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Understanding Scripture in Light of a Jewish Timeline

God’s Watchman

Ezekiel is probably best known as God’s Watchman. So, how did that come about? Let’s look and see.

After Ezekiel had his vision of God’s glory, scripture states the Holy Spirit entered into him (Ek 2:2). God then gives Ezekiel a charge and a mission. Ezekiel is to present God’s words to Israel. Even through the people would be stubborn and not listen to him, Ezekiel was being held responsible for delivering God’s message, but not responsible for their acceptance of the message. Nothing was to deter Ezekiel from his mission and message (Ek 2:7). Even if the people did not listen, they would know a prophet had been among them (Ek 2:5).

Isn’t this a good message for us as well? Often, we get discouraged because those we talk to about God and his goodness and his desire to have a relationship with them do not listen to us or take action on what we tell them. Yet, just as God told Ezekiel, we are to obey in giving the message, but not concern ourselves about who responds to it. After all, that is between them and God. We should not try to take God’s responsibility onto ourselves. We are just to obey.

Ezekiel was then charged to eat a scroll which contained words of lament, mourning, and woe (Ek 2:9). He found it sweet as he ate it. One could argue if this was symbolic or literal, but the point is, God was equipping Ezekiel with his message to give to the people. God told Ezekiel he would make Ezekiel just as stubborn in delivering his message as the people would be in disobeying God’s words to them. This message made Ezekiel extremely distressed (Ek 2:12-15). After all, it was a message of doom—not something someone—anyone—would want to deliver to people they know and love.

God told Ezekiel he was to be a Watchman for Israel (Ek 3:16). Just like a watchman watching for a city’s safety, he was to warn. A watchman who did not warn would be considered negligent in their duty to their king and their city. In other words, not doing their job would be treasonous. This is what God told Ezekiel: if he did not warn the people, he would be held accountable, but if he warned and they would not listen, he would be considered innocent because he had warned. But, if they did listen, then he would be saving both himself and his countrymen (Ek 3:16-21). And that’s a good message for us today. We can only warn. We cannot make people listen and act.

Although Ezekiel had a very hard message to deliver, it was truth and the people needed to hear it. While they were God’s chosen people, they neglected their responsibility of that promise. They had strayed so far from God and his principles; they didn’t even know they were adrift. God had to get their attention. If they didn’t listen, the consequence would be severe. It was a dire necessity that Ezekiel deliver it. We, too, have a message to give to the world. It is a message of hope, but consequences of not heeding such a message can be dire and eternal. Let us, like Ezekiel, be vigilant in our delivery of the message.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Did Ezekiel see a UFO?

Many people see Ezekiel’s vision in the first chapter of the book by his name as evidence that even the Bible supports the presence of UFOs. Is that really true? Let’s investigate.

Ezekiel saw this vision in the fifth year of his Babylonian captivity. He was 30 years old at the time. The vision was something quite extraordinary, to say the least. First, Ezekiel saw a large, dark, storm cloud come toward him from the north. Yet, this was no ordinary storm cloud. It was surrounded with brightness with lightning within it. Yet, within the center of this cloud was something that looked like molten metal gleaming, and from which the lightning originated. It must have looked quite ominous. If you’ve seen the movie Independence Day, it may have looked something like that, but with more light exuding within and without the billowing, folding dark cloud.

So, we first must ask ourselves if this is unique to Ezekiel, or did this occur before? Well, if we go back to the book of Exodus, we see something similar to this. When Moses and the children of Israel gathered at Mt. Sinai after their exodus from Egypt, something similar occurred. They also saw a tremendous black, rolling cloud come toward them from the north, with thunder and lightning, and it descend upon the mountain in front of them (Ex 19:18; Dt 33:2).

Ezekiel then saw what he called four living creatures (Ek 1:5) or cherubim (Ek 10:1). These creatures appeared to have four faces, with each facing a different direction: the face of a man was in one direction with that of an eagle opposite it; to the right was the face of a lion with that of an ox opposite it. The creatures each had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides, they had human hands. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. Each creature had two wings: one set was outstretched and long enough to touch the wings of the other creature near it; the other pair covered their bodies. Each creature traveled straight forward, appearing to dart in all directions, appearing like flashes of lightning. This is how one would expect a sentry to perform if it is protecting something or someone.

It is interesting that when the tabernacle was first erected, three tribes, with their standards, camped on each side of the tabernacle. There was one main tribe on each side. Reuben (with the face of man as its standard) was on the South, Dan (with the image of an eagle as its standard) was on the North, Judah (with the image of a lion as its standard) was on the East, and Ephraim (with the image of an ox as its standard) was on the West. Some have also indicated that these represent the four gospels and their portrayal of the characteristics of Christ: Matthew (kingly nature of Christ, as the lion), Mark (humanity of Christ), Luke (heavenly origin of Christ, as the eagle), and John (the servitude of Christ, as the ox).

We also see how cherubim were portrayed throughout scripture: guarded Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden (Gn 3:24); their replicas placed on the Ark of the Covenant depicted paying deference to the center of the Mercy Seat where the Shekinah glory of God was to appear to the High Priest in the Holy of Holies (Ex 25:19-22); on the veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies – protecting where God dwells (Ex 26:31); in various places throughout the curtains of the tabernacle and on walls of the temple (Ex 36:8; 1Ki 6:29); and two giant cherubim in the Holy of Holies in the temple (1Ki 6:27). In addition, we see these four creatures again in Revelation where they stand before God’s throne and sing praise to him (Rv 1:13-16). It seems each time we encounter these creatures, they are associated with protecting God’s throne and his holiness.

Then, next to these creatures were four “wheels.” These appeared to be two wheels together at perpendicular angles, so they could travel in any direction. They were also large and had what appeared to be “eyes” along their rims (Ek 1:15-18). Some have proposed that these “wheels” convey certain characteristics of God: the mobility of the wheels suggest the omnipresence of God; the eyes represent God’s omniscience; and their elevated position represent God’s omnipotence.

Then, above these creatures was a canopy that looked like crystal and on top of this canopy sat what appeared to be a throne, bright blue in color like that of a sapphire. And on this throne sat one who from the waist up looked as bright as molten metal, and from the waist downward the appearance of fire (Ek 1:27-28). You can imagine how awe-inspiring all of this was to Ezekiel. We also see something similar in Revelation where Christ appeared to the apostle John (Rv  1:13-16). We also see someone who appeared to Moses, Aaron, his sons, and the elders of Israel at Mt. Sinai who they met and ate with. This one was sitting on something which appeared the color of sapphire (Ex 24:9-11). It would seem Israel experienced both God, the first part of the Godhead, as well as the pre-incarnate form of Christ, the second part of the Godhead. This second part of the Godhead was always the one who appeared, and revealed himself, to man.

The response of both Ezekiel and John were the same. They both fell facedown (Ek 1:28; Rv 1:17). They were so overwhelmed, knew they were in the presence of someone greater than themselves, and felt very unworthy to be in his presence.

So, despite some who try to make this into an alien encounter, it is actually Ezekiel being visited by God who was revealing his glory to Ezekiel (Ek 1:28). Of course, if you want to get technical, you could claim this to be an unworldly encounter as God is not of this world, although it is part of his creation (Gn 1). Also, Ezekiel saw this vision of God’s glory several times (Ek 1:4-28, 2:12-14, 3:23, 10:1-22, 11:22-23). In addition, we have already seen that both Moses and John also saw something similar to what Ezekiel saw. Something similar is also described several times in the book of Psalms (Ps 80:1, 99:1, 104:3-4).

So, what was the point of God revealing himself to Ezekiel in this manner? Well, I guess only God knows, but it could be some of the following: this proved to Ezekiel he was receiving a message from God, proved to Ezekiel he was the same God as who appeared to Moses, and seeing God’s glory helped Ezekiel feel confident in his message to those who may doubt him. In addition, it showed that even though Ezekiel and many other Jews were now in Babylonian captivity, God had not abandoned them, he still loved them, and he wanted them to obey and love him in return.

Doesn’t God still do that with us today? How many times do we fail him? Yet, he still loves us and gives us more chances. While his patience with us will not last forever, we can be confident that he still loves us no matter what and keeps giving us opportunities to receive him, love him, and obey him. Our God is really a great God, isn’t he? And this passage helps us understand just how great and marvelous he really is!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Why Study Ezekiel?

The book of Ezekiel has a lot to do with us understanding Biblical prophecy. Many think Biblical prophecy only refers to what is in Revelation, but, believe it or not, there is more in the Old Testament about future prophecy than is in the New Testament. Ezekiel is a key book to our understanding of our future.

