The Eighth Commandment: H.C. Question 110 (Part 1)

Posted on Oct 16, 2017 by admin in Heidelberg Catechism | Tags: , , , , , 5480

What does God forbid in the eighth commandment? 
 
Exodus 22:1 – “Whoever steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.
 
1 Corinthians 5:9-10 – I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
 
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
 
Micah 6:9-11 – Listen! The Lord is calling to the city— and to fear your name is wisdom— “Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.  Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house, and the short ephah, which is accursed?  Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,  with a bag of false weights?
 
Luke 3:14 – Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”  He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
 
James 5:1-6 – Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
 
Deuteronomy 25:13-16 – Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small. You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. For the Lord, your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.
 

James 5 – Warnings and Prayers

Posted on Nov 8, 2016 by Jonathon VanderWall in Daily Bible Journal, James | Tags: , , , 4752

Read James 5

It is no secret in Scripture that God has a special place in His heart for the oppressed and marginalized.  Much of the mission of the Church is based on a call to care for the widow, the orphan, those in prison, and the oppressed and much of the early church was made up of such people.  The makeup of churches nowadays seems to have changed a bit.  Church appears to be a place where those who have their lives all together go, not where the broken come to receive healing.

James issues a warning to those who are “rich,” but it goes for all those who oppress or ignore the oppressed and marginalized.  Our actions in this regard do not go unnoticed before the thrown of God.  We must be careful in how we act and in where our priorities lie for it is not our earthly wealth that matters to God, but what we did with the blessings, actions that reveal where our heart is, that He has given us that truly matters.

One of the ways we can ensure a proper orientation in our lives in this, and all matters that James brings up, is committing to prayer.  We don’t talk about this enough, I think, in the church.  When we come before God, we come to praise Him, to thank Him, and to lift up our needs and the needs of the world before Him.  We do this because God calls us to, because He is capable of handling our needs, and because we trust Him.  Doing so, however, does not exempt us from action either.  God calls us to be active participants in His work in the world and this happens through the prayers and actions of His people.  When we invite God into situations, we believe that He is going to act in ways the build His Kingdom and further His will in the world.


John 7 – Who Are We Looking For?

Posted on Apr 15, 2016 by Jonathon VanderWall in Daily Bible Journal, John | Tags: , , , , 1570

Read John 7

In the time of Jesus, there was a considerable amount of unrest within the Jewish community; they were on the hunt for a Savior.  In fact, between the time of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament (mid 500s B.C.), and the time that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans (70 A.D.), several people rose up as prospective messianic figures and whose rebellions were summarily snuffed out.  Suffice it to say, the people were on the lookout for a Savior.

When Jesus comes on the scene, He works miraculous signs, fulfilling Scripture left and right, and teaching with an authority much greater and more pronounced than the other religious leaders.  We see that something sets Jesus apart by the comments that the people make about Him.  Many are impressed by His teachings while others are extremely threatened by Him.

One of the reasons that the Jews were looking for a Messiah was because of the cultural and political climate that was present in that time.  Roman rule and oppression had been going on for years but the Jewish people had a vision of a “restored kingdom,” like that of King David, and thought that the prophesied Messiah was going to rise up to overthrow the oppressive regime and restore Israel to its former glory.

Sound familiar?  The current state of the U.S. and the political climate of the 2016 presidential election seems to have taken on some of the same themes.  No matter the political affiliation that you hold, many are angrily looking for someone to be America’s “savior.”  We seem to be willing to listen to just about anything that offers some semblance of hope.

Sadly, doing this relates us more closely to the Pharisees, those who doubt Jesus’ identity, than to His disciples, those who follow Him.