The Rev’s Blog

If God put in your hand what you’d always hoped for, dreamed of, and wanted, what would you think, feel, do? While our reactions might vary in particulars, I’d suspect there would be a commonality in all of them.

We’d certainly be filled with joy, even celebration! I could envision some shouts, some smiles, even some potent laughter! All I had ever hoped for, dreamed of, and wanted was given to me! You could probably hear me for miles!

While there is sincere legitimacy in the celebration, there is an abiding test worth applying to our hearts. We find a similar scenario of having dreams fulfilled and falling into danger in a potent and heart‑stretching passage in Genesis 22 with the account of what is typically identified as the sacrifice of Isaac.

We’re told in the first verse, Gen 22.1, that God “tested Abraham” so we know where this is headed, it’s a test of Abraham! But, how it goes in this direction is almost beyond our comprehension! And, remember, Abraham doesn’t know where this is headed!

God instructs Abraham to take his son, “your only son” (don’t miss the connection with the greater fulfillment of sacrifice, Jn 3.16), whom you love, and offer him as a sacrifice!

So where would such a bizarre request come from? The land in which Abraham sojourned was powerfully influenced by the Canaanites and their “religious” practices. Offering a human sacrifice was far more “Canaanite” than what we thought of the character of God!

So, a very subtle, but very potent, point begins to surface . . . God is acting “exactly opposite” what you’d think He would do! It seems what He is doing is totally outside His character!

We continue with our amazement in that Abraham never seems to miss a step in getting things ready for this journey of a lifetime! He’s “on it” and on his way.

A key word worth a pause turns us in Gen 22.5. It’s the first use of the word “worship” in the Bible. Good Bible Study says you have to interpret the word in the context in which it occurs.

So, there’s no choir there, no priesthood, no stained glass windows, no pews, no organ, piano, or musical instrument of any kind! There’s not even a building there! How in the world could he “worship”?

Well, “worship” has virtually nothing to do with the things with which we typically associate it, even . . . long pause . . . music! This isn’t to say music can’t be part of worship, or musical instruments, or even stained glass windows, but, they’re not at the essence of “worship.”

So, what is Abraham doing when he informs those traveling with him that he’s headed to “worship”? He’s responding to the revelation of God! That “response” in this case is to take his “only son” and offer him as a sacrifice, something totally contrary to how we understand God! As Scripture unfolds, we’ll see that our “response” can take a myriad of forms beside sacrifice but we’ll also see that “worship” is always responding to the revelation of God in whatever form taken.

Back to our story. We’ve got some insights into “worship,” and we’ve heard some of the Word from God, now it begins to get really rich! We’ll have to slide on some details but do notice as you read on how the story account slows . . . you can feel the pressure building as Abraham and Isaac travel!

The first thing Abraham does, Gen 22.9, is build an altar. Suffice it to say, this is where God meets us! (The Proper Place to Worship – Ex 20.24-26; 25.1-26.37; Deut 12; cf. Ezek 40-48.)

We learned a key part of how Abraham is thinking. It passes almost unnoticed in Gen 22.8 when Isaac asks about the “lamb,” which tells us everyone knows this is about a sacrifice. So, Abraham tells Isaac, God will “provide” for Himself. Our word “provide” is a common word for “see” but has extended meaning when use in metaphorical senses. Consider 1Sa 16.1.

¹ Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected ( our word “see” with the intent to “provide”) a king for Myself among his sons.”

The “worship” rapidly unfolds, Abraham reaches “to slay” Isaac. Just so we can feel the impact of this scene, the word translated “to slay” is an infinitive . . . it’s action! Abraham put the knife across Isaac’s throat and the muscles in his arm tightened to draw it and slay Isaac, his son, his “only son”!

At this powerful place of Abraham’s submission to God’s Word, he’s stopped and affirmed as “fearing” God. To “fear” is not terror! It’s the awesome, reverential, trustful, obedience of God, full‑faceted, full‑acted, full of life! Here, Abraham’s faith is seen most powerfully!

And, just at the right time, God provides the sacrifice needed!

