Watching Daily At Wisdom's Gates

  those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600. Numbers 1:27 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/num.1.27.ESV Why was it okay for Moses to number God's people, but not David? Because the reasons for doing so were different. Moses numbered God's people to demonstrate His faithfulness to them. David numbered God's people because he wanted to know how many fighting men he could rely on. David's trust in that wasn't in God but in his people. We shouldn't rely on ourselves, because we're only going to let ourselves down. We should only rely on God. Having said that, it is okay to attempt to number His blessings, impossible though that is. Love doesn't keep a record of wrongs, but the opposite is true too. Love keeps a record of rights. As the old hymn says in a twee way, 'count your blessings, count them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done'. If we were to stop and think about it, we'd realise God's blessings are innu

  And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. Leviticus 26:12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.26.12.ESV This old testament promise is conditional upon obedience. Yet Jesus came down to earth 2,000 years ago, despite our disobedience. He is our God, and we who trust in Him are His people. Because Jesus walked amongst us and is our God, we are empowered to obey Him. Because He gave His life for us and rose again victorious, we have hope. We can live for Him and rise again too. Jesus has left His Spirit to empower us to live for Him. He hasn't left us as orphans. He'll return to call us home. To be the people of God isn't just about claiming to be Christian on a census form. It's about living it out more than just professing it. We need to walk the walk, not just to talk the talk. 'Lord our God, thank You for this powerful promise. We're grateful that in Christ all Your promises are 'yes and amen'- by His obedience

  Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. Leviticus 24:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.24.16.ESV The fact that this punishment probably seems harsh says more about us than God. It says that we don't revere God as we ought. If I insult my daughter's names, that would be horrible, but I'd probably get away with it. If I insult my wife's name, I'd be asking for a slap at the very least. If I insult a police officer, I'm at risk of arrest. If I insult whoever my head of state is, I could get in trouble for treason. The Lord Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. If I insult His name, I deserve to get kicked out of His Kingdom. I don't just deserve death, I deserve hell. There's a reason that not taking the name of the Lord in vain is one of the ten commandments. It shows how

  Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs you shall not offer to the Lord or give them to the Lord as a food offering on the altar. Leviticus 22:22 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.22.22.ESV Nowadays we don't need to offer animals sacrifices to God. The Lamb of God has been sacrificed on our behalf. In view of God's mercy however, we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. If we are to offer ourselves to God, we are to look after ourselves. It won't do to neglect ourselves. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, if we trust in God. If our bodies are homes for God's presence, we are to live holy and healthily. We're not to allow ourselves to get run down. If we're able to look after ourselves, we should do so. Thankfully, even if we get run down or ill, God's not going to reject us. He'll accept us in Christ. Our salvation isn't dependant upon our performance, but upon

  You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:28 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.19.28.ESV It's becoming increasingly popular to have tattoos of Bible verses. I've never yet seen a tattoo of Leviticus 19:28! Leviticus can be hard to unpick: does it matter if we have tattoos nowadays? Tattoos will have been a symbol of pagan unbelief in God the Creator. If tattoos were an improvement to our skin, God will have given us them in the first place. The proliferation of tattoos even amongst professing Christians today illustrates how ungodly the professing Church is, in my opinion. Clearly, we have to contextualise Leviticus. The food laws for example have been abolished by Jesus, when He pronounced all foods to be clean. Yet this verse refers to self harm as well, which we should clearly continue to discourage. In the context of the chapter, this is the one that commands us to love our neighbours. Does getting a tat

  The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. Leviticus 16:22 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.16.22.ESV This seems a very archaic tradition described in this verse. Yet even nowadays, we talk about scapegoats, and this is what this verse refers to. We need a divine Scapegoat. Clearly, a banished goat can't literally bear all our sinful stains upon itself. Instead, it is a picture of what Christ Himself did. He who was rich beyond all splendour, all for love's sake became so poor, so that we, through His poverty, might become rich. Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, yet He passed the test with flying colours and went on to deliver His people from our sins. Like a Scapegoat, Jesus gave His life so that we can be accepted by God. He took the blame so that we can be justified. Goats symbolise those who will be punished by God for their wrongdoing. Jesus became like that for us, dyi

  The priest shall offer the sin offering, to make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. And afterward he shall kill the burnt offering. Leviticus 14:19 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.14.19.ESV How can we be cleansed from our spiritual uncleanness? Only by sacrifice. Obviously, the blood of animals can't wash away our sins. Only the sinless Lamb of God can wash away our iniquities in His blood. Jesus is the Great High Priest who sacrifices Himself on our behalf. He is the sinless sacrifice who was killed for us. We need to be reconciled to God, and it's only through Jesus. We need atonement. We need to become at one with God, by having our iniquities covered by the blood of Jesus. There's no other way we can be restored to a right relationship with God. Father God allowed Jesus's death on our behalf. He was crushed for our iniquities. He died for us, who trust in Him. 'Heavenly Father, we're thankful for Christ's sacrifice

