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Numbers 21:4-9 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

These verses, at surface level, seem as though God commanded Moses to make an idol for the Israelites in order that they may be healed, although it was in all actuality more prophecy for the Israelites that they may look forward to the coming of the Christ.
In the first few sentences, God sends out fiery serpents amongst the Israelites for their complaining. God was providing all their needs, yet they were not content. This isn't the first time that the Israelites scoff and disrespect God during their wanderings in the desert, and it won't be their last; God later referred to the Israelites as a "stiff-necked people" more times than I can think of, both in the old and new testament.
After Moses sought God for the Israelites to deal with this affliction caused by their sins, the Lord commanded Moses to make a serpent of brass upon a pole, and whenever the Israelites simply looked and beheld the serpent, they were healed from their injuries. This is later referenced in the new testament, in John 3:14: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:" This verse puts it as simple as one can hope for. The pole is also significant; poles and trees are used in many old testament prophecies, the most memorable being Deuteronomy 21:23, later quoted in Galatians 3:13: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"
Serpents are used in a variety of ways in the bible, but usually one views them as being representative of the devil. However, in Moses' life, there is another use of the serpent, in Exodus 7:8-12: "And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods." This rivalry showed on no uncertain terms that God was the true master of the universe.

The action of looking upon the serpent is also a picture of how simple salvation is. All that we need to do to inherit the kingdom of God and eternal, everlasting life is to simply look to Jesus to be our savior from eternal torment. Romans 10:9 is the plan of salvation for all people: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." I try to make a point of how much God hates sin in my posts because, as Christians, we are quick to assume that everyone understands the weight of our sins, which is often not the case- even among other Christians at times. When you contrast how much God hates sin with his love towards us, in spite of all our sins and shortcomings, it is truly an overwhelming love, one that is difficult to adequately put into words.

Edited 2/29/2020 02:14:49

Titus 2:1-15
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. 



These verses are the basic outline for how men and women, young and old, bond and free, should live their lives as to better themselves and lift up those around them. The old testament laws pertaining to marriage were for the most part legalistic: forbidding divorce, the marriage of multiple wives, fornication, etc.. The new testament, though it of course does not render the Mosaic laws obsolete, focuses more on keeping your heart pure as well as your body. Companion verses to this are all over the new testament, the most notable verses being in Ephesians.
Ephesians 5:22-33 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."

We as men are to lead our wives and our families, not to be passive in our wife's and children's lives. When the verses command the wives to be submitted unto to their husbands, it is easy to deduce that we are to be men worthy and capable of handling and managing subservience from our wives and children without abusing our position in the family. We should be mindful of how Christ loves the churches and nourishes them, and use him as our example, as verse twenty three presents.

A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

Proverbs 16:9 NKJV

Commentary: While we plan what we think is best, God knows what is best for us. If we are open to His guidance, He will guide our steps on the path that will give us more satisfaction than anything we could have imagined for ourselves. It may not be easy, by the reward will be great, and He will guide us every step of the way.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
—1 John 3:1


Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Some gifts are too precious for words and too wonderful to fully appreciate. The greatest of these gifts is that we are God's children! We have been adopted into the Father's family! Jesus claims us as his younger siblings! Even though the world may not acknowledge this, that condition doesn't make it any less true. After all, the world didn't recognize its Creator when he became flesh and lived among the people he had made. God's Word, however, still proclaims the truth; we ARE the children of God!

2 Corinthians 3:10-18 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

When a person reads the old testament for the first time, without any real knowledge of the new testament in Jesus as well as his life and ministry, the bible says that they are reading the books and laws as though they had a veil over the pages.
To get a true understanding of the old testament, one first needs to get saved through Jesus the Christ, as explained in 1 Corinthians 2:14: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Once we bring people to salvation, and they accept it, they are filled with the Holy Spirit.
One also needs to read the new testament to understand the old testament. Reading the bible the second time makes everything much more clear, and one is able to see very clearly all the laws that were set in place solely as prophecy for Christ, the laws that were abolished through Christ, and the laws that were confirmed through Christ.
One of course doesn't have a full knowledge of the old and new testaments just by virtue of having the Holy Spirit indwelling in them, of course. After Jesus was resurrected, in Luke 24:27, he talked with two believers while walking down the road, "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." We need to be taught by others more mature in the faith than us, just as the two on the road with Jesus, and Apollos with Aquila and Priscilla in Acts 18:24-28: "And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ."
By reading only four chapters a day, less than 15 minutes of time committed on average, you will read through the bible once a year. No matter what section of the bible you are reading, it will profit you spiritually. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

