Day 10 Genesis 10, Matthew 10, Joshua 10, Romans 10, Isaiah 10, Hebrews 10, Job 10, Psalm 10

In our churches we often sing that the Lord is King. We echo David in proclaiming that He is "King for ever" (Psalm 10:16)  But what do we mean by this - our notions of monarchy, certainly in the UK have been shaped by lives depicting one whose rule is only ceremonial: much pomp but little true power.

Genesis 10 reminds us that the LORD who will be the personal, covenant Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Israel is the Lord of all nations. He created them. He assigns them land, dynasties of rulers, life itself - the chapter ends reminding us that they live after the flood: because, though capable of destroying all life, he keeps his promise not to wipe it out: though that life is short. He lives for ever.

When this king himself comes among the nations in the person of Jesus, the most important thing in everyone's life is whether they acknowledge His rule. His rule is so extensive that the very hairs on each of our heads are numbered (Matthew 10:30) therefore we are not to be afraid of the rule of others: they may kill the body, but the Lord alone has power over life and death BEYOND death. (10:28 - See also Job 10)And as king he sends his Apostles to proclaim that rule (Matthew 10) and all his church to proclaim it to the very nations we found in Genesis 10 (Romans 10).

To anger this king is to face his judgement - even the nations can be unknowing agents of his wrath. (Isaiah 10). "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." But the one who chastises, and even exiles his people also gathers (Hebrews 10).

So: how do we distinguish between those who will receive from this eternal king the protection of the fatherless and oppressed as opposed to those who will perish (Psalm 10:16-18). It is those who, by faith call on the name of the Lord Jesus, trusting in his once for all sacrifice, and are saved. (Romans 10:9-13, Hebrews 10:10, 39)

Day 9: Genesis 9, Matthew 9, Joshua 9, Romans 9, Isaiah 9, Hebrews 9, Job 9, Psalm 9

Day 8: Genesis 8, Matthew 8, Joshua 8, Romans 8, Isaiah 8, Hebrews 8, Job 8, Psalm 8

Day 7: Genesis 7, Matthew 7, Joshua 7, Romans 7, Isaiah 7, Hebrews 7, Job 7, Psalm 7

Matthew 7:1 is perhaps one of the most quoted verses of the bible by those who want to accuse Christians of hypocrisy. Perhaps it sounds best in the authorised version. "Judge not, that ye be not judged." And God knows that we need to be shown our hypocrisy. We often try to remove the specks in the eyes of others, blind to the planks in our own eye.
Having said that, this verse is often misunderstood. It is assumed that Jesus saying that judgement is bad per se. Such a view ignores not only God's piercing judgement in the Old Testament on individuals (Joshua 7) and even on the whole world (Genesis 7); but such a view also ignores the same chapter of Matthew for Jesus himself foretells a day when He himself will judge.
"Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in you name perform many miracles?" Then I will tell them plainly 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
We are not to judge, not because judgement is bad, but because we are bad judges and we would not like to be judged the way we judge others. We are not to judge because Jesus is the perfect righteous judge.
When we feel that we have been treated unfairly by others or even by God himself we would do well to remember that we cannot see as he sees, and appeal to his justice (Psalm 7) and to his tenderness towards we who are weak (Job 7).
Why is Jesus the only appropriate human judge? Because unlike us he is God with Us, who at all times rejected the wrong and chose the right. (Isaiah 7:14-16). He can therefore, as holy God and perfect man be not only the judge, but also the eternal priest who can help us, who so clearly deserve God's judgment. (Hebrews 7)

Day 6: Genesis 6, Matthew 6, Joshua 6, Romans 6, Isaiah 6, Hebrews 6, Job 6, Psalm 6

Growing up in an Anglican church (for the first 18 years of my life) , I had the joyful privilege of many of my early experiences of corporate worship being shaped by the language of the prayerbook, much of which was retained in the ASB (The Alternative Service Book) that was in use in my home church in the 1980's.
One of the more memorable phrases occurs at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer.

The Minister begins the prayer with the call (in light print)  and response (in bold)

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is indeed right,
it is our duty and our joy,
at all times and in all places
to give you thanks and praise,
holy Father, heavenly King,
almighty and eternal God,
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.