  And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Leviticus 8:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.8.4.ESV We might not associate obedience with leadership, but in God's economy, obedience is a mark of a good leader. If someone is trying to get God's people to obey Him, they ought to practice what they preach. Moses was a great leader, not because he was pretty visionary or even enthusiastic about leadership, but because he obeyed the word of the Lord. If we want to know how God wants us to lead, we need to look know further than God's word. We don't particularly need dreams and visions (unless they complement God's Biblical revelation). So how exactly did Moses obey God as a good leader? He assembled the congregation of God's people at the tent of meeting. We don't have a tabernacle any more, but we can still learn from this verse. The tabernacle is a picture of Jesus, who 'tabern

  when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, Leviticus 5:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.5.5.ESV Leviticus might be an ancient writing, but it's still relevant today. We still need to realise our guilt before the Holy One. If we're guilty of lies or covetousness for example, we need to acknowledge that. Jesus sets the bar even higher than the Old Testament. We know we're not to murder or commit adultery, but Jesus tells us not to even be hateful or lustful. Thankfully, through faith in Jesus, our guilt can be dealt with. We need to confess our sins. It might be as simple as envying someone for having something we don't. It might be as major as worshipping a false god. Whatever we do wrong, we need to confess to God. This verse doesn't tell us the whole picture. It's in the context of making an offering for sin. Thankfully, Jesus offered His sinless self for our sins, so that our guilt can be dealt with. Our resp

  And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them. Exodus 39:43 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.39.43.ESV Why do we work? Because we're made in God's likeness, who Himself works. In His creation, He saw all that He had done, and behold, it was very good. How should we work? According to the Lord's command. He doesn't tell us all to give up our day jobs and to become travelling preachers of His good news of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet whatever we're called to, we're to do wholeheartedly. When we work well, however laborious we may find it, we're blessed. May God help us to do our best. In the context, the people of Israel were making a portable temple, basically an epic tent. Why did it matter how they did it? Because it was a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ, who 'tabernacled/pitched up tent' among us 2,000 years ago, to reconcile us to God. 'Lo

  "Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded." Exodus 36:1 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.36.1.ESV We often separate the spiritual and the 'practical'. Yet if we have any practical skills, they have been given to us by the Lord who is Spirit. Our practical skills aren't to be divorced from the spiritual, but are to be used to the glory of God. We might think of our day jobs as far removed from any spirituality. We might not think of ourselves as 'full time Christians'. Yet even our Lord Himself will have been a carpenter for most of His earthly sojourn. Whatever we do, we are to do for the glory of God. We are to work wholeheartedly, as unto the Lord. Whatever skills He gives us, we are to invest in the Kingdom of God. Paul was a tent maker. He wasn't always 'full time&

  For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?" Exodus 33:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.33.16.ESV If God is for us, who can be against us? Conversely, if God is against us, who can be for us? If God was going to be against His people, Moses didn't want to lead them. I love Moses' intercession for his people. God threatened not to go into the promised land with His rebellious people. Moses replied that if God wasn't going, he wasn't either. I'm reminded of when Israel fought the Philistines in their own strength as a mother named her newborn 'Ichabod'- 'the glory has departed'. If our glorious God doesn't fight our corner, we're lost. It might feel like God's people lose anyway because of persecution, but our inheritance is eternal, not in this temporal worl

  Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'" Exodus 32:13 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.32.13.ESV God is understandably grieved when His people rebel against Him. Understandably, when the children of Israel committed spiritual adultery against Him, He told Moses He would destroy them and start again with Moses' family. I love Moses' intercessory reply. Moses appealed to God's promises. God had promised Abraham, Isaac and Israel a multitude of descendants. Was God going to destroy them all now in an instant? Having delivered His people from Egypt, was God going to now destroy them? Having saved us from sin, will God give up on us? We must forsake sin, yes. Yet God has promised never to leave or forsake us. He who began a good wor

  And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. Exodus 28:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.28.2.ESV Aaron was clothed sumptuously. He, as high priest, is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest. He was rich, glorious and beautiful beyond all splendour, glory and beauty. All for love's sake, Jesus became poor for us, so that we, through His poverty, might become rich. He scorned the shame and ugliness of the cross because He knew it was the means for our salvation. Now He is once again glorified in the highest heaven, all beautiful in His majesty, notwithstanding the scars He still bears for us. We ourselves, if we belong to Jesus, are described as a Kingdom of priests. Once we were clothed in the filthy rags of our own self righteousness. Now we are covered by Christ's glorious, beautiful righteousness. We are to take off the filthy works of darkness that once defined us: things like greed, lust and hatred. Instea

  And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, Exodus 25:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.25.3.ESV 'What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb. If I were a wise man, I would do my part. Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart' (In the Bleak Midwinter). God isn't just interested in gold, silver and bronze as contributions to His Kingdom, as investments in heavenly treasures. I'm thankful for the comma in this verse, which leads on to less precious things that God still appreciates as contributions. Still, if we're going to contribute to God's work, we should give our best, even if that isn't gold, silver or bronze. The tabernacle was an epic portable temple, a tent basically. It symbolised Christ's first advent with us, when He 'tabernacled' or 'pitched up tent' amongst us. It therefore needed to be made up of quality materials and craftsmanship. Our b

  and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. Exodus 24:10 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.24.10.ESV Who was it that Moses and the elders of Israel saw? Isn't God invisible? The Lord Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God. Jesus is the revelation of God to the world. We might not be able to see Him right now, but we can meet Him in the pages of Scripture, even here in Exodus. Moses saw Him not only on Sinai, but also on the Mount of Transfiguration. We don't need to see Christ in the flesh until He returns, or we go to meet Him. We can see Him with eyes of faith in the pages of His word, the Bible. Faith is believing in things unseen. We all have faith: that a chair will hold us, that the wind will die down, that our friends love us. Saving faith in Christ believes that He loved us enough to give His life for us. Not only so, but He lives evermore, so that we, in Him, migh

