Passage of the Day: January 2013

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Passage of the Day - January 30, 2013

Luke 9:57-62

⁵⁷As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” ⁵⁸And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” ⁵⁹And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” ⁶²But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Jesus is not impressed with our prior priorities; He demands full attention to our primary priority which is to follow Him. Saying good-bye to loved ones and burying one’s father are far better excuses than we usually come up with, yet Jesus was still not impressed. Obedience supersedes logistics and bad timing. When Jesus starts to walk down a path, the only option is to follow immediately.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
© Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (http://www.lockman.org/)

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Passage of the Day - January 29, 2013

Proverbs 13:10

Through insolence comes nothing but strife,

But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.

I found another translation online, but I can’t determine which translation it is. It exchanges the word “insolence” with “presumption”. Both fit.

My concern with making a change of this magnitude is am I being wise or presumptuous. Am I overconfident in my own interpretation of Scripture? If my understanding is correct, it is of no real effort on my part. This wasn’t something I sought to understand. I was moved by the Spirit, I believe, to investigate baptism and what I have found is what I have found.

The question I have always had is, how can Spirit-led believers come to such diametrically opposed conclusions on so many issues. It is understandable to read the U.S. Constitution and the writings and quotes of the founding fathers and come up with different conclusions as to the proper interpretation, but isn’t the Spirit supposed to lead us in the endeavors of interpreting the Bible? I have always had a difficult time grasping the concept that most of the great spiritual theologians throughout history were wrong on something. We explain this away as the pollution of the Fall, but doesn’t the Spirit trump that, especially on theological matters?

Ack, ack, ack…you can drive yourself crazy with this stuff sometimes. Anyways, I plan to ask my current Pastor tomorrow night for a time to sit down and talk these things over.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Passage of the Day - January 28, 2013

Romans 14:1-15

Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. ²One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. ³The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. ⁴Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

⁵One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. ⁷For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; ⁸for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
¹⁰But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”

¹²So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

¹³Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. ¹⁴I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.

After a long break from Passage of the Day, I want to make something clear. I am not here to prove one dogmatic theory over another. We are called to make disciples of all nations. No serious Christian would doubt this calling. The question is, is it permissible to baptize one’s children. The New Testament screams out against being dogmatic about things not clearly found in scripture. The Old Testament, though, has high regard for ceremony and the proper and holy ways ceremonies are to be conducted. The question is, “Where does baptism lie?”

I am having a very difficult time believing that the sacrament of baptism is actually forbidden to be given to those who have not audibly expressed their faith in Christ as their personal Savior, but will be raised, instructed, and discipled by parents who are disciples of Christ attending a church full of disciples.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Passage of the Day - January 17, 2013

Proverbs 12:15

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

I feel like I am on an island often times with this issue. I have exhausted what I can do about investigating this on my own. It is time I seek wise counsel. Wise counsel is not a bunch of people who I already know agree with me. Wise counsel is not a yes-man who will agree with me on anything. Wise counsel usually comes from those who have a reputation for being wise and/or have given wisdom that has helped in the past.

Passage of the Day - January 16, 2013

John 17:6-12

⁶“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. ⁷Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; ⁸for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. ⁹I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; ¹⁰and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. ¹¹I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. ¹²While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

How wonderful it would be to be able to pray a prayer similar to this about our own children some day. We have a charge to keep and are to take very seriously our responsibility to raise our children in the Lord.

I did notice something interesting in this passage. Look in verse six – “…they were Yours and You gave them to Me,…” Note how they belonged to God before they even knew Jesus or were instructed by Him.

It harkens back to when Peter and the gang became disciples in the first place. What was the pivotal moment? What level of knowledge did they have of the kingdom of God? You remember, of course, that Jesus simply said “Come” and that was it. They came and were His disciples from that point on. If it’s that simple to become a disciple, a baby can be one. Being a faithful disciple, well, is a different story.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Passage of the Day - January 15, 2013

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

I have learned many things via osmosis over the years. These quests I have been on have been a challenge because I am questioning my understanding of the tenets of my faith. This has been a wonderful experience since I have, at the very least, come to know God in a whole new way. Acceptance is one thing, but to understand why things are the way they are, truly enriches you.

