The Living Word

Bible study on the set readings widely used by various churches and chapels and a weekly storytelling video. Also at www.medium.com/the-living-word and https://thelivingword.substack.com

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The rich working of God’s compassion

March 31, 2019 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

TLW13. Bible readings for Sunday, March 31 (Mothering Sunday)

Mothering Sunday. Theme: The rich working of God’s compassion.

Exodus 2:1-10 — An Egyptian princess’s compassion saves baby Moses. Moses, born into oppression, is rescued for God’s purpose to be fulfilled in Him.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7— God is the Father of compassion who comforts us. Paul, with rich experience of God’s comfort, shares this with the church in Corinth.

John 19:25-27 — Jesus expresses His  compassion for His mother. Near to death, He assigns a disciple to care for her.

Psalm 34:11-20 — The Lord’s special compassion for those broken to pride

Exodus 2:1-10 —An Egyptian princess’s compassion saves Moses

Moses, born into oppression, is rescued for God’s purpose to be fulfilled in Him.

The Israelite descendants of Jacob who followed Joseph had become numerous and a new Pharoah who knew nothing of the good Joseph had done resolved to enslave them – and ordered all male Hebrew babies to be thrown into the Nile.

1-4  Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman  and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.  His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

“A man of the tribe of Levi” – named Amram and Jochebed, Exodus 6:20.

“She hid him” – there is a strong parallel here with Israel in Egypt. Moses was born into oppression, saved by an “ark” from  a watery death decreed by the pharaoh, rescued and grew to maturity in the pharaoh’s court.

“Papyrus ark” – the same word as used for Noah’s massive barge. Papyrus was strong enough to be used for light craft and pitch was used for waterproofing all boats, Genesis 6:14, Isaiah 18:2.

5  Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it.

6  She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

“Down to the Nile to bathe” – not just washing but morning devotions to a river regarded by the Egyptians as a goddess with life-giving, healing properties. To discover a crying baby floating in the embrace of the Nile goddess (in her perception) would be a significant sign.

7  Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

“To nurse the baby” – children were nursed for three years or more before being weaned, often by a ‘wet nurse’. .

8  “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother.

9  Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him.

“I will pay you” – There is an implication that the princess knew who the mother was, and the two women had an unspoken understanding

10  When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”

“I drew him out” – a wordplay on the name Moses, which sound like the Hebrew mashah, ‘to draw out’ and may be related to a common Egyptian word for ‘son’.

IN PRACTICE  The thread linking this week’s readings is compassion and in this account of Moses’ birth and early life we see how God’s Father heart of compassion stirred an Egyptian pagan princess to fulfil His purposes, not just for Moses but eventually for the whole nation. The crying baby floating in a papyrus basket is a salvation story which stirs many emotions, and it seems a far cry from the Egyptian chariots, a generation later, bearing down on the Israelites who seemed to face annihilation at the water’s edge – until they were “drawn through” the parting waters to be saved from destruction on the other side. God’s overriding characteristic is mercy and compassion, and His favourite action is saving. In a world fallen through Adam’s sin and largely rebellious towards God, and therefore all too open to the predations of the devil and his minions, there will always be threats, curses and conflicts. A merciful God of compassion stands over all of them, waiting for those who will turn to Him. (169)

QUESTION  Given the wars and conflicts we see far away and close to home all the time,  how would you explain what God is like, and why the world He created is not like Him?

John 19:25-27 —Jesus expresses His  compassion for His mother

Near to death, He assigns a disciple to care for her

In John’s Gospel, this event takes place during the account of the crucifixion, after the soldiers had cast lots for Jesus’ clothes, but before Jesus’s last utterances.

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

“Near the cross of Jesus” – soldiers would guard the execution and keep spectators at a distance, but women were a low risk for acting violently and were expected to express their mourning, perhaps near to a dying prisoner.

“His mother’s sister” – the only reference in the NT to Jesus’ mother’s sister, who might have been the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John, see Matt. 27:56.

26-27 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

“The disciple who He loved” – John is given the responsibility to provide for Mary (on the assumption above, his aunt), almost certainly widowed and without income and therefore dependent on the provision and protection of others.

