I notice in Ex 23:25-36 that Jesus didn’t make these bodily safety kinds of promises, in fact he said we WILL suffer hardships, especially from carrying the Gospel.
Thinking back to those wayward times, perhaps the people of the time needed incentives to help them obey? Curses for sin and blessings for righteousness seems to be a mark of the old covenant. I guess to help hem them in to right living, right thinking?
We just don’t see that covenant operating today – earthly safety for following God and curses for our sins. Eg ‘serve God and you won’t miscarry’. But Christians are given a greater understanding of God in his word and his will and purpose and the glory that is to come. So we have hope based on the promise of forever restoration in heaven, knowing full well what we are striving towards and why we are striving towards it – and we also have the joy of living unshackled from the law.
Israelites had very little understanding of the afterlife I believe, and so did not have this incentive, and so needed earthly results. Notes I found Googling say:
”Traditional Judaism firmly believes that death is not the end of human existence. However, because Judaism is primarily focused on life here and now rather than on the afterlife, Judaism does not have much dogma about the afterlife…
Many scholars claim that belief in the afterlife is a teaching that developed late in Jewish history. It is true that the Torah emphasizes immediate, concrete, physical rewards and punishments rather than abstract future ones. See, for example, Lev. 26:3-9 and Deut. 11:13-15”
So much of Jesus’ and Paul’s teaching is trying to get the people to switch gears from this earthly mentality to an eternal mentality.
This challenges me that we can’t necessarily take promises from under the old covenant and apply them to our lives when we’re actually living under the new covenant. Or we might get disheartened and confused. This must be an example of how we can’t take Bible verses out of context and apply them directly to our lives like a band aid? Not without checking their context first and making sure we’re applying them properly first anyway. Always read the directions/instructions and all that :)
I can’t help but to relate Matthew 13 to today’s Church. I feel like the enemy has planted so many weeds among us, in attempt to weaken our harvest. In attempt to make Christians look like hypocrites because of the vast amount of seeds sown that are without root.
I pray that in 2016 , God really deepens our roots, and continues to set His harvest apart. That believers go and sow new seeds in the nations in Christ’s name, and that God makes His harvest abundant!
Thank you Father for igniting within Chelsea a desire to know you more and to experience the blessing of following You. Holy Spirit show her Your love for her and how Your ways are the way of Life! and Truth and Blessings beyond her imagination.
Hi all, Would you mind praying for me? I’ve been a Christian for a while but I’m really trying to make it a central part of my life that changes who I am and what I do. I really want to have a passion for God and pursue Him, but with a busy life sometimes it’s so much easier to be apathetic.
Give me one pure and holy passion, give me one magnificent obsession, give me one glorious ambition for my life, to know and follow hard after You, to grow as Your disciple in the truth, this world is empty pale and poor, compared to knowing You my Lord, lead me on and I will follow after You. (my prayer for you)
I love it how in verse 30 it says “little by little.” It makes me think of God’s plan and his promises. They don’t happen overnight, instead they happen in a long period of time. I’m so thankful for this. This is how our faith is built. I’m thankful that God is a father that guides our footsteps and let’s us fall when we stray away. It brings us to a point of perserverence. God uses our weakest points to bring us closer to him.
Anyone else noticed Exodus 24:9-11? in the previous chapter, they couldn’t even touch the foot of the mountain because of their sins and the Holiness of God.. in this chapter, the elders who climbed the mountain, “they were able to gaze at God, He did not destroy them, God even ate and drank with them”… is it because of the blood of the animal sacrifice that was thrown at them? they were able to come to the presence of the Holy God because of the animal’s blood that was shed for their sins! WHAT A FORESHADOWING OF JESUS’ SACRIFICE!!! i can boldly come to the presence of God NOW and FOREVER because Jesus already shed His blood for my sins!!! Hallelujah!!! :)
Yes!! So many parallels. EVEN WHILE the people were being given the law that condemned them, God was foreshadowing Jesus and that he would rescue them from the law and slavery to their sin
so glad to have found this app! I’ve looked for so long in facebook to find a group of ladies to read with. Praise God!
Amen!
I notice in Ex 23:25-36 that Jesus didn’t make these bodily safety kinds of promises, in fact he said we WILL suffer hardships, especially from carrying the Gospel.
