Thursday March 15, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 8:6-9. Hebrews 12:22-29

 

As you read the Bible, pay attention to two things. Firstly consider the connector words at  the start of each sentence where these kinds of words occur. Words like ’and’, ’for’, ‘since’, and ‘therefore’ are key indicators to the flow and meaning of the passage. These words help us to correctly interpret the passage.

 

Secondly pay attention to the tense of the Word. What does that mean? Think of past tense, present tense and future tense. Is the word depicting something that happened in the past, in the present or is it looking into the future?

Can you see any of these connector words in vs 6-9? In vs 7 the word ‘for’ joins or connects the Promised Land with the required obedience. If the word ‘for’ were not there we could easily read into the passage a theology of salvation by works. Obey the Lord and He will bring you into the Promised Land. Such an abomination is removed by the presence of the connecting word ‘for’.

 

So what is the passage saying? There is clearly a command to obey God and  to walk in His way and to fear or revere Him. The connector word builds the logic for us. We are to act like this because God is giving the people the Promised Land. Notice the tense of vs 7. God is “bringing” (a present tense) into the Promised Land.

 

If we pay attention to the tense of words and the connectors we can correctly interpret the passage. God’s people are called to obey God and to walk in His paths because He is working among them to bring them into the Promised Land. With such a reading, the passage cannot be made to speak of salvation by works.

 

New Testament believers (including you and I) are in the same boat. Notice what God tells us in Hebrews 12:28-29? We are receiving (note the present tense) a kingdom that is eternal. Since this kingdom cannot be shaken we should be worshipping God in reverence and awe. We should be standing before God with adoration and praise. We should be living lives that show the world the kingdom we are currently inheriting.

 

And did you notice the connector word in Hebrews 12:28? Let me ask you, ‘What’s it there for?’ How does it help you interpret the passage? Why don’t you spend a bit of time reflecting on the wider passage, seeing if you can correctly interpret the passage.

 

Prayer:

¥ Praise the Lord that you are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Tell God what you are looking forward to most in that kingdom.

¥ Praise the Lord that He was willing to send His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross and to be raised so that you can enter that kingdom.  Praise God that He has done everything necessary for you to enter that kingdom.

¥ Pray that you’ll have opportunity to share with others what it means for you to be a part of God’s kingdom and what it means for you to believe in Jesus.