Notes from my Bible Study for April 22, 2010

Today's Reading: Psalm 112, Leviticus 18, Isaiah 23, Galatians 3

Psalm 112 - 7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

Psalm 112 is a psalm about the righteous. Verse seven particularly ministers to me. There are many times that I fear bad news. In my natural self, bad news about any number of things can set me back. I'm challenged as I read this verse. The psalmist is talking about not fearing bad news about a battle, because ultimately God will prevail. But, I believe that the principle is transferable to other areas of our life as well. It comes down to trust. Do we trust that God is control or not? If God is in control then even bad news should not shake our faith. We need to look at it as an opportunity to grow in our walk with God and to strengthen our faith.

Leviticus 18 - 29 For everyone who does any of these abominations, the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.”

Leviticus 18 records the laws concerning unlawful sexual relations. "But, everybody else is doing it," may have been the cry of the Israelites. God wanted his people to be different than the rest of the world. A society's lax attitude towards sexual sin is one of the markers that the society is in danger. The spread of sexually transmitted diseases, broken families, broken hearts, and more can be traced to sexual immorality.

Isaiah 23 - Isaiah's oracle concerning Tyre and Sidon is interesting. This seaport region was a powerful city. Important to the trade routes of many countries, it was a wealthy city and a popular and sinful destination. The lack of the fear of the Lord would lead to their being punished but the chapter ends with the hope that at the end of 70 years, God would once again bless this city. He would make their goods holy. He would supply food, materials, etc. for His children through this punished region.

Galatians 3 - 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

I read this verse, coming out of the Easter holiday just a few weeks back with a deep appreciation for what Christ did for me at Calvary. He became a curse so that I might be redeemed. It reminds me of the popular line from the song Amazing Love, which says, "I"m forgiven because He was forsaken. I'm accepted He was condemned. I'm alive and well and His Spirit lives within me, because you died and rose for me."

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

What a beautiful picture of the ground being level at the foot of the cross. The cross changed everything. How beautiful that the grace of God now extended to Jews and Gentiles.