  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, Exodus 20:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.20.5.ESV Shouldn't we all be answerable for our own deeds? Why should the iniquities up to our great grandparents be visited upon us? Moses is referring to the consequences of our sins, which linger within living memory. If our great grandfathers were thieves, murderers or adulterers for example, that's going to cast a shadow on our families for three or four generations. Memories of shameful lifestyles die hard. Thankfully, there's no such thing Biblically as generational curses in the sense that we're doomed to repeat the mistakes of our forefathers. Still, if our forefathers were notoriously sinful, that's going to last a long shadow. Thankfully, God's mercy is great, as His treatment of Judah's kings fo

  and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?" Exodus 16:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.16.7.ESV Grumbling is a grievous offence against God's good providence. He works all things out for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. When we doubt that we insult His goodness to us. Complaining isn't necessarily wrong. If we take our complaints to God respectfully, that isn't a bad thing to do. It's grumbling behind His back that really annoys Him. This time, God was gracious with His hangry people. They were hungry and angry, and He provided food to placate them. As time went on however and they continued to grumble, His patience wore thin. We can never presume upon the mercy of God. We can't take His goodness for granted. There's no point moaning to one another about His providence: take any complaints direc

  For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.' Exodus 13:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.13.15.ESV We might think of stubbornness as a childish and somewhat amusing state of being, but God takes it deadly seriously. Pharoah stubbornly refused to let the children of Israel go. God's response was to strike down the firstborn of Egypt. Note that God wasn't being racist when he killed the firstborn of Egypt, and saved Israel. The means of salvation wasn't ethnicity but the shedding of blood. If Egyptians had sacrificed lambs as prescribed by God, they would have been saved too. Without the shedding of blood, there's no forgiveness of sins. Clearly, lambs blood can't really save us. Yet it is a picture of the Lamb of God, the

  and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord." Exodus 10:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.10.2.ESV Why did God harden the hearts of Pharoah and his servants? In order to teach His people that He is sovereign. God's in control, not the leader of some superpower. How will people remember covid? Hopefully God's people will recognise it as a plague which demonstrates God's sovereignty even over scientific mankind with our development of vaccines. May we not forget that God is in control, and we need to submit to His Lordship in our lives. The Christian faith isn't only individualistic, about JAM: Jesus And Me. It's to be handed down to subsequent generations. Our responsibility is to make God known. Subsequent generations have a responsibility to put their trust in Him. God is fair, but He's also harsh with

  Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Exodus 7:13 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.7.13.ESV Did Pharoah harden his own heart, or did God harden it? Both! Exodus says both in different verses. The Bible teaches both God's sovereignty and mankind's responsibility. Pharoah hardened his heart. Yet God wasn't impotently wringing His hands at Pharoah's hardness of heart. In fact, God hardened his heart too. God knows our hearts intimately. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows how we are, and even how we would be in different circumstances. When God condemns people, He simply gives them the just penalty for their own hardness of heart. We can't blame Him if we're hard hearted, we bear responsibility for our own hearts. May God soften our hearts! 'Sovereign Father, please remove our hearts of stone and replace them with hearts that beat with love for You. For the honour of Your name, amen&#

  and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'" Exodus 4:23 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.4.23.ESV This is what God instructed Moses and Aaron to tell Pharoah. They didn't. They tried to soften the message with a feeble request to go and hold a religious festival in the wilderness. Pharoah refused. We will never know what would have happened if Moses and Aaron had been fully obedient to God. Maybe Pharoah will have let Israel go there and then! Despite Moses and Aaron's disobedience, God still worked things out for His glory, and the deliverance of His people. He demonstrated His power over the superpower of ancient Egypt. He brought His people resoundingly out of Egypt, to lead them to the promised land. If Adam and Eve hadn't disobeyed God, there would have been no need for Christ's crucifixion on our behalf. Yet it is often in the darkest times: the ten plag

  But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. Exodus 1:17 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.1.17.ESV Who would we fear if we were commanded to commit infanticide on pain of death? What would we do if it was a capital offence to not do abortions? Thankfully, the Hebrew midwives feared God, rather than the most powerful man in the world. The most powerful man in the world is clay in the hands of God. He can harden him if he so wills; or equally He can soften his hard heart. Even if God hardens someone, He will ultimately get the glory for Himself. The fact God hardened Pharoah's heart meant that His deliverance of His people from Egypt was all the more miraculous and glorifying to Him. The midwives had their part to play in the miracle: by going against Pharoah they staged an act of civil disobedience that paved the way for Moses to be used to help deliver Israel. Obedience in our day to day work might seem lab

