Tag Archives: repentance

Day 117: Sin, Repentance and Grace

2 Samuel 10-12; Psalm 51

Key Verses

2 Samuel 11:13-15
David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” Then Nathan went to his house.

Psalm 51:3-4
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight (Psalm 51:3-4).

Chapter 10 begins the war against the Ammonites. And nestled in this story of war… is David’s great sin.

It is obvious from 11:1 that David was lounging at home when he should have been at war with Joab (the commander of his army). Verse 2 even begins, “David arose from his couch…” This is a very different David than the one that was fleeing from Saul and scrounging for food with his vagabond army in the wilderness. David has grown accustomed to leisure and luxury. Not only has he become lazy physically, but the ease of his life has lulled him to sleep spiritually as well.

This is the only explanation for how David, a man after God’s own heart, could have slipped so far away from God’s ways that he would covet, commit adultery, and then cover it all up with murder.

When Nathan confronts David with his gross sin, David repents. Psalm 51 is David’s cry for mercy…

God is gracious to David and spares his life. But there will be consequences. Horrible consequences that we will read over the next few days.

Mysteriously, God brings good out of the ashes… through Solomon – son of Bathsheba and in the family line of Christ – he will be the King of Israel at its height!

Day 108: David and his ragamuffin band

1 Samuel 22:1-5; Psalm 57; Psalm 142; Luke 15

Key Verses

Psalm 57:1
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.

Luke 15:10
“Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

In today’s reading from 1 Samuel, David narrowly escaped the Philistine city of Gath and found refuge in a cave. Just think how far David has fallen… The son-in-law of the King is now living in a cave. Listen to his heart cry out to the Lord…

Attend to my cry,
for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name! (Psalm 142:6-7).

But David is not alone in the cave. On the contrary, the outcasts of society have gathered to him…

And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them (1 Samuel 22:2).

This picture of the anointed king surrounded by outcasts reminds me of Jesus. And it correlates beautifully with Jesus’ teaching found in Luke 15.

Who matters to God? The sinner who repents! God will leave 99 righteous to find one lost soul. Jesus says in Luke 15:7, “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

And then he tells the well-known story of the prodigal son. You remember the story? How the younger brother squanders his inheritance and returns to his father a humbled man. The father throws him a huge party to celebrate his return while the faithful, older brother is indignant and sulks over the fact that his father never threw him a party.

How many times have you heard it asked, “Do you identify more with the older or younger brother?” That’s an interesting question since they were both sinners in need of repentance. The difference is that the older brother was blind to his self-righteous sin – whereas the younger brother was very much aware of his sin.

Another question might be, “Do you identify with the outcasts that gathered to David in the cave?” Do you know what it feels like to be in distress, in debt, or bitter in soul? I do. Jesus beckons us to come. And as we gather around the Savior, no one can stand – for we know we are sinful. We know we don’t deserve the kindness He offers. And heaven rejoices, for a sinner has repented.

Day 104: Saul’s Heart

1 Samuel 13-14; Luke 14:1-24

Many years have passed since Saul was anointed the king over Israel. Saul is now old enough to have a son, Jonathan, and Jonathan is old enough to command troops. We find Saul engaged in battle with the Philistines – and it is here in Chapter 13, that we first read of God rejecting Saul as king.

Key Verses

1 Samuel 13:13-14
And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

What did Saul do that was so bad that God would remove his kingship? On the surface, it seems as if the punishment doesn’t match the crime. Saul was pressed from all sides…  Samuel was late in arriving, and Saul wanted to inquire of the Lord, so he took on the priestly role and offered the sacrifices in Samuel’s place… What’s the big deal?

Saul’s heart. That’s the big deal. Saul did not obey God in the face of difficult circumstances. And when questioned by Samuel, Saul had the opportunity to repent, but instead, he made excuses. He justified his sin.

Jesus’ teaching in Luke 14 only reinforces the truth that God is concerned with the heart – not religious duty or outward appearances.

God looked into Saul’s heart and saw a presumptuous man who trusted more in himself than in God. He saw independence and vanity – foolishness and pride. Saul was not a man after God’s own heart.

I shudder at what God sees when He looks inside my heart. Apart from Christ, I am ruined! But thankfully, my Rescuer lives… and works on my behalf to mold me to be more like Himself. This is my hope, and I am grateful.

Day 102: Repentance

1 Samuel 7:3-9:27; Luke 13:1-21

Key Verses

1 Samuel 9:15-16
Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.”

Luke 13:5
“…unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

God’s grace extends beyond our understanding. Despite the great sin that separates us from God, He is continually withholding judgment – waiting for one thing… repentance.

In Luke, we read of Jesus exhorting the people to repent… “Repent” is one of those words that loses its meaning due to overuse. First, true repentance can not be self-manufactured. Rather, it is a work of the Spirit. “Repentance” means: To take responsibility for sin, forsake the sin and turn humbly toward God. According to Jesus, we must repent in order to be saved!

