Month: September 2024

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
1 John 2:2*

Propitiation – now that’s a mouthful. The term is used four times in scripture, and yet probably not one in 100 Christians can give an understandable definition of the word. For over forty years, I’ve heard preachers try to explain what it means, but have never gotten a definition that I like. They’re either too simplified or too complicated.

As a Bible teacher, I pride myself in making the difficult easy to understand. I have for years sought to explain this word, but haven’t found an answer that is both short and to-the-point. I can make it simple, though.

In the Old Testament, many different kinds of sacrifices were used for different reasons and at different times. Once a year, a ram was sanctified on the Day of Atonement for the sins of the nation of Israel. The High Priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat, which was on top of the ark of the covenant. This atoned for the people’s sin for one year.

Actually, the term “mercy seat” is more a description of what the cover of the ark was, and not a true translation of the Hebrew word (Kapporet). A literal translation would be “propitiatory” or “place of propitiation.” Therefore, the blood of the ram was the propitiation, and the mercy seat (propitiatory) was where it was placed.

When talking sacrifice, the propitiation is where the rubber meets the road. It’s what makes a sacrifice work; it’s what actually takes away the sin. In the case of Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary for the sins of the Human race, the cross was the propitiatory, and the Savior Himself the propitiation. It’s not just the blood of Christ that saves us, but that He gave all of Himself without reserve to become the Propitiation for our sins.

*see also: Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 4:10.

September 27

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!”
Revelation 15:3*

Immediately after the miracle at the Red Sea, Moses and the children of Israel burst into song: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!” (Exodus 15:1). The singing goes on for 18 verses so it’s unclear if they had a songwriter, if people made up verses as they went along, or if God directed the choir.

A similar songfest is scheduled in the not so distant future just as the Great Tribulation is coming to an end. All the emotion, thrill of triumph, and pride of victory that was heard in the song of Moses will be repeated here in the song of the Lamb. All those who endured and overcame the terrible persecutions of the Anti-Christ will be gathered on the glass sea before the throne of God to celebrate. Looking on at the praise service will be the seven judgment angels with the last bowls of wrath that will be poured out on earth.

The Lamb of God is being honored and worshiped as the glorified saints cry out “Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty!” Once again, the divine nature of the King of Saints is shouted out for all to hear.

This song of the Lamb inaugurates the beginning of the end. In the chapters that follow, all seven bowls of judgment reduce the world’s population to a small fraction. Babylon the Great falls and He who is called Faithful and True descends to Earth with the host of heaven to establish His kingdom.

That will be glorious. Hail King Jesus, King of kings, Lord of lords, and Lord God Almighty.

November 8

You answered them, O LORD our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
Psalm 99:8

Although this is an Old Testament verse, God-Who-Forgives is very clearly a title of Christ. Of the 98 times the word “forgive” appears in scripture, only 43 of those are in the Old Testament. Sometimes the Old Testament talks about one person forgiving another, such as in the case of Joseph’s brothers asking him to forgive them (Genesis 50:17). But most often it is used referring to the sin offering and temple sacrifice. In these cases God’s forgiveness seems very conditional: “…So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him” (Leviticus 4:31).

Of the 55 times that “forgive” occurs in the New Testament, 41 are directly the words of the Savior. Jesus put a tremendous emphasis on forgiving and being forgiven. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14).

The Son of God freely forgave those who came to Him. “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you'” (Matthew 9:2). Regarding the sinful woman who came in the Pharisee’s house to wash the Lord’s feet, He said concerning her, “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much” (Luke 7:47).

The gospel of Christ Jesus is the message of the God-Who-Forgives. Paul certainly preached it: “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colosians1:13-14).

The Apostle John also preached it: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9), because Jesus is the God-Who-Forgives.

November 21

And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 9:15*

Israel had a great covenant with God; it was a deal made with runaway slaves that was better than even the rich and mighty nations had with God. Even Moses had to exclaim, “”For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7). It was more than they could hope for, and certainly more than they deserved.

There was, however, a real problem with this relationship. Israel was unable and unwilling to uphold their part of the bargain. They had made a legal contract with God and they were in default. The penalty clauses were kicking in; all the promised blessings were withheld and the long list of terrible curses were being served.

The children of Israel needed a new contract, a new covenant, but they could bring nothing to the table; they had nothing to offer. What they really needed was the Mediator of the New Covenant.