  And he blessed Joseph and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, Genesis 48:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.48.15.ESV The greatest thing a patriarch can do for his family members is to pray God's blessings upon them. That's exactly what Jacob does for Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. Interestingly, it's often not the firstborn who gets the lion's share of blessings. Jacob was the younger brother of Esau, and cheated him of his blessing. Jacob's own eldest Reuben was an absolute disgrace as a young man, and was nowhere nearly as blessed as his younger brother Joseph. Even Joseph's eldest Manasseh was overshadowed by his younger brother Ephraim, who became synonymous with the northern kingdom of Israel. The Lord Jesus Christ was begotten as the virgin Mary's firstborn, yet not created. Yet He gave up the blessedness of the heavenlies for the sorrows of this w

  And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. Genesis 47:10 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.47.10.ESV Too often, Christians moan about the powers that be. Yet far from cursing the most powerful man in the world (on paper/papyrus!), Jacob blessed him. That's like some provincial Canadian farmer blessing Joe Biden! It seems pretty farfetched that someone as seemingly insignificant as Jacob would bless Pharoah. Yet in God's economy, the most important people aren't the ones who attempt to usurp His authority. God is far more interested in ordinary people like Jacob who He calls. He's not so much concerned about those doomed to destruction. It's true that God doesn't desire for anyone to perish, but for all to come to faith in Him. So we too should seek to bless all people, even persecutors and haters. Yet God also hardened another Pharoah's heart. He's Sovereign whether people acknowledge Him or not. Jacob didn't seek t

  May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." Genesis 43:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.43.14.ESV God Almighty graciously answered Jacob's prayer. I'm reminded of Paul's statement that God is able to do more than we ask or even imagine. Jacob had long assumed that Joseph was dead and gone, but God was going to wonderfully reunite them. God isn't just merciful. He doesn't just not treat us as our sins deserve. He's also gracious. He treats us with generosity and kindness. Not only were Simeon and Benjamin reunited with Jacob, but even Joseph himself, who Jacob had assumed was dead. It's not always the case in this life that God gives us more than we expect, but when He does, it should inspire great rejoicing. Even in his old age, God had consolation for elderly Jacob. I don't think Jacob is being fatalistic when he s

  And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. Genesis 41:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.41.5.ESV It seems that if we dream similar things more than once, God is underlining the importance of what He's trying to communicate. Joseph for example dreamed a couple of times that his family would bow to him. They ended up doing so when he miraculously became prime minister of Egypt. God can speak even to the pagan ruler of the world's superpower in dreams. Pharoah had a couple of dreams one night with the same meaning. Whether it was cows or crops, there was going to be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Understandably, Pharoah was disturbed. These dreams were nightmares. How was Egypt and the world going to get through the famine? Thankfully, God gave Joseph the wisdom to tell Pharoah to store up crops in the years of plenty for the years of famine. Not only so, but Pharoah

  His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. Genesis 39:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.39.3.ESV If the Lord is with us, insightful people will take note. If God causes all we do to succeed in our hands, this won't be lost on important people. Joseph, even as a slave, was blessed in what he did. We might not be slaves as such, but we're likely to be employees. How wonderful if we can know God with us on our work, granting us success in all we do! I would like to say I'm an exemplary worker, but my wife certainly is. Those who are faithful in a little will be entrusted with much. If we're unfaithful in small matters, how can we expect to be trusted with much? God isn't necessarily looking for impressive people in the world's eyes, just faithful ones. If God is for us, who can be against us? If we live for Him, everything we do ought to be to the best of our ability. May we honour Him in o

  Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf." Genesis 37:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.37.7.ESV I know Joseph comes across as arrogant and antagonising in this verse, but if he didn't share his dream, God couldn't be glorified by its eventual fulfilment. It was the will of God that he should tell his dream. Ultimately God was glorified, not Joseph. For the second youngest child to be bowed down to seems implausible, even if he was Jacob's favourite. Yet as we see Joseph's story unfold, that's exactly what happens. He becomes prime minister of Egypt who provides for the ancient world in the midst of a global famine. Understandably, Joseph's brothers didn't take kindly to the dream. They sold him into slavery, unwittingly setting in motion the process that led to him becoming prime minister of Egypt. When famine struck, they

  I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Genesis 32:10 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.32.10.ESV If there's something that must annoy God more than most things, it's a proud sense of entitlement: the deceit that God somehow owes us something. That's how young Jacob comes across. Thankfully, by this stage, he seems to have learnt some divine perspective. Jacob knew he was unworthy of God's unfailing love and faithfulness. He didn't make daily declarations about his self-worth; on the contrary! Jacob knew he didn't deserve anything but God's judgment; and none of us do. Jacob might seem to be a bit materialistic here, but to be fair to him, he's giving God the glory for his material wealth. He's not claiming to be some self-made man; he's a God-made man! Ultimately, if any of u

