Lion of Judah, Lamb of God

Exodus 34

Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, “Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth, keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children’s children, on the third and on the fourth generation.”

Exodus 34:6‭-‬7

This passage seems like a contradiction: is God merciful or does He punish the guilty?

But in truth, He's both. He's both the Righteous Judge and the Merciful Father.

The fearsome Wrath of God, but also the loving Lamb of God.

As the song goes:

Lion of Judah
Lamb of God
glorious Conqueror
suffering Son.
Lion of Judah
with nails in His hands,
the mighty Redeemer
was meek as a lamb

Deadly honey

Proverbs 5

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,  but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.  Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol.   She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she doesn’t know it.

Proverbs 5:3‭-‬6

Temptation always seems like it drips honey, so attractive, but the end of it if you give in is death. For the wages of sin is death.

Father, remind me of this end when I'm tempted, so that I don't reach for that deadly honey! In Jesus' name, amen.

King David and Jesus' crucifixion

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?

Psalms 22:1

Jesus quoted this verse on the cross and much of the rest of this psalm is also descriptive of what He went through in His passion suffering.

All this in spite of David writing it centuries before crucifixion was even invented!

Not so obvious

Exodus 32

He received what they handed him, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said, “These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”  When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh.”

Exodus 32:4‭-‬5

It's interesting that even though they had made and idol golden calf, they still called it Yahweh.

Sometimes we put other things in the place of God but still call it God. Sometimes we claim God told us to do something, or we are doing something for God, but it's really not for God, but our own idea.

Sometimes it's not so obvious. That's why we need to study the Bible and have a community of believers around us who also study the Bible and help keep each other on the right path.

Father, guide us in Your paths and alert us to when we stray from it. In Jesus' name, amen.

"Secular" calling

Exodus 31

“Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship, to devise skillful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all kinds of workmanship. Behold, I myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of all who are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you:

Exodus 31:2‭-‬6

Bezalel and Oholiab were not known for their ability to preach or lead worship. They were known for their ability to do crafts.

And yet, here they are, commended by God, and God filled them with His Spirit, and in wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

Our "normal jobs" can be means of God's workmanship and blessing. We don't all have to be preachers or worship leaders or write Christian books to have God's anointing and Spirit.

God calls different people to different things. Whatever we do,we should do to the glory of God.

Father, thank You for giving us different skills to do different things. May we do it all to Your glory, even if our skill is "secular". In Jesus' name, amen.

Justified by faith, evidenced by works

Romans 3

Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let us do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.

Romans 3:8

When I was a new believer, I wondered this exact thing, and an older Christian showed me this verse.

We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

Romans 3:28

We are justified by faith,it is not of works, so nobody can boast.

However, other  parts of scripture make it clear that if we claim to have faith but continue without repentance, that is evidence that we have not come to Christ in the first  place.

God is the one who sanctifies

Exodus 29

I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar: Aaron also and his sons I will sanctify, to minister to me in the priest’s office. I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. They shall know that I am Yahweh their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am Yahweh their God.

Exodus 29:44‭-‬46

God is the one who sanctifies. Praised be the Lord!