way we live? We won't always get everything right, but when we are living for Jesus, we will show a confidence in his power to save and in his forgiveness.

Let's examine what sort of letter people are reading from us at the moment. Then, having examined ourselves, let us make whatever modifications we need in our words and actions to make our letter a better letter.
 

4:17  The way in which Paul speaks of the weight of God’s glory exceeding our “light affliction” is echoed later – 1Pet 1:6-7 – where encouragement is given to believers who are suffering persecution.

4:18   If only we could truly realise that the things we can see are temporary when compared with the substance of the coming kingdom of God.

4:18 we should appreciate that the points being developed here are continued on into the next chapter.

4:6 Notice the word shined in our “heart”. It is no good just knowing about God. What has been learned from His word should affect the way we think. Just as it did in Jesus.

3:5 There were those in Corinth who sought pre-eminence and wanted to rule the believers. Such were those who had followings or which Paul comments – 1Cor 1:12. Paul wrote that he had God as his authority. He was an apostle by the will of God. This was not true of those who sought to elevate themselves.

3:7-9 Notice that Paul calls the Law of Moses “the ministration of death” and “ministration of condemnation”. The Law of Moses highlighted sin – Romans 7:7 – it did not take sin away. The principles of the Law of Moses had to be lived out in the believer’s life. Sadly the Jews tended to think of the Law of Moses as simply a list of rules to be kept.

We must not think that the commandments that Jesus gave are simply a list of rules to be kept. Both through the Law of Moses and the Gospel God seeks to teach us how we can be like him.

3:18  the “open face” is one that is not covered with a vail. The realisation that we have should cause us to change our thinking and behaviour. So in 4:6 the glory of God is seen but should be seen in us also.

4:8  Being “troubled” and “perplexed” are common feelings that all have from time to time. The servant of God is not immune from such feelings. However, unlike the man or woman who does not know the gospel, the servant of God is not burdened down by these things. That is because they know that there is going to be an end to all these things and that God is actually in control of everything – He is never surprised by events that we see around us and in the world.