1 Samuel 9-10; Psalm 95; Romans 3:9-31

 May 22: In these three passages, I see four different ways we can react to the ever-present, undeniable evidence that we aren't what we should be, or what a perfect God would have created us to be like:

1. Like Saul, we could swing back and forth between doleful apathy and self-determined energy about it like a pendulum. By stages "woe is me" or "I'm going to fix this."
2. Like the Psalmist warns, we could resist God's repeated urgings to repent and trust and become hardened by unbelief.
3. Like Pharisaic Judaism, we can leverage knowledge of the Law only to gain advantage over others, failing to apply its teachings to ourselves. This is what Romans 1-3 is warning about.
4. Like the pagans who at times show the work of the Law written on their hearts but consistently reject the God Creation tells them about, we could be willfully ignorant and pursue hedonism.  Ecclesiastes warns of the dissatisfaction this brings; many of the Proverbs warn of the sorrow and ruin it makes of ones life (See Proverbs 5).

So what is the "quintessence" - the "perfect example" or fifth essence? God Himself is the perfect example - Old Testament saints could only believe and act on that belief obediently, awaiting what God would provide, Jehovah-Jireh. We look back on what God has provided and trust that He has been satisfied; it is enough, and walk in gratitude.

1 Samuel 9-10: The Spirit of God came upon Saul, and he was “changed into another man” (1 Samuel 10:6-13). What are some characteristics of Spirit-empowerment? Saul’s prophesying was the immediate signal of this, but how did it continue? We see it later in his boldness to lead Israel. He’s obviously a person who believes his opportunities are limited because of his tribe and family (1 Samuel 9:21) at the beginning. But one hint of the temporary nature of the Spirit’s empowerment in the Old Testament is Saul’s running away from his calling in 1 Samuel 10:22. There’s not much commentary on this, but the personal sign that Samuel spoke the truth had been accomplished to Saul, and he should not have shrunk back from this responsibility. What does this reveal about his character? There’s a false humility that many of us are prone to which leads us to think “too much” of ourselves in thinking “too little” of ourselves—that is, we’re too consumed with our own shortcomings to believe that God can overcome them. This is self-centeredness just as much as overconfidence in the flesh is.

Psalm 95: God knows our tendency toward hard-heartedness through routine. What is the remedy? At once, we should recognize the majesty of His creation, our communion together as His sheep and the risk of deadness, bitterness, rebellion against Him. The lesson of Numbers 13 remains a warning throughout Scripture. Do Hebrews 3:13 and 12:25 refer to a born again person becoming eternally lost? I don’t think so. Hebrews 3:13 through 10:39 form an appeal to believing Jews who, having seen the truth of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, are at risk of drawing back into Judaism. Hebrews 12:4-29 has to do with God’s chastisement of supposed believers, with the possibility that some are not.

Romans 3:9-31: This section of scripture finally answers the question which has been building all this time. Seeing that both Jews and Gentiles alike are hypocritical, rebellious, deceitful and violent, how can God save anyone at all? I think this is where so much of today’s generation loses their grasp of the argument: if the question of whether we experience everlasting separation and torment or reunion with our Creator and everlasting bliss hangs on the question of our personal righteousness, they know man well enough to know there’s not that much difference between any one man and another. Since no one is perfect, they reason, and God is merciful, the standard of righteousness required must be very low. As long as I’m not Adolf Hitler, I should make it, right? Paul has clearly made the opposite argument: all are condemned, and the works of the law are no justification, since all it can do is show our guilt, taking away any way to protest our innocence. Instead, there’s another thread in both the Law and the prophets. It isn’t all about commandments. It’s also about God’s righteousness accounted to mankind because of our faith. How can He justifiably do such a thing? By fully satisfying the penalty of sin in exacting it all on one man.