But first, we need to understand the time in which Ezekiel lived. Both Jeremiah and Daniel were contemporary prophets to Ezekiel, although Ezekiel was the youngest of the three. Daniel was ten years younger than Jeremiah, and Ezekiel was 6 years younger than Daniel. Ezekiel was born during the time of King Josiah, who was the last good king of Judah. Josiah became king when he was only 8 years of age. Over the next 12 years, he started making many reforms and instituted the largest celebration of Passover since the time of the prophet Samuel (2Ch 35:18). When Josiah was about 25 years of age, he started making significant temple repairs and discovered the book of The Law in the temple remains (2Ch 34:8-21). This was the time in which Ezekiel was born.

Ezekiel was born into a time of revival in Judah and Jerusalem. Since he was the son of a priest (Ek 1:3), he likely grew up with a full knowledge of who God was and of God’s significance not only for Judah, but for him personally. He was likely trained to be a priest after his father. When Ezekiel was 13 years of age, king Josiah went to fight King Necho of Egypt (2Ch 35:20). The reason for him doing this is not clear. Yet, the Scythians had ruled Palestine during the time of Josiah and they had good relations and allowed Josiah’s reforms to spread all the way to north of Galilee in Naphtali (2Ch 34:6-7). Because some of the Scythians had plotted with Babylon against the Assyrians, Josiah may have wanted to prevent King Necho from reaching the Assyrians to provide aid. More than likely, Necho wanted the Assyrians and Babylonians to annihilate each other so he could regain control of the area.

Josiah headed off King Necho and his army at Megiddo, the pass through the Carmel mountains as one comes up the Way of the Sea (2Ch 35:22). Yet, Josiah was wounded with an arrow, was taken back to Jerusalem, and died (2Ch 35:23-24). King Necho and his Egyptian army headed to Carchemish where the battle between Assyria and Babylon commenced. While Babylon conquered Assyria, Necho pushed the Babylonians back. Likely to show his dominance, and probably for spite, King Necho took Josiah’s son, Jehoahaz, to Egypt and put Josiah’s eldest son, Eliakim as king and changed his name to Jehoiakim (2Ch 36:1-4).

It seems King Necho went back to Carchemish and was this time defeated by the Babylonians, through the skill of Nebuchadnezzar, and pushed Necho all the way back to the Egyptian border. Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem and captured Jehoiakim. Yet, he was called back to Babylon because of the death of his father Nabopolassar. He therefore left Jehoiakim in charge put imposed taxation (2Ch 36:5-7). He also took many prominent people captive at this time—one of them being Daniel, who was likely 23 years of age at the time.

A few years later, Egypt and Babylon fight in Gaza. Although Babylon wins, they encounter heavy losses by the hand of Egypt. Jehoiakim then decides he will no longer pay taxes to Babylon. Three years later, Nebuchadnezzar returns to Jerusalem to collect his taxes. Before he arrives, Jehoiakim is killed by a raiding party, being thrown over the city’s wall (2Ki 23:2; Jr 36:30-31). His son, Jehoiachin, is made king, but reigns for only three months before Nebuchadnezzar arrives, who deposes Jehoiachin and made Josiah’s other son, Mattaniah, king and changed his name to Zedekiah (2Ch 36:9-10). Jehoiachin is taken to Babylon with about 10,000 other captives—one of whom was Ezekiel, being 25 years of age. So, Ezekiel is taken away from the temple before he was able to become a priest. Priests must be 30 years of age to be a priest (Nu 4:23).

Ezekiel is taken to a Tel-Abib, a place just south of Babylon on the Chebar canal which is a tributary of the Euphrates River. After being in captivity for five years, God gives him a vision and charges him to be a prophet to both those Jews in Babylonian captivity and to those Jews back in Jerusalem.

It is interesting that God revealed himself to Ezekiel when Ezekiel turned thirty, the age he would have begun his priestly duties at the temple if he was still in Jerusalem. God gave him an even greater duty—to be a prophet to the people he was to have served as a priest. He was still going to be serving them and pointing them to God in a way he never would have as a priest.

The same can be true for us as well if we are willing. While we have plans that seem to fail, if we trust in what God has for us, we may find he has something even greater in store for us than we could ever have imagined. Are you looking for that opportunity? That is what God is looking for. Have the right attitude and the willing heart and God will use you mightily. I wish you much success in your walk with the Lord.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

How to Start the New Year

Well, another year is upon us. Did you make any resolutions this year? Now, the real question: do you plan to keep them? Resolutions are hard—and hard to keep. Does the Bible have anything to say about this? Let’s look at the Jewish New Year. While this is not really a new year, per se, as it is in the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, I think it can tell us a lot. Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year, occurs on the first day of the seventh month, Tishri, in the Jewish calendar. When this festival was first instituted, it was called the Feast of Trumpets (Lv 23:23-25). While all the Jewish festivals were memorial feasts, meaning they were to be a remembrance of something, this one was specifically called out to be such (Lv 23:24; Nu 10:10). The sound of trumpets was made to request God to remember his covenant with Israel, his chosen people. The reason becomes clear if we look at when this feast was instituted after Israel had lapses of celebration of these assigned feasts.

There are at least three examples of this (2Ch 5; Er 3; Ne 8). Let’s take a brief look at each one. Solomon dedicated his temple to God in the seventh month (2Ch 5:3). When the exiles returned after their Babylonian captivity, they dedicated their service to God starting on the first day of the seventh month (Er 3:6). Then, once the temple was completed, they again dedicated it to God starting on the first day of the seventh month (Ne 8:2). Did you notice the similarity? Each time, they wanted God to be in on their dedication. They wanted God to remember his covenant with them as they declared their dedication to him. Why? The Day of Atonement where judgment was to be imputed was coming in just a few days. An individual could not stand on their own merit, they needed to stand on the covenant God made with them before they could stand before a Holy God. Only by God remembering his covenant with them could they ever hope to come out unscathed.

So, in our first month of our new year, shouldn’t we do something similar? While we are not bound to these Israelite customs from the Old Testament, they do provide good analogies for us to follow. Before we start the year out with our agendas, we should first turn to God and be sure we are on the same page with him. Let’s let our agenda be part of his agenda. That’s how these Israelites dedicated themselves so they would be on the same page as God. Are we on the same page with God? Maybe starting our year off with prayer and meditation would be the best way to start out our new year. Now, that’s a resolution to take to heart. Wouldn’t you agree?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

When Did the Magi Come?

We normally see the Magi at the manger in the Christmas story, but is that when they actually came? Believe it or not, Scripture tells us a different story. If you’ve been following previous posts, you already know Christ was likely born on Shavuot, and, if Rick Larson’s work is accurate, in June of 2 BC. Other work he has done has shown that the Magi visited Mary and the baby on December 25, 2 BC. One could argue whether that was serendipitous or divinely appointed. Either way, it’s still very cool! That would make Christ around 6 months of age. Does that line up with scripture? Let’s see.

The Bible tells us the Magi arrived at a house and saw the child (a different word than for infant; Mt 2:11). So, what Larson has discovered about Christ’s birth, and what we have discovered about the prophetic meanings behind Rosh Hashanah and Shavuot, seem to line up perfectly with what Matthew tells us. The Magi found a child, not an infant when they visited Mary in the house. I just find that exciting!

How did the house come into the picture? If Mary and Joseph were just there until they could get back to Nazareth, then why were they in a house? Well, people at this time in history almost routinely stayed with relatives when they visited. This was the custom at this time. It was the expected thing to do. Also, Mary would be considered unclean for a time as she gave birth and for some time afterward. By being unclean, what she would touch would become unclean, so Joseph likely found shelter at Migdal Eder, the watchtower of the flock, so she could have the baby without contaminating a crowded house. Then, once her purification was over, she could come back to the house and be welcomed and well taken care of. And this is likely where the Magi, the Wise Men, found Jesus: in the house of one of the relatives of Joseph where Mary and Joseph were temporarily staying. I just love how all of this comes together and makes such perfect sense.

The next piece is why did Herod kill all boys two years of age and younger? If you recall from previous posts, the Magi began to see the signs in the heavens even before Christ’s conception. If you recall, his conception between Mary and the Holy Spirit occurred on Rosh Hashanah when Israel would ask God to remember his covenant with his people (and when Jupiter, the king planet, converged with Venus, the mother planet). Nine months later, Jesus was born on Shavuot (the feast which has held many paradigm shifts which God has orchestrated). Six months after his birth, the Magi show up.

When Herod asked the Magi when they began to see these signs in the heavens (Mt 2:7), he couldn’t be sure how old the baby had become when these men from the east showed up at his doorstep. He just knew that the time from when they started seeing these signs until their arrival was almost two years. Therefore, just to be sure, he had all boy babies two years and younger killed. Better safe than sorry, as they say—at least to his way of thinking. It seems unconscionable to us, but this was not the first act of lunacy this Herod had done in his lifetime.

