Jehovah-Rapha

While Pads was recovering from waking at 2 for two ours (he was reading the book by Roger Carswell, 'Why Me?'), we were having family worship in Exodus 15. I dont think I really dealt all that well with the passage, so, missing church to sit with Pads, went looking for a good exposition, in particular, about the name of God that is used in that passage, Jehovah-Rapha - 'The LORD that heals you'. I checked Calvin and Matthew Henry, but they dont pick up on it in my sources. Something like 'got questions' shows more detail... www.gotquestions.org/Jehovah-Rapha.html

Notes on Numbers 12

McCheyne's calendar takes us to Numbers once a year. Matthew Henry has provided ample material for helping us learn from this neglected book.

 

In this chapter we see the meekness of Moses. There are lessons here for how we should die to self.

Tub then pump

Yesterday, when we realised we were aiming to get Pads a hot tub today it also occurred to us that he might be hampered by installing the syringe driver. That relies on a constantly attached subcutaneous needle and we're unlikely to want to get the injection site wet. So we had a chat with the team and decided to put the patch up to 200ug and give sevradol at bedtime. Retiring in some trepidation, thankfully we were only disturbed once in the night, and that wasnt for pain. So the plan is to pop to the tub and then get connected up to the driver.
Because Pads is often sleepy in the mornings, we try and have family worship in his room at night. Last night he asserted that he wants to take part in the morning event too. We were happy to cram into his room at 7:20am and read Revelation 4 with him. There is the majestic vision of glory and the Eternal Omnipotent God. This book was written to encourage the church. No matter what we face, God is in control and is working all things out according to the counsel of His supreme wisdom.

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Rev 4:11)

Point made

Pads spent almost the entire weekend in bed, which is probably where the parents should have been with their colds, but, for them, the 'show must go on'. The medical team said a cold would hit him harder and so it has although there are definite signs of improvement now. He descended for the tutor yesterday and is talking about the possibility of a hot tub later in the week. Today we got him down to meet Ian from Chwarel who are keen to do a piece for radio about us. We don't know what form that will take yet but we have the mic and some formative ideas. Pads coped well with this although some of it was awkward for him. He's implying the others are off doing useful things all day while he gets to crack machinarium puzzles:

Whatever you think of computer games, that is a masterpiece. I said that the most important learning happens in primary and he'd proved more than capable on every front there. He said he missed the last year of primary, so I upped the ante. Every second he's alive he's doing a worthwhile thing, just lying there. After he's gone we'll be left with the aftermath and the memory, now we have the reality, that, on a moment-by-moment basis inspires us and causes us to inspire others, by God's grace. Apart from that, he's got deep insight, and more's the point, spiritual insight.
If anyone in the USA is listening.... (yesterday I wrote this on Chick-fil-A's FB wall but no response yet... - relatives in the US are in pursuit - thanks Renie and Joe!)

For the last 2 years Pads has smirked and giggled at a Chick-fil-A calendar (and we with him). To many people's surprise, he made it to 2012 and now there's a big empty space on his wall... Please can you tell me how can I get hold of one of these?

Finally, I've started a new twitter account for thoughts from family worship. I have used this blog for that in the past but tweeting is a lot more efficient. It's called 1st1st because it's vital to put fellowship with God first in a day, a decision, a life. The latest 'sweet verse' I have the kids learning is 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you' (Matthew 6:33). Sweet verses gain sweets in the mouth and sweetness in the heart which lasts a lot longer ;-)
I dreaded the responsibility of leading family worship and still have my qualms, but the Lord undertakes to bring something vital from the Bible by God's Spirit every time we approach it prayerfully. Even the most familiar passages repeatedly reward us with surprising discoveries of the things of God, if not God Himself.

