granted

This week we begin worship with:

Isaiah 63:7

I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD,

according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness to the

house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according

to the abundance of his steadfast love.

Here Isaiah is leading in prayer and announcing his intent to glorify the name of the LORD.

In the word "granted" (gāmal) there is no merit, but also no gift.  One commentator uses the idea that it is not a ladder to be climbed, but rather a window to be opened.

The opposite "hurts" (ʿāḵar) is found here. It active and unpreventable:

Proverbs 11:17
A man who is kind benefits himself,
    but a cruel man hurts himself.

Let us join with Isaiah in praising our Lord, that when we turn to Him He deals with us with compassion, abundance and love. 

light

This morning we begin worship with:

Hebrews 1:1-2

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the

prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he

appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

These are big statements, which the author of Hebrews does not leave unsupported.  A quick read of Hebrews 1 yields verse after verse of Old Testament quotations pointing to the Son and as the Son, the heir.  But for a moment though, let's concentrate on "spoken", that Jesus is the voice of God.

John agrees and begins his Gospel similarly and also points to Jesus Chris as creator:

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

 What was the first recorded thing spoken by the Word?  

Genesis 1:3
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

This was not simply a flashlight, it was the light that created all matter as Einstein eventually understood.  And it was not simply matter.  It was life itself.

Job 33:30

. . .  to bring back his soul from the pit,

    that he may be lighted with the light of life. 

John 1:4

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 

2 Timothy 1:10

. . . and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, . . . 

Sunglasses, anyone? 

peace

 This week we begin worship with:

John 20:21-22

Jesus said to [the disciples] again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit."

Locked in a room out of fear, Jesus miraculously appears among them.  He greeted them twice with "Peace be with you".  

This is not simply to calm them down.  This was to convey on them the peace of God.  His sacrifice was now complete.  Perfect and permanent atonement had been made.  They now had peace with God!

All the rituals repeated from their youth to make themselves ceremonially clean only to temporarily enter the temple were now unnecessary.  Through the righteousness of Christ they themselves were now suitable to be the dwelling place of God.

Then came the same breath that put life into lifeless man.

Genesis 2:7

. . . then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

The Fall has been undone.  We can now walk with God in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8) without shame.

Peace be with you.