“This disciple took her into his home” – A Jewish family law could be used to assign the care of one person to another. There is another dimension to this as the embryo church community gathered – Jesus wanted them to love and care for each other, as He had taught with great clarity, John 13:34, John 15:12, 17.

IN PRACTICE  Every Christian believer dwells on what is was like for Jesus to give up His life, and not only give it up, but voluntarily take on Himself the punishment and torture and shame that is so graphically recorded. We can dwell on it, but we don’t get close – perhaps hold off from getting too close – to the reality of that experience. In all of this, which is beyond our human capacity to understand, there is this exchange which is even  more incomprehensible. Jesus, dying in tortured agony where every breath adds to the pain, speaks out His concern for His mother, standing and sobbing in a family group nearer to the Cross than other observers. There is a saying that, what is in us, is what comes out when we are under extreme pressure. What came out of Jesus was His compassion, forgiving His tormentors and charging the disciple who had shown similar qualities with care of His mother. He loves us with that same love today.

QUESTION  Jesus wanted those who were close to Him to love each other – He had made that plain, and demonstrated it again as He was dying. What sort of priority should we make this in our church gatherings and interactions – and why?

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 —God is the Father of compassion who comforts us

Paul, with rich experience of God’s comfort, shares this with the church in Corinth

Paul, the much persecuted apostle sent to the Gentile nations, praises God for seeing him through many life-threatening difficulties, and uses this to encourage troubled believers in Corinth.

3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

“Praise be to God” – Paul extols God for the suffering and difficulties that his opponents use against him to call into question his apostleship.

“Father of compassion”– a reflection on God’s limitless compassion, and never failing comfort. This letter frequently refers to God’s strengthening and refreshing of believers who face difficulty.

• For further study, read Psalm 145:9; Lam. 3:22; Micah 7:19; Isaiah 40:1; 51:3, 12; 66:13.

5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

“Share… in the sufferings of Christ” – cannot, of course, refer to Christ’s unique atonement for sin, Romans 5:8-10; Romans 6:10. Paul endured danger, opposition and adverse conditions for the sake of God’s people and the gospel, much as Jesus did.

6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.

“Distressed… for your comfort” – one’s own suffering is a qualification to come alongside others and empathise. Paul’s opponents sought to use Paul’s many hardships to discredit him as one out of favour with God. Paul maintains that his sufferings are a way God uses to connect with a strengthen other believers.

7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

IN PRACTICE  Few would disagree that Paul was a courageous and good man, who came back after a very bad start to fulfil a vital and far-reaching mission and give us much of the NT teaching. However he alludes to the extreme difficulties he has faced, detailed later in this letter. His point is that, to set out to follow the Son of God who was love and compassion incarnate, is to set out on a rough road through bandit territory. But it is a great training ground, for understanding both the challenges faced by every believer, but also the comfort of God which flows to every believer. The fallacy we all fall for is that of not needing God in the good times, the lure of self-sufficiency, which is an attraction to our humanness. But Paul says, expect trouble – and also expect God to be right with you in the dark valley, our confidence against the fear that evil oppression stirs up. And self evidently Paul, who has taken more hits than anyone, is a survivor. God who has so often comforted Him, is the same God who is there to comfort us.

QUESTION  Paul starts by praising God for His goodness against a backdrop of hurt and hopelessness. How is he coaching us to respond to our pain and difficulty?

PRAYER  Father God, as we come to You as Your children, we are overwhelmed by Your care and comfort while the world is trying to overturn us with hurts and rejections. We call to mind the difficulties and challenges we are facing now – and we praise You that You are not only greater than all of them together, but that You turn the assaults of the world, the flesh and the devil into a training exercise and a fresh encounter with Your mercy. We receive Your love afresh, in and through Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 34:11-20 —The Lord’s special compassion for those broken to pride

11 Come, my children, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

“Come, my children” – the earlier part of the psalm, praise for deliverance, now turns to wisdom, which often used the language of parents instructing children.

12-13  Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.

14  Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

15  The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are attentive to their cry…

“The eyes of the Lord” – Psalms 32, 33 and 34 all use this picture of God seeing everything

16  …but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.

“Keep your tongue from evil” – the apostle Peter quotes vv. 12-16, 1 Peter 3:10-12, making a point about Christians living in a peace-loving way.

