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The Bible Day 81: “Faith, Courage, and Trust” (Psalm 36, Luke 4:14-37, & Numbers 13:26-14:45)


Good evening, and welcome back to our Bible Day 81 study. Tonight, we embark on a profound journey through the richness of the scriptures that will deepen our understanding and transform our faith. Our first reading, Psalm 36:1-12, contrasts the wicked and God's righteousness, offering us a path to righteousness. In Luke 4:14-37, we witness the authority of Jesus and His mission, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1, inspiring us with His divine purpose. As we delve into Numbers 13:26-14:45, we uncover the power of faith. This anxiety stems from doubt and the severe consequences of the Israelites' disobedience, reminding us of the importance of obedience. Join me as we explore these passages, unraveling the mysteries and discovering the timeless truths they offer, igniting a spark of hope and inspiration.

 

Psalm 36:1-12:

 

36:1- David begins with an internal utterance where he begins his psalm: "An oracle, the Hebrew word, for "oracle," נְאֻם nᵉʼum, neh-oom'; an oracle:—(hath) said, saith, or also mean utterance or declaration. We see David's compelling declaration within his heart to the Lord of his true feelings for the wicked; David views them as not having any fear of God in their eyes. David's connection with the Lord invites us to reflect on our relationship with Him and the world around us, making the scriptures more relatable and engaging.

 

  • Psalm 36 teaches us all the right and wrong ways to use our free will. David also echoes that sin or evil is nothing more than the actions of man's free will because those who do evil say within themselves that there is no God and have no fear for God, resulting in evil deeds. Man is prideful and seeks the pleasures of this world; man hates, and what he perceives for his mouth is rotten, wickedness, and deceit. Man is forgetful, lacks empathy, and refuses to be wise or even to do good; all night long, humanity devises evil in the comforts of their bed, and these wicked people do not hate evil; they embrace evil. The beginning of Psalm 36 concerns everything we should not do with our free will.

 

  • Sin or evil, whatever you want to call it, is therefore not part of our human nature. Did God not create human nature good? (see Genesis 1:31, Psalm 139:14, Ecclesiastes 7:29, and James 3:9)

 

  • Psalm 36 closes out by revealing the ways of proper use of our free will: seeking Him and trusting in Him, seeking His mercy and His truth, never stopping seeking His righteousness, sanctifying our souls with the fullness of the Lord's house, and drinking from the river of the LORD's pleasures.

 

-Psalm 36(NKJV) v. 8: "They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your House" (Referencing the Holy Spirit, see notes below)

 

-Psalm 36:(LXX Septuagint) v.9: "They shall be intoxicated with the fatness of Your House." (Referencing the Holy Spirit, see John 7:37-39; Acts 2:13-17; Ephesians 5:18).

 

Luke 4:14-37 Study:

 

  • vv. 14-15: Jesus returns, not in mere human power, but in the awe-inspiring power of the Spirit. This power, undoubtedly divine, fuels Jesus' ministry, setting it apart from any other. 

  • Confirmation of His Identity and Mission

  • Preparation for Ministry

  • His impact on Others

 

This marks a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry that should inspire awe and reverence in us. It highlights His divine empowerment, identity, preparation, and the profound impact His ministry had on others. And this impact, my friends, is not confined to the past; it continues reverberating through time, touching lives even today.

 

v. 18- Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1("The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me"), the Spirit of the LORD descended on Jesus at His baptism (Luke 3:22), a sign that revealed an eternal, not temporal, truth to all the people.

 

Blessed Theophylact's Commentary: Luke 3:22

"Just as a dove announced to Noah that God's wrath had ceased, so too the Holy Spirit announces here that Christ has reconciled us to God by sweeping sin away in the flood waters of Baptism" (Theoph).

 

  • v. 19: "ACCEPTABLE YEAR" The Incarnation and the Kingdom of God has come- ( see 2 Corinthians 6:2).

