Category: Religion

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 32-33
NT: Matthew 26:69-75, Matthew 27:1-14
Ps: Psalm 33:1-11
Pr: Proverbs 8:33-36

Gospel Thread – OT:

And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

Exodus 33:19 (NIV)

The humbling truth of the gospel is that we have salvation only because God chose to have compassion for us, and to have mercy on us. Not one of us deserves anything other than physical and spiritual death and eternal separation from God because of our sin. How great is our God, that, though not all will choose to accept what He has freely given, He chose to offer His mercy to every person who will accept it!

Gospel Thread – NT:

⁷ So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

Matthew 27:7-10 (NIV)

According to the NIV footnotes, this passage fulfills the prophecies of Zechariah 11:12-13, Jeremiah 19:1-13, and Jeremiah 32:6-9.

Gospel Thread – Psalms/Proverbs:

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Psalm 33:11 (NIV)

Already, not even 1/6^th of the way through the Bible, it is obvious that God’s plan for man’s salvation were woven into the very creation of the world, and that God has remained active in carrying His plan through to completion. It is a blessing and a privilege to have such a candid view of God’s plan and His working to fulfill that plan!

For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.

Proverbs 8:35 (NIV)

Proverbs 8 is a proverb about wisdom. Thus, this verse tells us that whomever finds wisdom finds life. An overall reading of this chapter reveals a strong allusion of the Holy Spirit as wisdom. This verse also connects the Holy Spirit to Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). The point is clear: the way to life – to wisdom, to the Father – is a renewed spirit through Jesus Christ, who bestows upon us the Holy Spirit and life and wisdom.

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 30:11-38, Exodus 31
NT: Matthew 26:47-68
Ps: Psalm 32
Pr: Proverbs 8:27-32

Gospel Thread – OT:

You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.

Exodus 30:29 (NIV)

This consecration – both of the tabernacle implements as well as the priests – was accomplished by anointing with the sacred anointing oil. Again, any reference the anointing in such instances as tabernacle/temple worship and the priesthood remind me of the messiah. Especially in this instance, I am reminded of the messiah, since God explicitly states here that anything that is anointed with the sacred oil is holy, and that whatever touches them will also be holy.

Gospel Thread – NT:

But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?

Matthew 26:54 (NIV)

But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.

Matthew 26:56 (NIV)

This passage appears to be a fulfillment of Zechariah 13:7. Of particular note, though, is that Jesus knew what the scriptures foretold, exactly what would happen to Him, and how what would happen to Him would fulfill the messianic prophecies. Jesus had a choice of whether or not He would endure everything He suffered, and He chose to love mankind enough to endure it all.

⁶³ But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴ “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Matthew 26:63-64 (NIV)

It doesn’t get much more point-blank than this exchange: “Are you the messiah?” “Yes.” Jesus’ claim here is so explicit that those who do not believe Him consider His words to be blasphemy, for He claims to be both the Messiah, and also to be God.

Gospel Thread – Psalms/Proverbs:

¹ Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
² Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Psalm 32:1-2 (NIV)

Forgiveness: one of the great blessings of salvation through Jesus! For the believer, sin is covered by Jesus’ shed blood, and the result is forgiveness. God chooses not to count our sins against us, because those sins are covered in Christ. Anyone who has experienced this forgiveness can appreciate the emotions of gratitude and relief that David expresses in this Psalm!

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 29, Exodus 30:1-10
NT: Matthew 26:14-46
Ps: Psalm 31:19-24
Pr: Proverbs 8:14-26

Gospel Thread – OT:

For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD. There I will meet you and speak to you;

Exodus 29:42 (NIV)

The shedding of the blood of the sacrificial animals symbolized the blood of the Messiah to be shed for ultimate and perfect atonement for sin and propitiation of God’s wrath upon the sin of mankind.

Gospel Thread – NT:

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Matthew 26:28 (NIV)

Jesus and His disciples were celebrating the Passover meal known as the seder, which consists of a particular order of events and rituals, including the recounting of the Passover story, the eating of foods reminiscent of and as commanded by God for the Passover, the washing of hands, the offering of various blessings, and, in particular, the partaking of four cups of wine: the First Cup, the Cup of Sanctification; the Second Cup, the Cup of Plagues; the Third Cup, the Cup of Redemption; and the Fourth Cup, the Cup of Praise. The entire meal is rich in messianic symbolism. Matthew here is recounting the part of the Passover meal centered around the Third Cup of wine. First, the eating of the afikoman, then the bareich, and finally the Third Cup of Wine.

The afikoman is a piece of bread, broken earlier, wrapped in linen cloth and set aside. It is the afikomen that Jesus breaks and distributes to the disciples during the Lord’s Supper. The bareich is the blessing spoken over the Third Cup. It is this blessing that Jesus offers. The Third Cup of Wine is the Cup of Redemption (or Cup of Blessing). It is this cup that Jesus refers to as “my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus is indicating that His blood will be shed in order to establish a new covenant between God and man. His blood will be shed as a propitiation for the punishment due for the collective sin of mankind, as an atonement and forgiveness for that sin, to redeem mankind from the bondage of and slavery to sin, and to bring God’s blessing to man.