“But the face of the Lord” – a sharp contrast between the Lord’s countenance towards those who trust Him and His expression to those who oppose Him in doing evil.

17  The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.

18  The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

“The Lord hears… delivers… is close” – assurance that the Lord looks out for those who, in the Hebrew expressions used, are broken to their own pride and stubbornness, Psalm 147:3.

19  The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

20  He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

“Protects all his bones” – the link to the crucifixion in the Gospel reading is that this verse was taken as having been literally fulfilled by Jesus, John 19:36.

Filed Under: Lent, Year C

“One more chance” to seek the Lord while He is near

March 24, 2019 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

Lent 3 – Sunday, March 24

Theme: “One more chance” to seek the Lord while He is near

OT READING

Isaiah 55:1-9 — Come back to God while He may be found. Don’t pay for palliative peace, when the Lord’s real goodness is there for the asking.

GOSPEL READING

Luke 13:1-9 — Come back to God with a changed heart. Everyone needs the new start Jesus offers us.

EPISTLE READING

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 — Come back to God in living His way as His witness. And if you think you are strong spiritually, be especially careful you don’t fall off

Read also: Psalm 63:1-9

= = = = = = = =

OT READING

Isaiah 55:1-9 — Come back to God while He may be found.

Don’t pay for what cannot sustain, when the Lord’s real goodness is there for the asking?

The imagery – full of allusions – is of the water seller, with other market vendors in the background. It is an invitation to God’s people to “buy” His forgiveness – the point being, that it is free.

1 ‘Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

“Come… come… come” – expressed with urgency, and applied to all hearers. Water stands for spiritual refreshment, Prov. 9:5, wine and milk for abundance and nourishment.

“Buy… without cost” – it is all free, following on from the Suffering Servant whose death paid for the gift of life, Isaiah 53:5-9.

• For further study, Christ offering the water of life, John 4:14, 7:37; also Rev. 22:17.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy?

“What is not bread” – the exiles were urged not to meet spiritual needs with empty pagan practices.

Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.

3 Give ear and come to Me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, My faithful love promised to David.

“Everlasting covenant” – for the immediate hearers, a reminder that the broken covenant that resulted in exile, is on God’s side an enduring promise of faithful love (chesēd). The double meaning points to the new and better covenant through David’s descendant, Jesus Christ.

4 See, I have made Him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples.

5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for He has endowed you with splendour.’

“Witness to the peoples” – the Messiah was, and is, a light to the nations, Isaiah 42:6, 49:6.

“Nations… will come” – The promises to David are here extended beyond the Jewish nation, to other nations, fulfilling the “all nations will be blessed by you” promise to Abraham, Genesis 12:3.

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.

“Seek the Lord” – This is God’s offer for this time, and people should not delay, Psalm 32:6.

• For further study, the prophets’ frequent call to seek the Lord, e.g. Jer. 29:13-14, Hosea 3:5, Amos 5:4,6,14. 

7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

“Let them turn” – or repent. The way of entering a saving relationship with God is to seek God’s ways, turn from what is unrighteous, and humbly look to His mercy and pardon.

8 ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord.

“My thoughts… not your thoughts” – the man-made obstacle, wanting to reduce God’s work in our salvation to something we can understand and perform.

9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

“So are My ways higher” –  Jesus came to make a way of grace and new life for us, commanding simply “Believe in Me”, John 11:25.

IN PRACTICE  Isaiah’s message is a follow on from the Suffering Servant prophecy. The Servant in the earlier passage will enable people to do what the later passage urges. It is about coming back to God, calling on Him and listening. His ways are higher, and He has a ‘higher’ way for us to approach Him which is not about labouring on what does not satisfy. Then as now, a religious approach that simply works to please God is easier to grasp than finding the path to a relationship with someone holy and majestic. Yet the call to “Listen… give ear… come to Me” tells us that what God wants most is our response to His love. And Jesus, the Servant, makes that connection for us.

QUESTION  In what ways do we “labour on what does not satisfy” and “spend money on what is not bread”?

GOSPEL READING

Luke 13:1-9 —Come back to God with a changed heart.

Everyone needs the new start Jesus offers us

Jesus continues to call people to repent and discern the times. In the context of two local calamities He emphasises that everyone needs to repent.

