Anybody wants to post a Bible verse ?

[Your closest friendnt]

14 hours ago, Omegaman 3.0 said:

Etc.

High friendnt,

I am not the infallible interpreter of scripture to be sure, I am just an amateur exegete, but I'll give it a shot:

First off, this idea is given to us in several places in the New Testament, James 2:23, Rom 4:3, Gal 3:6. This is a reference to Genesis 15:6 I believe:

“And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”

Now, one of the exegetical notions I practice is to always check the context, the context of this verse in Genesis, is as follows:

1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”

4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

So, there you see the context, a childless old man, who see's himself as beyond the age of having kids, is going to be the ancestor of countless people.

That is when the text said "And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." Fair enough. In this case, it is not believing in just any old thing that the Lord said, it is believing the specific thing that the Lord said to Abram, that he was going to the the father of a multitude, right?

Now, let's run with that a little further. First, you asked some good questions. When Abram was around, there was no scripture, not even the ten commandments. He had no way to believe what God said, no way to know what God said, unless God would send him a prophet, or speak to him directly.

*****

Hi Omegaman, you are number one in my books.

What a sober way to not say anything before suggesting "let's see what if we are given from the context what the Lord said to Abram.

(I said Abraham because now we know him as Abraham and not as Abram, and this makes a good point for discussion as the importance to understand why the Lord change his name at that particular time when he did so)

Back to the point at hand.

And then we find in the context what the Lord specifically promised him and he believe him.

There is something thought that we did not touched about and this is as to why Abraham believe him.

Note to be taken that at that time Abraham believed him but later on he was complaining that Eliezer would be his heir. Or this happened earlier. I need to check this out because we are going to need it in our discussion and it makes a very important point, but this is also for later on.

I asked why this time he counted to him for righteousness and not the other times before when Abram believed the Lord when the Lord said something to him. 

(If it is too much, do as you want to do with that, but it is a good inquiry because it invloves you and your own thinking and not other peoples).

I said that because I have more questions like that, where you will need to look into your self for the answer, and I know you believe that the Holy Spirit is for moments like that. 

About this righteousness in Genesis 15:6 .

What kind of righteousness is that? Because this is the first time that ever happened for the Lord to count to someone righteousness  

And this is a very important question, was this righteousness for a season or for a season and a season and a half or for as long as he lived or it continues after he died and if it continues after he dies , is it for a season and a season and a half or it is forever?  

This is a very important inquiry because we do not discuss what other people say about Abraham and the Lord, but we discussed what took place with the Lord and Abraham.

And the events that took place with Isaac is something I will like to looked into.

There is a verse and I will find it and post it, that one of the things or conditions imposed upon Abraham by the Lord is that for the Lord to come through to his promises to him Abraham had to do what the Lord was asking him to do. 

Genesis 17:1-2

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

² And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

This will put Abraham in a Cross road and he had to decide which road to take, to obey the Lord and go on with what the Lord was asking him, to sacrifice the Son of the promise. 

The only Son he had from Sarah, the son of the promise it was to be fulfilled with the only son from Sarah. 

There was not any other Son from Sarah. 

What was Abraham thinking or what he was supposed or accustom to think when a request is made by God to sacrifice to him the first born within the knowledge of Abraham? 

In the customs of the other Nations to which Abraham was exposed to it meant that God was seeking to establish a Covenant with, which was "give me your first born before you have another one and I will bless you and prosper you with many other sons.

And that what happened to Abraham he was blessed with many other sons and he also had Issac. 

God was required from Abraham the blood of Issac his first born from Sarah to make a Covenant with him that when he will offered him to him then he will bless him with a lot of Sons.

Till that time Abraham only had Issac from the time he was Circumcised and no one else. As Ismael was born from Abraham before the Covenant of Circumcision. 

Not quite sure if at the time of Ismael's conception if Abraham was still Abram , I know for sure that he enter in the Covenant of Circumcision when Ismael was about thirteen years old. 

 

14 hours ago, Omegaman 3.0 said:

This is something quite different from our situation.

Back to the exegetical perspective for a moment, we looked at the context, but there is another important principle, let scripture interpret scripture. There is also another one, understand the Old Testament, in the light of the New Testament?

Why would we do this? Because the more information we have, the more revelation we are given, the more we will understand. As Paul told us, the Old Testament was our schoolmaster, a shadow, but it leads to the reality, which is Christ. Christ of course, had disciples, and they were given further inspiration, to give us the New Testament, so, let's take a peek at it.

In the Book of Hebrews we see Abraham's faith commented on:

11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Now that one is really loaded, but there is no need to go into all the details here, but notice in particular, that Abe's faith was such that he had the faith to kill his "only" son, because God had promised him that there would be a multitude through Isaac, the son of God's promise to Abraham. Abraham trusted God so much, that He believed that even if he killed his own son, that God's promise of offspring was still good, God keeps His promises. Abraham, believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead, to keep His promise.

As I mentioned, Abraham had no scripture to read, that makes us different, let's look to that also:

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Okay, so in former times, God spoke to people in different ways, but in latter times, He spoke by His Son. So, in keeping with believing God, we are now to believe what God has said, by believing His Son.

When we believe what Jesus said, we are believing God. Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except by Him.

He also designated apostles to tell us the things that he told them, and among them, that it is through faith it Jesus, trusting Him for our salvation, that our faith is then, counted as righteousness. Does this help at all?

Edited December 21, 2021 by Your closest friendnt

[Duck]

15 hours ago, Your closest friendnt said:

I don't like this scripture. 

Why? Oh Sorry I should have read on

Ps. I love that the KJV says "The Lord will provide HIMSELF a sacrifice...

King James Bible Genesis 22:8
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide [H]himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Edited December 21, 2021 by Duck

[SIC]

Psalm 46

46 God is our ^(C)refuge and strength,
    a very ^(D)present^[b] help in ^(E)trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear ^(F)though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into ^(G)the heart of the sea,
³ though ^(H)its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. 

[B-B]

9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs. 

10 The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth. 

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. 

12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.

14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

[Your closest friendnt]

On 12/21/2021 at 6:05 AM, Duck said:

Why? Oh Sorry I should have read on

Ps. I love that the KJV says "The Lord will provide HIMSELF a sacrifice...

King James Bible Genesis 22:8
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide [H]himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Thank you.

Genesis 22:11-13 (KJV)

11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Your closest friendnt

[Your closest friendnt]

@Omegaman 3.0

Genesis 22:15-18 

15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

[Mama Etna]

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:6

[Mama Etna]

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105

[Blue Lulu]

1 John 5:5

Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

[MrBear]

Matthew 3: 1-2

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”

This was our introduction to John the Baptist

although Matthew's gospel wasn’t the first written it is believed Mark was the first written, all the same it’s the first book of the NT

i picked out this verse because of how important the introduction of John the Baptist was

For us the New Testament is just a turn of the page from the Old Testament, but for the people living at that time it was 400 years , the silent years it’s called because God didn’t speak

Then all of the sudden 400 years later John shows up, the one told about in the OT That would lead the way for the Messiah 

GOD IS SPEAKING AGAIN !

No wonder so many people flocked to listen to this man who ate bugs and honey 🍯, they were thirsty for God and he speaks again🥰 through this man John

I’m studying Matthew again and Love the buzz 🐝 John created and how thirsty the people were to hear God again after 400 years of silence

We too should be this thirsty for Gods word and luckily we don’t have to travel far as it is available to us easily today

SHALOM❤️