 

  • vv. 22-30: "Notice the double response of "marveling"( v. 22), and we see in (v. 29), there is rejection, and seems to have happened frequently to all those who encounter our Lord (see Luke 11:14-16; John 9:16). The rejection of Jesus from His hometown is reminiscent from the Old Testament prophets Elijah (v. 26, and Elisha (v. 27); all of this foreshadows what is to come when our Lord is being rejected by the entire Jewish nation at His trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).

 

Saint Ambrose of Milan Commentary, Luke 4:31:

 St. Ambrose says Christ began preaching and healing "ON THE SABBATHS." Christ did this to show that "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."

 

  • v. 32: See Christ's authority; they saw His word was with authority. The prophets of the old ways spoke in the third person ("The Lord says"); notice how our Lord speaks in the first person ("I say to You," Matthew 5 as an example).

 

  • v. 35- see Matthew 12:16-21; this connects with Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 42:1-4, that Jesus refusing to disclose fully His identity comes with three reasons for possible secrecy: Growing hostility, the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader, and lastly our Lord's desire for genuine faith not based of miraculous signs, but because of the change in heart. In Matthew 12:18, "Behold my Servant" symbolizes Christ and all who follow Him.

 

Numbers 13:26-33 Study: 

 

  • The spies returned after forty days (see v. 25), showing the people of Israel the fruit of a land genuinely flowing with milk and honey(vv. 26-27). The report from the spies set a barrier—the people became afraid of well-armed and strategically prepared people in the land, which included the Amalekites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the descendants of Anak, the giants (see vi. 28, 29, 33).

 

  • vv. 30-31- ten out of the twelve spies brought back an evil report, but the report was full of both truth and lies; the land flowed with milk and honey, but the lousy report held human reasoning of their unnatural fear involving the obstacles destroyed what little faith they already had. Caleb and Joshua, on the other hand, helped remarkable faith because they saw Him who was invisible.

 

Numbers 14:1-45:

 

  • vv. 1-4: The unbelief of some of the Israelites produced vices among the congregation and caused them to be depressed and melancholy. This stress led them to rebel against Moses and Aaron.

 

vv. 6-9: The significance of Joshua and Caleb cannot be overstated in this passage. Their unwavering faith in God's promise and courage to stand firm amidst opposition serve as a model for future generations. Their loyalty to God ultimately leads to their preservation and eventual entrance into the promised land, while the rest of the generation who doubted perished in the wilderness.

 

Joshua and Caleb's example teaches us the importance of faith, courage, and trust in God's promises despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Their story challenges us to examine our response to adversity and choose faith over fear, knowing that God is always faithful and will always fulfill His promises to those who believe in Him.

 

  • v. 11- God's two questions show us His opposition to unbelief (John 10:38).

 

  • v. 12- Unbelief will always lead to death and self-destruction (Matthew 21:43, Romans 11:22).

 

  • vv. 13-20: Moses shows us his deep concern for the LORD's name. He loved the LORD with all his heart, and he also loved his people and served them with all his heart.

 

  • v. 21: The text informs us that the earth will most definitely be part of the world to come because He lives, and His name lives, and so the earth "shall be filled with the glory of the Lord."

  • vv. 22-38: It was unbelief that kept the children of Israel from the land of promise; it will also keep us from the promise of the world to come if we fail to live by faith (See, Hebrews 3-4).

 

  • vv. 39-45: We are all taught a valuable lesson. The Israelites' confession was empty because they chose not to change their ways. Their confession never led them to obedience to the Lord; their unbelief ruled over them.

 

Tonight's takeaway is our confession before the Lord; let's all learn from the examples of the Israelites. Our lesson is that we must fully surrender ourselves to the Lord, our confession must not be empty, and we must let go of the darkness in our hearts to seek obedience in serving our Lord and His ways, being that light amongst the darkness."


In Christ, love Jared W. Campbell





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