Thoughts

In chapter 6, verses 4 and 5, Moses is telling the children of Israel the Great Commandment, the one that encompasses all the others. It’s the commandment that Jesus quoted when the Pharisees asked Him which was the greatest of all the commandments. 

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NKJV

Differences Matter

I’m going to talk a bit about this, but before I do that, look at verse 4 from the Good News Translation:

4“Israel, remember this! The Lord—and the Lord alone—is our God. 

Did you see the difference? New King James Version says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” The GNT said, ““Israel, remember this! The Lord—and the Lord alone—is our God.”

"The Lord is one" vs "the Lord alone."

Beloved, in the vast majority of verses, when you compare translations, the meaning of the verse does  not change. Different words can carry the same meaning. But in this extremely important verse, the meaning is entirely different. 

“The Lord alone” means, “the Lord and only the Lord. No other god.” Would you agree?

“The Lord is one,” means the Lord is one. There are not multiple gods. There is only one god. Would you agree to that?

It’s a very important point, beloved. Judaism and Christianity are monotheistic religions. We do not have multiple gods.

How Many? One? Two? Three?

So now, this begs the question, “What about Jesus and the Holy Spirit? They’re Gods, aren’t they?” No. No they are not. 

We need to talk about the Trinity. Orthodox Christianity, or traditional Christianity if you prefer, believes that God is a Trinity, that there are three distinct persons who are together, one God. Not three Gods. One God. 

What Is A Trinity?

I can be difficult to get your head around, so let’s look at the word that was used in the original language for the English word “one”. Here in Deuteronomy 6:4, the Hebrew word echad is used. Echad refers to a single item made up of multiple parts. The word for a single item made up only of one thing is yacheed.

Are there other places in the Bible that the word echad is used? Yep. Let’s look at a few.

The first time we see echad is Genesis 1:5: So the evening and the morning were the first day. One day, two parts: evening and morning.

In Exodus 26:6 “6 And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains together with the clasps, so that it may be one tabernacle.” Obviously, the Tabernacle was made up of many parts, but here it is called one tabernacle.

Listen to Ezekiel 37:15-17: “15Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16“As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.” Two sticks become echad.

So the idea of three persons in echad God is not foreign to Scripture. 

One God, Three Persons

Also, the phrase used here in this verse, “The LORD our God”. The Hebrew word for God here is Elohim. This is a plural word.

Thoughts

James is a small book, but it’s packed with rich content. Too much, really, to talk about every point, so I’ll just touch on a couple points today, which are actually related.

Hearing Is Not Enough

At the end of chapter one, James, who is the half-brother of Jesus, makes the point that just hearing the scriptures is not enough. Don’t think that by going to church or reading the Bible, or listening to this podcast for that matter, is enough to make you righteous. You must act on what you hear. The Word has to make a difference in your life. You must take action on what you hear.

We Must Be Doers

James 2:14-20 has caused a lot of controversy over the years, but in my mind it is quite clear. The message is this: if you say you love God, but your life doesn’t show it, you are fooling yourself. To expand on that thought, if I love God, I am going to just naturally begin to do things that show the love of God. I don’t do those things to gain God’s favor, and I don’t do them to earn points in Heaven. I do them because He has changed who I am. If I am the same person I have always been, then I have not truly met Jesus, and I am still lost.

The example James gives is that of Abraham. He said he had faith, but until he showed that he was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, his faith was incomplete. It was only when he raised the knife to sacrifice his son that God pronounced him complete. And then, as James quoted from the Old Testament, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” And James said that Abraham was called the friend of God.

It Is Not By Our Efforts

Now, don’t misunderstand. We are saved by faith alone. There is nothing we can do to earn any part of our salvation. Zero. Zip. Nada. Nothing. But unless my faith results in a changed life, it is worthless, because if we have a true faith in God, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, who brings about the fruit of the spirit that was talked about by Paul in Galatians 5:22 and 23: … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control…

Fruit just naturally grows on the tree, right? The apple tree doesn’t have to try to grow apples, it just does. Same with the fruit of the Spirit. If you have truly become a new person by yielding yourself to Jesus, then these things will become evident in your life.