"the pronoun 'I'"

Going through John with the kids, with a little help from Dr Hendricksen (1959, p267). This paragraph struck a chord with me on many fronts:

Notice also the pronoun I. In the last analysis we are not saved by a principle or by a force but by a person. In the school the pupil is educated not primarily by blackboards, books, and maps, but by the teacher who makes use of all these means. In the home he is brought up by the father and mother. So also the means of access to the Father is Christ himself. We are persons. The God from whom we have been estranged is a personal God. Hence, it is not strange that apart from living fellowship with the person, Jesus Christ, who exists in indissoluble union with the Father, there is no salvation for us (cf. Rom. 5:1,2,)

This was a comment made on John 14:6, where Jesus says, 'I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me.'
The high dignity of the human race is so lost in our days. We were made to be with and like God (loving, true, gracious, just, righteous, clothed with humility) but instead we choose to take our heritage from the line of animals and are surprised when our behaviour fails to rise above the beastly. Man! Woman! Boy! Girl! What an incredible creature you are! As, Lloyd-Jones used to say, 'Be what you are!' Live according to your high status as the crowning glory of all creation! Begin by being reconciled to God.

Each year I seem to find something I want to improve about the Christmas readings we use in December. I've highlighted the couple of changes from last year's. If you want to print this I suggest copy and paste into a word processor document. Apologies for not providing hyperlinks for the scripture readings but I simply dont have time to do that.
They (still) tail off towards the end leaving you to decide how and when to use the last ones. You may, for example, wish to use more than one on Christmas day.

Christmas readings (2008)

1/12 Col 1:9-20, Jn 1:1-5 The Eternal Christ

Promises and pre-incarnation appearances

2/12 Gen 1:26 Gen 18:1 Ex 24:9-11 Ex 34:5-10 Dan 7:9-14 The LORD Jesus

3/12 Gen 3:1-15 The Protoevangel

4/12 Gen 12:1-5 All families of the earth shall be blessed...

5/12 Gen 22:1-19 The LORD will provide...

6/12 Gen 28:10-22 Covenant renewed with Isaac and Jacob in Gen 26:1-5

7/12 (Ex 32:30-33:3 and 33:12-16 as context for) Jos 5:13-15 Captain of the LORD's host

Prophet, Priest and King

8/12 Ex 12 Jesus ‘as priest makes peace, as king maintains it’ Zech 6:12-13

9/12 Duet 18:15-22 Our Prophet

10/12 Genesis 49:8-12, 2 Sam 7:18-29; Jer 23:5-6 Great David's greater son

Advent foretold

11/12 Is 9:2-7 Unto us a son is given!

12/12 Is 11 The Rod of Jesse (i.e. humble beginning)

13/12 Is 42:1-10 a light of the Gentiles

14/12 Mi 5:2 Bethlehem, Is 32:1-4 A King shall reign in righteousness, Isaiah 59:20 cf www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2996 "the Prophet Isaiah spoke of Him as literally the ‘Kinsman-Redeemer’, i.e. one who is related by blood to those he redeems (Isaiah 59:20, uses the same Hebrew word goel as used to describe Boaz in relation to Ruth)"

15/12 Is 7:14 'A virgin shall... bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel' Is 40 1-9 ‘Comfort ye…’

16/12 Is 53 His mission; Dan 9:19-27

17/12 Mal 3:1-6, 16 – 4:6 The Sun of Righteousness

18/12 Ezek 21:26,27 A crown removed and restored in Christ, Amos 8:11-14 400 Years of silence, yet cause for great hope: Amos 9:11

The Dayspring from on high

19/12 1 Pet 1:9-12, Heb 1:1-5 God hath in these last days...

20/12 Lu 1:5-25 Annunciation of John the Baptist

21/12 Lu 1:26-38 Annunciation of Jesus

22/12 Lu 1:39-56 Mary visits Elizabeth

23/12 Mat 1:20-25 Joseph's vision

24/12 Lu 1:57-80 Birth of John

25/12 Lu 2:1-7 Birth of Jesus.

Adoration by shepherds - Lu 2:8-16

Circumcision, presentation and purification – Lu 2:21-38

Adoration by the wise men – Mat 2:1-12 (cf. Is 60:1-6)

Flight into Egypt – Mat 2:13-23

Childhood of Jesus – Lu 2:40-51

Abraham's prayer for Sodom answered

Reading through Genesis in the morning with the family and Abraham's amazing prayer in chapter 18, when he whittled the Lord down to allowing Sodom to escape destruction if it had just 10 righteous people within it. In chapter 19 we read of Lot's warnings to his sons-in-law being received with derision; then he, his wife and two daughters being dragged out of the city, and Lot himself pathetically appealing not to be made to go further than Zoar. One of the angels says (v22), 'I cannot do anything till thou be come thither', this showed that Sodom could not be destroyed while there was just one 'righteous' man there and no matter how tardy or foolish he may be, the Lord purposed to save him, and, by His mighty grace, he will save you to - unless you are determined to perish!

