Jun 5, 2022
1SAMUEL 30-31:
The
Philistines mustered their armies for full-scale war with Saul and
the Israelites. Saul had already done a right thing in expelling
all the mediums from Israel. But, since God had turned from him and
would not answer him, he resorted to a medium during his darkest
hour. It does not bother me too much to say that God spoke through
that medium. It seems so by the evidence. But if so, it was an
exception. God's word says to never consult a medium. In fact,
mediums are to be stoned to death. David was preparing to go to war
in support of Achish, or was he really?!
PSALM 106b:
Psalm 106 is a companion to 105, as it again is
a historical psalm. I see a very significant correspondence with
the section of Romans we are now reading. Can you see
it?
Re-reading ROMANS 10, plus 11:1-2a:
Some
of the most famous and often quoted words of the New Testament are
in this chapter. Paul continues to compare and contrast God's way
vs. the Jewish default way.
NLT Translation
notes:
Ps.
106:34 [And then] Israel failed to destroy the nations in the
land,
as the LORD had commanded
them.
====
Rom.
10:6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in
your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven [for us]?’ (to bring Christ
down to earth).
7
And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead [for
us]?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).”
8 In
fact, it says,
“The
message is very close at hand;
it
is on your lips and in your heart.”
And
that message is the very message about [fully believing
which//faith that] we preach:
11
As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who [believes//trusts] in him
will never be disgraced.”
[Here in
rapid succession, NLT used three English words for one word in
Greek. I continue to maintain that using one word will help us
understand what Paul is saying. I think the NLT would be better if
either ‘trust’ or ‘believe’ were used consistently. ‘Faith’ is too
fuzzy and abstract in English, which can lead to strange,
unbiblical interpretations.]
17
So [people fully believe through//faith comes from] hearing, that
is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
19
But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they
did, for even in the time of Moses, God said,
“I
will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a
nation.
I
will provoke your anger through the foolish
[non-Jews//Gentiles].”
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.