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

“Galileans whose blood” – apparently Pilate killed Galileans offering sacrifices at a major festival. Like the Tower of Siloam collapse, this is not known outside this account.

2 Jesus answered, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?

3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?

“Tower in Siloam” – the tower was probably part of the southern wall near the Pool of Siloam.

“More guilty?” – those unscathed by recent calamities were not to see themselves as innocent and immune from judgment. Suffering does not always correspond to God’s wrath, John 9:1-3.

5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.’

“Unless you repent” – every person has to come to their own decision to turn to Christ and part of that is turning from independence to live for Him.

6 Then He told this parable: ‘A man had a fig-tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.

“In his vineyard” – God is the owner of the vineyard, which with some fig trees represents the nation of Israel.

7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, “For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig-tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?”

“Cut it down” – like God’s judgment in Psalm 105:33

“If it bears fruit” – there is a limited time of grace and opportunity for Israel to produce the fruit of repentance, in receiving Jesus’ miracles and message.

8-9 ‘“Sir,” the man replied, “leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig round it and fertilise it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”’

“I’ll dig round it” – human sinfulness deserves judgment but God’s mercy prevails and maybe ‘water’ will reach the roots and stimulate change… Jesus urges people to repent while there is time.

• For further study, Jesus urges repentance, Luke 10:13-16; 11:29-32; 12:13-21; 13:1-5, 31-35.

IN PRACTICE  Like us, the people Jesus addressed were too quick to find reasons why they did not need to repent. Being untouched by two local disasters was, for some, a sign of God’s favour and blessing. Jesus was forthright in demolishing their complacency, repeating the phrase “unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

“Repent” is often seen as a difficult word, implying a judgment that offends our pride. Yet turning from what offends God, is also a turning towards Him and experiencing His love and gracious enabling. When we learn to see repentance as the realignment with God’s purposes, and the way to connect with and receive the undeserved blessing He wants to give us, a ‘difficult’ word becomes an enabling one.

QUESTION  This Lent season is, for many, an opportunity to realign with God by taking hold in a deeper way of Jesus’ lordship of us. What does that look like for you?

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 —Come back to God in living His way as His witness

And if you think you are strong spiritually, be especially careful you don’t fall off

Warnings from Israel’s history: Paul uses the example of the judgment on God’s people in the desert for putting their trust other than in God.

1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.

2 They were all baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

“Our ancestors” – Paul draws a continuity between the mainly Gentile Corinthians and OT Israel, delivered from Egypt’s slavery by miraculous passage through the sea and the cloud’s leading in the wilderness, Exodus chapters 12-17.

3-4 They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

“Drank from the spiritual rock” – Paul interprets the miracles of water from the rock, at the beginning and the end of the desert journey, Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:7-11 as Christ being with them.

5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

“Not pleased” – their spiritual food and drink did not prevent bad choices and consequent judgment then, vv.8-10. Spiritual food now does not absolve us from poor choices, vv. 16-17, 6, 11.

6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.

7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.’

“Do not be idolaters” – Paul is alluding to the shameful golden calf incident, Exodus 32:5-6, 17-19. The idolatry for the Corinthians is their double-mindedness in participating in pagan temple banquets, 1 Cor. 8-10.

8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did – and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.

“Sexual immorality” – Paul compares Corinth’s immoral customs with the time Midianite women seduced Israelite men into idolatry, bringing the judgment of a plague, Numbers 25:1-9 and 31:16

9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did – and were killed by snakes.

“Should not test Christ” – again seeing Christ as spiritually present during the desert wanderings when Israel complained about the manna suffered the judgment of deadly snakes – but by gazing at a bronze snake on a pole were miraculously delivered, Numbers 21:8-9.

10 And do not grumble, as some of them did – and were killed by the destroying angel.

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.

“Culmination of the ages” – When Jesus’ came He fulfilled God’s promises and opened the final act, the last days, Hebrews 9:26.

• For further study, read 2 Cor. 5:1-5, 1 Thess 5:4-8, Hebrews 1:2, 1 Peter 1:20.

“No temptation” – temptation is not sin but yielding to temptation, or testing is, Matt. 6:13.