It's that phrase "It is our duty and our joy" that I find so memorable, and so helpful.
As a teenager I didn't tend to put 'duty' and 'joy' together, and therefore, saw obedience as dogged duty rather than joyful privilege.

Today's reading help us see obedience as Duty AND Joy.
In Genesis 6 Noah's obedience is striking, not only because of the longevity of it (did it take 120 years to build the ark v3?) but also because he was almost entirely alone in wanting to obey an extremely hostile world. Yet, he 'did everything just as God commanded him' (v22)
Such public obedience as building an ark in sight of all is only to be commended when the public nature of the obedience makes you Unpopular. When obedience brings public acclaim, better to be obdient in secret, because it is pleasing the Lord that is your duty and your joy, not pleasing people. Therefore don't publicise your giving on Facebook Matt 6:1-3, or your prayers 5-6, and hide it when you fast (16-17) because you want the reward of your Father, not your peers (19-21)
How does the necessity of such obedience fit theologically with the truths we've been learning in Romans that we are not justified by obedience, but by faith? Because obedience is the necessary result of faith. (Romans 6:1-14) Christian freedom is not freedom TO sin, but freedom to obey (15-23). Thus, if there is no persevering obedience, we must fear that there was no justifying faith (Hebrews 6:1-11)
It is worth noting that the Joyful duty of obedience includes remarkably difficult obedience. Many, like Isaiah put up our hands to say "Here am I, send me" (Isaiah 6:8) but some like Isaiah and Noah are given tasks of being faithful amongst people who almost to a man reject them (Isaiah 6:9-13). For others, obedience will be so costly that even other believers might assume that the Lord has rejected us. (Job 6)
But even those in seemingly endless anguish will know that, as Job would one day be vindicated, as the ark would one day deliver Noah, as Isaiah's preaching would one day be read and believed, that "The Lord has heard my weeping.
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
The Lord accepts my prayer." Psalm 6:8-9

Day 5: Genesis 5, Matthew 5, Joshua 5, Romans 5, Isaiah 5, Hebrews 5, Job 5, Psalm 5.

In Joshua 5, it seems that the commander of the Lord’s army is more than just an angel. Like when Moses met the Lord himself in the burning bush, Joshua must remove his shoes, because the Lord’s presence makes the ground holy. The one who is both the commander of the Lord’s army, and the Lord himself is, presumably, the Word who was with God and was God.

How then can the one who, dressed for battle, prepares to wage war against His enemies say “blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God” and “love your enemies... that you may be children of your Father in heaven?” (Matthew 5)

Or, to put it another way, how can the one who is not a God who is pleased with wickedness, who hates all who do wrong (Psalm 5), who knows that though he has loved us with a beautiful, cherishing love, we have been fruitless (Isaiah 5); how can this one speak of a son of Adam like Enoch (Genesis 5) that they walked with him, when Death came to all people through Adam? How can David (Psalm 5) hope that he might come into God’s house and be surrounded with His favour when we know that David was an adulterer and a murderer?

Only because of one other Son of Adam. If ever there was one who should not have died, it wasn’t Enoch, but Jesus. Yet when we were powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

This is the God who so loves his enemies that he reconciled us through the death of his Son. Thus through His obedience many are made righteous (Romans 5)

Day 4: Genesis 4, Matthew 4, Joshua 4, Romans 4, Isaiah 4, Hebrews 4, Job 4, Psalm 4.

Temptation is the only eternally destructive weapon that Satan wields against us. It brings sin crouching at our door and desires to master us. When succumbed to, it destroys relationships, families, cities, and whole cultures and leaves us under God's curse (Genesis 4). It is temptation that causes us to prefer our own ideas to God's revealed word, so, like Eliphaz we speak when we should remain silent (Job 4).
Christ, by contrast, was tempted beyond what we could possibly endure. Yet he preferred the word of God to physical pleasure and relief; he preferred trust in his Father to a public demonstration of his glory; he preferred worship of the Lord to all the power earthly kingdoms have to offer (Matthew 4). In sum, he was tempted in every way, yet was without sin (Hebrews 4). Only through faith in Christ's faithfulness can those who have succumbed to temptation be justified by faith, (Rom 4), escape destruction, have the filth of their sin removed and live in the loving presence of the Lord (Isaiah 4) in safety (Psalm 4).
We would do well to erect in our lives constant reminders of His faithfulness on our behalf (Josh 4).