  If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labour of my hands and rebuked you last night." Genesis 31:42 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.31.42.ESV Jacob the deceiver was deceived by his father in law Laban. Laban tricked him into marrying both his daughters and tricked him out of his wages time and again. Finally, Jacob had enough and upped and left. Laban wasn't happy that his best worker resigned, and tried to bring him back. This verse is Jacob's reply. How did he put up with all Laban's cheating and exploitation? By the grace of God. The God of his fathers was becoming Jacob's God too. Jacob's journey of faith was long and arduous, but it seems he was coming to a faith of his own by this stage. He knew that the God of grandfather Abraham and father Isaac was with him too. Jacob came to realise he didn't need to l

  Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Genesis 25:28 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.25.28.ESV The Bible is an honest book. It describes its characters 'warts and all'. We see in the unfolding verses the damage this parental favouritism caused. Isaac allowed his stomach to govern the fact he loved Esau most. Esau was a hunter who killed and no doubt cooked delicious food for his dad. God doesn't show favouritism though, and neither should we. I find it revealing that Scripture doesn't give a reason for Rebekah's love of Jacob. Knowing what we do of him, he wasn't loveable, but was a sneaky deceiver. Maybe her memory of the prophecy God gave her that the elder would serve the younger inspired her to love her younger son more. Even if God seems to favour Jacob, He doesn't. Jacob and Esau alike could have received of His love. Yet Esau we're told despised his birthright. He wasn't interested in divine blessings,

  And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Genesis 21:17 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.21.17.ESV Spiritually, Isaac was the child of promise; and Ishmael the child of the flesh. Yet this doesn't mean to say that God didn't care for Ishmael and his mother, the servant Hagar. In fact, 'the' angel or messenger of God as opposed to 'an' angel, is often interpreted to be a pre-incarnate visitation of the Lord Jesus Christ. God hears the cries of the anguished, and He cares. He doesn't want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to faith in Him. Ishmael wasn't going to perish in the wilderness: he was going to become a great nation. There's something heavenly about a mother's care for her child. Hagar clearly loved Ishmael deeply, and couldn't bear to see him die. Thankfully, God heard

  And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. Genesis 16:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.16.2.ESV Humanly speaking, Sarai's advice seems to be sensible here. She even invokes God Himself. Seeing as He wasn't giving her a child, Sarai reasoned, her servant Hagar may as well do the job. Spiritually speaking, Sarai's advice is evil. God created Adam and Eve, not Adam, Eve and any other woman. Men are to be faithful to their wives and not to have any other women. We are to look to God to provide, not our own plans. Sarai's plan resulted in epic woe. Servant Hagar bore Ishmael, and there's been strife between him and his descendants, and Isaac (Sarai's promised son) and his descendants, ever since. If God promises something, He will assuredly fulfil it, but according to His timescale. We need to

  Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Genesis 13:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.13.8.ESV I love the humility of Abram here. He's so concerned to avoid strife that he gives Lot a blank cheque. Lot got to pick the green and present land of the Jordan Valley, whilst Abram was seemingly left with the relatively barren hill country. We are to walk by faith, not by sight. Lot walked by sight, and we see in ensuing chapters how that worked out for him. Abram walked by faith, and God rewarded him with powerful promises. Jesus claimed that Abram saw His day (by faith) and rejoiced. Most of God's promises to Abram, like the inheritance of the land of Canaan, weren't even fulfilled in his lifetime. Yet he was grateful to be part of God's master plan. We are so much more privileged than Abram, our father figure in the faith. In Christ, all the promises of God are yes and

  And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. Genesis 8:21 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.8.21.ESV The pleasing aroma was Noah's sacrifice of clean animals to God. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. The blood of animals can't wash away our sins however. Noah's animal sacrifices were a pale shadow of God's sacrifice of His Son on our behalf. It is because of Christ's crucifixion that we're not in hell as we deserve. If we trust in Him, we are no longer under a curse, but are blessed with eternal life. God knows our hearts' intentions are naturally evil. Yet He can perform spiritual heart surgery to remove our evil hearts and replace then with hearts that respond to His love towards us in Jesus. We don

  Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.4.9.ESV Firstly, Cain blatantly lies to the Omniscient Lord, a foolish thing to do. Secondly, he attempts to abdicate responsibility for his brother. We all ought to be the keepers of our brethren. At the heart of the Christian faith is love of others. We're all children of Adam and Eve. We all share responsibility for one another. Cain provides a sobering warning to not allow sin a foothold in our lives. What started off as jealousy of his righteous brother Abel mutated into murderous hatred. If hatred is the embryo, murder is a fully formed monster. We need to abort hatred when it rears its ugly head in our hearts. Cain ought to have had the humility to learn from his righteous brother, but he was lost forever. God forbid that we should fail to learn. 'All knowing God, forbid that we would

  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.1.27.ESV The fact that God made us to reflect Him gives us inherent dignity. We're not just an accident of nature, evolved apes. We reflect something of the glory of our Creator God. When Jesus became one of us, it wasn't so much that He took on our likeness, because He's always been who He is. Instead, He simply stepped down into our world and humbled Himself to become an embryo in the womb of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit. God created us equal. The world, with all its inequalities is our doing, not God's. Yet we should be equitable in our dealings with one another. From the humblest person with special needs, to the most apparently self sufficient billionaire, we all have dignity because we're made in the image of God. We ought not to look down upon one another, or to be envious and covetous of o

