What I love about reading the Bible is the fountain of questions and ideas that scream for attention when you really entrench yourself in a passage. Somewhat like a Fourth of July sparkler, I suffer from a bit of mental A.D.D. where a question, objection, random thought fires off one after the other leaving little time to tackle one at a time.
Unfortunately for you, this blog is a great prescription to help me rein this all in and regurgitate it for all of you 2x a month!
I'll just let it fly:
Gal 3:16 - "It does not say, 'And to offsprings' referring to many, but referring to one.'"
Hmmmm...is Paul stretching it here? Going back to Genesis 15-17, I counted 9 occurrences of the term "offspring" all of which were used in the plural form based on the context of the verse. Luckily, I'm not the only heretic to ask the question as I did find some reasonable explanations for his interpretation. And I'm sure Paul's command of Greek is reason enough to trust he knew what he was saying.
Gal 3:17 - "...the law, which came 430 years afterward..."
Love the "430 years" reference. Paul draws a line in the sand and says, yes these things actually happened.
Gen 12:3b - "...and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Besides the obvious blessing for whom we celebrate most fanatically this month, can't help but ask if there is another "blessing" implied here, especially given God's descriptive promises to Israel about being a "chosen people" inheriting a land "flowing with milk and honey." Why is that narrow strip one of the most volatile regions of the earth today? I found one explanation suggesting that God intended for Israel to be strategically located at the crossroads of civilization, i.e. between Mesopotamia, Egypt, coastal trade routes of the Mediterranean, where they would have the best opportunity to influence the known world. Unfortunately, instead of influencing it, they succumbed to it and missed the opportunity.
Paul describes us as "Abraham's offspring", the new Israel "grafted in", and "heirs to the promise." God's strategically positioned us, at this specific time, at more accessible crossroads, to influence this world through our testimony. We're not immune from Israel's history, but we're free not to repeat it!
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
Thanks Dan for the stimulating reflection.
ReplyDeleteMy reading of Genesis 12:2-3 yielded several observations/convictions. The first observation is that God wants to bless us, just as He wanted to bless Abraham. It was God who initiated the relationship and made the promises to bless him.
Just today, during our family worship, Pugi started praying his usually line... bless me so I'll obey the Ten Commandments, bless me that I won't fool around during family service, bless me to be born again, etc. It was all about wanting to be blessed by God. Pugi's prayer made me think just how "instinctive" the desire is in us to want God's blessings. And there's nothing wrong with that. I think what Genesis 12:2-3 is teaching us is that God wants to bless us both materially and spiritually. When he made the promise to bless Abraham, this included both physical and material (land flowing with milk and honey), and spiritual (through your offspring -- singular, namely Christ). This made me look at some of the promises God made in the bible to all believers (example: Ps. 67:6,7; 1 Cor. 10:13; Hebrews 10:23, James 1:12, etc.). All us want to be blessed. But these blessings which God has promised in the Bible comes to us as we wait patiently in faith (see Hebrews 6:12).
The second observation/conviction is that God blesses us, as he blessed Abraham in order that his blessing us will overflow into our blessing others. That is probably what John Stott wanted to convey as seen in the way he quoted Genesis 12:2-3, "I will bless you...and you will bless .... and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." "Through you" implies that God's blessings is communicated and channelled through our blessing others, whether it be in words 'seasoned' with grace or in actions of kindness and mercy. So let us desire God's blessings above all blessings, and let us share in the blessings He gives to us beginning with the greatest blessings we have received, namely Jesus Christ.
Posted by Pastor James
As I checked my email for one last time before bed, there it was...email from Pastor James. Subject line reads "Have you done your daily devotion?" HaHaHa. It's your fault if I fall asleep at work tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I found this entry insighful. One quick question... As I was reading Gal 3:6~25, I couldn't help but to feel that the Law and the Promise are adversaries, and Gal 3:21~22 clearly explains that is not the case. But the last verse says "Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law". Does that mean the Law is not necessary or does it mean it is obsolete due to coming of faith? What exactly is the role of the Law? A guide?
Great questions Jeetae. I'll try to answer them as best as i can. The main issue in your additional reading in Galatians 3:3-25 is the question of whether a person receives the promise of God by keeping the law or by hearing and believing by faith. That is the way the apostle Paul sets up the question in verse 2 of chapter 3. We can ask the same question in our present context: Are the promises of God in the bible given to us on the basis of our performance in keeping the law or on the basis of our faith in Christ? The answer of course is the latter. But I suppose that raises another question, namely, if we are not saved by keeping the law, nor inherit the promises of God by keeping the law, then why did God give us the law? What is the purpose of the law? The apostle Paul anticipates this objection also and answers it in verses 19 and following. His answer takes us into several directions. First, he tells us that the law was given as a temporary measure. It's purpose was to serve, whatever it was given to serve "until the offspring (namely, Christ) should come..." One of the purpose it served was to "imprison everyone under sin." In other words, the law showed everyone that they were sinners and therefore places them under the judgment of God. And that was one of its purpose, to keep all sinners inprisoned until Christ would be revealed -- as the one who would free them from their sins. Paul calls this role played by the law using the metaphor of a guardian (see verse 23). Now that Christ has come, does that mean that we no longer have to follow the law? No. Rather, it means that the law of God now plays a different role, just as the guardian who once watched over us, doesn't function in the old way. For nonbelievers the law still functions in the negative way of condemnation them until they turn to Christ in faith.
ReplyDeleteBut for Christians, because we are "in Christ", by the power of the Holy Spirit we now have the ability and choice -- which we didn't have before -- to obey the law. So as long as we are "in Christ", the law can never condemn us because Christ died and took the judgment of God for us. And as new creatures in Christ the law now functions to show us how we may live in order to please God, much like our own human "family tradition". I hope this helped clarify some things for you. Pastor James
Dan, I took that last Bible passage as a source of great encouragement. It makes me think more broadly of my life in the midst of such self-made stress. (lsats and applications)
ReplyDeleteI love the way Paul puts it. "Marvelous light."