The parable of the barren fig tree (Luke 13:6-9) illustrates God’s great patience for our repentance… Even after the tree is barren, he refuses to allow it to be cut down – rather, he asks to give the tree just one more year to bear fruit. In other words, He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish.

Switching over to 1 Samuel, today’s reading ends in a cliff-hanger of sorts. It is fascinating to read of God’s sovereign ways as God leads Israel’s future king to his prophet, Samuel, via a search for missing donkeys! The author’s introduction to Saul is flattering. He is both handsome and seemingly humble.

Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?” (1 Samuel 9:21).

But over the next few days – as we read Saul’s story – we will see his independent spirit lead him to rebel against God – and when given the opportunity to repent… Saul refuses. Saul’s presumption and pride will be his downfall.

We must not be like Saul! We must pray for the grace to repent!

Day 55: Complaining

Numbers 10:11 – 12:16

Key Verses

Numbers 11:1-2
And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down.

Hebrews 3:3
For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.

After almost a year at Mt. Sinai… after the giving of the Law and the construction of the Tabernacle, the anointing of Priests and dedication of the Holy things… the people set out. Everything starts well – the people break camp as instructed, they march in the exact order that God commanded. The Levites comply with every instruction of how to transport the tent and the holy things.

But then.

The people complain… And everything goes downhill from there. Today’s reading ends with Moses’ own family turning against him and the Lord.

What happened? Their eyes turned inward on their unhappy circumstances. Self-pity crept in – which led to self-justification – which led to great anger from God.

This section of Scripture is deeply sad to me – mainly because I see the same sin patterns in my own life. When I complain, the ungratefulness in my heart is revealed. A thankless heart is a great sin – but thankfully… we serve a God who longs for our repentance. 

At the very end of today’s reading, we see Miriam and Aaron conspiring against Moses. They were jealous of his special standing before God and deserved to die because of it, but God spared them – because of Moses’ intercession.

Moses points forward to Jesus – who lives to continually make intercession for us. The book of Hebrews teaches that Jesus is greater than Moses (Hebrews 3), and it also teaches that Jesus is our High Priest…

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Lord, please forgive me when I complain of my circumstances – belittling your sacrifice for me. Help me to pry my eyes off of myself and turn them toward you – my great High Priest. Please Lord, have mercy on me.

Day 49: The reaping

Leviticus 26-27; Mark 2

Key Verses

Leviticus 26:45
“But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.”

Mark 2:17
And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Leviticus 26 is difficult. The first half paints a breathtaking picture of a life of obedience. This is the life that God wanted for his people – this is the life that God wants for us!

But I know the story of the Israelites, and I know they fail to obey. God is true to his word. The horrible curses described in the second half of Leviticus 26 come on Israel – so much that the land will be laid desolate and the people will live as captives in a foreign land. But God gives a glimmer of hope…

Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God” (Leviticus 26:44).

Because the strict language of Leviticus seems so different from Jesus’ love and compassion, it might be easy to discount the Law as obsolete and meaningless to the modern Christian. No! God is still holy!! And our disobedience is still costly!

Fast forward to Mark… The Jews questioned Jesus in Mark 2 several times… “Why do you make yourself unclean by associating with sinners?” “Why don’t your followers obey the fasting laws?” “Why do you break the law and pluck grain on the Sabbath?” On the surface, it seems like Jesus is voiding the law with his actions. But he refutes this in the parable of the wine skins… No, he fulfills the law and deepens it to include what flows from the heart instead of describing only outward actions.

The Israelites disobeyed God’s law and they reaped the consequences.We are no different from the Israelites. We reap what we sow. If you look back at Leviticus 26 (in the ESV translation), God describes the consequences for Israel’s disobedience as “discipline” not “punishment.” Every consequence was brought about with the hope of repentance. Ultimately, God just wants us to repent. He is waiting for the turning… for our hard hearts to be brought low in humility and surrender. What are you sowing?? Humble reliance or hard-hearted independence?? Just like the Israelites, we will reap what we sow.

Day 14: Jacob’s Turning

Genesis 31-35

Key Verses

Genesis 35:10-12
And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.”

These chapters in Genesis weave a tantalizing story. It’s character driven and full of action. There’s intrigue, rape, slaughter, reconciliation – but ultimately it’s the story of Jacob – finally turning to God.

Background: This story begins in Bethel. Jacob had just cheated Esau out of Isaac’s blessing and was running for his life – fleeing north to his mother’s family. On his way, he spent the night in Bethel, and God met with him there in a dream – a dream of a ladder to heaven (Genesis 28). In the dream, God appeared to him and promised to be with him and bless him. Jacob awoke and made a promise… with a condition – that if God would bless him, he would return to Bethel and worship Him there.