So, it was all timed perfectly. The meaning in the stars so these Magi could understand, the meaning in the Jewish festivals so the Jews could understand, the recording in scripture so we could understand—these events and their timing were all planned from the very beginning of time. Can you grasp that? Can you see why Christmas is such a magical time of the year? So, why in December? There are many reasons and although part of it deals with a pagan holiday, I hope you can see there is more underlying this magical story than just that. The Magi came to Christ in December. The Winter solstice, very near Christmas, is the shortest day of the year—the longest night. Christ, the light of the world, came and the darkness started to recede. Isn’t that what he does for us individually as well? He brings us light and the darkness within us recedes as his light takes over!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The Christmas Story – A Nontraditional View

Joseph had to return to Bethlehem to get registered for the taxation which was being implemented (Lk 2:1-3). He was from the lineage of King David, and Bethlehem was David’s hometown (Lk 2:4-5). With Mary being pregnant and on the journey with him, it took longer than normal to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Yet, there were so many people traveling for this same issue, the roads were likely safer than they ever were previously. Yet, it took a lot out on Mary.

Joseph knew he at least didn’t have to worry about a place to stay. Or he didn’t think he would. He knew of a close relative who still lived in Bethlehem and would be more than willing to allow them to stay there. After all, this was the custom of the day. But Joseph was shocked when he arrived in this usually small, quaint, and slow-moving town just outside Jerusalem. It had never been more crowded and was literally bursting at its seams. He wondered if he would have trouble getting a welcome after all.

He found his relative’s house and knocked. Joseph was now filled with apprehension. His cousin opened the door. He had a haggard look on his face, but it turned into a smile when he saw Joseph. The two of them embraced. Joseph stepped aside to introduce Mary as his wife, but his cousin’s face went from a smile to a frown once he saw the evidence of her pregnancy. His cousin’s wife did the same, but then quickly recovered and invited them in. His cousin’s house was already full of people, yet room was made for Mary to lie down and recover from her long trip. After seeing everyone and talking for a while, his cousin invited Joseph to join him outside. His cousin explained that at any other time, Joseph and Mary would be welcomed in his home, but Mary’s pregnancy complicated things. Joseph nodded because he knew that as well. The guest room was already full of additional relatives (Lk 2:7). There was just no place for Mary to have her baby. Joseph knew it wasn’t only about privacy, which very few people ever had, but Mary would be considered unclean for at least a month after the baby would be born (Lv 12:1-4). Anything and anyone she touched during this time would also be unclean (Lv 15:19-23). This was just an untenable situation in such a crowded house. Joseph assured his cousin he understood and would find other arrangements before the baby would be born. His cousin asked him to hurry because it looked like it would happen any day now.

Looking for a place proved more difficult than Joseph thought. Because all the houses were so crowded, most could not bring their animals into their home at night as normal. Therefore, even the outside areas for animals were filled to capacity, and some people had to stay all night outside with the animals to prevent robbers from taking them or them wandering off in the middle of the night. Finding a place to have a baby proved extremely difficult. Joseph began looking outside the main town area itself. He found a shelter at Migdal Eder, the watchtower of the flock (Mi 4:8). The fields around Bethlehem were the places where the priest shepherds watched over the temple flock. There were special requirements for sheep being offered as a temple sacrifice and these shepherds took extra diligence to ensure these sheep were without blemish for sacrifice. Midgal Eder was a place where they ensured the lambs born were protected and where they inspected them. They would wrap each newborn lamb in cloths to help calm the animal and place it in a special manger so they could inspect the animal for any blemish. The cloths also protected the animal so it wouldn’t do any damage to itself as the shepherd inspected it.

The time of birthing sheep had recently ended, so there was no competition for using the shelter at Migdal Eder (Mi 4:8). While not ideal by our standards, I’m sure Joseph considered it almost ideal, and he likely felt fortunate. It was a place still in Bethlehem, so relatives were close by if needed. Likely some of them helped with the baby’s delivery. The watchtower was almost abandoned that time of year, although it likely contained supplies for the shepherds and likely a donkey or two for hauling supplies. It may have had other animals for various needs: milk, carrying cargo, and maybe even food. It provided a quiet place for Mary to have her baby and would be a place to stay until her uncleanness was over. Afterward, she could be welcomed back into the crowded house. Then everyone would ooh and aah over the infant.

Once the cramping started, Joseph led Mary out to Midgal Eder on their donkey. Likely a few of the women went with him. It was now June, the time of Shavuot—a Jewish holiday which represented paradigm shifts and the inclusion of non-Israelites: Israel as a nation was born this day (Ex 19), both Rahab and Ruth, both Gentiles, were accepted into Judaism on this day (Js 5-6; Ru 1-4), now Christ, the one born for the salvation of the entire world was being born on this day. In days to come, it would be when the Holy Spirit would be given (Ac 2) and the Church, both Jew and Gentile who put their belief in what Christ did for them on the cross, was established. Yes, this was a date of many paradigm changes.

Joseph thought back on the things Mary had told him. The angel Gabriel had appeared to her in the sixth month (Lk 1:26), just before Rosh Hashanah which occurred on the first day of the seventh month (Lv 23:23-25). He now understood this was the time of the baby’s conception by the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35). Thanks to the Jewish leaders adding Adar II to their calendar, this Shavuot was now nine months later. The baby was conceived on Rosh Hashanah when all of Israel asked God to remember his covenant with his chosen nation. Now, the baby was being born on Shavuot when God instituted paradigm changes and when Gentiles were accepted. He was now being born at Midgal Eder where the sheep born to be temple sacrifices were born—where they were wrapped in swaddling cloths and placed in the manger for inspection. Joseph looked at this one born on this Jewish holiday. Did he recognize all the symbolism God had bestowed on this special day? Did the shepherds? They were the ones who provided lambs and goats for temple sacrifice. Now, this baby was lying in their special manager wrapped in cloths they used to swaddle newborn lambs so they could inspect them for any blemishes. Did they understand the significance? Do we?

After the baby was born, Joseph wanted to get back to Nazareth, but knew he needed to wait until the baby was older and stronger. His cousin insisted he stay with them a few months until the baby and mother could travel. When the time of purification was over, Joseph took Mary to the temple in Jerusalem to offer her offering of purification (Lk 2:22-24; Lv 12:6-7). This is where they met Simon and Anna who prophesied about Jesus (Lk 2:22-38). They then returned to the house in Bethlehem where they were staying. When Jesus was about six months old, they were visited by the Magi who gave the child gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Mt 2:1-12). These men told Mary and Joseph all they had seen and heard. An angel appeared to Joseph to have him take Mary and Jesus to Egypt (Mt 2:13) so he would not get killed by Herod’s order to kill all infants two years old and younger (Mt 2:16). Once Herod died, Joseph came back to Israel with Mary and Jesus, and took them to Nazareth (Mt 2:19-23).

While this is not the usual Christmas story, it seems to align more closely with scripture and with what the Jewish holidays represented. These Jewish holidays which God instituted with Israel back in Leviticus when he first formed their nation have many purposes. A significant purpose is their prophetic significance. Jesus’ conception and birth are two of them. Isn’t it interesting how God coordinates so much, and we take so much of it for granted? The Bible is full of such wonderment if we only look. May we be more attentive to what God is doing in our lives as we embark on the coming year.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

When was Christ Born?

We all know Christ was born on Christmas, right? Well, that’s when we celebrate his birth, but chances are, this was not his actual birth date. When was it? Let’s see if we can discover.

Rick Larson has done a lot of research about the star of Bethlehem. There are several significant points of time we need to consider:

1.      When did the sign in the sky first appear? It seems to have been in September of 3 BC near the time of Rosh Hashanah when the king planet (Jupiter) came into a conjunction with the king star (Regulus). Yet, over the next few months, it did this three times—all within Leo (the lion constellation). In other words, Jupiter went into retrograde motion three times over a period of a few months. The lion has always been a symbol of the tribe of Judah.

2.      In June of 2 BC, Jupiter had a conjunction with Venus (the mother planet) within Virgo (the virgin constellation).

3.      Then on December 25, 2 BC, the planet Jupiter went into retrograde motion and seemed to stand over the town of Bethlehem. This was when the Magi visited Mary and Joseph to see the king who had been born.