I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.

Matthew 26:29 (NIV)

The Fourth Cup of Wine is the Cup of Praise, and this cup symbolizes the time when God will gather His people to Himself. It is fitting that Jesus should tell His disciples that He will not drink of the cup again until He drinks of it in His Father’s kingdom. For Christians, this fourth cup represents Christ’s second coming, when He will gather His people to Himself, and prepare His bride for the great wedding banquet in His Father’s kingdom.

Gospel Thread – Psalms/Proverbs:

No direct gospel/messianic reference in today’s Psalms/Proverbs reading.

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 28
NT: Matthew 25:31-46, Matthew 26:1-13
Ps: Psalm 31:9-18
Pr: Proverbs 8:12-13

Gospel Thread – OT:

Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.

Exodus 28:3 (NIV)

The garments of the High Priest foreshadow and symbolize our eventual High Priest, that is, Jesus Christ.

Gospel Thread – NT:

a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

Matthew 26:7 (NIV)

This anointing symbolized Jesus as the Christ, that is, the Annointed One.

Gospel Thread – Psalms/Proverbs:

This passage is again perhaps a foreshadowing of Christ’s lament during His persecution and his affliction on the cross.

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 26-27
NT: Matthew 25:1-30
Ps: Psalm 31:1-8
Pr: Proverbs 8:1-11

Gospel Thread – OT:

Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

Exodus 26:33 (NIV)

Some people see symbolism in the description of the tabernacle; although, while such symbolism is imaginative and perhaps inspired, I haven’t found a great deal of scriptural support to consider it to be doctrinal. Unmistakable, though, is the symbolism of the tearing of the curtain preventing access to the Most Holy Place upon the death of Christ. The curtain separated the Most Holy Place, and symbolized the separation of the people from the presence of and access to God. The tearing of the curtain represented the restoration of access to God.

Gospel Thread – NT:

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

Matthew 25:19 (NIV)

An important part of the gospel message is that each of us will be held accountable for that which we have been given in this life. Life does not end with physical death. God gives to each of us according to His will and our ability (which also comes from God), and will one day make an accounting of that which He has given. He has given us the revelation of His plan for salvation, and we are responsible for receiving and responding to that revelation.

Gospel Thread – Psalms/Proverbs:

Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

Psalm 31:5 (NIV)

“Into your hands I commit my spirit” – Jesus spoke these words on the Cross before He breathed His last (Luke 23:46).

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 23:14-33, Exodus 24-25
NT: Matthew 24:29-51
Ps: Psalm 30
Pr: Proverbs 7:24-27

Gospel Thread – OT:

Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt.

Exodus 23:15 (NIV)

Leaven (yeast) is symbolic of sin. Unleavened bread symbolized sinlessness and foreshadowed the Messiah. The Feast of Unleavened Bread pointed toward the burial of the sinless Messiah. (Note also, the Feast of Ingathering is symbolic of the Second Coming, which we will explore further in Leviticus.)

⁹ Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up ¹⁰ and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself.

Exodus 24:9-10 (NIV)

Some believe this appearance of God to be a pre-incarnate Christ. True or not, the entire scene – the voice of God, the physical appearance, and the shekinah glory of God descending as a consuming fire – cannot help but evoke imagery of the Trinity: the Triune God – Father, Son, Spirit.

Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.

Exodus 25:8 (NIV)

The Tabernacle was the place of God’s dwelling, where God made His Presence known among man. Jesus, the Christ, was Emmanuel: God With Us – God in the presence of man. After the sending of the Holy Spirit, we believers are the Temple: the vessel of indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and witnesses to the presence of God among men.

Gospel Thread – NT:

At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

Matthew 24:30 (NIV)

Jesus here is predicting His Second Coming, at the end of the age.

Gospel Thread – Psalms/Proverbs:

Psalm 30 is a psalm for the dedication (that is, Hanukkah) of the temple. Here is an explanation of the correlation between Hanukkah and the Christ, Jesus. Several verses of this psalm can easily be perceived as symbolic of Christ’s death and resurrection.

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 21:22-36, Exodus 22, Exodus 23:1-13
NT: Matthew 24:1-28
Ps: Psalm 29
Pr: Proverbs 7:6-23

Gospel Thread – OT:

If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull must be stoned.

Exodus 21:32 (NIV)

Thirty pieces of silver is the price to redeem oneself for the loss of a slave – the purchase price for a slave. Jesus was betrayed for the same thirty pieces of silver: the price of a slave (Matthew 26:14-15).

