A @Christadelphians Video: When the two angels came to Sodom about sunset they were met by Lot, who sat in the gate - a position of authority in ancient towns. The angels once more seemed to be ordinary men and told Lot of their intention to sleep in the street. He begged them to reconsider, rather than be subjected to the vile practices of the Sodomites. With great difficulty he persuaded them to accept his hospitality. No sooner had this happened than all the men of city - everyone of them a sodomite - encompassed Lot's house demanding the two men be brought out to be abused. Lot ironically offers them his two unmarried daughters instead. They were enraged at this calculated rebuke and said that they would vent their anger on Lot. The 19th chapter of Genesis tells us that the angels used their powers to smite the men of Sodom with dazzlings, so that in their confusion they became weary in trying to find the door. The angels then urged Lot to hastily gather his family and escape the impending doom. Lot was mocked by his Sons-in-law who couldn't accept the message that the cities of the plain would be destroyed by the Almighty because of their immorality. Lot was eventually taken away with his two unmarried daughters and his wife; and they were commanded to not look back. Lot's wife's heart remained in Sodom and she was encrusted in salt. Let us heed our Lord's warning to not be caught in the affairs of this world when Jesus returns to judge it (Luke 17:26-33; slowly read aloud. Pause and ponder). Lot was graciously allowed to escape to the tiny town of Zoar.
The immense and overwhelming disaster produced fear in Lot and his daughters, who further withdrew to a cave in the mountains. Lot's daughters made him drunk and committed incest with him in the mistaken belief that every man of that region had been destroyed. But God had remembered Abraham and delivered Lot as this chapter tells us in verses 27-29 (see 2 Peter 2:6-10; where Peter tells us the wicked are reserved for judgment and the godly are preserved for salvation). Psalm 22 is one the greatest psalms of David from the entire 150 in the book. It is a Messianic Psalm, which focuses on the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. It also gives us glimpses into our Lord's thoughts and how he was able to use prayer to resolve incredible trials and testing of his mind at this time of immense physical trial and enormous mental pressure. The words of this Psalm may have been uttered in their entirety whilst our Lord hung upon the stake (cross = Greek stauros; a stake, or a pole; called in Peter "the tree"). The opening words "My God, my God why have you forsaken me" are found in the gospel records of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Some suggest that Jesus said this in Aramaic leading to the confusion among some of those around the stake to believe Jesus was calling for help from Elijah. Others have suggested that the word used in Psalm 22 for "forsaken" means to be trapped in a thicket, such as the ram was in Genesis 22.
The records tell us that His Father had withdrawn from Jesus the Holy Spirit power leaving our Lord with an incredible feeling of aloneness. Whatever it was, Jesus drew immense strength from the Scriptures and how they told of God's deliverance to those who had committed themselves in trust to the Almighty. Jesus also felt the weakness of his human condition when in verse 6 he calls himself "a worm, and no man". The word worm speaks of the grub which,when crushed, yielded the scarlet cochineal dye. The scarlet dye yielded from the crushing of the cochineal grub spoke of our Lord Jesus' human condition as the sin-bearer - co Isaiah 1:18; 53:4-6. Truly he bore all our weaknesses in his flesh; as Hebrews 2:12-18 tells us. The taunts of verse 8 in this Psalm were spat out at our Lord, who as Hebrews 12 tells us "endured such contradiction of sinners". Note the similarities between his trials in the wilderness after his baptism and the taunts to him whilst he calmly agonisingly hung on the pole. But God had been his God from the time of his birth and would not fail him now.
The brute bulls of Bashan sought to gore him to death. In himself he felt like melted candle wax. His mouth was so dry it seemed that his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. He was so emaciated that his bones seemed to protrude through his flesh; allowing him to count each bone. His hands and his feet were pierced with massive crude iron nails. He watched them tear his outer garment into 4, a part for each soldier and they cast dice to see whose would be his inner garment. Yet he confidently knew the Father heard and would deliver him, not from death - but rather out of death by resurrection after 3 days lifelessly lying in the tomb. The Psalm concludes from verses 22-31 with the triumphant victory speech Jesus will deliver to those his offering will have saved and likewise brought them (as the Captain of salvation Hebrews 2:5-18) to immortality in his Father's Kingdom. In Matthew 12 we have two incidents, both deliberately performed on the Sabbath day, illustrating that Jesus was indeed the Lord of the Sabbath, in contrast to it having authority over him .
The first of these was the right of his disciples to pluck and eat the ears of grain ( he cites the precedent in David's eating of the shewbread, which our readings from two days ago highlighted). The second was the healing of the man with the withered hand. This evidenced our Lord Jesus Christ to be Yahweh's chosen Servant of Isaiah 42. These are followed by grievous charges being leveled at Jesus of doing miracles by Beelzebul, the prince of demons and amounted to blasphemy against God's power being flagrantly denied despite incontestable evidence that he was from God. The lesson of the fruits of the tree indicated that Jesus was the Son of the Deity and that they were of the carnal mind in every respect. Our Lord would advance further incontestable proof of his Sonship with a prophecy of his resurrection from the dead as the sign of Jonah - the prophet from Galilee (see John 7:50-52). The chapter concludes with the parable of the unclean spirit and then Jesus' own family seeking to 'rescue' him from the trouble he, in a seemingly disturbed state, was wilfully provoking.