1 Kings 8:41-43 Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.

1 Kings 8 is the chapter where King Solomon consecrates the first temple, and God begins to dwell in it. Solomon makes a public prayer (part of which is the verses above) which contains much doctrine about God keeping his promises, punishing his children when they disobey him, repentance, and understanding omnipresence.
The section above shows that in the old testament, the Israelites weren't hoarding God to themselves as it were; there were always provisions for foreigners to sojourn in Israel and believe in the Lord, even in the Mosaic law. A few notable verses: Exodus 23:9: "Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." Leviticus 19:33-34 "And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." There are other verses besides these commanding the leaders of Israel to also punish the strangers sojourning in Israel for their crimes the same as the Israelites would be.
Robert Drews details pre-Christ conversion among the Greeks in his course "Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, to the beginnings of modern civilization," mentioning how the Hellenic people would often change their surname and become circumcised in order to join with the Hebrews. Drews uses extrabiblical sources to confirm this, showing that the Israelites truly did accept foreigners as fellow believers, and even got people outside of Israel saved in many cases.
Isaiah 56:3-7 is the definitive verse on the subject of strangers joining the faith in the old testament: "Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people."

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
James 1:12‭-‬15 NKJV

Commentary: Temptation itself is not a sin, though it comes from the devil; even Jesus, who never sinned, was tempted. However, when temptation is allowed to "conceive", it brings forth sin, which brings death. Don't give in to temptation! "Blessed is the man who endures temptation".
But don't be disheartened when you do give in; instead, give it to God, who has made you righteous through the blood of His Son. And persist in fleeing temptation.

Psalms 10
Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent:
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. his eyes are privily set against the poor.
He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

When we see the abundance of evil in the world today, we often wish for God to personally intervene and punish the wicked; we may wonder why the Lord stands afar off, as David does in verse one of this psalm. However, when God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, the government that God established in the Mosaic law always commanded the punishments for crimes, both of beatings and of death penalties, to be carried out by the people of the city, often with oversight by the judge if the matter was brought before them. It has never been God's job to punish the wicked, but he does intervene using diseases, foreign armies, famines, etc., if he deems it necessary. To punish people individually for their sins as soon as they commit them wouldn't allow for true free will as God designed it. If we were to base our governments upon the Mosaic law with the changes that the new testament imposed on it, God likely would never have to intervene in these ways as he has in the past.
We know that the sinners of this world and those who do abominable works will be punished in hell after they die if they do not put their faith in Christ, and sometimes this might be the only punishment they receive. Romans 12:19 says "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Our time here on earth is little. Psalm 90:10 reads "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." But the punishment for sin without the forgiveness of God is eternal. It's hard to wrap our minds around eternity, but the smoke of the torment of the wicked ascending up for ever and ever is much harsher punishment for murder, rape, theft, and kidnapping than we could ever hope to impose on them on this earth.