Gospel Thread – NT:

…but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Matthew 24:13 (NIV)

This is our great hope: no matter what we face in this world, we have but to stand firm in our faith in Christ Jesus, and we will be saved.

Gospel Thread – Psalms/Proverbs:

¹⁰ The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
¹¹ The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

Psalm 29:10-11 (NIV)

Jesus Christ is the rightful King of the earth, for, by, and through whom all things were created. God’s blessing of peace to His people comes through Christ.

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 19:16-25, Exodus 20, Exodus 21:1-21
NT: Matthew 23:13-39
Ps: Psalm 28
Pr: Proverbs 7:1-5

Gospel Thread – OT:

And God spoke all these words:

Exodus 20:1 (NIV)

Today we begin God’s presentation of the Law to Israel. What is the significance of the Law, its importance to us, and its correlation to the gospel? First, the Law exposes sin (Romans 7:7-8). The Law convicts us of our sin (Romans 7:9-10). The Law defines sin as sin. (Romans 7:11-13). The Law demonstrates our utter hopelessness for life on our own (Romans 7:24-25), and our need for the Messiah (Romans 8:1-4). The Law foreshadows the saving work of the Messiah for the justification and redemption from sin for all mankind (Romans 5:12-21). Finally, through the Messiah, the Law gives us ultimate, unshakable hope of right relationship with God (Romans 8:37-39).

Gospel Thread – NT:

²⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”

Matthew 23:25-26 (NIV)

Jesus is describing the insufficiency of the Law to bring righteousness apart from faith in the atoning work of the Messiah (as with yesterday’s NT reference).

Gospel Thread – Psalms/Proverbs:

⁸ The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
⁹ Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Psalm 28:8-9 (NIV)

Whenever I see David speak of God’s “annointed one” in the Psalms, I think of the Messiah. Perhaps not all such uses of “annointed one” refer to The Annointed One, but in this case, with verses 8 and 9 taken together, the reference is stronger. Jesus Christ is the Annointed One, the Savior of God’s people, the One through Whom comes the blessing upon God’s inheritance, and the Shepherd of God’s people.

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 17:8-16, Exodus 18, Exodus 19:1-15
NT: Matthew 22:34-46, Matthew 23:1-12
Ps: Psalm 27:7-14
Pr: Proverbs 6:27-35

Gospel Thread – OT:

⁴ ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. ⁵ Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, ⁶ you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.

Exodus 10:4-6 (NIV)

God’s purpose with bringing the Israelites out of Egypt was to reveal Himself to Israel, to bring them to Him, and to make them His people – a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. This purpose for Israel foreshadows God’s purpose for all mankind, through Jesus Christ; for it is through Christ that God reveals Himself to us (Matthew 1:23, John 14:6-14), reconciles us to Himself (II Corinthians 5:16-21), and makes His people, a holynation and a kingdom of priests (I Peter 2:9-10).

Gospel Thread – NT:

³⁷ Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)

Jesus is again pointing out that the Law, given by God to the Israelites, was intended to point to God’s ultimate standard. The Law set Israel in the direction of God’s holiness and love, but the Law could not be perfected without the Messiah to whom it also pointed. Not only could the Law not be followed perfectly by mere men, but also, even explicit conformance to the letter of the Law could only bring external cleanliness. The external, physical cleanliness imparted by the Law could not save apart from the foundation of the internal, spiritual cleanliness imparted by the Messiah.

Gospel Thread – Psalms/Proverbs:

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

Psalm 27:12 (NIV)

As with yesterday’s Psalm reference, some see this verse as an example of David speaking both literally, of his own enemies who were pursuing him, and figuratively, of Messiah who would also be pursued by His enemies.

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.

Today´s reading:
OT: Exodus 15:19-27, Exodus 16, Exodus 17:1-7
NT: Matthew 22:1-33
Ps: Psalm 27:1-6
Pr: Proverbs 6:20-26

Gospel Thread – OT:

I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’

Exodus 16:12 (NIV)

Perhaps the manna in the desert is the origin of the “daily bread” for which Jesus prayed in the Lord’s prayer? Perhaps, or perhaps not; either way, God provided Israel with bread to sustain their physical life in the desert of Sinai – just as He provided Jesus, the Bread of Life, to sustain our spiritual life from out of the desert of our own sin.

Gospel Thread – NT:

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.

Matthew 22:2 (NIV)

The parable of the wedding banquet is an allegory for God’s relationship with Israel and the gentiles. God chose Israel to be His people, and prepared them for salvation through His Son, Jesus. However, Israel rejected both the Son (Jesus), the king’s servants (the prophets), and the servants’ message (the gospel). So the king extended the invitation to the wedding banquet (salvation) to all the people who could be found (the gentiles).

Gospel Thread – Psalms/Proverbs:

When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

Psalm 27:2 (NIV)

Some see this verse as an example of David speaking both literally, of his own enemies who were pursuing him, and figuratively, of Messiah who would also be pursued by His enemies.

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.