Can others see the fruit of the Spirit  in your life?

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 1-3 GWT

Support

Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here.

When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude.

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Anastasiya Romanova on Unsplash

Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

By Rod Dreher / Sentinel

Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianis...

Thoughts

Sometimes There Is A Cost 

I've mentioned several times that we should be bold and strong, and that we should follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when He tells us to speak up.

Well, that’s what Stephen did in chapter seven of Acts, and he became the first Christian martyr. 

He spoke the truth. In answering the religious leaders, he told them the entire history of the Jewish people, and he let them know that they were not on God’s side. Their reaction to this was predictable, was it not? In today’s jargon, they were offended. But instead of running off to their “safe space”, they had Stephen taken out and stoned to death.

Listen, being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a guarantee that speaking the truth to those who do not want to hear will not be offended. It’s no guarantee that you will not draw the wrath of people who would harm you.

Follow the Crowd Or Follow the Lord?

Jesus told us this. In the gospel of John, chapter 15, verses 18 and 19, He said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”

And He also said in Matthew 10:33, “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”

So, who’s approval do you want? I would rather have the approval of Jesus.

The Aftermath of the Stoning of Stephen

Chapter eight begins where chapter seven leaves off. Stephen had been stoned to death because of his plain truth speaking to the religious leaders.

What happened after Stephen’s execution? The scripture says that “On that day widespread persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem and most believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”

And then a couple of verses later it says that “The believers who were scattered went from place to place, where they spread the word.” They didn’t cower in place. They didn’t shut up. Having seen what happened to Stephen, they knew what could happen. But they spread out and spread the word.

Now, I know that I might be starting to sound like a broken record, but I never know when someone new might be listening, and I don’t know what will be happening in the news when you hear this podcast. Christians are facing this kind of persecution today, as I record this. Most of us have heard reports and seen videos of the Islamic terrorist group ISIS killing Christians. Here in America, it’s nowhere near that bad…right now…but it is not outside the realm of possibility that it will happen here. 

Be encouraged by what the early church did, beloved. Be encouraged and know that what looks like defeat and disaster to the world is far from it in the eyes of Almighty God. Jesus has already won the war. What we are seeing today are the death throes of satan and his demons. 

The enemy Is Desperate

He knows that his time is running out. He wants to frighten people and keep them from following Jesus. Don’t fall for his lies. Don’t accept the defeat of denying Jesus. Kick the devil in the teeth and remain strong in your faith in Jesus Christ. Because there will come a day when EVERY knee will bow, and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, including the master of lies himself.

Today's Bible Translation

Thoughts

Nahum means “comforter”. There is comfort for God's people, to be sure. But for Nineveh, not so much.

Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, and the book of Nahum was written about a hundred years after God sent Jonah to Nineveh to warn them that unless they repented, God's judgement would destroy them. You probably remember that Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh to give the warning, because Nineveh was so evil that Jonah didn't want them to repent. Jonah didn't think they deserved a chance. But God is love and does not want anyone to perish, so He is patient and pleads with the sinner to turn from their wicked ways. And after Jonah was swallowed by the great fish, *he* repented and did deliver the warning to Nineveh. And Nineveh repented and thus avoided God's judgement.

But now, just a short hundred years later, they are a truly evil, foul and Godless city. They are a great and powerful city. According to one description I found, it was 60 miles across, with walls a hundred feet high. Many thousands of inhabitants. 

In chapter 3 it was referred to as a city of bloody violence. In reading through the Bible, there are occasional times where we are surprised by how descriptive its language is. But overall, it is quite reserved in its language. Such is this reference to Nineveh. "Bloody violence" doesn't even begin to describe what went on there. 

The Assyrian rulers were cruel in the extreme. And they were proud of their cruelty. Monuments that they had created to tell of their heinous acts have been found, and are now in museums. Listen to what some of them say:

· “I cut off their heads and formed them into pillars.”

· “Bubo, son of Buba, I flayed in the city of Arbela and I spread his skin upon the city wall.”

· “I flayed all the chief men who had revolted, and I covered the pillar with their skins.”

· “Many within the border of my own land I flayed, and spread their skins upon the walls.”

