Luke 23

 

We are Barabbas. No, not literally, but in a way since we who deserve death have been given life for Jesus takes our place. One can only wonder what Barabbas did with his life. I haven't done historical research to see what traditions say, but for this article that is a good thing. Having a question is what we need because we have to face the decision as to what we will do now that Jesus has taken our place. We can choose to go back to the way things were before, they didn't end well, or we can choose to walk a different route. 

I have chosen to walk a different way, but the thing that surprises me is how often I'm offered if not the old way but ways that are just as destructive. However, when the challenges come I return to the realization of Peter when he was asked by Jesus if the disciples would leave, "Where can we go? You alone have the words of eternal life."

Photo by Sven Pieren on Unsplash

Psalm 19

In the past, Rabbis would take their student on completion take honey on a spoon, and put it in their mouth. It was expected that the graduation student would spit it out and say I don’t want that I want more of God’s Word. 

It may sound strange but early in their training, the rabbis would take a spoonful of honey and put it in their students' mouths. Those students were supposed to hold it there as they read the Scriptures. It was to remind them that the Word of God, as said in Psalm 19:10 and other places, was to be sweeter than honey. One Bible teacher I know actually encourages his students to have something sweet or something they really enjoy, like coffee, beside them when they study the word of God. This like the practice of the Rabbis reminds the person that the Word of God is good even when the subject matter doesn’t always feel good.  As one Bible teacher I know said, the Bible is honest about the evil and violence that takes place but doesn’t glorify it. 

Photo by Danika Perkinson on Unsplash

Genesis 49

 

Here is the first hint in the Bible that Judah's family is going to be anything special. Israel/Jacob says that the scepter will not depart from the tribe. This is the case after David there was always the promise that someone from his descendants would be the Messiah, the ruler of not only Israel but of the world. Truly the scepter isn't going to leave Jesus' hands. 

Genesis 48

What is Jacob doing? The interesting thing that is happening here is that Jacob is giving Joseph his inheritance as the firstborn son, the double portion. Jacob blessed each of his sons (the next chapter) and instead of blessing Joseph, he blessed his two sons. If you look in the Bible there is no tribe of Joseph. There are the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. The Bible speaks of the 12 tribes but Jacob/Israel actually creates 13. We will see later how this unfolds but it is an interesting development and clearly, it is the will of God. 

Photo by Zhen H on Unsplash

Isaiah 23

 

As I read this I noticed that though Tyre is facing the judgment, there are a whole group of others that are affected. This is the case, we may think that our actions don't bother anything else but more often than not we touch more lives than we realize. It is clear a major city with a harbor being destroyed would affect others but you and I are more of a harbor than we might realize and what happens to us will change the lives of others for good or evil. Here it was for the worse. 

Job 18

 Bildad makes it very clear that the way of the sinner/wicked will end badly. If you take this scripture out of context, everything Bildad is saying about the fate of the wicked is true. The wicked will eventually face judgment and destruction. However, as we have pointed out before in context Bildad is wrong, Job isn't an evil, wicked man. Again I'm reminded we need to be careful when judging others. This is why God gives such strict warnings on how and why we do it and what happens when we do it wrongly. 

Luke 22

 I have asked people why Peter cut off the ear of the high priest's servant? The answer is that he had a bad aim. Peter wasn't aiming for the ear but the head I'm sure. Peter and the others misunderstood Jesus' words that the time was coming for them to gather swords and thought this was the time to fight. Jesus stopped any fight and with that to me, it seemed that everything went out of Peter. It may have been possible that he wasn't sure what Jesus was up to and in the turmoil of it all, Peter did the very thing he said he would never do, forsake Jesus. 

There are times when life feels full of uncertainty and it is during those times that we can fall into sin and actions which we previously thought impossible. The key is to know that we may be weak and protect ourselves. The first mistake Peter made was he was alone. When we are discouraged and alone trouble finds us easy prey.