12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

“Be careful” – Paul warns Corinthian believers, surrounded by temples and Aphrodite worshippers, against the compromise of joining in pagan functions, but he also reminds them of God’s overarching grace and protection.

IN PRACTICE  The Corinth church was richly blessed with the experience of Jesus through an openness to His Spirit, and the flow – which was messy at times – of all the spiritual gifts. However, Corinth was a cosmopolitan city with all sorts of temples and beliefs, and to belong to a trade guild or just participate in Corinthian society presented Christians with difficult choices. Some believers there seemed to have a kind of spiritual pride, that they were immune to the dangers of guild dinners in honour of a pagan deity. Paul reminds them about the fate of the Israelites in the desert who had lost sight of their pledge to worship the Lord God and Him only. To mock God is no light matter, as he told the Galatian church in a different letter. We can all make poor choices and slip into unholy compromises with the values of the world system around us. And when we think we are “standing firm” against temptation, that’s the time of greatest danger.

QUESTION  What are some common compromises that are harmful spiritually, in our world? Freemasonry is an obvious prime candidate…

PRAYER  Father God, as we come to you in Jesus we ask Your Holy Spirit to reveal to us areas of our life practice and thinking which have slipped into unholy ruts. Help us in this preparation season to come back to You with a renewed commitment. Amen.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Believing the promises of God

March 9, 2019 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

TLW11

NIV Bible readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, for Sunday, March 17 (Lent 2)

SUMMARY

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 — God establishes His covenant with Abram. God respects his trust as righteousness, and blesses him with an enduring promise

Luke 13:31-35 — Jesus promises His continuing ministry. Lamenting the nation again putting itself outside the covenant, He predicts many Jews coming to faith in Him before His second coming

Philippians 3:17-4:1 — Paul promises heaven’s honour for keeping faith. In contrast to self-exalting and unbelieving teachers, Paul’s example of Cross-aware, heaven-centred living is the model to follow

And also: Psalm 27

OLD TESTAMENT

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

God establishes His covenant with Abram.God respects his trust as righteousness, and blesses him with an enduring promise

Abram and Lot have travelled south as far as Egypt, then returned to Canaan, where they agreed to separate, Lot taking the Jordan valley to the east and Abram the western Canaan lands around Hebron. A tribal battle ensues in which Lot is captured but then released in a victory by Abram’s small army. To the astonishment of other tribal leaders, he refuses any spoils of war in an encounter with the angelic figure of Melchizedek, described as the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High – another test of his trust of God for the outcome.

1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

“In a vision” – showing Abram’s role as a prophet. The vision came at night, with stars visible, verse 5.

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. ”

“Do not be afraid” – a frequent command in the Bible. God meets us with conditional love, in contrast to the enemy, Satan, who attempts to influence through fear.

2-3 But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

“Your shield… your reward” – the vision had a command, an assurance and a promise. Abram was to trust without fear, to be assured, and to know God’s promise of provision.

“Childless… who will inherit” – in a few words Abram repeats his anxiety about succession three times. Eliezer is a servant who has become ‘family’.

4-5 Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

“Count the stars” – approximately 8,000 are visible in a Middle East night sky.

Credited… as righteousness” – a key statement that teaches that God responds to faith by crediting righteousness to the one who believes. Abram is the “father of all who believe”, and this is the first reference to faith in God’s promises, Romans 4:11, Hebrews 11:8.

6 Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness.

• For further study: In the NT, Paul quotes this verse three times, Romans 4:3, 4:22 and Galatians 3:6, showing that Gentile Christians with no Jewish heritage are made righteous through faith. In every age people have claimed salvation by belonging, whether to the Jewish race or a particular church affiliation or a ‘Christian country’. The Reformation and every renewal movement has brought back the truth of salvation by faith alone.

7 He also said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

“Brought you out of Ur” – Abram had demonstrated faith in a previous test.

8 But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

9 So the LORD said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”

“Bring Me a heifer…” – Abram would have been familiar with the way royal land treaties were established in this ancient “exchange of contracts”.

10-11 Abram brought all these to Him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

“Cut them in two” – a symbol of staking one’s own life on keeping the agreement, Jeremiah 34:14.