  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Revelation 20:13 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.20.13.ESV It doesn't matter whether we're cremated with our ashes scattered at sea: we will assuredly be judged by God, whether we're dead or alive. He's the Sovereign Creator and Judge of all. There's no escaping His divine justice. Whether living, dead, or wherever we may be, God will judge us. It doesn't matter whether we're Christians or unbelievers. Every single one of us will have to give an account of ourselves to God. There's a difference in how we're judged though. We're either judged as we deserve, as condemned sinners, or else we're clothed in Christ's righteousness. God either judges us according to our shortcomings (if we reject Him) or else according to the good works that He's prepared in advance

  Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. Revelation 19:11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.19.11.ESV Popularly, there are four horsemen of the apocalypse. Biblically, it could be argued that there is a fifth, and here He is, referred to here as Faithful and True. Clearly He's no ordinary man, because none of us are consistently faithful and true. John has a vision here of the Lord Jesus Christ. The man he witnessed in the flesh riding into Jerusalem on a humble donkey will return on a white horse, unless we just take the white horse to be symbolic of conquest. Jesus doesn't just conquer the world, He conquers the hearts of all who trust in Him. On the face of it, this is a terrifying vision, for the exalted Christ will return to judge us and to make war on His enemies. Thankfully however, we still live in days of grace when we can surrender to Him and make our p

  Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. Revelation 14:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.14.14.ESV The grim reaper is a mythological personification of death. The Golden Reaper is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, and He's very much real! He's the Son of Man, the One Daniel saw, whom Father God, the Ancient of Days, gave all authority to. Having defeated death, all authority in all of heaven and creation has been given to Jesus. And He calls us to go in His delegated authority to make Him known, and to warn people of the heavenly reaping, the final judgment to come. John's was an agricultural society so that picture of a harvest of souls will have been immediately recognisable. There's a sorting coming between those of us who have borne the fruit of the Spirit at work in us, and those of us who have sown to indulge the sinful flesh. We need Go

  Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." Revelation 11:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.11.15.ESV This is what every child of God, indeed all of creation, is waiting for. This verse describes the culmination of history, the completion of time. Seven in the Bible is symbolic of completeness and perfection: think seven days of the week and the sevenfold Spirit of God. The end of the world isn't going to be a damp squib, a gradual extinction. We will go out with a bang. The kingdoms of this world that rage against the Lord and His Anointed will be snuffed out in a moment, swallowed up by the Kingdom of God. Before we get nostalgic for our respective policies, bear in mind that God's Kingdom is a confederation of peoples: we don't lose our individual identities, merged into some melting pot. Yet

  After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." Revelation 4:1 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.4.1.ESV Put yourself in John's shoes. The Roman Empire exiled him to a barren island for his faith in Christ. The heavens must have felt like brass; God must have felt very distant. Then, the heavens open, and John is welcomed in. Revelation is a kaleidoscopic book that might leave us questioning John's sanity. Ultimately however, it reveals that God is sovereign over all the craziness going on in the world. Revelation is scary stuff a lot of the time. Ultimately however, it reveals Christ to be on the throne, the Lamb of God who was slain for the sins of the world. Not only so, but He's also the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the King of kings and Lord of lords. If we view the world from a worldly persp

  "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.1.8.ESV Who is God? According to this verse, there's no more important question. He isn't just the ABC of life. He's the A to Z. God is everything. He ought to be our all in all. After all, it's in Him that we live, and move, and have our being. He's the Lord, the boss. He's God, the Great 'Other': the One who created us for His glory. He's Almighty: matchless in His power and majesty. We are, and we will be either praising the Lord for eternity in glory, or being punished as we deserve in hell. God however always has been. There's no beginning or end to His glorious reign. May we worship Him as He deserves. 'Almighty God, our Lord, may we glorify You all of our days, and forevermore, for You are worthy of our praise for all eternity, in Christ's glorious n

  For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 2 John 1:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2jn.1.7.ESV Anyone who claims to be authoritative in matters of religion, but who denies the return of the incarnate Son of God is an antichrist. Talk of antichrists might make us think rather appcalyptically and escatologically, but John would warn us from 2000 years ago to Christ's return that there'll be plenty of antichrists. It's ambiguous as to whether John is referring to Christ's first or second advent. I think he's referring to both. The Lord Jesus Christ came down to earth in the flesh as a baby in Bethlehem, miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary. Yet He will also assuredly return in the flesh. The resurrected Jesus isn't some kind of ghost; He's flesh and blood. Neither is He a zombie; He's full of the

  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.7.ESV By default, we walk in darkness. Naturally, we're spiritually clueless and sinful. Thankfully, Jesus is the Light of the world: if we come to Him, we won't walk in darkness. Christianity isn't just some solitary pursuit. It's a communal pilgrimage from this hellbound world to the heavenly new creation. We get to share it with countless others who have escaped the darkness and entered the Kingdom of light. How can sinners like us presume to walk in the light, dark as our hearts are by nature? Only by the blood of Jesus, shed upon our behalf. Without His bloodshed, there's no forgiveness of sins. Having been forgiven, how ought we to live? No longer in the darkness. We are to walk in the light of Christ all our days, until He calls us home. 'Dear heavenly Fat