20+ years later… Jacob is a changed man. He is humbled by the trickery and harsh treatment from his Uncle Laban, but despite Jacob’s hardships, God had blessed Jacob with wives and children and many herds and flocks. Jacob manages to escape his Uncle Laban and begins the journey south toward home. However, his changed heart convinces him that he must reconcile with an enemy.

The antagonist: At first, the writer of Genesis leads you to believe that Jacob’s main conflict is with Esau. Jacob sets his mind to reconcile with Esau and sends a messenger to him with a large peace offering. But then the messenger returns reporting that Esau is advancing with 400 men (a small army) and Jacob is terrified. Jacob drops to his knees and initiates his first recorded prayer. It is a cry for help. He sends his family and herds away to safety and spends the night, alone, waiting for his brother.

Climax: The true antagonist, the one Jacob has wrestled with his entire life, comes to Jacob in the middle of the night. Jacob and this mysterious man wrestle until morning. Jacob’s striving endures until finally, the man breaks Jacob’s hip from just the touch of his hand and Jacob realizes that this man could only be God, in human form. However, Jacob still refuses to let God go – until He blesses him. At this moment, God changes Jacob’s name to “Israel” which means “strives with God.”

Peace: Now that Jacob has reconciled with God, his relationship with Esau is reconciled as well. The brothers meet together, and part ways, at peace.

Conflict: Instead of following Esau to Seir, Jacob travels the opposite direction and settles in Shechem. Shechem is 30 miles short of Bethel, the place Jacob promised to return to if God would bless him. Stopping short of full obedience, there is only tragedy waiting for Jacob and his family as his daughter, Dinah, is raped by the prince of the land. Dinah’s brothers take revenge by slaughtering the men of Shechem.

Resolution: God appears to Jacob, and commands him to return to Bethel. Realizing that God will not accept his half-heartedness, Jacob instructs his family to remove all idols and travel to Bethel. Jacob builds an altar to God at Bethel and God blesses Jacob.

The story ends where it began – in Bethel, meeting with God. Jacob’s journey is one of transformation – but it is not perfect. God pursues Jacob, forgives Jacob and changes Jacob – and continues to pursue, forgive and change Jacob throughout his life. He was a work in progress. Aren’t we all?

Day 2: The Offspring of the Woman

Genesis 3-5; Matthew 2

Key Verses:

Genesis 3:15
I will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Matthew 2:13-14
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt.

To me, Genesis 3 is the saddest chapter in the entire bible. Adam and Eve’s disobedience destroyed their relationship with God. Their sinful choice had far-reaching consequences as every human is now separated from God because of sin. But God had a rescue plan…

Immediately after Adam and Eve made their selfish choice, God delivered a shocking promise – that a descendent of the woman would defeat the serpent. This promise acts as a backdrop for the rest of the Old Testament. Imagine the serpent’s response to such a promise! Satan’s goal from that point forward was to destroy the offspring of the woman who was destined to crush his head. In fact, the entire Old Testament can be read as a story of a battle between Satan and God – of Satan trying to destroy the royal family line and God working to preserve the family line from which Jesus would be born.

In Genesis 4, we see this royal line threatened as Cain killed Abel and Cain walked away from God. Who would carry the seed of the woman forward? But God’s plan was always that Jesus would not descend from Cain or Abel. God gave Adam and Eve a third son, Seth, and it was from him that the promised royal offspring would come!

In today’s New Testament reading, we see the promised offspring (Jesus!) in danger of being killed by the evil king, Herod. But God was not thwarted by the plans of an evil king. He warned Joseph in a dream to escape south to Egypt until the threat had passed.

God’s plan of redemption could not – and will not – be overcome by the serpent. Jesus was born! Jesus was crucified. And Jesus will come again!

Day 353: God’s compassion on the Nations

Jonah 1-4; Revelation 10

Yesterday’s reading in Revelation ended with the heralding of the 6th trumpet. Today’s reading contains an interlude before the final judgment that the 7th trumpet brings – very similar to the one before the opening of the 7th seal in which John was shown things concerning the church.

Today, we also read the book of Jonah in its entirety, which stands in stark contrast to what we read yesterday. In the book of Obadiah, God proclaimed judgment against the nations, specifically to Judah’s southeastern neighbor, Edom. Conversely, in Jonah, God’s compassion for the nations is on full display as he instructs his servant Jonah to warn the city of Nineveh to repent in order to avert impending destruction!

Again, we are reminded that God’s judgment is exercised in the context of His faithfulness to redeem His people!! And as the story of God’s redemptive history unfolds, we learn (and experience first-hand) that His people are not limited to the physical Israel – rather, His people are represented by ALL nations, tribes and tongues!!

