January 26, 2022: 1-4-4 (Week 1, Day 4, Year 4)
PSALM 51. (From THE MESSAGE OF THE PSALMS BY Walter Brueggemann)
Psalm 51 is a model for actual confession. The first two verses act as an introduction to the Psalm’s theme. The prayer begins with words of the LORD’S character: mercy and steadfast love. Also the actions of the LORD are voiced, sin is “blotted out”; sinners are washed and cleansed. The writer seeks to be transformed. Three words are used for the state of the sinner: transgression, iniquity, and sin. The differences in the meaning of the words are significant but the three together covers the life of a person. The confession (verses 3-5) is deeply personal with the first person pronouns used six times. The knowledge of the sinner points to a lack of relationship with the Creator LORD. The LORD is righteous and justified in finding the sinner guilty. We are born into a culture and society of sin. The world is broken. The sexual act is not the meaning of “Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me (Psalm 51:5).” It also does not mean the mother’s sin is passed to the child.
The center section of the Psalm (verses 6-14) lists the acts of God needed to over forgiveness to the sinner. “You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart (Psalm 51:6)” requests a transformation, a softened heart, a change of attitude. The Hebrew considered the heart the center of intellect, emotions, and volition. The verbs used remind of baptismal action. The LORD must purge, wash, and blot-out the sin. The confession leads to a restoration or transformation. The change occurs in the heart. The heart controls our actions. The connection between the spirit of a human being and God’s Holy Spirit is relational. The broken world turns away from God’s Spirit and seeks to depend only on creativity and technology. These are important, but are tempered by the compassion of the Spiritual gifts.
The last section of the Psalm (verses 15-19) calls for worship before the exile and then in the last two verses (18-19) call for a return to worship in the rebuild temple. It is difficult to overestimate the effect of the rebuilding of the temple to reestablish hope and nationalistic fervor in Jerusalem. Before the exile the write again share the belief that true worship is in the heart of the believer. God honors a heart that is transformed. This section combines the hope of the prophets and the devotion the priests in the worship in the temple of Jerusalem.
MATTHEW 4: The fourth chapter includes how Jesus deals with the temptations to use his position as the divine Son of God. Jesus is identified as the Beloved Son of God at his baptism. The Temptation or Testing of Jesus is his own exploration of what it means to be the LORD’S Messiah. The first two temptations begin with “If you are the Son of God.” A distinction Cn be made between testing and tempting. It is God who tests and Satan who tempts. Matthew desires to have the reader to be reminded of the Old Testament stories of Abraham and Isaac, and the story of the wandering in the wilderness by the Israelites.
MATTHEW 4:1-11 JESUS AND THE DEVIL. THE TESTING OF THE MESSIAH
JESUS IS TEMPTED–Satan tempts Jesus which means God allows Jesus to be tempted. How is our tests and trials used by the LORD to strengthen us for the coming troubles? Jesus chooses to be the Messiah and his ministry begins as John the Baptist is jailed.
First we must overcome our appetites. Reading the Bible replaces our desires to eat and to have pleasure. Jesus is totally dependent upon God. The wandering Israelites failed to be dependent on God. Second we do not place ourselves where God must save us from foolishness and danger. We are not to test God. This is a difficult concept to understand for me. Putting ourselves in danger may test God. Third we cannot replace God in our lives with ourselves. The temptation is to be one’s own god. Idolatry is the worst and original sin. Life is a proper balance between ourselves and God. Jesus comes to us not to replace humanity with deity, but to make our humanity authentic in proper relationship with the LORD.
MATTHEW 4:12-25 THE BEGINNING OF JESUS’ MINISTRY. This begins a long section of Matthew which shows Jesus’ ministry to Israel. Douglas Hare calls Matthew 4:12-Matthew 16:12, THE MESSIAH’S MINISTRY TO ISRAEL. These passages give us an example of the way Jesus carried out his ministry. John the Baptist is imprisoned and Jesus begins to preach. The words, “From that time Jesus began….” Occur in Matthew 4:17 and Matthew 16:21. This phrase is used to introduce a new section.
MATTHEW 4:12-17. JESUS BEGINS TO PREACH. The relationship between John and Jesus is important because his mother, Mary and John were likely first cousins. Jesus may have studied with John in the desert. Jesus was baptized by John. They shared the same message. “Turn away from sins…the kingdom God is upon you (MATTHEW 3:2 and MATTHEW 4:17).”
MATTHEW 4:18-22. CALLED TO FISH. JESUS CHOOSES THE FIRST DISCIPLES I remember a sermon I heard about this passage that the four fisherman were called by Jesus from one profession to another. From fishermen to disciples who were training for following Jesus into the ministry of the LORD.
MATTHEW 4:23-25. TEACHING, PREACHING HEALING. JESUS HEALS SICK PEOPLE Jesus wants us to be healthy so that we can do his work. I am not a good sick person. I learn from my illnesses and my grief experiences. I trust in God’s plan. I need to learn to rest. The Gospel of Matthew emphasizes the teaching ministry of Jesus over the healing ministry. Matthew may be saying we need to hear the Messiah before we are healed by the Messiah. Miracles are seen because we hear the Gospel.
GENESIS 7-8
GENESIS 7 THE GREAT FLOOD: Noah is a righteous man and the LORD elects him and his family to bring humanity to the earth. Two versions of the Flood story are intertwined to reflect both the Priestly and Yahwistic theologies of the meaning. The Priestly has seven pairs of animals that are used for the animal sacrifices. The Yahwistic has only two pairs of animals, male and female. The waters under the firmament and held back by the creation are unleased on the earth and creation must happen again.
GENESIS 8:1-19 THE GREAT FLOOD: The waters recede and the animals leave the ark. The vegetation returns and breath is reinstated,
GENESIS 8:20-22 DIVINE COMMITMENTS AFTER THE FLOOD
The water flooded the earth for 150 days. The flood lasted one year. God promises not to flood the earth again. The LORD changed the earth from creation with the flood. We cannot doubt the ability of God to create and to make things new. The Priestly version has a thanksgiving offering given.
ACTS 4
ACTS 4:1-22 ARREST AND RELEASE OF PETER AND JOHN
PETER AND JOHN ARE TAKEN TO THE SANHEDRIN. “The apostles were saying that because Jesus rose from the dead, people can be raised from the dead.” The same leaders who had Jesus crucified question Peter and John but decide not to physically punish them. The early Christian preaching centered around the resurrection witness. The Sanhedrin were Sadducees and wanted to squelch the witness of the newly formed Jewish sect which became the church.
ACTS 4:23-31 PRAYER OF THE COMMUNITY: THE BELIEVERS PRAY. The prayer is modeled after Isaiah 37 and includes a Christian interpretation of Psalm 2.
ACTS 4:32-37 THE SHARING OF GOODS: THE BELIEVERS SHARE WHAT THEY OWN– Barnabus is introduced. This is an extraordinary gift to the church. This gives an idealized view of the Church in Jerusalem. The church in Jerusalem did not retreat from the society in Jerusalem but sought to be a group of believers in the resurrection of Jesus within the culture of Judaism.