Thinking back to those wayward times, perhaps the people of the time needed incentives to help them obey? Curses for sin and blessings for righteousness seems to be a mark of the old covenant. I guess to help hem them in to right living, right thinking?
We just don’t see that covenant operating today – earthly safety for following God and curses for our sins. Eg ‘serve God and you won’t miscarry’. But Christians are given a greater understanding of God in his word and his will and purpose and the glory that is to come. So we have hope based on the promise of forever restoration in heaven, knowing full well what we are striving towards and why we are striving towards it – and we also have the joy of living unshackled from the law.
Israelites had very little understanding of the afterlife I believe, and so did not have this incentive, and so needed earthly results. Notes I found Googling say:
”Traditional Judaism firmly believes that death is not the end of human existence. However, because Judaism is primarily focused on life here and now rather than on the afterlife, Judaism does not have much dogma about the afterlife…
Many scholars claim that belief in the afterlife is a teaching that developed late in Jewish history. It is true that the Torah emphasizes immediate, concrete, physical rewards and punishments rather than abstract future ones. See, for example, Lev. 26:3-9 and Deut. 11:13-15”
So much of Jesus’ and Paul’s teaching is trying to get the people to switch gears from this earthly mentality to an eternal mentality.
This challenges me that we can’t necessarily take promises from under the old covenant and apply them to our lives when we’re actually living under the new covenant. Or we might get disheartened and confused. This must be an example of how we can’t take Bible verses out of context and apply them directly to our lives like a band aid? Not without checking their context first and making sure we’re applying them properly first anyway. Always read the directions/instructions and all that :)
Hope I’m talking sense! Sorry for the essay!
Amen!
I can’t help but to relate Matthew 13 to today’s Church. I feel like the enemy has planted so many weeds among us, in attempt to weaken our harvest. In attempt to make Christians look like hypocrites because of the vast amount of seeds sown that are without root.
I pray that in 2016 , God really deepens our roots, and continues to set His harvest apart. That believers go and sow new seeds in the nations in Christ’s name, and that God makes His harvest abundant!
Thank you Father for igniting within Chelsea a desire to know you more and to experience the blessing of following You. Holy Spirit show her Your love for her and how Your ways are the way of Life! and Truth and Blessings beyond her imagination.
Hi all, Would you mind praying for me? I’ve been a Christian for a while but I’m really trying to make it a central part of my life that changes who I am and what I do. I really want to have a passion for God and pursue Him, but with a busy life sometimes it’s so much easier to be apathetic.
Praying for you right now, Chelsea!
Awesome and refreshingly honest prayer request Chlesea! I’ll be praying for you!
Give me one pure and holy passion, give me one magnificent obsession, give me one glorious ambition for my life, to know and follow hard after You, to grow as Your disciple in the truth, this world is empty pale and poor, compared to knowing You my Lord, lead me on and I will follow after You. (my prayer for you)
Thank you everybody!!
I love it how in verse 30 it says “little by little.” It makes me think of God’s plan and his promises. They don’t happen overnight, instead they happen in a long period of time. I’m so thankful for this. This is how our faith is built. I’m thankful that God is a father that guides our footsteps and let’s us fall when we stray away. It brings us to a point of perserverence. God uses our weakest points to bring us closer to him.
Anyone else noticed Exodus 24:9-11? in the previous chapter, they couldn’t even touch the foot of the mountain because of their sins and the Holiness of God.. in this chapter, the elders who climbed the mountain, “they were able to gaze at God, He did not destroy them, God even ate and drank with them”… is it because of the blood of the animal sacrifice that was thrown at them? they were able to come to the presence of the Holy God because of the animal’s blood that was shed for their sins! WHAT A FORESHADOWING OF JESUS’ SACRIFICE!!! i can boldly come to the presence of God NOW and FOREVER because Jesus already shed His blood for my sins!!! Hallelujah!!! :)
What great insight. Thank you for sharing this. Totally opened my eyes.
Yes!! So many parallels. EVEN WHILE the people were being given the law that condemned them, God was foreshadowing Jesus and that he would rescue them from the law and slavery to their sin
Just like they had just been rescued from slavery in Egypt