Passage of the Day - January 14, 2013

Matthew 7:7-11

⁷“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ⁹Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? ¹¹If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Here is my prayer regarding baptism as I am praying it right now:

Heavenly Father, Source and Giver of all wisdom, I come to you with a heart that seeks to obey you and to honor you. You have blessed me with four children. I have been wrestling with the idea of infant baptism vs. believers-only baptism. You have appeared to make it pretty clear to me that You have called my children into Your kingdom and into Your Church and I need to obey you in baptizing them. Your Word shows that You love children and do not want any to be turned away.

I grew up in a family and churches that did not practice infant baptism. Why am I sure that I am right on this and they are, in turn, wrong. I do not consider myself to be as strong in the biblical teaching as they are, but then again, there are many who agree with me that are far stronger than those in my circle. Obviously, these debate has raged for centuries, and I do wish the Bible was clearer on the matter, but You make things as clear as they need to be. Perhaps it is my blurred vision that distorts the picture. I pray that you will heal my spiritual blurred vision in this regard and others.

If I baptize my children, where should I do it? Where should I continue to go to church in the short-term. In the long-term? I have almost done many radical things, but held back. Usually, for the best. Is this something that I have to move on? Logistics doesn’t trump obedience, does it? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Help me to figure out the logistics and not rush into post-baptism commitments.

Thank you in advance for Your help and guidance.

In Jesus Christ’s name and for the sake of His Kingdom,

Amen

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Passage of the Day - January 13, 2013

Matthew 25:14-28

¹⁴“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. ¹⁶Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. ¹⁷In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
¹⁹“Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
²²“Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
²⁴“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. ²⁵And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
²⁶“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. ²⁷Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. ²⁸Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

Do SOMETHING!! Do something with what has been entrusted to you! The Holy Spirit has been screaming this at me lately. My children are the treasures God has entrusted to me and my over-analysis of baptism has prevented me from being fully engaged in their spiritual development. Well, no more! God willing, I will make a decision, one way or the other, by the end of this month. You are all free to hold me to it.

Passage of the Day - January 12, 2013

Revelation 3:15-16

¹⁵‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ¹⁶So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

This is a great transitional passage for my journey. This past month or so, I have taken you down two jogs of the journey I have been on. We have gone through verses regarding the Trinity and even more verses on baptism. The Trinity discussion I have closure on. The baptism discussion, I’m not there yet.

When I do Passage of the Day, it can often be very difficult to come up with a passage to use. I have been trying to allow the Holy Spirit to direct guide me in this lately. He has led me to this passage for today’s PoD.

This passage is interesting at this juncture because I have been analyzing changing churches. I have been going to a rock solid independent church that is best described as a cross between a Bible church, a Baptist church, and an Evangelical Free Church. It is twenty-five minutes away from home. It is the type of church I grew up with and it is one of the few of its kind that still uses traditional worship style and exegetical teaching. Due to me being an “expert” on all things Christian back when we were deciding on a church, I ignored any church that practiced infant baptism. Now, I’m not sure if that was wise. I have been investigating an Anglican (not Episcopalian) Church five minutes from home. There is still some more to investigate on other doctrinal issues, but I have pretty much come to the conclusion that baptizing my children is the right thing to do. However, since I know how big of a deal it is, I struggle with actually pulling the trigger and getting them baptized. I also struggle with changing churches as there is a good chance my family may be moving within a year to an area without an Anglican Church within a hundred miles. Uprooting my family from a church twice in the same year seems excessive. But, I ask, why the journey, then?