Let’s summarize some key things. When we surrender our lives to the Lord, even when it seems what He asks, demands, or directs completely contrary to our expectation or understanding, and, we come, as He has called, and meet Him at the altar yielding all to Him, He sees our hearts, provides His perfect sacrifice for us! Here, His Name is proclaimed! Here, His Promise is affirmed! Here, our hope in His glory is renewed!

One more thing . . . I’d suggest this is not “The Sacrifice of Isaac” in Gen 22. It’s “The Sacrifice of Abraham” who yielded himself, all he thought, all he hoped, all he dreamed of, all he ever wanted, to the Lord of Life who sees his faith, our faith, and meets us fully! Here, and here alone, did Abraham receive all he’d ever hoped for, and more!

The fullness of the Lord’s meeting us is unfolded in God’s Word with His giving the Perfect Sacrifice of His Son when He saw our need, dead in sin, and He meets us there, at the altar, when we yield to Him in faith and receive His Sacrifice!

While we’re doing some summarizing, it would be good to remember what we “hope” for is never in our hands, it’s always in the God of the Provision and Promise whose glory is eternal and the wonder of His love in infinite!

Jn 3:16.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

As I’ve been working in Ephesians, a reoccurring theme keeps touching my heart so I share it with you. That theme is the “heavenly.”

We tend to be very location oriented in our thinking so when “heavenly” comes up, it’s “out there, in the clouds” somewhere, or, at least I think so. It would be helpful here if we thought more in the terms of a “realm” than location.

One of the dangers of thinking location is a standard criticism of Christianity, “It’s pie in the sky” belief. Not much happens with Christianity until . . . we’re dead and gone “out there somewhere,” or Jesus returns!

Thinking in terms of a “realm,” we might see that through our faith in Jesus, who died for our sin, we change “realms”!

Jesus said clearly, Jn 18:36.

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

This “world” (kosmos in John’s Gospel) is a realm in rebellion against God, whose rulers (actually the “ruler” and his followers, cf. Eph 2.1-2; 6.1) wield the sword to proclaim their places, violence is there way, force is in their hands! This is not Jesus’ “realm”!

This “world” is (spiritually) in blindness to the Truth of God, sinfully dishonoring of God’s Word and Ways, and therefore (spiritual) darkness!

Jesus came, as recorded by the Apostle John, Jn 1:4–5.

4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (or “overcome) it.

The message of Jesus is about changing “realms” now, by faith in Him, and, that “realm” is a new “realm” forever! This is God’s work of grace, Col 1:13–14.

13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

By grace, through faith in Jesus, we move from darkness to light, physical to spiritual, earthly to heavenly, and we do it the moment we believe!

So, back to this new “realm.” As mentioned, I’m presently working in the text of Ephesians and the Apostle Paul speaks of this “realm” powerfully and precisely several times.

First, just a pinch of grammar, remembering the fundamental of Bible Study, never open the Scripture and ask, “What does it mean”? Always open the Word of God and ask, “What does it say”! We’ll never know what it means if we do not know what is says!

The Apostle Paul uses the adjective “heavenly” or “heavenlies” 5 times to show us the powerful work of Grace, through faith in Jesus, in this new “realm.” Our word is an adjective, not a noun, it’s a work in the “heavenlies.”

Our adjective, “heavenlies,” is a compound, “heaven” (”ouranos”) + the preposition “epi” meaning on, upon, near, in, stressing location; or, at, near, stressing presence.

Thus “in the heavenlies,” or “at the heavenlies” stressing location or “in the realm / sphere of the heavenlies,” stressing presence. Again, this is an adjective, describing, not a noun of place.

Paul’s use seems far more toward the sphere / realm aspect as we’ll see shortly. Our faith in Jesus has, by grace, done the work of God in our lives which has changed our “realm.” We could paraphrase the Apostle Paul’s description of what Grace has done by “in the heavenlies” or “in the spiritual realm,” not pressing a physical location but a “sphere” of activity. I’d propose God’s divine work of Grace through faith in Jesus, is in “the spiritual realm of reality”!

