Massah-Meribah And The Judgment Of God

The events that transpired at Massah and Meribah have fascinated me for years. While as a child I received the story on it's most surface level, that God was giving his people water so that they didn't die of thirst in the desert, a few considerations from men that I deeply respect have brought this passage to life for me in profound ways. Edmund Clowney helped me understand that what was going on in both of these texts is actually cosmic treason where God is on trial. My pastor helped me understand that this passage has profound implications for how God deals with his people. It is best at this point to have both of the events before us.

Tale Of Two Trees

Reading through the law, there are a number of things that point to Christ and his work. As I have been going through a the scriptures cover to cover with a friend, a few things have jumped out to me in new ways. Two pieces of the law, both involving a tree, foreshadow not just Christ and his work but also point specifically to the cross itself and what is accomplished at the crucifixion. One of these passages is in Exodus 15, the other is from Deuteronomy 21.

Sabbath: Creation And Redemption

Reading through the Pentateuch again has been helpful. I have been seeing a number of things in a new light. One of those things, something I knew was there but never really thought through, is the two explanations for the Sabbath. While the substance of the Decalogue is the same in both Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, there are different explanations given for certain commandments. The explanations given for the fourth commandment in each account a
re the most different:

Sinai: Sabbath And New Creation

"Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights." - Exodus 24.15-18

As I have been reading through the Bible this year from beginning to end, certain passages are starting to jump out at me. This passage in particular made my inner biblical theological geek sing full-throated praise. What is being literally described is spectacular enough, but looking through the lens of redemptive history, this passage seems to explode. Two themes jumped off the page at me: Sabbath and new creation.

Tabernacle Glory Is Reversed In Christ

I am currently working my way through the Meredith Kline collection. While Kline says many weird and frustrating things, and his writings can be a chore to understand, occasionally there is a gem, an "Aha!" moment. I had one of these moments reading Images of the Spirit. Sometimes Kline makes you read a paragraph multiple times because it is confusing, and other times he makes you read a paragraph multiple times because it is profoundly insightful; confusing and insightful happen side by side a lot too.

...But Christ Is Still Our Lover

The church is a mess. Aside from possibly being the understatement of the year, its true. It is very easy to look at the all rampant sin and wonder how on earth the church is being made into the image of God. It is not surprising to see people who, capitalizing on individualism, want nothing to do with the church; they have Jesus, why do they need the church? It is also very easy to look at all the ways that the church has wronged people, the corruption and scandals, the love of money and greed, and to conclude (often rightly) that they are no different from the world. Pulpits are more filled with self-help, empty platitudes, social and political grandstanding, and almost everything under the sun except for what they should be filled with: law and gospel, sin and grace, repentance and the forgiveness of sins. It is very easy to rage against the church and to condemn her. This is nothing new, however. It has been the story of the church since her inception because of one simple fact: the church is made up of sinners, like you and me.

From Genesis To Revelation

At my church we're going through a book called Sacred Bond in our adult Sunday school class. It's a brief introduction to covenant theology, and a very helpful resource thus for. It is a very accessible book for the person who is new to covenant theology, or the uninitiated layperson. Concepts are simple and well explained, and it is quite pleasant to read. I read a lot of theology for fun, but I find myself really enjoying getting back to the basics. This was very true when we went through the chapter on the Covenant of Grace.

The Temple Of God Is Union With Christ

Exodus 32-34 is an infamous chapter in Israel's history. As Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the law from the finger of God, the congregation returned to the idolatry of Egypt and created a golden calf to worship. As Moses descended from Sinai, a great confrontation began between God and his people. It is from this confrontation that Moses, who was afraid to speak before Pharaoh, stands boldly before God and intercedes for the congregation. There are many things that can be developed from this narrative, but I want to focus specifically on how, in this conflict, we see the nature of the relationship between God and his people.