Daniel 3:24-25 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

This section is from Daniel 3, the story in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are cast into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar for not bowing down to his false idols. The story says that Nebuchadnezzar saw "the Son of God" in the midst of them, protecting the three from the flames. Verses 26-27 confirm their deliverance from the flames by the Christ: "Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them."
There's much to learn from this story, but I'd instead like to focus on the phrase "Son of God." This is most clear passage from the old testament that mentions Jesus, but it definitely isn't the only one. There are many passages in the old testament where people see God, but some of them are God the Father, and some of them are God the Son. The easiest way to differentiate between the two is revealed to us in both the old and new testament. Exodus 33:20, with God the Father speaking, reads "And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live." John 1:18 in the new testament reiterates this: "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
Exodus 33:20-23 is the most memorable passage of a man, Moses, seeing God the Father: "And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen." After this had taken place, the bible says in Exodus 34:29:30: "And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him."
Jesus, God the Son, appears quite often in the Old Testament. When Jacob wrestled with God in Genesis 32:24-32, Jacob declares that he had seen the face of God in verse 30: "And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." The other spots with Jesus appearing in the old testament are in the passage from Daniel as posted above, when he appeared as Melchizedek in Genesis 14 (explained in the new testament, in Hebrews 7), as well as in Genesis 1 (the Hebrew text makes this abundantly clear.) The less talked about spot where Jesus appears in bodily form is in Genesis 18. Verses 1-2 read of Abraham: " And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground," Later in this chapter, with the climax being in chapter 19, Jesus orders the destruction of Sodom for their vile wickedness.
We know that Jesus has existed forever, since before the world was created. The old testament prophets spoke of this, notably in Micah 5:2: "But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." John 1:1-2 speaks of Jesus using one of his aliases: " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God." There are many other verses where Jesus declares himself to be eternal, or other people speak of him as such, but in the last book of Revelation, Jesus reiterates this attribute of himself one final time: Revelation 22:13 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."

Edited 3/5/2020 01:43:09

Galatians 4:28-31 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

This is a subject that might not be popular, but it was one of those hangups that I had before taking Christianity more seriously. Most churches today teach that the physical descendants of Israel are still God's chosen people, in spite of their beliefs- whether they believe in Jesus or not. One complete reading of the bible, and especially of Galatians, proves that this is beyond a shadow of a doubt not true. This post will be a quick overview of the six chapters of Galatians, and it will hopefully profit others as much as it did I.

Chapter 1 is an introduction, giving us an idea of the subject matter of the rest of the epistle. Galatians is a letter written to the church of Galatia by Paul, divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, meaning it is without error. Galatians 1:1 makes this clear: "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)" A brief history of Paul is that he persecuted the early church and apostles on behalf of the Jews.
He recounts his actions in 1:12-14 "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." Paul was later called personally by the Lord Jesus Christ to become an apostle, and his lasting legacy is that he wrote over half of the books of the new testament.

Chapter 2 begins with Paul recounting his early days of ministry with Titus, a Greek, and how Titus was compelled to be circumcised by "false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage," as said in verse 4. By this he means Jews who wished to continue the sacrificial and carnal traditions of the old testament, in spite of what is described in Hebrews 7:12: "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law." Circumcision will be visited in detail in chapter 5.

Chapter 3 starts out with a strong reproof of the direction the church of Galatia is taking, in that they are reverting back to what we would today call Judaism. Verses 1-6 read: "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
From these verses it is revealed plainly that salvation has always been by faith alone. Genesis 12:8 is the first verse where Abraham (then called Abram) called upon the name of the Lord: "And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD." Romans 4:3 reiterates that this is the moment that Abraham was saved: "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." Romans 4:10 makes sure that we understand that circumcision had no part of his salvation: "How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision."
Galatians 3:7-11 reads: "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith." These verses should be a great relief to all Christians, in that we are not second class believers to the Israelites solely based on our ethnicity: everyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is a child of God, whether they be Jew, Greek, Congolese, or Filipino.
Verse 3:16 reads: "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." The promise referred to here is found in Genesis 22:18: "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." This states what should be obvious to believers, but is so often misunderstood or just ignored: you shouldn't give money to a foreign, heathen nation and expect God to bless you for it, even if the physical seeds of Abraham are the ones practicing the heathen religion. Verse 16 reveals God's intent of his promise in Genesis 22, in that the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the blessing of Abraham upon all nations.
Galatians 3:23-39 reads: "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." The first of these verses reveal the intent of the Mosaic law. They were set in place as a "schoolmaster," which was necessary in that all believers under the Old Testament were to be looking forward to the resurrection of Christ, which is a much more difficult thing to do than our part, which is to look backwards. This section also shows how we are to treat the Old Testament as New Testament believers: just as one doesn't dismiss and do the opposite of whatever one's childhood teacher taught them the moment they become an adult, we also are not to dismiss the Old Testament without as much as a wink.