Moses had interceded for the people on a number of occasions appealing to God’s merciful nature to turn away His wrath, but Moses was incapable of appeasing the divine justice of God. The LORD of Hosts Himself would have to provide His own go-between in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In dying on the cross and shedding the blood of a willing, righteous sacrifice, He was able to demonstrate the grace of God and maintain the just laws of the Ruler of the Universe. Christ’s death on the cross was a game changer. Since the righteousness and mercy of God were both represented, a new contract could be written, but not just for Israel; it was for all people. The blood of the Savior brought the Creator and the human race back together. Christ had become the Mediator of the New Covenant.

*see also Hebrews 12:24

 October 2 

 

This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light,
that all through him might believe. He was not that Light,
but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John 1:7-8*

One theme that is increasingly apparent in the genre of futuristic and fantasy literature is the theme of light versus darkness. It’s not just the idea of good guys against the bad guys, but about the vast power of darkness swallowing up actual light energy. It’s about noble warriors fighting against overwhelming odds to restore light to the universe.

Something else is going on here: It’s the battle of science fiction versus science non-fiction. Imagination is often brought down by cold, hard facts. The fact is that darkness, just like silence and vacuums, doesn’t even exist. They are just the absence of something that does exist (light, sound, and matter).

If you were to go into a cave that hadn’t been exposed to light in 100 years and then light a match, the darkness would quickly dissipate. (When I say quickly, we’re talking about the speed of light). Darkness can’t hold a candle to it.

On the first day of creation, God made light energy; it hadn’t existed before. From that day forward, darkness had to yield to light. They can’t co-exist together.

There’s no sun, moon, lamps, or flashlights in heaven because Jesus is there and He is the source of all light (both physical and spiritual). “Darkness” is a word that will forever be dropped from the heavenly vocabulary.

Hell is described as a place of “outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12). Christ is not there, so there will be no light.

Jesus came to this world to be our source of light. “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:5).

*Context John 1:1-9

September 18

As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man,
so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
1 Corinthians 15:48, 49

In 1994, Danny DeVito starred in the motion picture Renaissance Man. In the film, he uses his many talents to motivate an underachieving bunch of army recruits to complete basic training. Most of us, at some point in our lives, have experienced a Renaissance Man or Woman (often a school teacher) who has inspired us to succeed in areas where we considered ourselves failures.

The Lord Jesus is so much more than that; He’s the Heavenly Man. He lifts us out of the dust of planet Earth and gets us ready for heaven. He’s busy now getting our accommodations ready in heaven, and since He is the Way, He’s even made the travel arrangements.

I fully expect to see Christ as soon as I get to heaven. My main reason for going there is to see Him. Without Him, I wouldn’t know where to go or what to do. How much do you tip an angel for opening up the pearly gates, or do they even do that up there? I have so many questions, but when you’re visiting a strange new place, it’s always great to know someone who’s already there.

Jesus is the Heavenly Man; He’s from around those parts and is my contact in the afterlife. Traveling is always a little scary, especially when you don’t know the language, you’re going to be there a long time, and there are no plans to return home. But it’s not going to be that way for me. I know that hundreds of millions of Christians will be there already, and probably thousands more will arrive the same day I get there. All the same, the Lord will still have time for me. After all, He always has. He’s my go-to Man; He’s my Heavenly Man.

September 10

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Ephesians 5:2

Many Christians today are functionally illiterate when it comes to the Old Testament and practically clueless when it comes to understanding the concept of sacrifice. The stereotypes of an Old Testament offering is that of an entire lamb burnt on a bunch of rocks. Most people are unaware that there are five major categories of sacrifice, all of which are Types of the Lord Jesus Christ. The big groups can be broken down into sub-groups  depending on the occasion and what was actually burnt on the altar (even flour, oil, and wine were sometimes offered).

The five main offerings were actually sorted by God into two, the sweet-smelling sacrifices and the non-sweet-smelling sacrifices. The former included burnt offerings, grain offerings, and peace offerings; sin and trespass offerings fell into the second group, and although they were necessary, they were not something God delighted in.

The sweet-smelling sacrifices were always voluntary on the part of the offerer and were expressions of worship and devotion. These expressed fellowship not only with God but also God’s people. This is a picture of Christ willingly sacrificing Himself to bring us into fellowship.

The peace offering is the best example of this because God, the priest, and the worshipper all share in the sacrifice. Here, God’s portion was the fat. It was sizzled on the altar where it smelled great. The priest received the right foreleg which he lifted up to God as a heave offering and then used the meat to feed his family. The rest of the animal (beef or mutton) was given to the supplicant, so he could eat it in a communal meal.