Abram's consolation

Just reading up on Abram in Genesis 12:6

And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

This innocent looking verse was a balm and food to the soul with help from Mr Calvin, who said:

Here Moses shows that Abram did not immediately, on his entering into the land, find a habitation in which he might rest. For the expression passed through, and the position of the place (Sichem) to which he passed, show that the length of his journey had been great. Sichem is not far from Mount Gerizim, which is towards the desert of the Southern region. Wherefore, it is just as Moses had said, that the faith of Abram was again tried, when God suffered him as a wanderer to traverse the whole land, before he gave him any fixed abode. How hard would it seems when God had promised to be his Protector, that not even a little corner is assigned him on which he may set his foot? But he is compelled to wander in a circuitous route, in order that he may the better exercise self denial... 'And the Canaanite was then in the land'. This clause concerning the Canaanite is not added without reason; because it was no slight temptation to be cast among that perfidious and wicked nation, destitute of all humanity. What could the holy man then think, but that he was betrayed into the hands of these most abandoned men, by whom he might soon be murdered; or else that he would have to spend a disturbed and miserable life amid continual injuries and troubles? But it was profitable for him to be accustomed, by such discipline, to cherish a better hope. For if he had been kindly and courteously received in the land of Canaan, he would have hoped for nothing better than to spend his life there as a guest. But now God raises his thoughts higher in order that he may conclude, that at some future time, the inhabitants being destroyed, he shall be the lord and heir of the land. Besides, he is admonished, by the continual want of repose, to look up towards heaven. For since the inheritance of the land was specially promised to himself, and would only belong to his descendants, for his sake; it follows, that the land, in which he was so ill and inhumanly treated, was not set before him as his ultimate aim, but that heaven itself was proposed to him as his final resting-place.

7. And the Lord appeared unto Abram. He now relates that Abram was not left entirely destitute, but that God stretched forth his hand to help him. We must, however, mark, with what kind of assistance God succours him in his temptations. He offers him his bare word, and in such a way, indeed, that Abram might deem himself exposed to ridicule. For God declares he will give the land to his seed: but where is the seed, or where the hope of seed; seeing that he is childless and old, and his wife is barren? This was therefore an insipid consolation to the flesh. But faith has a different taste; the property of which is, to hold all the senses of the pious so bound by reverence to the word, that a single promise of God is quite sufficient. Meanwhile, although God truly alleviates and mitigates the evils which his servants endure, he does it only so far as is expedient for them, without indulging the desire of the flesh. Let us hence learn, that this single remedy ought to be sufficient for us in our sufferings: that God so speaks to us in his word, as to cause our minds to perceive him to be propitious; and let us not give the reins to the importunate desires of our flesh. God himself will not fail on his part; but will, by the manifestation of his favor, raise us when we are cast down.

I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them

This is what the LORD said via Ezekiel (11:5) to the men of Judah who were leading her astray. cf the absence/inadequateness of cctv to control the activities of a mob, each one of us is accountable at a mental level to God. Mere social control? It goes much further than that. As a Christian, I know that ALL my sin is dealt with - even the darkest depths of my memory, will, conscience, affections, - all is covered by the One Sacrifice to end them all... Christ's atoning death on the cross of Calvary.

My sin - oh the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin - not in part, by the whole!
Is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Oh my soul!

Who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me?

Jeremiah 30:21 is a searching question from God. Yesterday was Easter Sunday - did you 'engage your heart to approach' him? Or did you continue to harden yourself against even the possibility that you are accountable to him. In the Bourne Supremacy - he tried to find the relatives of the people he'd killed and apologise but it didnt make the horror of guilt go away because basically he's not also seeking forgiveness from the Person he's ultimately sinned against. Christ's act of sacrifice was intended to pay for sins like these so that the burden of them can be taken away and that we might have peace with God.

