One Year Bible, July 28

2 CHRONICLES 21:1 - 23:21                                                                                          
MURDER & MAYHEM: Jehoram murdered all his brothers (who God thought were better than he) and also several princes of Israel after he got the crown.   He was an idolater like his father-in-law, Ahab.  ELIJAH prophesied judgment against him and "all his substance, his sons and his wives" were carried off by the Philistines and the Arabians.   He died of some kind of bowel disease.   Ahaziah succeeded him, listened to his wicked mother, and God anointed Jehu to destroy Ahab's family line and kill him.   Ahaziah's mother then usurped the throne by killing anyone who was left (except for one who was hidden).

JEHOIADA: A priest in Judah.   By his courageous action, Jehoiada was instrumental in preserving the line of David, Baby Joash.   Jehoiada conspired against the Queen, and slew her and her followers.  Joash was crowned in his 7th year.   He did that which was right all the years of Jehoiada.  Unfortunately when Jehoiada died, Joash backslid.

RESPONSE:   Rest came to the Kingdom when the Harlot-Queen was dead. (23:21 "the city was quiet after they had slain Athaliah")   The house, altars, images, and priests of Baal were destroyed.   This is a picture of the death-blow rendered to our flesh.   As long as it is "alive and kicking", there is a struggle.   Once we "present our bodies a living sacrifice", we can end the struggle and submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit to be dealt with.

ROMANS 11:13-36                                                                                                            
Keep in mind, here, that this is not about WHEN or IF Jews will be saved, but HOW they are saved - which we find out is the same way everyone else does: by faith.  THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER ABOUT THE LAST DAYS OR END TIMES!!!  It is about salvation for WHOSOEVER.  Election is PERSONAL, not NATIONAL.   Instead of "national election", these chapters are about "national rejection".   The stumbling block is "righteousness by faith".

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD: Received by faith without even the smallest consideration of my previous or subsequent obedience!   God's righteousness in us is conformity to God's standard and God's will, of what is good and life-giving, according to the Gospel.   Self-righteousness and UNrighteousness, alike, are unacceptable to God.   Rom 1:16-17 says that the Gospel IS the power of God because "therein is the righteousness of God revealed".   And the righteous by faith shall live (and the corollary: there is no other way to sustain life).  Thus, the wrath of God is revealed against UNrighteousness and UNgodliness. The righteousness of God is the means God has provided for the satisfaction of the Law.   It justifies God in saving sinners and then living with them.  God's righteousness is revealed in the Gospel, just as God Himself is revealed.

GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS VS MAN'S RIGHTEOUSNESS: The contrast drawn in chapter 11 is not between grace and Law, or even between faith and works - but between God's righteousness and man's own righteousness.   God's righteousness fulfills both the precept of the Law AND the penalty exacted by the Law.   God's righteousness was MANIFESTED in the life and death of Jesus Christ, and was openly confirmed and demonstrated by His resurrection from the dead.

ISRAEL IS A BRANCH, NOT THE TREE: The "holy root" and the "holy first fruit" is JESUS, NOT Israel. The "good olive tree" is Jesus by faith. The "wild olive tree" is the Beast nature of unbelief.   The fruit of the branches is not the result of the strength and work of the branch, but of the root, the Living Word: Jesus.   To be "in Christ" then, means to draw our Life from Him as our source and to walk by that energy from Him, called FAITH.  Until we are truly cut loose from the old tree (Adam - beast nature) which is wild by nature, and grafted into the new Tree (Christ for Jews and Gentiles alike), we have not yet learned to live from our new Source. Salvation is through Jesus or not at all!!!

WHAT is it that Paul does not want us to be ignorant about? (11:25)   We (Gentiles and Jews) are saved, covenant people, because Israel despised God's provision, was blind, and hardened their hearts. 11:28 calls those who reject Jesus "enemies”.   Christians aren't hybridized Jews: but a new thing entirely.  (11:26) All those Jews who are going to be saved will be saved along with us.  11:23 the word "again" proves they were grafted in, in the first place!   God concluded ALL mankind as unbelieving so that salvation came by faith alone,. and not through nationality and faith.

"THE GIFTS AND THE CALLING": (11:29) - This entire verse, along with the last 4 of this chapter are an INTRODUCTION to chapter 12 of Romans.  First of all "THE gifts" are the "charismata"  which are listed in the next chapter - Romans 12:6-8.   Secondly, "THE calling" (vocation; God's purpose for people in Christ) that is IRREVOCABLE: To lay down our lives, to "present our bodies a living sacrifice" .

RESPONSE:   God's original mission is now to ALL NATIONS.   God purposed a race of people (covenant race - ONE covenant, ONE race, ONE faith, ONE body) in communion with Himself by the Holy Spirit, to secure His eternal purpose: "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God," (Eph 3:10) We are His witness to the Nations.  Chapters 12-16 reveal the outworking of the FACT of God's Righteousness by faith.

PSALM 22:1-18                                                                                                                      
When we "feel" abandoned by God, we must still trust God despite appearances, because there is no one else to help us.  Faith, trust, and hope see beyond the immediate circumstances.   Whatever God says, can be absolutely relied on, despite appearances to the contrary.

PROVERBS 20:7                                                                                                                  
To walk as a righteous person, is equivalent to always doing that which is right, utterly devoted to pleasing God.   The children are blessed while he is still living, because they follow his example.

RESPONSE:   Psa 22:9-10 may have been written because David was the 8th child, the "runt" and overlooked by his parents. David certainly never learned to nurture his own children. However it may be, those two verses ministered healing to me at a time I really needed it. I was born during World War II.  The doctors from our little town were in Europe fighting the war, and our town had one old, drunken doctor available the night I was born.   Sometimes I was the butt of jokes - and in my immaturity was ashamed that I meant so little to God that He didn't bother to have a good doctor at my birth.   As an adult, I ran across this verse one day - GOD was the one "who took me out of the womb" - not the doctor! God had truly "been my God from my mother's belly."  I was healed. That doctor just attended my birth - GOD actually took me from the womb. I began with God, and will return to Him one day.