In today’s reading from Revelation, we see Christ’s angelic representative come to earth to deliver a message to His people, the church. Yet, John is not to write its message down. Rather, John was instructed to eat the scroll, and as odd as this instruction sounds, this is not the first time a prophet has been asked to eat a scroll! Ezekiel ate a scroll in Ezekiel 2:9-3:3. As he ate, he took the scroll’s contents to heart. Similarly, John, before he could proclaim God’s message to others, had to take to heart the message for himself.

In verse 7, we can glean a hint of the angel’s message… “The mystery of God will be fulfilled”  includes both judgment and salvation – as is represented by the taste of the scroll… “It tasted sweet, for it was a message about the fulfillment of prophecy and about the return of Christ and the protections of God’s people. Yet the message was also sour, for along with the covenant blessings of Christ’s second coming, come all the horrors of judgment and wrath and covenant curses on those who have not repented. John’s task will be to tell about the glory of the second coming and the new heavens and the new earth, but it will include also prophesying about the events heralded by the seventh trumpet.” (P. Gardner, Revelation, pg 147).

John’s prophetic call would be difficult – just like it was for Jeremiah (Jer. 15:16, Lam. 3:14-15). And it will be difficult for all Christians in these last days.

Comparatively, Jonah had an easier calling. For unlike other prophets, Jonah was able to see the fruit of his message in the dramatic repentance of the Ninevites. In the face of their repentance, God relented and did not send the promised destruction. You would think that Jonah would have been glad, but he did not share God’s compassionate heart for the nations.

The book of Jonah ends with God questioning him, for Jonah cared more about the destruction of a plant than he did the destruction of hundreds of thousands of people (Jonah 4:10-11). God’s compassion is in stark contrast to the hard-hearted Jonah. 

So often we are quick to assume God’s judgment is harsh and unfair, but God’s compassion is far-greater than our own. God delays His return because of His compassion!

Disclaimer: I humbly and cautiously offer an interpretation of the book of Revelation based on my Reformed understanding of Scripture, an Amillennialist eschatology, and a heavy reliance on the book, Revelation, The Compassion and Protection of Christ by Dr. Paul Gardner.

Day 351: The 7th seal and the 7 trumpets

Amos 7-9; Revelation 8

Amos 7 opens with a conversation…Amos is pleading for God to show mercy and withhold judgment from Israel. Amos seems to make headway as God relents twice, but then God shows Amos a third vision which reveals how far Israel has fallen away from the “plumb-line of God’s law.” When Amos sees the depravity of Israel as compared to the holiness of God, he stops pleading. Amos knows that there is nothing that can avert God’s judgment.

“The end has come upon my people Israel;
I will never again pass by them.
The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day,”
declares the Lord God.
“So many dead bodies!”
“They are thrown everywhere!”
“Silence!” (Amos 8:2-3)

God’s judgment on Israel through the Assyrian army is a precursor of His judgment to come in the final day. This final judgment is depicted in the opening of the 7th and final seal in Revelation 8.

There is silence before the opening of the final seal and the final judgment of the earth. In this silence, the prayers of all the church, both living and before the throne of God are received by God. And He answers the prayers of the saints…their prayers for relief, for comfort, for justice, for help, for vindication, for salvation with the opening of the final seal when fire from God’s altar is thrown upon the earth in the absolute, final judgment.

John’s vision then moves to watch seven angels herald seven trumpets. The trumpets are essentially a repeating of the same judgment described in the seven seals, but according to P. Gardner, the trumpets describe the judgment from the perspective of the unbeliever. The trumpet is used as a symbol of judgment and the final coming of Christ throughout Scripture, so “this helps us understand this trumpet sound that issues from the seven angels. God is declaring holy war on Satan and those who follow him. He summons people to repentance, and announces the final judgment day and the coming of Christ.” (P. Gardner, Revelation, pg, 127).

The plagues of Egypt form the backdrop for the seven trumpets – further supporting the position that the trumpets are from the perspective of the unbeliever. With the plagues in mind, we must remember that God preserved the Israelites through the plagues. And so he will preserve His church through the tribulations of these last days!

Also important to note is that the devastation brought by the heralding trumpets is limited to “one-third.” God restrains his wrath so that all are given an opportunity to repent!! For… His judgment is revealed in the context of His faithfulness to redeem his people. 

We see this at the end of Amos…after God judges Israel, he promises to preserve a remnant and restore “the booth of David” (Amos 9:11-12). And then God describes a future where His people will enjoy a land that is fruitful beyond imagination (Amos 9:13-15). He describes our future in the New Heaven and the New Earth!!

Disclaimer: I humbly and cautiously offer an interpretation of the book of Revelation based on my Reformed understanding of Scripture, an Amillennialist eschatology, and a heavy reliance on the book,Revelation, The Compassion and Protection of Christ by Dr. Paul Gardner.