Majestic meekness

The temptation of Christ by the enemy as recorded in Luke 4 shows the amazing meekness of Jesus. He did not need to use 'The Force', lasers, punches, but like David retreating from Jerusalem (2 Sam 15) offered no force except the Word of God which is a sword like no other.
Infinite meekness! to witness the God-Man condescend to this degree to save us, overcoming all our enemies in a way that we can emulate if only we will take up this holy blade in the power of the Spirit.

Typo in Matthew Poole's commentary

I wonder if anyone else has noticed this:
p417 at the bottom of Vol1 (re. Joshua 5:13-15) says

Now this person is none other than Michael the Prince, Dan x. 21; xii. 1; not a created angel but the Son of God, who went along with the Israelites in this expedition

Poole seems to contradict himself in this sentence.

Christmas readings

Here are a series of readings I have compiled for us to use in family worship in the run up to Christmas. They tail off towards the end leaving you to decide how and when to use the last ones. You may, for example, wish to use more than one on Christmas day.

Christmas readings (2007)

1/12 Col 1:9-20, Jn 1:1-5 The Eternal Christ

Promises and pre-incarnation appearances

2/12 Gen 1:26 Gen 18:1 Ex 24:9-11 Dan 7:9-14 The LORD Jesus

3/12 Gen 3:1-15 The Protoevangel

4/12 Gen 12:1-5 All families of the earth shall be blessed...

5/12 Gen 22:1-19 The LORD will provide...

6/12 Gen 28:10-22 Covenant renewed with Isaac & Jacob Gen 26:1-5

7/12 Jos 5:13-15 Captain of the LORD's host; Ex 34:5-11

Prophet, Priest and King

8/12 Ex 12 Jesus ‘as priest makes peace, as king maintains it’ Zech 6:12-14

9/12 Duet 18:15-22 Our Prophet

10/12 2 Sam 7:18-29 & Jer 23:5-6 Great David's greater son

Advent foretold

11/12 Is 9:2-7 Unto us.. Wonderful!

12/12 Is 11 The Rod of Jesse

13/12 Is 42:1-10 a light of the Gentiles

14/12 Mi 5:2 Bethlehem, Is 32:1-4 A King shall reign in righteousness, Isaiah 59:20 cf http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2996 "the Prophet Isaiah spoke of Him as literally the ‘Kinsman-Redeemer’, i.e. one who is related by blood to those he redeems (Isaiah 59:20, uses the same Hebrew word goel as used to describe Boaz in relation to Ruth)"

15/12 Is 7:14 A virgin & Immanuel & Is 40 1-9 ‘Comfort ye…’

16/12 Is 53 His mission; Dan 9:19-27

17/12 Mal 3:1-6, 16 – 4:6 The Sun of Righteousness

18/12 Amos 8:11-14 Years of silence.

The Dayspring from on high

19/12 1 Pet 1:9-12, Heb 1:1-5 God hath in these last days...

20/12 Annunciation of John the Baptist - Lu 1:5-25

21/12 Annunciation of Jesus - Lu 1:26-38

22/12 Mary visits Elizabeth - Lu 1:39-56

23/12 Joseph's vision - Mat 1:20-25

24/12 Birth of John - Lu 1:57-80

25/12 Birth of Jesus - Lu 2:1-7

Adoration by shepherds - Lu 2:8-16

Circumcision, presentation and purification – Lu 2:21-29

Adoration by the wise men – Mat 2:1-12 (cf. Is 60:1-6)

Flight into Egypt – Mat 2:13-23

Childhood of Jesus – Lu 2:40-51

glorify thou me with the glory...

17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
One thought about how this takes place with consideration of the dual natures of the Lord Jesus is the enduring nature of divinely perfect attributes such as love, mercy, justice... these shine with infinite lustre from the cross.

Judges 6:31 let them that love him be as the sun

Judges 6:31 let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.
How will God's people be so? Just as none can prevent the Sun from rising - although they cloak it's brilliance. 1. Prosperity comes from the Lord. 2. The resurrection - no matter how despised and rejected Jesus and his followers were, no stone or watching guards could prevent His rising nor ours. The sight of the saved rising will be altogether more terrible than the fiercest sun in the most parched of deserts.