· “I cut off the limbs of the officers, the royal officers who had rebelled.”

· “3,000 captives I burned with fire.”

· “Their corpses I formed into pillars.”

· “From some I cut off their hands and their fingers, and from other I cut off their noses, their ears, and their fingers, of many I put out their eyes.”

· “I made one pillar of the living, and another of heads, I bound their heads to posts round about the city.”

So yes, Nineveh was an evil, evil city. And there was much, much more that I haven't even mentioned. God gave them a chance, but after a short time of repentance, they reverted back to their old ways.

So getting to the bottom line, Nineveh was completely and utterly destroyed. Some even doubted that it ever even truly existed until ruins were discovered in 1840. 

Judah had been taken into captivity by the Assyrians and suffered greatly under them. And now finally, God is going to exact vengeance on them. Romans 8:31 says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?". That is a comfort for those who have confessed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. But on the other side of that coin, for those who are not His, it is equally true that if God is against you, then who can be for you? God was against Nineveh, and no one could save them.

Nineveh was once a great and mighty city. No one could conceive of its destruction. Everyone thought that such a city would always be great. But they turned to their own way, and they were brought down.

Is there a lesson for us here?

Thoughts

Mother To Son

This chapter is a mother's advice to her son. The son is King Lemuel, and I'd like to tell you about him, but scholars don't know anything about him. There's a fair amount of conjecture, but no facts. One thing that seems true is that there was no king of Judah or Israel with this name. So instead of spending time on who he was, let's just talk a little about the content of this chapter.

The Dangers of Sexual Immorality

She warns her son about the dangers of sexual immorality. Good advice. And the advice would be just as good as if it were from a mother to a daughter or a father to either son or daughter. Both men and women invite all kinds of trouble if they are not sexually pure. I know that sounds very old fashioned, but look at the consequences on our culture today brought on by the sexual revolution that began in the 60s, not the least of which is more than 62 1/2 million abortions in America alone since 1973. STDs are rampant. About a quarter of the children in the US live in single-parent homes...the highest rate in the world. I could go on. Beloved, God's plan for marriage is not to take our fun away, it is to give us a better, happier life. 

The Dangers of Strong Drink

Then this wise mother talked to her son about the dangers of alcohol. Nearly everyone has a family member or knows someone whose life was ruined by alcohol. Don't get me wrong. Alcohol can be used responsibly, but a dangerous substance must be used with the realization that it is indeed dangerous. 

Defend the Defenseless

She talked about the importance of defending the defenseless. This is certainly important for a king or any person in a position of power, but it's true for all of us. What are we doing for the defenseless? What is your church doing? Some churches feed the needy. Some have programs for the homeless. Some are active in right to life activities. Individuals can volunteer in soup kitchens, or do prison ministries, or counsel women who are considering abortions. Literally, the sky is the limit. Ask God what He would have *you* do.

The Woman of Character and Virtue

And then verses 10 to 31 are probably the verses that Proverbs 31 is best known for: the mother tells her son the value of a woman of character and virtue. In the original Hebrew language, each verse begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This may have been done to make it easier to memorize. One commentator called it "An Alphabet of Wifely Excellence." I like that. Someone else called it "The ABCs of wisdom." That's good, too.

My Woman of Character and Virtue

I have to say that as I was rereading these verses, I was wondering how to talk about them, because my wife, the the Lovely Lady LeeAnn, comes as close to fulfilling these verses as I can imagine any woman can. I could tell you about our marriage, and how I truly do love her more every day, and how reading this list made me fall even more in love with her as I compared her to the list. I told her about my thoughts, but she only said, "I fall so short. I'm not that woman." And I thought that you wouldn't believe me, or you'd think I was just gilding the lily. 

So I'll just say this. I believe, down to my very core, that I am the most blessed man in the world. LeeAnn *is* a marvelous example of the Proverbs 31 woman. Her mother raised her right, and on top of everything, she loves the Lord with all her heart. I have thanked my mother-in-law numerous times over the years for the woman my wife is. 

So that's all I'll say about her. Today, at least.

Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

By Rod Dreher / Sentinel

Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianism---but Dreher says it's happening. Sounding the alarm about the insidious effects of identity politics, surveillance technology, psychological manipulation, and more, he equips contemporary Christian dissidents to see, judge, and act as they fight to resist the erosion of our freedoms. 304 pages, hardcover from Sentinel.

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: malith d karunarathne on Unsplash

Thoughts

I really like these short little Psalms. Most of our remaining chapters in the Psalms are very short, with just a few exceptions. I'm sure you know that the Psalms were written as songs, and I can easily see these short ones as songs that became popular to be sung not only in the temple, but as the people went about their days. Don't you have some favorite songs or choruses from your church that you find yourself singing throughout the week? I know I do. 

The headings in our translation for each of these chapters could be the titles of the songs. For chapter 120 the Title is A Cry for Truth and Peace. For chapter 121, it’s The Lord Our Protector.

To be sure, when these were written, they were for much more than just singing at Temple. They were the cry of the writer's heart, but in my imagination I can almost hear a man or a woman sing these to the Lord as they go about their day with the cares of the world weighing them down, or as they celebrate how God has blessed them in one endeavor or another.

Can't you?

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 21-22 ERV, Ch. 23 NET, Ch. 24 NKJV

Support

Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here.

When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude.

Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

By Rod Dreher / Sentinel

Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianism---but Dreher says it's happening. Sounding the alarm about the insidious effects of identity politics, surveillance technology, psychological manipulation, and more, he equips contemporary Christian dissidents to see, judge, and act as they fight to resist the erosion of our freedoms. 304 pages, hardcover from Sentinel.

Thoughts

Pastor Bennett’s message today begins in chapter six of the Gospel of John.

Support

Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here.

When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude.

Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

By Rod Dreher / Sentinel

Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianism---but Dreher says it's happening. Sounding the alarm about the insidious effects of identity politics, surveillance technology, psychological manipulation, and more, he equips contemporary Christian dissidents to see, judge, and act as they fight to resist the erosion of our freedoms. 304 pages, hardcover from Sentinel.

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Thoughts

In these chapters, we read about Joash, and how he was saved from the evil Queen Athaliah, who killed every child of King Ahaziah, who was killed by Jehu. Every child but one. Jehosheba was the sister of King Ahaziah, and when she heard that Athaliah wanted to kill all of his children, she hid one-year-old Joash with the priests in the Temple for six years.

That's quite a story in itself, but this next part is what I find most interesting. At this point, Joash is the only living descendant of King David. Remember God's promise to David? That there would always be one of his descendants on the throne? Yep. So God made sure that Joash was not killed.

And who else was from the house of David? Of course. None other than Jesus of Nazareth.

It would be nice if we could say that Joash grew to be a good and godly king, but such is not the case. Yes, he did right before the Lord while Jehoiada the priest was alive, but once Jehoiada died, Joash took a left turn. He turned away from God, and he and the leaders and the people of Judah began to worship false gods. God then allowed Judah to be defeated by the smaller army of the Arameans, and Joash was wounded. And then his own servants killed him on his own bed. And when he was buried, it was not in the place where the other kings were buried.

A sad ending to a life that was miraculously spared by God, wouldn't you say?

The apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Would that Joash had kept his eyes on God. Coming from a believing family is no guarantee. He was literally raised in the Temple, with a godly role model in Jehoiada the priest. Parents, grandparents, anyone with influence over children…it is eternally important that you impress upon your children the importance of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 21-22 ERV, Ch. 23 NET, Ch. 24 NKJV

Support

Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here.

When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude.

Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

By Rod Dreher / Sentinel

Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianism---but Dreher says it's happening. Sounding the alarm about the insidious effects of identity politics, surveillance technology, psychological manipulation, and more, he equips contemporary Christian dissidents to see, judge, and act as they fight to resist the erosion of our freedoms. 304 pages, hardcover from Sentinel.

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Benjamin Rascoe on Unsplash

Thoughts

Introduction to Deuteronomy

The children of Israel are on the threshold of entering into the Promised Land. God has led them in the wilderness for 40 years, not because it took that long to walk from Egypt to this place, but because of their rebellion. God told them that generation would never enter the Promised Land.