“Birds of prey” – vultures, symbolising the attacks that always come on God’s people following His will. Later, Egypt, like the predatory birds, would try to prevent the covenant being fulfilled, verses 17-18.

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

17-18 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.

“When the sun had set” – the ritual is completed in darkness, into which God’s presence comes as a flaming torch and smoking firepot, see also Exodus 13:21-22.

“The Lord made a covenant” – the Hebrew phrase means “cut a covenant”. The reference to descendants and land links this solemn and unconditional pledge, with the earlier conditional promise, requiring Abram to journey to a new location, that he would become a great nation, Genesis 12:1-9.

IN PRACTICE  God appears to His loyal follower, Abram, and sets him preparing a royal treaty covenant ceremony. People of those times were accustomed to ‘cutting a covenant’ together. The splitting in half of the sacrificed animals was symbolic of the penalty for not following the agreement, although in this case God is making His covenant promise unilaterally. This promise was made to Abram, father of the Jewish nation – and all believers. “Abraham [as he became] is the spiritual father of those who have faith… counted as righteous because of their faith.” Romans 4:11.

Taking God at His word and believing it, is the one action, one only, that establishes us as righteous.

QUESTION  If Abraham were to come and speak to us about his life lesson, what would he tell us?

GOSPEL READING

Luke 13:31-35

Jesus promises His continuing ministry.Lamenting the nation again putting itself outside the covenant, He predicts many Jews coming to faith in Him before His second coming

31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to Him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

“At that time” – Jesus had been teaching in stories and directly the unpopular truth that many Israelites would be excluded from the kingdom while Gentiles from north, south, east and west would be included.

“Leave this place” – Jesus was probably in Perea and Herod Antipas, a Roman appointed tetrarch, could execute who he wanted to. But most likely the Pharisees just wanted Jesus to leave their region.

32-33 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day – for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

“I will keep on” – emphasises Jesus’ continuing ministry. Driving our demons and healing people show God’s kingdom to be present. Jesus’ resurrection on the third day would show that inaugurated the kingdom of God.

“No prophet can die outside Jerusalem” – of course, some had, but Jesus is using irony to show that Jerusalem, from David’s time onwards the centre of Jewish religion and worship, was far more dangerous to a true prophet of God than threats from Herod in Galilee.

34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

“You who kill the prophets” – the holy city (standing for the whole nation) had often killed its prophets, 2 Chron. 24:21; Jeremiah 26:23.

“Gather your children” – Jesus repeated many of his teachings and this was declared again on Tuesday of Passion Week, Matt. 23:37-38. 

“Under her wings” – in the OT tradition, God sheltered His people under His wings, Psalm 17:8, 36:7; 57:1 etc

35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

“Your house… desolate” – Jesus is predicting the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.

“Blessed is He who comes…” – quoting Psalm 118, one of the psalms sung by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem for one of the festivals. Here Jesus is referring to His second coming and the allusion to people coming to worship is a prediction that many Jews will turn and trust Jesus before that time.

• For further study, see Romans 11:12,14; 24-27; 31-32

IN PRACTICE  The Israelites had abandoned the covenant and paid a terrible penalty in seeing Jerusalem overrun and its people taken into captivity and exile. Now Jerusalem, and its proud tradition as the centre of worship for the nation, is setting itself up again for a similar disaster. Jesus foretells that He will join a long line of prophets who were put to death by the city and people that He loves.
Believing in God’s purposes, which are based on a much longer timescale than we are used to, is made difficult by the situations and difficulties which rise up to oppose. We read the circumstances and say, “It can’t happen,” but God repeats the promises which say, “It cannot NOT happen!”. Which do we believe?

QUESTION  When it all seems to be going wrong, what voices do we hear, and which do we listen to?

EPISTLE READING

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Paul promises heaven’s honour for keeping faith.In contrast to self-exalting and unbelieving teachers, Paul’s example of Cross-aware, heaven-centred living is the model to follow.

17  Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

“Following my example” – the concept of discipleship was following an example e.g. Paul’s apostolic demonstration of Christlike living. Christians generally should live lives that are models to follow.

As Paul has written earlier (verse 10) “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death.”

18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the Cross of Christ.

“With tears” – aware of how destructive unbelieving teachers are to God’s work and kingdom.