Before we go further, we also need to understand something about the Feast of Israel which occurred around September and June and what they represented:

1.      Feast of Weeks (Pentecost; Shavuot): This is a feast about paradigm changes. Israel became a chosen nation before God when they stood around Mount Sinai on Shavuot (Ex 24:1-8). The incorporation of Rahab and Ruth (both Gentiles) into the nation of Israel occurred on or near Shavuot (Js 6:25; Ru 4:13). This is what the two loaves (Lv 23:17) made on this feast, both containing leaven, represented: the inclusion of everyone into God’s plan. This was a mystery to Israel until Shavuot in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit was given, and the birth of the Church began. This was the mystery to which Paul referred and of which he preached (Ep 3:6).

2.      Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah): This was a feast to request God to remember his covenant with the nation of Israel (Lv 23:24). You see, Yom Kippur would soon come where they would be judged. They, just as we, had no righteousness on their own. Therefore, they needed God’s mercy and requested he remember his covenant where they would be his people forever. We have evidence of this when Solomon dedicated his temple (2Ch 5:3, 7:8-10), when the altar of the temple was rebuilt (Er 3:1, 6), and when the wall of Jerusalem was completed (Ne 8:1-2).

3.      Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): This feast was to represent God dwelling with his people. Yet, this is more representative of Christ’s second coming than his first. We’ll revisit this later.

So, what can we put together from all these pieces of information? We see that the New Testament opens with the birth of Christ. The time from Malachi to Christ’s birth has often been referred to as the Four Hundred Years of Silence. God remembered his covenant with his chosen people Israel, and did so in a big way. God appeared to Mary and stated she would have a child. If Larson is right, Christ’s conception occurred in September of 3 BC, on Rosh Hashanah. From what we have seen about this feast, it would be consistent with God remembering his covenant.

Nine months later puts us into June. What occurred around this time period? Well, Shavuot is typically around this time, but Shavuot is not typically nine months from Rosh Hashanah. From Tishri 1 of 3 BC (Rosh Hashanah) to Sivan 6 (Shavuot) would typically be just a little over eight months (243 days)—not quite enough time for a normal gestation period (average time: 280 days). Yet, something interesting happened this year. In 3 BC an extra month, Adar II, was added to the Jewish calendar. This was periodically added to realign the Jewish feasts with the seasons of the year since the Jewish calendar was a lunar calendar, not a solar calendar. Adding this extra month allowed the two calendars to realign. This added 29 more days to the time between these two feasts. Now, the time between the two feasts was 272 days—very close to the average normal gestation period. After all, it’s an average, with some babies born a little earlier and some born a little later. It seems appropriate he could come a little early. After all, he had an important job to fulfill! This would mean Christ’s conception was likely on September 10th of 3 BC, and his birth was likely on June 8th of 2 BC (although, some say June 2nd). The angels appeared to the Shepherds at Midgal Eder, the Watchtower of the Flock, to announce Christ’s birth. These Shepherds who watched over the sheep for sacrifice were trained in rabbinical law of the requirements for sacrifice and had to ensure all lambs were without blemish. The angels appeared to them to let them know their job was now obsolete. The sacrificial lamb for which they had long awaited was now lying in their manger wrapped in the swaddling cloths they use to wrap newborn lambs to keep them calm for their inspection to ensure they were without blemish.

Therefore, what Rick Larson has discovered in the stars seems to align with these Jewish feasts and the meaning behind them. I just think that is fascinating. Yet, I know many feel Christ was born on Sukkot. After all, isn’t that what his prophesied name, Immanuel (Is 7:14; Mt 1:23), was supposed to mean: God with us? Yet, although Christ did offer his kingdom upon his first coming (Mt 4:17), that was rejected (Mt 16:21). In addition, Matthew records the angel Gabriel stated to name him Jesus (Mt 1:21), meaning, “he will save his people from their sins,” which is what he did by paying our sin debt, fulfilling the mystery of how the whole world would get incorporated into his Kingdom, and setting the stage for the time when he will come again and truly dwell with his people as the King of kings (Rv 17:14, 19:16).

There is one other supportive piece of information which this timing seems to support. Why was Jesus brought to the temple when he was twelve rather than being the normal thirteen years of age? According to the Mishnah, even in the first century, thirteen was the age of questioning in the Commandments for a male. It seems this is what was going on and he amazed them all in his answers to their questions (Lk 2:47). If he had been born on Sukkot, he would have been almost fourteen years of age when he visited the temple at that Passover. Yet, Scripture reports he was twelve (Lk 2:42), because his birthday would have been just a couple of months later.

Isn’t it amazing how Scripture and events go together like hand in glove? God is not a God of accidents. He has a purposeful plan. It helps to also know he has a purposeful plan for us as well. Are you listening to what he has planned for you? More than likely, it will be pretty special.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Birth of Christ—Alternative View?

A baby, a stable, shepherds, wise men, and animals—is there an alternative view to the birth of Christ? Well, yes and no. Don’t you love it when someone gives you such an answer? But it’s the truth. Tradition and reality don’t always jive in all details. So, let’s take a closer look at the Christmas story.

First, the birth place: Bethlehem. Back in the first century, this was not a booming town. Even when the prophecy was given by Micah (Mi 5:2), it was not a booming town. It is only about six miles south of Jerusalem and was not a city where many people traveled since it wasn’t on a major Roman road of the day. Besides, even if someone was on such a road, would they stay in Bethlehem when Jerusalem was so close? In addition, the custom of the day was for family to stay with family—not in an inn or other places of abode. Inns were more common in large cities, like Jerusalem, and perhaps on major thoroughfares, as travelers would not have close relatives nearby, because they had not arrived at their final destination where family likely were located. In addition, the word used here was more typically used for a spare room (Lk 22:11) rather than a separate lodging (Lk 11:22) which uses a different word for such. Also, Bethlehem was a shepherding community and not one where travelers would frequently travel through. For someone to go to a place like Bethlehem, they had to be wanting to go there—not passing through. Therefore, the need for an inn was very low, and the number of visitors an innkeeper would get would likely be too low to make it profitable. The fields around Bethlehem were where the flocks for temple worship were kept and raised. This is a critical point for us to consider later.

When did Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem? Most movies and plays about this story have them arriving while Mary is delivering, and Joseph is desperate to find a place—any place—anywhere. But is that what scripture is really telling us? Luke tells us that Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem and “while they were there” she had her baby (Lk 2:6). This doesn’t sound like this was an immediate need or crisis. So, where were they? Well, since Joseph was of the lineage of David, he had to travel to his ancestor David’s birthplace, i.e., Bethlehem. Therefore, he would have relatives there. As we just pointed out, relatives stayed with relatives. Let’s not put our social mores on this concept. Often, we would gladly stay in an inn than with relatives, but this was not the case in this culture. It was a privilege and honor, as well as a duty, to take care of visiting relatives, no matter the occasion. So, if they were with relatives, where did the stable, animals, shepherds, etc. come into the story? Let’s consider that.

Because of the need for so many people to come to Bethlehem because of the tax registration, Bethlehem became crowded—very crowded. Joseph and Mary were only one couple among hundreds to thousands who had to return. People’s homes were very crowded and filled to capacity. Mary and Joseph were very welcome to stay until she was ready to deliver. It may sound cold to us today, but Mary would not have been welcomed to have her baby in a house filled with so many people. This is for two major reasons. One, there was no privacy. Second, she would be considered unclean for up to a week (Lv 15:19-23). But it is even more complicated as this passage tells us. Everything she touches, everyone she touches, becomes unclean. That is a problem in a house filled with so many people. The logistics to have Mary there as she gives birth and for the week after becomes untenable. Joseph must find a solution. Where could Joseph take Mary where she could be taken care of in such a crowded place where there wasn’t an inn? Think about it, even if there was an inn, would an innkeeper want a delivery in his inn where his room, of which he would likely have few, would become unclean? It would be a big burden to get everything clean again. Certain things would have to be washed, some scrubbed, and some destroyed (Lv 15:12). So, as you can see, this was quite the dilemma for Joseph and Mary due to the customs and social mores of their day.