Chapter 4:1-7 is Paul's explanation of his schoolmaster metaphor: "Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
Verse 10 reveals one of the church of Galatia's shortcomings: "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." Under the New Testament, we are not to keep the sabbath so rigidly as under the Old Testament. Colossians 2:16 reiterate this: "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:"
Verses 21-24, 28-31: "Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free."
These verses are an intense accusation against the Jews trying to affect or mix Christianity with Judaism, calling them sons of Hagar, Abraham's wife's handmaid, meaning the bastard son of Abraham- not the sons according to the promise of Abraham.

Chapter 5:1-6: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." These verses carry the theme throughout the entire bible that salvation is through faith alone. The very moment you begin to rely on your works to get yourself saved, you are now a servant to the entire Old Testament. Ephesians 2:8-9 needs to be continually shouted from the rooftops: " For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Verse 13 reads "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." This hearkens back to Paul's schoolmaster metaphor, and how the schoolmaster is used to guide us in our entire lives, not just in the moment that we are under instruction. Verses 14-15 read, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." The action described here is what the Jews that killed Jesus the Christ were guilty of: rigid following of the Old Testament to the point of oppression through the law, not in freedom through the law as God had intended.

5:16-25: "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." These verses should be conjunction with 1 Corinthians 15, a chapter which I posted about on February 20. What is revealed in these verses are the distinguishing qualities of the spirit and the flesh. When we walk in the Spirit, we have no need in the law, for the Holy Spirit is now what guides us.



Chapter 6 7-10: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
Here Paul continues his thought from the last few verses of Chapter 5. Our flesh is still weak, and our flesh will still receive the punishment of sins we commit on this earth. Even Paul admits that he sins in Romans 7:19-20: "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."
Verses 13-17 complete the epistle to the Galatians: "For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen."
Paul declares here that those who push for the Judaising of Christianity don't do it for your, the believer's, benefit; they do it for their own: to glory in your flesh, and your works. We shouldn't glory in things of the flesh, or the keeping of holy days- Christ is our glory.



Some Christians don't like Paul's teachings, and openly and flauntingly dismiss them. Fortunately, Jesus isn't silent on this issue, and is much harsher than Paul.
John 8:31-46: Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father.
Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Edited 3/6/2020 05:39:11

Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

Envy is the birth of most of the world's ails. This is a common theme throughout the bible, and this is one of the most pointed verses about it; it is completely the opposite direction of where the modern world wants you to go.
Very few people admit to envy and covetousness, but it is the fuel for all major world economies. Covetousness is defined in Exodus 20:17, and it is the tenth commandment: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." I'm guilty of this, and one would be hard pressed to find someone who isn't.
The second half of this passage deals with people who live alone and work incessantly, just out of a lust for material gain. Covetousness is the fuel for all major world economies, and the people who work for solely their own material gain are the engine. As God's children, we are to be different than the world, or as 1 Peter 2:9 puts it, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people."
Children are a blessing, not a bump in the road that hampers your 30-year-plan of buying a used Ferrari when you're in your late 50's. Psalm 127:3-5, written by or for Solomon, speaks of this beautifully: "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." Solomon had over 700 wives, which is still a sin, but one can see that his ideal of a "quiver full" of children is much different than what the world today thinks is a large family. As a small bit of trivia, the only time "millions" is mentioned in the bible (Genesis 24:60) is when Rebekah leaves her family to marry Isaac, and Rebekah's family's parting words to her are "Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them." God's blessing upon Abraham was not that he should become wealthy, powerful, or wise, but that he should be the father of more children than the sands on the beach or the stars in the sky.
"Neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good?" We should always be asking ourselves this. If you aren't working out of love for someone else, whether it be Christ or family, the bible declares that what you are doing is vanity, and undue vexation of the spirit.

Numbers 32:9-15 For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.
And the LORD’s anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying, Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
And the LORD’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed. And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel. For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.