The Apostle Paul writes, Eph 1:3.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the spiritual realm of reality in Christ,

Eph 1:20.

20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the spiritual realm of reality,

Eph 2:6.

6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the spiritual realm of reality in Christ Jesus,

Eph 3:10.

10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the spiritual realm of reality.

Eph 6:12.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the spiritual realm of reality.

When we place our faith in Jesus, the Grace of God transfers us to kingdom of His beloved Son, a “spiritual” realm now and a coming Kingdom of earth according to God’s Promise!

In Jesus . . .

• we have every spiritual blessing
• the highest spiritual position and privilege
• the most intimate spiritual relationship
• the greatest spiritual proclamation
• the supreme spiritual power

When do we have this? Now! Where do we have this? In Jesus as His Word and His Ways are lived out through our lives!

Now, don’t think this “in the spiritual realm of reality” has no impact in this “physical realm of reality” which is in rebellion to God! It’s quite the opposite! There is absolutely nothing “pie in the sky” about faith in Jesus! 1 Jn 5:4.

4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Do you need somewhere to connect your life? This “realm” is the most secure place, the most intimate place, the most glorious place, the most free place, the most adequate place, the most open place . . . it’s with Jesus!

Why do we have this? We declare God’s Amazing Grace and Jesus’ New Life now and in His coming Kingdom! In fact, with faith in Jesus’ death for our sin, we will be to the praise of His Glory forever! And where will this be? “In the spiritual realm of reality” now and fully realized in God’s coming Kingdom!

We typically think of jealousy in a negative sense. I would suggest we may have missed a good quality in our own lives and some good theology in the process of misapplying this powerful work.

Let’s start by defining and then apply “jealousy” to our Lord, for most certainly, the Lord would not be One with an improper way about Him!

Jealousy is a powerful feeling regarding an object or possession or person which is intensely desired by the subject.

There isn’t anything distinctly sinful about “jealousy.” Where sin comes in is when this intense desire is directed to what is not ours, then it’s “envy”! We want what belongs to someone else! Sin can also come in when we turn our intense feeling into an evil action, attitude, or thought, like when we want to take advantage of another for our own gain, or we turn it into unjust hostility.

The Lord is “jealous” for what belongs to Him. He is intensely desirous of His object, His possession, His person or persons! He acts in perfect righteousness, shunning evil, protecting and providing for what is His.

We often find “jealousy,” an intense desire to protect and provide, in passages related to a marriage relationship. How “intense” is this? In the Scripture, “adultery” is punishable by death (Lev20.10; Dt22.22)! Why? Because, contrary to popular belief, the Bible says by the marriage covenant with God, “the two become one flesh” (Gen2.24).

Adultery attacks the “one flesh” entity in attempted murder of it! It attempts to kill what God has created and joined as one! Take note of this picture and understand that Scripture describes the Lord as the Husband of His people!

And, He is “intensely providing and protecting” His own, He’s a “jealous” God! Idolatry is spiritual adultery, an attack upon the Lord’s unity with His people!

The flip side of the Lord’s swift and certain destruction of that which seeks to murder His unity, is that the Lord also acts to protect and preserve that which belongs to Him!

Ex 34:14
¹⁴ —for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—

Is 42:13
¹³ The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.

Remember, the Lord’s “jealousy” is based on His great love for His own, a love so great  . . . Jn 3:16.

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

 . . . He is jealous for those who believe for He redeemed us at great cost!

We should go to bed at night praising the Lord that He is “jealous” for us, protecting and preserving us, against all forms of murderous attacks! He comes to our defense, for we are His and He tolerates no others!

The Lord’s jealousy powerfully and personally protects His honor and those He loves infinitely! I’m thankful our Lord is jealous!

I’ve dubbed my wife as “Grandmother Extraordinaire”! She has a great heart and a great touch with our grandchildren. They’ve quickly come to learn that “the visit” from Grandma is very special, and indeed it is. When Grandma visits, things happen!