So, where could Joseph find a secluded place that would not be a burden to others, yet would be comfortable for Mary to have her child? Migdal Eder. You see, God knew this all those years ago and had Micah prophesy of this (Mi 4:8). Joseph likely didn’t even know he was fulfilling prophecy. He was just looking for a logical, viable, and satisfactory solution to their need. You see, because Bethlehem was not only a shepherding community, but it was also a special shepherding community. The shepherds here were not regular shepherds but were trained for how to raise sheep for the purpose of them being used as a sacrifice at the temple. Not just any animal could become a sacrifice. It had to be without blemish. Do you realize how hard it is to have an unblemished animal in the wild? All sorts of things could happen to the animal. These shepherds had to ensure nothing happened to these animals. It wasn’t just taking care of them, mending their injuries, and making them acceptable for human use. No, it was raised to another whole level. If the animal was injured, they were no longer acceptable for sacrifice, even if the animal recovered. It was now considered blemished. So, in order to ensure things went well with the sheep birthing process, a special place was made for the sheep to have their lambs. This was at Migdal Eder, the watchtower of the flock (Mi 4:8; Gn 35:21). They built a place here. Maybe it was a cave or some type of shelter for both the shepherds, their supplies, and likely other animals they would need to take supplies from Bethlehem or from Jerusalem to this shelter for them to use as they watched after the sheep. When the lambs were being prepared for sacrifice, they would swaddle them to prevent the lambs from hurting themselves. They would then place them in the manger there made especially for this purpose to calm the animal so it could more easily be inspected for any blemishes. Because of these lambs’ special religious nature, nothing was taken for chance. All was a very methodical process to ensure each and every animal was without blemish (Ex 12:5). They tried to remove all obstacles that would cause or induce injury.

Are you starting to see the symbolism here? Do you now see why swaddling was a significant sign? All babies were wrapped in swaddling clothes—that was their custom. Yet, only one was wrapped in swaddling cloth normally used for lambs born to become a sacrifice. And only one was wrapped in swaddling cloth, lying in the manger at Midgal Eder. The angel’s announcement was very specific and not vague at all. This was a significant sign, and one I am sure was not lost on these shepherds. This also explains why angels appeared to these shepherds—because they were not ordinary shepherds, but the ones taking care of sheep for sacrifice. The angels were basically stating that their jobs were now complete. The lamb they were waiting for had come. He was in their shelter, their stable, their manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes for special lambs born at Midgal Eder. This lamb was not just for a special sacrifice for someone’s sin debt, but for payment for the sins of the entire world.

I hope this helps you see that Biblical prophecy is there for a reason and while the Christmas story may seem bizarre to us today, it was a very specific sign to the people of their day. It was prophesied and fulfilled exactly as prophesied. Nothing is an accident with our God!

Next time, we’ll look at some other aspects of the Christmas story.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Why Did Angels Appear to Shepherds?

We just can’t have a Christmas play without angels appearing to shepherds, can we? Why is that? Angels appeared to these shepherds to announce the birth of Christ (Lk 2:8-9). The prophet Micah stated the Messiah’s first coming would be announced at Migdal Eder, the watchtower of the flock (Mi 4:8) which is just a mile or so outside the city of Bethlehem, the place of the Messiah’s prophesied birth (Mi 5:2). However, this was not a common watchtower, but the watchtower used by the shepherds who tended the sheep for the temple sacrifices. Plus, these were not just ordinary shepherds, but were trained in rabbinical teachings for what type of animals were needed for sacrifice. Just any lamb would not do. These special shepherds cared for special sheep. The lambs were watched from birth and raised with utmost care because they were to be utilized as the national Passover lamb or other designated sacrifices. They had to be certified as healthy and be without blemish to qualify for their use as such a sacrifice. The pregnant sheep was brought to the tower, so the lamb’s birth could be overseen and to ensure nothing happen to the lamb which would mar it. The newborn lambs were even wrapped in swaddling clothes to keep them still and to prevent them from hurting themselves. The code for sacrificial animals was strict and so utmost care was taken to ensure their wellbeing.

As you can see, there is much symbolism here. The Messiah was born at or near the place where Passover lambs were born and cared for. And we later see that Christ was presented on the tenth day of the first month at the time Passover lambs were sequestered to ensure they were without blemish before they were sacrificed, and he was then sacrificed on the cross on the fourteenth day of the first month, i.e., Passover. So, it was very apropos that Christ was born here.

An angel appeared to these special shepherds near Migdal Elder and told them of Christ’s birth at Bethlehem (Lk 2:8-11). The angel then announced that the sign to them of the fulfillment of his announcement would be that they would find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger (Lk 2:12). That is, just what they did for newborn lambs destined for sacrifice. Then there were a host of angels who appeared and praised God stating, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Lk 2:13-14). God was pleased to give this gift to mankind.

You see, God does nothing in a haphazard way. He has a purpose for everything, and, usually, not just a single purpose. He truly is God of the impossible and miraculous.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Why is the Virgin Birth So Important?

As Christians, we celebrate the virgin birth of Christ at Christmas. Have you ever stopped to think how important that really is? It’s important from both a human prophecy point of view as well as from a spiritual salvation point of view. As we saw in the previous post, the coming Messiah was supposed to be a descendant of Adam (Gn 3:15), Abraham (Gn 17:19), Isaac (Nu 24:17), Jacob (Gn 49:10), Judah (Is 11:10), and David (Jr 23:5-6). And we see this from the genealogy provided in Matthew Chapter 1. Yet, we also see something else. Something unexpected. Scripture also states that the coming Messiah was not only to be a descendant of David but be an heir to David’s throne (Is 9:7).

Now here is where the conundrum occurs. Joseph was indeed a descendant of David and of Solomon through whom the throne passed (Mt 1:6). Yet, a descendent of Solomon, and part of the royal lineage, was Jeconiah (Mt 1:11) about whom God made a special, earth-shattering, announcement through the prophet Jeremiah (Jr 22:24-30). He stated that none of his descendants would sit on the throne of David in Judah. Did you catch that? No descendant of Jeconiah would sit on the throne. But wait, the promised Messiah was to sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem which is in Judah. How can this be resolved?

Joseph was of the lineage of Jeconiah and, therefore, of the royal lineage, but this would all fall apart unless Jesus was not his son. If Jesus was the biological son of Joseph, his reign would fall under this curse. So, how could he be a descendant of David, have a legitimate right to the throne, and not be a descendant of Jeconiah? It seems God had it all figured out. Mary, Joseph’s betrothed, was also a descendant of David through another son, Nathan (Lk 3:31). Since Mary was Christ’s biological mother, this made him a descendant of King David. Joseph was an heir to the throne of David. He claimed Jesus as his own child (Mt 1: 24; Lk 2:5), although he was actually born of the Holy Spirit (Mt 1:18). Since Joseph claimed Jesus as his own son, even though he wasn’t, this made him a legitimate son of Joseph and an heir to the throne without being a descendant of Jeconiah.

This narrowed the field considerably of who could really be the Messiah. Not only did he have to fulfil all the prophecies we mentioned in the previous post, but he had to fulfill this convoluted prophecy. Only by his virgin birth could such a prophecy be fulfilled. It was the only way for all the prophecy to be fulfilled exactly as stated. And, of course, the spiritual side of this is enormous. Who else could fulfill the need for one to pay the price for mankind’s sins except one who could identify with being human while being God. Blood was needed to pay for the justice God demanded, and only the blood of Christ was holy enough (both in purity and uniqueness) to pay that for everyone.

Now the hard work has been done. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t free for the one who secured the payment. Yet, it is free for us if we only ask, believe, and accept this one, this perfect one, this unique one, as the hope for our eternal future. The Christmas season is upon us. Will you make this a special one for you as well?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Prophecy of Christ’s First Coming

There is actually a lot of prophecy concerning Christ’s first coming to the earth. One can debate one or a few, but as the number of prophecies and their fulfillment grows, one must take a mental pause and really think about this. Could one person really fulfill all these prophecies? I think the odds are very low.

As we start toward the holiday season, I think this is an appropriate time to really look and see what Scripture says about his first coming. I have listed several of them below. Take a look.

Prophecy                                                                                                              Fulfillment

Did you count them? I have listed 70 of them, but this is not an all-inclusive list. Do you really think one person could fulfill all of these and manipulate his life and those of others to make them happen? No, no one could do that. After all, many of them were outside his control.

So what do we do with this? I would encourage you to go over this list again, look up the verses, and research this for yourself. Maybe what you’ve been thinking was not quite as accurate as you thought. And, if all of these turned out to be true, then the rest of scripture would also be true. He came once. He’s coming a second time. Will you be ready?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Why is Prophecy Controversial?

Many feel Biblical prophecy is too controversial and so is not worth studying. Yet, when one looks at Biblical prophecy, there are basically three types of prophecy: 1) things which were supposed to happen immediately [e.g., the prophet Micaiah prophesied against Ahab stating he would die that day in battle (1Ki 22:28); Elijah prophesied of no rain for three years (1Ki 17:1)]; 2) short term prophecy which was to happen relatively soon [e.g., captivity of Israel (Is 8:1-10, Ho 9:1-17; captivity of Judah (Jr 25:1-14)], and 3) long term prophecy which was to happen in the distant future [e.g., reign of Messiah (Is 9:6-7; 60:1-22)]. Also, a prophecy could have a combination of any of these. The reason for this is the understanding of the purpose of Biblical prophecy.