  For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2pe.1.16.ESV Christianity isn't a set of fairy tales. Neither is it just a philosophy, a series of more sayings. As the name suggests, it is centred upon the Lord Jesus Christ, the central figure in human history. Peter himself was an eyewitness of His majesty. Though on the face of it, Jesus was simply a carpenter turned rabbi/teacher, Peter got a glimpse of His glory. On 'the mount of transfiguration', Jesus was transformed from an ordinary looking man into His heavenly, bright likeness. Peter, along with James and John, was privileged to witness the majesty of King Jesus. Although Peter at one stage denied knowing Christ, He was restored by the resurrected Jesus to be an Apostle, or messenger sent to make Him known to the world. Peter was an Apostle with a capital

  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.5.7.ESV To be brutally honest, anxiety is a sin, because it is worriedly doubting the good providence of God. Thankfully however, God is gracious with His anxious people. As Peter says here, cast your anxieties upon God, because He cares for you. The Greek word for anxiety carries with it a sense of distraction. Anxiety is a distraction that consumes us when we should be focused upon the Kingdom of God. God will provide, all we can do is work to earn our daily bread and trust God to give us what we need. The Greek word for 'cast' means to literally throw. We can think of our anxieties as a shotput, a deadweight, and the Christian life as a decathlon. We need to throw our anxieties upon God and get on with life! God cares for us. Whilst we often get distracted from Him, He never stops being concerned for us. The solution to distractions is to focus upon glorifying

  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:25 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jas.1.25.ESV If we look into the mirror, we would do well to remember whether we need to wash our faces or not. If we go away and forget, it was a waste of time to look into the mirror in the first place. Likewise with the word of God. God's word is like a spiritual mirror that helps us see how we're doing spiritually. In all likelihood, we're not doing amazingly, and need to wash our metaphorical faces at the least. If we forget our spiritual need after reading the Bible, we may as well not have read it in the first place. We tend to think of the law as restrictive, yet James describes it as the law of liberty. There's no contradiction between Moses and Jesus. It's just that Moses makes us realise that we need Jesus. Moses and Jesus alike tell us to love Go

  For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. Hebrews 11:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.11.14.ESV Do we speak of ourselves as being aliens and strangers in the world? Most people will admit that this world is an often sad an evil place. Yet do we see it as our home, when it is destined for destruction by God? If we have faith in God, we look forward to a homeland beyond this 'vale of tears'. If our hope is bound up in this world, we're ultimately hopeless. If on the other hand, we're looking forward to a new creation, we reveal where our homeland really is. If we have faith in Jesus, we become part of the Kingdom of God. It isn't a temporary kingdom like any worldly polity. It's a heavenly Kingdom that will endure forever. If our home is heaven, that makes us aliens and strangers in the world. This world is not our home, we're just passing through. We're pilgrims on our way to the heavenly City. 'Our Heaven

  who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. Hebrews 7:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.7.16.ESV A priest is someone who intercedes to God on the behalf of people. He also represents God to the people. Under the Jewish system, priests were of the lineage of Levi. Jesus wasn't even descended of the house of Levi: he was descended from the regal Judah. His qualification to be the Great High Priest of humanity wasn't based upon human descent. Instead, the fact He Himself was the offering for sin who defeated sin's penalty of death qualifies Him to represent us before God. The Levitical priests had to make sacrifices for their own sins. Not Jesus: He sacrificed His sinless self for the sake of sinners like us. His life is indestructible: He overcame death so that through faith in Him, we can too. Jesus is a truly great High Priest. He ever lives to intercede for us. He knows

  and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Hebrews 6:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.6.2.ESV This verse isn't literally about having a wash in the bath or shower. It's about how to get clean spiritually, through faith in Christ crucified and symbolised by baptism. We need to be washed in the metaphorical blood of Jesus. The laying on of hands isn't something to be done hastily Biblically. If someone is to be commissioned to work for God, they are to have hands laid upon them to commit them to His service. We don't need to lay hands on people every time we pray for them. The resurrection of the dead isn't just 'pie in the sky when we die'. We know it's real ultimately because of Christ's resurrection from the dead historically. Also, our own resurrections from spiritual death to life through faith in Christ gives us hope of physical resurrection too. Eternal judgment is w

  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2ti.2.15.ESV What really matters in life isn't the approval of others. We don't really need the validation of others to do the right thing. What really matters is that God justifies us. How does God justify us? Is it by us trying our best? Really, it's by us trusting in Him, and even our faith is a gift from Him, so there's no room for boasting. Having trusted in God for salvation, we ought to live lives that seek to prove that He is saving us: transforming us from sinners to saints in the likeness of Christ. This is what Paul is telling Timothy. He isn't telling him to earn His salvation, as if that were possible. Timothy was trained by Paul as a worker in the word of God. It's the word of truth, and has to be handled rightly. We need clean hands and a pure heart to be able to

  Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1ti.4.16.ESV Teaching is important. We need to be teaching the right things. Living is arguably more important than teaching however. What's the point teaching something if we don't put it into practice? What's the point me teaching English if I'm not using it myself? How much more important is this principle spiritually! If I'm teaching that lust is wrong, I mustn't be lustful. If I'm teaching the evils of hatred, I mustn't be hateful. If I expect people to speak well, I mustn't be crude and foul mouthed. There's not much point trying to save our hearers if we're not looking after ourselves spiritually. Ultimately it's God who saves, but when He saves us, He helps us to live transformed lives. We can be instruments in the hands of God to help others come t

  so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2th.1.12.ESV Ever wonder how to pray for people? This verse is a good place to start. Our raison d'etre is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. If we want to be glorious, we are to reflect Christ in our lives. If we have claimed to have received the grace of God, we ought to live in it. Grace isn't just a one off gift, but an ongoing outpouring of God's lovingkindness. Jesus doesn't seem to be glorious to the world. After all, what's glorious about a carpenter turned teacher who was executed as a common criminal. If we know Him however, we understand that He gave His life for us, and rose again victorious over death. Our concern shouldn't just be for our individualistic relationships with Jesus. We ought to be concerned for one another. Our desire should be that together

  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/col.2.3.ESV At first glance, this verse might appear to be an epic exaggeration. How can a humble carpenter from Nazareth be the Source of all wisdom and knowledge? Of course, there's a lot more to Jesus than a 2000 year old Rabbi/Teacher. 'Before Abraham was born,' He claimed, 'I am'. In other words, He's always been and always will be: He's God in the flesh! If Jesus is the incarnate Word of God, it becomes more plausible that He's the Source of all wisdom and knowledge. All logic and intelligence is founded in Him, whether He's acknowledged or not. He's the exalted One who defeated death for His people. If we want to be wise and knowledgeable, we ought to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ. If we don't, we're just brainy fools. The Bible says that the fool says in his heart that 'there is no God'. If anything wise

  For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Philippians 3:18 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/php.3.18.ESV Sadly, many people are enemies of the cross of Christ. For many people, Christ crucified is foolishness. They would rather worship food than the Source of all good things. Many people glory in their shame: what they get up to on a weekend for example. Others might idolise otherwise commendable things, like their own deeds. Some people trust in religion rather than in having a personal relationship with God. God doesn't want our deeds, He wants us. In a similar way, a wife doesn't just want flowers and chocolates: she wants faithful love. Children don't just want presents: they want their parents to be there for them. When a man's ways are pleasing to God, he makes even his enemies to be friends with him. That's what Jesus did at the cross, so that His enemies, like you and I, can become

  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:18 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.1.18.ESV Before getting into the nitty gritty of how Christians should and shouldn't live, Paul establishes who we are in Christ. He wants us to open our eyes to how wonderful it is to have hope. Most people in the world, if you dig below the surface, are hopeless; but not those who trust in the risen Lord Jesus. We have the great privilege of having been called by God- from darkness to light; from death to life. He wants to fill us with hopefulness. He doesn't want us to despair any more. We have a wonderful inheritance to look forward to. Someone has to die for others to come into an inheritance. Jesus died so that we can inherit eternal life. The riches we have to look forward are everlasting, not temporary. We are spiritual billionaires. In Christ th

  Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Galatians 6:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/gal.6.7.ESV 'Sow a thought; reap an action. Sow an action; reap a habit. Sow a habit; reap a character. Sow a character; reap a destiny.' We can sow to our fleshy desires- greed, lust, anger, covetousness etc. If we do so however, we will reap spiritual weeds and end up in hell. Alternatively, we can bear the fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace etc. If we do we will enjoy eternal life. Salvation isn't to do with what we do. Yet what we do illustrates whether we're truly saved. If we are truly saved, we will be transformed. Salvation doesn't make us perfect overnight. Yet it will change us for the better. It is God's work, so there's no room for boasting. 'Father God, please help us to sow according to Your Holy Spirit rather than our sinful desires. And so may we reap an eternally fruitful harvest. In Christ's

  I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 12:1 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2co.12.1.ESV Ultimately, Paul's boast was in the Lord Himself. He wasn't so much interested in his own credentials. What really mattered to him was the credentials of his Lord and Saviour. Yes, it's great to have visions and revelations of the Lord. Yet not for their own sake; simply for the way they illuminate Him. Paul even says there's nothing to be gained by visions and revelations. God's word is enough. Visions and revelations might feel like a bonus, and Paul isn't discounting them. Yet God's word as applied by His Spirit is enough for us to live full lives spiritually. Visions and revelations aren't essential. Paul might not be saying they never happen. He's just telling us not to hanker after them. 'Glorious Lord, forbid that we should hanker after visions and re

  For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Corinthians 5:1 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2co.5.1.ESV Paul isn't talking about literal tents and houses. He's using them as illustrations of spiritual realities. He describes our bodies as tents- temporary dwellings. If we end up being martyred, or simply lose our lives, it's not the end of the world. It's just as though we pack up our tents and exchange them for houses. There's a permanence about houses, and the new creation. Whilst we live in the 'tents' of our bodies, as aliens and strangers in the world, God is preparing permanent homes for us in His household. We won't just pitch up tent in the new creation. In the life to come, we'll be settling in for good. The wise man builds his house upon the rock of Christ and His word. The foolish man builds his house upon the shifting quicksa