“Enemies of the Cross” – Christ’s crucifixion was offensive to many, including those who wanted to emphasise observant Judaism, or retain worldly, immoral values.

19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.

“Destiny is destruction” – eternal judgment. They are self-centred and focused on Jewish dietary laws and circumcision, set on present time and place rather than God’s order and eternal purpose.

20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

“Citizenship… in heaven” – Philippi was a Roman colony where many had earned Roman citizenship and privileges through military service. For Christians the far greater, and unearned, citizenship is belonging to heaven.

• For further study: believers are exhorted to think in a heaven-centred, rather than world-centred, way – Colossians 3:1-2; 1 Cor. 15:19; 1 Peter 2:11; and of Christ’s return, 1 Cor. 1:7; Titus 2:13.

4:1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

“Stand firm in the Lord” – in present difficulties and conflicts (detailed in verses that follow), hold on firmly to the Lord and His values.

IN PRACTICE  Paul has founded churches and instructed them to live for God, following his apostolic example. It’s an example we know from other places in the NT, that is laced with considerable danger and personal cost. In his absence, the churches become prey to unauthorised and unspiritual self-appointed leaders who do great damage to the gospel and to people, as Paul recounts with tears.
But we can tell who is true, who has their citizenship established in heaven, and who does not. As Jesus said several times, “A tree is recognised by its fruit.” There will always be people bearing ‘bad apples’ but we don’t have to buy their fruit. Choose what is good and proven and Christlike.

QUESTION  Not everyone who makes their opinions known says what is true and upbuilding. How do we work out who to listen to – and how to say ‘no’ to others?

PRAYER  Lord God, You are light without any darkness, love without any condition, truth without any spin. Help us to believe You, and in taking You at Your word, to be a model to encourage others. To the honour and glory of Jesus, Amen.

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Welcome to The Living Word

You get a lot more out of the Sunday service readings if they are already speaking to you. TLW is about reading and re-reading these Scriptures with some commentary to bring out what is hidden and make connections with cross references. This is different from liturgy because it is a Bible study, putting the Bible passages in sequence from OT, through the NT gospel era, and then through the lens of the post-resurrection, early church in the power of the Spirit. Enabling this progressive revelation points to a theme.  The translation used is the readable and widely-used 2011 edition of the New International Version (NIV) Bible. Commentary is drawn from a wide range of sources and is Bible-centric and theologically neutral. As we read and reflect and allow the Holy Spirit to help us hear God through His word during the week, we prepare ourselves to hear afresh and receive the Sunday sermon in church or chapel.

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A little about me and my vision for The Living Word

I live in the Marches, a green and beautiful expanse of hills between England and Wales where churches and chapels share duty to the Christian faithful in every valley, and churchgoing is still part of the community life. However, there are few Bibles to be seen in these buildings, and home-based groups for fellowship and Bible study are rare.

I want to encourage Sunday worshippers in churches and chapels to enjoy reading the Bible during the week, to get used to hearing God for themselves through His word, and to be  spiritually prepared for the message they will hear on Sunday from the lectionary readings they all share. It is no substitute for meeting and worshipping together, nor for Holy Spirit-inspired preaching. It supports both by encouraging the personal growth of church and chapel members of any denomination. It offers faith encouragement for those no longer able to, or no longer wanting to take part in, formal physical church.

My background is not in churches that use the lectionary and I bring a breadth of tradition and spiritual understanding to the writing.  I have pastored a number of churches and been involved in a variety of other missional initiatives with a ‘kingdom of God’ agenda.

As well as The Living Word and its weekly video I also post regularly on www.freshbread.today and www.thelivingword.substack.com with a podcast as well as video and written content. There is also a Facebook page at fb.com/TLWbiblestudy

Revd Ian Greig BD (Hons), DPS

SEE ALSO other Living Word Publications

Substack newsletter and podcast (free subscription) — audio podcast, video and written content all in one place

Fresh Bread Today — the freshest bake, with a bit of a tang, unpackaged and uncut. His word to live by, today.

Believe the Good News – finding the good news and encouragement all through the Bible

GLOW – God’s Love Over Weobley, encouraging prayer and spiritual fellowship. With a local flavour for this NW Herefordshire village.