Let me introduce you to another “Visit” that’s even more special, it’s the “Visit” of Great God! When God “visits,” destiny changes! It’s not any less than this powerful and this profound.

In our Hebrew Scripture we find a word, paqad, which older translations typically rendered as “visit.” It’s variously rendered as to visit or attend or oversee or entrust, and as with all Bible Study, the context fine tunes the translation.

In biblical times it carries the idea of a master, lord, or ruler exercising involved oversight of their subject or one in their care. When used in Scripture to speak of the Lord’s oversight, His “visit” of those in His care always makes a change, literally a change of destiny!

This change can be in one of two directions, the Lord’s purification of sin, or, the Lord’s provision of blessing. His “visit” is personal, sometimes private, always profound!

Let me give you some illustrations from Scripture. First, we’ll look at a very personal, private, and profound visit to Sarah, the wife of Abraham.

Ge 21:1
¹ Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised.

The English “took note” is our word paqad, the divine visitation of God. In this situation, God made His promise of a son to Abraham come to pass as Sarah, now 90 years old and past child bearing age, will have a son, specifically the son of the Promise of God! This divine visit changed life for Sarah, and the destiny of those who follow with His blessing!

Just to prick your thinking, read again the encounter of God walking in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve! Consider it as Divine Visitation! Destiny changed for Satan, whose sin was judged and would be purified by the blood of the Perfect Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus. Destiny changed for Adam and Eve who were covered by that sacrifice, as pictured in the provision of God from the sacrifice, and their destiny forever changed being blessed by God’s grace as they trusted in Him!

Let’s look at the purification of sin use of this powerful truth. As God’s people were caught up in the paralysis of prosperity, immorality, selfishness, and arrogance, the prophet Zephaniah delivered the Lord’s words, Zep 1:12.

¹² “It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good or evil!’

The English word “punish” is our word paqad, visit. Here, the Lord divinely visits the sinful and arrogant who are living hypocritically. Many misunderstand such a divine visitation and see this as simply judgment. That’s a small view of what is unfolding.

First, God always calls warning prior to His judgment! There is time to repent and turn from sin! Second, His judgment is always against sin, not simply people. Those who practice sin are indeed judged as they have set their rebellion in opposition to God! Third, and most important, God’s judgment of sin is always His purification of the evil, which mocks His holy, righteous, just nature. And, purification is always the pathway to restoration!

There can be no restoration without purification! This is most powerfully demonstrated in the Cross of Jesus. There is “restoration” in the Cross for all who place their faith in Him and Him alone because there is “purification” in the Cross when Jesus judged sin forever and paid its awful price with His life!

The Cross is one of the most dramatic divine visitations mankind has ever known! But, it’s definitely not the only, nor the last. Our Great God is deeply involved in our lives. His gracious hand is always present and powerful. He divinely visits and His visits always determine destiny!

Don’t let the true meaning of this Christmas season slide past you. It’s one of the most profound divine visitations and this visit determines your destiny.

Jn 3:36
³⁶ “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

If you’ve never placed your faith in the Lord Jesus, you can do so right now! He came and died for our sin, your sin, my sin, and by faith in Him we have live everlasting in His presence, a blessing we have only begun to grasp!

Remember back in Zep 1.12 the phrase “at that time”? Zephaniah is unfolding a “day” which lies ahead when the final divine visitation of God will come, often called “the day of the Lord.” In that day, and at that time, God’s visit will bring complete purification of evil and the greatness of His restoration to blessing! It’s our hope, our focus, and the fullness of our present faith in the Lord’s provision, Jesus!

May this Christmas season find us reflecting more on our gracious Lord’s divine visitation to give all who place their faith in Him life everlasting in His blessed presence! That’s definitely a change in destiny!

P.S. – for more discussion of the Zephaniah 1.12 passage, you can download our recent study as part of our Minor Prophets series, click HERE.

I recently enjoyed a couple weeks camping in the Denali National Park wilderness area, specifically at Wonder Lake. What a great time! This is my second time to enjoy this spectacular park and my second time camping in the Wonder Lake area.