The peace offering was a celebration with food, family, and friends, but God was invited to the party. For Him it was a sweet-smelling sacrifice. When Christ died on the cross, He offered Himself to both God and Man a Sweet-Smelling Sacrifice.

October 11

The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious…”
Exodus 34:6*

Ugly and vicious, with hairy legs and a needle-like snout, she comes upon the unsuspecting to suck their blood and spread disease. Hidden only by the insignificance of her size, she strikes out with impunity against those millions of times her superior. Attractive in nothing, loved by none, a parasite indeed. So the tiny mosquito can be described by those unfortunate enough to be her victims.

In my lifetime, I’ve swatted thousands of those pesky insects without giving a moment for apology or remorse. Given the opportunity, I’ll kill many more. Mosquitoes deserve to die. They get no mercy from me.

Mankind is even less deserving of mercy than the lowly mosquito. Made in the image of God and given a mind to reason, man would deny his Maker, preferring instead to think he is the product of a mindless series of accidents called evolution. This creature refuses to submit himself to his Creator.

When God sent His laws to earth, people broke them. When warnings of judgment were given, they laughed at all that was Holy. Finally, when God took human form to come to Adam’s race, the creation struck out at its Creator, wanting Him dead. The entire human race is unworthy of mercy.

Seven times in the Bible, God is called merciful and gracious in the same verse. This at first doesn’t seem so remarkable until one considers just how unlovely and undeserving people really are. If I wasn’t a hell-deserving sinner, I wouldn’t need mercy. However, since I am worthy of God’s wrath, I am glad that I can go to Him who is both Merciful and Gracious.

*Nehemiah 9:31; Psalm 103:8; Joel 2:13 plus 3 other references.

August 13

You are fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured upon Your lips;
therefore God has blessed You forever.
Psalm 45:2

This somewhat obscure title comes from a glorious Messianic Psalm full of the names of Christ. Monikers like “King,” “Mighty One,” “Majesty,” and “Anointed” clearly establish that, in context, this title, refers to the Son of God. Now, the job is to understand what it means.

The phrase “fairer than men” refers to physical attractiveness. Other translations render this: “You are the most excellent of men”(NIV), “You are the most handsome of all” (NLT), and “Thou art beautiful above the sons of men” (Douay). That is an interesting concept, because the Bible also says, “There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” (Isaiah 53:2,3).

Jesus was torn up after the crucifixion. His face was so beaten and swollen that scripture says, “So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14). The bottom line is it wasn’t his facial features that attracted people to the Lord, but His handsome character and the beauty of His love and grace.

Christ’s lovely nature is the first level of interpretation. Now, I’d like to apply a rather “outside the box” application to the phrase “fairer than men.” I’ve often heard people complain that “life isn’t fair” and even “God isn’t fair.” That may be true in a lot of ways. Bad people often exploit good people, the most qualified don’t always get the job and cancer afflicts both young and old. However, if God isn’t fair, He’s certainly much fairer than men.

People tend to be nasty, vindictive, and unforgiving. They remember wrongs done years ago and then bring them up just to hurt. Jesus doesn’t give us what is fair. Praise the Lord!! We deserve death and hell, but He gives us forgiveness, fellowship, and healing of the soul. Thank God, Jesus isn’t fair and yet, He is always Fairer than Men.

November 27

For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.
Psalm 48:14

The Amazon rain forest can be a scary place, with snakes, tarantulas, and jaguars. And then there are the really dangerous animals, like stinging caterpillars and bullet ants. Many people are curious to see the jungle, so they employ tour guides who are totally familiar with the territory and know everything there is to know about the great unknown.

Death is an even scarier place, because once you go there, you don’t come back…or at least, almost no one comes back. Christ has been there and done that, so is most wonderfully qualified to be Our Guide Even to Death.

Jesus is the Way, and we can’t get to heaven except through Him. He is also the Door to anyplace worth going to. He’s the way to salvation, abundant life, and victory over sin. To get there, He has to lead, and we follow. The Lord can also take us through places that we don’t want to go: Depression, persecution, tribulation, and grief. There is also that experience we are hard-wired to avoid at any cost: Death. In knowing Him, Christ can be Our Guide Even to Death.

He leadeth me! O blessed tho’t!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me!

And when my task on earth is done,
When, by Thy grace, the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God thro’ Jordan leadeth me!

                          Joseph H. Gilmore (1834-1918)

October 30