But now there is a new generation. All of the old generation was dead, and God was about to fulfill His promise to give the Promised Land to this generation.

But because of Moses' disobedience at Meribah, God told him he would not enter the Promised Land, either. 

So Moses spoke to all Israel when they were about to cross over into Canaan, the Promised Land.

The word "Deuteronomy" means "second law". And this book is a sermon, or series of messages from God through Moses to Israel. We must remember that none of this generation was old enough to remember when God gave the tablets of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, also called Mount Horeb. So Deuteronomy is a second giving of the Law, because God wanted this new generation to follow His commands. He did not want them to fail as their parents had. 

And God knew that Moses would not be there to lead them, so He directed Moses to remind them of how God had delivered them from their captivity in Egypt, and what happened in the 40 years since that miraculous event. And He wanted to remind them, or perhaps for some of them, teach them for the first time, of God's Laws.

We humans have short memories. We need to be reminded again and again. When we look back at history, that fact seems evident. I'll go into no detail here, but what we are living through right now is proof of it. Just about 75 years ago, World War II was fought, and facism was beat back by forces for freedom. And now, facism is making a comeback, using another name...socialism, democratic socialism, woke-ism, etc. 

How could this be happening? After the war, the cry was, "Never again!". But here we are. This is happening because my generation, shamefully, neglected to remind the next generation of the lessons learned.

God, through Moses, reminded the generation about to enter Canaan, the lessons learned. And more than that, Deuteronomy was and is a book for all generations. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy three times when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. 

“Deuteronomy is one of the greatest books of the Old Testament. Its influence on the domestic and personal religion of all ages has not been surpassed by any other book in the Bible. It is quoted over eighty times in the New Testament and thus it belongs to a sma...

Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

By Rod Dreher / Sentinel

Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianism---but Dreher says it's happening. Sounding the alarm about the insidious effects of identity politics, surveillance technology, psychological manipulation, and more, he equips contemporary Christian dissidents to see, judge, and act as they fight to resist the erosion of our freedoms. 304 pages, hardcover from Sentinel.

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Angela Loria on Unsplash

Thoughts

You've heard of the Baseball Hall of Fame? Chapter 11 is often called the Hall of Faith, Why do you suppose the author of this book found it necessary to write this chapter? Of course, we know that the author wrote it because he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to do so, but beyond that I think the reason God gave this message for the Hebrews because they were used to relying on the ongoing sacrifices to make them right with God. They were relying on their efforts to conform to the Mosaic Law. In the previous chapters, the Jews were told that Jesus offered Himself as the One sacrifice for all time, and that it was faith in Him that cleanses a person from sin. This notion of faith was a bit of a new concept for many of them. Thus they, and we, are given this chapter.

I like the way this translation of the Bible explains what faith is. It “is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see.”

Now, the word “hope” as it is used here is not the kind of hope a child has when he says, “I hope I get a new bicycle for Christmas.” That kind of hope is a sort of childlike wish. The hope spoken about here in Hebrews is the sort of hope that carries with it an assured anticipation of what will be in the future. I don’t wish that Jesus will someday return. I know He will, and it is that hope that allows me to have an unshakeable peace when I think about the future. I have no doubt that it will happen. 

Why don’t I doubt? Because I have the faith spoken about in this chapter. 

Some people have little faith, some have great faith. Those who have little faith, if they ask for more, will receive it. I know this because at one time I had little faith. But the faith I had told me that the One in whom my faith rested was real. So God, in His matchless grace, brought events into my life that made me see that whatever faith I had put in Him was well-placed. 

Often times my faith was tested. And when you think about it, when our faith is tested it is often God who is being tested. God says, “Do you have faith that I will do this?” And I say,”I believe, but help my unbelief.” And He proves Himself worthy of my faith in that instance, thus growing my faith. 

Like God delivering the people of Israel from Pharaoh’s army. God says to Moses, “Do you have faith that I will provide a way of escape?” Moses says, “I have faith, Lord, but how are you going to do it?” And then God does the unthinkable by parting the Red Sea. Moses’ faith was tested, but it was God who did the miracle. 

It’s important to understand that our faith is not something that we whip up ourselves. It is God who gives us the faith in the first place,