All prophecy had an immediate meaning and purpose for the people of the day in which it was given. Prophecy was never given for prophecy sake. It was never simply to let those who lived in later years to know what was going to happen. While we can certainly benefit from this information which was provided, we must remember that prophecy was first and foremost about changing people’s hearts. God has a future for both individuals and for kingdoms and wants us to be a part of his designed future. Therefore, he has given us glimpses of what that future might be like. Yet, his main goal was to change the hearts of people to respond to him in the right way.

The main purpose of prophecy also answers the question to our post. Prophecy becomes controversial when one tries to view it differently than its original intent. In almost every case where a prophecy of doom was given, it was followed with a prophecy of hope. The hope was usually of a future event. That is why we can be assured these are tangible future prophetic events: for the simple reason they were to instill hope. If hope is not tangible, it is not hope. How can one inspire someone on allegory? It is impossible. Only the promise of tangible events can inspire hope. For example, God showed Ezekiel he was removing his Spirit from the temple before it was to be taken and destroyed by the Babylonians (Ek 10-11). Of course, Ezekiel wanted to know if and when God would return. Therefore, God gave Ezekiel specific details of a new temple which would come where he would dwell with his people (Ez 40-43). If this had been allegory, this would not have produced the hope for which Ezekiel sought.

In order to understand prophecy which is not provided chronologically, there are a few things we must keep in mind. We have already covered one important one: the events are tangible. In addition, one prophecy cannot contradict another. While not provided in chronological order, we can place them in chronological order if we keep the following additional things in mind. First, they all refer or involve the nation of Israel. Second, their fulfillment will follow the pattern of those already fulfilled. For example, the prophetic significance of the feasts of Israel not yet fulfilled (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot) will follow the same pattern as those already fulfilled (e.g., Pesach/Matzah/Bikkurim: death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; Shavuot: gift of the Holy Spirit to all believers, both Jew and Gentile). Third, the prophecy in the New Testament will not contradict the prophecy in the Old Testament. As all ancient Jews knew, the culmination of prophecy was the dwelling of their Messiah with his people forever. Therefore, these prophecies will have a chronological order to them with a Jewish basis but will have tangential benefits for Gentiles as well.

This is also why God included the Sabbath as part of the feasts he mentioned in Leviticus 23 and why he concluded the feasts with Jubilee. As it was in the beginning so will it be in the end. God started with perfection and will end with the same. And the good part is that he has prepared a way for all of us to be a part of his eternal perfection. Isn’t that wonderful. Isn’t God good?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Sin – The Solution for It

We have looked at several aspects of sin, so now let’s talk about a solution for it. From what we have discovered in the previous posts, what does it all mean for us? Here are a few points to remember:

·       God’s word can be counted on. It is plausible. It is true. It is truth.

·       God is tangible; God is mysterious; God is unique

·       God cannot love you more.

·       God cannot love you less.

·       God is love; God is justice – both in their purest forms

·       We cannot by-pass his justice to receive his love

·       There is a reason he is Trinity – it is necessary for our salvation

God’s love came to us via justice, not to replace it or as a substitute or it: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Some think this is exclusionary, but in reality, it is all inclusive. Yet, it requires a choice. Just because it is available doesn’t mean it is imputed. It is imputed freely only if you accept it.

In our first post, we talked about the Magic Zone and how it requires us to get out of our own Comfort Zone before we can reach it. Yet, the Magic Zone is available to all. You just have to get a little uncomfortable to achieve it. So, how do we get to the Magic Zone? Think about the following:

·       Our best is less than God’s requirement of perfection

·       Our pride yields Rebellion – we cannot please God and we will not reach out to God on our own

·       The Holy Spirit draws us to God

·       Acceptance leads to security through the Holy Spirit

·       Our imperfection is then clothed with Christ’s perfection

·       Our submission leads to obedience

·       Our obedience leads to transforming our minds in alignment with the mind of Christ

·       Being in sync with Christ takes us to the Magic Zone

We can become Christians without ever reaching this Magic Zone. Yet, we can choose to get there by choosing to develop the mind of Christ and look at sin as he does. This is how we begin to have a compassion for others and can look beyond their acts of sin to see them as an individual of worth. After all, we are all sinners. Yet, we all have worth in his sight. We need to see others as he does, realizing they can do nothing but sin without the Holy Spirit drawing them. We need to pray that we can develop the mind of Christ and pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the lives of those we talk to, so he will draw them unto himself. What about you? Are you in the Magic Zone? Do you want to be in the Magic Zone? You can, you know. A big sacrifice was made to make it easy for you. The hard part is already done. All you must do now is just accept it by faith. What does that mean. Just believe it. Trust in it. Your eternity depends upon it.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Sin—the Need for Trinity

Some balk at God being Trinity and say it’s impossible. But stop and think about it. If you can understand God, would he be God?

Yet, he reveals himself in nature and is at the very heart of matter itself. Science is not truth but helps us to point to truth. If what we can understand—or don’t understand—in nature can be believed, then why can’t we believe in God?

Quantum physics is what some call “weird science” because it doesn’t perform as most of the laws of nature perform. Subatomic particles do strange things, yet we still believe in them. I bring this up constantly, because it shows that we can believe God and who he is because the nature of his character is embedded in each atom of the universe.

When I was in school, we were taught that an atom was the basic building block of matter: composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Yet, we now know that even an atom is much more complex. If we could look closer at the atom’s nucleus, we would see that protons and neutrons are composed of smaller particles, called quarks.

A proton is composed of 2-up quarks and 1-down quark. A neutron is composed of 2-down quarks and 1-up quark. The issue with protons, as you may remember, is that they are positively charged. What happens when you put two positive sides of a magnet together? They repel each other. Well, that is exactly what these protons do, but they don’t fly apart. Why? There are gluons which bind the quarks together inside both protons and neutrons and even between protons and neutrons. This makes the nucleus a very stable environment. The force of attraction by the gluons overcome the repulsion force of the protons against each other. This is known as the “strong force.”

OK, you may be thinking, but where does God come into the picture? Well, science has discovered that while there are three quarks in a proton and neutron, they cannot be viewed independently. While they are independent particles, they cannot be separated. This is where the “weird science” comes into play. Normally, when two objects get farther and farther away, there is less attraction between them. Not so here. If you try to pull two quarks apart, the binding force increases the farther apart they get.

We had mentioned in a previous post that God is both pure love and pure justice. These could not exist together in one being without compromise. Yet, because God is Trinity, they can exist together. Sort of like the quarks in protons or neutrons. God’s love and God’s justice are held together by the Holy Spirit, like the properties of the gluon. The Holy Spirit allows them to exist in their pure form, but never apart.

Just as quarks cannot exist separately, neither can God the Father and God the Son. Christ stated that if you have seen me, you have seen the Father (Jn 14:9), and I and the Father are one (Jn 10:30). He wasn’t bragging. He was stating a fact and we can now observe such in the very heart of matter itself.

Also, the Holy Spirit, the gluon, binds us to God and we can never be separated from Him once he draws us to himself. We are bound with the strong force of the cosmic gluon, the Holy Spirit—we cannot be pulled apart from him. Therefore, the Holy Spirit (the third part of the Trinity) binds God the Father (first part of the Trinity) to God the Son (the second part of the Trinity) and never allows them to be experienced separately. He also binds us to God and never lets us go as well. Therefore, we have the fingerprint of God within the very heart of matter itself.

The Bible does tell us that, one day, God’s justice will reign. Colossians states that Christ holds all things together (Cl 1:16-17). Yet what he has created will one day be destroyed and recreated. Peter tells us that the earth will be destroyed with fervent heat (2Pt 3:7).

I think these two are related back to the gluons we just talked about. It is the gluons which hold all matter together. If God was to have the gluons fail, what would happen? What I didn’t mention was that inside the protons and neutrons is like a firestorm. It is not placid and quiet. There is massive energy that is being contained. Once the containment, the gluon, is removed, all matter would be destroyed in a brilliant fireball explosion.

God stated he will then create anew. He will reinstate the gluons and all matter will be stable again. To me, science and Scripture, do go hand in hand.

Our sin problem could only be taken care of by someone like our God who is uniquely qualified to take care of it for us since we cannot do it on our own. See, that is a God of love. Justice? Yes, he is that as well, but he if first and foremost a God of love. Experiencing justice is our choice. God cannot deny who he is, but he can, and has, made a way of escape. Now, it is up to us. Are you ready to take that step of faith? I truly hope you are.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Sin – Where is our Hope?

So far, we have seen the seriousness of sin and how all sin has a commonality. Yet, that leaves us feeling rather hopeless. So, where is the hope through all of this? Let’s see what Scripture tells us.