From my previous trip, I re-connected with several people, many from various parts of the world, who regularly come to this magnificent place. Denali Nat. Park, in my words, is a park for animals that they let people visit. All camping is tightly controlled, quite limited, free from all that “stuff,” e.g., cars, noise, electricity, fires, even showers! As such, it’s a special place to enjoy the vastness and beauty which is there.

Being there as a photographer, and especially in the last week of August and the first week of September, it’s “Fall” unfolding before your eyes. With the time changing something like 7 minutes per day, over a two week period the length of days changes something like 1 1/2 hours! The moose rut becomes full bloom! Colors change daily! Bears are active feeding as winter approaches! Caribou are migrating! It’s truly amazing to be a part of such a place and season.

A large number of those people camping and photographing are sincerely “vested” in this grand wilderness area. As such, conversations about the “nature” of things, the “natural” beauty, enjoying the “natural” area, etc., are most common as you visit with others. It’s virtually impossible to be in such a place and not be impacted by its awe.

But, something seems lacking here to me. There are virtually no conversations about the “super-natural” aspect of the creation or creatures! Keen eyes, vested spirits, zealous learners, all seem to stop at simply the “natural.” Let me share a perspective which has been impressed in my heart . . .

This “creation” around us is simply amazing! Observing the balance of “nature,” the cycles of the seasons, the rainbows (remember Gen 9.13-16?), the astounding beauty of it all calls us to consider the Designer of such a design!

Psalm 19:1–2
¹ The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. ² Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.

Creation testifies to our Creator, the Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth! To see only the “natural” is a blindness! Truly, there is a slight glimpse into the “super-natural” of things.

Yet, the more I pondered this, the more I was reminded of the truth of the Word of God, both of the damages sin has done to us and the Lord’s Creation, as well as the hope of the Lord’s fullness which lies ahead. The Scripture says,

Romans 8:22–25
²² For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. ²³ And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

The Scripture describes our Creation, when the Lord’s redemption through Jesus Christ becomes complete.

Isaiah 11:6–9
⁶ And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. ⁷ Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. ⁸ The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. ⁹ They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.

While in Denali Nat. Park, I had opportunity to observe a couple of “kills” where the grizzlys, wolves, and ravens were “naturally” balancing the herd. This is very much part of our present “natural” system and works very well. We need only look at man’s attempt to remove preditors and the chaos we’ve introduced into our world balance.

But, the Word of God says there’s even more ahead when the Lord restores His harmony, His design, His balance, His Creation to its place of a harmony we’ve never known! “Wolf” and “lamb” living together! “Leopard” and “young goat” together! It’s more than amazing. It’s more than a “natural” development. It’s a “super-natural” work of our Lord who brings a fullness, a balance, a harmony, a Creation which is freed from the ravages of sin and it’s devastation, even in our “natural” realm.

The wonder of Jesus Christ paying for the sin in our world is far greater than we may have ever imagined! For us personally, the Scripture says when we place our faith in Jesus, trusting Him alone for the sin that plagues us, we receive “New Life”!

John 3:16
¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

This “New Life,” often called “the life of the ages,” or “eternal life,” touches us, transforms us, teaches us of the love of our Lord who paid for our sin and has far greater for us than we’ve yet imagined or experienced. I would suggest this “New Life” from sin’s removal through Jesus touches even the “natural” world around us and there lies ahead of us a “super-natural” world so “other” than we’ve ever known it will be amazing!

Next time you watch the magnificence of a sunrise or the beauty of Fall or any of the wonders of our world, stop to consider the redemption found in Jesus Christ, not only for you personally, but for all Creation! With “super-natural” eyes, you’ll see even more, see even deeper, hope even greater for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ!

If you’ve been looking, living, only with “natural” eyes and a “natural” heart, let me remind you again of the great truth from the Lord. When you place your faith, not in your own sufficiency, not in the world’s sufficiency, but in Jesus, you receive His gracious gift of “New Life” now and a future with all His new Creation soon to unfold! Re-read John 3.16 again, it’s even deeper, broader, richer than you may have ever imagined! It’s the doorway to the “super-natural”!