May 21

Numbers 30; Psalm 74; Isaiah 22; 2 Peter 3

Romans 7:21-23 tonight at Crossroad at 6:30.  All are welcomed!

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 99: HOW DO BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER DIFFER FROM
THE OTHER ORDINANCES OF GOD?

Answer: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper differ from the other ordinances of God in that they were specially instituted by Christ to represent and apply to believers the benefits of the new covenant by visible and outward signs.
Scripture: Acts 22:16; Matthew 26:26-28; 28:19; Romans 6:4.

Numbers 30

This chapter covers the topic of vows for women who live under the authority of a man in their home in the context of father and also husband.  The headship here depicted gives the man the authority to nullify or establish vows on behalf of the woman, but he must nullify the vows as soon as he learns of them or else he will bear the iniquity of turning her back on them later.  Interesting concepts here.  Authority brings responsibility.  Submission brings protection. 

Psalm 74

Asaph straight-up asks God to take his hand out of his pockets and to come help.  In this Psalm he is clearly weary and feels like God has been silent and inactive in the current situation.  He speaks of God’s past actions and he speaks of his might as if to instigate God to take powerful action again.  Teach us O God how to come before you with humble contrite hearts that long for you and that love to see your hand in action.  Teach us to be jealous for your name and how to call upon you for the sake of it.

Isaiah 22

I take note in this chapter of verses 12-14.  In verse 12 God is calling for his people to mourn and to weep for their condition.  He is calling for a brokenness and a contrition, but they do not offer this.  Instead, they offer a party in verse 13.  The response of the people is to ignore God and to presume that he is powerless and they seem settled to enjoy whatever fleeting thing they can as they perceive no hope beyond what they have immediate control over.  Paul refers to this exact thing in 1 Cor 15:32 when he considers the implications if Christ has actually not raised from the dead.  Paul uses the same phrase in doing so he declares that without a resurrection we have no hope in God and we are on our own and that there would be no reason at all to follow the precepts that we thought were from God but that we would be best served by seeking whatever fleeting pleasure we could find.  His point is not to do this but it is to highlight the importance of the resurrection and the exceeding value of its historical truth.  If Christ is not who he claimed then we are lost!  Our entire hope is upon his identity and his work. 

2 Peter 3

     v1.  Peter intends to remind the reader of truth and a to spur them to meditate upon and consider it for the motivation of their own mind and for their sincere devotion to Christ.
     v2.  Here Peter teaches that the Apostles issue commands on behalf of the Lord.
Peter urges us to remember that things have not simply cruised along unchanged but God actually destroyed all life on the planet because of wickedness so we should not now consider that he would tolerate it forever.  True, he will not destroy life on earth by a flood…but he will do it by fire.
     v9.  The promise mentioned here in verse 9 is a promise of wrath and judgment upon sin and wickedness.  He is patient in delivering this promise for the sake of the elect.  He wants to gather his church before unleashing final judgement (Rom 11:25).  This verse is commonly used to suggest that God does not elect certain people unto salvation and that each individual is autonomous and they determine their fate based upon their choice to repent or not.  I concur that there is a clear desire on the part of God that all would come to repentance but that this means we are autonomous and that his internal effectual call is not required for this repentance cannot be taken from this (in my opinion).  His desire that we should come to repentance must be reconciled with the fact that we do not all come to repentance and therefore it seems that there is some alternative desire in God that keeps him from exercising his authority and power to bring about precisely what he desires.  One answer could be the glory of his purpose of election (Rom 9:11) and another answer could be the glory of his purpose in human autonomy.  There is the fork in the road.
     v11.  What sort of people ought we to be?  Let us hasten the coming of the day of God!  Bring on the new heavens and the new earth O God!

Soli Deo Gloria!