Tag: sin (Page 1 of 2)

Supposed Bible Contradictions – Who Moved David to Number Israel?

Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” (2 Sam. 24:1)

1 Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it.” (1 Chron. 21:1-2)

The opening verse of the closing chapter of 2nd  Samuel brings with it some interesting textual and theological questions. First we might ask, “Why ‘again?’” You’ll notice the beginning of the verse states, “Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel…” What was the prior event of God’s anger that preceded this occasion of His righteous indignation? Perhaps the best answer is found in Israel’s previous nation-wide sin of supporting Absalom and/or the more recent Sheba-inspired rebellion. Next, why exactly was God’s anger aroused against Israel at the time of this text? We are not given the precise reason but we can rest assured, based upon Israel’s prior disobedience and God’s unfailing righteousness, that they were deserving of His wrath. Third, there’s the theological question, “In what way did the sinless Sovereign move or, better translated – ‘incite,’ David to number Israel?” 

Read More

The Lord’s Supper: A Table of Examination

27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

After reading verse twenty-seven someone might say, ‘I think you’d be better off calling this a Table of Trepidation.’ The language after all is startling – “be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord” (vs.27b). Someone could do their own ‘risk/reward analysis and draw the conclusion, as erroneous as it might be, that they are better off avoiding the bread and cup – after all, you can’t partake in an unworthy manner if don’t partake at all, right? On a much lower scale, that would be like an employee choosing to not do an ongoing and important task that his employer asked him to do because he didn’t want to do it wrong. Humanly-speaking, that would be a good way to lose a job. Spiritually-speaking, when concerning the Lord’s Supper, it’s a good way to illustrate having never had salvation. It would be an act of flagrant sin that disregards Jesus’ words – “Do this in remembrance of Me” (vs.24b, 25b), as well the precious nature of His sacrificial offering. Every Christian has a responsibility to heed the Savior’s imperative and not only RSVP for attendance at the table, but to actually come to it.

Read More

The Written and Necessary Message of Repentance and Forgiveness (Part 3)

Remission of Sins…

That brings us to the next part of our text: “that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations…” (emphasis added). Because forgiveness is the greatest need of mankind, Christians have the greatest news to proclaim!

Read More

Seeing the Attributes of God in Genesis 5

The Ultimate Original. In the opening verse of Genesis 5 we’re reminded that God is the creator who made man in His likeness (vs.1). Shortly thereafter we’re told that Adam bore a son in his own likeness, after his image (vs.3). Within three verses we can already see the pattern of derivative-likenesses (God-to-Adam and Adam-to-Seth), but the fountainhead of ‘image giving’ is God. His image and likeness was not derived; it eternally was. For all eternity the Father enjoyed beholding the express image of His person in His Son. And on the sixth day of creation the Godhead commenced with the plan, “Let us make man in our image…” That image, though marred by sin (hence the derivative likeness between Adam and Seth), remains (cf. Jas 3:9). And since the times of Genesis 5, millions and millions of people have walked this earth, all in some way reflecting the image of the ultimate original.

Read More

Learning from Eli (1 Samuel 2:29)

In the opening chapters of 1 Samuel we are introduced to Israel’s negligent High Priest, Eli. He is an interesting and enigmatic character – at least in some ways. He misidentified Hannah’s prayer for drunken speech (1 Sam 1:14), but then he prophetically blessed her (vs.17). He raised Samuel and appears to have treated him kindly; yet, he didn’t care enough about his sons to discipline them as he should have. He humbly acknowledged God’s sovereignty when God spoke to him through “a man of God” (2:27) and through Samuel (3:18); yet, He didn’t repent of the sin that caused the confrontation.

Read More

Page 1 of 2

© 2017, Life in Christ Ministries INC. | All Rights reserved