I believe God is telling me it is time to make a decision in this regard and in the regard of my other journey of finding my role in the Russian orphan ministry and advocacy against Human/Sex Trafficking. The time of fence sitting is over and it is trigger-pulling time.

Therefore, before going down the third leg of the journey, orphan advocacy, I will go through verses for decision making. Revelation 3:15-16 has always been a big one for me because Jesus is speaking like Mr. Miyagi and Yoda. How often does that happen? Since I don’t want to get squished like grape, I can no longer walk in the middle. As my father-in-law used to say, “Get in your lane, Schneider!” God does not care for passionless fence sitters who live out of fear of making mistakes rather than being guided by the Spirit. Sometimes decisions take leaps of faith. Radical changes in direction decisions show what faith really is.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Passage of the Day - January 11, 2013

Jeremiah 9:25-26

²⁵“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised— ²⁶Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”

I think one of the primary issues with those that argue against the practice of infant baptism is that there are many who abuse the practice and baptize their children and think they are saved. Perhaps they rely on the act of baptism without relying on Christ’s work for salvation. Perhaps they get their children baptized because that is what people in their church do.

The abuse of practices of the faith do not diminish their importance or their efficacy. There are many who falsely claim to be a believer and get baptized through immersion, too. No credobaptist would say that the practice of baptism should be done away with because some abuse the practice.

This passage shows that God cares about the heart more so than the act. The same is true of baptism. Being baptized pleases God when it is coupled with a life of faith and discipleship. Having a life of faith and discipleship without ever being baptized almost seems impossible. Being baptized without a life of faith and/or discipleship is of no value.

Passage of the Day - January 10, 2013

I Corinthians 7:12-16

¹²But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. ¹³And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. ¹⁶For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Unclean versus holy, there can be only one or the other. Let’s not get too distracted by the family circumstances laid out in this passage and let’s focus on the fact that God considers some children unclean and others as holy. Being children of believers can be holy, but how? Apparently, God has the authority to declare one to be holy, regardless of age. If one can be declared holy, or set apart, by God, then why can’t the child be baptized?

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Passage of the Day - January 9, 2013

Luke 11:37-41

³⁷Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. ³⁸When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal. ³⁹But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness.
⁴⁰You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.

The Greek word used in verse 38 regarding washing is ἐβαπτίσθη or ebaptisthē or he washed. But did the ceremonial washing include submerging the hands into water as submersion? The translation of baptize offers various meanings. Here a form of the word βαπτίζω, or baptize, is used, but the attached video shows what this ceremonial washing looks like:

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Passage of the Day - January 8, 2013

John 15:1-11

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ²Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. ³You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. ⁵I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. ⁷If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. ⁹Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

I come back to this passage because of questions regarding baptism and eternal security. This passage is often used by Arminians to show that eternal security is false. Despite these claims, we can see that it is possible to united with Christ and then pruned away from Christ by our failure to remain in Him. The question is, “How does one get grafted into the vine?” I would propose baptism is the primary form of grace that grafts us into the vine, not necessarily salvation. If they reject Christ or fail to abide in Him subsequent to the grafting, then they are pruned out.

Passage of the Day - January 7, 2013

Malachi 1:2-5

²“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob; ³but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.” ⁴Though Edom says, “We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins”; thus says the Lord of hosts, “They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the Lord is indignant forever.” ⁵Your eyes will see this and you will say, “The Lord be magnified beyond the border of Israel!”

Then the paedobaptist runs into this passage. The fate of Esau was decided before he was even born as seen in Genesis 25:23. If the fate of our children is decided before they are even born, then how will we know they will remain faithful to the Lord? What efficacy does baptism really have on an infant? What does it actually do? If Esau can forsake his birthright, can our children do the same? Can we? Can we who are reborn forsake the privileges our rebirth brings us? Is eternal security even true? When you dig deep into one theological area, it often opens Pandora’s Box.