The Israelites, after being led out of Egypt by God through Moses, never seemed to understand the weight of the promise and the law that was given them unless by constant reminders of violence or miracles, and even the miracles which God showed them often wore off, such as the giving of manna. God often calls them a stiff-necked people, and when they refuse to obey his commandments, his wrath is kindled against them. Just seven chapters ago, in Numbers 25:1-9, God slew 24,000 Israelites for committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab and sacrificing unto their false gods, and they already have again forgotten to respect and fear the Lord by chapter 32.
God isn't afraid to chastise both his children and the unsaved. Luke 12:48 says "But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." Most everyone in the United States has heard the gospel in part or in full, and if they consciously reject it, they will receive the due punishment for their sins. As believers, when we understand and study the word of God and fail to carry out his commandments, we will be chastised- not out of hate, but of love. We need to be careful of how we live our lives, and make sure that in all our ways we acknowledge Him, not just when in view of our brothers in Christ.

Matthew 6:7-13 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Vanity is often mentioned in the bible, and it's used in many contexts. Today we will be looking at vanity in the context of praising God.
Isaiah 1:10-15 reads thus: "Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood."
In these verses, God is likening Israel unto Sodom and Gomorrah. We see that the Israelites are continuing to sacrifice unto God as he commanded them in the Mosaic law, but in this instance he is wroth with them in spite of the fat of rams and blood of bullocks. What has changed from when Solomon and the other good kings of Israel commanded the sacrifices?
The Israelites in these verses were going through the motions of offering sacrifices; they did not mean it in earnest. They were not doing it to please God, but to please man. A companion passage to Isaiah 1 is found in Amos 5:21-26: "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves."
We see that Israel was not worshiping God alone as he demanded, but false gods as well. God demands our complete faith in Him. In the new testament, Jesus makes the law stricter yet concerning offerings, in this case the tithe, in Matthew 5:23-26: "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."
Vanity is a flexible word in the bible, and a large percentage of it's uses are found in Ecclesiastes, where Solomon imbued with the wisdom of God declares most things held in high standing today as vanity, such as "all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour." When we worship God, we are to follow Jesus's model of a prayer: we should not ask for things to fulfill our lusts, but our necessities, and we should praise God for his infinite kindness for allowing us to enjoy his creation, no matter how man may corrupt it, and for his promise of eternal salvation through his Son.

This is getting out of hand lol basically spam at this point

lol, this is their echo chamber

God's Word can never be spam

Numbers 13:26-32 "And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature."

These verses are after the Israelites were brought out of Egypt unto the promised land, prior to them being forced to wander throughout the desert for forty years by God, until all that generation of Israelites passed away, save Joshua and Caleb.
There are many cases of people or groups in the bible failing to put their entire trust in God, and ruining their lives or someone else's as a result. The Israelites, despite being fed manna by miraculous circumstances by God, still had doubts that God was truly in control and would keep his promises. God's promise to the Israelites that he would bring them into the promised land had conditions that they would have to keep, and by doubting and grievously provoking God ten times in the wilderness, God made the promise void. Numbers 14:34-35: "After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die."
When we doubt God and try to accomplish his miracles out of our own strength, we often cause more harm than good. When Sarah, Abraham's wife, doubted that God would keep his promise of making a great nation out of her in her old age, she tried to take matters into her own hands and told Abraham to lay with her handmaid, so that Sarah might have a son through her. In Genesis 16:12, God declared of Hagar's son Ishmael, "And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." After Solomon's heart was turned away from God by his wives, Israel split into two kingdoms, never to be reunited.
When God makes you promises, you must be ready for him to fulfill his promises, and not to doubt him. When Abraham sent a servant to search out a wife for his son Isaac, and when the servant saw Rebekah that she was the wife God had desired for Isaac, he says in Genesis 24:37, "And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren." We must be "in the way," prepared for God to fulfill his promises, and we must be weary of becoming lax and expecting God to fulfill his promises to us no matter what our actions may be. God promises us everlasting life, but we must accept Jesus Christ in order to receive it. God promises us rewards in heaven, but we will receive greater rewards both in this life and the life to come if we keep his commandments.