https://christadelphianvideo.org/thoughts-on-the-bible-readings-for-january-10th-genesis-19-psalms-22-matthew-12/?feed_id=82067&_unique_id=677fc0e61e090
Thursday, 9 January 2025
Thoughts on the Bible Readings for January 10th Genesis 19; Psalms 22; Matthew 12
A @Christadelphians Video: When the two angels came to Sodom about sunset they were met by Lot, who sat in the gate - a position of authority in ancient towns. The angels once more seemed to be ordinary men and told Lot of their intention to sleep in the street. He begged them to reconsider, rather than be subjected to the vile practices of the Sodomites. With great difficulty he persuaded them to accept his hospitality. No sooner had this happened than all the men of city - everyone of them a sodomite - encompassed Lot's house demanding the two men be brought out to be abused. Lot ironically offers them his two unmarried daughters instead. They were enraged at this calculated rebuke and said that they would vent their anger on Lot. The 19th chapter of Genesis tells us that the angels used their powers to smite the men of Sodom with dazzlings, so that in their confusion they became weary in trying to find the door. The angels then urged Lot to hastily gather his family and escape the impending doom. Lot was mocked by his Sons-in-law who couldn't accept the message that the cities of the plain would be destroyed by the Almighty because of their immorality. Lot was eventually taken away with his two unmarried daughters and his wife; and they were commanded to not look back. Lot's wife's heart remained in Sodom and she was encrusted in salt. Let us heed our Lord's warning to not be caught in the affairs of this world when Jesus returns to judge it (Luke 17:26-33; slowly read aloud. Pause and ponder). Lot was graciously allowed to escape to the tiny town of Zoar.
The immense and overwhelming disaster produced fear in Lot and his daughters, who further withdrew to a cave in the mountains. Lot's daughters made him drunk and committed incest with him in the mistaken belief that every man of that region had been destroyed. But God had remembered Abraham and delivered Lot as this chapter tells us in verses 27-29 (see 2 Peter 2:6-10; where Peter tells us the wicked are reserved for judgment and the godly are preserved for salvation). Psalm 22 is one the greatest psalms of David from the entire 150 in the book. It is a Messianic Psalm, which focuses on the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. It also gives us glimpses into our Lord's thoughts and how he was able to use prayer to resolve incredible trials and testing of his mind at this time of immense physical trial and enormous mental pressure. The words of this Psalm may have been uttered in their entirety whilst our Lord hung upon the stake (cross = Greek stauros; a stake, or a pole; called in Peter "the tree"). The opening words "My God, my God why have you forsaken me" are found in the gospel records of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Some suggest that Jesus said this in Aramaic leading to the confusion among some of those around the stake to believe Jesus was calling for help from Elijah. Others have suggested that the word used in Psalm 22 for "forsaken" means to be trapped in a thicket, such as the ram was in Genesis 22.
The records tell us that His Father had withdrawn from Jesus the Holy Spirit power leaving our Lord with an incredible feeling of aloneness. Whatever it was, Jesus drew immense strength from the Scriptures and how they told of God's deliverance to those who had committed themselves in trust to the Almighty. Jesus also felt the weakness of his human condition when in verse 6 he calls himself "a worm, and no man". The word worm speaks of the grub which,when crushed, yielded the scarlet cochineal dye. The scarlet dye yielded from the crushing of the cochineal grub spoke of our Lord Jesus' human condition as the sin-bearer - co Isaiah 1:18; 53:4-6. Truly he bore all our weaknesses in his flesh; as Hebrews 2:12-18 tells us. The taunts of verse 8 in this Psalm were spat out at our Lord, who as Hebrews 12 tells us "endured such contradiction of sinners". Note the similarities between his trials in the wilderness after his baptism and the taunts to him whilst he calmly agonisingly hung on the pole. But God had been his God from the time of his birth and would not fail him now.
The brute bulls of Bashan sought to gore him to death. In himself he felt like melted candle wax. His mouth was so dry it seemed that his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. He was so emaciated that his bones seemed to protrude through his flesh; allowing him to count each bone. His hands and his feet were pierced with massive crude iron nails. He watched them tear his outer garment into 4, a part for each soldier and they cast dice to see whose would be his inner garment. Yet he confidently knew the Father heard and would deliver him, not from death - but rather out of death by resurrection after 3 days lifelessly lying in the tomb. The Psalm concludes from verses 22-31 with the triumphant victory speech Jesus will deliver to those his offering will have saved and likewise brought them (as the Captain of salvation Hebrews 2:5-18) to immortality in his Father's Kingdom. In Matthew 12 we have two incidents, both deliberately performed on the Sabbath day, illustrating that Jesus was indeed the Lord of the Sabbath, in contrast to it having authority over him .
The first of these was the right of his disciples to pluck and eat the ears of grain ( he cites the precedent in David's eating of the shewbread, which our readings from two days ago highlighted). The second was the healing of the man with the withered hand. This evidenced our Lord Jesus Christ to be Yahweh's chosen Servant of Isaiah 42. These are followed by grievous charges being leveled at Jesus of doing miracles by Beelzebul, the prince of demons and amounted to blasphemy against God's power being flagrantly denied despite incontestable evidence that he was from God. The lesson of the fruits of the tree indicated that Jesus was the Son of the Deity and that they were of the carnal mind in every respect. Our Lord would advance further incontestable proof of his Sonship with a prophecy of his resurrection from the dead as the sign of Jonah - the prophet from Galilee (see John 7:50-52). The chapter concludes with the parable of the unclean spirit and then Jesus' own family seeking to 'rescue' him from the trouble he, in a seemingly disturbed state, was wilfully provoking.
https://christadelphianvideo.org/thoughts-on-the-bible-readings-for-january-10th-genesis-19-psalms-22-matthew-12/?feed_id=82067&_unique_id=677fc0e61e090
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