God told Israel the following: “Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins” (Ps 130:7-8). He also stated, “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed” (Ml 3:6). God made many promises to Israel. Malachi states that God is not taking revenge because God keeps his promises. God is faithful-even if we are not.

This theme continues into the New Testament: “And he [Christ] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2Co 5:15). Our allegiance is only in one of two places. While we may still struggle after becoming a Christian, our allegiance must change to be toward Christ and to please him.

Is this starting to sound very complicated? Coming to God should be easy. We make it complicated. Because of our way of looking at sin, we feel we need to “do better” before we come to God, someone who is perfect. Yet, God says, “No.” We come as we are. We believe we are a sinner. We believe Christ came into this world and paid the penalty for all sin—our sin. We trust in Him for our eternal future and no longer in ourselves—our “goodness”, or what we can do. Because we can never achieve perfection—His requirement—we can only depend upon Him and not ourselves.

Yet, becoming a Christian does not change the struggle within us. It does give us the ability and the courage to win against that struggle, along with a guarantee of a blessed future. The difficulty comes from our unwillingness to let go, our unwillingness to really see sin for what sin truly is, our unwillingness to accept and see sin as God has defined it. It goes back to what we stated before. Our “sin” is not as bad as someone else’s. We see their sin as worse because we don’t have an issue with it. If we have an issue, then it can’t be that bad or else we wouldn’t have a problem with it.

Our reasoning becomes flawed. For example, if we are living with someone, but someone else commits adultery, we think their sin is worse. After all, they had already made a commitment with something and broke that trust. I’m just “trying it out” to see if I want to make a commitment. Therefore, if I bail, it’s not so bad. After all, I never married so I don’t have to feel guilty about not making that commitment. Yet, from God’s perspective, one sin is just as black as another. It all starts from the heart willing to be disobedient. The heart comes first and the deed second.

Another problem is that we haven’t really stopped to understand God and his character. We say God is holy, but there are two aspects to being holy. One is what we traditionally think of as being pure and righteous. However, the other part is that He is set apart, He is unique, one of a kind. He is Three-in-One. Why is He like this? Well, for one, it makes Him the perfect relationship builder. The parts that we have come to know as God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are part of God the Father as a whole. The Gospel of John states in John 1 that “the Word became flesh.” In other words, the part of God who communicates to man became man. This is the part of the Trinity which has always communicated God’s will to mankind. In the Old Testament, we call this the pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, the Messiah, the One who was to come. Therefore, this pre-incarnate form of God is most likely the one who walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the garden.

Just as Christ communicated physically with mankind, the Holy Spirit communicates spiritually with mankind. In the Old Testament, this was on an as-needed basis. However, today, God has promised that all who accept Him are indwelled with the Holy Spirit so we can have that communication always. Therefore, the Trinity is the most efficient relationship builder ever. No wonder God designed mankind to be relational beings; God Himself is a relational being.

But more than that, it allows him to be pure love and pure justice and still reside in one being. Our salvation is dependent upon God being Trinity. It could not have happened any other way. God had to remain 100% God while becoming 100% human. God being Trinity allowed that.

I know the concept of Trinity is a hard concept but hold that thought and we’ll explore it further next time. Not only is it the source of our hope, but the concept is also so important God put the concept in the very heart of nature itself. I hope you join us next time to further explore. What an awesome God we serve!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

sin, hopeRandy Dockenssin, hopeComment
Sin – What’s the commonality?

There are a whole host of sins we could enumerate and list, but let’s talk about the commonality of all sins. To do that, let’s just take one as an example—perhaps one not too controversial. Let’s look at disobedience.

Disobedience: can that really be so egregious? Everyone does it, so can it really be that bad? Don’t worry. I’m not trying to take you down a guilt trip, but to make a point that I think is really important.

So, let’s go all the way back to the first disobedience: And the LORD God commanded the man [Adam], saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gn 2:16-17).

First, let’s not try and make their disobedience worse than our disobedience. There is no grading system for disobedience. One disobedience is not worse than another. The Bible states, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Ro 5:12). Was there something special about this particular fruit which God told Adam and Eve not to eat? The Bible doesn’t say, but probably not. This was a test of obedience, not about protecting a special type of fruit endued with special powers. Yet, this one act became so much more. Why? This was the first sin to be committed, and one was all it took.

What was at the root of disobedience? Pride. This is the opposite of humility. Humility leads to obedience. Pride leads to disobedience: “In his pride, the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts, there is no room for God” (Ps 10:4). In addition, disobedience equates to rebellion. That sounds rather drastic, I know. Could it be true? Well, what was God’s picture of Adam’s disobedience?

God offered Adam a theocratic rule. Adam rejected it. He put himself before God and lost his kingdom. How do we know this? “Again, the devil took him [Jesus] to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me’” (Mt 4:7-8). Jesus didn’t say Satan was wrong to offer such to him. He just stated one should worship God only. Thereby, God equated Adam’s disobedience to an act of rebellion against Him. So, you see, it was certainly egregious in God’s eyes.

What is rebellion? It is an act of putting into practice what is already in one’s heart. Rebellion comes from disobedience which comes from pride.

Adam’s sin was a heart problem. And, really, all sin is a heart problem. The Bible is pretty clear on this fact:

·       Impure sacrifices equated to disobedience/rebellion – (Am 5:21)

·       Murder equated to anger in one’s heart (Mt 5:21-22)

·       Adultery equated to lust in one’s heart (Mt 5:28).

If you make a list of any number of sins, I think you would have to agree that what is common to all, and what is at the root of each, is pride.

Pride is a heart condition. The Bible is clear on this as well. It states, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death” (Pr 14:12). Without the Holy Spirit leading us, we cannot judge our actions properly: “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God” (Ro 8:7-8).

We cannot come to God on our own. Pleasing him or trying to change on our own is impossible. True, long-lasting change can only occur after we come to Him: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hb 11:6). We can’t put the cart before the horse. We can’t change or please God before we accept what He has done for us: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jr 17:9); “Jesus answered, ‘No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day’” (Jn 6:44); “When he [Holy Spirit] comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” (Jn 16:9).

Our hope of change is impossible unless we yield to the pull and encouragement of the Holy Spirit who leads us to Christ and accept, through faith, that his death and resurrection is the hope for our future – we rely upon what He did for us and not on our own merit: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2Co 5:17). Being different is a result from, and expectation of, the Holy Spirit guiding us: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin” (Ro 6:1, 6-7).

Our lasting change can only come about after the Holy Spirit indwells us. He begins to change our desire. Internal changes manifest themselves in outward changes: “So, then I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin” (Ro 7:25b).

Even after becoming a Christian, there is a struggle to keep God’s standard.: “The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ” (1Co 2:15-16).

So, all this talk makes our situation seem almost hopeless, doesn’t it? Well, it is if we try to solve it on our own. Next time, we’ll look at hope and how important that is for us. Can hope be tangible? Stay tuned, and we’ll find out together.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Sin – is it really that black?

Sin is a topic that makes many people uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable. But it is necessary.

We all have a comfort zone. It’s where we feel at home – safe. Yet, more times than not, that is not where we need to be. We crave for our lives to be magical; yet, the “magic” is rarely in our comfort zone. So, we must deal with the “Un-comfort zone.” We must pass through this to get to the “magic zone.” Both Christians and non-Christians can be in the comfort zone. They can both even be in the Un-comfort zone. But they both must deal with an issue in this “Un-comfort zone.” And that issue is sin.

But before we can deal with the issue of sin and our sin problem, we must deal with our definition of sin. Often, our definition of sin prevents us from dealing with our sin problem. It can also prevent us from understanding the concept of sin itself. Not only that, it prevents us from entering the “magic zone.”

What is sin? One definition states: an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.

At first glance, it looks to be a decent definition. Right? Yet, there are two issues with this definition. One is the world ‘considered.’ This implies someone is regarding an act to be against divine law. What if someone else deems it not to be? Second, is the word ‘immoral.’ Who is determining a certain act is immoral? On what grounds? This definition gets us into conflict with each other. I deem something is immoral and regard it an act against divine law. You deem the same act not immoral and, therefore, not against divine law. Does that sound familiar to us today?

Here is another definition. This is the Bible’s definition: Anything God states is against his nature.

Now, who is making the judgment call? God. This is not talking about an ‘act,’ but about the essence of God. Therefore, it is a more abstract concept than just an act. As humans, we have a tough time with that definition. We turn things into an act – it’s easier to quantitate in our minds. Yet, it then makes us become judgmental.