Passage of the Day - January 6, 2013

Mark 2:14-17

¹⁴As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
¹⁵And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. ¹⁶When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

This verse adds quite a bit of spice to the topic of infant baptism. This passage shows us that the focus of Christ’s ministry is the wayward unbelievers, not the children of believing parents (who have already been instructed how to handle their children in Deuteronomy). Since the focus of Christ’s ministry is wayward unbelievers, then it should not surprise us that the Bible focuses on the conversion of wayward unbelievers.

Passage of the Day - January 5, 2013

Deuteronomy 6:1-15

“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, ²so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. ³O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁴“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! ⁵You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. ⁷You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. ⁸You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. ⁹You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
¹⁰“Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, ¹¹and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, ¹²then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ¹³You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. ¹⁴You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, ¹⁵for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.

Over and over again we see throughout Scripture the importance of children to God and our responsibility as parents to disciple them. The longevity of a people, a nation, or a church depends on the diligence in handing down its heritage. Is our individualism superseding our heritage? I often wonder if what we believe about Christianity is polluted by our individualism. If we weren’t as individualistic, would there be a question about infant baptism?

Passage of the Day - January 4, 2013

Psalm 22:9-10

⁹Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰Upon You I was cast from birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

This passage comes from the great prophetic poem of David that had much prophecy regarding Christ. However, David still wrote this poem.

When are we God’s? From the beginning.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Passage of the Day - January 3, 2013

Ezekiel 36:22-32

²²“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. ²³I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. ²⁴For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.
²⁵Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. ²⁶Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. ²⁸You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. ²⁹Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. ³⁰I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. ³¹Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. ³²I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!”

Does this passage refer to the Church or a yet to be restored nation of

Israel

? As far as the topic of baptism is concerned, I’m not sure it matters. Look at what God is promising in this passage and what baptism does. Isn’t it amazing that the purpose of baptism is so well explained in the Old Testament?

You will also notice that the water was sprinkled.

Most importantly, however, all of this was for God’s sake and His Name. This is something that must be remembered in baptism, as well. As I stated in earlier posts, we have a tendency to make baptism all about us joining the team as opposed to the grace God is giving. This holds true post-baptism as well. We all need a reminder that our whole purpose is to serve God and glorify His holy Name.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Passage of the Day - January 2, 2013

II Samuel 7:8-17

⁸“Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. ⁹I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. ¹⁰I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly,
¹¹even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. ¹²When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, ¹⁵but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” ¹⁷In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

Here is another covenant of God. God made a covenant with David that the house of David will always be the royal line of Israel. Israel may have had a civil breakdown, been enslaved to other nations, have a parliamentary democracy now, but no one has ever overthrown the Davidic line to become king of an independent Israel. In fact, Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as King. Jesus, a legal descendent of David, came to Jerusalem and within a week was killed and rose again. Of course, His kingdom cannot be overthrown and He will come back to claim which is His.

You will note that, once again, this covenant applies to David and his descendants.

Through the covenant with Noah, God chose mankind. Through the covenant with Abraham, God chose His people. Through the covenant with Moses, God chose His nation. Through the covenant with David, God chose His royal line. Through Christ, God established His Church and His Kingdom. Through baptism, God expands His territory.

Passage of the Day - January 1, 2013

Exodus 24:1-8

Then He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance. ²Moses alone, however, shall come near to the Lord, but they shall not come near, nor shall the people come up with him.”

³Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!” ⁴Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the Lord.
⁶Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. ⁷Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” ⁸So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

After delivering His people via the Ten Plagues and saving His people via the water of the Red Sea that was parted, God established another covenant with His people. FYI, those who the Red Sea was parted for are the ones this covenant was applied to. This includes the children and infants who were carried through by their parents.

This covenant involved the shedding of blood and the blood being sprinkled on the people as a sign of being covered by, committed to, and a part of the covenant.

Through the covenant with Noah, God chose mankind. Through the covenant with Abraham, God chose His people. Through the covenant with Moses, God chose His nation.