Commuter Bible

Paul covers a number of topics in today’s reading as he attempts to answer questions that the Corinthian church had asked him in previous communications and as he tries to correct some of the sinful and selfish patterns the church had developed. He begins by making the case that gospel workers should receive support from the church, even though Paul himself does not do so. He goes on to encourage the church to obey Christ faithfully and use their liberty in Christ for the good of other people. Finally, he encourages the church to embrace the diversity of gifts within the church body, giving honor to each believer for the role that they’ve been given.

Well, if you didn’t learn it from our time in Songs of Songs, let me make it clear: God is pro-sex. He created sex for the good of mankind and for His glory. God is so pro-sex that He wants to protect it from the many ways that mankind distorts it’s power for selfish gratification. The Corinthian church was recovering from a twisted, worldly sexual ethic, and didn’t know how to use their freedom in Christ rightly. They argued, “If the stomach was made to be satisfied with food, aren’t other parts of body made to be satisfied?” Paul instructs rightly that such satisfaction should be found only in marriage between a man and a woman.

Paul wants the Corinthian church to live under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Divisions had already begun among the church at Corinth, and as we’ll see in these first four chapters, some of the division came because believers began attributing themselves to mere men. Paul directs them to boast, not in the teachers they follow, but in Christ and Him crucified. In other words, “let one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” The cross is foolishness to the world, but to those who are being saved, it is the power of Almighty God. The apostles weren’t to be placed on pedestals, but they were to be looked to as examples of humility.

Israel has taken the lavish blessings of their God and given those gifts to the calf idols of Baal, turning away from the covenant love of the God who redeemed them and turning to love other gods. Therefore, the Lord will discipline his people for their rebellion. Through Hosea, God remarks that he raised Israel like a father raises children, lamenting the calamity that will come upon them, promising that He will not release His full wrath upon them. The book of Hosea ends with a call to repentance. If God’s people will turn back to Him, they will flourish once again.

Israel has turned away from loving the One, True and Living God, turning aside to foreign gods and foreign nations. Throughout today’s reading you’ll hear Israel referred to as Ephraim, which is the larger of the territories that demarks the division between the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel. During this time period, the kings of Israel didn’t last long on the throne, each one murdered through conspiracy, and Hosea prophecies that this will happen. Keep your ears open for the call to repentance, and you’ll notice an unmistakable foreshadow of Jesus, through whom we now repent and find peace with God.

Not much is known about the background of the prophet Hosea, save what is mentioned in this record of his prophecies. By referencing the kings under which he prophesied, we can see that his ministry of prophecy lasted around 40 years. Like Amos, Hosea spoke to the nation of Israel, often referenced as “Ephraim” in this book, under a time of lavish wealth and disparate poverty. Israel was being unfaithful to their God, and like the unfaithful nation the Lord has committed himself to love, Hosea is commanded to marry an unfaithful woman. Hosea’s pursuit of his unfaithful wife serves a parallel to God’s pursuit of unfaithful Israel.

David’s life is at an end, and as he prepares to pass the crown on to his son Solomon, his heart and mind continue to be fixed on God’s glory, particularly through the building of the temple. David has spent years of his life amassing materials for it’s construction, and not only that, he has also drawn up architectural plans, built instruments, and created systems for all who work in and around the temple. For someone who knew scarcity and insecurity for a good portion of his life while running from King Saul, it is notable that he gives so much away. David dedicates his life, his work, and his riches to the Lord, the ruler over everything, and praises God with his whole being.

In his latter days, David charges his son Solomon to build the temple for the worship of God, and we get a few new details. First, we learn that the Lord did not allow David to build the temple because his hands had shed so much blood and waged great wars. We also realize that David looked forward to the building of the temple even though he himself couldn’t build it, charging his son with the task and spending his own time and resources to create a stockpile for the project. David also assigns duties and tasks for the Levite priests before he dies, paving the way for transition from the tabernacle to the temple once Solomon becomes king.

After King David reestablishes the tabernacle, he returns to his own home, a palace made of cedar, and thinks “Why does God dwell in a tent, while I, a mere man, dwell in a palace?” As his wheels begin to spin, he tells Nathan the prophet. Nathan tells David to go for it, but later receives a vision from the Lord. The Lord has never asked a house, but God flips the script and says, “You know what? I’m going to build a house from your family tree. A Son of David will build a house for me that will last forever. Later we’ll begin The Song of Songs which is about two lovers and their love. It is a book of poetry and symbolism; if you hear something and think, “Does that mean what I think it means?” the answer is probably, “Yup!”

In our last episode, the author chronicled the inauguration of King David over Israel. Now that David is king, he intends to reinstitute the proper worship of God at his tabernacle. When the ark of the covenant almost falls in transit, one of the men carrying the ark reaches out to grab it, which is not permissible by God’s law. The Lord strikes him dead, which both angers and terrifies David. Scared to bring it to Jerusalem, he leaves it in Gath, bringing it to Jerusalem at a later date. Once it arrives, they appoint musicians and priests for service in the worship of God.