I’m not going to make a list as I don’t want us to get off topic. Yet, there are a number recorded in the Bible. It’s not so much about what the act is, but the way we see sin. If I were to rattle off a list to you, some would likely stand out to you to be more serious to you than others. We tend to cling to the first definition of sin I mentioned. Some acts of sin we see as more “sinful” that others. Why is that?

Well, the sin you personally don’t have an issue with, you will likely consider more “sinful.” That’s because that sin is not an issue in your life. Therefore, consciously, or unconsciously, you think, how could anyone yield to such a sin?

We need to realize that everyone is working on something. None of us is perfect, and we each have different weaknesses that Satan constantly uses to try and bring us down. His tactics use ignorance, guilt, consequences, or even a combination of these. So, how do we overcome this tendency to quantitate sin and rank different acts on a scale of “not so bad,” to “heinous?”

Again, either consciously or unconsciously, we compare ourselves to each other. If you appear blacker than I do, then I can feel better about myself. Maybe, you even convince yourself that the issue you are struggling with isn’t even a sin at all. If accepted by society, then why worry about it? But, if we compare ourselves to the true standard, then the differences between the two go away. We realize that one of us is just as far from the mark as the other. If the standard is pure white, why argue whether onyx or obsidian is darker?

God has a pretty black and white view of sin. Why? When perfection is the standard, anything less is just not good enough. It’s a pass-fail scenario. In that case, if the standard is 100, it doesn’t matter if you made 99 or 50, you still fall short. Until we view sin as God sees sin, then we will never fully understand from what we have been saved.

Is it better to be saved from drug addiction or be saved when very young and never have to go through such hard times? Of course, you would say not having to go through such rough times is better. Yet, who becomes more appreciative? Only when you see sin from God’s perspective can you see that your “not so bad” sin is just as black as one’s “heinous” sin. Only then can you really appreciate what God has saved you from.

All sin has something in common. That’s what we’ll talk about next time. Until then, think about how you can see the world from God’s perspective. It may just change your life. Think about it. What did you discover?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Drink Offering Application

In our last post, we talked about the drink offering, how it was instituted, and how it was used in the various types of sacrifices mentioned in Leviticus. This time, we will talk more about this interesting type of offering.

In Leviticus, we see this offering pointed toward God’s completion of what these sacrifices in Leviticus pointed toward. Matthew, in the New Testament, tells us, “And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:27). Christ’s blood was a drink offering, meaning it was a completion of something which had been started earlier. His death was the completion of what the sacrifices in Leviticus pointed toward—i.e., the payment for mankind’s sin.

There is another interesting application for the drink offering. It was utilized in the fulfillment of a Nazarite vow (Nu 6:1-21). A Nazarite was a man or woman who separated themselves for a period of time from certain food and drink (did not drink wine or eat grapes), from dead bodies (even family members), and did not cut their hair. During this time of separation, they were considered holy to the Lord. When their vow was over, they brought their burnt offering, meal offering, peace offering, and drink offering to the tabernacle. His/her hair was shaved and offered with the peace offering. The shoulder of the peace offering and the cakes of the meal offering were waved before the Lord. Then, and only then, could the individual drink wine again.

This aspect of separation unto the Lord is also taught to us in the New Testament. God calls us to be separate: “…we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, go out from their midst, and be separate from them,’ says the Lord, ‘and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,’ says the Lord Almighty” (2Co 6:16-18). The separation is to be from all earthly joy (the fruit of the vine), from sin and the result of sin (dead bodies), and is to last for our entire life here upon earth. The allowing of the hair to grow uncut speaks of subjection to the Lord (c.f. 1 Cor.11:2-16); thus, we are to be separated unto God. This again points to completion: after the period of separate, fellowship is restored.

The drink offering was also used in most feasts Israel held, as it was used whenever burnt, meal, and/or peace offerings were made (Nu 29). In Lv 23, three feats were called out specifically: First Fruit, Pentecost (Shavuot), Tabernacles (Sukkot). Each of these feasts pointed to a fulfillment or a completion of what God would do in Israel’s future.

Here is a table that shows how all the offerings were used in relation to each other and in relation to the various types of sacrifices and feasts:

As we have seen, all these sacrifices point to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the feasts point to future fulfillments of what Christ has done for us or will do for us in our future. While the following adage is simplistic, it is really true: The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed; the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. It is a testament to the continuity of the Bible and how it is a very dynamic book and not just a collection of stories. Isn’t our God marvelous?!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Drink Offering

The drink offering is not one of the offerings mentioned in the first seven chapters of Leviticus where the other offerings are provided. It is mentioned in the twenty-eighth chapter of Numbers where God specified which offerings God required to be offered to him. This gives us the first clue as to what this offering is about. Lv 1-7 is about these offerings from man’s viewpoint. Nu 28 is about these offerings from God’s viewpoint. This offering must represent something from God’s perspective.

First, let’s go over some of the characteristics of this offering. It was made of strong wine (Nu 28:7). It was not to be diluted, which speaks of the purity and perfection of the offering, as well as of its preciousness (costlier than what was normally drank). All of it was poured out on the sacrifice: lamb (1/4 hin: ~2 pt); ram (1/3 hin: ~2½ pt); bull (1/2 hin: ~3¾ pt). From scripture, we find that wine is a symbol of joy for both man and God (Jd 9:13; Ps 104:15). It was to be instituted only after they dwelt in the Promised Land (Nu 15:1), and it was only offered with the “sweet savor” offerings (Nu 15:1-16): burnt offering, meal offering, peace offering. It was not used with a sin offering or guilt offering

Yet, this is not the first mention of the drink offering. It is first mentioned in relation to Jacob after his name was changed to Israel (Gn 35:14). When Jacob first left home and came to Bethel (Luz), he vowed: “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” It is believed that Jacob’s life is prophetic of the time period called Jacob’s Trouble: Jacob had trials and turmoil, but God brought him back to his home, and to Bethel, in peace with Laban (his father-in-law), peace with Esau (his brother), and peace with God. This would seem to represent and symbolize the Millennium, or the Messiah’s future earthly kingdom here on earth. It was only after the completion did the drink offering get made.

Therefore, the drink offering deals with completion. It shows God’s joy for providing for the completion needed to reconcile mankind back to Himself:

Burnt offering – reconciliation of man’s sinful state – God provided

Meal (Grain) offering – our worship of Christ’s sinless life – God provided

Peace offering – our fellowship with God through Christ – God provided

Drink offering – representing the joy of God in providing for us

It was instituted only after God completed their journey into their Promised Land.

Their journey is a symbol of sanctification. The Israelites entering their Promised Land is a symbol of us one day entering the Messiah’s Millennial Kingdom (i.e., Christ’s 1000-year reign on the earth once he returns).

The drink offering was instituted as a symbol of completion and pointed to a future completion. This was done by God who takes joy in doing this for us.

Next time, we will look further at the drink offering and further at its symbolism. Stay tuned!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Guilt Offering Applications

We saw previously that the guilt offering had both a vertical as well as a horizontal application. We find something similar in the New Testament as well: “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Mt 5:23-24). You see, the guilt offering absolved the offender of all legal and moral debt. At the same time, the guilt offering restored favor to both God and to one’s fellow man.

The act of the guilt offering here in Leviticus is reiterated in other parts of scripture in how God wants us to handle guilt. The Bible states that our conscience must be correctly trained: acts done out of love leads to a good conscience (1Tm 1:3, 5); studying God’s word will help one know good from evil (Hb 5:11-12).

Of course, not all our sins will be known to us. How does that happen? Remember, sin is anything God deems as such. Therefore, one could sin out of ignorance. God knew that, and so God instituted a sacrifice for this. Since Christ’s sacrifice of himself was for all sin, then we can rest assured that Christ solves this for us as well. Confession is better than denial: confession through faith cleanses us (1Jn 1:9). When restitution is possible, we should do so. Restitution is what uniquely distinguished the guilt offering from the sin offering. Restitution brings healing and cancels the legal and moral debt on the horizontal level between one human being and another.

We need to learn this lesson and leave the guilt behind us. When all has been offered, what else is there to do? The moral and legal debt is paid. What more can one do? Nothing. Continuing to carry around guilt as baggage is not faith and violated the holiness of the guilt offering and the atonement of the priest. The same is true for us today.

Jesus Christ, our sin offering, is the eternal solution to our guilt: “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities” (Is 53:10-11).

The moral and legal debt is cancelled, but there is more: “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins, but when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,’ then he adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin” (Hb 10:10-18).

We often state that Christ took care of our sin problem. Yet, we need to remember that he also took care of our guilt problem as well. Doesn’t that make you want to rejoice and serve him with an even greater grateful heart? Leave it to God to think of everything. What a mighty God we serve!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens